This document discusses strategies for building a learning organization, including goal alignment, skill development, and talent mobility. It emphasizes that the only sustainable competitive advantage is an organization's ability to learn faster than its competition, and that managers must be lifelong learners. It provides examples of how goal alignment, skill development through training opportunities, and talent mobility through cross-training can improve employee engagement, productivity, and company profitability.
This half-day to full-day workshop taught by Alan See focuses on leveraging social media for sales results. It covers developing a social media strategy, tactics for engaging different departments, success factors for building social networks, and hands-on experience with platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. The workshop aims to help attendees increase their social networking efficiency and effectiveness to build personal brands and generate leads. Several executives provide recommendations, praising Alan's expertise and the success their organizations achieved in leads and sales through his social media training.
The mckinsey edge success principles from the world’s most powerful consultin...Mariham Magdy
The document provides praise and endorsements from several individuals for the book "The McKinsey Edge". The reviewers provide positive feedback on the practical leadership advice and insights contained in the book. They note that it is filled with tangible, practical principles that will help readers succeed as leaders. One reviewer states that among many leadership books, this one stands out for its practicality and readable combination of principles, insights from famous people, and the author's experiences at McKinsey consulting firm.
[Guide] 7 Steps to Create a Winning Social Media Marketing StrategyMohamed Mahdy
The document provides 7 steps for creating a winning social media marketing strategy. Step 1 is to ensure social goals solve business challenges like increasing website traffic or improving customer retention. Step 2 is to extend social media efforts across departments like sales, marketing, and customer service. Step 3 is to focus efforts on social networks that are most relevant to goals and target audiences like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Step 4 is to create engaging content like videos, guides, and infographics. Step 5 is to identify business opportunities through social media monitoring. Step 6 is to engage with customers on social media rather than ignoring them. Step 7 is to track results and improve the strategy.
What better way to kick off the holiday season than a massive SlideShare filled with the best SEO questions asked and answered from our popular AMAs. There's no shortage of expert insight with names like Rand Fishkin, Avinash Kaushik, Ann Smarty, Peep Laja and more!
SlideShare by HubSpot's @ninarstepanov.
How to Drive 10X More Leads with Social SellingMohamed Mahdy
This document provides guidance on how sales organizations can implement social selling to drive more leads. It recommends training the sales team on social media use, providing approved content for them to share, and tracking engagement and results. Implementing these seven steps can help sales teams build authority as thought leaders, nurture leads, and ultimately close more deals through social interactions.
In contrast to a traditional marketing approach in which advertising messages are addressed to a strictly defined target audience, Engagement Marketing does something new and fundamentally different.
This half-day to full-day workshop taught by Alan See focuses on leveraging social media for sales results. It covers developing a social media strategy, tactics for engaging different departments, success factors for building social networks, and hands-on experience with platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. The workshop aims to help attendees increase their social networking efficiency and effectiveness to build personal brands and generate leads. Several executives provide recommendations, praising Alan's expertise and the success their organizations achieved in leads and sales through his social media training.
The mckinsey edge success principles from the world’s most powerful consultin...Mariham Magdy
The document provides praise and endorsements from several individuals for the book "The McKinsey Edge". The reviewers provide positive feedback on the practical leadership advice and insights contained in the book. They note that it is filled with tangible, practical principles that will help readers succeed as leaders. One reviewer states that among many leadership books, this one stands out for its practicality and readable combination of principles, insights from famous people, and the author's experiences at McKinsey consulting firm.
[Guide] 7 Steps to Create a Winning Social Media Marketing StrategyMohamed Mahdy
The document provides 7 steps for creating a winning social media marketing strategy. Step 1 is to ensure social goals solve business challenges like increasing website traffic or improving customer retention. Step 2 is to extend social media efforts across departments like sales, marketing, and customer service. Step 3 is to focus efforts on social networks that are most relevant to goals and target audiences like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Step 4 is to create engaging content like videos, guides, and infographics. Step 5 is to identify business opportunities through social media monitoring. Step 6 is to engage with customers on social media rather than ignoring them. Step 7 is to track results and improve the strategy.
What better way to kick off the holiday season than a massive SlideShare filled with the best SEO questions asked and answered from our popular AMAs. There's no shortage of expert insight with names like Rand Fishkin, Avinash Kaushik, Ann Smarty, Peep Laja and more!
SlideShare by HubSpot's @ninarstepanov.
How to Drive 10X More Leads with Social SellingMohamed Mahdy
This document provides guidance on how sales organizations can implement social selling to drive more leads. It recommends training the sales team on social media use, providing approved content for them to share, and tracking engagement and results. Implementing these seven steps can help sales teams build authority as thought leaders, nurture leads, and ultimately close more deals through social interactions.
In contrast to a traditional marketing approach in which advertising messages are addressed to a strictly defined target audience, Engagement Marketing does something new and fundamentally different.
Companies outsource social media for several reasons: lack of results from in-house efforts, changing staff disrupting momentum, growing businesses needing extra support during busy periods, the time-consuming nature of social media, it not being a core competency, competition already engaging on platforms, the constantly changing landscape, or simply needing an expert boost. Outsourcing allows leveraging outside expertise to further brand awareness in a cost-effective manner.
Lessons Learned From Five of Marketing's Top Minds - starring Robert Rose, An...Workfront
Marketing is a Learning Experience
Great marketing has always been about trial and error and knowing when things are working and when they’re not. This has never been truer than it is now.
Now long ago, the most prominent voices in marketing were fresh out of school, just starting their careers, and making their own share of mistakes. Between then and now, what experiences turned them into the thought leaders they are today?
We asked five of these thought leaders to share with us their most transformative job experiences and what they learned. We hope you enjoy what they shared with us.
As always, fellow marketers, keep experimenting, keep learning, and keep improving!
- Joe Staples, CMO, Workfront
How To Turn Employees Into Brand AmbassadorsEvgeny Tsarkov
The document discusses how to turn employees into brand ambassadors. It recommends harnessing employees' passion for the brand and providing them with tools to promote the brand. It also suggests listening to employee feedback and ideas, and helping employees educate others about products and services through community events. The document stresses that a social media policy for employees is important to guide how they represent the brand online.
Presentation on how to land a job in social media at Social Media Week Berlin, #SMWBerlin. Suzanne gives tips on what students should study and what skills to have in order to excel in a career in social media, including branding yourself, creating a blog, and connecting to others via social media websites.
Get Scrappy: A (Small) Business Owner's Guide to Marketing on LessMichelle Fitzgerald
Get Scrappy is a pared down, practical guide about how to incorporate marketing into the heart of any business plan.
Packed with expertise from Fortune 500 marketers and SMB consultants, Get Scrappy provides real-life examples on how organizations, even those on less time and money, can make seemingly tactical objectives become strategic initiatives that generate results.
Do more on less. GET SCRAPPY.
Networking as a Sales Tool - 5 Sure-Fire Steps to Increase Sales SuccessThe Chief Storyteller
Generally, a networking event is one big blind date. You never know who you will meet next. Networking is all about the deliberate development of professional relationships. Just as with personal dating, business dating takes time. You wouldn’t expect to get married on the first date. The same holds true with networking. Here are five sure-fire steps to make your networking more focused and effective to capitalize on opportunities, eliminate distractions, and increase your sales and development success.
Better Blogging for Better Results - 8 Tips to Generate Opportunities from Bl...The Chief Storyteller
On September 3, 2005, the screaming and shouting stopped. I finally gave in to writing my first blog. Back then, I did not have the appreciation for the power of blogging that I have today. Well-written, organized, and timely blogs offer tremendous benefits. If you look at social media today, blogging is rarely mentioned as a top application. And the irony is that, more likely than not, sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter refer back to a blog entry as the source of the information. Here are 8 tips to generate more opportunities to connect quickly to your target audiences.
Lead Generation for Small Business: Experts Weigh In
Managing your sales using a simple CRM is critical. The question is how do you even generate leads in the first place? Lead generation is the lifeblood of small businesses. If done right, generating great quality leads can be a major catalyst for growth and revenue. But with so many lead generation tactics and approaches available out there, small businesses want to know which are the most effective to use.
To help answer this question, we’ve reached out to a panel of small business sales and marketing experts and asked them all a single question: “What is the most effective lead generation technique(s) for small businesses“?
This document provides tips for generating sales leads on LinkedIn through status updates. It begins by explaining the importance of regularly interacting with connections through updates, messages, and articles. It then gives guidelines for writing effective updates, such as avoiding direct pitches, using a conversational tone, and including images. The document proceeds to list 17 specific types of content for status updates, such as commenting on others' updates, offering something valuable for free, thanking and promoting people met, and sharing quotes or inspirations. The overall message is that regular engagement and creating value for connections through status updates can help business professionals generate qualified sales leads and opportunities.
LinkedIn is a powerful business tool if used strategically. The document outlines 7 mistakes to avoid when using LinkedIn and tips for success. It recommends setting goals for your LinkedIn activities aligned with your overall business strategy. It also suggests building a large, engaged network; creating an appealing profile that clearly communicates value; and integrating LinkedIn with other business development activities.
If you have started your social media marketing, you should know what is social media ROI.
Here are some useful information that you should have in mind.
Engaging Employees as Brand Ambassadors via Social MediaJayaBohlmann
This webinar discussed strategies for empowering employees to engage in social media on behalf of their organization. It highlighted the need to establish clear social media policies and guidelines to allow employee participation while mitigating risks. The webinar also stressed the importance of training employees, designating social media ambassadors, and having PR lead collaborative, enterprise-wide social media strategies with measurable goals. A case study of Sodexo's employee social media program was presented that focused on highlighting employee stories and volunteer efforts.
Marketing Predictions 2016: Q&A With Ted Rubin, Robert Rose and MoreWorkfront
Three marketing experts discuss the biggest trends and challenges for 2016. They emphasize focusing on customer relationships, simplifying strategies and content, and creating high-impact experiences. Budgets will focus on owned media and digital advertising. Challenges include setting priorities, cutting through clutter, and scaling experiences globally. Hidden gems include print, podcasts, and low-production video. Tools for success include live streaming apps, collaboration tools, and work management software.
The document provides guidance on using LinkedIn and the LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool effectively for social selling. It discusses that the Sales Navigator learning curve is short, that it provides easier access to leads through a salesperson's network on LinkedIn, and that it allows salespeople to systematically implement a proven social selling process. The document encourages salespeople to create a compelling 30-second "elevator pitch" about what they do and optimize their LinkedIn profile with a photo, customized URL, and filling out most of the profile fields.
Personal Brand Social Media Marketing PlanAllie Hoffman
Allison Hoffman has created a personal brand social media marketing plan to help secure a job in marketing in the Twin Cities starting in June 2014. Her goal is to effectively communicate her personal brand across LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and her WordPress blog. She will network with professionals in the advertising, marketing services, and outdoor/fitness industries and follow companies in those fields. Her content strategies focus on remaining consistent with communicating her brand of being an ambitious leader driven to discover and initiate new ideas.
The document summarizes tips from 11 marketing experts on growing businesses. Some key recommendations include focusing on conversion rate optimization testing and discovering what customers want through expanded research; prioritizing content creation from the start; leveraging influencer relationships; and taking a holistic approach to webinars that drives desired actions. The newsletter also spotlights a business counselor from the Mississippi Small Business Development Center.
Managing and Maximizing Your PR and Corporate Communications Budget - ABF Con...Kenny Ong
The document discusses strategies for managing and maximizing a PR and communications budget. It outlines several key lessons: 1) PR budgets should be linked to business objectives and focus on driving word-of-mouth to increase sales and customer retention; 2) PR should be integrated across departments and focus on building relationships rather than flashy campaigns; 3) A virtuous cycle of internal and external communications can maximize impact and budget effectiveness through continuous networking rather than one-off events.
This document discusses strategies for building a learning organization through talent development. It emphasizes the importance of aligning employee goals with organizational goals, providing skills training, and enabling talent mobility across roles. Goal alignment is crucial to ensure employees are focused on the right priorities. Formal training is sometimes necessary to develop skills as business needs change. The document also stresses that talent mobility, goal alignment, and skills development should be coordinated strategies to maximize employee engagement, productivity and company performance.
Best practices in recruitment that every company should followKannan G S
Finding great candidates has always been a major challenge. If you are an employer struggling to fill your open job positions with suitable candidates, you’ve come to the right place. Here we discuss about best practices in recruitment that will help you find great candidates easier and faster.
Companies outsource social media for several reasons: lack of results from in-house efforts, changing staff disrupting momentum, growing businesses needing extra support during busy periods, the time-consuming nature of social media, it not being a core competency, competition already engaging on platforms, the constantly changing landscape, or simply needing an expert boost. Outsourcing allows leveraging outside expertise to further brand awareness in a cost-effective manner.
Lessons Learned From Five of Marketing's Top Minds - starring Robert Rose, An...Workfront
Marketing is a Learning Experience
Great marketing has always been about trial and error and knowing when things are working and when they’re not. This has never been truer than it is now.
Now long ago, the most prominent voices in marketing were fresh out of school, just starting their careers, and making their own share of mistakes. Between then and now, what experiences turned them into the thought leaders they are today?
We asked five of these thought leaders to share with us their most transformative job experiences and what they learned. We hope you enjoy what they shared with us.
As always, fellow marketers, keep experimenting, keep learning, and keep improving!
- Joe Staples, CMO, Workfront
How To Turn Employees Into Brand AmbassadorsEvgeny Tsarkov
The document discusses how to turn employees into brand ambassadors. It recommends harnessing employees' passion for the brand and providing them with tools to promote the brand. It also suggests listening to employee feedback and ideas, and helping employees educate others about products and services through community events. The document stresses that a social media policy for employees is important to guide how they represent the brand online.
Presentation on how to land a job in social media at Social Media Week Berlin, #SMWBerlin. Suzanne gives tips on what students should study and what skills to have in order to excel in a career in social media, including branding yourself, creating a blog, and connecting to others via social media websites.
Get Scrappy: A (Small) Business Owner's Guide to Marketing on LessMichelle Fitzgerald
Get Scrappy is a pared down, practical guide about how to incorporate marketing into the heart of any business plan.
Packed with expertise from Fortune 500 marketers and SMB consultants, Get Scrappy provides real-life examples on how organizations, even those on less time and money, can make seemingly tactical objectives become strategic initiatives that generate results.
Do more on less. GET SCRAPPY.
Networking as a Sales Tool - 5 Sure-Fire Steps to Increase Sales SuccessThe Chief Storyteller
Generally, a networking event is one big blind date. You never know who you will meet next. Networking is all about the deliberate development of professional relationships. Just as with personal dating, business dating takes time. You wouldn’t expect to get married on the first date. The same holds true with networking. Here are five sure-fire steps to make your networking more focused and effective to capitalize on opportunities, eliminate distractions, and increase your sales and development success.
Better Blogging for Better Results - 8 Tips to Generate Opportunities from Bl...The Chief Storyteller
On September 3, 2005, the screaming and shouting stopped. I finally gave in to writing my first blog. Back then, I did not have the appreciation for the power of blogging that I have today. Well-written, organized, and timely blogs offer tremendous benefits. If you look at social media today, blogging is rarely mentioned as a top application. And the irony is that, more likely than not, sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter refer back to a blog entry as the source of the information. Here are 8 tips to generate more opportunities to connect quickly to your target audiences.
Lead Generation for Small Business: Experts Weigh In
Managing your sales using a simple CRM is critical. The question is how do you even generate leads in the first place? Lead generation is the lifeblood of small businesses. If done right, generating great quality leads can be a major catalyst for growth and revenue. But with so many lead generation tactics and approaches available out there, small businesses want to know which are the most effective to use.
To help answer this question, we’ve reached out to a panel of small business sales and marketing experts and asked them all a single question: “What is the most effective lead generation technique(s) for small businesses“?
This document provides tips for generating sales leads on LinkedIn through status updates. It begins by explaining the importance of regularly interacting with connections through updates, messages, and articles. It then gives guidelines for writing effective updates, such as avoiding direct pitches, using a conversational tone, and including images. The document proceeds to list 17 specific types of content for status updates, such as commenting on others' updates, offering something valuable for free, thanking and promoting people met, and sharing quotes or inspirations. The overall message is that regular engagement and creating value for connections through status updates can help business professionals generate qualified sales leads and opportunities.
LinkedIn is a powerful business tool if used strategically. The document outlines 7 mistakes to avoid when using LinkedIn and tips for success. It recommends setting goals for your LinkedIn activities aligned with your overall business strategy. It also suggests building a large, engaged network; creating an appealing profile that clearly communicates value; and integrating LinkedIn with other business development activities.
If you have started your social media marketing, you should know what is social media ROI.
Here are some useful information that you should have in mind.
Engaging Employees as Brand Ambassadors via Social MediaJayaBohlmann
This webinar discussed strategies for empowering employees to engage in social media on behalf of their organization. It highlighted the need to establish clear social media policies and guidelines to allow employee participation while mitigating risks. The webinar also stressed the importance of training employees, designating social media ambassadors, and having PR lead collaborative, enterprise-wide social media strategies with measurable goals. A case study of Sodexo's employee social media program was presented that focused on highlighting employee stories and volunteer efforts.
Marketing Predictions 2016: Q&A With Ted Rubin, Robert Rose and MoreWorkfront
Three marketing experts discuss the biggest trends and challenges for 2016. They emphasize focusing on customer relationships, simplifying strategies and content, and creating high-impact experiences. Budgets will focus on owned media and digital advertising. Challenges include setting priorities, cutting through clutter, and scaling experiences globally. Hidden gems include print, podcasts, and low-production video. Tools for success include live streaming apps, collaboration tools, and work management software.
The document provides guidance on using LinkedIn and the LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool effectively for social selling. It discusses that the Sales Navigator learning curve is short, that it provides easier access to leads through a salesperson's network on LinkedIn, and that it allows salespeople to systematically implement a proven social selling process. The document encourages salespeople to create a compelling 30-second "elevator pitch" about what they do and optimize their LinkedIn profile with a photo, customized URL, and filling out most of the profile fields.
Personal Brand Social Media Marketing PlanAllie Hoffman
Allison Hoffman has created a personal brand social media marketing plan to help secure a job in marketing in the Twin Cities starting in June 2014. Her goal is to effectively communicate her personal brand across LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and her WordPress blog. She will network with professionals in the advertising, marketing services, and outdoor/fitness industries and follow companies in those fields. Her content strategies focus on remaining consistent with communicating her brand of being an ambitious leader driven to discover and initiate new ideas.
The document summarizes tips from 11 marketing experts on growing businesses. Some key recommendations include focusing on conversion rate optimization testing and discovering what customers want through expanded research; prioritizing content creation from the start; leveraging influencer relationships; and taking a holistic approach to webinars that drives desired actions. The newsletter also spotlights a business counselor from the Mississippi Small Business Development Center.
Managing and Maximizing Your PR and Corporate Communications Budget - ABF Con...Kenny Ong
The document discusses strategies for managing and maximizing a PR and communications budget. It outlines several key lessons: 1) PR budgets should be linked to business objectives and focus on driving word-of-mouth to increase sales and customer retention; 2) PR should be integrated across departments and focus on building relationships rather than flashy campaigns; 3) A virtuous cycle of internal and external communications can maximize impact and budget effectiveness through continuous networking rather than one-off events.
This document discusses strategies for building a learning organization through talent development. It emphasizes the importance of aligning employee goals with organizational goals, providing skills training, and enabling talent mobility across roles. Goal alignment is crucial to ensure employees are focused on the right priorities. Formal training is sometimes necessary to develop skills as business needs change. The document also stresses that talent mobility, goal alignment, and skills development should be coordinated strategies to maximize employee engagement, productivity and company performance.
Best practices in recruitment that every company should followKannan G S
Finding great candidates has always been a major challenge. If you are an employer struggling to fill your open job positions with suitable candidates, you’ve come to the right place. Here we discuss about best practices in recruitment that will help you find great candidates easier and faster.
The document discusses creating predictable business growth through three key areas: leadership, strategic planning, and sales optimization. It provides advice on building trust within executive teams, conducting strategic planning, and implementing sales best practices. The key takeaways are that success requires the right people in leadership, a clear strategic plan, and executing that plan through an integrated sales and marketing engine.
It is time to conduct a “reset” exercise and put employee
engagement back in its proper place and perspective. This paper
identifies five areas that our research has shown to be
potentially troublesome for companies - especially in terms of
helping them frame their expectations in the most reasonable,
realistic and productive ways. We have discussed them here to
help you understand the true power of aligning employee drives
and needs with those of your company
Module 3 business planning with benefit of hindsightrestartplatform
This document provides information about business planning and experimentation. It discusses the importance of business planning, but also notes that experimentation may be a better approach in some cases. Business plans are important for setting goals and evaluating progress, but they do not guarantee success. The document outlines common myths about business planning, such as the idea that plans are only for startups or only needed for raising capital. It emphasizes that plans should be concise and focus on key questions like the problem being solved, target customers, competition, and financial projections. Overall, the document suggests that while planning is valuable, experimenting and getting early customer feedback may be lower risk approaches in some sectors compared to traditional business planning models.
Progressive - Building a compelling employer brandMark SThree
The ability to attract and retain the best talent in the market is key for any organisation, but never more so than in highly competitive sectors where niche skill sets are in high demand. Our guide to employer branding examines
how organisations can strengthen their relationship with existing and potential employees, and external
stakeholders through the effective communication of the brand’s values, personality and culture and creating a
strong employer brand.
This document discusses how to build a successful brand and high-performing team. It emphasizes the importance of having a clear brand vision and objectives focused on distinction, added value, quality, structured communications, direction, and innovation. It also stresses the importance of open communication, clear roles and goals, leadership support, and coordination within a team to achieve projects effectively. Regular updates and participation from leadership helps build trust while allowing independence. The key is properly aligning all members' efforts like a puzzle to achieve success.
This document discusses how to build a successful brand and high-performing team. It emphasizes the importance of having a clear brand vision and objectives focused on distinction, added value, quality, structured communications, direction, and innovation. It also stresses the importance of open communication, clear roles and goals, leadership support, and coordination within a team to achieve projects effectively. Regular updates and participation from leadership helps build trust while allowing independence. The key is properly aligning all members' efforts like a puzzle to achieve success.
This document provides terms and conditions for a legal notice. It strives to be accurate while noting that errors may occur. It assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or interpretations. Practical advice is provided, but readers are advised to rely on their own judgment. The document is not intended as a source of legal, business, or financial advice.
The document provides tips for growing a company's talent pool and hiring good candidates. It discusses the importance of having an accurate job description, boosting employee referrals, building industry contacts, utilizing a company website to advertise jobs, improving a company brand, and using industry-specific job boards and professional groups to source candidates. Following these six tips can help recruiters find and attract top talent in a competitive job market.
The article discusses the pros and cons of open workplaces and argues that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It notes that companies considering open floor plans need to develop a plan that maximizes the benefits for their business while minimizing potential downsides. Key points covered include increased collaboration but also distractions, the need for alternative quiet spaces, and ensuring the new layout still supports the company's culture and work styles.
Managing Your Team of Business DevelopersPeak Focus
The document discusses managing a sales team through an effective sales management system. It recommends designing a system that clearly defines expectations and allows the sales team to manage themselves. The sales manager's primary role should then be to manage the system and provide coaching. The system should include components like strategy and planning, sales process management, resource deployment, coaching and leadership, sales compensation, recruiting and hiring, and technology management. An effective system that selects the right people and provides necessary coaching can result in significant growth.
The document discusses managing a sales team through an effective sales management system. It recommends designing a system that clearly defines expectations and allows the sales team to manage themselves. The sales manager's primary role should then be to manage the system and provide coaching. The system should include components like strategy and planning, sales process management, resource deployment, coaching and leadership, sales compensation, recruiting and hiring, and technology management. An effective system that selects the right people and provides necessary coaching can result in significant growth.
This document discusses business planning and the importance of experimentation. It begins by outlining what will be covered in the business planning module, including getting back to basics on business plans, debunking common myths, improving plans over time, and learning from experimentation. It then discusses what business plans are and why they are important, addressing myths around business planning. The document emphasizes that while planning is important, experimentation is also critical for building resilient businesses and planning for difficulties. Business plans should incorporate learning from previous attempts and focus on addressing investors' main concerns around the executive summary, management team, and financials. Overall, the document promotes balancing thorough planning with a willingness to test assumptions and adapt plans based on real-world feedback
The document discusses the importance of an effective operating model for product organizations to successfully execute strategies. It identifies four key factors of an operating model: product mindset, organizational design, development model, and decision making structure. Product mindset focuses on understanding customer needs rather than requests. Organizational design calls for a product management team separate from engineering and sales. The development model addresses balancing in-house versus outsourced work. Decision making aims to minimize risk through lean methodology and experimentation.
1) Getting talent on the right track requires a long term talent strategy rather than quick fixes, which can perpetuate a cycle of catching one's own tail.
2) Building a robust talent bench through a 5+ year strategy that identifies critical capabilities and allows flexibility is key to absorbing short term issues.
3) Developing a talent culture through leadership commitment, measurement, and forums for discussing talent can help ensure the right people are identified and developed for key roles.
This document outlines 10 key capabilities that business leaders need to succeed in a cluttered market according to a survey of 120 business leaders. The top 3 capabilities are: 1) Managing millennials effectively, 2) Leading by example through actions not just words, and 3) Simplifying complexity in business systems and processes. The document provides strategies for improving in each capability area, and encourages leaders to assess their strengths and weaknesses. Overall it advocates that developing key capabilities will help business leaders cut through the clutter and achieve success.
The Ultimate Guide to Employee EngagementGary Skipper
Employee engagement has many benefits to an organisation including improved productivity, retention, ideas creation, customer service, team work & loyalty.
But how do you create an environment where staff want to proactively provide a positive contribution to your business and passionately believe in its long term goals and objectives?
This document discusses best practices for setting up a business development function in an early stage startup. It begins by defining common roles like business development, corporate development, marketing, and sales. It emphasizes the importance of hiring the right person with the right skills at the appropriate stage of the company. For example, an individual focused on exploring potential markets and channels is best early on, while someone who can validate assumptions and scale successes is more suitable later. The document also stresses the need for clear communication between business development and other departments to ensure proper hand-offs and alignment with company goals. Regular oversight and support from leadership is also advised to help the business development team succeed.
John See - Revolutionary War Veteran and PioneerAlan See
John See was captured at age 6 during the Muddy Creek Massacre in 1763. He and his family were taken captive by Shawnee Chief Cornstalk and brought to Old Town, Ohio. After 2.5 years, John was adopted by a Shawnee family and did not want to return to his biological family. However, he was eventually released with other captives due to pressure from the British. John had difficulty readjusting to white society and maintained attachments to his Shawnee family. He later served in the American Revolutionary War and received land in Indiana for his service.
John See was the 4th great-grandfather of the author. He was killed in the 1763 Muddy Creek Massacre near present-day Lewisburg, West Virginia during Pontiac's Rebellion when Shawnee warriors attacked and killed settlers. John's mother Catherine was taken captive along with other women and children. She demonstrated great courage and strength on the difficult march to Ohio, saving her younger children by knocking a warrior off a horse meant for them to ride. Upon arriving at the Shawnee village, Catherine continued to impress the warriors with her bravery and resilience.
The Most Influential CMOs to Follow in 2023Alan See
Alan See is a recognized influencer in marketing, having received awards from Forbes and the American Marketing Association. He draws on his experience in sales and marketing from his father's business. See emphasizes developing trust with customers through building emotional bonds and relationships. He believes the most important trends in marketing involve creating customer relationships through content and social media to drive engagement. See stresses the importance of lifelong learning and adapting to changing technologies and customer needs.
Alan See is an experienced CMO and founder of CMO Temps, LLC. He has obtained BBA and MBA degrees from Abilene Christian University. As CMO, he takes pride in developing strategies that he is passionate about and believes in. Mr. See has received recognition from Forbes, the American Marketing Association, and Marquis Who's Who for his expertise in marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, and as a lifetime achievement award recipient. He began his career in sales and understands the sales process, which helps him develop effective marketing strategies. Mr. See founded CMO Temps to provide CMO expertise to organizations not ready for a full-time hire. He believes in agility and leveraging freel
The document discusses how the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US has sparked a "green arms race" globally as countries seek to compete for investments in clean energy and technology. The IRA provides large subsidies that could draw investments away from other nations. In response, the UK, EU, and Canada have all recently announced new policy packages and incentives of their own aimed at remaining competitive with the US for attracting green businesses and investments. The competition is expected to significantly boost global investment in decarbonization efforts over the coming years.
OHSSAR - The Country Bulletin - Spring 2023Alan See
The Ohio Society SAR welcomes dignitaries to its 134th annual meeting in May, including the President General and other national officers. The meeting will feature recognition of chapters' accomplishments. The society's president encourages members to stay connected through in-person events after the challenges of the pandemic. Upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations of Revolutionary War events provide an opportunity to educate the public about American history and patriotism.
50 Marketing Leaders Over 50 You Should KnowAlan See
This document profiles 50 marketing leaders over 50 years old and provides brief summaries of each including their title, company, Twitter followers, and responses to two questions: 1) How and where do you find innovative ideas? and 2) What's the best way to keep your eye on the future? The profiles highlight a variety of ways these marketing experts find innovative ideas such as reading blogs and publications, attending events, talking to people of different backgrounds, and observing trends. They suggest keeping an eye on the future by networking, reading widely, listening to younger people, and staying open-minded to new ideas and technologies.
Social Media Marketing for Small Business - The After-party DiscussionAlan See
Alan See, a recognized expert in social media marketing, will host an after-party discussion for small businesses on their social media strategies. The discussion will provide insights on why initial goals of free word-of-mouth marketing leading to increased sales through platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter may not have panned out as expected. Attendees can learn what should have been considered before beginning social media activities. The event is on April 24th for the Rotary Club of Westchester/Liberty.
How to Use Social Media Content to Create Interest and CredibilityAlan See
"How to Use Social Media Content to Create Interest and Credibility" presented by Alan See at the Cincinnati American Marketing Association SIG meeting on January 15, 2015
Alan See is a Sr. Vice President at AberdeenGroup who focuses his research on business intelligence strategies and technologies that help companies analyze customer and business operation data to make better decisions. His current research examines how business intelligence is evolving to provide a more holistic view of business strategy and the customer experience. He has over 25 years of industry experience and holds BBA and MBA degrees from Abilene Christian University.
The document describes a CRM Index created by CGEY to assess companies' customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities. CGEY conducted a survey of over 300 marketing, sales, and customer service executives across various industries to develop the Index. The Index measures companies on two dimensions: mindset (strategy and customer philosophy) and connectivity (process and infrastructure). It places companies into nine categories based on where they fall on these dimensions.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) aims to maximize customer intelligence to drive profitable growth through acquisition, penetration and retention. Effective CRM requires customer analytics to understand customers and improve returns. CGE&Y's Intelligent Customer Growth approach provides a single view of customers, robust analytics and closed-loop performance management to help companies better understand customers and make data-driven decisions.
The document discusses building a "Marketing-Ready Enterprise" through the use of customer intelligence. It summarizes research from SAS and Aberdeen Group finding that companies adopting comprehensive customer lifecycle marketing practices are over 3 times more likely to report over 50% higher return on marketing investment. Building high levels of integration across targeting, acting, planning and learning functions allows companies to better acquire, retain and expand customer relationships in a profitable manner.
Temple of Asclepius in Thrace. Excavation resultsKrassimira Luka
The temple and the sanctuary around were dedicated to Asklepios Zmidrenus. This name has been known since 1875 when an inscription dedicated to him was discovered in Rome. The inscription is dated in 227 AD and was left by soldiers originating from the city of Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv).
Beyond Degrees - Empowering the Workforce in the Context of Skills-First.pptxEduSkills OECD
Iván Bornacelly, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Skills, OECD, presents at the webinar 'Tackling job market gaps with a skills-first approach' on 12 June 2024
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering.pptxDenish Jangid
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering
Syllabus
Chapter-1
Introduction to objective, scope and outcome the subject
Chapter 2
Introduction: Scope and Specialization of Civil Engineering, Role of civil Engineer in Society, Impact of infrastructural development on economy of country.
Chapter 3
Surveying: Object Principles & Types of Surveying; Site Plans, Plans & Maps; Scales & Unit of different Measurements.
Linear Measurements: Instruments used. Linear Measurement by Tape, Ranging out Survey Lines and overcoming Obstructions; Measurements on sloping ground; Tape corrections, conventional symbols. Angular Measurements: Instruments used; Introduction to Compass Surveying, Bearings and Longitude & Latitude of a Line, Introduction to total station.
Levelling: Instrument used Object of levelling, Methods of levelling in brief, and Contour maps.
Chapter 4
Buildings: Selection of site for Buildings, Layout of Building Plan, Types of buildings, Plinth area, carpet area, floor space index, Introduction to building byelaws, concept of sun light & ventilation. Components of Buildings & their functions, Basic concept of R.C.C., Introduction to types of foundation
Chapter 5
Transportation: Introduction to Transportation Engineering; Traffic and Road Safety: Types and Characteristics of Various Modes of Transportation; Various Road Traffic Signs, Causes of Accidents and Road Safety Measures.
Chapter 6
Environmental Engineering: Environmental Pollution, Environmental Acts and Regulations, Functional Concepts of Ecology, Basics of Species, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Hydrological Cycle; Chemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus; Energy Flow in Ecosystems.
Water Pollution: Water Quality standards, Introduction to Treatment & Disposal of Waste Water. Reuse and Saving of Water, Rain Water Harvesting. Solid Waste Management: Classification of Solid Waste, Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid. Recycling of Solid Waste: Energy Recovery, Sanitary Landfill, On-Site Sanitation. Air & Noise Pollution: Primary and Secondary air pollutants, Harmful effects of Air Pollution, Control of Air Pollution. . Noise Pollution Harmful Effects of noise pollution, control of noise pollution, Global warming & Climate Change, Ozone depletion, Greenhouse effect
Text Books:
1. Palancharmy, Basic Civil Engineering, McGraw Hill publishers.
2. Satheesh Gopi, Basic Civil Engineering, Pearson Publishers.
3. Ketki Rangwala Dalal, Essentials of Civil Engineering, Charotar Publishing House.
4. BCP, Surveying volume 1
ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, and GDPR: Best Practices for Implementation and...PECB
Denis is a dynamic and results-driven Chief Information Officer (CIO) with a distinguished career spanning information systems analysis and technical project management. With a proven track record of spearheading the design and delivery of cutting-edge Information Management solutions, he has consistently elevated business operations, streamlined reporting functions, and maximized process efficiency.
Certified as an ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Lead Implementer, Data Protection Officer, and Cyber Risks Analyst, Denis brings a heightened focus on data security, privacy, and cyber resilience to every endeavor.
His expertise extends across a diverse spectrum of reporting, database, and web development applications, underpinned by an exceptional grasp of data storage and virtualization technologies. His proficiency in application testing, database administration, and data cleansing ensures seamless execution of complex projects.
What sets Denis apart is his comprehensive understanding of Business and Systems Analysis technologies, honed through involvement in all phases of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). From meticulous requirements gathering to precise analysis, innovative design, rigorous development, thorough testing, and successful implementation, he has consistently delivered exceptional results.
Throughout his career, he has taken on multifaceted roles, from leading technical project management teams to owning solutions that drive operational excellence. His conscientious and proactive approach is unwavering, whether he is working independently or collaboratively within a team. His ability to connect with colleagues on a personal level underscores his commitment to fostering a harmonious and productive workplace environment.
Date: May 29, 2024
Tags: Information Security, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 42001, Artificial Intelligence, GDPR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find out more about ISO training and certification services
Training: ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System - EN | PECB
ISO/IEC 42001 Artificial Intelligence Management System - EN | PECB
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Training Courses - EN | PECB
Webinars: https://pecb.com/webinars
Article: https://pecb.com/article
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information about PECB:
Website: https://pecb.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pecb/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PECBInternational/
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/PECBCERTIFICATION
Communicating effectively and consistently with students can help them feel at ease during their learning experience and provide the instructor with a communication trail to track the course's progress. This workshop will take you through constructing an engaging course container to facilitate effective communication.
2. 2
cmotemps.biz
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction........................................................................................3
Building Talent in Your Organization......................................................6
Goal Alignment...........................................................................7
Skill Development.....................................................................10
Talent Mobility..........................................................................13
FAQ’s Related to Organizational Learning Strategies............................16
3. INTRODUCTION
Practical experience is great, but sometimes formal training and development is still necessary.
In the long run, the only sustainable competitive advantage an organization has is its ability to learn faster than its competition. Effective managers realize that they cannot leave school as “A Manager-in-a-Box” and never look back. They need to be lifelong learners ready to engage a lifetime of business challenges. Many people will agree that practical experience is a great way to learn. In fact, if you’ve been around the block a time or two, the old adage “experience is the best teacher” is probably anchored in your mindset. When I reflect on my business training and development through practical experience I always find Will Rogers’ perspective insightful, but also at times, troublesome.
3
cmotemps.biz
4. Why troublesome? There is definitely a negative impact on individuals and organizations when continuing education is downplayed or, even worse, when formal training and development is completely discontinued. Let’s face it, formal training and development is often necessary. When you hire employees, it would be convenient if they would be adept at every skill the job requires or will require in the future, but that’s not realistic. Demands change, so businesses have to adapt quickly, which means managers need to take on a growth mindset. Managers with growth mindsets believe that they and their teams can learn, change, and develop new skills as needed. They focus on building talent within their marketing organizations.
4
cmotemps.biz
5. 5
cmotemps.biz
“Old dog, new tricks, no problem!”
Once asked to write a full story in just six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.” I can express my full personal story in just six words: “Old dog, new tricks, no problem!” Those six words explain my approach and attitude toward marketing training and development. If you want to grow your personal brand and career you’ll serve yourself and company well if you dedicate yourself to lifelong learning.
Marketing is as powerfully impacted by ongoing technological changes as any field. Customer Relationship Management, Business Intelligence, Predictive Analytics, Marketing Automation, Marketing Resource Management, Big Data, and Social Media are just the start. By the way, let’s not forget changes in consumer behavior which often result in new regulations like: Do Not Call, CAN SPAM, Do Not Mail, Do Not Track, Do Not Collect, Do Not Deliver Directories and Opt Out, Opt In. For this reason, CMOs must recognize the importance of ongoing learning – for themselves and their staff – to keep up with the latest marketing strategies, technology, and relevant skills.
You don’t need to be in the training and development industry to realize that paying attention to your own learning path and the learning paths of your staff members will provide a return on investment. For example, social media works as a means of connecting entire organizations with the market. That means new social and communication media involves the broader learning strategy of your entire organization, and that lifelong learning is therefore central to the success of your company.
6. BUILDING TALENT IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Employees need to be prepared and motivated for the next challenge. Organizations need the human capital infrastructure in place to give their workforce the right skills to work on the right projects in the right roles. They do this through a focus on three key talent management areas: goal alignment, skills development and talent mobility.
1. Goal Alignment: Strategy execution fails in large part due to differing goal priorities. When your best people spend their valuable time doing a fantastic job on all the wrong stuff, success will be elusive. Getting everyone on the same page is a high-impact process.
2. Skills Development: You want your employees to do and build great things. But are you building great employees? Great employees are built by great managers who make training and development a priority.
3. Talent Mobility: Moving employees from role to role across leadership and functional areas is common practice among organizations that understand the need to quickly transform as business needs change. Talent mobility planning must strike a balance between the needs of the organization (making sure key roles have fully developed pipelines) and the employee (your best performers will leave if they do not see new challenges).
These three processes are tightly intertwined. Talent mobility planning without subsequent development is useless paper-pushing or wishful thinking. Goal alignment without talent or development planning might mean you don’t have the people equipped with the skills necessary to get the job done. Development that’s not driven by organizational or career goals is likely to go unused and be a waste of time. The outputs of these combined processes are nothing short of higher employee engagement, higher productivity and higher profitability for the organization.
6
cmotemps.biz
7. 7
cmotemps.biz
Goal alignment
“There’s something wrong here. Something seems to be out of alignment.”
When something is out of alignment – like your car, your back or a door-jam – you can feel it. And in most cases you probably seek immediate treatment because the wear and tear on things that remain out of alignment can be physically, emotionally or financially painful. The same is true for goal alignment in a company. When goals are not aligned between employees and managers or among managers, you can be sure the wear and tear on strategic organizational initiatives will be damaging.
Here’s a classic misalignment story between sales and marketing: A company is trying to attract more new customers. Although everyone in the company agrees that new customers would be a good thing, they differ on how to make that happen. Employees in the sales department want a strategy that will uncover a “qualified, ready-to-buy right now” sales lead. The marketing department too is interested in generating more leads for the sales department, but the marketing department’s managers are focused on preliminary steps such as what will attract more viewers to the company website and what will engage more of those viewers to download information from the company website or call and inquire about the services the company offers. The marketing department’s efforts will not bear fruit overnight, but in time, the department expects that the cultivation of prospects will generate higher quality sales leads with faster sales cycles.
It won’t take long before those misaligned goals and strategies start to create internal friction. You see, the sales department has a monthly quota to obtain and doesn’t appreciate the longer-term lead strategy. Time and resources spent on nurturing people who visit the company online seems like overkill to them. As a result, they might not be willing to support other communication channels that serve the marketing department’s engagement strategy. In other words, Twitter and Facebook may seem like a waste of time to the sales department. Marketing therefore ends up working without the support of sales, which cripples the company’s efforts to lure more customers. Had the sales and marketing departments been working in sync, they would have been attracting far more customers in the short and
long term.
8. 8
cmotemps.biz
It’s fairly common for employees and entire departments to be out of sync. If you’re trying to get a company’s employees to be aligned on its strategic goals, consider the following:
• Solicit input from all levels.
In setting goals, an organization benefits from gaining the perspective of its employees; not just hearing their ideas, but giving those ideas respectful consideration. A company that solicits ideas, wherever they arise, is a company where creative achievers want to work. Why not trust the employee who’s answering a customer’s call, that he or she may know an effective way of improving customer loyalty? To be sure, not all ideas are worth putting into place. Some are unrealistic or too expensive, but some could prove to be useful.
• Consider the company’s culture.
Whether a company’s goals are accomplished hinges a lot on the culture of the company. An adaptive culture will be able to make changes and grow in the desired direction. A company with a culture that’s resistant to change might pay lip service to the goal but in actuality ignore it. The culture of an organization can evolve, but it takes a lot of time and in some cases, the arrival of new staff members. In creating company goals it’s crucial to think about the dynamics of the organization. Leaders can have a lot of influence in creating a workplace culture that motivates, and that in turn, leads the company to realizing its goals.
9. 9
cmotemps.biz
• Make sure everyone knows how he or she can contribute.
If you want employees to be focused and motivated, they need a clear understanding of how their efforts serve the company’s short- and long-term goals. Those goals should be tied into the objectives for individual performance. Employees want to love their jobs. If they feel they are contributing to a goal that is meaningful to them, the chances of them loving their job are far greater. They work hardest when they believe in what they’re working toward. If only a cadre of top managers is fully versed in and believes in the company’s goals, the rest of the staff may have little motivation to meet them. The staff may even resent what seem like edicts from the top.
• Create clear and objective benchmarks for measuring progress.
If there are no concrete measures of progress, it’s tough to inspire employees to meet the company’s goals. If the goal is to improve customer service, for example, the company needs some specific measures of whether customers are more satisfied. Sales are one measure but another might be how long customers are put on hold or how many times they’re transferred.
10. 10
cmotemps.biz
Whatever goals an organization sets, they need to arise from the company’s core values, and those values should be well defined and promoted throughout the organization. So if a company values integrity, ambition, or respect, the goals they establish need to be in sync with those ideals. The core values in a company aren’t simply the promises written on the company website or posted on employee cork boards, they’re the qualities modeled day to day in interactions between managers and employees and between employees and customers. An organization’s leaders can have a lot of influence in creating a workplace culture that motivates, and that in turn, leads the company to realizing its goals.
Skill Development
“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” ~Henry Ford
When I tweet the quote below it’s not unusual for that tweet to get retweeted and favorited several times.
It’s obvious that this statement by Henry Ford resonates with a lot of people. Employees really do represent an organizations greatest asset and it’s important to keep those assets up-to- date with proper training. The pace of technological change calls for constant expansion of our knowledge base and the skills we bring to everyday work assignments. Facebook and Twitter, which weren’t even around a decade ago, are now such critical tools for marketing departments worldwide that if the employees in the company’s marketing division aren’t
11. 11
cmotemps.biz
savvy about how to Tweet or how to build their Twitter site, the company is severely limited in its ability to lure new customers. Companies whose employees are tied to older processes and technology are missing the ability to mine information through faster and easier means. Employees who don’t keep up on the latest applications are holding themselves back as they watch their more competitive counterparts pass them by.
In a lot of professions, such as law and health care, continuing education is required to keep practicing in the field. In the business world, it’s an unstated rule that employees keep their skills current. But the challenge to keep up can seem overwhelming. There’s so much to do as it is and so many deadlines to meet, how can a company and its individual employees make time for learning and development? Fortunately, learning can take place on a lot of fronts:
• Conferences/Classes: Employees can take classes or go to conferences and then share what they learned by hosting a round table discussion.
• Blogs/Articles: Employees should be encouraged to read relevant blogs and articles and keep professional contacts and associations. New tools and methods pop up constantly and need to be evaluated.
• Mentoring: Employees can be paired up with mentors within the organization – people who know more about a particular skill than they do.
12. 12
cmotemps.biz
• Cross-training: Cross-training or job rotation immerses an employee in new roles or projects that can dramatically expand their horizons. Stretch assignments are a great way to challenge an employee to reach out for new abilities in previously unexplored areas.
These kinds of individual and collaborative learning exercises tend to happen routinely when you put processes in place and make relevant learning resources available to a workforce. Training opportunities are often what motivates employees to stay at a company and attracts new staff members. Most people want to work for a company that’s using cutting-edge technology and is willing to invest the time and money necessary to ensure employees are up to speed even as technology changes.
Training does not always have to be expensive. Even with limited budgets, companies can make learning opportunities widely available. Cross-training and mentoring come at little to no cost and yet can prove to be incredibly valuable because much of what people learn happens on the job, not in a classroom or at a conference.
Learning doesn’t simply allow staff members to enhance their abilities. It opens their minds to possibilities they didn’t previously see. It may even give them renewed enthusiasm for their job. And a company that goes out of its way to keep its employees trained is sending a powerful message that it wants all of its employees to grow and believes in their ability to do so.
13. 13
cmotemps.biz
Talent Mobility
Cross-training for business survival
When I was much younger, I worked as a roughneck in the West Texas oil fields. The guys I worked with dubbed me “college boy’’ because they knew I’d be heading back to school in the fall. As you might guess I got to do the manual back-breaking jobs because I wasn’t trained to operate any of the equipment on the job site. At the time, I thought they had the easy jobs and I admired their skill, their ability to jump from the driver’s seat of one piece of machinery to another and operate it with equal skill and ease. That got me thinking as I stood under the Texas sun about the ability to perform different jobs at the same worksite, how it made their day go by faster, and probably made them more valuable employees because of their ability to quickly adapt in a fast moving and often dangerous environment.
Indeed, when Charles Darwin was referring to the “survival of the fittest,’’ he didn’t mean the strongest or the fastest, but the most adaptable. The species that could adapt would thrive. In organizations you could argue that the “fittest” employees – the most adaptable – are those that are cross-trained. In most cases, cross-training is not only good for the employee, but also for the employer. Cross-training employees is like having a disaster recovery plan in place: You probably aren’t planning your daily schedules to have employees jump around among jobs, but caught in a pinch, some employees would be capable and available to fill in the gaps. In a small business, having cross trained employees could make the difference between shutting down due to absent employees or staying open. The employee who’s filling in may also offer insights on ways to improve on how the job is being done.
For an employee too, there are benefits to being able to fill in on a coworker’s job. He or she knows more, can do more, and becomes potentially better positioned for a promotion or a lateral move. In fact, knowing another person’s job could make the employee better at performing his or her regular duties. I worked in sales for years before moving into marketing. Now as head of marketing, I look at marketing campaigns through the lens of a sales person. When I’m thinking of a marketing campaign I’m not only thinking about our brand, but how the campaign will translate to more sales leads for our account executives.
14. 14
cmotemps.biz
It doesn’t sound like there is any downside; why not just cross train everyone? Not so fast. It does cost money to implement a well-rounded cross-training program. And there is less productivity while training occurs. In addition, a poorly implemented program can have unpleasant consequences, such as:
• Decreased morale-if employees feel that they are in jeopardy of losing their jobs.
• Resentment-if employees feel that they are assuming more responsibility for the same pay.
• Confusion-if employees lose sight of their primary responsibilities.
• Loss of specialized knowledge-if employees spend all of their time learning a little about everything.
A poorly managed program can also result in dissatisfied customers and possibly even costly mistakes. Cross-training is not a successful strategy for every business. But for those businesses where it seems to work the following steps are helpful:
1. Identify the tasks performed for various jobs and designate which ones could be successfully performed by other employees.
2. Identify who is interested in participating in the program. It may be counterproductive to force someone to participate. Decide how to deal with this situation.
3. Cross-train members of the same team. My summer job in the oil fields demonstrates
how efficient teams become when they can step in to do significant pieces of one
another’s work. Also, it’s a natural learning process for one team member to pick up skills from another.
15. 15
cmotemps.biz
4. Identify who has the competencies to perform the tasks designated as cross-trainable in step 1. Specialized skills in some professionals (engineers, scientists, programmers, lawyers, accountants) may be less available for cross-training than others. Determine what proportion of team members’ job can be reasonably shared with others.
5. Apply coaching skills to the process. Cross-training is at the challenging end of the learning curve, involving major portions of employees’ jobs rather than a task or two. Those who do the training – whether it is a fellow employee or the manager – need to understand the appropriate coaching behaviors to apply at each stage in the process.
6. Reduce workload during training and while tasks are being performed. Otherwise, the people involved may feel resentful about the process.
7. Recognize and reward employees that have new skills and/or responsibilities.
8. Incorporate the cross-training process into an overall development plan for the employee.
The decision to move forward with a cross-training program is entirely your own, but it’s an option that should be considered nonetheless. You know your business and you know your management team. Ask them how they think their people would respond to the program and weigh your options from there. There’s certainly risk with cross- training, but the rewards can be substantial.
16. 16
cmotemps.biz
Question 1: Many on our senior team are resisting learning about social media. How can I convince them to get onboard?
Most people will agree that practical experience is a good thing. In fact, if you’ve been around the block a time or two, the old adage “experience is the best teacher” is probably anchored in your mindset. When I reflect on my lessons learned through practical experience I always find Will Rogers’ perspective insightful, but also at times, troublesome:
FAQ RELATED TO ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING STRATEGIES
17. 17
cmotemps.biz
Why troublesome? After all, at one point or another we all start out as greenhorns. And let’s face it; there are situations we occasionally experience that are really not possible to prepare for. What I find troublesome is the negative impact on organizations when key executives continue to scoff at the lessons offered, or worse, they refuse to acknowledge they were even handed an exam.
Are senior executives in your organization still scoffing at social media? In today’s environment your customer’s are testing your organizations ability to interact with them on social platforms in the same way you communicate with them through email and over the phone. In fact, you may have seen the following factoids in recent presentations:
• 72% of all internet users are now active on social media
• 18-29 year olds have an 89% usage
• The 30-49 bracket sits at 72%
• 60 percent of 50 to 60 year olds are active on social media
• In the 65 plus bracket, 43% are using social media
And yet some of your peers are still hesitant, or openly against implementing social media strategies in your organization. I suspect some are hesitant because they are not personally using social media, and if the truth were known, they’re still not concerned with learning. Even so, it’s time to let go of the notion that social media is just for kids and has no business value. In short, you don’t want the adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” to begin to be associated with your personal brand. Here are some brief observations to share with your leadership peers that might motivate them to sign up for a lesson or two.
1. Your words and actions are magnified by your position. Most of your actions will seem more important to your employees than you intend; merely teasing about the use or value of social media on your part may become dangerously distorted by your workers. It’s time for you to provide executive level support for this engagement channel. Keep this in mind; it’s not about you, it’s about your customers. If your customers want to communicate through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook who are you to stop them?
18. 18
cmotemps.biz
2. No need to boil the ocean. There are scores of social media related platforms and applications, so don’t be afraid to narrow your focus during your initial learning process. It’s too early to declare with authority the platforms that will remain standing, those that will be absorbed, or the ones that will fade away. For senior executives I would recommend focusing on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook, in that order. Sidebar applications that help with efficiency and effectiveness (for example, TweetDeck or various mobile applications) can wait.
3. You can’t learn to swim without getting wet, so jump in. If nothing else, just commit to spending 15 – 20 minutes per day learning the ins and outs of a single platform. Once you develop a comfort level move to the next platform or application. If you have a trusted friend or colleague who is already social media savvy consider asking them to breakfast or out for a beer. Use the opportunity to pick their mind on the platforms they like to use, and how they strategically leverage those applications. If all else fails, hire someone to help you with your social media education. Based on my teaching and consulting background I obviously like that approach! However, you may want to start by making an author happy and simply purchasing one of the many social media related publications on the market.
4. The clock is ticking. We’ve moved from a time of mass communications to one of masses of communicators; your customers are sharing their experiences through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms at a rate that will continue to accelerate. As a result, social media should become a part of every organizations risk management and customer engagement strategy. That means the entire leadership team (CEO, CIO, CFO, CMO, Sales, Legal and HR) will feel the impact. You know from experience that it always takes more time than expected to secure cross functional support. So, it’s time to start building bridges.
19. 19
cmotemps.biz
Question 2: How do you improve learning motivation and participation within an organization?
Enabling employees to succeed in a fast-changing business environment should be central to every organization’s strategy. After all, when employees are properly equipped with the right set of skills, they’re best positioned to add maximum value to both the organization and its customer base. Are education, training, and lifelong learning for your workforce important to your company? Or do I really need to ask if your workforce is truly motivated and engaged as learners?
In a typical company, learning nuggets are accessed in clumps in various places, with all sorts of gaps in between. One or more people in a work group will take advantage of opportunities and information will be shared with others in the group. Some managers inform their teams and encourage participation, while others don’t. With the typical hit-and-miss approach, many employees at various levels never find out about opportunities to sharpen their skills that would otherwise be available to them. With rapid changes in technology and business processes, new training can be a matter of someone keeping a job or being left behind. However, it’s interesting that when employees hear that they need new training, their first response can often be a yawn or a grumble. People don’t always see training as an opportunity. Instead, training can feel like a hassle, like one more thing added to a mounting list of responsibilities.
20. 20
cmotemps.biz
In order to improve learning participation and motivation try some of the following:
• Have each employee complete a survey regarding his or her learning needs and interests.
• Route the results through the employee’s manager to add items the manager feels are important either for current or future projects.
• Assign learning resources based on the personalized needs of each employee.
• Provide time on the schedule to complete training, shadowing, mentoring, or other learning activities.
• Track usage and completion of learning tasks.
• Allow employees to update their learning profiles on an ongoing basis to reflect their progress and changing needs.
Companies that take the above steps dramatically broaden employee growth and development across the organization. Usage of one resource – elearning – has been reported by corporations as the second most valuable training method that they use. This is no surprise, given that e-Learning saves businesses at least 50% when they replace traditional instructor- based training with e-Learning.
Question 3: How do you conduct a powerful and effective performance review?
As soon as I bit that piece of candy I knew it was trouble. Yes, I chipped a tooth and that meant a trip to the dentist. The process of getting a crown wasn’t that bad though. Then again, I used noise cancellation headphones to drown out the sound of the drill. I also asked the dentist to use both Novocaine and Nitrous Oxide. In short, you could say that I really didn’t want to be there. So where does the phrase “I’d rather go to the dentist than [you fill in the blank]” come from? What type of task or obligation is so hideous that you’d rather subject yourself to a root canal than deal with the event? A simple search uncovered a few examples:
21. 21
cmotemps.biz
• According to research from an insurance company 39% of women would rather go to the dentist than talk to their spouse about their daily finances.
• According to a travel survey 54% would rather go to the dentist than sit in the middle seat on an airplane.
• 40% of Americans think filling out income tax forms is worse than going to the dentist.
• According to a technology company survey 40% said they would rather go to the dentist than deal with poor customer service.
Where do you stand on the following statement?
“I’d rather go to the dentist than do a performance review.”
For many people this statement rings true. And it’s often the case for both the giver and receiver of the review! The performance review is a high-stakes conversation for both parties. The risk of frustration, disappointment and even anger is possible if not approached correctly. How do you conduct a powerful and effective performance evaluation? How do you approach your own evaluation? Here are my approach considerations for both sides of the evaluation desk:
22. 22
cmotemps.biz
Giving
1. An effective boss will not save his constructive criticism for the annual evaluation, but will be offering feedback throughout the year. Reduce the stress by making your reviews a process rather than once-yearly events. Nothing in the evaluation should be a complete surprise to the employee, so if you check-in via brief meetings on a quarterly basis you can inspire small incremental changes along the way when needed.
2. Talk about goals and talent development as part of your appraisal. These topics introduce positive feelings and the sense of working together to develop skills and align tasks. In addition, find at least one or two aspects of their job performance that are good and start there. We all need validation. That enables you to come across as fair and helps the person being reviewed to be receptive to hearing about the areas that he or she needs to improve on.
3. Tie your performance reviews in with career planning, succession planning, and leadership development. The review can become a fountain of opportunities, in many cases, that will prompt employees to participate enthusiastically. But remember, criticism, even legitimate criticism, is hard to take, so be as diplomatic as possible in how you word the person’s weaknesses. Make it “you can improve this” rather than “here’s where you messed up.”
4. Make sure to ask the employees how they feel about their own performance and ways you could be a better boss to them. A humble boss is a boss people want to work for and work hard for.
Receiving
1. Recognize the difference between feedback and criticism. Your manager is probably trying to help you improve for the coming year rather than penalizing you for the past. And that’s something you want to do, right? So, even if you have been excelling, try not to go into the evaluation expecting only to be showered with praise.
2. Listen first and try not to react immediately after hearing criticism. Take a day or two to absorb it and then get back to your boss with a response if you feel the need to. Time will allow you to respond rather than react.
23. 23
cmotemps.biz
3. Look past the critical language to see the basis of the criticism, and strive to understand it. Try to develop empathy for your boss who has the tough job of trying to assess your performance. Empathy goes a long way toward helping you be receptive to what he or she is saying.
4. Use “I” statements to keep things more objective. “What I hear from your feedback is that I sometimes invite too many people to my meetings.” Couple this kind of sentence with another “I” statement that suggests specific things you can do differently. “What I could do is invite fewer people and then provide a summary of the meeting to my team.”
5. Take advantage of opportunities for setting clearer goals and developing your skills. One approach is to sit down after your meeting, consider the constructive feedback, and come up with a few ideas for developing your skills in those areas. You can then bring those up with your manager.
Criticism is both hard to give and hard to take. We want people to like us. We want to succeed. So it can be difficult to tell an employee something he or she may be disappointed to hear and it’s equally difficult to be on the receiving end of that criticism. But disappointment,
even frustration, can teach and can help motivate change. So be brave and know that,
at least evaluations (unlike a trip to the dentist) should not leave you with the fear of leaving with a fat lip!
Question 4: How do you build a learning organization?
Only small amounts of the learning people do in their jobs takes place in a classroom. In fact, the 70/20/10 Learning and Development Model based on research by Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger for the Center for Creative Leadership suggests the following ratios:
• 70% of learning occurs through experience.
• 20% of learning occurs through others.
• 10% of learning occurs through formal training.
24. 24
cmotemps.biz
Based on the numbers above it appears that on-the-job training is at the head of the class. However, as a manager you can foster organizational growth and help your direct reports with career development when you do the following:
1. Do not take a “one size fits all” approach to training. Instead, you need to take the time to understand what each individual needs, so that you can provide the right training for the right people.
2. Work with your direct reports to set development goals, and match appropriate mentoring, job rotation, coaching, and other activities to the goals you set together.
3. Tie development goals to the business goals of your work group, department, or company. Development is more likely to be taken seriously when clear connections are made to the goals of your business.
4. Cultivate a culture of learning and development. When managers support development and follow through with their employees, the benefits quickly become apparent and other managers and employees follow suit.
25. 25
cmotemps.biz
5. Look beyond the skills an employee currently has. Many skills are transferable. The job an employee is currently performing may not be the only fit or the best fit for that employee.
6. As employees learn new skills, modify the levels of direction and collaboration you provide. New skills and tasks tend to require a lot of manager involvement. However, when the employee achieves proficiency and becomes confident, he or she typically wants a commensurate level of autonomy and responsibility. Confidence grows with successful adoption of an autonomous role.
If you don’t want your employees to stagnate, it’s important to ensure that they stay on a learning curve of some kind. Giving them chances for training on a regular basis will enable them to feel like they’re growing and that could discourage them from looking for opportunities outside the company.
Question 5: Do mentoring programs work?
In a fast changing business environment do “I remember when” or “when I was your age” stories have value? My twenty something year old children listen to my stories – sometimes. My twenty something year old direct reports listen. Of course I also do their performance reviews, so they might feel compelled to do so. Do you think these less senior people are occasionally tempted to roll their eyes during some of those stories? Actually, I’d be surprised if they weren’t because I know I was when I was their age.
I’m not put off by an occasional eye roll. For me it signals that the message has been received, and in truth I probably told that story knowing that would be the reaction. Besides, time goes by fast, meaning it won’t be long before today’s less senior people have eyes rolling at them. That’s the way it’s supposed to work when you’re mentoring the next
in line.
26. 26
cmotemps.biz
If you have direct reports what are you doing to mentor them? Mentoring is one of the oldest and most powerful training methods, and is an essential leadership skill. In addition to managing and coaching people, it’s important that you can help others learn, grow and become more effective during their professional development. Here’s what I loved about some of my past mentors:
1. They didn’t provide all the answers. They listened first, and then asked questions while weaving in stories to help me see options without choosing one for me. Yes, sometimes I was tempted to roll my eyes because I just wanted the right answers now and didn’t want to figure out the moral of the story.
2. They weren’t afraid to let me learn through failure. I can still remember hearing “Alan, sometimes you just have to let people do stupid stuff.” Now don’t get me wrong. I know for a fact that my mentor carefully examined the pros and cons of certain failure. And he wasn’t really calling me stupid. He took stock of the risk and was OK with letting me learn through failure. And learn I did.
3. Coach + Mentor equal an added bonus. Work often has two dimensions. The task at hand (how the job should be performed) for which coaching was just fine. But there can be political elements (how to work with people and functional areas impacted by an assignment) as well. My coach/mentor’s insight on interpersonal dimensions was extra valuable.
4. They were lifelong learners and inspirational individuals because they led by example. They had a passion for learning and sharing knowledge and their attitude of “the more you give the more you get” was infectious.
My hat is off to our next leaders, and to their mentors. Now, let the story telling and eye
rolling begin.
27. Website www.cmotemps.biz/
Twitter www.twitter.com/AlanSee
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/alan-see-cmo-temps-llc
Google+ plus.google.com/+CmotempsBiz/
Facebook www.facebook.com/InterimCMO
937.470.4118 mobile
937.866.0032 office
937.353.7799 skype
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alan See
Principal and Chief Marketing Officer
Alan See is Principal and Chief Marketing Officer of CMO Temps, LLC. He is recognized by Forbes as a Top 50 CMO Ranked by Social Media Influence. Alan is an active blogger and frequent presenter on topics that help organizations develop marketing strategies and sales initiatives to power profitable growth. He has performed for and interacts with some of the world’s most respected brands including; IBM, Cap Gemini, Teradata, SAS Institute, and AT&T. Alan holds BBA and MBA degrees from Abilene Christian University.