Business Lessons

The Magic Question!

With the holiday season here, we have more time to spend time with our family, our extended family, and with others who are important in our lives. It’s the perfect time to find moments of one-on-one time where you can ask the Magic Question to anyone in your life who you care about. I’ve written about this question before. Perhaps as some of you are reading this you already know what that question is. So … I’m going to tease you some more as some of you will jump ahead and avoid this dramatic build-up!

It’s the question that helped me begin to connect with my pre-teen who is now about to get his driver’s license. It’s the question I’ve asked my wife on date night. It’s the question I’ve asked my direct reports from time to time. So here it is: 

 ”What are 3 things I can do to be a better (blank) for you?” What you put in the “blank” is up to you: father, mother, spouse, brother, friend, boss. You will be amazed at what you hear. It’s the single most powerful question that begins healing or continues to build a healthy relationship just in the asking. It says one thing that everyone needs to know about you: DO YOU CARE ABOUT ME? People don’t care what you know—they want to know that you care. So dads, stop throwing facts and figures at your kids and trying to prove them wrong. And dads: I only pick on you because I’m one and that’s what I used to do until I asked the magic question to my pre-teen four years ago and two times since. Start listening and ask the Magic Question!

Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Ask the Magic Question to at least three people this holiday season.

Do you know enough to care and care enough to know?

Corporate culture drives results. Improve the culture and you WILL improve the results. It’s why so many companies are investing in and evaluating their corporate culture. Beginning a culture change or shift is a senior leadership thing, not an HR thing. HR can assist and guide; however, the leadership team must be on the same page to ensure that the desired results from a shift or a change are achieved. When it comes to instilling Servant Leadership in your culture, you’ll want to focus on individuals along with results. Building a culture of accountability requires having measures in place to ensure that responsibilities are being met by each individual.

Building trust with your team is crucial for people to feel confident in making decisions and taking ownership of their individual responsibilities. This is a core element of Servant Leadership, and it begins with a simple understanding. First understand yourself, how you come across to others, and how people may perceive you. Then focus on understanding another person and then understanding a group. When you understand the beliefs and motivations of a team, real understanding can be created which leads to trust.

If the idea of a Servant Culture resonates with you, I invite you to become part of a movement we are starting that is growing across the state. Join Servant Leaders of Wisconsin, Fox River Valley Group, for our free quarterly meetings. On September 21st, Robert Chapman, CEO and chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, will share his people-centric philosophy that he and his team have replicated over and over in the dozens of companies they own across the world. Come to be inspired and meet like-minded people, and we’ll help you get started on your Servant Leadership journey.

E-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com to reserve your spot. Space is limited so please let me know how many will be attending. Meredith will send you more information on the event if you’re interested.

Change your culture, change your results!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Join us September 21st from 3-5 p.m. at The Marq. R.S.V.P. is appreciated.

The False Secret to Great Success!

I have heard over and over the secret of great success. You probably have heard it, too. “As long as you make your boss look good, you will continue to get promoted.” How enriching is that! I think that’s what we call “kissing up.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t find it very inspiring waking up every day to make my boss look good. Don’t get me wrong, I have my client’s backs and I love serving them, but sometimes serving means telling someone something that they don’t want to hear but need to hear.

 You were made to stand out. This doesn’t mean you disrespect people or become arrogant. Standing out is leading and living the way you were destined to. Be who you are. You have things to offer that nobody else can. Don’t be fearful of sharing your ideas. Put yourself out there! People will look up to you for it.

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Offer new ideas to somebody today!

Throne the Customer!

A couple of weeks ago while getting a tour of Zappos (the online shoe and clothing company), Danica and I were placed on a throne in full glory! Oh, don’t worry. It’s nothing we did; they just treat everyone that way! Imagine if your company did that? I know I imagine what it would be like if my company did the same. Why does it seem so impossible? Why are companies like Zappos so rare?

 What if I told you it wasn’t that hard? What if I told you it consisted of a few key elements that any company could implement? Would you? The concepts are really simple. I’m working at getting better myself! Here they are… Servant Leadership companies are 30% more profitable than their competitors. Here is the vision for getting started with this at your company.

 1)      Owners have Core Values that are tested against daily behavior.

2)      Owners have created a clear and concise Vision that can be measured.

3)      Employees are treated as owners who are trusted and held accountable to the vision and values of the company.

4)      Owners inspect what they expect by testing employees’ daily behavior to the values of the company and create supporting systems of checks and balances.

5)      Owners reward behavior that promotes Core Values and they celebrate victories along the way.

There you go! I’m perfecting the magic we have going on at Prophit. To create anything of meaning there must be a purpose and a vision. Start by creating an actionable vision statement. The important thing is to get started!

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Create your long-term vision and purpose. Why are you here?

Employee Engagement

While working on a research project on employee engagement, I’ve come across some interesting information I’d like to share with you.

 Jack and Suzy Welch, of GE and Harvard Business Review respectively, said, “…no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”

 Engaged employees are key to the well-being of companies. Research on 71 companies internationally, by a Chicago HR research and consulting firm, found that there was “almost a 52 percent difference in one-year performance improvement in operating income between companies with highly engaged employees as compared to those companies with low engagement scores.”

 So, what makes up an engaged employee? “Engaged people are proud to work for the company. They are committed to stay and put in the extra effort to facilitate the company’s goals,” said Soni Basi, senior project director at ISR. Curt Coffman, co-author of Gallup’s bestselling book on great managers, First Break All the Rules, reveals that, “Engaged employees are builders. They want to know the desired expectations for their role so they can meet and exceed them. They’re naturally curious about their company and their place in it. They perform at consistently high levels. They want to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion. They have a visceral connection to their company. And they drive innovation and move their organization forward.”

 How can we see that we all become engaged employees? The responsibility lies within us all. Managers must find ways of keeping employees engaged by providing “a strong relationship with, and clear communication from, their manager…Managers also have to challenge employees within their areas of talent, then help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to build their talents into strengths. And managers should help employees develop ownership of their goals, targets, and milestones, so employees can enhance their contributions to the company and increase their impact,” says Coffman. Coffman continues, “Employees who get to do what they do best everyday move toward engagement. And last but not least, catch him doing things right. Recognize him for excellence. Recognition is personally fulfilling, but even more, recognition communicates what an organization values, and it reinforces employee behaviors that reflect those values.”

 Associates also have a responsibility to become an engaged employee.

 Joe Kiedinger

 Action Plan: What do you find particularly stressful at work? Confront the issue and create a solution. This way you make more time to do what truly makes you happy.

Oh, What a Brand!

Today is a big day! My quest to understand corporate culture has led me to Zappos. If you are unaware of the Zappos brand, learn about their products at zappos.com. Once you order from them, you will begin to understand customer service. Zappos got started selling shoes online. They have a 365-day return policy. All shipping is free. If the shoes don’t fit, go online and order another pair. They will send those generally next day air. The service is excellent and has gained national recognition. They have been number one on Forbes’ Best Places to Work list for three consecutive years.

 I recently heard Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) speak. He is a regular guy with a simple message: Chase the dream not the paper. His new book, Delivering Happiness, shares his ideas on corporate culture and creating WOW! He noted that we don’t know what will bring us happiness. We often think “as soon as I get that promotion” or “as soon as I lose 20 pounds” then life will be great. When we accomplish these things, we may not be happy because we are off to the next thing.

 He pointed out that whatever you think you want comes down to one desire—happiness. It’s not the goals that make us happy, it’s a higher purpose. True happiness is only generated from knowing you are a part of something greater than yourself. He noted that all companies need to define their purpose. The simpler you can define it, the more income potential you can expect. Tony explained that only two years ago the Zappos purpose became Delivering Happiness. Because of this vision, a new profit center opened up. Today you can do the Zappos experience and attend their culture-building classes. Cool! Our company is meeting in a couple of weeks to begin defining our purpose. Why are we here? Figure that out and watch how engaged your employees will be!

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: What’s your higher purpose?

Where Have All the Sales People Gone?

Do you remember the good ol’ days when sales people would approach you as you shopped a store? You still see it in commissioned structures like car dealerships and some furniture stores. Do you remember when this commissioned structure was widely used, and how, at times, you would feel pressured by the sales force? I miss it. I mean it—I really miss it.

I was wanting to purchase a Mac Book Pro and a video camera yesterday at an unnamed retail store that thinks they’re the BEST… oopsy! In making my way through the store to the computer section, I spotted a sales associate who was working with a couple in the Mac area. The couple left for a moment, and seeing my opportunity I began asking the sales associate some simple questions to verify that this was the model I wanted. The couple then came back and the sales associate pushed me off to nobody. All I wanted was for him to get me the computer so I could leave. I knew what I wanted.

I looked around the store and all five sales people that I could see were with customers (this was probably a 70,000-square-foot store). I felt abandoned and alone. I finally cornered a guy who told me he knew nothing about cameras and a little about computers. “I’ll take it!” I thought. I grabbed what I thought I needed, and left!  I hated it.

Like most things, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. The great thing about commissioned sales people is that they’re motivated to cross-train themselves on multiple products and departments. The more they know, the more they sell, the more they make.

When Danica and I went to Sears about a year ago to buy a flat screen TV and a refrigerator, the sales team knew their stuff. It was refreshing to be treated like we were important. Yes, indeed, I miss commissioned sales people. From now on, I’m going where professional sales people are making money based on what they know and how they treat me.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: What messages are your associates sending that you may not be aware of?

Servant Leaders United

This past Monday more than 150 Servant Leaders who are committed to the journey of striving to be better gathered for an event at St. Norbert College. The gathering was inspired by an event this past March that was sponsored by Festival Foods and that featured Servant Leadership coach and international speaker/author Jim Hunter. More than 850 people showed up for this event, which was held at the Meyer Theatre, and they were energized by Hunter’s insights on treating people with respect and dignity. We decided to carry this momentum forward and invited attendees to join our Servant Leadership group on Monday.

Monday’s event was moderated by myself and included topics presented by Ben Coppens, L3 Coach from Barry Wehmiller, the parent company of Paper Converting here in Green Bay; Tom Thibodeau,  Distinguished Master in Servant Leadership Professor at Viterbo University; Chris Elliott, change management expert and Managing Director of About Me International; and Dick Pieper of Pieper Power in Milwaukee. Topics covered Servant Leadership in the area, across our state, across the nation and across the globe.

Bottom line is this: The Servant Leadership box has been opened and people are ready to begin their journey. Everyone’s journey is different. Some want to be better parents, teachers, spouses, co-workers or leaders. Everyone has to take the journey their own way. Servant Leadership is based on mutual respect, meeting legitimate needs and giving proper feedback.

If you would like to explore this journey with us, you can get updates on upcoming events by joining the Servant Leadership Wisconsin LinkedIn group, or you can e-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com and I will put you on our e-mail list.

Make a positive impact in the world!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: If you’re ready to join us, please let us know!

A General at the Age of 3!

I have this little girl who is a general in our house. She constantly keeps tabs on her mom so she knows exactly where she is at all times. Danica jokes, “If it weren’t for this one, I wouldn’t know where I am!” She recently learned how to lie about things. If she is sick and doesn’t like her medicine, she hides it. She takes things from her sisters and brother all the time without a word of permission.

Now this behavior can be pretty darn cute coming from a domineering three-year-old; however, coming from a 30-year-old, it’s pretty ugly. There are 30-40 and even 50-year-old three-year-olds walking around corporate America today. They leave a path of destruction behind them wherever they go. They poke their nose where it doesn’t belong and end up sabotaging long-time relationships.

These people never see themselves this way, but they stand in the way of progress every day. Scour your organization for them. They destroy relationships and tear apart systems of operation. They are the disease of every organization. When people come to you with concerns, really listen. Are they complaining to complain or are they coming with a legitimate behavior issue stemming from a person? Take the time to listen and open your mind. Relationships are the glue that keeps the vision and momentum going for all great organizations.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Step outside yourself for awhile and listen to what’s going on!

Big Apple Here We Come!

I’m writing this Wisdom on Wednesday on Monday evening. Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, Danica and I board a plane and head to New York. Not too long ago I wrote a Wisdom with the theme of “showing up.”  I wrote that 90% of success is having the guts to show up. Tuesday afternoon we have an appointment to meet with various executives at the Time Warner corporate office, where we will be spending 2-3 hours presenting our Prophit Marketing process and the About Me Card software.

What will come of it? Who knows. We hope for the best. One thing I can tell you is this: If we stay in Green Bay, nothing will happen with Time Warner. We learned all new initiatives come out of New York. Hey, at the very least Danica and I will spend a few days away. On the other hand, we may be meeting some new friends who can help us change the world. We’ll see. I’m sure you’ll be hearing about it in next week’s Wisdom. By the time you read this Wisdom, the pitch will be over and Danica and I will be sleeping.

Don’t be intimidated by opportunities—seize them. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal. It’s the real show. Speaking of show, I think I’ll check out 42nd street!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: So who are you meeting with in the near future?!