Scrooged?!

aka,  Conflictor!

We all know one:

1. "Conflictors" know something about everything, just enough to be dangerous.

2. Disagree with you on everything, in a passive aggressive manner.

3. Challenge your knowledge, in a condescending manner.

4. Devalues your time, while their time is precious.

5. Tells you others are not team players, while stabbing you in the back.

6. Creates a positive facade, and then is negative about your positivity.

7. A "Conflictor" is always right, and if you try to prove them wrong...you will become mentally exhausted.

Bottom line; a "Conflictor" is a predator. When you are up they will get you down. And will you are down, they will take you deeper.

When a "Conflictor", by no choice of yours, tries to ruin your Holiday Season...do not try to handle them alone. One on one they will drain you. Bond together with people you trust and eventually the "Conflictor"  aka Scrooge, will get frustrated and move on to other prey.

Never a Stupid Question, Right?

A collection of  "Really?!" one-liners,  business owners or potential business owners have shared with me in my free consultation sessions. Many became clients and I have helped them. The rest? Oh well,  I hope they found help somewhere.

Here we go...

"Do I really need a logo and branding, I thought only big businesses had that."

"Well, I want to make more money but I don't trust people."

"Do I have a vision and mission statement for my business? Not at all, do I need one?"

"I really don't plan too much or even have a strategic plan...I kinda just see how things happen."

"I want to open a restaurant because I love to cook, I'm a hard worker, and I have the support of my family...isn't that enough?"

"No, I have never worked in retail, but this new franchise opportunity this guy was talking about sounds great!"

" ...not sure if my business is up or down from last year, but I do know my bills are getting paid."

"What's a target market?"

"My point of difference? I offer great service."

"There is enough free help out there...I don't need to pay for it."

"What measurements do I have in place?...they are all right here (as he pointed to his head)."

" What is horizontal growth?"

"I have more clients then I can handle...I don't need any help."

I have so many more I can share, but you get the point. Now I admit, when I started my own business five years ago I said some of the same things, that is why I hired a coach...enough said.

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Family: A Leadership Core Value

When it comes to core values,  "family" needs to be in your top three in order to be a successful leader.

Here are 5 reasons why:

1. Family teaches you the importance of teamwork.

2. Family helps you model servant leadership.

3. Responsibility and loyalty are derived from family experiences.

4. Discipline, within a family,  accelerates action and develops motivational skills.

5. Family traditions are the foundation of what leadership is all about, people and giving.

-------------------------------------------

CEO of Your Life

***Please welcome my guest blogger, Maripat Abbott***

Create and Share your Transition Vision – Be the CEO of Your Life

A traditional leadership coach is someone who helps others sharpen their leadership skills in the corporate or entrepreneurial world. That is not my mission. I help my clients to become the CEOs of their life, empowering them to give themselves that promotion.

In my experience, most of us have somehow sublimated our CEO title – given our power over to someone or something else. It saddens me when I can clearly hear that a person has been demoted – or put on severance – not by a company, but by themselves.

I most often see people demote themselves during times of major life transitions like a health challenge, a job loss or change, a relationship status change, pregnancy or any other large life events. During times of transition, fear and resistance to the unknown can begin to dominate,  which can cause us to lose our power.

So how can we avoid losing our CEO title during the transitions in our life? How do we trust that there is no candidate better than ourselves to lead us through? How can we remember that we are the single most qualified one to lead our life?

One helpful tool is to create a powerful vision statement that outlines how you intend to run the company of YOU during this transition. Then you must communicate that clearly to your support system of family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances, who are in essence a part of your company.

Like a CEO, you respectfully require that your community understand and follow your vision statement so that the company of YOU thrives throughout this transition and you do not lose your primary relationship – the one with yourself.  This is always your number one job.

Your vision statement and request might sound something like this: “I am in the midst of… [changing jobs, getting divorced, selling my home, opening a new business] and am very optimistic about the ultimate outcome. I need you to hold this vision with me and remind me when I forget.”

Your primary goal is to maintain your leadership role without being forced into a severance package from your own life.

Maripat Abbott

Executive Relocation Coach

Certified Life Coach

Certified Yoga Instructor

Phone: 630-708-RELO

Email: mp@HolisticRelo.com

Website: HolisticRelo.com

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10 Identifiers of Leadership

1. Leaders have passionate enthusiasm! Attitudes are contagious and team “leaders” understand that they are role models.

2. Leaders model the company’s values and “walk the talk.”

3. Leaders pull their teams up the hill, face them and don’t turn their backs.
"old-school managers" push employees up the hill.

4. Leaders are not necessarily the best talent, they are skilled at recognizing and utilizing talent.

5. Leaders develop others, place a high value on the “we,” and discourage the “I.”

6. Leaders know when to let other and better “leaders” lead... when the situation demands it.

7. Leaders listen and provide positive reinforcement and constructive feedback.

8. Leaders turn problems into opportunities.

9. Leaders understand that everyone falls, but not everyone fails.

10. At the end of the day... managers may think about the tasks that were completed, leaders reflect on the people that completed the tasks.

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Questions? Well...I'm Not Sure What To Ask.

Do you have any questions?

What questions do you have?

We all do this. Whether it's a kind gesture, a teaching situation, a closing tactic, etc. its a general practice we all do.

That's the problem, it's too general!  And the main reason why most people respond with, "no questions at this time" is because they are not sure what to ask.

We need to be more specific by giving them memory joggers. Below are some examples of providing memory joggers, guaranteed to generate more questions. (examples are from many different types of situations, business and personal.)

***What questions do you have about:
- cost?
- warranty?
- commissions?
- benefits?
- next steps?
- side effects?
-deadline?
- troubleshooting?
- results?
- the agenda?
- your responsibilities?

I'm sure there are many more, but you get the drift.

Call to action- the next time you ask , "What questions do you have? "
Remember- Specific is Terrific!

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TEAM- What Hat Do You Wear?

Team dynamics fundamentally never change.
Yesterday I was reading an article about team dynamics, first published in the 1940s. Though the experts, yesterday and even today, don't agree on exactly how many roles there are and how to name them, 10 general personality types are consistently identified.

I personally witnessed this at BNI Leadership Training last week in several team exercises I facilitated.

*Here they are:

1. Task Leader. May or may not be the designated leader; a nuts and bolts, roll-up-the-sleeves-and-get-busy-type.
2. Social-emotional leader. Concerned with emotional heartbeat of the group; good at solving interpersonal problems.
3. Tension-releaser. "Breaks the ice" with appropriate humor at the right moment.
4. Information provider. Has research skills that stand out above all others. Could end up doing unfair amount of work.
5. Central negative. Always plays the devil's advocate role in discussions but in a non-threatening manner.
6. Questioner. Constantly seeks clarification and more information.
7. Silent observer. Speaks little, observing and taking in all information. When he or she speaks up, people listen.
8. Active listener. Listens attentively, sums up others' points of view. Good for keeping discussion on track.
9. Recorder. Has good recording skills and little interest in participating in group discussion.
10. Self-centered follower. Constantly questions opinions is a non-supportive way. Unlike the central-negative person, the self-centered follower is concerned only about personal interests.

So...which one are you?, or are you several?

For more team dynamic and leadership wisdom,  please read my book---

Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's Book

* Teamwork notes
“Copyright (9-23-12) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”
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We Have Lift-off!?

Entrepreneurial experts around the world continue to debate over why small businesses fail, however they do agree on one thing; now more than ever entrepreneurs need to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.***

We have all heard the buzzwords:

“Branding”

“Point of Difference” (POD)

“Unique Selling Proposition” (USP)

“Secret Recipe” (from yours truly)

Think about this; every Fortune 500 company has a brand, a trademark and a tagline. Did you ever ask yourself, why?... Yes!...we all know the answer!
Because it is a fundamental business strategy!

So why do millions of entrepreneurs fail to create a “Secret Recipe”?

David F. D’Alessandro (best selling author ) says it best:

~ A business based on brand is, very simply, a business primed for success. ~

***Sources: Small Business Administration, Entrepeneurship.org, Personalbrandingblog.com
--------------------------------------------

Back to (Leadership) School

Leaders: Take the Test

1= rarely or never

2= once in a while

3= sometimes

4= fairly often

5= very frequently or always

1. I seek out challenging opportunities that test my skills and abilities                           

2. I appeal to others to share my dream of the future as their own.

3. I involve others in planning the actions we will take.

4. I let others know my beliefs on how to best run the organization I lead.

5. I find ways to celebrate accomplishments.

6. I am consistent in practicing the values I espouse.

7. I get others to feel a sense of ownership for the projects they work on.

8. I look ahead and forecast what I expect the future to be like.

9. I look for innovative ways we can improve what we do in this organization.

10. I praise people for a job well done.

Add them up!

If your score is less than 42...its time to go back to school!

Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's Book

“Copyright (8-28-12) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”
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Don't Give Me that Work/Life Balance Cop-Out.

A few weeks back I went to a party with a friend. The host had a rule: no one was allowed to talk about their work.

 Really?!

I'm a business owner, my work is my life and I love it.
I actually don't want to be around people who don't love what they do...boring!
It's a fact that 67% of people working for someone else hates his or her job...I feel sorry for them.

Life is too short to hate your job. Its 50% of our waking hours!

And when it come to business owners...We must love what we do,  or we will fail!

Three tactics for battling the "lets not talk about work" crowd.
1. Tell them,  I love my job and enjoy talking about it with others who love their jobs.
2. If you are wasting your life in a job that you don't like to talk about, then I'm not sure being around you is a positive thing.
3. Don't give me that work/life balance cop-out...if you love your job its all about work/life harmony. Blending the love of your job with the love of your family, friends and personal activities is a Win-Win for life.
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3 Steps for Successful Change

Frank A. , God rest his soul, was the best "back-room" manager and the best leader when it came to changing the culture.

I first met Frank in the early '70s working third shift at my first Giant Eagle.

He was often transferred around from store to store to train and motivate the night stocking crews.
One of the first things he did when he went to a new store was to clean, scrub and wax, and paint the backroom.
" You got to show them that you have arrived." Frank would always say. "Physical changes first, something they can see... then after you get their attention, things will start happening."
It worked! I saw it for myself. After Frank arrived in our store, production dramatically improved.

Are you looking to make a changes in your business? Continuous Improvements?

Whether you have employees or are an army of one. Home office or brick and mortar.
Implement the following three steps for successful "change".

1. Change your appearance: new hairstyle, new clothes, loose weight, etc..

2. Change your work environment: start meeting at a different location, redecorate / remodel your office.

3. Never ever use the word "change". Call what your doing "continuous improvement". (Only leaders like the word change.)

In the words of my old friend Frank... " You don't have to ever say we are changing things around here... just show them that the improvements work and change will follow."

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Food for Thought

---Some of my favorites "Life" quotes---

"There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle."
Albert Einstein


"Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."
Mark Twain


"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
Mohandas Gandhi


"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Martin Luther King, Jr.


"Work as if you were to live a hundred years. Pray as if you were to die tomorrow."
Benjamin Franklin


"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
John F. Kennedy


"It’s not what life makes of you; it's what you make of life."
Unknown

Read more "Pecans of Wisdom" from Bob Gambone in his book:
PECAN PIE!-Click here for a preview! 

"The Secret to Success...It's in the Recipe! 

Copyright (12-10-2011) by Robert V. Gambone Sr.
------------------------------------

Do You Need a Business Coach? Take the Test.

This is collection of one-liners from business owners or potential business owners. All statements were shared with me during a free consultation session. Some of the participants quoted below became clients and I have helped them. Others did not become clients... I hope they found help somewhere else.

Here we go:

"Do I really need a logo and branding, I thought only big businesses had that."

"Well, I want to make more money but I don't trust people."

"Do I have a vision and mission statement for my business? Not at all, do I need one?"

"I really don't plan too much or even have a strategic plan...I kinda just see how things happen."

"I want to open a restaurant because I love to cook, I'm a hard worker, and I have the support of my family...isn't that enough?"

"No, I have never worked in retail, but this new franchise opportunity this guy was talking about sounds great!"

" ...not sure if my business is up or down from last year, but I do know my bills are getting paid."

"What's a target market?"

"My point of difference? I offer great service."

"There is enough free help out there...I don't need to pay for it."

"What measurements do I have in place?...they are all right here (as he pointed to his head)."

"What is horizontal growth?"

"I have more clients then I can handle...I don't need any help."

I have so many more I can share, but you get the point. Now I admit, when I started my own business six years ago I said some of the same things...that is why I hired a coach...enough said.

Big Al

Al started in retail when he was thirteen and fifty years later died in action.

Al was an old school retail manager who believed that no one could be trusted and everyone should put his or her career first before family.

Al worked 80 hours a week, was a master micro-manager and believed that his day was not over until he fired someone or at least made an employee cry.

Okay, so you ask, WHY did I love this guy? Not for any of the above reasons, that is why I hated him and feared him. I loved him because I was able to translate his prehistoric management style into lessons that I still utilize today.

Three Lessons from Big Al

1). Al used to say, “The best and easiest recognition program is to have NO recognition program at all.”

            Translation: Employee recognition programs must be managed,  be fair and be consistent or your results could actually weaken employee morale.

2). When Al said, “Just because I’m pissed off at you, doesn’t mean you can walk around here with your tail between your legs.”

            Translation: Wear a smile and have a positive attitude; no one wants to work for a “Debbie-Downer” manager.

3). One day Al looked me right in the eyes and said, “I’m too old to change now Gambone, what you see is what you get…”

             Translation: I always knew where I stood with Al. Al taught me that leaders need to be right up front with people by providing balanced,  fair and concise feedback.

My 18 months as Al’s co-manager was very stressful, yet very rewarding.

Take a few moments to reflect on your old boss, teacher or coach…dig deep and I am sure you will find a few sunny days somewhere in that storm.
----------------------------------------------------

Entrepreneurs Don't Like To Be "Should" On

Did you ever wonder why free minded entrepreneurs don't like to follow the rules?

Well, its not the rules they don't like,  its the way the rules are often explained to them after they broke them.

Here are 5 tips to avoid conflicts with entrepreneurs:

1. Ask "how can I help?", before helping.

2. Ask for permission to coach, before coaching.

3. When they ask you for help, ask them what have they done so far.

4. Be an expert on not being an expert.

5. Most importantly, never say "you should have done it this way."

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No More Ugly

Not the physical appearance at all.
I am talking no more bad behavior i.e. ugly behavior.. I am talking about not accepting ugly behavior in the business arena.

10 - No More Ugly

1. Consistently late for meetings or no-contact / no-show.

2. Not completing projects on time.

3. Telling off-color jokes.

4. Texting / emailing during a business meeting.

5. False commitments.

6. Bullsh*t lies.

7. Negative, Debby-Dower, Gumpy Cats.

8. Conflictor* personalities.

9. Lazy, lazy, and did I say lazy?

10. Habitual procrastinators.

*definition

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Your Gratitude Will Lift Your Attitude

In business we can be thankful for so many things; we appreciate our clients /customers, our partners, our shareholders, our employees, our suppliers, the list can be plentiful.

One strategic way that we can show our appreciation is by bragging, not about ourselves,  but about those who help us grow and secure our business. Specifically people who may be our strategic partners, referral teams, and networking colleagues.

Pick one person, just one, and throughout the next week brag to others about this person using the specific points answered in the following three questions.

1. What strengths do you see in this person?

2. What specific contributions has this person made to help you grow your business?

3.  How does this person bolster a positive environment?

You will find that bragging about others will benefit their credibility and yours.
Your gratitude will lift your attitude resulting in a more fulfilling business environment.

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Vintage Leadership

Vintage leadership is characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic leadership.

While leadership can be defined in many ways and applied in many ways I present to you:

Twelve of my favorite movies that have woven within their plots and character development, elements of vintage leadership.

Now wait a minute!....before you read the list below, make no judgments until you share your list with me and then we can have a sincere conversation. Thank you!

1. The Natural

2. Liar Liar

3. Forrest Gump

4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

5. A Few Good Men

6. The Longest Yard

7. Meatballs

8. Star Wars

9. Armageddon

10. Tommy Boy

11. Die Hard

12. The Music Man

The High Cost of Losing a Client / Customer

1. In an average business, for every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 other who remain silent.

2. The average "wronged" customer  will tell 8 to 16 people (over 10 percent will tell more than 20 people).

3. 91 percent of unhappy customers will never purchase goods or services from you again.

4. If you make an effort to remedy customers complaints, 82 percent to 95 percent of them will stay with you.

5. It costs about five times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep an old one.

Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" says Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's book 

“Copyright (3-13-15) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”
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10 Characteristics of Successful Leaders

1. Leaders have passionate enthusiasm! Attitudes are contagious and team “leaders” understand that they are role models.

2. Leaders model the company’s values and “walk the talk.”

3. Leaders pull their teams up the hill, face them and don’t turn their backs.
"old-school managers" push employees up the hill.

4. Leaders are not necessarily the best talent, they are skilled at recognizing and utilizing talent.

5. Leaders develop others, place a high value on the “we,” and discourage the “I.”

6. Leaders know when to let other and better “leaders” lead... when the situation demands it.

7. Leaders listen and provide positive reinforcement and constructive feedback.

8. Leaders turn problems into opportunities.

9. Leaders understand that everyone falls, but not everyone fails.

10. At the end of the day... while others may think about the tasks that were completed, leaders reflect on the people that completed the tasks.
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Stood Up Again?!

You both schedule a business meeting, agree on the time and place...and guess what?
The other person is a NO SHOW!

Has this happened to you? Sure it has.   Have you been the NO SHOW?

Five Action Steps to Prevent "NO SHOWS":

1. ALWAYS write it down. Once you agree on a time (AM or PM) and a place (exact location -address), enter the information on/in your calendars and share the calendar (meeting invite) if possible.

2. ALWAYS make sure to share cell phone numbers and contact information.

3. ALWAYS review upcoming meetings 7 days in advance and reschedule if needed. Respect people's time, that TIME that YOU scheduled only happens once in a lifetime.

4. ALWAYS confirm 24 hours in advance, call or text. If you email and do not hear back from the person within a few hours, then call or text....DO NOT assume that he or she received the email.

5.  ALWAYS make sure you know what the person looks like and do not assume the person knows what you look like, send a picture or a description. If you arrive first, send him or her a text to let them know where you are sitting.

"Time is money. Invest it, before somebody else spends it."

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10 Questions to Help Solve Problems

This quiz can help you find the strengths and weaknesses of your skills in solving problems, as well as point you to ways of improving in this important area.*

Answer YES or NO to the following Ten questions.

1. Do you gather all the information you can before trying to solve a problem?
2. Do you seek input from your fellow team members?
3. Do you get opinions from outside experts?
4. Do you list all the possible solutions on a piece of paper?
5. Do you then visualize the strengths and weaknesses of each solution?
6. Do you let your subconscious work on the problem?
7. Do others seek your help?
8. Are you willing to try another solution if your first idea isn't working?
9. Do you see problems as challenges and get satisfaction from resolving them?
10. Do you practice your problem-solving skills on puzzles and games?

Score yourself: 8 to 10 YES answers indicates you are a pro at solving problems. Six or seven is average, but if you had a lower score, study the questions for ways you can improve.

*Teamwork notes
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How to Handle Customer Complaints

The LAST technique for handling customer complaints has been around for some time and you can Google it to find several versions.

I have had great success with what I call the LAST-C process.
Bottom Line: not only will you decrease customer complaints, you will gain more business as a result of using this process.

Acronym defined:

L- Listen

A-Apologize

S-Suggest a Solution

T- Thank

C- Communicate

Want more information?  Read Bob's book...
 Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's book 

 bobgambone.com
bobgambone@bobgambone.com
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Goals are Good, Systems are Better

What's the difference between goals and systems?

• If you're an upwardly mobile employee, your goal is to get promoted. Your system is the performance appraisal process of your company.

• If you're a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.

• If you're a runner, your goal is to run a marathon. Your system is your training schedule for the month.

• If you're an entrepreneur, your goal is to build a million dollar business. Your system is your sales and marketing process.

Now think on this...

If you completely ignored your goals and focused only on your system, would you get results?

Yes you would! The problem is, without goals you will never know if you effectively implemented and worked the system.
However, setting goals without implementing mechanisms to achieve goals (system) is like wanting to bake a pie without knowing the recipe.

Systems are better because you have the ingredients and the recipe and as long as you at least work the process you will complete the task.
Even though your target is unknown, you've done the work and can now set realistic goals based on your experience with the system.
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