In my speaking engagements I will often hear, “I just love reading the monthly drink of LeMonAide and I forward it on to everyone in the office.”  Of course, I am thrilled with the enthusiastic support.  Here is another option for sharing LeMonAide…send us your e-mail distribution list and you can eliminate the need to “forward” in the future.  Even if you want to continue forwarding, thanks for your faithful readership of this monthly collection of skills to improve your career and life.

The person in front of you has been consistently under-performing.  Personally, you like this person and there are times when you have observed genuine efforts to succeed.  This is the third time you have factually addressed this employee.  

What are your options if you are not ready to terminate?

First, you can set up a “results-driven-termination.”  This approach places the employee in direct control of his/her future.  You will mutually agree to a date when data will be placed on the table and a certain “break point” will determine if the person maintains a position or leaves your organization.

This option is numbers driven and leaves no room for further negotiation.

Second, a “mentor-protégé” relationship can be established which gives the “mentor” the ultimate “thumbs up/thumbs down” decision.  The mentor would have to agree to continuously keep the protégé informed about his/her progress.  Your confidence in the judgment of the mentor is at the center of this approach.  

Finally, you can look at the staff person and ask, “You design the deliverables we both should be able to quantify 90 days from now.  Your future in our organization is ultimately your choice.  Your goals have to be mutually agreeable to both of us.  If you do not make the metrics we have agreed to, my assumption is you will immediately tender your resignation.  Does this arrangement seem fair to you?”

Yes, this solution is the most risky of the three, but I am convinced it is your best option unless, of course, you are ready, today, to write that pink slip.

While conducting research for a new presentation (see next segment, LeMonJuice), I discovered Different (Escaping the Competitive Herd) (ISBN: 978-0-307-46085-1) by Dr. Youngme Moon, Donald K. David Professor at Harvard Business School.

With a writing style like Jim Collins and the rich content of Daniel Goleman, Professor Moon enticed my mind to turn each page with alacrity as she dangled the premise, “…the only marketing that will work in the future is the “non-herd” appeal.”

Let me whet your appetite.  Do you know “self-organizing systems” will determine if you stay at the Ritz or Motel 6?  I was not aware that Harley-Davidson employed “hostility” marketing.  And, “commonalities” (a wink and a nod) take place between customers of a particular brand when they are in the minority (Mini-car owners).

This book will dramatically affect you as a consumer and your career (whatever your expertise may be).  This is a book well worth your time and you will talk about it at parties for at least the next two years.

 Articles for Free Download

On my website I presently have over fifty articles you can download for free to either personally digest or print in your organization’s newsletter.  Specifically, here are the ones I think may be especially helpful in our present economic environment.

“Finding a Sea Anchor in the Storms of Life”
“Winning the Race to the Future”
“Good News about Communicating the Bad News”
“The Survival Skill for Chaos:  Connectivity”

To download any of the articles, go to www.execenrichment.com and choose the Free Resources option.  You’ll see a list of articles there.

New Learning Workshop

I have recently crafted a new learning module that may be of interest for your organization.  

“Seven Trends in the Next Decade that Will Change Your Business…and What You Need to Do About Them” is a highly interactive educational experience that will force your staff to face and then respond to the embedded changes in the way we do business and how to adjust strategy and systems to succeed.

If you would like to talk with me about this program, write an e-mail response to this LeMonAide and give me a date, time and telephone number where I can reach you.  I will also provide the names and contact information of participants who have volunteered to provide their first-hand evaluation.

Is there a time of the day when you should not return a call?

Yes, and you probably know the answer.

It is accepted business practice to not return phone calls before the beginning or after the conclusion of the advertised business day.

This especially requires some mental gymnastics when returning calls outside of your time zone.  I made the mistake of returning a call to the West Coast at 8:00 a.m. my time (yes, you are right, it was 6 a.m. in Oregon!).

I practice and expect forgiveness…unless it is 6:00 a.m.

Struggling finding the time to think?

You know, thinking is probably a major part of your work day.  Yes, we all do “rote behaviors” which we label “no-brainers” in our internal systems for getting the work done.

At the same time, we all know if there are no reserves of strategic thinking going on, the “normal” becomes problematic and then we get into the tyranny of constantly playing “catch up.”

Here are three, practical ideas on how to make time to think.

First, talk with your boss and colleagues about setting aside a “one hour think tank” routine at the very beginning of the work day.  You are saying right now, “fat chance!”

This is the way it works.  You designate one person in your office to take phone calls and meet “drop in” visitors.  This person should not be shy to say, “He/she will be able to return your call or meet with you in one hour.”  You know what, we do that all the time.

During this one hour everyone agrees they will just work on strategic thinking and planning…not sharpening pencils, opening e-mail or brewing a new pot of coffee.

Second, plan an off-site strategic thinking conclave with your colleagues.  Just make sure the discussion does not backslide into “what are we doing wrong at the office today.”   This will take discipline but the discussion must remain in the future.

My experience is this type of strategic thinking discipline should be scheduled at least once a quarter.  I am further suggesting it only last four hours and preferably in the morning.

Finally, plan ten minutes of every staff meeting for “FutureCast.”  Yes, that is my term.

Everyone should remind each other the success of your organization is built on tomorrow, not the tyranny of today.  Therefore, taking time to mentally forage into the future during the normal staff meeting will keep you alive and very healthy.

This segment may save you several wasted days in your lifetime.

Because of some new governmental regulations about the number of hours an airline can hold you hostage on an airplane, airlines are starting to cancel more flights.  These cancelled flights mean it could be several days before you get to your destination.

Here is what I have learned are the telltale signs your flight may be cancelled.

First, if you are waiting for a “delayed” flight but there is no departure time posted, walk up to the counter and ask, “Do you have any information this flight may be cancelled?”  You will hear, “No, I do not know about any cancellation.”  

Remain at the counter and ask, “If the flight is cancelled, what are my options?”  You have to begin a “back up plan.”  It is the responsibility of the airline personnel to provide a worst case scenario solution.

Second, look for the “lead supervisor.”  This person is normally wearing a different color jacket than the rest of the airline employees and has a lot of keys attached to a belt.  If you see a supervisor come up and talk, with his/her back to the waiting customers, immediately get in line at the counter.

Third, look at a departure screen on the wall and determine if there are any other flights to your destination.  Be prepared to give the flight number and the time it leaves for you to either “stand by” or be confirmed on the next flight when your original flight is cancelled.

Fourth, if you absolutely have to be to your destination the same day, ask the airline to place you on another carrier.  Be polite but resolute.  

Fifth, sometimes you have to settle for “second-best.”  What is a reasonably close city to your original destination?  On more than one occasion, over the past 23 years, I have had to fly to an alternative city and then rent a car in order to keep my commitment.  

In summary, the first person in the line when a flight is finally cancelled is the person who has the best chance of arriving on the same day.  Watch staff, body language, and signage and then act quickly.  Your worst choice is to sit back and watch your victimization take place and end up in the Roach Motel for the next two days!

My latest podcast is entitled, “When Your Boss Cannot Lead.”

It is important to note this podcast is not a set of skills to use with a boss who does not know how to get the work done.  No, this presentation is filled with five strategies when your boss struggles communicating “resonance.”  Resonance is the ability of the boss to “connect” with those he/she leads and get “buy in” from everyone in the workplace.

You will discover in this podcast my approach is to affirm the position of your boss and, at the same time, seize on responsibilities you can take to make your job easier and more rewarding.  I think you will find my five initiatives will give you new ideas on how to work with a boss who has difficulty connecting with you and your coworkers.

If you have this person in your workplace, please go to my website at www.execenrichment.com and choose the Free Resources option.  You’ll see a Podcast category there.

Here are three questions that will capture the attention of your perspective customer.

First, “What goal are you still working on for this present fiscal year?”  Notice, I did not ask, “What goal have you not achieved in this present fiscal year?”  All questions should be framed as positive and having potential.  When you ask negative questions you will get a negative answer and…no one sells anything when the atmosphere has been polluted with negativity.

Second, “Who are the heroes in your industry?”  The answer to this question will lead you to your potential customer’s “benchmarking.”  If you can find out this person’s “heroes,” you will discover what he/she wants the organization to look like in the future.  The map to the future is a perfect agenda for you to introduce your product/service.

Finally, ask, “What are the initiatives your biggest competitor is using right now?”  This information will be invaluable if your services/products can provide this potential client with a competitive advantage.  Also, if you are willing to customize, this is a golden opportunity to specifically craft a solution which is not “off the shelf.”  

In sales your conversation should be 80% questions and only 20% answers.

Samuel Johnson wrote, “Your writing is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”

Here are my recommendations for original and good writing.

First, write the way you talk.

So much of business writing, especially e-mails, seems to have been penned in an “altered state.”  Perhaps you have received an e-mail including a statement like this, “Pursuant to the aforementioned correspondence, it has been deemed necessary to forward all information in a timely manner.”

Do people at coffee break talk like that?  I do not think so.

The e-mail should have read, “Please forward to me all Project ABC reports.”  

Second, all e-mail correspondence should not exceed one screen of written copy.  

What do you do with a four-screen e-mail message?  Most participants in my business writing courses tell me they (1) delete them, (2) print them to read at a later date or (3) skip the e-mail and click “Keep as New.”  Well, I think you see the problem.  Most of the printed e-mails never get read and the ones left as new get “old” very quickly and are deleted because of age.

If you have supportive or ancillary information in an e-mail, inform the reader this is an “attachment” and can be downloaded if there is interest.  

Finally, original and good e-mail communication should provide an enticing, accurate “reference line.”

Most e-mails flying onto the screen of my laptop just repeat the reference line I originally sent.  There is no date or author’s name.  I am not sure whether the recipient actually read my correspondence or responded with something important I should know.

The reference line should read, “From Cal LeMon 06/30/10.”  That information will alert your reader who has sent the e-mail and when the thoughts were penned.

I love the convenience and immediacy of e-mail, but the “original” and “good” of this technological marvel is still our choice.