Category Archives: Programs

How to Regain Credibility After a Mistake

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Your reputation witreputationh your customer isn’t tarnished by making a mistake; but how you respond to your mistakes.
Some quick tips on how to best respond to your mistake:
  1. Take full responsibility for fixing it. Responsibility doesn’t mean “taking the blame”. Responsibility means being able to respond (response – able), to take action to fix the issue.
  2. Acknowledge that this situation is certainly frustrating and inconvenient to the client – and that you are going to do everything you can to eliminate as much inconvenience as you can.
    • Note: If the correction takes awhile – don’t keep the client in the dark, while you are correcting the issue. If you don’t periodically update them on your progress, they will automatically assume you are doing “nothing” to help them – because they can see no evidence that you are doing “something”. This runs the risk of them telling ten of their friends of your lack of customer care – even if you have good intentions.
    • If you don’t know how to fix the situation, ask the client how they would like you to fix the situation and how often they would like to be updated. Even if you can’t do exactly what they want, it will give you some insight and clues on what your next steps should be.
    • The goal here is to make sure the client is delighted with the final outcome (not that you are happy with how you handled the event). And you can’t delight the client if you have no idea what will turn this around for the client. Therefore, don’t be afraid to include them in the process. People enjoy providing their opinion and advise to various situations. This will be no different.
  3. Go above and beyond expectations in fixing the issue. This would include (but not limited to) additional products and service; or even a full refund in addition to the product or service.
  4. Do a follow-up after the situation has been fixed, to make sure the client is fully satisfied. Thank the client for pointing out the problem and being so patient while you fixed it.
  5. Include a thank you note to the client summarizing the events, how you fixed it and procedure changes that you put into affect to assure no one else get puts into the same difficult situation that the client did.
The client not only wants his/her issue fixed, but an assurance that it will never happen again. Providing them tangible evidence that you have changed the procedure that caused the mix-up in the first place provides them this assurance as well as illustrates your commitment to continuous improvement and that you took their issues extremely seriously.
There are many other ways to delight your client. If you need additional ideas, why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

What is the Right Way to Handle a Personal Crisis at Work

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What if your car is totaled…what if something really bad happened in your personal life?

Chances are, we will all have situations like this from time to time. What
is the best way to handle personal crisis at work?

Of course this greatly depends upon your role and responsibilities at work.
If you are in an industry that relies on your person touch and full attention – then you are doing your clients a disservice by taking their money and not giving them your full attention. The best way to handle this situation is to be candid about your current mindset (not that you have to give details – but that you have an emergency that is taking much of your attention); that the client deserves your full attention and energies – and that you will need to reschedule to be able to do that.

If you are in an office environment, you should have your auto-responders and voice mail set to collect all your calls and emails. In you canned auto-responders and updated answering machine message – you explain your general situation and when you will get back to them. Ask them to include the reason for their call – so that you can have the answers for them when you call them back.

If you have tasks that need to be done, you should have documented procedures regarding those tasks. The ones that are MUST DO for today, hand them off to a team mate or your manager (so that he can hand find the appropriate resource).

If this is actually a personal crisis — then you will not be in the proper mindset to do high-quality, high-performance work. Put the systems in place to enable the quality work to be done without you.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that if things can get done without them, this means they are dispensable and replaceable. Some people feel that if they are the only ones with these skills that their job is secured.
This is a false premise. Jobs are never secured; companies are purchased; companies are merged; companies go under. Relevant skills come and go. Just because you are really good at X – doesn’t mean that X will be relevant tomorrow. And the rapid pace in which technology is changing today makes this last point even more likely.
This only sure thing that “making sure you are the only one with the knowledge” does is to keep you stuck in this current role and band level. It limits your advancement opportunities.

My name is Laura Lee Rose and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, professional development and work life balance strategies. I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have the time to learn new technology or train their staff.

At the end of the day, I give people the peace of mind that everything is getting done exactly the way they want – even when they are not there.

I am devoted to my clients, and want the best for them.
My clients succeed because they take action and are ready for success.
complimentaryconsult
This offer isn’t for everyone.

So – for the people reading this blog today, that are ready for success, email me at LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info right now – to reserve your complimentary consult. You will receive a follow-up email to select your one-on-one coaching appointments.

What is your natural response to conflict?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author.  My background is in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.

Today’s question:

What is your natural response to conflict? Do you

  • move away,
  • move towards (try to smooth things over) or
  • move against (go in to “fight” mode)

How does this help or hurt you on the job?:

For me – It would depend if the conflict has anything to do with me or my purpose. If it does not impact me, then I have better things to spend my time. Not everything going on is worthy of my time and attention. By contributing to a situation that does not concern me , I neither benefit  the real stakeholders nor myself.

If it has nothing significantly to do with me – I move away.

If it does impact either my professional or personal goals, I focus on a Win/Win/Win solution.  A conflict often means there’s an opportunity for a larger solution, a bigger picture creation.   A conflict often indicates that we haven’t taken the time to find the better solution.

If I look for a higher-level solution, I can find several that provide satisfactory closure for both (or all) sides. I focus on the higher-level or the essence of the goal — instead of the specific issues being currently discussed.   Most of the conflict resides in the “HOW TO do it” – instead of the “WHY we are doing this”.
If you take the time to understand each person’s reason or “why they want it done this way” – you can find an appropriate solution. (Habit 5 of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  – Understand first then be Understood).  – If it’s been awhile since you’ve read the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – I recommend you re-read it this week.  You have accumulated additional experiences and knowledge since you last read it.  Therefore, your perspective will be different simply because you are in a difference place in your life.

Here is an example that may illustrate this idea better:
I was in a meeting with a high-profile client and the developers. The client was insisting that they needed a “drag-n-drop” feature in the next release (scheduled for Monday). The developers were adamant that this level of rework was not feasible by Monday. The client was also adamant that they have been waiting for that feature and wanted it by Monday (OR ELSE).
So I asked the client “why” they needed that specific feature. How were they going to use that feature. Where would they use it.
They said that they wanted to create a “new project” from several “older projects”. They wanted to drag and drop the files that they wanted into a “new” container to create the new project.
So – I paraphrased the “want”. “You want to be able to import folders from older projects to create your new project.”
“YES” the client said enthusiastically.
I said, “We have that. We don’t use the Drag-n-Drop . We use directory-drill down instead. This allows you to drill down past the file level. You can even drill into the file, down into the code AND you can mask (or exclude) lines that you do not want. It’s more flexible and powerful than the Drag-n-Drop.  Here – let me show you. ”
The client was delighted. “WOW! This is better than what we were asking for.”
“AND you already have this feature in your current version. You don’t have to wait until the next release.”

This is a good example of solving a conflict by better understanding the motives and reasons on both sides. Stephen Covey’s 5th Habit of his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People calls it “Understand first and then be understood.” That habit works well in many situations.

I realize that your situation may be different.   Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

Contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info for additional information on these things.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

 

Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

 

Are Your Meeting a Waste of Time?

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Small business owners and their small staffs are busy, and the last thing they need is an unproductive meeting that drags on and on. How do you tell if your meeting is wasting valuable time and how do you correct the problem?
[ Special bonus:  Download the Effective Meeting Checklist <<HERE and NOW>>]
Some basic rules for meeting management will help the situation:

1) Have a specific purpose and goal for the meeting.

2) Only have agenda items that support and accomplish that goal.  (If you have multiple goals for one meeting, then you run the chance of wasting valuable time for the people that are only interested/involved in one of the goals.  Call different “shorter” meetings instead).

3) Only invite people that have the authority to “do something” to accomplish the meeting’s goal.

4) Setup and publish the meeting’s purpose, ground-rules, time-limits and explicit agenda-topics.

5) Have a note-taker that is not expected to actually participate in the meeting to take notes and publish the notes (you can now include video taping or audio taping of the meetings as well — but you still want someone to quickly summarize the results and action items)

6) Always do an end-game review:

  • Review/Summarize the highlights and decision;
  • Decide if the meeting’s purpose and goal was actually accomplished;
  • Emphasize the “Call to Action” items;
  • Identify the explicit owners for each Action Item;
  • Assign a deadline or time-frame for the item;
  • Clarify the success criteria for each Action item (make sure everyone in the room has the same understanding of what DONE really means in this specific issue – make sure everyone has the same expectations);
  • if it was decided that the meeting was not successful in completing it’s goal – Outline any remaining Open Items,
  • Specify the date/time for the next meeting if there are any Open Items and who is in charge of facilitating and who should be attending that next meeting.

Often times meetings are unsuccessful because they simply do not have the right people in the meeting to make the decisions.  If you have a specific goal for each meeting, you can decide early on if the meeting has the right people to accomplish the goal.  If the right people are not there – do not proceed with the meeting OR have the right meeting for the people that are there.

 [ Special bonus:  Download the Effective Meeting Checklist <<HERE and NOW>>]

How Should Employed Candidates Job Search Secretly?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.

Today’s question is:  How Should Employed Candidates Job Search Secretly?

The most effective way to job search secretly is to perfect your business networking skills.

I am assuming that you have already explored promotions and lead positions with your current manager.  I am assuming that your manager is aware of your career goals and individual development plans.  I am assuming that you feel that your manager can not assist you in these areas.
Some networking options available to you are:

1) Don’t overlook other positions within your company.  Get to know co-workers in sibling departments and invite them for lunch to find out more about their department, positions, products, etc.

2) Offer your services to sibling departments, nonprofit organizations, friends and family – doing the things you want in your new job.  Illustrate your skill and talent in this area to others.

3) Get an appointment with an external recruiter and just talk to them (in confidence) to find out the relevancy of your current skill set, if you need to master a different craft, or gain additional certification to make yourself more attractive to the outside work force.

job labyrint If you are ready to take that step toward job interviewing, I have a list of good questions to ask at a job interview.  To get your copy, please register <<HERE>>

If you need additional information, I am  available for business and professional development coaching.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

How to be super productive when you only have five minutes

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There are several ways to be productive when you only have five minutes (i.e. this will take less than 5 minutes to read):

1) Learn to delegate.  Be open to the concept that you have a talented staff around you.  Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should be doing it.  If the item is something that others can handle satisfactorily, hand it off.  Only keep the items that ONLY YOU can do.   Only keep the items that are aligned with your pay-grade, and career goals.  This allows you to use your five minutes to review several projects that other people are handling for you.

2) Set your timer.  Often times it’s never a “all or nothing” type of thing.  Set your timer for 5 minutes and chip away at some of your inventory and backlog of email, notes or clutter. When the timer goes off – so do you.  Repeat this several times during the week until your inventory is eliminated.

3) Use the time to setup appointments that leads to high-income activities.  Keep your phone conversations short, to the point, and use them to setup a longer meeting to fully discuss the issue.  Keep the interactions to the point — i.e.  decide on time, place, and reason for the meeting.  Then hang-up and log it in your calendar.  You can set several high-income generating appointments within 5 minutes.

4) Announce upfront that you only have 5 minutes to review their progress or listen to their issue.  Use that time to properly delegate to the right group or agree to a longer meeting later to discuss.  Hand-off the coordination of that meeting to the person that brought the issue to you. Tell them at that time, how much time you will have for that lengthier meeting.   Leave in 5 minutes (use the timer method).

5) Always arrive at least 10 minutes early to a meeting or event.  Carry a professional or personal development activity or your Individual Networking Strategy Workbook (discussed further in the Professional Development Toolkit) with you.  When you arrive at a meeting early or the meeting is starting late — take out your professional or personal development activity and study it.  OR use this 5 minutes to business network with those around you.

The Professional Development Toolkit goes into more detail on the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of these things.

For more information, why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward.
With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest speak at no cost to your group organization.

How to Prep for a Job Interview

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – speaker and author.   I am a business and career management coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  I help people create procedures and systems to save time and enable them to delegate to others.  Simply put, I give people the peace of mind to know that everything is getting done the way they want.
Today’s question came from a reported regarding the best way to Prep for  a Job Interview

Hi, Laura;

I’m looking for surprising, out-of-the-box ideas on how to best prepare for a big job interview.

Here are some proven, out-of-the-box tips (these tips also work in all types of business meetings):

 

1) Take on the persona of a talk show host or a guest of a talk show.  Participate in the interview as if you are a talk show host or talk show guest.  The talk show host or guest does the following:

a) Does his homework.  Know everything about company, and the position as you can.
b) Craft up interesting information that you found out about the company, and share that tid-bit.
c) Is confident and relaxed.  They know that they are the star of the show.  You are there because they want to get to know you and you them.
d) Carries on a conversation and doesn’t wait until the other person asks all his questions, before they ask theirs.  It’s a conversation – not an interrogation.
e) Has back-up props.  Bring additional references, articles, demos, prototypes, letters of recommendations, videos, etc to your interview.
f) Treats the host or guest as a friend — even if it’s the first time they have met.

2) Ask for a tour.  Nothing shows genuine interest in the job than to ask to be shown around.  Depending upon the type of position, you can ask to see or be introduced to:

a) the facilities
b) the product
c) the test lab
d) the team that you may be working with
e) a demo of the product that you may be working on

3) Design your questions to lead you into the direction that you want the interview to go into.  For instance, if you want to highlight a client advocacy program you developed at your last position, ask  how they collect customer feedback, how often and what they do with the results.  This then leads you into the discussion of how you designed your client advocacy program at the last job.  Have these questions already designed before you go into the job.

job labyrint I have a list of good questions to ask at a job interview.  To get your copy, please register <<HERE>>

If you need additional information, I am  available for business and professional development coaching.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

 

Tips to bring the best out of your team

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Hi, This is Laura Rose and I am a speaker and author.  I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have more time for themselves even if they don’t have the time to learn new technology or train their staff.

At the end of the day, I give people the peace of mind that everything is getting done exactly the way they want.

Today’s question came from a reporter.  She asked “How to bring the best out of your team”

Number one tip to bring the best out of your team is to be an exemplary leader.

Do to this, you need to:

1) Clearly articulate the goals, mission, and vision for your company and your department.

2) Validate that your team understands how each of their roles and responsibilities support and contribute the those company and department goals.

3) Understand your employee’s individual development and career plans.   Clearly outline the different career paths, promotions, and adjacent professional paths that each of your employees have that directly associate with their individual career goals and desires.  (More information on your Personal Business Commitment Plans and your Individual Development Plans in the Professional Development Toolkit)

4) Align their assignments with their individual career plans, talents and passions.

5) Be a co-conspirator to your employees success and they will do the same for you

For a free checklist on “How to Hold an Effective One-on-One manager’s meeting”,  request the checklist <<HERE>>

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

How to make the right call between multiple job offers

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How do job seekers receiving multiple job offers that weren’t quite what they expected know when to accept one, keep hunting, change directions or go off on their own?

job labyrintUse my Pro and XCon list.  Everyone is family with the Pro and Con list.  They list what they like about the job and what they don’t like about the job.  Using the Pro and Con method often results in indecisiveness because you often find that each job has as many Pros and they have Con.  Using my Pro and XCon list is a 3 column list.  You have your regular Pro and Con columns.  But then you add your XCon column.  The XCon column is third column.  You use the XCon column to list what needs to happen to turn the Con item into an XCon (or acceptable to you).

Then use the XCon items in your negotiation meetings.  This strategy actually better directs which one to accept OR if you need to continue to look.

Reminder:  Employers and companies are going to be putting their best foot forward during the interview and hiring process. If you find them unwilling to negotiate at the interview stage, they will be less likely to negotiate after you are hired.  If you do not like how they are reacting to your attempts to create alternative solutions, then merely move on without regret or doubt.

How do job seekers  know when to keep hunting or go off on their own?

My recommendation isn’t to “go off you your own”, just because you can’t find the perfect job.  Only start your own business if you want to start your own business.   Then the next question – after you have decided that you want to start your own business – is when to start it?   And, that my friend, is a topic for another day or better yet – a one-on-one business coaching meeting.

I also have several worksheets that help clarify your goals, your teams missions, and your performance expectations in the Professional Development Toolkit.  The toolkit goes into the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the above.  It contains audios, videos, presentations, and worksheets for your use and growth.  Take the next step and check the toolkit out <<HERE>>

Sample Pro-XCon Worksheet:

Pros Cons XCon What will reduce discomfort of the Con

Job 1

$45/hr – underpaid Request $60-65/hour
Analytical, model and mathematical work that I enjoy Don’t have enough money to do much. Ask if there’s an opportunity to get paid for your articles and publications on your findings (in addition to the hourly rate)
Opportunity to set a standard Can’t enjoy my free time very much. Find alternative/added revenue stream
Opportunity to present papers on discoveries
Opportunity to define processes and lead policies
     

Job 2
$85/hour
Easy work Have to accept without reading/signing a contract.  After I accept, I get a written contract to review and sign. Accept job, with the contingency on the review and acceptance of the terms.  And you will start 2-weeks after you sign the contract. Don’t give Glaxo a resignation until you have read contract.
Will have enough money to do a few more things (including supporting my daughter if she needs it). Not very exciting or challenging work. Ask if there are presentation opportunities within the company.
Will have some funds to enjoy my free time.  Will have some free time to enjoy. Ask if there are any opportunities (in this company) to set standards or procedures in the area that you are interested in.
Is there an outside activity that can fill the presentation, publication, and setting standards gap?  Is there another thing that gives me the same fulfillment or filling?

Overcoming stereotypes: How do you handle it professionally?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.

Simply put, I give people the time to be, do and have whatever they want.

Someone recently asked me how to handle certain stereotypes like:  “You  are just like my daughter, doesn’t listen to any advice.”  “You are too inexperienced, so you don’t really know what you are talking about.” “You haven’t been around the company for long, so you don’t know how these things really work.”  “You are a developer, you don’t understand marketing, how to make a sale or what the client really wants.”  “You are just a testers.”

The one thing that I would like to emphasize is to avoid apologizing for who you are. You can agree with the “offender” by saying that you can see how that particular comparison could be made. But that you are your own individual and much more than  your current job title. And that you find that you learn best by experiencing. Every day and every interaction plays it’s role in make you who you are. This makes you unique.

Also – don’t take offense.  Many stereotype comments stem from insecurity or ignorance.  It’s easier for people to pigeon-hole with titles and stereotypes.  Getting angry doesn’t change anyone’s opinion and sometimes even gives credence to the accusation.   Stay calm, don’t entice or excite the conversation, walk away if you have to, and always act professional.

Just relax, take a breath, and know that everything is unfolding perfectly. Remember, it’s not the easy interactions that define who we really are; it’s the more challenging ones. In this way, the difficult people are your greatest teachers.

I have a presentation and paper on “How to say YES to everything, but on your own terms”. It covers various professional responses to sometime unprofessional comments.  Please email me for more information about this presentation at LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info