No Nonsense: Inspire Your Staff

100+ Ways to Awaken, Inspire, and Engage

Jerry R. Wilson

• Publisher: Career Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781632651815
• eBook ISBN:
  9781632657541
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Consulting
• Index: Business

"No Nonsense: Inspire Your Staff's practical, hard-hitting ideas and examples are both relevant and necessary in business today. This is the book that will give you the edge. It’s the book that you don’t want your competition to read!"—Steve Hanes, president, Dale Carnegie Solutions

For most businesses, attracting new employees and getting your existing employees to succeed is a never-ending task. It’s often rooted in inefficient hiring practices, misunderstood motivational techniques, inadequate training, and high employee turnover. The results: low productivity and poor performance, leading to lower revenue, unhappy customers, and endless management headaches. No Nonsense: Inspire Your Staff takes the mystery out of motivating employees to achieve personal and business success.

The basic concept: Inspire your employees to create and maintain delighted repeat customers!

This book demonstrates that business owners don’t have to constantly replace employees or use artificial incentives and harsh methods to get employees to help the business succeed. Wilson shows business owners and managers how to do it themselves without the pain and suffering. And you don’t have to invent any new approaches, concepts, or buzzwords to do it. Just follow some of the more than 100 proven ideas and discover amazing results—fast!

Wilson spent more than twenty-five years researching what his clients—businesses large and small—need to do to be successful in today’s marketplace by hiring and motivating the right employees. These powerful ideas work. Each is presented in a bite-sized package that allows for instant execution. No long chapters with endless justifications, pontifications, philosophy, and personal stories. These great, practical ideas are things any business manager and owner can use to make an immediate difference in his or her business success.

Ignite your people to new levels of success with these action-oriented tips to improve morale and boost the bottom line.

WAY 1

Work On, Not In, Your Business

There's one fact you can't avoid if you're serious about wanting to improve your business. If you wait until you have time to do something, you'll never get around to it. Some law of nature always fills the holes in your agenda. You have to make time to work on, not just in, your business. And you will never have time if you don't make the time.

It's easy to overlook the need to make improvements today, and it's almost certain you'll look back in time and say: “I wish I had . . .,” “I should have . . .,” or “Why didn't I . . . ?” Don't let these laments become part of your conversation—part of the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” routine.

ACTION ITEM

Above your desk, somewhere you will see it every time you sit down, post a reminder that reads: “I will work on my business—and my team—today.”

Jack was always too busy working to rethink marketing strategies and to cultivate potential customers. No amount of pleading by his sales staff could get him away from operations. He believed the company would always have a steady flow of work.

When his largest customer defected to a competitor, Jack was faced with making a mad scramble to replace the work or having to lay off many of his quality workers that he would probably never get back.

TAKEAWAY

Procrastination robs you of a valuable
commodity—time. Today is the day to begin
a program of continuous improvement.

WAY 2

It's All about Outcomes

Kaizen is the Japanese word for the philosophy of daily incremental improvement—the practice of finding small improvements you can make each day that can add up to long-term quantum leaps for improved quality, increased productivity, and smoother processes. It's all about outcomes.

When you listen to businesspeople discuss what is going on with their jobs, their companies, or their leadership, you almost always hear them talk about their activities. But why do we constantly focus on our activities? Experts tell us that it is largely because it feels good to know that we have been busy; it makes us think and feel that we are being productive.

ACTION ITEM

Make a sign headed by the word “OUTCOMES!” in large bold letters. Then, below that, add the following sentence: “Customers want to know W.I.I.F.T. (What's In It for Them)!” Post the sign where you will see it often.

Can you find me even one prospect or customer who cares about the activities, the busywork, and the procedures that go on inside your firm or organization? What do customers care about? Outcomes. They care about what is in it for them. In other words, they couldn't care less about your labor pains; they simply want you to show them the baby.

TAKEAWAY

Think outcomes, and you'll soon find
your organization embracing the practice
of incremental daily improvement.

WAY 3

Get Over Email!

Nowadays, it seems as if all communication takes place in emails or texts. And this is, quite often, the quickest way to communicate. But when you have to deliver important messages to your staff—whether to recognize that they beat their numbers or to point out that they missed a goal post—it is sometimes best to do so in person or through video conferencing. This can help your staff feel that you are more connected to them and more interested in them. Especially hard conversations are always best done in person.

ACTION ITEM

Call or set a meeting with one of your employees with whom you haven't connected in at least a week. Make a practice of doing this with staff on a regular basis.

Communicate regularly with people who work in-house and people who work remotely. Favoring one group over the other can make some feel disconnected or not as appreciated. That connection can spur and empower someone in clutch moments.

TAKEAWAY

Be involved. Set the tone and muster your troops.
And pick up the phone sometimes for a more
personal connection than an email or text.

WAY 4

IASM

It is said that life is a series of ongoing challenges interrupted by periodic crises. How true that has proven to be! It is true that everyone in business faces setbacks, roadblocks, and bouts of occasional discouragement. Good leadership means learning to minimize these challenges and crises but also to develop an internal persistence to work through them.

ACTION ITEM

Write down the top three things you are proud of in your products and services and how they benefit your customers. Use these as key talking points to remind yourself and your employees why you are sold on yourselves and your business.

When Mary Kay Ash founded Mary Kay Cosmetics—with little money and the challenge of being unexpectedly widowed—she needed a secret weapon to persevere with her dream of helping others succeed in her startup cosmetics business. Her answer was to become so sold on her products and her unique business opportunity that she and others could visualize the big bold letters IASM (I Am Sold Myself) emblazoned across their chests.

As her company grew from a startup vision into an international success story, she never gave up the belief that, to overcome the challenges and crises that everyone faces, you must be absolutely sold on your products and services. Being absolutely, positively sold leads to the persistence and tenacity needed to persevere.

TAKEAWAY

It is how you respond to what happens to you
that will keep you going when others give up.

WAY 5

We Care, You Matter

It is difficult, if not impossible, to find a business that doesn't claim to care about its people and brag about how much they matter to the organization's success. We say it; we put it up on signs and banners; we claim that our people matter to anyone who will listen. The problem is that, to really inspire your staff, you must both say it and live it.

ACTION ITEM

Make it a routine practice to prove to your employees that you care and that they matter. Ask them for suggestions often—and act on those suggestions when you get them. Remember: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. You'll not only be rewarded with a more inspired crew, you'll gain tons of great ideas and feedback to help you grow and improve.

When a Minneapolis-based company was forced to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, one of the new practices they used to inspire their embattled staff was to offer cash rewards for good ideas and suggestions. One of the first employees to take advantage of the offer looked at his $50 reward check and asked a very telling question: “Why, when you were going broke, did you not seem to care about me and my ideas, and now that we are in bankruptcy, I not only matter but you are willing to pay me for my ideas?” Ouch!

TAKEAWAY

You can shout that you care from the rooftops
and you can put up signs and banners about
how much your employees matter, but you will
only inspire them when you demonstrate it.

WAY 6

Your Job Is All about Th...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• How to Use This Book
• WAY 1: Work On, Not In, Your Business
• WAY 2: It's All about Outcomes
• WAY 3: Get Over Email!
• WAY 4: IASM
• WAY 5: We Care, You Matter
• WAY 6: Your Job Is All about Them
• WAY 7: Don't Overlook the “Why”
• WAY 8: Create Your Magnet Story
• WAY 9: Sell—and Sell Again
• WAY 10: Don't Invent Your Success—Steal It
• WAY 11: No Man Can Serve Two Masters
• WAY 12: Teamwork
• WAY 13: Share Success
• WAY 14: Be Demanding, Set Standards
• WAY 15: Make Everyone a CRM
• WAY 16: Set Expectations
• WAY 17: Don't Compete with Yourself
• WAY 18: Too Soon Old, Too Late Schmart
• WAY 19: Tell Them Why
• WAY 20: Competence Builds Confidence
• WAY 21: Park Your Ego
• WAY 22: Capture Their Heads, Hearts, and Souls
• WAY 23: Who Gets the Credit?
• WAY 24: Use Those Tribal Stories
• WAY 25: If You Have Time to Lean . . .
• WAY 26: Roadblocks and Resources
• WAY 27: Don't Worry about Repeat Messaging
• WAY 28: Your Brand Identity
• WAY 29: You Are in the People Business
• WAY 30: You Will Never Understand People
• WAY 31: Nobody Notices Normal
• WAY 32: Critical First Impressions
• WAY 33: Fire Losers—But Do It Right
• WAY 34: The “Must” Checklist
• WAY 35: Expense or Investment?
• WAY 36: A Chance to Take a Chance
• WAY 37: Horses and People
• WAY 38: Discrimination Is Alive and Well
• WAY 39: The Best Attracts the Best
• WAY 40: Don't Sell the Job
• WAY 41: Invest in Yourself
• WAY 42: Invest in Your Team
• WAY 43: Invest in Your Customers
• WAY 44: Give 'Em a Great Reputation
• WAY 45: Can We Be Friends?
• WAY 46: Beware Workers with Selective Memory
• WAY 47: There's No Such Thing as Fair
• WAY 48: Motivation vs. Inspiration
• WAY 49: Yes, You Can!
• WAY 50: Appreciate Differences
• WAY 51: Create Synergy
• WAY 52: Focus on Behavior
• WAY 53: Information ≠ Power
• WAY 54: Pull, Don't Push
• WAY 55: CP 1 = EN 1
• WAY 56: Celebrate Big Events—and Small
• WAY 57: Leadership First
• WAY 58: Courage vs. Conformity
• WAY 59: Walk the Talk
• WAY 60: Offer Them a Salad Bar
• WAY 61: Your Way or the Highway
• WAY 62: Your Speed = Their Speed
• WAY 63: Drown Out Negative Messages
• WAY 64: Don't Be a Know-It-All
• WAY 65: Four Crucial Questions
• WAY 66: Your Business Is Not a Democracy
• WAY 67: Rules vs. Guidelines
• WAY 68: You Can't Be Fired, Unless . . .
• WAY 69: Kill the Snake!
• WAY 70: The Right to Be Unequal
• WAY 71: It's Easier to Stay Out of Trouble
• WAY 72: If It Ain't Broke . . .
• WAY 73: Sell Your Unique Strengths
• WAY 74: Monkey See, Monkey Do
• WAY 75: Read Your Job Description
• WAY 76: Actions Trump Intentions
• WAY 77: Respect Trumps Everything
• WAY 78: The Person in the Mirror
• WAY 79: The HELM Principle
• WAY 80: When Two People Know
• WAY 81: Mom, Sunday School, and a Grand Jury
• WAY 82: Forgive, Forget—and Move On
• WAY 83: Establish Listening Posts
• WAY 84: Avoid Majoring in Minors
• WAY 85: Boss, Heal Thyself
• WAY 86: Eat the Frog Early
• WAY 87: Good Made Better
• WAY 88: How Smart People Learn
• WAY 89: Chasing Symptoms
• WAY 90: Know What You Don't Know
• WAY 91: All Systems Go
• WAY 92: Zero Defections
• WAY 93: Make Them Part of the Solution
• WAY 94: Your Hall of Fame
• WAY 95: Your Wall of Shame
• WAY 96: The Oxen Principle
• WAY 97: Satisfaction—The Kiss of Death!
• WAY 98: Good Training = Retraining
• WAY 99: Keyoka
• WAY 100: The ABCs and 1,000 Little Things
• WAY 101: Green Is Growing, Red Is Rotting
• WAY 102: The Hidden Payoff in Training
• WAY 103: What Is True Empowerment?
• WAY 104: Confront the Fear
• WAY 105: Show How Much You Care
• WAY 106: Build a Recognition Machine
• WAY 107: Fair ≠ Equal
• WAY 108: The Magic Question
• WAY 109: The Wise Judge Principle
• WAY 110: Open Door, Open Mind
• WAY 111: Weasel Words
• WAY 112: A Family Affair
• WAY 113: Off-Track Betting
• WAY 114: Your Best Is Not Enough
• WAY 115: Fringe Benefits
• WAY 116: Annual Reviews Stink
• WAY 117: No News Isn't Good News
• WAY 118: Sorry, No Pay Today
• WAY 119: Confront, Correct, and Move On
• WAY 120: Catch Them Being Good
• WAY 121: No One Likes Criticism
• WAY 122: Get Mad
• WAY 123: Traditions
• WAY 124: The 50-25-25 Plan
• WAY 125: Old Chinese Proverb
• WAY 126: Fair Share
• WAY 127: Beware the Seniority Trap
• WAY 128: Watch Out for That Creep!
• WAY 129: Me to We
• WAY 130: Your Definition of Success
• WAY 131: Technology Requires Investment
• WAY 132: Today, Tomorrow, and the Future
• WAY 133: You're Fired—Thank You
• WAY 134: Your It's-Done List
• WAY 135: Compound Interest
• About the Author