blog

May 22 - Understanding the power of “Teamwork” as a sustainable competitive advantage in your business!

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:00:00 -0400

Boston Executive Coach Will Lead a Seminar on Teamwork
May 22, 2012 at 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Rockland Trust Conference Room

Space is limited- RSVP by May 19th by selecting the attending option on this event announcement. or contact:

Itamar Chalif
Vice President
Business Banking Officer
58 Main St Franklin, MA 02038
P. 508-280-7510
F. 508-732-7498
Itamar.Chalif@Rocklandtrust.com

Boston Executive Coach will cover the following topics and more at this seminar:

The competitive importance of teamwork
How organizations can leverage the real power of teamwork
Overcoming the obstacles that plaque most organizations
Exploring the five dysfunctions model to improve team effectiveness

This seminar, will explore the power of Teamwork and how organizations can use its largely untapped power as a sustainable competitive advantage. In making a case for teamwork, Patrick Lencioni in his book, “Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” points out that teamwork is almost always lacking within organizations that fail, and often present within those that succeed. When people come together and set aside their individual needs for the good of the whole, they can accomplish what might have looked impossible on paper.

Guest Speaker: Boston Executive Coach Norm Gauthier is the Managing Partner of Heritage Hill Partners Inc, a business consulting & coaching company that specializes in working with leaders, business owners and teams on management & leadership effectiveness that translates into improved performance and bottom line results. His work in the field of organizational development and leadership effectiveness has evolved over a twenty-three year business career. Entering the high-tech industry in 1982 from industrial relations, he worked with senior executives and management teams on a number of significant domestic and international change management projects resulting from the transformational “change” occurring within the Information Technology Industry. After spending three years with a global software business within the financial services industry, he left to form Heritage Hill Partners in 1999; combining his business and management background with his experience in organizational development, global human resource management, executive coaching and process improvement. As a trusted advisor he is focused on helping his clients find practical solutions to achieve the results they desire.

Developing Confidence!

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:30:00 -0400

Confidence is a critical ingredient to your growth and development. You develop self-confidence by creating success. Through your goals you can provide for frequent successes. Set short term goals in the beginning. Experience often the satisfaction of moving a “Short Term Goal” to the “Goal Accomplished” area of your daily planner or other tracking device. People who have well-defined goals in life develop confidence through achieving those goals. Thus, they are always better prepared to confront new situations, and achieve higher goals. As you achieve goals, and feel the satisfaction of achievement, your confidence in your abilities is enhanced as is your potential to achieve more and higher goals.

Lack of confidence also stems from our inability to visualize successfully doing whatever it is we want to do. Careful planning, specific action steps, and affirmations help you to clearly plan exactly how and why you can achieve your goals. It focuses your imagination on the positive rather than the negative.

Confidence is the key ingredient to any plan. It is part of the solution to every obstacle you have identified in your goal. Fortunately, confidence is a limitless resource; the more you use of it, the more there is to use. However, there is a price to be paid. To “use” confidence requires involvement: only through involvement (and consequent testing and confrontation) are boundaries pushed back and fears overcome. To take goal setting seriously guarantees that you will need to increase your confidence. To take goal setting seriously also guarantees that you will increase your confidence.

Reference source: RAC, Supervisory Development Program. Copyright protected worldwide. Adapted by Sorrell Associates, LLC

What’s one thing our Team should do to produce a Measurable Impact on our business?

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:30:00 -0400

Renew your focus before you change your actions. Most teams fall short of potential to produce desired results until everyone is “on the same page.” To gain clarity of action you need improved clarity of purpose, so begin with strategic thinking and business planning – even if your organization already has a plan. There is no better “teambuilding” process that will produce desired impact. Does your team share the same goals, as well as understand individual roles? How do you know?

Become a strategic thinking and execution team. Developing an executable plan that focuses collective actions to produce desired results requires more than just an annual one-day “retreat.” In effect, many businesses do strategic planning without any sustainable benefit other than a dusty document and to say “we did it.” That is not what we suggest. The objective of planning is the establishment of an ongoing planning process as a routine part of teamwork in order to achieve substantially improved performance for the short term and the long term.

Re-engage your purposeful thinking, planning and action. Involve an experienced boston executive coach who understands business and behavioral change. A qualified boston executive coach will ask questions that take you from where you are to where you and your team really want to be.

8 Great Interview questions to help you find the right Candidate

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:40:29 -0500

As the economy expands and the competition for quality salespeople becomes intense it's important to realize that you have to use different tools to screen for the right candidates. Use these interview questions to help you discover the right people to join your company.

Do you have written goals you want to accomplish and if so, tell me about them? You are looking for indications of maturity, focus, planning ability and desire for achievement.
How did you earn your first paycheck, how old were you, and what did you do with the money? With this question you are probing to check their work ethic.
What are the top three leadership traits that you look for in a manager? With this question you are attempting to gauge their expectation and ascertain their preferred management style.
Have you ever failed at something and if so, why did you fail and what did you learn from the experience? This question lends itself to a discussion on resiliency, personal responsibility and tendencies under pressure.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses as employees. What are your strong points for this position? This question gives them the opportunity to tell you what assets they bring to the table and how they see themselves fitting into your organization.
What is the one thing you would improve about yourself? This question gives you an indication of his or her self- assessment capability.
Other than family members, who has been the greatest influence in your life and why?
If you were to fail in this business, what do you think the reason would be?

Use these questions as a guide and add to them as you wish. By having a set list of questions it helps you move the interview process through efficiently and effectively. Based on the candidates' answers to these and other questions you may provide, you'll have a good idea if you're ready to take the next step with this person.

Good luck

Why are you in this business?

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:40:29 -0500

If someone I’m working with compliments me for asking the question “Why are you in this business?” it’s the kind of response that makes me feel like I had just walked two city blocks with a pebble in my shoe. We were at the point where my client was struggling to complete his business objectives, despite the amount of time we had put into them. After failing to follow through on a number of commitments he had agreed to complete over the past several meetings, it was time to revisit the pebble in my shoe. I asked him two questions, “why did you choose this business and what about it makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning?” He once again avoided answering the question telling me he really needed more time.

Our next meeting rolled around and I began by asking him the same two questions. He began to respond, but stopped in mid sentence appearing agitated at the thought of answering. And then said he, wasn’t ready to discuss it. We moved through the rest of the agenda and agreed on a time for our next scheduled meeting. It was clear that the pebble had grown into an obstacle to our being able to move forward.

Over the next week I thought a lot about what I could do to understand what was blocking us from making progress. When we began our next meeting, I started to ask the same two questions when he interrupted and said, his father and he had decided to sell the business to a key employee. He explained that his father had lost interest in the business and began spending less and less time in it. And, admitted that he never really liked the business and regretted that his father had talked him into starting it in the first place. He concluded by answering the two questions….”I have no interest in the business and never felt motivated enough to do what was necessary to make it a real success.

The take away from this experience is pretty straight forward…if you are not ready to translate your belief into a commitment, then it is highly unlikely you’ll achieve a satisfactory result. I’m not sure how much or whether he still blames his father for what happened but in the final analysis, it was always his choice to make. Being self aware is important to making good decisions about the challenges we are prepared to take on. But being honest with ourselves in the assessment is critical. This client moved on with his life and thanked me for pushing him through the coaching process to the point of clarity. He felt it saved him thousands of dollars and who knows how much time, pursuing something he knew he didn’t want.

So! If what you’re doing begins to feel like work and your decisions don’t appear to be getting you what you really want….stop and ask yourself, “why did I choose this and what am I missing that would make me feel like jumping out of bed in the morning?”

We encourage your comments on this blog or if you’re interested in learning about Heritage Hill Partners Inc. please visit our web site at www.heritagehillpartners.com....

Thanks! Norm Gauthier

Be Curious—and Be a Successful Communicator

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:40:29 -0500

There are many ways to improve the way you communicate. For example, you will always start things off on the right foot by opening the conversation in a way that creates mutual respect. Using phrases such as, "If you have a minute, I'd like to talk with you about something that I think will improve the way we work together," helps put your conversation partner at ease. It tells him or her that you have positive intentions.

It is also important to know your purpose for the conversation. Some purposes are more useful than others. A useful purpose is one you have power over. For instance, you can control your own reaction; you can share your view; learn about your partner's view; work toward a sustainable solution.

On the other hand, examples of purposes that are NOT useful are: trying to change the other person; attempting to control their reaction; or going in with a hidden agenda.

Be Interested—of the many ways to improve your conversation skills, one of the best are to be interested. Curiosity is one of the most useful tools in the communication toolbox. When you enter the conversation with "beginner's mind," you will necessarily adopt the attitude of a learner. You will not have to pretend to ask honest, open questions. They will come naturally. As you listen, you can reflect on what is being said (and not said). You will gain information and ease tension. If you can't think of a question, you can always acknowledge what you've heard, or you can say: "I see, tell me more about that."

One of the reasons we're not curious more often is that we mentally equate curiosity with agreement. We think that if we don't disagree immediately, our conversation partner will assume we're okay with whatever he is saying. This is not useful thinking. It prevents you from seeing the whole picture and from learning where your partner is coming from.

The next time you find yourself in a difficult conversation, give yourself and your partner a gift by asking questions—questions to which you do not know the answer. Watch what happens. You will learn a lot, and you will feel more powerful, not less. Remember—listening does not equal agreement. It means you are a skilled an active learner, a good partner, and a conscious communicator. Live, learn, and enjoy the moment.

Good luck and good communication!

What’s Holding You Back… from hiring an Executive Coach?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:47:47 -0500

It’s tough to be aware of your blind spots without help. You know your hard work has paid off, and you feel like you’re doing well in your field. But there is something you can’t put your finger on that’s standing in the way of you and that next level of achievement.

Whether you’re a CEO, Business Owner or a Senior Manager with organizational responsibility, positions of leadership are lonely at the top. There is a level of vulnerability that comes with the position that affects who you really can talk to and how much you can share. No matter how close you think a person is to you, there is no way to know what their competing influences are. That is the personal filter they’ll use to interpret sensitive information that may involve them or someone they’re close to. Unfortunately, when assumptions and misperceptions result, they often cause irreparable damage to individuals, organizations and the credibility of leadership. The executive coaching relationship provides a safe environment to work through these issues while producing measureable results.

Inspired people want to work with a coach because they recognize the return on investment for them personally and for the organizations they lead. According to a survey conducted by Career Partners International, 40% of 400 U.S. and Canadian business leaders interviewed chose coaching as their preferred method for leadership development.

In her book, “Your Executive Coaching Solution” Joan Kofodimos outlines five key hurdles to developing executives and convincing them to change their behaviors:

Lack of authentic feedback: The more authority you have, the less likely you are to seek and receive authentic feedback. You may present an air of confidence and dominance that discourages meaningful interactions. In addition, you think others are judging you, prompting you to become cautious about what you say and do. This increases distance in relationships, which minimizes opportunities for useful feedback. Finally, you may have isolated yourself from others by relying on a select group of trusted advisors who protect you from distractions and annoyances.
Lack of time or value placed on reflection: Most executives face enormous and continuous demands on their time. The likelihood of having time to reflect on behavior is minimal. Furthermore, it’s not in the nature of most hard-driving, results-oriented personalities to be introspective.
Reluctance to reveal weaknesses to others: This is a major barrier to getting leaders to change. They strive to continually project an aura of confidence and competence. Complicating matters, the organization and your peers may discourage you from appearing vulnerable. Demonstrating your weaknesses to outsiders, they reason, can have a detrimental effect on investors’ confidence.
Reluctance to acknowledge weaknesses to oneself: Not only will executives avoid letting others see their vulnerabilities, but they will also steer clear of acknowledging them internally. It can be scary to think you may be wrong. When your behaviors lead to positive business results, you may rationalize weaknesses in interpersonal style. If it’s not broken, you may think, why fix it? But what works for you today may not carry you through tomorrow. Denial works for only so long before complexity, stress and challenges take their toll.
Fear of letting go of a previously successful style: If your leadership style has been working just fine for a few years, you may fear that modifying it puts your effectiveness at risk.

If you are someone who has considered engaging an executive coach but have been holding back, perhaps talking about it would be helpful. Contact Norman Gauthier today at 508-923-0918 for a free consultation….

I Want to take my business to the next level…But!

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:40:26 -0500

We often hear a business owner say “I want to take my business to the next level, But!” Some of the more common buts go like this…But, I’m concerned that some of the people who work for me don’t have what it takes. They have difficulty following procedures, spend time on unimportant tasks, and have trouble thinking for themselves, let alone out of the box. And, they look to me for all of the important answers. With those issues, taking the business to the next level will be difficult if not impossible, and certainly not in the owner’s time frame.

What the owner needs are some partners. When I say “partners”, I don’t mean legal partners with a financial investment in the business. I mean people who have an emotional investment in the business. Successful business people find ways to make people feel like owners even though they’re not. As the owner of the business, you may never have a team that’s as passionate as you are about growing. However, there are things you can do to dramatically increase your team’s level of ownership and passion.

Here are some ways to make that happen:

Conduct Joint Planning & Goal Setting – Typically, goals are set by leaders and passed down. Since the team had no input or hand in setting the goals, there’s little chance for real buy-in. What’s worse, when goals aren’t met, the team blames unrealistic goals, rather than their own performance. Leaders realize that they have to share as much information (company goals, historical performance, strategic objectives, etc.) with the team as possible to set their own goals. It doesn’t mean that you abdicate your role and responsibility for approving all goals; challenging those goals that are either too aggressive or not aggressive enough.

Help Employees Understand the WIIFM – Most leaders try to motivate by rallying the troops around what’s important to the company. That’s certainly important…but it also has to include the people side of motivation i.e. Understanding the What’s In It For Me (WIIFM) side of the equation. It’s not that people are inherently selfish; it just means they’re human. Work with your team members to understand how they’re personally impacted by the business goals that have been set. Notice I didn’t recommend you tell them how they’re impacted. Everyone is different. You (and/or your leadership team) need to work with each team member to find their own unique “why”. If mangers have taken the time to know their people, this is not difficult.

Don’t Have All The Answers – Don’t let your ego get the best of you. In today’s world it’s impossible to have all the answers. The people who work for you know that, so ask for their ideas and input. Listen and make the best decision possible for the business. This isn’t “management by consensus”. Ultimately, as a leader, the final decision is yours’ to make. At times, in the moment decisions have to be made, but in most situations there is time to ask for input and ideas. It’s critical to make your team part of the process. By being the person with the answer encourages the team to depend on you. By challenging them to come up with the answers creates problem solvers.
Encourage Constructive Conflict – Does your team get along great? Do you always seem to agree with each other? Do you have trouble remembering your last major team conflict? This may seem strange, but if you answered yes to these questions…you’ve got problems. A team needs constructive conflict to evolve. Think of it as Darwin’s theory of evolution for business. If good ideas don’t crush bad ideas, and great ideas don’t crush good ideas, a business (and its employees) will become stagnant and die.

Thinking differently about how you manage your business in these areas will do a great deal more than just increase revenues. Having additional “partners” in a business will also increase productivity, improve morale, reduce turnover, enhance customer loyalty, increase margins and reduce some of the stress over whether you can take your business to the next level….

We help business owners get to the next level. If you have input you’d like to share, we are interested in hearing from you.

A Customer Driven Organization

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:40:29 -0500

In a quest to maintain market position, business leaders are realizing that one of the areas where they can improve profits, as well as market position is by creating a customer-driven organization.

A customer-driven business is one that has recognized that an autocratic, top-down structure must be inverted to put the focus on the customer who is now the driving force. All of the plans and people in your organization need to be focused on the most important person-the customer. Focus is no longer on customer satisfaction. Today's focus is on exceeding customer expectations as customer service is expected.

Becoming a customer driven business requires the efforts of everyone pulling together with a clear focus on the vision of the organization and the mission at hand, all of which must focus on exceeding customer expectations. Your leadership must ensure that this value is articulated, which helps you create a culture that is solidly entrenched in achievement, continuous improvement, and customer focus. An organization can only survive if customers are satisfied and will thrive only if their customers are delighted which creates customer loyalty.

Create customer loyalty by going the extra mile for your clients. Look not to satisfy them, but to exceed their expectations. Do more than they expect and you will delight them. Word of mouth advertising is still the most powerful advertising available. Delighted customers tell others who, when delighted, will tell others and so on and so on.

Consistency is also important. Many businesses are very accommodating with a new customer, but tend to get lazy as times goes on. They focus on getting new business (which costs five times as much as keeping a customer) instead of revitalizing and improving existing business. As a result, they fail to maintain their service standards with existing customers. Research also shows that 70% of the customers that take their business elsewhere do so because of poor or rude service.

Nothing is more important to an on-going business relationship that honesty and integrity. Live up to and exceed promises made to customers!

Heritage Hill Partners can help you improve your customer focus, contact us today!

Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, Resource Associates Corporation (RAC) has been the first choice among business professionals for assistance in creating, building and expanding a successful consulting or coaching practice. RAC is focused on helping our consultants and coaches accelerate client's measurable results, manage change and implement innovation. Learn how by visiting our website or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.

A Startling Fact about How to Stop Communication Disasters with One Question

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:40:29 -0500

Too often, we are only half listening to what people are saying. This is because we believe we know what the other person is going to say or because our mind is on something else. Sometimes we think we understood, but don't clarify to find out if in fact we did hear it right.

Some other things that cause miscommunication are:

Ineffective listening
Noise
Meaning in words
Language
Gatekeeping
Appearances

We may not have developed our listening skills, which is considered one of the most important skills in business, yet is rarely taught in schools.

Our minds are often in the past or future, depending on what we have done or need to do. Other times we are guessing or assuming what they are going to say. Some people are even afraid of what the other person might be saying and do not want to hear. Many times people only "listen" enough to respond.

Noises of all kinds get in our way. These distractions prevent us from hearing. They can be other people, telephones, radios, TVs, and more. Many noises don't make a sound. They are based on how we are feeling, our bias, knowledge, skill, and background to name a few.

When it comes to defining words, the first is the standard dictionary definition. However, many words have multiple meanings, especially in the English language where slang is prevalent.

Based on your own experience, the society you were raised in, whether English is your first language, any emotional issues associated with the word, and the type of education you had will effect the definition of the word.

One of the biggest blocks is gate keeping. This is anything that your brain or unconscious self does not want to accept as true or relevant. We filter out most of what we are exposed to. If we were to see and notice everything at once, we would go crazy. So our brain's RAS (Reticular Activating System) says, "Is this important or a danger?" If the answer is no, it filters it away.

The problem is we don't realize what we are stopping at the gate. And the person you are trying to give a message to also has their own gate keeping system.

One must also be aware of their audience, the person with whom you are trying to communicate. If you are at a formal function and you are dressed relaxed or in jeans and a t-shirt, the people that you want to communicate with will be spending more time on thinking about how you are dressed over what you are saying.

The same applies if you are trying to relate to the unemployed or street people and you are dressed in an expensive designer suit, they will have no interest in speaking with your or trusting you. Remember, your clothes communicate a message.

It is important to clarify that you and they have understood what was meant and even repeat this process until you know they understand.

Nevertheless, too often disasters happen because of miscommunication. It is up to you to do something about it. Remember, it can be as simple as asking to clarify.

Contact Heritage Hill Partners today to learn more about effective communication!

The Unbeatable Laws of Customer Service

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:40:29 -0500

Your business can't survive without customers. That's the number one law of customer service. If you want to be number one in customer service, you have to do a number of things that make you stand out from the crowd. Here are 7 laws that will put you on top.

Roll Out The Red Carpet For Everyone. If there's one thing people hate about poor service, it's getting treated differently from others. It makes them feel inferior and second-class. Gary Richter says you should roll out the red carpet for everyone, but particularly those who don't expect it. "I tell my employees, if we roll out the red carpet for a billionaire, they won't even notice. If we roll it out for millionaires, they expect it. If we roll it out for thousandaires, they appreciate it. And, if we roll out the red carpet for hundredaires, they'll tell everyone they know."
Take Time To Know Your Customers. The fast pace of modern living together with advances in technology have together put a non-human face on much of our customer service. If you can find a way to re-connect with your customers one-on-one, you'll strike a chord with your customers that will be like a streak of gold. Kathy Burns remembers a time when people took time to care and listen. "Some of you may remember, and others may have heard stories about, a time in life when the doctor would come to your home to check on you if you were ill. Or maybe you've heard about going down to your local pharmacy and having the owner greet you by name and ask how you're doing. Not only did they ask, but they really wanted to know the answer and they took the time to listen to what you had to say. That's customer service - taking the time to know your customers, really caring about how they feel, and wanting to go the extra mile to make sure they're happy."
Be Easy To Do Business With. One of the problems with modern businesses is that the systems we use to save time and money are often devised for the company's benefit and not the customers. As a result, the customer experience is frustrating and difficult. Tracey Lowrance says this needs to be reversed. "Customers expect single source service. Customers don't want to be transferred to every unit of your business to have their problems solved. They want to be able to do business with you with the slightest amount of discomfort. You must be easy to do business with."
Go Out of Your Way to Make Sure They're Happy. One of the most important things your customers want from you is a guarantee that your product or service will work. So move heaven and earth to make sure it does. Bob Leduc suggests you shouldn't make people pay until they are fully happy. "Instead of offering a money back guarantee, a service business can provide a guarantee to solve the customer's problem. For example, a plumber can guarantee to come back without charge as often as necessary to stop the leak. A landscaper can replace without charge any plants that don't survive for at least 6 months. A sales consultant can continue working without charge until the promised sales results are achieved."
Notice What Customers See. A big part of what customers think about you comes from what they see and believe. Personal Selling Power noticed the following difference in two candy stores. "Although two competing candy stores had the same prices, neighborhood kids preferred one store to the other. When asked why, they said, "Because the person in the good store always gives us more candy. The girl in the other store takes candy away." True? Not really. In the good store the owner would always make sure to put a small amount of candy on the scale and then keep adding to it. In the bad store, the owner would pile a heaping amount of candy on the scale, and then take it off until it hit the right weight. The same amount of candy was sold, but perception is everything."
Work On Everything The Customer Experiences. The customer experience isn't just receiving the service or buying the goods. It's about all the other little bits and pieces in-between. Such as the manner of the receptionist, the state of the floors and tables, the attitude of other staff, the ease of parking, the tone of the notices, the smile or lack of it on the face of the checkout team. Be like the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas who have a slogan that says: "We spend 600 hours a week pampering the plants. Imagine what we'll do for our guests."
Believe In Customer Service From The Bottom Of Your Soul. To become a great service organization, you have to believe in customer service from the bottom of your soul. It has to be part of the way you work. Anita Roddick, founder of retail cosmetic franchise group Body Shop, puts it like this: "I am still looking for the modern equivalent of those Quakers who ran successful businesses, made money because they offered honest products and treated people decently, worked hard, spent honestly, saved honestly, gave honest value for money, put back more than they took out, and told no lies. This business creed, sadly, seems long forgotten."

If you take time to look, there are many examples of great customer service around you. Follow these 7 laws of unbeatable customer service and you'll join them.

Heritage Hill Partners can help you build a better customer service team, contact us today!

Self-Leadership! Paying attention to your strengths…

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:44:32 -0400

Most people think about leading others when they hear or read the term “Leadership,” but self-leadership is where it starts. How can you lead others on the job or at home if you are not effectively living your own life? When I work with clients on leadership development, a large part of the effort is focused on understanding what they are best at and exploring ways to leverage those strengths to perform at a higher level. Understanding how authentic they are and how that translates into their leadership style is critical. Let’s look at this more closely.

We all enter the world, each with our own unique qualities and personality traits. In my case, I recall being reminded by my parents that it was fortunate the mold was either broken or lost just after I arrived. You can only imagine how relieved I was to learn that there is in fact, no mold and we all possess certain uniqueness that causes us to think and do things differently from one another. As we travel through childhood, adolescents and on to adulthood, our experiences continue to change and shape who we are reflected through our behavior. This is especially true as it relates to leadership. A leader’s success is largely measured by getting things done through others, while balancing the competing influences that exist within organizations that are under tremendous pressure to outperform the competition. It can cause a leader to lose perspective on how they view themselves versus the actual behavior that others experience.

An honest and comprehensive self-assessment, whether using a formal diagnostic tool or not, is necessary to become more aware of your attitudes, your behaviors, and what makes you “tick”. This awareness will also allow you to better understand how people see you and help you improve your relationships and dealings with others. The saying that “Illumination is 80% of remediation” helps us realize how important this personal “look in the mirror” can be. As you achieve a better understanding of your strengths, it is important to realize that no matter how developed you are in these areas, there is always room for improvement. Further developing your strengths, and using them more often, will make them even more valuable and help you be more successful.

Yet, often, people neglect their strengths and focus more on their weaknesses and skills they don’t have. My friend Jay Niblick, president of Innermetrix, likes to say that “We possess talents, but we manufacture weaknesses.” Similarly, Peter Drucker has challenged us all to “make our weaknesses irrelevant”. The point is that none of us can be great at all things, and to try to be so is frustrating, time-consuming and, at times, self-defeating. Find the personal and professional situations and environments that allow you to use your strengths and accentuate the positive, instead of focusing on your weaknesses and the negative. An expert in the field, Dr. Robert Hartman once said, “Instead of trying to put in what God left out, [work] with what He put in.” In a research poll of millions of workers, only one-third reported that they were engaged in the kind of work they do best. It’s no wonder so many businesses are characterized by apathy and mediocrity instead of passion and excellence.

So, first, identify your strengths and then work to strengthen and make them more valuable. You will achieve better outcomes and experience more enjoyment as a result. Focus on the positive and what you are good at and don’t devote too much of your time and energy shoring up your weaknesses. As. Marshall Goldsmith, put it: “There are a lot of things I stink at. I just make sure I don’t have to do them to be successful.”

As always, we would appreciate your feedback and comments, and thanks for your interest in what we are doing… you can contact me at nwgauthier@heritagehillpartners.com

What about your own work/life balance?

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:36:45 -0400

Top Ten Tips for Balance…In my never ending quest to find the best work/life balance for me, I have had the opportunity to learn countless lessons from people I’ve worked with, friends and others. Many of the lessons and tips I’ve learned have been hard-fought. And so, with the use of David Letterman’s famous “Top Ten,” here are my top ten tips on getting to balance….

Number 10: Use one calendar. It sounds simple, but put your personal and your business commitments in the same place so you can quickly see what you have going on and make intentional decisions about where you want to spend your time. How many times has it happened that you inadvertently scheduled a work commitment (or a doctor’s appointment) on top of your child’s school assembly?

Number 9: If you work from home or have the luxury of a flexible work day, set a specific start and end time for your work day. Set clear boundaries so that you do not end up doing “that one more thing” that takes you through dinner time.

Number 8: Never go to bed angry. Resolve whatever the problem is before you head off to bed. Trust me, you will sleep better and feel better. Apologize even if you did not start the fight.

Number 7: Take all your vacation days! What are you saving them for?

Number 6: Don’t keep up with the Joneses. Meaning, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, or how many committees they are on, or what activities they pack into their days. Define what balance means to you, and stick to it. I had a business owner tell me that no one could run their business in just 40 hours a week – and for him, 60 hours was just fine. But guess what? A few months later, he told me that a friend of his found a way. You need to find your own way to achieve your balance, not somebody else’s definition of balance.

Number 5: Listen to your body. Really listen. Your body will tell you when it needs a break. This tip is particularly hard, because we become experts at ignoring warning signs. Begin to pay attention to what your body is saying – build that habit of actively listening to when your body tells you it is worn out, or not eating right, or getting sick.

Number 4: If you don’t block time for exercise or physical activity, it won’t happen. Make an appointment to go to the gym, or play tennis, or join your son in a pick-up basketball game.

Number 3: Laugh as often as you can. Find ways to bring laughter into your day. Watch a comedy; listen to the comedy station on your radio; call a friend who makes you laugh.

Number 2: Set consistent sleep patterns. This is not just about the number of hours of sleep you get every night (although that’s important too). In addition, get in the habit of going to sleep and rising at about the same time every day. Yes, that includes the weekends. Try it – you will thank me.

And, the Number 1 Tip for Balance: Make time for what is most important to you. Have you ever heard the story of the Mayonnaise Jar, the Rocks, and the Two Beers? In that story, a professor tells his class about the “big rocks” – those big rocks represent the most important things in your life. If you fill the mayonnaise jar with all the little things (the “pebbles”) then you won’t have room for the big rocks. Put the big rocks in first – the rest will find a space somewhere.

If you want a copy of the Mayonnaise Jar story, contact me at nwgauthier@heritagehillpartners.com. We would be delighted to share it with you. And let us know – which of these Top Ten Tips is more valuable for you? What other tips can you share with our readers?

Self-Leadership! “Illumination is 80% of Remediation”

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:06:56 -0400

Most people think about leading others when they hear or read the term “Leadership,” but it’s really about self-leadership. How can you lead others on the job or at home if you are not effectively living your own life? When I work with clients on leadership development, we typically start by exploring two key areas of their performance. The 1st is, discovering what they are the best at, or their strengths and 2nd, how authentic they are as a person. Once we understand these two key areas of their personality, it allows us to explore ways to leverage their strengths toward improving performance.

We all enter the world, each with our own set of unique qualities and personality traits. It’s that uniqueness that causes us to think and do things differently from one another. As we travel through childhood, adolescents and on to adulthood, our experiences continue to shape who we are as observed through our behavior. This is especially true as it relates to leadership. A leader’s success is largely measured by getting things done through others, while balancing the competing influences that exist within organizations that are under tremendous pressure to outperform the competition. It can cause a leader to lose perspective on how they view themselves versus the actual behavior that others experience. It is very easy to fall into the trap of seeing the world the way we would like it to be as opposed to way it is.

The meaning behind the quote, “Illumination is 80% of remediation” suggests that something has to happen for us to be able to see and understand who we are before we can take action to improve. In other words, it’s important to stop and take an honest look in the mirror to gain perspective on the roles we play in our personal and professional lives. Self-assessment is an investment in our selves, whether using a formal diagnostic tool or some other method. It allows you to become aware of the impact of your attitudes and behaviors on others, and appreciate whether they are consistent with the effective life you desire. Awareness creates the opportunity to improve our relationships and dealings with others that should be viewed as a continual learning process where there is always room for improvement. Whatever our profession, most of us use metrics to measure where we stand. Being aware of how you’re using your strengths can that metric that helps to guide your continued success.

Yet, often, people neglect their strengths and focus more on their weaknesses and the skills they don’t have. Jay Niblick, a colleague and president of Innermetrix, likes to say that “We possess talents, but we manufacture weaknesses.” Similarly, Peter Drucker has challenged us all to “make our weaknesses irrelevant.” The point is that none of us can be great at all things, and to try to do that can become frustrating, time-consuming, and self-defeating. It’s the kind of behavior that can derail a leader’s career. Find the personal and professional situations and environments that allow you to use your strengths and accentuate the positive, instead of focusing on your weaknesses and the negative. This quote from Dr. J. Harman seems to sum it up, “Instead of trying to put in what God left out, [work] with what He put in.” In a recent research poll that included a significant cross-section of U.S. workers, only one-third reported that they were engaged in the kind of work they do best. It’s no wonder so many businesses are characterized by apathy and mediocrity instead of passion and excellence.

Chances are this is not the first time you’ve heard this message….by focusing on your strengths you will achieve better outcomes and experience more enjoyment as a result. I’ve thought this a number of times, but the credit goes to Marshall Goldsmith, an executive coach to Fortune 500 CEOs who said: “There are a lot of things I stink at. I just make sure I don’t have to do them to be successful.”

I’m Norm Gauthier, the Managing Partner of Heritage Hill Partners, “A Business Consulting & Coaching Company” that would appreciate your feedback and comments….

What’s up with all this Self Improvement & Goal Setting stuff?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:27:46 -0400

It seems you can’t go anywhere without someone asking you what your goals are! What’s up with that? You want to buy life insurance…what are your goals for the future? You want a financial plan… what are your goals? You say you want to sell your business, what are your goals and strategy for the future? It’s gotten so bad that I turned on the TV, and on the way to another channel, I listened to a 350 lb. guy on a show called the “biggest losers” say his goal was to have a six pack.

I don’t know about you, but I think a big part of his plan ought to be staying away from those 6 packs! Whether we think he can do it or not, it should be obvious to most that by committing to a goal and by adopting a disciplined mindset, with the willingness to work hard… it is achievable. In that regard, he is exhibiting some of the same characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.

What do you think? In the book “The Entrepreneurial Mindset,” authors Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan offer characteristics that are associated with successful entrepreneur behavior. How many of these traits listed below do you possess?

Successful entrepreneurs are action oriented and they also simplify.
They possess superior conceptual abilities. This helps them identify relationships in complex situations and to quickly identify problems and solutions.
Passionately seek new opportunities. Entrepreneurs are relentless in pursuing their goals and are supremely confident in their ability to achieve those goals.
They pursue opportunities with enormous discipline. Successful entrepreneurs have tremendous discipline when it comes to evaluating opportunities and ideas. They have a comprehensive awareness of the overall situation and fully understand the ramifications involved in each decision they make.
Pursue only the very best opportunities and avoid exhausting themselves and their organization by chasing after every option. By focusing on the vision and organizational goals, successful entrepreneurs limit their exploration of ideas to only those that are in concert with the company’s mission.

Are you a goal setter? Without goals our work, passion and energy are more often like a flash of lightning – capable of making a short and fleeting impact. But by adopting the discipline of goal setting, we can reduce the amount of time and energy we squander on the way to achieving the outcomes that are most important to us. So, if you do get a chance to meet that 350 lb. entrepreneur with a goal, ask yourself who is better off.

We are Heritage Hill Partners, a management consulting and executive coaching company and we welcome your input and comment….

What kind of letter would you send to…A NEW LEADER?

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:31:36 -0400

Authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charam in their book “Execution…The discipline of Getting Things Done” included a letter to a new leader. The letter not only outlines the points of the book, but also represents what can be described as a path to organizational excellence. A leader’s responsibility is to bring the critical elements of an organization together – its people, strategies, and operations. By doing so leaders avoid falling victim to the gap between promises they’ve made and results their organization delivered.

Dear Leader….

Congratulations on your promotion! We couldn’t be happier for you. We know you are excited about, exercising your leadership at a higher level. And we’d like to share with you some information we think will help you with your new challenge.

Start by considering what skills this job requires and how they compare with the ones you have. We’re sure you’ve got the self-confidence to make this kind of candid self-assessment. If you’re short on experience in one area (most leaders are at some point in their careers, as you know), be sure you’ve got someone who’s strong in it. Overall, you’ll want to put together a team balanced with the different types of talent you need to improve your chances of success.

How well do you know your organization? Make sure you get down where the action is, talking with people at all levels, asking them questions, and listening to the answers. You’ll learn much of value about the realities of the business, and you’ll establish the personal connection that is a hallmark of a great leader.

Get a good handle early on the beliefs and behaviors of the people under your direction. Your own behaviors have a great deal to do with your success so far. You’ve insisted on boundaryless thinking, you’re open to opinions that differ from yours, and you’ve practiced and led the honest, inclusive dialogues that bring reality into the open. You have also placed a high premium on getting things done, winning, and attracting the very best and most diverse talent.

Are you among like-minded people in your new job? Does this business have an execution culture, one where people get things done because performance is recognized and rewarded? Do people embrace reality and engage in constructive debates? Or is the place full of political gamesmanship, butt-covering, and denial? If so, start creating the social software you’ll need to change the culture. It’s how you get the whole organization to follow your lead, and it’ll be crucial to maintaining your record of high achievement.

Nothing is more important to achieving results than your personal leadership of the three core processes. These are the guts of the business, and they’re your levers for changing or reinforcing the culture. The biggest single difference between businesses that execute and those that don’t is the rigor and intensity with which the leader prosecutes these processes. You will be pulled in every direction as people want you to meet community leaders, government officials, and suppliers and put you on display in every conceivable venue. But running the processes must be at the top of your priority list.

We know you believe that people are your organization’s most important assets, but your stewardship of the people process is what will convert that belief to reality. Make your people process second to none. Your success will be determined by the number of “A players you have and the extent to which you can harmonize their efforts. You need to know at lest the top third of the people in your unit in terms of their performance and their growth potential. You need to be certain that appraisals are honest and direct, and that your people get the feedback, coaching, and training they need to grow. And because compensation is the ultimate driver of performance, you must ensure that your compensation system rewards the doers.

We encourage you to compare your people with those of the competition, to ask whether the performance bar is high enough, and whether people have the necessary discipline to win consistently.

Getting the strategy process right is crucial to your longer-term success and that of your organization. Are business leaders driving the process, or has it been delegated to nerdy and isolated planning types? Does the plan have the right information to allow an accurate assessment of your position versus your competition? Is it sufficiently detailed so that your people can see how they will achieve both growth and productivity improvements? You can’t settle for vague declarations in these crucial underpinnings of the plan—need specific programs. Are the issues confronting the business identified? Does your new team have a track record of overcoming obstacles? As you know, if you don’t identify, debate and resolve the critical issues, the business stalls. Also, are resources allocated in proportion to opportunities, or does every opportunity get some resources and none get enough? Is the plan straightforward, concise, and easily understood? Remember, you want everyone in your business to have a good grasp of it.

You have a budget, but do you have the action plan the budget should represent? We see countless cases where the numbers are assembled painstakingly and presented expertly but have little to do with the reality of running the business. A one-year operating plan sets forth a template for achievement. It synchronizes all of the organization’s parts and links them with the strategy and the people processes. It nails down your team’s commitments by tying performance explicitly to incentives, so that leaders exercise all the discipline and imagination they can muster to deal with the ever-present unanticipated events.

We can’t stress enough the importance of your personal involvement in these core processes. You must be in charge from the start of each cycle, to the review, and to the follow-up steps you take to make sure the things that are supposed to happen do, in fact, happen. This is how you acquire both the knowledge and the authority to run the business as an integrated, reality-based whole. It is how you ultimately assure that all three processes are linked.

What else do you need to stay on top of? The list can get endless, but three items stand out.

First, make sure you and your people really understand your customers: their needs, their buying behaviors, and the changes in those behaviors. Know why they would prefer your products to others. Understanding customers is the base of business success.
Second, always look for ways to improve your results by introducing initiatives such as Six Sigma or digitization. They not only can be productive, they can also bind your people together in a common cause.
Third, maintain & sharpen your intellectual honesty so you’re always realistic. See things as they are, not the way you want them to be.

It will be hard at times to know how you’re doing. We hope your organization gives you the feedback and coaching you will be giving your own reports. But even when that’s the case, we have found that a leader needs a confidant, someone outside the business to help her keep her head straight. This person should be someone wise, an individual who will be candid with you and help you to keep asking yourself whether you’re growing, learning, and making the tough choices. And take care of yourself. The new job can be stressful, and you need to live a balanced life. Don’t let yourself get too low or too high. Consistent behavior is a sign of a contained ego, and inspires confidence in you from those around you.

Above all, remember that you’ve earned your leadership by your commitment to the work you’ve done. Keep that intensity of involvement and deepen it. Some people grow in their jobs, and others swell. The ones who grow are passionate about their businesses. They’re never too high and mighty to listen and learn, to be as curious and inquisitive and open to new ideas as they were the first day of their careers.

As a leader, have you fallen victim to the gap between promises you’ve made and results your organization has delivered?

As always, we welcome and appreciate your reactions and feedback…

Do you think about what you’re about to say?

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:34:16 -0400

Have you ever found yourself feeling like you just put the proverbial “foot in your mouth” because of something you said? We all do that occasionally – and often in situations where we then feel foolish or embarrassed. I recently heard about a great way to filter some of those get away thoughts by considering what you are going to say before you say it. Not quite a novel thought, but more a twist on a theme that can save you some embarrassment….

Before you speak, ask yourself first, “Is it true?” Meaning is what you are about to say a truth…. Or is it a rumor, gossip, or something that you are passing on that doesn’t merit discussion?

Secondly, ask yourself, “Is it kind?” Who will be hurt if you speak your thought out loud? Is it a kindness to speak it, or hurtful?

Finally, ask yourself, “Is it necessary?” Do you really need to say it? What would happen if you didn’t? Does what you are planning to say create positive action or unintended consequences?

This simple routine for considering what you are about to say – BEFORE you say it – will ensure that you are always a positive influence to those around you. Using this simple routine might mean that you prevent gossip from spreading by curbing the impulse to share an exaggerated story. In asking yourself if what you are going to say is true, kind, and necessary, you are also modeling a standard for effective speaking behaviors and encouraging others to do the same.

I have a client who struggles with establishing her place within a management team. She tends to think faster than most, and as a result tends to speak first and is often the first to raise her hand or react to an idea in a meeting. Working together we came up with a trigger or technique that she now uses successfully when she is meeting or working with groups of people. She simply counts to five before she speaks. In that way, she is able to allow the pace around her to slow down, to consider what she is going to say, and she can apply this test as well – is it kind, is it true, and is it necessary? When she now speaks during management meetings or in groups, her words tend to be heard differently giving her the opportunity to influence decisions and outcomes more often. She has even received feedback from some of her peers whom she has gained respect for being more thoughtful and kind in dealing with difficult issues.

If this is something you can relate to, you might want to consider how you can apply this simple filter to what you are going to say? It might make a difference in your interactions? We’d love to hear from you!

Why Manage Your State of Mind?

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:38:12 -0400

What is your state of mind as your reading this?
Are you tired? Energized? Frustrated? Confident? Bored…I hope not!

Our state of mind changes dozens of times throughout the day; a boring meeting, a difficult phone call, an accepted offer, a misunderstanding with a demanding client. We know that all of these things affect our state and, as a result, our performance. But, are we aware of how it affects our co-workers and staff?

As a leader, you can’t afford to let your state manage you; you need to manage your state instead. People who work for you tend to mirror, and even magnify, the emotions of their leader…positive and negative. If you’re confident about a situation, they’ll trust things will work out. If you’re worried about business performance, they’ll fear for their jobs and business will suffer.

Managing your state is not always easy. After all, we’re human and have a right to our own feelings be it upset, frustrated or worried. A mentor of mine shared his 5 minute rule with me. You are allowed to get emotional about a situation for 5 minutes, behind closed doors. Then take a deep breath and change your state. Here are some of the ways I’ve learned to change my state:

Smile – Sounds silly but it works. The next time you’re in a negative state, take a deep breath and smile. You’ll notice a change in state almost immediately. Studies have shown that kids laugh an average of 200 times a day while adults laugh 15 times a day. Do you think we might be taking it a bit too serious?

Be Thankful – Think about all the things you could be thankful for; family, friends, home, positive moments in your life, etc. Being thankful will help you to forget the problem of the moment and take a longer term view.

Ask The Right Questions – “Why me?” is the wrong question. Asking negative questions makes matters worse by causing you to dwell, unproductively, on the problem. “How can we achieve this regardless of the issues?” is the right question. A positive question will lead to productive, creative answers.

Reach for your favorite music – On my way back from a difficult meeting a week ago, I was feeling incredibly frustrated. After playing a favorite jazz CD with a lot of sound for five minutes, I was a different person. Pick music that “lifts you up” and use it as medicine for the mind. Those of us who can’t carry a tune, but enjoy singing…you may want to keep the windows closed.

Take a walk – If you work in the city, get out of the class cave and go outside. Try and notice something you haven’t seen before, kind of the city equivalent to stopping and smelling the roses. Walking allows your mind to slow down. It’s a stress reliever that allows your thoughts to flow. I do it when I hit a block in something I’m working on. It usually rewards me with a new idea or a different perspective.

Learn to manage your state and you’ll be surprised at the result in your own productivity as well as your teams. What ideas do you have for managing your state? We welcome your feedback.

Motivating The New Workforce….What’s it going to take?

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:42:45 -0400

Neuroscience research is revealing the social nature of the high-performance workplace. This reference comes from an article by D. Rock entitled “Managing with the Brain in Mind.” So what does this have to do with Motivation? According to the researchers of this study and a number of other studies now emerging, one thing is clear: The human brain is a social organ. It’s physiological and neurological reactions are directly and profoundly shaped by social interaction. In other words, they found that “Most processes operating in the background when your brain is at rest are involved in thinking about other people and yourself.”

When you think of this in terms of the workplace, it presents enormous challenges to managers. Although a job is often regarded as a purely economic transaction, in which people exchange their labor for financial compensation, the brain experiences the workplace first as a social system. It’s not a stretch to relate to for anyone who has had their job eliminated and found themselves without the work relationships they once had. One manager explained to me just after going through such a process, that he felt like he had just gotten through tearing at the social fabric of the organization. The impact of this neural dynamic is a threat response that disorients people causing their brains to become less efficient. Based on my experience as a manager and a consultant, this accounts for a significant portion of lost productivity organizations experience following layoffs or unexplained terminations.

Researchers also found that when leaders make people feel good about themselves, clearly communicate their expectations, give employees latitude to make decisions, support people’s efforts to build good relationships, and treat the whole organization fairly, it prompts a reward response. In other words people within the organization become more effective, more open to ideas, and more creative. They notice the kind of information that passes them by when fear or resentment makes it difficult to focus their attention. They are less susceptible to burnout because they are able to manage their stress. They feel intrinsically rewarded and are more likely to feel motivated and engaged.

It reminds me of an exercise that I went through myself a number of years ago that I now ask some of my coaching clients to complete. Several of the questions in the exercise ask you to remember those experiences in your past when you were the most productive and motivated. It also asks you to note the characteristics of the person you worked for at the time and what you were able to accomplish. Rather than simply agreeing with what the researchers found and I believe to be true, I actually took the time to dig out my responses from a moldy smelling file in my basement. I recognize that this does not come anywhere close to passing as an official validation of the study, but I am convinced the leadership characteristics that resulted from their research that mentioned in the prior paragraph, is what’s necessary to motivate and engage today’s workforce.

I also believe that the reason that these are not the prevailing leadership characteristics we reward today, outside of the top performing companies, has to do with our reluctance to grasp the fact that the management practices left over from the Industrial Revolution are no longer up to the job.

If you’d like to read more about this study the reference is…reprint number 09206 from Strategy + Business issue 56, autumn 2009. And, as always, we would appreciate your feedback and comments.

Attributes of Genuine Leaders…What do they do when they get stuck?

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:44:54 -0400

Have you ever been in a situation where you “know what to do,” but you just don’t do it? Many people experience this paralyzing feeling. A friend describes it like being in the middle of a flat open road you’ve never been on, with no familiar land markers in sight as your GPS dies. In his new book, The Corner Office, author Adam Bryant describes the five critical attributes leaders call on in those moments of doubt, to inspire others and take action even when it may not be clear which direction to move in. Hang in there with me as we review each of these attributes….

First, leaders have passionate curiosity. We often see leaders in a public arena, where they need to project an image of certainty and success with a clear sense of direction. What is less visible with true leaders is their appetite to learn from others by asking the right questions. They genuinely care about people and listen to what’s being said. They are also willing to share stories of success and failures they’ve learned from. This passionate curiosity helps to create multiple options and pathways to “getting unstuck” from the boundaries we often create for ourselves.

Great leaders also have both confidence and a way of keeping things simple. Confidence doesn’t mean that the leader is always right or always knows the answer. Rather, this leadership confidence means that they can take ownership of a failure, learn from previous experiences, and believe passionately in their ability to make the most of whatever comes next for them and their organizations. Keeping things simple means that leaders quickly create a focus or plan. As Bryant says, “…. Lose the ‘Power’ part of [the] presentations and simply get to the ‘Point’.” A leader’s ability to connect the dots in simple ways and get to the core point allows them to keep teams moving, focused on what is important, and turns an idea into action quickly.

Speaking of teams, good leaders aren’t just team players. Exceptional leaders have what Bryant calls “team smarts.” They understand how teams work and have an uncanny ability to identify great team players as they hire. They intuitively recognize what teams need and provide what’s necessary to mobilize groups of people for success.

Last, great leaders learn how to take action when they are stuck. When faced with a problem, they act with courage, appearing fearless. A key component of great leadership is the ability to take appropriate risks that require going beyond what is comfortable. They often can visualize an opportunity that others do not immediately recognize, but continue pushing the organization forward through the period of discontinuity with a level of confidence which enables progressive buy-in necessary to reach the goal.

To learn more about these five attributes, consider reading Bryant’s book, The Corner Office. And the next time you get stuck, consider having the curiosity, the confidence, and the courage to take action. Keep it simple – and use the team around you in order to achieve success.

Which of these attributes do you consider to be your strongest? With which do you struggle as a leader? As always, we’d love to hear your feedback.