Need a new search?

If you didn't find what you were looking for, try a new search!

Why Sales Managers Shouldn’t Hate Performance Reviews

By |2024-08-08T13:51:25-05:00February 11th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

I don't know too many Sales Managers that relish the opportunity to conduct performance reviews with their Reps. In fact, come to think about it, I don't know too many Sales Managers that actually conduct performance reviews with their Reps. Unless you count the token compliance that a few accommodate through a "half-hearted, fill out the form to get HR off my back" approach that some Managers confess to employing. That's too bad, because all parties involved are missing out on valuable conversations that can contribute to the growth of the business, the strengthening of the sales bench and the development of sales superstars.

Leadership Development Conversations-Still Free and Always Will Be

By |2024-08-08T13:51:28-05:00February 7th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

I recently gave a talk at a gathering of managers and executives from different organizations, entitled: "Creating a Leadership Development Culture In Your Organization." The gist of the talk was that leadership development does not have to cost a lot of money and in fact can be jump-started with some basic activities. Also, I came down hard on the age-old excuse of "I don't have time" that so many leaders use to explain their lack of attention to leadership and talent development. Just today, I received a note back from one of the participants that renewed my faith in the fact that when presented with practical approaches, many leaders want to do the right things to support the development of their people.

Will Software Improve Our Talent Management Performance?

By |2024-08-08T13:51:49-05:00February 6th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

t's fairly well established in my mind through our firm's research and from working for large and small firms as an employee and as a consultant, that most organizations and most leaders stink at talent development. I've cited a number of studies and surveys in my various posts that report findings that are in violent agreement with this conclusion. However, now that there is software to help us manage talent, are our problems over?

What Are You Doing All Day If You Are Not Developing Talent?

By |2024-08-08T13:51:50-05:00February 6th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

I speak, counsel and write consistently about the critical need for an organization's leaders to institutionalize the process of identifying, developing and retaining talent. In a recent workshop, less than 20% of the organizations represented indicated that they had any form of succession planning or early talent identification programs in place. The numbers got worse when we talked about development activities for established associates. While I suppose that I should be grateful for how miserably organizations perform in the area of talent development—after all, it means a large market for workshops, programs and books, it frankly pains me more than it pleases me. This isn't that hard or expensive people. What are you waiting for?

Cost Is Really Not An Issue When It Comes To Leadership Development

By |2024-08-08T13:51:54-05:00February 1st, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

Following a recent presentation to individuals in the Not-For-Profit arena on "Creating A Culture of Leadership Development in Your Organization," I was approached by some enthusiastic attendees who loved the content, but expressed frustration over the seeming unwillingness of their top leaders to focus on this issue. During the discussion, I heard the following comments: "Leadership development is viewed as expensive." "When we point out the need for and potential benefits from strengthening our leadership practices, the typical response is that leadership development is not central to our mission." "We are so busy chasing small issues, we don't have time to focus on people topics." I appreciated the openness of the individuals and was left wondering what it might take to help top leaders everywhere recognize once and for all that LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE!

Leader-Are You Willing to Admit and Showcase a Mistake?

By |2024-08-08T13:51:55-05:00January 30th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

The question of the moment is how do you deal with your own mistakes? Are you a leader that works hard to distance yourself from your mistakes or those of your team members, or do you embrace mistakes as learning experiences and place them in full view? How you deal with mistakes says a lot about your character as a leader.

Leader-It’s Time to Act on That Poor Performer

By |2024-08-08T13:51:56-05:00January 29th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

ne of the most common mistakes of leaders of all experience levels is failing to act in a timely manner on poor performers. This is certainly consistent with our firm's findings in interviews and surveys over the past two years, where the winner for number one self-described weakness was delivering constructive feedback. (Choose your label: constructive feedback=the tough performance discussion, robust dialog or candid conversation.) Apparently, many of us are wired with a naive sense of optimism and a willingness to continue throwing good time and money after bad in the never-ending hope that the poor performer will see the light, make adjustments and turn things around. And it does happen. Rarely. In fact, so infrequently, that in my opinion, the leader is better served operating with the parable of the scorpion and the frog in mind. In case you don't recall, the scorpion convinces the frog that he has changed and should the frog kindly agree to transporting the scorpion across the pond, the scorpion promises not to sting him. Needless to say, they don't make it across the pond. With their last gasps, the frog asks why and the scorpion responds with, "It's my nature."

Leadership Decision-Making: Learn to Be Like Mike

By |2024-08-08T13:51:57-05:00January 28th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

Timely decision-making on the part of a leader is an essential ingredient for success. A leader's decision-making speed sets the pace for a team and influences the working environment in a number of positive ways. Rapid decision-making enables action and encourages team members to experiment in pursuit of innovation. It has been my experience that this style of leader tends to actually make fewer direct decisions and instead encourages and enables team members to make the call themselves. The added benefit of this style is the development of trust between all parties and the creation and strengthening of a sense of empowerment for the manager's team members.

Improving the Product Management and Sales Relationship

By |2024-08-08T13:52:01-05:00January 21st, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

The relationship between the Product Manager (or PM team) and the Sales force is one that is filled with great potential for all parties and also prone to frequent misuse or abuse. Frankly, it is a complicated relationship that should be governed by some shared rules of engagement and some good commonsense about when to throw the rules out in support of getting the job done.

Seven Key Questions for the Ambitious Aspiring Leader

By |2024-08-08T13:52:14-05:00December 28th, 2007|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|

The Seven Key Questions for the Ambitious Aspiring Leader are powerful conversation starters to support a manager's leadership development activities. They are not intended to be delivered in machine-gun style, but rather to be used in concert with an approach to helping individuals discover and explore the profession of leadership. Not everyone should lead, yet someone motivated by advancement might believe that leadership is the best or only way to achieve this goal. An effective mutual discovery process is the leader's best friend in helping identify leadership talent and in helping individuals come to their own conclusion on whether leading is a good choice for their own careers.

Go to Top