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Candid Conversations: How to Drive the Political Correctness “Elephant” Out of Your Workplace
Individuals who are faced with difficult issues frequently choose to ignore them entirely or discuss them only indirectly. While most people would concur that issues such as disagreements over a course of action or poor performance should be addressed clearly and directly, the reality is that many are not comfortable doing so. It's so much easier at those moments to revert to the "politically correct" indirect methods that are the norm in many organizations. The failure to honestly and directly confront poor performance or unwise courses of action, for example, becomes the proverbial elephant in the living room – or in this case, the workplace.
Prospecting for More Sales in a Bad Economy
A poor economy has too often become an excuse for poor performance of many businesses. While the current economic situation is a contributing factor, many of these businesses can perform much better. Most businesses in the U.S. are small and have sales that equal less than 1% market share. If your business has less than one percent of market share, it should be able to grow in any economy. One hidden area in which to find more sales is right under your own roof. According to “Baseline Selling” by Dave Kurlan, 60% of all sales people are not prospecting consistently, and 50% of all sales people won’t prospect. Combine those figures with the fact that 60% of all sales people suffer from the habit of making excuses, and I think we have uncovered one of the secrets to bringing more sales to your top line.

What Does It Take to Scale A Web 2.0 Startup?
Last year, the meme of “you can start a company for minimal capital” made the rounds. This is still true. But – it’s not trivial to scale a company for minimal capital (it’s possible, but an exception, not the norm.) This meme is starting to make the rounds – Heather Green at BusinessWeek just wrote an article titled Make-or-Break Time For The Net Newbies.
Feedback Say it Somehow
It’s January and I can’t help remembering it as a time of angst when I worked in Corporate America. This was the time that people were spending hours writing up their accomplishments for the previous year. Managers it seemed only remembered what happened in the last month or two. Evaluations were done on a year’s worth of work. If you wanted your manager to remember the many good things you did earlier in the year, he/she needed to be reminded!
Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance: Tips & Tools to Increase Productivity
Prior proper planning prevents poor performance. It may be a tongue twister, but it’s important to remember that our productivity is greatly increased when we make the time to prepare. Preparation is a discipline and successful professionals make the time. Here are five ways to do your homework and prepare.
Is Your Underperforming Employee Incompetent or is it AADD
AADD - Adult Attention Deficit Disorder is often difficult to understand. This is especially true when it exists in one of your key employees. It may often be disguised as peer relationship problems, moodiness, forgetfulness, lack of commitment, complacency and even substance abuse. Now for the disclaimer --- I am not a medical doctor nor do I profess to be an expert on AADD. The objective of this article is simply to bring to your attention that erratic, unusual and unacceptable behavior can sometimes be related to a medical condition that often is overlooked. This condition is called Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. If this article suggests any familiarity of circumstance with any of your employees then seek a professional medical opinion.

Three Keys to Reducing Defensive Reactions to Feedback
Providing quality feedback is the most underutilized "tool" in any manager's toolkit. Because of the typical difficulties associated with such discussions many managers avoid or mishandle this basic responsibility. This article shows how to craft talking points that have a better chance for a "you're right, I do need to work on that" employee response instead of the all too common defensive reaction.

Is Your Virtual Assistant Letting You Down: Sound Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
Hiring a virtual assistant or VA is like any relationship and nobody likes to be disappointed, especially when you’re investing in someone who is supposed to make your life easier. Don’t be afraid to expect the best. Here are three respectful, yet powerful tips on how you can nip an assistant problem in the bud, without losing sleep or feeling like you’ve suddenly turned into a raging diva.

Document, Document, Document
As a manager, supervisor or even the company owner, dealing with employee related issues is inevitable. During a discussion with an employee, document everything that transpires at that meeting, who was in attendance, goals to be achieved, outcomes or next steps, etc.

Protect your Company by Properly Documenting Employee Discipline
The days of firing employees at will are long gone. Today’s HR mangers need to comply with a strict disciplinary routine to enforce compliance with their own policies. If enforcing compliance in not possible occasionally, your documented effort to improve behavior and performance is your only defense against wrongful discharge suits.
C-Level Sales Management - Who’s Ready for More Sales
To get sales up, you’ve got to get help. Why, because you need it. If you didn’t and you knew what to do, you would have done it already, and more sales wouldn't be an issue. This article will tell you what to do.
Delegation - What is the role of a Manager?
Are you reluctant to let go of tasks because you fear someone else will do them better? People that struggle to delegate often stock pile their knowledge. They aren’t good at sharing skills, as they like to feel that they are needed. Being successful does not mean being that best at everything, but knowing when to use the right people to help.
Ten Commandments of Leadership-Not Being a Wimp
Wimp. Wiener. Coward. Spineless. Jellyfish. And more not fit to print. All are words used to describe someone who lacks courage. The courage to do the right thing. The courage to confront. The courage to object. The courage to take risks. The courage to take a different path. All of these are needed characteristics of effective and winning leadership. In all types of settings and in all organizational structures, leaders need courage and, more importantly, the good judgment when to utilize courage and when to stand down. As important as courage is, the ability to not fight a battle is equally important.

How to ... Deal Informally with Poor Performance
We all have employees who, from time to time, exhibit poor performance. We can handle this through official disciplinary processes (which might upset other staff) or we can first try to handle it informally. However, handling it informally needs to be done with care - in a structured way. This article explains how.

A Small Hole Can Sink A Big Ship - The Poor Performer and Other Like Obstacles
Of all the non-actions likely to negatively impact on a team’s morale, it seems none is quite so damning as a failure to respond promptly to a team member’s poor performance. Research consistently contends that business leaders lose most kudos when poor performance is left unattended and poor performers are able to continue their inappropriate behaviour without repercussion. Whilst many leaders may opt to avoid the situation of a poor performer and choose instead to alienate them in the hope they will leave of their own accord, the disharmony created through such a strategy is frequently so great that it infiltrates into other facets of the business.
It's The Little Things That Matter
Leaders serving an apprenticeship are in a constant phase of learning, developing their strategic appreciation, their systematic thinking style and their approaches to people management as they go. Encompassed within this learning is an education around conducting great meetings - meetings that inspire participation and fulfil a need for engagement. It’s about having each team member completing work projects in a positive manner, utilising their given talents and being prepared to take calculated risk without fear of reprisal. It’s about the ability to articulate strategy to others – and articulate it in such a way as to promote familiarity and confidence.

Efficient Sales Travel Planning: Reduce Costs and Increase Sales
When the going gets tough, the tough look for new ways to get the job done. Today’s laptop mapping programs will help your sales team get the job done - reducing travel costs, while increasing your sales. Prior planning prevents poor performance, so stop doing it the way you've always done it. Shake things up, make your team more efficient and make this your best sales year ever.
Business Case for Emotional Intelligence EI and Emotional Intelligence EQ
Business Case for Emotional Intelligence EI and Emotional Intelligence EQ.
Leadership: The Successful Use of Conflicting Principles
“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.” -Niels Bohr, Nobel-Prize winning scientist

Employee Warnings: One Strike and You're Out
If an employee's performance needs improve, it shouldn't take a full quarter to find out whether he or she can pull it off or not. A better system can be structured so that you get the information you need about an employee's ability to turn it around sooner, rather than later.

Keep strong leaders and improve the bottom line with onboarding
Savvy organizations have learned that leaders need more than the standard welcome package when they move into a new role. They need proper training. They need a plan for adapting to their new position. And they need support. In short, they need executive onboarding.

7 tips to Stop the Dripping Faucet in Your Organization
Organizations when working well waste very little. However, some organizations are much like a facuet where waste is slowing dripping each and every day of the year. Read how your organization may be dripping thousands of dollars.
Achieve Your Goals By Building K.A.S.H For Sustainable Success
If everyone wants success, then why don’t we have more success. Possibly, individuals fail to recognize the true barriers preventing them from reaping the rewards of their labors.

Measuring Results: Key performance indicators can help set better goals for sales reps
Sales managers often rush to judgment if sales reps aren't meeting their quotas, and automatically assume that they either don't have the skills or the understanding to perform.

Sales Training – ‘Gunk’ Threat to Salespeople
As with cars, salespeople (even some of the best), are affected by ‘gunk.’ Gunk generally refers to all that nasty stuff that over time collects in car parts if you don’t change your car oil regularly. What you do over time affects your everyday marketing and sales results, and even top salespeople may want to ‘degunk’ their processes from time to time.
Improving Your Management Communications Skills - What's It Worth?
A manager needs to have good communication skills. It is one of the major elements of communication. One of the most vital skills in any manager or supervisor's portfolio of skills. But why? What are the benefits of being a good communicator? Read on for more...
Don't just sit there, phone someone!
Many sales people dislike prospecting. For some that is face to face prospecting and for others it is prospecting on the telephone. I've identified the factors that make the difference between a successful prospector and a sales person who hate prospecting. Prospecting is a skill. Once you develop these skills, prospecting is easy.
7 Reasons for Failed Employee Probations
When a new employee starts with your company, the first few months are like a honeymoon period. You and the employee are getting to know each other, working out what makes each other tick and the employee is learning about your business. During this period, both sides work out if they are a "fit" and if the employee is not working out, then their probation is not confirmed (read - sacked). Generally probation lasts for 3 months, but in Australia under Work Choices (and where you notify the person before they commence), this probationary period can be up to 6 months.

Attack Yourself
You just closed the biggest deal of your career, you blew away your quota, you made the president’s club, you were named sales rep of the year. You just crossed the finish line first . You raised your hands, pumped your fists, and celebrated. You are a winner!
Dealing With Poor Performance
The right way to approach and handle employees who are performing poorly. Including what to say to them, what to expect from them and how to deal with any negative reactions from them.
11 Reasons why you better make sure the customer is always right!
A customer just left you, or left your store unsatisfied. How many customers did you just lose? One, two because he will tell a friend of his dissatisfaction, three because he will tell 2 friends? Would you believe ten or more?
10 Things you need to know before entering into a contract
While litigation may sometimes be your only recourse, many times it is a result of signing a bad contract or not fully examining the contract you have signed. Here are ten things to know before entering into a contract that can help protect your business and your assets:
Successful Franchisee Traits
Do you have the personal traits necessary for success in the franchising industry? You might want to make sure you can say “yes” to these questions before you invest...
Advance or Retreat
What is the best way to lead when times are tough? How do we turn a downward spiral in a depressed market into an opportunity?
Get on the right track with executive onboarding
Most organizations offer some level of orientation for new leaders. But without a well-defined plan for integrating the new leader, the risk of poor performance and failure is high. Executive onboarding has grown out of traditional orientation to provide a more comprehensive and systematic plan for helping executives transition into their new role. Onboarding reinforces conventional orientation and training programs with highly focused one-to-one leadership coaching, targeted skills development, and timely objective feedback. The goal is twofold: first, ensure that new executives find their footing quickly and avoid costly missteps; second, help them build effective alliances with their direct reports to ensure continuity and cooperation in achieving organizational goals.
What's Missing from Leadership Development Programmes?
There is one area that has not been covered in leadership development programmes very well. It’s what Otto Scharmer calls the Blind Spot of Leadership, and he’s referring to what goes on inside the leader. Most leadership development programmes only address what goes on outside leaders – that is their behaviours and the knowledge and skills that is it thought guide the leaders actions. This article will outline a 'map' of the interior landscape of the leader and the actions that result when this is well developed.
Building a Leadership Team - Part 2
Talent is necessary for building a winning leadership team, but talent is not sufficient. You can recruit the very best in every functional area of responsibility in your organization, but unless they work well together, you will fail to create sustainable value. And in a competitive environment, you will lose to teams with far less talent if they work well together but you don’t. There is a tongue in cheek axiom that comes as a corollary to this – “I’d rather be lucky than good.” If you believe in blind luck, go with God and stop reading. If you believe we make our own luck, I’d like to share three principles for creating a great leadership team and some practical insights into each: agreement on the mission, clear communication, and balance. Part 2 = Clear Communication
Dealing With Conflicts
"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." Ephesians 4:25
Prioritise Your Day Keep Focus Win
It's such an easy thing to say, "Prioritise", yet many of us find it very challenging, especially in the moment, when the chips are down and everything is going wrong. So what can be done to make the difference to you and your business? How can you decide?...
5.3.5 Micro and small enterprises: Public sector training
Generalisations abound about the generally poor performance of public sector training institutions in supporting MSEs.

Conclusion: Human Capital and Economic Development
Africa has made large strides in raising literacy and school enrolments and improving health. However, in the case of both education and health these gains are lower than those in other developing countries.

Other poor performance Related Articles

The Complacency of Excellence
The challenges faced with both excellence and poor performance can be approached with the same tools.

Ten Strategic Actions To Improve Sales Staff Productivity
How effective is your sales staff? Are they a high performance team, a mediocre performance team or a woefully “underachieving” and blatantly poor performance team? If you have mediocre, underachieving or poor sales people, what are you doing to change that? If your sales staff is not effective, not performing to its potential and is in need of improved performance, Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach offers ten (10) strategic actions to take to change that.

Grameen Bank - Alternative Microfinance Approaches
Grameen Bank operates on the premise that the poor remain poor not because they do not have the skills or do not work hard, but because the institutions created around them keep them poor.
5.3.5 Micro and small enterprises: Public sector training
Generalisations abound about the generally poor performance of public sector training institutions in supporting MSEs.

Why most managers aren’t up for the job
If you’re a business owner, try answering this question: What does it mean when your company is experiencing lots of turnover, a sharp drop in performance or revenues, people calling in sick all the time, and a general sense of malaise and crankiness? Although you may attribute these problems to the employees themselves, or a few bad apples among them, the reality is that all of these symptoms indicate serious trouble at the top. Without the right kind of leadership, individual business units and the company as a whole will suffer. But the blame cannot be placed entirely on the manager. Poor managerial performance is often a result of a poor selection process. I call it bad jobs happening to good people. Well, it’s not so much that the job itself is bad, but that it is the wrong one for that particular person.

Master Your Game: High Performance Teams Self-Assessment
Last month, I talked about the difference between groups and teams. (See September newsletter.) I also discussed the many benefits of teams. For another important reason for improving your teams, look no further than the bottom line. When a team does not perform its task, the opportunity costs are great. Poor team results, missed deadlines, members not committed to the outcome, stress and frustration, unproductive hours - these are some consequences of poor-performing teams. How much are these worth to you? The good news is, with professional coaching, it is possible to convert your groups into teams. Furthermore, you can boost your team's level of performance from good to great. High performance teams mean mutual commitment that leads to innovative outcomes and measurable positive results.
IF BAD HIRES SQUEAKED
March 2009 might seem like a rather odd time to write an article on hiring when so many companies are not. Determining the need to improve upon one's hiring process, and making the changes, is something that can be done right now. Marginal performers presently employed got there somehow. They weren't good hires that suddenly changed after their start date. Poor performance can be traced back to incorrect assessments and the ill-fated decision to hire. Typically companies address poor performance post-hire with employee counseling and discipline stopping short of fixing the real problem - how they got hired. This article will help you improve your hiring effectiveness.

A Small Hole Can Sink A Big Ship - The Poor Performer and Other Like Obstacles
Of all the non-actions likely to negatively impact on a team’s morale, it seems none is quite so damning as a failure to respond promptly to a team member’s poor performance. Research consistently contends that business leaders lose most kudos when poor performance is left unattended and poor performers are able to continue their inappropriate behaviour without repercussion. Whilst many leaders may opt to avoid the situation of a poor performer and choose instead to alienate them in the hope they will leave of their own accord, the disharmony created through such a strategy is frequently so great that it infiltrates into other facets of the business.
Candid Conversations: How to Drive the Political Correctness “Elephant” Out of Your Workplace
Individuals who are faced with difficult issues frequently choose to ignore them entirely or discuss them only indirectly. While most people would concur that issues such as disagreements over a course of action or poor performance should be addressed clearly and directly, the reality is that many are not comfortable doing so. It's so much easier at those moments to revert to the "politically correct" indirect methods that are the norm in many organizations. The failure to honestly and directly confront poor performance or unwise courses of action, for example, becomes the proverbial elephant in the living room – or in this case, the workplace.
Control Your Own Destiny
Twenty years ago I came across a story (I don't know who wrote it) that illustrates the deadly power of the Victimitis Virus (the poor-little-helpless-me syndrome). Whenever I catch myself pointing "out there" to explain my poor performance, I pull out this story and read it again. I have since used it with many groups to make the same point.
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