Avid Partners
3 Ways to Increase Your Team’s Performance
Successfully managing a team is a complex undertaking. Increase the odds of reaching your goals by doing the following three things: Establish urgency. Team members need to believe they’re working on something that matters. And it needs to matter today, not at a nebulous point in the future. Be sure the team sees the potential .. read more
Make Your Meeting Worthwhile
A common complaint people have about work is that they are often forced to suffer through worthless meetings. Yet, meetings are an important way to get work done. Instead of wasting people’s time, follow these three steps to make your meeting valuable to attendees: Keep it small. Only invite people who need to attend and .. read more
Apr
3 Tips for Perfecting Your Personal Elevator Pitch
A personal 30-second spiel is not just for job seekers. Being able to talk about yourself and your unique talents is a useful skill for building relationships and projecting confidence. Here are three tips for perfecting what you have to say about yourself: Focus on the relevant, not the recent. Your most recent job experience .. read more
Apr
3 Ways Organisations Can Make Better Decisions
While individuals ultimately make decisions, organisations influence and shape the decision-making process. In fact, an organization can boost its employees’ capacity for good judgement and improve the chances they will make sound decisions. Here are three ways how: Examine decisions made. Upon completion of a project, ask teams to discuss which five things they would do .. read more
Apr
3 Components for Preventing Crises
Not all disasters can be prevented. Companies often face unforeseen or unpredictable circumstances. However, leaders need to ensure that their organizations are equipped to stop most crises before they happen. Prevention requires three things: Pattern recognition. Encourage your people to share information and make connections so that you can recognize when a problem is forming. Broader .. read more
Apr
How to Be a Changemaker
The leadership skills that worked in the past are quickly becoming irrelevant in today’s fast-paced, change-is-the-name-of-the-game world. To be effective, you need to know how to adapt to and drive change. Here are the six core skills that can turn you into a changemaker: Bring people together who aren’t connected. Design new business models .. read more
Mar
4 Steps to Delivering Helpful Feedback
Feedback is problematic. Managers often dislike giving it and direct reports rarely get enough to change their behaviours. But feedback, both positive and negative, is an important tool for learning and career growth. Next time you have to talk with someone about their performance, follow these four steps: Be specific. Feedback needs to be actionable. .. read more
Mar
3 Ways to Build Confidence
Few people succeed in business without self-assurance. But, everyone has bouts of insecurity from time to time. Here are three ways you can bolster your confidence: Be honest. Know what you’re good at and what you still need to learn. With an accurate assessment of your abilities you can tell the difference between self-doubt and .. read more
Mar
3 Traits Essential to Being a Good Salesperson
Most successful salespeople can’t tell you what it is that sets them apart. That’s because they’re likely doing what comes naturally. Here are three attributes that top salespeople share: Modesty. Contrary to the stereotype that salespeople are pushy and arrogant, the best are actually quite modest and humble. They win sales by putting the customers .. read more
Mar
3 Tips for Reacting to a Crisis
Whether it’s a snow storm or a power outage, disruptions to your company’s service can be devastating. Responding effectively can often be the difference between an interruption and a disaster. Next time you are faced with a crisis, try these three things: Figure out what happened. Too many leaders leap into action without assessing the situation .. read more
Mar
Let Your Employees Succeed by Letting Them Fail
Good management is somewhere between controlling and ignoring; your job as a manager is to figure out the right balance. When you see an employee making a mistake, you may want to intervene. But, people don’t learn by being told how to do something right. Stop yourself from interfering. Let your employee make the mistake .. read more
Mar
4 Things Your Employees Want from You
Figuring out what your people want can feel like an intricate puzzle, especially when different employees require different things. Here are four things most employees need to be successful: Role clarity: Tell your employees what their roles are, what you want them to achieve, and what the rules are for getting there. Autonomy: People want something interesting .. read more
Mar
Involve Frontline Employees in Creating Strategy
Even brilliant strategies fail if they aren’t executed well by frontline employees. Still, many leaders struggle to help their front line understand and buy into new ways of doing things. Next time you change your company’s direction, don’t relegate strategy creation to a handful of executives. Involve as many of your employees as possible, especially .. read more
Mar
Win the Sale by Winning Your Customer’s Heart
Customers are far more likely to purchase a product or service if they feel valued by the person selling it. Underappreciated customers will look elsewhere to make their purchase. Reach out to your customers and make sure they know how important they are to you. Give them the opportunity to meet as many of your .. read more
Mar
How to Handle Customer Complaints
All organizations depend on customer feedback to make their businesses better and increase customer satisfaction. Yet, customer complaints take up an inordinate amount of time and money, and the complainer doesn’t often get what he wants. Here are three tips for expediting the complaint process and keeping customers happy: Understand the full context - Try .. read more
3 Tips for Making a High-Stakes Decision
Even the most decisive manager can face despair when dealing with a high-stakes matter. Next time you’re up against a career-making decision, trying doing these three things: Trust, and challenge, your gut – In some cases, your first instinct may be right, but it’s probably not based on rational thought. It’s important to question .. read more
Mar
Put Yourself in Your Customers’ Shoes
If your company is looking to innovate, don’t waste time analyzing market research reports and delving into customer data. What customers say they will do is not necessarily what they end up doing. Instead, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Observe them using products and watch for frustrations they may not even notice. Don’t delegate .. read more
Mar
Stop the Whining on Your Team
We’re all grown-ups here, right? Then why do teams still whine? It’s part of the human condition to complain, but it doesn’t have to derail your group. When people on your team get frustrated and need a sympathetic ear, do the following: Insist on accountability – Don’t allow people to present a problem without .. read more
Mar
Get Your Colleague’s Attention
To capture any audience’s attention, you must frame your message properly. Whether you’re making a presentation, composing an email, or talking with your boss, here’s how to convey your idea: Start with what you want – Busy colleagues don’t want to wait for the punch line. Provide the most important information up front. Explain the .. read more
Mar
3 Survival Lessons from Small Businesses
We hear daily reports of small businesses going bankrupt. But for every small business that goes belly up, there are dozens more that are thriving. Here are three lessons from them on how you can operate your business to survive even the deepest of downturns: Agility. Small businesses have a great advantage in a fast-changing world: .. read more
Mar
Comment