One Great Meeting

Leadership Solutions: Voice Mail Mistakes

Here are two popular outgoing voice mail messages that discredit the people who use them.

1) The message: "I can't come to the phone."

Really? Are you locked in a closet? Did you lose your way? Have you forgotten how?

The point: Never say that you "can't" do something. It makes you sound weak and inept.

2) The message: "Your call is really important to me. Please leave a message and I'll call you back right away."

Really? Then why didn't you call back? Since starting my business in 1992, I've left hundreds of messages in response to statements like this. Very few were returned.

The point: Never offer something that you have no intention of delivering.

So, what is an effective message?

You might consider:

"You have reached Steve Kaye's voice mail. Please leave a message. Bye."

Notice that this message states a fact (you reached my voice mail). It is also brief, specific, and honest.

Key Point: Your outgoing voice mail reflects on you and how you conduct business. Use one that serves you well.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

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Leadership Solutions: Unlimited Financial Authority

There is an expensive loophole in your limits of spending authority.

Right now, for example, someone who needs permission to buy a box of paper clips can spend $10,000. Or more.

How?

By calling a meeting.

This is especially disturbing because most meetings accomplish nothing.

That means the money is being spent on nothing. It's completely lost because you can't recover even some of it by selling those bad meetings on ebay.

So, here's a suggestion: apply spending limits to meetings. Then, for example, someone can hold a $1,000 meeting only after a supervisor approves. And a $5,000 would require a manager's approval. And so on.

Or, rather than take on another form of bureaucracy, you could teach everyone in your company how to hold effective (e.g., profitable) meetings.

If you're interested in such a simple solution, call me (714-528-1300).

I may be able to help.

My last client said my workshop caused a "spectacular improvement" in their meetings.

Key Point: A meeting is a business activity and should be conducted like one.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

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Leadership Solutions: Worse than Failure

Most people regard failure as the worst possible result.

Actually, there's something worse than failure.

It's this: Not trying.

People who don't try end up with an empty sense of "I wish I had."

In contrast, people who failed gained a lesson.

Then they can use this lesson to try again. And again. And again.

This, by the way, is how business (and life) works. Every success is reached by learning from failures.

Key point: Successful people fail forward toward success.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

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Leadership Solutions: Celebration

Happy Fourth of July.

Have a wonderful holiday.

I'll be back on Monday.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Post Logic

Here's a simple two-step process for how we fool ourselves:

Step 1: We do something.

Step 2: We invent an explanation.

Often the explanation has two attributes:

First, outside forces caused it. These are usually overwhelming and (perhaps) evil. These include foreign competition, a bad economy, or ruthless bosses.

And second, our role is noble.

We either describe ourselves in heroic terms such as persistent, clever, independent, and so on. Or we may use tragic terms such as misunderstood, victim, unappreciated, and so on.

Let's be candid here.

First, those outside forces apply to everyone. So they aren't universally bad. Other people have found ways to succeed with them.

And second, those self-compliments are most likely masks for internal problems that need to be fixed, such as being lazy, afraid, or incompetent.

The first two of these are your responsibility. And they may be easily resolved by recognizing the real driving forces behind them.

The third one can be fixed by learning through workshops, seminars, or other educational processes.

Key Point: Be careful with buying your own story. It can dilute the real message that needs to be worked on for a solution.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Independence Myth

Some people think that owning a business represents ultimate freedom.

Wrong!

Actually, when you own a business you have less freedom. Here are two reasons:

1) Bosses

An employee works snugly and comfortably within a nicely drawn organization chart.

An owner works for everyone who shows up as a customer.

Consider this: If you are unfortunate to work for a cranky boss, that person (and other cranky people) are some poor owner's customers.

The point: While you may have to put up with one bad boss, some owners have to put up with many of them.

Of course, an owner can choose customers through market position, outreach, and (if necessary) refusal. Those choices depend upon how much the owner values making money over being happy.

2) Hours

An employee generally works according to a schedule. (Yes, I know there are exceptions. For example, years ago as a salaried employee I worked 1,000 hours of free overtime over a two-year period.)

An owner works all of the time. Or more. The biggest challenge for an owner is going home because most think that more time will lead to more success.

Key Point: Before you stomp out of your office to be an owner, pause a moment. Ask yourself if you are leaving to go to something (which is good) or to run from something (which is bad). There may be more of the bad stuff outside than you now have on the inside.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Surprising Revelation

News Flash!

http://stevekaye.typepad.com/meetings/ 

Contrary to popular beliefs, we have just learned:

Bosses are human.

Really!

I bet some of you are stunned.

Consider what this means.

1) Bosses struggle with personal challenges (just like you). They have families, relatives, neighbors, and friends. They have bills to pay, weeds to pull, and floors to clean. They may even own a dog that barks at the moon.

2) Bosses are busy trying to do their job (just like you). They have deadlines, e-mail, and meetings. In fact, since they are bosses, they have more of these things than you do.

3) Bosses work for a boss (just like you). Even owners work for customers, investors, or boards of directors. And your boss's boss could be more cranky than your boss.

So, what does this mean?

Your boss will deeply appreciate anyone (which could be you) who delivers consistent, predictable good work.

And if you deliver this, then (good news) you might be promoted to being a boss.

Key point: Your boss wants solutions, not more problems. Make life easy for your boss.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Two Minute Tragedy

Let's think like a thief for a minute.

Suppose you wanted to steal a vehicle, where would you go?

How about the Post Office?

Or maybe a gas station?

Now, before you get upset about revealing a critical secret, realize that this is common knowledge among thieves.

So, what makes these locations so special?

People frequently leave their cars parked at these places with the engine running while they wait (or shop) inside.

Last week, I heard about a woman who parked her car with her baby inside it while she ran into a gas station office to prepay for a purchase. She was gone less than two minutes. And in that tiny moment, someone hopped in her car and drove away.

Both the child and the car are gone.

So, please turn off your car's engine and lock the car any time that you leave it.

I'll add that every time that I go for a walk, I see a half dozen unattended cars with the engines running. This is an unbelievable display of carelessness. It also wastes gas and increases pollution.

Key Point: Lock your car when you leave it.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Yes, You Can Do This

Every day your mail box contains catalogs, free magazines, and junk mail.

This stuff wastes your time, if only while you sort through it looking for the real mail that merits attention. It wastes more time if you remove address labels and destroy return cards to prevent identify theft.

Well, good news!

You can stop people from sending junk mail. Here's how:

1) Catalogs

Call the company and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

2) Phone books

Call the phone number on the cover and ask to be put on their Do Not Distribute list.

3) Junk mail

Return the reply card in their prepaid envelope with a note asking to be removed from their mailing list. (I print a page of pink labels that state: "Please remove my name from your mailing list.")

Register your name and address with Green Dimes.

http://www.greendimes.com/

They offer both free and premium (for $20) services that will get your name removed from junk mail lists. They will even plant five trees if you sign up for the premium service.

4) In general

Do not ask for literature or free samples that you know you will discard. Check the box on warranty cards that tells the manufacturer not to distribute your personal information. Note that many these programs are really schemes to harvest addresses.

Key Point: Save time and paper by stopping junk mail.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders achieve significance

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Leadership Solutions: Leadership Test

In meetings (and everywhere else) there are two types of leaders.

1) Accidental Leaders

These people usually inherited (or were promoted) into a leadership role. So, they show up and hope something happens.

For example, they call a meeting without having set a goal or prepared an agenda.

As a result, accidental leaders seldom achieve anything useful.

2) Deliberate Leaders

These people make a conscious, deliberate effort to provide leadership.

For example, they call a meeting only after having set an achievable goal and prepared a complete agenda.

As a result, deliberate leaders take others into the future.

Key Point: Be a deliberate leader. It's a full time job, and the results are worth the effort.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders achieve significance

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