StartUp Growth Expert » Business Success

The Importance of Goal Setting

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:24:50 +0000

In this interview Gary Ryan Blair, popularly known as the Goals Guy talks about the importance of goal setting and how setting (or not setting) goals affects us in our day-to-day lives.

This is part 2 of the interview with Gary Ryan Blair. If you want to read part 1 of the interview, please click here.

Vinil: How important is goal setting? I would assume that goal setting is part of the personal planning process right?

Gary: It is. It’s a huge part. As a matter of fact, I call it the centre of gravity. There’s a term in the military. I’ve been working with a number of different branches of government for years now and it’s actually called a centre of gravity. What it means is when a general goes in and builds a battle plan they ask, what is the centre of gravity? It’s one of three things: It’s a person, it’s a place or it’s a thing. Concentrate on this for a minute. It’s a person, a place, a thing. Well, what I want to get as it relates towards an individual is that I want you to equate your centre of gravity. It’s almost like your heartbeat. If your heart were not beating what kind of shape would you be in physically? And, the answer is very simple: you’d be non-existent. You’d be road kill, history.

Whatever word you want to use! And the exact same thing is true when it comes to your own life. Without goals, you are effectively toast. You are a competitive liability. You are of no value to your organization. And, quite frankly, you’re NOT doing all that much with your life. Your goals give meaning, it gives direction, it provides you with some sense of significance that you’re doing something of value. So, we all need to have some sense of goal direction on a day-to-day basis.

Vinil: If goal setting is so important why don’t more people set goals and why isn’t it taught in schools and universities? I’ve been to college for four years, no one told me about goal setting and that’s the case with most individuals who go through college. They’ve never been taught goal setting. What do you think are the primary reasons for that?

Gary: It’s a very good point. It’s one that’s bugged me for quite some time and I agree. With an advanced degree I’ve never learned the lesson myself. I really can’t answer the question as to why it’s not in the school system. It’s just not there because no one gives you a direct answer. But it’s a life skill. I’ve always basically said that there should be a course called “Cause and Effect 101” which basically shows people how to effectuate a result – how to go from intention to outcome to success as quickly as possible. And, we just don’t see that happen.

Here’s the deal: Most people are what I call functionally illiterate when it comes to goal setting. You know the subject matter may not seem overly sexy or interesting to folks but quite frankly there’s nothing more important in your life than knowing exactly what it is you want, why you want it and how you’re going to achieve it and on what day success is going to be and victory is going to be enjoyed. But when I talk about the illiterate concepts, some people are illiterate when it comes to reading. Some people are financially illiterate; they have no idea about investing their money. Some people are illiterate when it comes to running a business. Some when it comes to raising kids. And as a result of that they make a lot of mistakes. They screw themselves up or maybe even screw their family up because they have no skill sets. My whole aim in life is to teach people the literacy skills.

If you will associate with goal setting and unless you are taught, unless it’s modeled, unless you are consistently doing it, unless you’re in an environment where goal directed behavior in continually reinforced and rewarded you could flounder your entire life. I’ve seen people and I get emails every day from people of sixty, seventy, eighty years old saying I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I have no idea how to set goals.

Vinil: Everybody talks about goals being realistic. But isn’t realistic a relative term? How do you set a goal? Like what are the step-by-step procedures to set a goal?

Gary: Well, it’s actually very straightforward. Here’s the way that the whole thing works. I use a metaphor. And it’s a very simple one and I chose a simple one to get this point across. Think about a cookbook for just a moment. And to me a cookbook is the best success manual you’ll ever have in your life. And to understand a cookbook you have to understand something like a McDonalds, Burger King or Wendy’s for just a moment. And to become a franchise owner for McDonalds is going to cost you approximately a million dollars. And when you ask: “Well, what do you get for that million dollars?” They’ll say, well you get this, you get that, you get the distribution channel, you know the uh, the oil, the fries, the system and everything else. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bottom line is truly what you get, is you get a big, fat recipe book.

You get a proven set of systems that have been documented, tested, proven, validated, put down in writing and they tell you: this will lead you to the promised land. That your success is absolutely, positively guaranteed if you follow this plan. So you’re buying a proven success system.

Well, if we were to take that and take that million dollars and condense it down to let’s say fifteen dollars, go into any Borders or Barnes and Nobles and pick yourself up a cookbook. Because that’s exactly the same thing. And this is the way that you should run your life.

When you open up the cookbook there’s five things you want to look for. Number one: there’s a gorgeous full color picture. That picture represents the future. That represents the ideal state. It represents what it is that you are trying to create. The same way that you see that roast beef, that pot roast, that soufflé, with absolute clarity is the exact same thing you need to be able to see in your own life. You need that type of clarity.

Number two, there’s a sequence. You’ll notice there’s a step one, a step two, three, four and five. In the same way that if I were to teach you a meringue, if I were to show you how to open up a combination lock, there’s a sequence. If you’re going to dial a phone number, there’s a sequence to numbers in order to get an outcome. What we need to be able to do is to understand and develop a sequence, a set of steps. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems in life is most people are absolutely absent. Or should we say, they’re just out to lunch when it comes to this concept. They want to arrive without having made the trip. They want to get the six-pack without having to do the sit-ups nor eating properly or going out and doing a proper cardio. They want to be successful and rich and drive a wonderful car but they don’t want to necessarily have to pay the price of doing the hard work associated with it. So everything is out of sequence with people. As a result, they’ll never get the things that they want.

The ingredients in a cookbook are very precise. And this is where your goals come in. You can’t say, “I just want to make more money. I want to lose some weight. I want to get in a better relationship.” Those are not goals. Essentially what you’re listening to is somebody whose about to fail big time. Those are ambiguous statements that have no substantive value at all. I want to know that you’re going to do to increase your income by 15 percent in the next 16 months. I want to know that you‘re going to do to increase sales by 17 percent with this specific product and how you’re going to drive your profit margin by 22 percent.

You know, that’s a specific target that I can get my mind around. The fourth thing is that there’s a measurable component. In a cookbook you’ll notice if you look at it, those ingredients will tell you as I said they’ll be specific. It’ll tell you, you need eggs, you need butter, cream, whatever. But they’re also going to tell you you’ll need two eggs. you need a quart, you need a pint, you need a tablespoon. Whatever the ingredient happens to be. But there’s a measurable component associated with it so you can know if you’re doing it correctly.

Well, the measurement system, in the same way that the Yankees or HIG Capital have a measurement system. You turn on the game, you’ll see a scoreboard. The scoreboard tells you if you’re winning, losing or tied. And if it’s late in the game and you’re losing, guess what? You’ve got to get much more aggressive and change your strategy and your tactics. And most people again, just don’t understand how to do this. And the last thing that you need in terms of effectively achieving your goals, is you need a deadline.

For a recipe book, it will be time and temperature. Because when it comes to your goals and I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings with what I’m about to say, but when it comes to your goals and your vision for your future, things that you want to do for yourself and your family, no one cares. No one has a vested interest. And, quite frankly, you do not give anyone any interest or any inkling to be concerned about your future if you don’t demonstrate a sense of urgency and don’t start setting deadlines on the goals you want to achieve.

And that’s the critical component: The important use of deadlines. So, quick summary: Those are the five things that are necessary.

This is part 2 of Gary Ryan Blair’s interview on Goal Setting. If you want to read part 1 of the interview, please click here.

About Gary Ryan Blair

Gary Ryan Blair is the author of the best selling book “Everything Counts: 52 remarkable ways to inspire excellence and drive results”. His handbooks, training programs and consulting services are field-tested and used by more than 80,000 organizations and 4 million employees worldwide. His latest program the 100 day challenge has been a best seller helping people from all over the world.

Interview with Goals Guy – Gary Ryan Blair : Part 1

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:23:33 +0000

This is an interview with Gary Ryan Blair often referred to as the “Goals Guy.” He is the author of the best selling book “Everything Counts: 52 remarkable ways to inspire excellence and drive results”. In this interview he talks about how people should consciously create a personal strategic plan for themselves just like how major corporations do. His handbooks, training programs and consulting services are field-tested and used by more than 80,000 organizations and 4 million employees worldwide.

Vinil: Gary, I want to start by asking you about your training program: “The Personal Strategic Plan”. What is “The Personal Strategic Plan” and why do you need one?

Gary: You know…very simple concept. It’s based on the work I’ve done for corporate America for a number of decades now. And, I’ve been doing strategic planning at the highest level, very successfully by the way and I came across the idea that the exact same principles that I actually teach and share and implement with my corporate clients could be adapted towards an individual.

So if you look at it, what does a highly successful organization have? Well, they’ve got a very robust and a very strong vision for the future.

Every individual needs to be able to do that. They’ve got an over-riding mission that really helps them conceptualize their core goals. They’ve got a structure in place, a set of systems and ways they go about setting and achieving their goals. Systems that they will implement in order to effect outcomes. Obviously, they’re going to be driven by deadlines, measurement systems and everything else. And I just took the same exact concepts and re-engineered them so that it would work towards an individual’s life. And everybody, quite frankly, could benefit from having a good, solid plan for the future.

Vinil: What if you’re an employee in an organization? I meet people who say: “Well, I go to my job, I do what my boss tells me to do. So how is this plan actually going to help me? Why do I even need a plan? I just show up to work. I leave at 5 P.M. and I do whatever my boss tells me to do.” How do you answer that question?

Gary: Well, the first thing I would say is that’s a pretty frightening attitude if that’s the way someone would take it. In this day and age that attitude quite frankly is no longer acceptable. I’d say in a previous decade and even before that, going back and you know quite frankly for the entire working regimen that would have been fine. But nowadays, everybody and I emphasize everybody needs to look at themselves as an entrepreneur.

Quite frankly they need to develop and have a plan in place for their own skill sets for their own future. They’ve got to have a vision for themselves. They’ve got to make sure that they’re in control of their own future rather than just being absent in the direction of their future and letting somebody else do that for them.

Vinil: Does this plan need to be written? Because I meet people who say “ I have a plan”. And, when you tell them “Show me your plan,” they say, “It’s in my mind.” So, does this plan need to be written?

Gary: I’ll make it very simple. Your mind is blessed with permanent memory but it’s cursed with lousy recall. And an example very simply is this: Let’s just say that you’re going to go to the supermarket and you have a list of twenty items you wanted to get. We’ve all had this experience. Where somewhere between the green peas and the corn or the cereal, your brain takes a vacation: You can’t remember what on earth you went in the store for.

And of course you wind up coming home and you forget a number of items and you have some extra ones you didn’t plan on getting. When you unpack the bags all of a sudden you have perfect clarity. You remember suddenly: “Oh goodness, I forgot this is what I should have done, or needed to pick up”. Well, your mind is exactly the same way, but quite frankly, gets even more complex. If you just try to process everything and solve problems and plan for your future in your mind. You know the phone rings, there’s interruptions there’s email. There’s a whole host of different things that are constantly fighting and challenging for your focus. There’s no way you’re going to be able to do that. So the written process helps you to clarify your thinking. It helps you to objectify on paper, black and white and facts and figures and it removes the emotional connection and just look at it almost as if you were a third person. Look at the facts, the figures, the strengths, the weaknesses of the situation and then base your strategy moving forward based on your current data. And that’s not a process you can do in your head.

Vinil: What if somebody does not have a purpose? I meet people who say: “I want to do something with my life. But I’m not sure what I want to do. I don’t have a purpose yet. I don’t have a passion yet.” How would you answer that question?

Gary: There are a couple of parts to it. Let me talk about why it’s so important how this whole thing works. And then what happens if you don’t have it. Well, first let’s just look at your body for a moment. I think this is very, very important. You know, everything in your body, the way God created it has a specific purpose. Your eyes have a purpose, your nose has a purpose, your fingers, the skin on your body, your fingernails and toenails, your lungs, your small intestine, everything has a definitive purpose the way with which it was constructed.

Now, there were three things we were gifted at birth that we need to give purpose to. It’s what we think, it’s what we say and what we do. People think that the only thing we have control over is what you think. No, Not at all. Where people make mistakes and problems in their lives is that they think the wrong thoughts, they say the wrong words and they engage in the wrong activities. And that’s the crazy part about it because those are the things that were gifted to us at birth to control our own destiny.

Therefore, we need to wake up, get serious and realize that we can control what goes on in our mind, what we think about. We can choose to focus on solutions, we can choose to focus and talk about virtuous behavior. We can choose to engage in activity that is goal directed rather than that which is destructive. But it’s important for us to realize that those are the three tools that we have to effectuate a result.

Now, relating to your life’s purpose, if you’re not sure what it is then here’s the thing that you need to do: Number one: You need to make it your life’s purpose to find your life’s purpose. What that means is you need to pay attention. Look at other people. Pay attention to the activities that you’re engaged in. Which ones provide you with joy? Which ones you do with relative ease? Which ones do you just absolutely just disdain so you know which direction not to move in and so forth. Finding your purpose is not an accidental experience. It’s a conscious thing that you have to work your way through.

And, the other is that, in the mean time while you are going through that process, here’s what you absolutely have to do. There’s no alternative to this. You must commit your life to excellence. And here’s the reason why. Even if you’re not sure what your purpose is, if you are a receptionist at an office, you must answer that phone as if it is a Broadway performance. If you’re a waiter at a restaurant, you must give it everything you’ve got. Give your clients at that moment, at that table, a fantastic experience. If you’re giving a presentation, you must absolutely nail it and give it as much enthusiasm and as much benefits associated with it for your client so that you’re doing your job well. But the demonstration of excellence, what that is going to do is that is the qualitative aspect of your results. So even if you don’t know what the quantitative thing is, you can always focus on the qualitative aspect, which is excellence. I certainly hope that makes sense.

This is part 1 of the interview with Gary Ryan Blair. Part 2 of the interview will be coming soon.

About Gary Ryan Blair

How to Hire a Great CEO

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:54:17 +0000

“To hire a GREAT CEO, the work must be put in on the front end. That means ADEQUATELY TRAINED INTERVIEWERS, building the interviewing team, an accurate job description, and writing effective interview questions. If you get lazy or take shortcuts on any of these upfront steps, you’re likely to sabotage the hiring results you achieve on the backend. What’s at stake here is the success or failure of an entire organization. It’s worth doing it right!”

- Carol Quinn, Hire Authority, Inc.

There comes a time in the stage of a company where the founding entrepreneur feels an outside CEO may be able to do a better job. Hiring an outside CEO may be one of the biggest and hardest decisions an entrepreneur can make. It is like giving up your baby to someone else. This is something that needs to be done with diligence and there needs to be an elaborate process to hiring a CEO.

Lot of companies go through hiring a CEO without any documented process. This often leads to uncertainty, confusion and a lot of time being wasted which does not help in making the right decision.

Mitch Wienick , President and CEO of Kelleher Associates says, “the process varies depending on the context like size of the company, succession planning within a company, current business situation, anticipated future skills, experience needed to lead the business, etc. But the most common process, involves developing a position description, sourcing-screening-interviewing candidates, developing and making an offer, negotiating an employment agreement and developing an onboarding plan.”

Find below, a process that can act as a guideline when hiring a CEO.

Step 1: Identify the results the CEO needs to accomplish

The biggest mistake companies make when hiring a CEO is that they have no clue what is expected from the CEO. The CEO’s job and the results expected from the CEO needs to be very clearly defined. This brings clarity to the process.

Writing a job description and the results expected from the CEO is often the first step in the recruiting process.

The job description of a CEO varies from company to company, it may not necessarily be a generic job description for all companies. Mitch Wienick , President and CEO of Kelleher Associates who is responsible for performance and business coaching of senior executives says, “companies expect a CEO in collaboration with the leadership team to develop a strategy and business model that creates meaningful competitive advantage.”

On the other hand, Robert Holdsworth, President of Energy Edge Technologies Corporation who recently hired a CEO says, “for the most part, the CEO job description covers everything. He or she needs to take the lead on creating the corporate culture, determining and communicating the vision and direction of the company, managing operations, marketing, revenue growth, setting budgets, protecting profitability and building a strong senior management team. In addition, for public companies, the CEO should have strong public markets experience, the ability to raise capital and knowledge of how to cross-collateralize equity.”

Step 2: Identify the qualities, skills and experience you require in your CEO

The worst thing when it comes to hiring a CEO is NOT knowing what you are looking for. It is very important for decision makers to know exactly what qualities, skills and type of experience they are looking for in a CEO.
Robert Holdsworth, President of Energy Edge Technologies Corporation looks for “leadership, integrity, communication, vision and decisiveness” whereas Mitch Wienick, President and CEO of Kelleher Associates believes in New York Times’s Adam Bryant’s top five qualities of successful CEOs that include “passionate curiosity, battle-hardened confidence, team smarts, a simple mindset and fearlessness.”

Lot of entrepreneurs who have hired CEOs believe passion and vision to be one of the top qualities of a CEO.

Carol Quinn of Hire Authority, Inc says, “as the leader and the driver of an organization, I want a visionary, someone with a powerful ATTITUDE (this goes along with innovation) and someone who makes it a priority throughout the entire organization to ‘get the right people on the bus, in the right seat and get the wrong people off’ (A Jim Collins quote – author of ‘Good to Great’). And yes, that includes the latter portion of the quote about being willing to get the wrong people off and creating a maximum performance organization.”

The other qualities, skills and experiences you may need to look at are relevant industry experience, past experience in running a business and knowledge about marketing, finance and accounting. I personally believe a Good CEO should be knowledgeable about every aspect of the business like accounting, finance, marketing, sales, operations, human resources and should provide great leadership and inspiration for the company.

Patricia Thompson, a corporate psychologist who works with companies and does psychological assessments on candidates for high-level positions talks in great detail about some of the qualities to look for in a CEO in this article here (click here to read her article).

Step 3: Prepare Interview Questions

This is another important step in the interview process. Most interviewers are not well equipped to know what questions to ask in a CEO interview. They mostly ask questions from a generic template that is same for all work positions. Every question should be asked with an intention to identify the key skills and qualities in the CEO.

According to Carol Quinn of Hire Authority, Inc “every interview question needs to gather information that accurately predicts future job performance. If it doesn’t do that, then it’s useless and a waste of the interviewer’s time.”

She further states that, “some questions can actually cause the interviewer over-rate an applicant’s answer by helping them to spin positive information back. Bad/ineffective interview questions and hiring decisions based on an applicant’s skill level alone are the top 2 reasons bad hires happen.”

It is also important to understand that the CEO interview is a two way process. Just as the company is evaluating the CEO candidate, the CEO candidate is also evaluating the company. Remember, good quality candidates always have more than one option and you want to make sure you are their first option. At the same time, don’t focus on selling your company to the candidate instead focus on identifying whether the candidate has the required skills to be a great CEO.

Robert Holdsworth, President of Energy Edge Technologies Corporation says, “After giving the candidate a good overview of the company, I like to ask, what initial ideas do you have for growing the company and making it a success?”

Mitch Wienick , President and CEO of Kelleher Associates says, “the questions should be both strategy and execution-related, open-ended, narrative-inducing and designed to get a clear sense of the CEO’s ability to effectively communicate with key stakeholders, motivate the organization and drive significant change.”

Patricia Thompson, a corporate psychologist who works with companies and does psychological assessments on candidates for high-level positions says, “A good structured interview can help uncover some of the qualities required in a good CEO.”

She further goes on to say, “I encourage asking questions about their vision for the company, risk tolerance and where they see opportunities for growth within the business (to get a sense of their ability to think strategically and if their perspective is aligned with that of the board). Asking them what they perceive to be the biggest challenges they will have to face in the role allows the interviewer to get a sense of their understanding of the business and their ability to synthesize that information to give a well-informed answer.”

Patricia also suggests behavioral interviewing as an effective way to get a sense of past experiences in specific areas. She says, “Asking about their biggest accomplishments in the past year can give you a sense of their ability to drive results. I also encourage having them describe their strengths and developmental opportunities as a means of assessing their level of insight. If a CEO candidate tells you that her only weaknesses are that she’s too much of a perfectionist and she works too hard, it’s a good bet that she lacks the level of self-awareness required to excel in the organization’s top spot. More general questions to ask include why the candidate is interested in this particular company, what value can he bring to the organization and why this is the right next step in his career.”

Patricia also suggests something very important that is often overlooked. She says, “It is also helpful to ask administrative staff how they were treated by the candidate, as it is never a good sign if someone is only interested in making a positive impression on those who are in positions of power.”

Step 4: Consider doing a Psychological Assessment of the Candidate

Patricia Thompson, a corporate psychologist who works with companies and does psychological assessments on candidates for high-level positions says, “By the time someone is in the running to become a CEO, he or she has probably become quite skilled at interviewing and presenting a positive image. That is why the data one is able to gather by having a psychologist conduct an assessment can be a valuable addition to the process, as it enables the company to get a more in-depth, objective perspective that is less susceptible to being affected by one’s ability to manage his or her impression.”

In explaining the process further, she says “First, an objective assessment of the CEO’s intellect is gathered through the use of problem-solving measures. These are used to assess the candidate’s general cognitive ability, critical thinking skills, abstract reasoning ability and intellectual flexibility. Candidates are also frequently given various personality tests. This way, the psychologist can see the individual’s strengths as they align with the needs of the business and the areas in which he or she is likely to need coaching or assistance. Also, if the individual has certain qualities that are likely to be problematic, the organization can be alerted to this so a disruptive hiring mistake can be avoided. Finally, the psychologist takes the potential CEO through an extensive interviewing process. The interview allows the psychologist to assess the CEO’s insights into himself or herself and others, their judgment, ability to communicate effectively, interpersonal skills, listening ability, executive presence, etc.”

She further says, “I consider the assessment to be a data point that corporations can utilize in making their hiring decision – it should never be the only factor considered when making a decision. Through the assessment I am able to provide a great deal of advice in terms of how the CEO is likely to approach the business, how he or she will interact with people, his or her risk tolerance, work style, level of insight, drive, results-orientation, etc.”

You can download a sample of a personal assessment here to see how it looks like. In fact, this is an actual personal assessment of myself, the author of the article – Vinil Ramdev. Download

Step 5: Build a well-trained Recruiting Team

This is another area where companies make a big mistake by having untrained and inexperienced interviewers on their team. An untrained interviewer can be a waste of time for the candidate and the company.

One CEO candidate who did not wish to be named said “One company that did a formal interview with me had somebody on their interview team who didn’t have a clue what was required of a CEO position. I felt like I was doing an entrance exam for an MBA program. This interviewer made a complete fool of himself by asking dumb questions like, what courses did you take in college? How many credit hours did you have in your entire college program? These questions might be relevant for an entry level interviewee but not for a CEO candidate who has several years experience of building solid businesses. This particular company did not know what they were looking for in a CEO. The entire interview was an absolute waste of time.”

Carol Quinn of Hire Authority, Inc says, “As I build my interviewing team, I will NOT allow anyone who has not been adequately trained on how to select the best to be involved. The role of each interviewer must be designated in advance and same with the interview questions. Interview guides must be created ahead of time and include effective interview questions for each of the skills determined to be necessary for success.”

She further states, “To hire a GREAT CEO, the work must be put in on the front end. That means ADEQUATELY TRAINED INTERVIEWERS, building the interviewing team, an accurate job description and writing effective interview questions. If you get lazy or take shortcuts on any of these upfront steps, you’re likely to sabotage the hiring results you achieve on the backend. What’s at stake here is the success or failure of an entire organization. It’s worth doing it right!”

Step 6: Make an Effective Offer

CEO compensation can be slightly different from compensation for other employees. I believe, the compensation for a CEO should be directly tied to the profits of the organization but this may not always be the case. It is also important to research the job market and identify the existing salaries of CEOs of similar companies.

Robert Holdsworth, President of Energy Edge Technologies Corporation says, “You start with a figure in mind which is a combination of salary, stock, bonuses and benefits. Part of the recruitment process is to then find candidates who are coming from a previous position with similar compensation and make it known what the compensation package looks like. This way there are fewer surprises and everyone on both sides of the table have similar expectations.”

It is also important to identify how much the company can afford to pay for a Great CEO. It is also important to be a little flexible. Even if you decide to pay slightly higher than what you initially expected, it might be okay because if the CEO is exceptionally good, he should be worth every penny because he could bring in great savings or additional profits to the company.

If you are 100% convinced about the caliber of the CEO and both parties want to work with each other, it is important to find a middle ground where the CEO candidate and the company are both quite comfortable with the arrangement.

Step 7: Build an On-Boarding Plan

This is another crucial step in the recruiting process.

How the Board of Directors and recruiting members welcome the new CEO and make him feel like an integral part of the organization will play a very important role in determining his success as a leader.

Several research findings have found that more than 30% of new managers and executives fail at their new jobs and leave within 18 months. Kevin Kelly, CEO of executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles said, “An internal study of 20,000 senior-level job searches revealed that 40 percent of executives hired at the senior level are pushed out, fail or quit within 18 months.”

Jackie Eder-Van Hook, principal and cofounder of Transition Management Consulting, an interim executive management and succession planning firm says, “An association executive’s first months on the job are critical. They can either help a leader understand the organization’s culture and stakeholders or alienate the CEO from staff and board members. With the right onboarding process, you can avoid the early missteps that make for short tenures.”

The On-Boarding Plan

On Day 1, sit down with the new CEO and prepare a 90 day or a 100 day plan for the company.
Be clear about what is expected from the new CEO. Give him a very clear job description.
Clear up the desk for the new CEO. Set-up the computer, internet and telephone ahead of time.
Give the new CEO a list of all the employees, their job descriptions, CVs and their contact information well in advance even before Day 1. It is important that the CEO takes some time to go through the CVs and job descriptions of each of the employees so that he understands the strengths and weaknesses of his team.
Board members should assign one person, preferably the outgoing CEO or an important Board member or a senior employee to introduce the CEO to all the employees in the company.

Some experts also recommend hiring a CEO as a consultant or in another capacity for a period of 3 to 6 months before transitioning him into the role of a CEO. Sometimes, this may not be an option. However, if this is an option, then it should be considered.

It is also important to have a succession plan in place and groom leaders within the organization NOT JUST to be future CEOs but also to be CFOs, COOs and Project Managers to take on leadership roles within the organization.

About the Author

Vinil Ramdev is an entrepreneur, speaker and author of several ebooks. He is founder of StartUpGrowthExpert.com – An Online Magazine For Entrepreneurs who want to start and grow extraordinary businesses.

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Qualities of A Great CEO

Patricia Thompson — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:44:53 +0000

Patricia Thompson, a corporate psychologist who works with companies and does psychological assessments on candidates for high-level positions writes in great detail about some of the qualities required to be a great CEO.

The qualities a company looks for in a CEO can vary somewhat, depending on the organization’s culture and the state of the business. For example, companies in turn-around or building mode may require different qualities from companies that are running well and just in need of maintenance. That said, there are some general qualities that would be attractive in all CEOs.

The first is general intelligence. CEOs need to be able to effectively analyze complex data, think critically, be quantitatively skilled, recognize patterns and synthesize information. In addition to this standard form of intelligence, CEOs also need to have emotional intelligence. Good leaders have well-developed insights into people and are able to use their understanding of individual and group dynamics to influence, inspire and make decisions. They know the importance of developing those who report to them and building a cohesive and high-functioning team to drive the business. They are also self-aware. They understand their assets and potential liabilities so that they can leverage their strengths, develop in the areas that need it and make sure that the members of their teams have the appropriate skills to complement their strengths and shore up their weaknesses.

Good CEOs also obviously need to have good business acumen. They need an in-depth grasp of the industry in which they work so that they understand the trends and the market. They tend to be oriented toward growth and business development. They are assertive and confident enough to be able to make tough decisions when necessary. They are emotionally mature and possess balanced judgment. Because they set the tone for the business (as others are always watching them for cues), they understand the importance of monitoring their moods. Good CEOs are also strategic. While the tactical aspects related to execution can (and should) be delegated to others in the business, the CEO sets the vision for the organization. As such, they should be innovative and willing to take educated risks.

Finally, there are some more social and intangible factors that CEOs possess. They are able to establish themselves as credible and trustworthy by having a strong executive presence. They are able to build relationships with others effectively, and leverage those relationships to influence others and get things done. They are able to handle pressure effectively and persist in the face of obstacles. They are charismatic and inspirational, with excellent communication skills and an ability to interact effectively with a range of individuals – from front line staff to senior executives to the board.

Note from the Editor

Patricia has analyzed the qualities required to be a great CEO with laser sharp precision in this article. When I first read her article, I was impressed by how she had organized all the qualities required to be a Great CEO with so much clarity. Another point I’d like to add is that, I believe a great CEO is a people developer, he understands that people build a company and he focuses a lot of time and energy in building the most important resource in the organization – people. Besides, a great CEO provides inspiration and leadership. Quality employees want to work for him NOT for the pay check but because they admire him, respect him and want to do something for him. He unites and inspires people to work as a team.

- Vinil Ramdev, Chief Editor, StartUpGrowthExpert.com

About the Author

Dr. Patricia Thompson is a licensed psychologist whose current areas of professional interest include personality assessment, team-building, executive coaching and career planning. She has been working at Sperduto & Associates, Inc., a boutique corporate psychology and management consulting firm in Atlanta, GA since 2004. Her personal interests include playing and watching tennis, reading, playing the piano and updating her blog at blog.silverliningpsychology.com.

3 Ways To Get More Leads For Your Business

Vinil Ramdev — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:45:12 +0000

End of the day business is about getting more leads and closing those leads. If you already have too many leads, then you are probably doing something right.

This article is for people who want to generate more leads for their business.

Lead Source #1: Press releases

Press releases are a FREE way of generating leads for your business. A press release is a statement you send out to the media that you believe is newsworthy. If you are being mentioned in the media very often, you could become famous very soon. As some famous marketer said “every business is show business.”

Lot of people who do not have connections in the media hire PR firms to write press releases for them and to create a story angle that interests the media. But you should remember that not all PR firms are the same. Some are good at what they do and there are several others who won’t get you much coverage in the media. The problem with most PR firms is that you have to pay them even if they don’t get you the desired results. It’s important that you make sure that your PR firm is compensated based on results rather than the time they spend on your project. If you do decide to use a PR firm, you may want to consider using a legal services firm to draft an agreement (contract) with the PR agency. This could save you a lot of heartache later on if things don’t go well.

Lead Source #2: Bill boards

Depending on the business you are in, advertising on bill boards can generate leads as well as give you the brand recollection you need.

Bill boards are those huge boards you see near traffic signals. For a bill board to work well, it should be positioned in a high traffic area and the copy and visuals have to catch attention. Don’t try to stuff too much copy on the bill board because traffic passing by may not have the chance or the time to read it. Try using copy that is short and hard hitting.

Bill boards are not only near traffic signals, bill board space is sold in malls, even your strip mall, in retail stores, in front of your house (you may want to check out local regulation regarding this, because local regulation may prohibit you from putting up a banner or a bill board in front of your house).

You could even try negotiating some bill board or display space with your neighborhood grocer. Depending on your product and the type of customers you are targeting, this may work out well for you. This may sound obvious but you should buy bill board space only in places where you believe your target market hangs out and have the best chance of being exposed to your marketing message.

Lead Source #3: Google Pay-Per-Clicks

You’d think every business today advertises on google. With about 91 million searches a day google is clearly a top tool for consumers searching for information.

Should your business advertise on google?

I have a slightly different take on this. Most internet marketing gurus think every business should be on google. Yes it helps if your consumers use the internet to find information about your product. But if your consumers do not use the internet to find information about you, then google may not be that useful to you.

If you are a local coffee shop targeting high school students in the neighborhood then a bill board advertisement close to the school with directions to your coffee shop might make more sense than a Google Pay-Per-Click ad.

But there is one place on google where you can list your business for free. It is google’s local business listings where customers can find local businesses in their area. Their website is www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter

This is something you should make use of right away.

About the author

Vinil Ramdev is an entrepreneur, author and business coach who helps business owners increase revenues and maximize profits. He is founder of StartUpGrowthExpert.com – an online magazine for entrepreneurs who want to start and grow extraordinary businesses.

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Most Important Quality in Leadership

Sylvia Lafair — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 08:17:04 +0000

Change comes at us like a huge wave in the ocean and we need to be ready to jump high or dive down. We never know which is best till that moment of truth. The rest of the time we practice, practice, practice. It is vital for leaders to be flexible physically, emotionally, and mentally. Once we get stuck in patterned responses we start a chain of events that lead to old ways of solving problems. In this fast paced culture we need to learn the essence of flexibility.

We all know the words, we heard it from our parents, read texts in history class or English lit. We are told to be flexible, that the only constant in life is change; that we can’t step in the same river twice, as Heraclitus said hundreds of years ago. Today’s bumper sticker echoes this, “Life is change. Growth is optional”. Yeah right, got it! However, we all wonder why it is so hard to change.

Charles Darwin was not only an advocate of the fittest. What he said, and it really matters is “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change”.

Therefore, who wins is not the one with the most toys; it’s the one who is the most flexible, the most adaptive, and the most responsive to change, the one who does the best at conflict management. Here are three key ways to stay flexible, to stop the pattern repetition, and be responsive to new situations at the drop of a hat. The suggestions are for leaders at every level and for all of us who just want to have a happier life.

Walk Backwards! Yup, that’s exactly what I mean. Find a smooth stretch of ground and walk backwards for at least 5 minutes. This will give you a quick, inexpensive new perspective and is a great way to shake up your internal patterned reactions. If you do this every day it helps you make better decisions. Listen, I’m talking about 5 minutes out of a day. If that’s too much to ask refer back to the Darwin quote.
Hold That Thought! No, you won’t ossify. This is flexibility in action. It is a time tested way to create a vision of what you want, where you are headed, and help you get yourself there. Mental pictures that are kept bright and strong are like antennas to let the rest of the world know you are here and to provide you with what you need for your activity to be successful. Just hold the BIG thought, the details will fill themselves in. (Decades ago I held the mental image of a husband/ business partner working in the realms of personal and business growth. Yup, it happened!).
Fake It Till You Make It. No, you won’t go to jail. Just don’t let the “knots” (as in: am not, cannot, should not, will not and not good enough) take over your thoughts. Here you have to be one of the fittest (by the way, Darwin did like winners). You have to fight with yourself to keep the chatter of the fear mongers at bay. You also have to say no to the hardcore folks who have all the facts to dissuade you. Don’t ignore facts; just don’t sell out to them. Think Wilber and Orville Wright. Heavy metal sure does fly in the air!

The newest research shows the plasticity of the brain to be one of our most important resources. Your brain is flexible and therefore you are too. It is probably what Darwin knew intuitively before today’s fancy MRI equipment could prove it. So, being flexible means doing something differently and being responsive to change. And oh yes, Yoga stretches work also!

About the Author

Sylvia Lafair, Ph.D., author of the award winning book, “Don’t Bring It to Work”, is President of CEO, Creative Energy Options, Inc., a global consulting company focused on optimizing workplace relationships through extratordinary leadership. Dr. Lafair’s unique model has revolutionized the way teams cooperate, relate and innovate. She can be reached at sylvia@ceoptions.com or 570-636-3858; www.sylvialafair.com

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Confessions of a Workaholic

Kathy Thomas — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:35:36 +0000

I built a business once when I was a young single mother, a long, long time ago. It supported us well. I got tired and started looking for a partner, in life…in business…who knows. I found both. After working together for five years, I was broke. Manual labor business is like that. Many service industries rely heavily on the back, legs and knees. My tendons and bones gave up simply because I was working too hard.

In the end, the husband was gone. The partner was gone. They both still have the business.

Moral of the story. I got greedy and worked too hard. This was all preventable. I knew better. I kept waiting for others to change. I did not protect my interests.

Somewhere along the way I lost my integrity with my own self. Money for the bills was the only reason to work. My head got big with my success. I got older and just figured these men owed me the money I was making when working because I had brought the business so far. They just didn’t see it that way.

In all fairness I was given a small severance for leaving the business which was about 5000.00 less than the interest I brought to it in the beginning. I bought property with that so my sons and I would have a home. I sold that home 2 years later for 100,000.00 profits which was a nice severance.

Another moral of the story. Rage and blaming are wasted efforts. Within three months of some badly needed spiritual down time, I started to find my part, my choices, my decisions and therefore the outcome I was living with. I didn’t agree with the way things turned out because I wasn’t in control of it. However, when I let go of the control, amazing things came to pass.

By the time I left that business I was hollow with the pain in my back and knees and tendons. I was a shell of who I had been before. Slowly I have begun to rebuild. With a simple 26.00 license I work a lot slower, make much less money, notice the sky and fresh air a little more, am very thankful for my 1995 Ranger that just keeps going and I spend a lot of time with my grandkids.

Essentially, it was greed that got me. Pride thrown in with it just helped the end come quicker. There is no substitute for peace. I really question whether I will tear my body to pieces again for the buck. Maybe there is a better way, if I can just have the faith to look.

Who knows? When I was in college way back when, they said I was a writer.

About the Author

Kathy Thomas lives in a small town in Florida with her 4 kids and 5 grand kids nearby. Horses whinny, kayaks skim the waves, the ocean is near and blue, and there is bluegrass music in her guitar and voice. Life is so short, just the blink of an eye, the touch of tide upon a moonlit shore. Peace is everywhere. Kathy practices Reike, writes, sings and plays music. She is happy almost all the time.

Image: AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10 Questions To Ask Before Starting A Business

Jeffrey Taylor — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:46:31 +0000

In this bleak economy, lots of people are contemplating striking out on their own — whether they’re frustrated job seekers or people who are already employed but getting antsy about their company’s prospects.

For some people, entrepreneurship is the best option around, a way to build wealth and do something you love without answering to somebody else. But it’s also a huge financial gamble — and some people, unfortunately, will discover too late that it’s not the right fit for them.

Building a successful business can take years filled with setbacks, long hours and little reward. Certain personalities thrive on the challenge and embrace the sacrifices. But it can be a hard switch for someone who has spent years sitting in a cubicle with a steady paycheck.

So, how can you figure out whether you’re suited for self-employment? Here, then, are 10 questions to ask to see whether you’re up for the challenge of entrepreneurship.

Are you willing and able to bear great financial risk?
Are you willing to sacrifice your lifestyle for potentially many years?
Is your significant other on board?
Do you like all aspects of running a business?
Are you comfortable making decisions on the fly with no playbook?
What’s your track record of executing your ideas?
How persuasive and well-spoken are you?
Do you have a concept you’re passionate about?
Are you a self-starter?
Do you have a business partner?

Over the next several months, I will fill in the details to lots of questions that you will have as you strive to determine the course of action you prefer to take. In the meantime, feel free to learn more at http://booksbyjeffreytaylor.com

About the Author

Jeffrey Taylor is the founder of Jeffrey Taylor Group, a holding company for Jeffrey’s various operating businesses.

Jeffrey Taylor has previously published two textbooks for the equipment leasing industry (Selling Leasing In A Tough Economy and The Future of Equipment Leasing) and an autobiography on his life as a recovering alcoholic (A Gentleman Drunk).

A Gentleman Drunk was recently translated into Spanish and published as Un Caballero Borracho by Intermedia Publishing.

His other book “Going from W2 to 1099” delivers an entertaining account and perspective on starting a new business. The book is an excellent resource for corporate professionals who have recently lost their long-time jobs or are ready to give up the daily grind and follow their dreams. Written in a very friendly buddy-to-buddy tone, the book walks the entrepreneurial newcomer through the emotional ups and downs of their new life.

His most recent book “Film Finance For Beginners” has been acclaimed as a “Wonderful book for the first-time or experienced filmmaker who is looking for the money”

Understanding the Power of Intention

Vinil Ramdev — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:21:47 +0000

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Dr Wayne Dyers

The last week I read an article on the Power of Intention written by Harv Eker. Harv believes that if there is something that you really want and you have a compelling reason for wanting it, then the universe will give it to you.

I have been researching further on this topic and I came across a video of Dr. Wayne Dyers that was more detailed and gave me a deeper perspective on the law of intention.

Basically, what is this law of intention and how does it work? Let’s define and dissect the power of intention in more detail.

Basically, the power of intention is a form of energy. An energy that can transform the way you think and act. An energy that can change your life.

Everything in life starts with an intention. If you are reading this article, then you have an intention and that intention is probably to change your life for the better.

If you do not get what you really want, then probably there is a resistance within you that is stopping you from getting what you really want or your intention is not clear enough. The clearer your intention and the lower the resistance, the higher and more probably the odds of your intention coming true.

The best way to gain clarity over your intention is to write it down.

Resistance can be anything – childhood conditioning, fear, negative thoughts. The lower your resistance, the faster and more easily your intentions will come true.

About the Author

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

StartUp Growth Expert » Business Success

Top 4 posts of 2011

The Importance of Goal Setting

Interview with Goals Guy – Gary Ryan Blair : Part 1

How to Hire a Great CEO

Step 1: Identify the results the CEO needs to accomplish

Step 2: Identify the qualities, skills and experience you require in your CEO

Step 3: Prepare Interview Questions

Step 4: Consider doing a Psychological Assessment of the Candidate

Step 5: Build a well-trained Recruiting Team

Step 6: Make an Effective Offer

Step 7: Build an On-Boarding Plan

Qualities of A Great CEO

3 Ways To Get More Leads For Your Business

The Most Important Quality in Leadership

Confessions of a Workaholic

10 Questions To Ask Before Starting A Business

Understanding the Power of Intention