Navigating the unknown – how some business owners rose to the top
Posted by Ken McGovern in Leadership, Team Development | 0 comments
Over the past 12 months, I’ve seen all the business owner emotions emerge– from panic, to doom and gloom, to “Hey, here’s an opportunity – let’s jump on it” and everything in between. Just when I thought I’ve seen it all – a new twist came into the picture.
The process in which we hire, onboard, train and retain key talent has forever changed – and I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it’s simply different.
I’ve noticed some commonality in the businesses that not only survived but thrived during all of this mayhem and uncertainty.
Ability to Hire & Retain the RIGHT people. Let’s just say my job got interesting in 2020! Unlike large corporations who can weather the storm of new employees not sticking, small businesses can’t sustain the disruption. Owners who were intimately connected with their day-to-day operations, understood workflows, and were able to realistically share that with new hires won the game. Just because someone has the right resume, doesn’t make them the perfect fit for the job. Digging deeper to ensure they are a cultural fit is more important than ever!
Ability to Accept Reality and be Resourceful. Business owners who accepted that Covid was here for a while and did not dwell on the negative but rather became resourceful – were able to shift their mindset and change their business models quickly. We can’t control what happens around us, but we 100% can control how we react to every single situation.
Ability to Pivot Quickly. I’ve seen restaurants close, and I’ve seen restaurants explode. The difference was their willingness to pivot quickly and recognize that people were willing to PAY for the convenience and pay well. Servers shifted to production line, curb-side pick-up, and even at home delivery workers. Business owners needed to pay them more, incentivize, and encourage – and many employees were grateful for the work, they stepped up.
Ability to Step up as a True Leader. Where the leader shines, the team will follow. Business owners who rolled up their sleeves and got dirty with the team not only showed initiative but showed hope. Business owners who showed true leadership skills were able to pull the troops together easily – in other words, the teams WANTED to be a part of the process to help – they didn’t feel obligated.
Ability to Show Empathy. If our Emotional I.Q.s were ever challenged, it was during the past year. Work from home realities, caring for sick family members, and perhaps the hardest – remote education pushed many employees and teams to the limits. Business owners who showed empathy, and stepped up to shift priorities, reorganize teams and communicate with customers about delays and the reality of life at their company were able to keep employees AND customers.
Over and over again, I saw these traits in businesses that were able to survive and thrive over the past year. What will 2021 bring? No one knows but heeding the lessons from those who navigated the past 12 months well, will surely serve many business owners through the choppy waters ahead.
The Power of Referrals
Posted by Ken McGovern in Board Advisory, Executive Search, Leadership, Team Development | 0 comments
Have you ever commented on a social media post of someone looking for a recommendation for a plumber, pet sitter, accountant, etc. and recommended your favorite and most trusted people? If so, you’ve given a referral to someone. Whether solicited or not, you’ve just recommended someone to another person to consult, review, or take further action on because you think they would be a good fit for their need. From a business perspective, getting referrals from satisfied customers is one of the best ways to attract new customers.
For many businesses, word of mouth advertising can say a lot about the quality of your products/services and can help you grow your business organically vs. paid marketing and advertising. Referrals offer the most effective return on investment and carry more weight for most potential customers vs. an online or print ad.
A referral is the ultimate compliment you can get from a customer. In fact, a Nielsen study found that 92% of people trusted recommendations from people they know, and 70% trusted consumer opinions posted online – think Google, Yelp, Facebook, Glass Door, etc. When it comes to choosing the right company/product/service, most people have several options to choose from and a plethora of information online to do their research. At the end of the day, people want to know that their decision is informed, they are getting value, and that their decision is validated by someone’s prior experience.
It doesn’t matter what type of business you own; referrals can still be your best marketing tool. Here’s 5 ways to gain more referrals:
- Have a WOW factor. What sets you apart from your competition and makes your clients say Wow, I need to work with Mr. Smith. Showcase that WOW.
- Give the people what they want. Make sure you are promoting the products/services that your customers want vs. what you think they want. If you are a financial institution that keeps promoting savings accounts when people really want to learn more about mortgages or home equity loans, then you’ve missed a huge opportunity with your customers.
- Make referrals easy. Don’t make people jump through hoops to get to you. If a current client wants to copy you on an email to a potential client, let them. Don’t force them to fill out a form or contact you via your website first. Keep it simple.
- Just ask. If you’ve just done an amazing job for a customer and they are showering you with compliments and thank you’s, ask them to spread the word if they are willing to anyone who might need your product/services. Even in this digital world, people still like human connection, and a direct word of mouth referral from someone can go a long way.
- Utilize social media. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter – all great places to connect with your customers and interact with them via your business. By having a business page, people can easily tag you when making referrals on social media. You can also enable reviews on some social platforms so customers can leave feedback on their experiences. You can add some of these testimonials to your website as well.
Referrals can be for so much more than just product/services as well. It’s also one of the best ways to find a new job if you are a job seeker or find employees as a business. Happy employees LOVE to talk about how great their job and their company are. They will go out of their way to recommend it as a place to work to people they know who may be job hunting. From the employer perspective, it’s a great way to find potential qualified candidates who are vouched for by a current employee.
Have a product or service that you highly recommend? Let me know, it might come in handy!
How Will Your Company Shift?
Posted by Ken McGovern in Leadership, Team Development | 0 comments
It’s no secret that COVID has completely changed how some companies and their employees are working right now. For many, requiring employees to work from home has become the status quo – at least for the foreseeable future. But eventually we’ll return to in-person interactions – interviews, meetings, and for some, returning to the office full time. The question remains – how will your company shift?
Some employees LOVE working from home, while others are really struggling – missing the in-person office interactions with their coworkers and clients. Then there are others who enjoy the flexibility of being able to choose where they work – a hybrid model if you will. As we move closer to fully reopening and getting some sort of normalcy back, employers are going to be faced with the decision to choose how their business will operate – which way will they shift?
Work from Home. Many companies are seeing the benefit to a remote workforce. Not only are businesses saving thousands on operating costs and overhead, but many employees are much happier being able to work from a home office. In a recent article by the Hartford Business Journal, workers who once commuted by car but now work from home are saving a total of $758 million per day, according to research from freelancing platform Upwork. The savings comprise gas, car maintenance and repairs, as well as the costs that driving imposes on society, such as congestion and pollution.
The biggest savings however is actually time. Every hour of commuting by car costs Americans $12.50. That adds up, given Americans’ long commutes. We spent an average of 54.2 minutes commuting daily in 2018. So, in addition to saving money on commuting, employees are able to spend more time with their friends, families and yes even their pets! A few other perks include being able to handle some of your personal affairs more easily, such as scheduling a plumber to fix that leaky faucet or being able to toss a load of laundry in between calls, and even being able to walk your dog at lunch time or monitor your kids if they are doing online learning.
Returning to the Office. Many extroverts are itching to get into their traditional office routine. They miss seeing coworkers, clients, vendors, etc. face to face. Phone calls and video conferences just don’t cut it for some employees, and they need the camaraderie and collaboration that being in the office provides. For some people, it’s going to be awhile before they feel comfortable being in an office, but others need that type of environment to be productive and happy.
Not everyone can manage the distractions that also come from working from home. Being in an office environment keeps them focused and on task. They can separate their work life from their home life. Additionally, returning to the office is a boost to the economy, workers who commute spend money on transportation, morning coffee, lunch or other conveniences that are in the vicinity of the office.
Hybrid Model. Offering employees the flexibility to choose their schedule may be a great shift for many employers. Not only will it allow you to stagger the number of employees reporting to the office each day, but it will make easing back into face to face interactions easier for some people. Some employees may choose to work more days in the office or more days from home, but it offers them the choice and freedom to set their schedule. If you need to hold an in-person meeting, you can set certain days of the week where meeting can be scheduled while other days are off limits. There are a lot of options and flexibility that come with the hybrid model, but in order for businesses to do this effectively they will need to have some serious planning sessions around it. Employees will need to make a decision and stick to it. Imagine having an office for 400 employees – one day 50 people show up and then Sue & John decide they would rather be in the office. Will it have to be all or nothing? Will employees need to commit to being all remote, in the office on Mondays only or full on office dwellers? If I were a betting man, HR teams are already hashing out these details in anticipation!
However your business chooses to shift, there is no right or wrong answer. In fact, at KMR Executive Search, I’ve just started doing in person interviews again, but I don’t hold it against anyone who isn’t comfortable meeting face to face just yet.
Will continuing to work remote require some changes to how you conduct interviews (see my previous blog on the topic) or how you onboard new employees? – Of course! But for many it’s also a great opportunity for Human Resources to dust off the employee handbook and make some updates (sorry HR). If you want to attract top talent, honoring how they want to work should be a top priority.
How is your business planning to shift in 2021- work from home, hybrid, or in office?
Hiring in the New Virtual World
Posted by Ken McGovern in Executive Search, Team Development | 0 comments
With some companies continuing to let their employees work virtually to increase safety and social distancing measures, many have found themselves in new and uncertain territory when it comes to the virtual hiring process.
The good news? There are myriad virtual recruiting tools that can help you safely source high-quality talent. After all, hiring the right employees is still a vital part of the success of your organization.
Networking in the New Normal – it’s Essential!
Posted by Ken McGovern in Team Development | 0 comments
While 2020 has made it difficult to have in-person conferences, events, and meetings, networking is still an essential part of your career’s success. While it may look a little different right now, more connecting on social media, via email, and through online conferences and meetings, networking has not lost its effectiveness when it comes to both career and business growth.
Experts agree that the most connected people are often the most successful. When you invest in your relationships — professional and personal — it will pay you back in dividends throughout the course of your career and life. Networking will help you develop and improve your skill set, stay on top of the latest trends in your industry, keep a pulse on the job market (both for job hunters and hiring managers), meet prospective mentors, partners, and clients, and gain access to the necessary resources that will foster your career development and business growth.
Gender Equality in the Workplace – From a Woman’s View (Thank you, Ladies)
Posted by Ken McGovern in Culture, Leadership | 0 comments
With the myriad regulations and laws in place, we shouldn’t still be talking about Gender Equality in the workplace, but we are. Pay equality is vital, and while that’s a big part of the big picture, it’s not the only issue at play. Poor maternity leave policies, sexual harassment, and unconscious bias also top the list of disadvantages preventing women from succeeding and thriving in the workplace. It’s not just a US problem, it’s a global problem.
The Art of a Courageous Leader
Posted by Ken McGovern in Leadership | 0 comments
If the term “Leadership Courage” is new to you, you aren’t alone.
In my eyes, “Leadership Courage” is defined as the art of influencing others while often in the throes of controversy. Courageous leaders don’t look for the easiest path or the simple solutions – they look for the best option even if it’s unpleasant, painful or even terrifying.
The IQ vs EQ Debate: Beyond the Resume
Posted by Ken McGovern in Executive Search, Succession Planning, Team Development | 0 comments
Identifying the RIGHT prospective employee is a journey that goes beyond simply finding resumes that boast high GPAs from highly ranked schools or impressive professional credentials. In fact, I cringe when I think of all the truly qualified people who are overlooked by “black box” online hiring filters just because they are missing a key word in their resume. Technology is great…until it isn’t.
For me, the credentials are important, but they are secondary to the “person.”
On behalf of my clients I phone screen prospective candidates for IQ (Intelligence Quotient) – hard skills, professional experience, job transitions – basically, reviewing what is in black and white on their resume. I am focusing on topics and skills that are teachable, learnable, measurable, and quantifiable. Yes, I need to know that they have the capacity to do the job, but I don’t overlook someone who has never held the position I’m hiring for. It’s about their overall skillset – I’m looking macro, not micro for most searches.
Secrets of an Effective Team
Posted by Ken McGovern in Leadership Development, Team Development | 0 comments
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford
Ford Motor Company is the second-largest automaker in the U.S and is one of the biggest family businesses in the U.S. It all began with the strong leadership and innovative skills of the company’s founder, Henry Ford. For over 100 years, the Ford family has grown the business from its humble beginnings to worldwide powerhouse. The founder’s great-grandson, William Clay Ford, Jr. serves as the Executive Chairman.
Henry Ford learned early on the power of leadership and an effective team . Like Army Generals, innovators and CEO’s are only as effective as their front-line team.
What we can learn from El Capitan
Posted by Ken McGovern in Executive Search, Leadership | 0 comments
I’d like to think I’m a moderate risk taker – I’m one for taking some good calculated chances here and there. I’m NOT one for even thinking of attempting a free solo climb of El Capitan like Alex Honnold (check out this documentary if you want to bite all your nails off and sit on the edge of your seat with one hand over your eyes and the other hand gripping the arm rest).