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Leonard Kloeber
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs - Book Review
Book Reviews: Business • Published: November 29, 2011
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo is a great little book that explains some of the key elements of a typical Steve Jobs presentation. Jobs was not only a brilliant technologist, but also a master communicator and marketer. He not only founded Apple and went on to create incredible products, but took personal responsibility for introducing them into the marketplace. His keynote presentations and product launches were legendary. They were as important to the success of Apple as the products themselves. Here are a few of the key points Gallo makes about how Steve Jobs made effective presentations:
The Three Big Challenges for Successful Leaders - What Every Leader Must Do
Self Improvement: Leadership • Published: November 29, 2011
Leadership is a complex undertaking that is not easily defined. There have been lots of books written about what makes a great leader, and still there is no cookie-cutter formula for leadership success. Yet, from ancient times until the present, effective leaders are easily spotted by their ability to identify what needs to get done, rally people to their cause, and get results. Although different leaders may use different approaches, every leader must address three universal challenges. Whether they are leading a local school board, a multinational company, or even a country here are the three things every leader must do:
OJT Leadership Development: The Low Cost, High Payoff Solution
Business: Management • Published: November 14, 2011
Many organizations advertise that they "value people" or that "people are their most important assets." Many are sincere, but sadly most don't get beyond the slogan, and those that do are often focused on day-to-day operational issues rather than developing people for the long-term. For those organizations that do make the effort to invest in their people, particularly the leaders, they often default to formal education like university delivered executive development programs and off-site seminars.
How to Find Your Competitive Advantage in Three Simple Steps
Business: Strategic Planning • Published: November 7, 2011
Every professional athlete or coach knows that they can increase their chances of success if they can find a competitive advantage. Some work out more than their competitors and hope that better physical conditioning will make the difference. Others practice more or develop unique plays so that they will have better skills than the competition. Still others seek to acquire better equipment that will give them even a slight competitive edge. Whatever they choose to do, they all are looking for a unique advantage over the competition. Being as good as the next guy doesn't create competitive advantage. You need something more - a unique competitive strategy. These same principles apply in business just as well as they do in athletics. Businesses that can execute best practices only get to compete with their best competitors; however, businesses that can define a competitive advantage beat their competition. Here is a simple three step approach to creating a competitive advantage:
Mission Statements - A Powerful Tool For High Performance
Business: Management • Published: October 20, 2011
Does your organization have a mission statement? If so, when was the last time anyone looked at it? If you asked people on your team to recite or explain it, how many could do so accurately? If you are honest, most likely you might have a mission statement, but few people can explain or recite it. This would be typical for many organizations.
Book Review of "The Checklist Manifesto" - How to Get Things Right
Book Reviews: Business • Published: October 18, 2011
"The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande is a simple book about using a time-tested but simple technique for avoiding mistakes in complex processes, using a checklist. The sub-title of the book tells it all: "How to Get Things Right." Dr. Gawande is a surgeon and professor at the Harvard Medical School, and he recounts stories of doctors who made simple mistakes that could be corrected by using a simple checklist. He also points out how the use of checklists by pilots has made flying much safer. Aviation checklists actually originated during WWII when one of the first four-engine bombers, the B-17, was being introduced. After several early test fights ended tragically, a group of test pilots devised some simple checklists to make sure that small but important steps were not overlooked when flying this new complex machine. After the pilots began using checklists, they went on to fly B-17 airplanes almost 2 million miles without an accident. Checklists have been used in aviation ever since. Here are some other examples of how checklists can be used to maximize performance:
Interviews - Tips For Introducing Yourself
Business: Interviews • Published: October 13, 2011
When you are looking for a job, one of the most important things you can do is make a positive impact at your first interview. If you make a good first impression, then the rest of the interview might also go well; however, if you don't make a good first impression, then you will spend the rest of the interview trying to make up for your weak introduction - not a good way to get to the second interview or land an offer. So how do you introduce yourself at the interview to leave a great lasting impression? Try these three interview techniques:
Jim Collins' "How the Mighty Fall"
Book Reviews: Business • Published: October 4, 2011
"How the Mighty Fall" attempts to answer the question: How would a company know if it is failing? This question was inspired at a conference at West Point where noted author and business guru, Jim Collins, was facilitating a select meeting of a twelve US Army Generals, twelve CEO's and twelve social sector leaders. They were gathered to discuss whether America is on the verge of failing after over 200 years of success and Collins was the referee for the debate. As he flew home from the conference, he decided to dig into the research files from his previous work; however, this time he would look not for patterns of success, but for patterns of failure: What are the telltale signs of an organization in decline and what could be done to reverse it? After studying companies that struggled and failed, he and his team of researchers found that there were five stages of decline:
Decide On a Career First, Then Get a Job
Business: Career Advice • Published: October 4, 2011
With a US unemployment rate hovering at 9% and millions of other American workers under-employed, the question many people are asking is "Where can I get a job?" The answer is "Decide on a career first, then get a job." Although a slow economy will limit the number of overall opportunities available, people who are clear about what they really want for a career will ultimately have an advantage over people who are just looking for a job. Here are six good career-building tips that explain why focusing on career first makes sense:
Summary of Jim Collins' 'Good to Great'
Book Reviews: Business • Published: September 29, 2011
"Good to Great" is a best-selling book written by business guru, Jim Collins. He summarizes the research compiled by his team of twenty people who spent five years studying 11 companies which posted exceptional results. Over a fifteen year period these companies achieved exceptional growth rates and stock performance. The research attempts to distill how these 11 companies went from "good to great." What they found were seven common characteristics:
Management Skills - How to Use Delegation to Your Advantage
Business: Management • Published: September 28, 2011
Delegation is an important skill that every manager should learn. Effective delegation is more than just assigning tasks to your staff. You must first evaluate and prioritize the work yourself. Once you have established the priorities, then you must determine which tasks can be properly assigned to someone else. Good delegation will begin with a meeting to assign the task and define the outcomes. The people who work for you will want to know what is expected of them, and what a successful outcome will look like. Once you have assigned the task, then you will want to schedule a follow-up meeting to either check on progress, or close out the task as a completed action. If you can master the art of effective delegation, then you will be a more effective manager. Here are a few ways that you can use delegation to your advantage:
3 Rookie Sales Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Business: Sales • Published: September 23, 2011
In every profession, experience separates the "rookies" from the "pros." Rookies have little or no experience, and consequently often make basic mistakes that would not be made by a seasoned professional. For sales professionals, this means fewer customers, lost revenue, and lower commissions. Only after they have been through the "school of hard knocks" do some sales people become more effective and earn more money. If you are a sales professional, be sure not to make these common mistakes:
Just Promoted to Be the Leader - Now What Do I Do?
Self Improvement: Leadership • Published: September 22, 2011
Every leader can remember the first time that they were promoted and became responsible for a team. Whether it is a small team or large team, the first team meeting is unforgettable - all eyes are on you. People are looking to you for guidance, decisions, and direction. They are also watching what you do which often speaks louder than words. The pressure is on when you step into a leadership role, and even more so if you become a leader during a crisis. So, how can anyone who is just promoted to be the leader deal with the demands of leadership. Here are a few key tips to get you through the first ninety days:
How to Answer Tough Interview Questions - Why Should We Hire You?
Business: Job Search Techniques • Published: September 19, 2011
When you cut to the chase on every interview, there is really only one question that every employer needs to ask: "Why should we hire you?" Every job seeker needs to be able to answer this question in one form or another, without hesitation and with conviction. Here are some tips to help you prepare your answer:
Ace the Interview
Business: Interviews • Published: September 16, 2011
Most job seekers spend weeks or even months prospecting to get an interview with a prospective employer. Once they have an appointment, then the real "selling" begins since this is the gateway to getting a job offer. Everything seems to ride on being able to do a good job on the interview. Thus, one of the most commonly asked questions by any job seeker is "How do I ace the interview?" Here are some tips:
Sell More Products and Services With the FAT MAN
Business: Sales • Published: September 12, 2011
Good sales performance is a function of good information. If you have good information about your customers, then you are likely to close more sales, help more customers, and earn more commissions. Who wouldn't want to be the top salesperson? So what is the most important information that can help salespeople succeed? It can be summed up in the acronym, FAT MAN. Here are the categories of information successful salespeople get about their customers by asking the right questions...
One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey Book Review
Book Reviews: Business • Published: September 6, 2011
The story of the "One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey" is about a struggling manager who never seems to have enough time while his people always do. When he finally was so frustrated that he couldn't take it anymore, he met with the One Minute Manager who could help him with his problem. The One Minute Manager helped him to realize that he was inadvertently taking on work that his people should have been doing and it was piling up on his desk. His "ah-ha" moment came when he realized that when his people came to him with an issue or a problem, he needed to redirect them back with the problem to solve it themselves, ie, let them keep the "Monkey." A Monkey is defined as the next move. So long as he could prevent "Monkeys" from jumping from someone else's back on to his, then he would have more control over his own time. He could then focus on only those things that only he could do and have the time to do it too. Here are Onchen's Rules for Monkey management as described in this book:
3 Tips for Building Sales Relationships and Loyal Customers
Business: Sales • Published: September 6, 2011
Building sale relationships and loyal customers is the one-best thing that any business leader or sales person can do. Obviously ongoing sales are the life-blood of any business, so it only makes sense that you will want to build relationships and customer loyalty. Here are three simple principles that you can use:
Sales Management Styles
Business: Sales Management • Published: September 6, 2011
Like all leaders, sales managers use different styles to lead their sales teams; however, some sales managers stick to the one style that used since they entered the workforce. If they achieved success early on in their careers, they simply used the same techniques and personality traits that helped them achieve their earlier success. Just as acclaimed executive coach Marshall Goldsmith has written in his new book, "What got you here won't get you there," sales managers also need to learn and adapt if they want to continue to succeed. Otherwise, using your "one best style" in every situation is no different than a professional athlete running their best play every time. While this strategy may work for a short time, it eventually fails. Adapting different styles in different circumstances is the best way to succeed as a sales manager. Here are three different styles that are often used:
Tips on Hiring a New Sales Team Member - Do They Have What It Takes?
Business: Sales Management • Published: September 6, 2011
An oft quoted management admonition is to "hire the best talent available." As with many other management responsibilities, this is often easier said than done. How does a manager find good people in the first place? What should they look for in a candidate? Do they have what it takes? Here are a few tips on hiring a new sales team member...
Managing Your Sales Force
Business: Sales Management • Published: September 6, 2011
Managing a sales force is a critical function within any company. A well-managed sales force is a key to whether a company will thrive or struggle, especially in a weak economy. The sales team drives revenue, and when the sales force falters, then so does to the company. So, whether you are a brand new sales manager or an experienced "old hand," here are three principles that all sales managers must follow to lead their companies to success:
The Best Things to Say on a Resume
Business: Resumes Cover Letters • Published: August 30, 2011
People, even experienced professionals, often wonder what are the "best things to say" on their resume. As a hiring manager, I appreciate a well crafted, two-page resume that summarizes a candidate's skills and career in a straightforward manner. As a Human Resources professional, I have seen a variety of formats and literally thousands of resumes over the years. Most of these resumes could be more impactful if they followed a few basic resume writing guidelines. Here are some resume tips that can make a big difference:
Resumes - The Best Layout For a Resume
Business: Resumes Cover Letters • Published: August 30, 2011
Traditionally there are two general layouts for resumes: chronological and functional. The chronological format lists your employment history based on the sequence of time. Usually this starts with the most current experience and successively works backwards to the earlier experiences, perhaps even graduation from college. The functional format is based on core functional skills explained by results-based statements that highlight professional accomplishments using the functional skills. To be clear, there is no one-best layout for everyone and every situation; however, there are some guidelines to consider where each layout might work best. Here are some things to think about when deciding which format to use:
How to Establish a Leadership Development Program
Business: Management • Published: August 24, 2011
Getting a leadership development program established in any organization is tall order. This is especially true if you are starting from scratch. While some people will naturally become champions, more often people will be either neutral or even skeptical about such an initiative. Not until you can start to demonstrate results will you be able to get this embedded into the culture. Thus, be prepared for a long-term effort. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
Who Moved My Cheese? Summary and Review of Spencer Johnson Best Selling Book
Book Reviews: Business • Published: August 23, 2011
"Who Moved My Cheese?" is a story about change and how people deal with it. This book is written by Spencer Johnson, MD who is the co-author of the "One Minute Manager," and he once again uses a parable style story to get his message across. The main characters in this story are two little mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little people, Hem and Haw. The "Cheese" is a metaphor for whatever we are looking for in life. The mice are simple and instinctive, and when faced with a diminishing supply of cheese, the will quickly chase around and through trial and error seek to find more. However, the little people are more complex and contemplative, and when they are faced with a loss, they will be less inclined to face reality and move on to find more. In the end, they realize some basic truths about change:
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