Eric Jacobson

NOVEMBER 11, 2012

As you gear up for the busy holiday shopping season, consider this advice from author Paul R. Timm. He recommends a different twist on asking your customers questions: stop asking your customers the "typical" questions and instead ask them open-ended questions. Here's specifically what Timm recommends: Don't Ask : How was everything? Can I get you something else?

Advice 95

Advice Power Management Leadership 95

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 23, 2012

The next time you stay at a Marriott hotel look in the nightstand drawer for Marriott's booklet that highlights its milestones and tells the Marriott story. In the booklet, you'll find the following 12 ways that Marriott practices good leadership AND customer service : Continually challenge your team to do better. Take good care of your employees, and they'll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back.

Hotels 95

Hotels Leadership Quality Follow-up 95

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 4, 2012

Some of my favorite quotes for leaders are: A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit -- Arnold H. Glasgow I praise loudly, I blame softly -- Catherine II of Russia Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress -- Mohandas Gandhi A long dispute means that both parties are wrong -- Voltaire The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable -- Paul Broca The best way to predict the future is to invent it -- Alan

Drucker 95

Drucker Influence Succession How To 95

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 28, 2012

Don't be the guy in the picture when an employee leaves your company. Instead, conduct exit interviews and surveys. Leigh Branham explains in his book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave , what the most favorable conditions are for conducting the interviews and surveys. And, if you need convincing to read the book, take a look at these 11 best reasons for listening and gathering the data when an employee leaves: Bringing any "push-factor" root-cause reasons for leaving to the surface.

Survey 94

Survey Information Books Organization 94

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 15, 2012

Three months into my first job out of college my boss brings me into the company cafeteria and tells me things just aren’t working out. He states a few things he likes about my work. Then, he details a longer list of what he doesn’t like. I’m surprised. Worried I’ll lose my first real job. And, scared. I wonder, how will I tell my parents I’ve been fired from my first job.

Storytelling 94

Storytelling Books Learning-by-Doing Tools 94

Eric Jacobson

MAY 9, 2012

A friend shared with me a spot-on article by Geoffrey James the other day. In it, James explains the difference between averages bosses and extraordinary bosses. He demonstrates why the best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. His insights are based on his interviews of some of the most successful CEOs.

Blog 94

Blog Article CEO Motivation 94

Eric Jacobson

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

I recommend that all leaders every so often read the What Will Matter poem by Michael Josephson. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of unselfishly serving and leading with character. I've highlighted in bold and in color my favorite parts of the poem: Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

Learning-by-Doing 94

Learning-by-Doing Power Planning Examples 94

Eric Jacobson

JULY 29, 2012

Business leaders and employees are holding virtual meetings more than ever. Despite the cost-saving and other advantages, virtual meetings versus in-person meetings have their challenges. One of the largest is because participants cannot bond in the same way as they do when they are sitting across the table from one another. In the new book, The Collaboration Imperative , co-authors Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese, recommend you follow these 10 tips for making your virtual meeting successful , particul

Succession 93

Succession Bond Participative Document 93

Eric Jacobson

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Each year, around Thanksgiving time, I think about what I am thankful for. This year, I decided to take the time to make a list. A list of 10 things I am thankful for. What's on your list this year? What's on your list this year that wasn't on last year's list? Here is my list : Family and friends Employment Co-workers who are hard-working and collaborative Technology, Blogs, Twitter and all social media sharing tools that help me to be a constant learner Health and all those who help me stay he

Blog 93

Blog Media Tools Goal 93

Eric Jacobson

MAY 11, 2012

Here are five important questions you , as a manager and leader, should ask during employee performance reviews: What have I done to help - or hinder - your job performance? What can I do in the next review period to help you achieve/improve? What conditions here enable you - or make it hard - to do your best work? What do you want most from your job?

Performance Review 93

Performance Review Review Armstrong Handbook 93

Eric Jacobson

MAY 25, 2012

This Memorial Day, as you select the books you plan to read for pleasure this summer, how about adding to the list at least one business book. Perhaps a book that will help you improve your leadership skills. Awhile back, members of five groups on the professional social media web site LinkedIn voluntarily recommended their favorite books about leadership.

Books 93

Books Handbook Kotter Leadership Pipeline 93

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 17, 2012

Some words of wisdom from author Thomas Teal : Integrity in management means : being responsible communicating clearly keeping promises being an honest broker avoiding hidden agendas knowing oneself Great managers serve two masters; one organizational, one moral. Managing is not a series of mechanical tasks but a set of human interactions. One reason for the scarcity of managerial greatness is that in educating and training managers, we focus too much on technical proficiency and too little on c

Management 92

Management Morale Education Advice 92

Eric Jacobson

JULY 15, 2012

More business leaders today are turning to executive coaches to help them become: more personally fulfilled with their contributions more effective with direct reports, peers and other executives better able to coach their team members more flexible in challenging situations Susan C. Gatton , a Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX-based executive coach, has worked with a many leaders and she says that if you answer "yes" to any of the following ten situations , you are a likely candidate for executive coaching:

Executive Coaching 92

Executive Coaching Execution 360-Degree Feedback Learning Curve 92

Eric Jacobson

MARCH 26, 2012

I really like author Paul R. Timm's advice to stop asking your customers the "typical" questions and instead ask them open-ended questions. Here's what Timm recommends: Don't Ask : How was everything? Can I get you something else? Did you find everything you need? Will that be all? Was everything satisfactory? Instead Ask : What else can I do for you?

Advice 92

Advice Power Skills Marketing 92

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 27, 2012

Are you leading an organization where e-mail communication is ineffective? Here are some wise guidelines that Verizon Wireless has used to promote effective, efficient and responsible e-mail use within its company. You can find these guidelines in the book, Managers, Can You Hear Me Now? , written by Denny F. Strigl, former CEO and President of Verizon Wireless.

Wireless 92

Wireless Guidelines Efficiency CEO 92

Eric Jacobson

DECEMBER 9, 2012

Two years ago, Lynn Flinn of EWF International in Tulsa, OK wrote the following in her business' newsletter. It's so powerful I wanted to bring it back again this year as 2012 comes to a close. So, here goes.Lynn's year-end advice for leaders: • Do something that you are afraid to do. Run through the fear rather than running away from it. • Take a personal risk.

Advice 91

Advice Self-aware Newsletter Follow-up 91

Eric Jacobson

MARCH 24, 2012

The next time you stay at a Marriott hotel look in the nightstand drawer for Marriott's booklet that highlights its milestones and tells the Marriott story. In the booklet, you'll find the following 12 ways that Marriott practices good leadership AND customer service : Continually challenge your team to do better. Take good care of your employees, and they'll take good care of your customers, and the customers will come back.

Hotels 91

Hotels Leadership Quality Follow-up 91

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 2, 2012

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability. They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Do

Open-book 90

Open-book Tips Project Books 90

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 15, 2012

If you are a leader already engaging with an executive coach, or contemplating engaging one, here are four ways to make your coaching experience a success, as reported in a relatively recent issue of Fortune magazine: Find the right match. Find someone to push and challenge you. To encourage you and to hold you accountable. Be sure the person you engage with is a person you can trust and can talk to easily.

Executive Coaching 90

Executive Coaching Execution Succession Magazine 90

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 30, 2012

In Leigh Branham's terrific book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees L eave, he quotes these sound insights from Dee Hock, the founder and former CEO of Visa: Hire and promote first on the basis of integrity; second, motivation; third, capacity; fourth, understanding; fifth, knowledge; and last and least, experience. Hock explains that: Without integrity, motivation is dangerous Without motivation, capacity is impotent Without capacity, understanding is limited Without understanding, knowledge is me

Motivation 89

Motivation CEO Quality Books 89

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 19, 2012

Inspirational leadership wisdom came awhile back from Bahram Akradi, the CEO of Life Time Fitness. From that health club's monthly fitness magazine, Experience Life , Akradi says: Once we get comfortable in our habitual patterns, we may fail to notice when they have outworn their useful purpose, or when new alternatives might serve us better. Once you've encountered a second way of seeing things, you're more likely to entertain the possibility of a third and fourth way, too.

Magazine 89

Magazine CEO Leadership Skills 89

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 7, 2012

Open Leadership author Charlene Li reminds leaders to periodically ask themselves these " open leadership skills assessment " questions: Do I seek out and listen to different points of view? Do I make myself available to people at all levels of the organization? Do I actively manage how I am authentic? Do I encourage people to share information? Do I publicly admit when I am wrong?

Leadership 88

Leadership Skills Information Management 88

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 3, 2012

Some of my favorite quotes for leaders are: A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit -- Arnold H. Glasgow I praise loudly, I blame softly -- Catherine II of Russia Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress -- Mohandas Gandhi A long dispute means that both parties are wrong -- Voltaire The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable -- Paul Broca These and many more compelling quotes can be found in Susan

Leadership 88

Leadership Books Management 88

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 9, 2012

As a leader, it's critical that you understand the real reasons employees leave your company. To do that, you need to ask specific questions that may not be ones you currently include in your exit interviews. Fortunately, Richard Finnegan , shares in his book, Rethinking Retention in Good Times and Bad , four key questions you should include in your exit interviews : Why did you decide to leave us?

Goal 87

Goal Books Company 87

Eric Jacobson

JANUARY 4, 2012

I heard this advice quoted awhile back and wanted to share it. It's from William Arthur Ward , one of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims: Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work. All great advice for leaders and managers as we start 2012.

How To 87

How To Advice Participative Management 87

Eric Jacobson

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

On Monday, February 26, Ken Blanchard's and Mark Miller's book, Great Leaders Grow , hits the brick and mortar and online bookstores. In honor of the book release I welcome guest blogger Ken Blanchard. How to Evaluate Your Leadership Style By Ken Blanchard, Co-author of Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life Today, I'm going to give a short, one-question quiz.

Blanchard 86

Blanchard Leadership Styles Sharpe Seminar 86

Eric Jacobson

MARCH 20, 2012

As a leader, the time will come when you will have to speak with an employee about his or her poor performance. Here are six steps that will guide you through that process: Tell him what performance is in need of change and be specific. Tell him how his actions negatively affect the team. Let the discussion sink in. Set expectations of performance improvement and timeframe, and get his agreement on the desired outcome.

Process 86

Process Team Skills Management 86

Eric Jacobson

JULY 14, 2012

Open Leadership author Charlene Li reminds leaders to periodically ask themselves these " open leadership skills assessment " questions: Do I seek out and listen to different points of view? Do I make myself available to people at all levels of the organization? Do I actively manage how I am authentic? Do I encourage people to share information? Do I publicly admit when I am wrong?

Leadership 85

Leadership Skills Information Organization 85

Eric Jacobson

OCTOBER 11, 2012

As a leader, the time will come when you will have to speak with an employee about his or her poor performance. Here are six steps that will guide you through that process: Tell him what performance is in need of change and be specific. Tell him how his actions negatively affect the team. Let the discussion sink in. Set expectations of performance improvement and timeframe, and get his agreement on the desired outcome.

How To 85

How To Process Team Human Resources 85

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 9, 2012

As a leader, the time will come when you will have to speak with an employee about his or her poor performance. Here are six steps that will guide you through that process: Tell him what performance is in need of change and be specific. Tell him how his actions negatively affect the team. Let the discussion sink in. Set expectations of performance improvement and timeframe, and get his agreement on the desired outcome.

Process 85

Process Team Motivation Skills 85

Eric Jacobson

MAY 20, 2012

Fortunately, most of my career I’ve worked in effective corporate cultures. If I put together the best of each, here is what made those environments effective: • Leaders led by example on a consistent basis and were willing to roll up their sleeves, particularly during tight deadlines or challenging times. • Employees clearly understood how what they did made a difference and how their contributions made the organization either more profitable or more effective. • The workforce included a blend

Career 84

Career Committee Long-term Education 84

Eric Jacobson

MAY 31, 2012

In your leadership role, it's vital that your team members know how to deliver excellent customer service. " Knock Your Socks Off " type service as book editor Ann Thomas and Jill Applegate would say. Part of delivering excellent customer service is saying "Thank You" to your customers and knowing when to say "Thank You". Thomas and Applegate recommend telling your customers "Thank You" during at least these nine situations : When they do business with you.every time.

Power 84

Power Books Team Productivity 84

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 30, 2012

Some of my favorite parts of Douglas Conant's and Mette Norgaards' 2011 book, TouchPoints , are these lessons for leaders: You need to have dual vision. You need to be able to address the most pressing need and do it in a way that makes your employees more capable and ready to take on the next issue. No leader can succeed by being only tough-minded or only tender-hearted.

Leadership 83

Leadership Open-book Commitment Books 83

Eric Jacobson

JANUARY 9, 2012

Open Leadership author Charlene Li reminds leaders to periodically ask themselves these " open leadership skills assessment" questions : Do I seek out and listen to different points of view? Do I make myself available to people at all levels of the organization? Do I actively manage how I am authentic? Do I encourage people to share information? Do I publicly admit when I am wrong?

Leadership 83

Leadership Skills Information Organization 83

Eric Jacobson

APRIL 5, 2012

Can't decide what business book to read next? I recommend David Grossman's, You Can't Not Communicate, 2." Why, because this updated installment of his previous best-seller with virtually the same title is an easy read and one you can finish in an afternoon. And, even more important, David gives you lots of practical, real-world, wise, straight-forward advice on how to communicate more effectively as a leader -- all tips and techniques you can start to implement the day after you finish reading

Skills 82

Skills Books Strategy Advice 82

Eric Jacobson

MARCH 28, 2012

A good manager is both a coach and a counselor. Generally, coaching should precede counseling. As a coach , a manager: identifies an employee's need for instruction and direction and this need is usually directly related to his or her performance or career goals. Coaching is collaborative. It relies on mutual, progressive goal-setting, personal feedback, and an ongoing, supportive relationship.

Armstrong 82

Armstrong Handbook Construction Goal 82

Eric Jacobson

JUNE 7, 2012

Early on in Eli Broad's new book, The Art of Being Unresaonable , he reminds us of the power of a child's instinctive asking, " Why not? " Unfortunately, most adults lose that habit and Broad goes on to explain that it was his continuing to ask "Why not?" throughout his career that brought him success. " The questions you're willing to ask when others think they have all the answers are doors to discovery ," says Broad.

Books 81

Books Delegation Bond Mentor 81