Christine’s Blog
posted on December 31, 2022 by
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On Leadership Development – Top Workplace Learning Trends – Is it Time for Change?
Review these Statistics from a Recent Study on Learning and Development Programs
• 69% of Learning & Development professionals say that talent is the number one priority in their organizations and that attracting, hiring, and retaining good talent is a major challenge.
• Over 45% are increasing their budget for Learning & Development (L&D) programs for 2023 [Read more…]
posted on November 2, 2022 by
Overcoming Fear – Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Overcoming Fear is Not So Easy
To overcome your fears requires you to have the ability to acknowledge whatever it is that you fear, face it, feel it, and even touch it. Then, make a conscious decision to let it go. [Read more…]
posted on July 5, 2022 by
Don’t Kill Creativity!
I’ve seen many managers inadvertently kill creativity in their employees either because they are close-minded, because they are focused on sales goals, or because of their frantic efforts just to get work done by a deadline. Some neglect to remember that their greatest asset is the combined brainpower of their people!!
A great manager maximizes creativity without killing it in the process. One way to stimulate creativity is to give employees new and challenging assignments, but not so difficult they feel overwhelmed. Be sure to give them specific goals but do not dictate how they should be met. They will likely use their creativity if you give them the freedom to decide how to climb a mountain. This is an effective way to ignite the fire under some of the employees who are average performers and turn them into top performers as they will feel they are contributing to the decision-making.
posted on February 28, 2022 by
Adapting to Change
Accept Change.
Adapting to change can be challenging.
Change is as continual as life. Things change, whether we welcome it or not. When you think about it, our own lives go through the same changes as organizations; we experience restructuring, downsizing, and “upsizing” just like companies do. Our own little “organizations” grow when we have kids and get smaller when they move out. Perhaps a separation or divorce causes us to go through a restructuring.
Consider how Covid-19, and the its “variants” have turned our lives upside down. We are worried about getting sick. We are worried about the health of our families and are nervous about the possibility of bringing the virus home even with masks, hand-sanitizer and and social distancing. No one was prepared for this pandemic. We have all had to adapt in a multitude of ways. We have had no choice.
What Can We Do?
When it comes to the pandemic, there’s nothing we can do except do our best to stay well. But for other business or life-changing situations consider this: Change blows through our lives, sometimes like a breeze, sometimes like wind and sometimes like a storm. You can bow your head to try to buck it, hoping it will blow over. You’re not certain the change in your company or your personal life is for the better. You may even experience stress and personal resistance. The point is you can rarely do anything about the change, so it will best serve you to accept it and move on, and if it’s a change in your company, perhaps even promote it. You might consider focusing on positive opportunities change can bring and look upon adapting to it as a challenge. Encourage others to pull together for a positive result. In doing so, you will have some control over it. Change will never end until you experience that final life-ending change, and even then, life will go on without us. This is a harsh reality we all must face. [Read more…]
posted on February 22, 2022 by
How to Deal With Difficult Customers and Situations
“Be Sincere in Your Actions and True to Your Word and You’ll Get Along” Confucius
What “Confucius say” is smart. And it’s especially important when dealing with difficult customers. [Read more…]
posted on February 20, 2022 by
Sales Communication Tips for Financial Advisors
I came across a great article in Investment Executive Magazine. It addresses how overall, financial advisors need to do a better job of communicating the value of what they offer, and more clearly define their value proposition. I agree. Highly effective sales communication is critical to sales success – regardless of what you sell or offer, and is especially critical to those who sell financial services.
Research Reaffirms The Importance of Communication
Experts agree – 85% of your overall career success is in direct proportion to your ability to communicate. This holds especially true when communicating the value of obtaining your services of a financial advisor. [Read more…]
posted on February 7, 2022 by
Leaders: Are They Born or Made? How to Find Emerging Leaders
Here’s How You Can Tell If Someone is an Emerging Leader and What You Should Be Doing to Help Him or Her Develop Into a Great One.
posted on January 23, 2022 by
Organize Your Mind, Your Work, and Your Life
Organize or Agonize!
In today’s business world, we have too much to do, too little time, and a too heavy workload. That’s our constant challenge. There’s a real fear the harried will soon be buried. The solution? Get organized! The alternative? Agonize over the fact that we can never get all of our work done and never seem to have time for ourselves. Sound familiar? What to do? [Read more…]
posted on October 18, 2021 by
Demonstrate Dynamic Leadership
How to Demonstrate Dynamic Leadership And Why You Should Establish a “Zero-Tolerance” for Bad Bosses in Your Business
In far too many businesses leadership has fallen by the wayside. The economy, rising costs, demanding customers, and fierce competition has caused most business owners and managers to have little, if any, time to think about their ability to lead. Rarely do they stop and think about how much more productive and profitable they could be if they stopped and paid more attention to this critical area of business.
posted on September 1, 2021 by
Dealing With Difficult Customers When You Know They are Dead Wrong
How to Handle Difficult Customers When You KNOW They are Dead Wrong…
Throughout my career as a speaker, consultant, and customer service trainer, I’ve heard a multitude of war stories about challenging customer service situations.
Let’s face it. Many customers challenge and argue with us even when they are dead wrong. Some lie. Some just love to give people a hard time. Some just want to “try” you. We’ve all experienced these situations in customer service scenarios. [Read more…]
