Archive for March, 2008

31
March
What Have You Done for Them Lately?
The Ready, Set, Engage Path as introduced in my book, Ready, Set, Engage(R), is one of leadership mastery, organizational alignment, team engagement and customer connection. You cannot have a successful business without the interconnection of these elements.  In this article, the focus is on customer connection.  Peter Drucker, management consultant helped clarify the idea of a profit center when he said, “The only profit center is the customer.”  

 I have to admit in my early days of customer partnerships, I could have been heard saying, “if only we could just manage the customer relationship.”  As a customer on the other hand, I don’t want to be managed, I want an experience.  

 Customer relationship management SPEAKS - How can your company “work” the customer relationship to meet “your” internal organizational goals?   

 Customer experience management LISTENS: How can your company help the customer achieve their goals while creating positive customer experiences?   Positive customer experiences create engaged, connected, loyal customers. Loyal customers = Profit in the Profit Center. 

 Action:  Create a “Make Their Day” journal and come up with ways to create positive, unique, customer experiences for your customers.  

Until next time,

Stephanie

Engaged team members create engaged customers.  Go to www.EngageYourTeamNow.com to find out how to add momentum to your team. 
Category : Customer Engineering | Team University | Blog
18
March

Maximize Your Mentor Relationship

This is the final strategy in the three part series on maximizing your relationship with your mentor.

Let’s review before we conclude this series on maximizing your relationship with your mentor.  The first two strategies we discussed were:

Strategy 1: Find the right mentoring relationship by asking the right question.

Strategy 2: Don’t look for a mentor that only gives you positive feedback.

The final strategy in this series is:

Expect the relationship to require a lot of time and energy.  It
should.  Be prepared before your meetings.  If you are not ready to devote time and energy to being an active protégé’ then wait before you launch a mentoring relationship.  

A mentoring relationship should both challenge and inspire you.  If you have the right mentor that knows how to give you honest feedback to propel you forward and expand your core capacity.  Then friend, you have a good mentoring relationship.
Until next time,
Stephanie

Category : Ready_Set_Engage | Synergistic Leadership | Blog
13
March

3 Strategies to Maximize Your Mentor Relationship

This is part two of a three part series on maximizing your
relationship with your mentor.

Strategy 2
Don’t look for a mentor that only gives you positive feedback. If
you have a mentor and you are only receiving positive feedback, you
are missing out on growth opportunities.  When you think about the
coach/athlete relationship the job of the coach is to help the
player see weak areas in their ‘game’.  On the other hand, don’t
buy into the mindset ‘constructive criticism’.  Did you know that
‘criticism’ also means disapproval and condemnation?  What is
constructive about disapproval and condemnation?  Instead you want
a mentor relationship to be realistic, truthful and they should
‘call you on it’ when you make up excuses or don’t deliver on
between meeting actions. Your responsibility is to keep in mind
that you didn’t ask for a mentor so that they could be ‘really
nice’ to you.     

Until next time,
Stephanie

Category : Ready_Set_Engage | Synergistic Leadership | Blog
8
March

3 Strategies to Maximize Your Mentor Relationship

This is part one of a three part series on maximizing your
relationship with your mentor. You can also use these strategies to
help you find a mentor.

Strategy 1

Find the right mentoring relationship by asking the right question.

Often potential mentors overestimate the amount of time the
relationship will require and sometimes potential mentors don’t
believe they are qualified. Asking a potential mentor, “will you
be my mentor”, could lead a mentor to think how busy they already
are and how they can’t take on one more thing. Instead ask people
you would like to be your mentors if they have time to offer their
opinions on some of your ideas. Be clear on how their strength can
help move you to the next level of professional development.

Until next time,
Stephanie

Category : Ready_Set_Engage | Synergistic Leadership | Blog