When someone says something less than positive about another, whether it’s conscience or intentional, whether it’s true or false, it colors perspective and can completely change the way we see one another.

It’s true in that it’s obviously one person’s point of view, but that doesn’t make it the truth. With the way we speak about others, we can create or we can destroy.
Given how hard many of us already work, and how destructive gossip can be, it’s worth bringing a great deal of awareness to how people are speaking in your business and replace it with a more productive habit…like get some work done!

Gossip: The Most Destructive Thing in Business is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

With even just a little Acknowledgment, you can accomplish so much like:
Praise – as in bringing attention to a job well done.
Educate – using a job well done to set a standard for everyone.
Empower – putting attention on someone for something specifically well done.

And the best thing is, if makes you feel good, it makes others feel great,
it makes productivity go up, and…it costs you nothing.

So come on, don’t be a k’vetch. Go find someone to acknowledge right now.

The 2nd Most Powerful Management Tool You Have is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

No business owner would plan to sabotage business by inspiring fear with employees. Not intentionally, at least. But often, due to the financial stress of months where business is slow, owners and managers pass on information that de-motivates employees at a time when you most need their best effort. Although it may seem normal to complain about typical business problems, it can have an adverse effect on employees who may take it personally.

Fear is not a good motivator. Scared employees work less effectively. Fear has a very short shelf life, and can lead to resentment and resistance. Fear impedes real thinking, innovation, challenge, and risk taking. Replaced with avoiding responsibility, CYA, and doing the minimal amount.

Instead, talk about what’s working and what you would like to see more of. Acknowledge each person for their best efforts and you will get more of that.

Fear Based Management is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

All day long, your business and your employees are managing work getting done. The more efficiently your organization executes commitments, the more money you make.
Powerful and effective execution starts with powerful management. Powerfully effective management starts with powerful speaking and listening. You will not have powerful actions without powerful speaking and management.

Speaking without power is a management style that is relying on the hope of circumstances to turn out and deliver the results, very likely accompanied by worry, fear, stress, and frustrations.

Powerful speaking as a management style wields requests for commitments in time, challenging the best execution possible. In short, more attention to work on the front end, pays big back end dividends.

Powerful Speaking and Profitable Business is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

You hire someone who, at that time, seems to be the best person for the position. Everyone is happy – for a while. Then, at some point there is a problem. Do you stop to ask the question – is it the new person, or is it the management style, or is it something about the business operations or culture that is driving that employee’s behavior?

It may or may not be, but if you don’t ask, you will never discover what could possibly be a blind spot. Then the common scenario runs its course. He/she stays for a few months or years, and then we start over with a new person.

When you’re at the top of your organization, it’s likely difficult to see the impact of your own personality and leadership – be brave, ask for feedback,

Classic Business Blind Spot! is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

It takes some intelligence to offer a better, more effective way to get something done. It requires emotional intelligence so that your packaging and delivery lands for the receiver in a way that they can hear it, and put it into action right now. But what do you do if the receiver won’t listen, no matter how you deliver or package it?

More than half your struggle might have nothing to do with you, but with the fact that your listener isn’t open to support and coaching to begin with. It takes a certain degree of self confidence and self esteem to be able to listen to coaching from someone without being offended, threatened, or angry. Without the “Right Attitude,” the Coachee is limited in their learning ability, and it’s likely that you’re going to feel like you’re working way too hard to get something across.

Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, and Right Attitude is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

Too often, leader’s reference the effectiveness of their speaking based on how they themselves feel or think without being responsible for how others are hearing them. “Me centered” focus of attention could be considered a kind of A.D.D. behavior.

Successful Leadership requires a behavior adjustment placing your attention almost entirely on others, specifically – your ability to listen to others. Whether you’re in front of many or in a one on one meeting, effective Leadership steers from what is happening over there with the listener(s).

If that’s where you want the action to be – commitments, execution on actions, etc., then it naturally follows that’s where we need our attention to measure the impact of our speaking. If you’re leadership isn’t getting the results you want, try a different style or message.

Leadership and A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

There is a whole range of responses you can get when asking another for a commitment. I am not speaking about what they say, I am speaking about the mood in which the commitment is delivered, but you have to listen for that.

Moods and Attitudes can vary from very low on the scale as in annoyance or obligation, or lower, all the way up to challenge, adventure, and empowerment.

To have powerful commitments that you can count on, you need to listen for what’s driving that promise behind the words you want to hear. The most powerful commitments are when there is no gap between the speaker, the speaker’s promise, and their actions. Their experience is one of “I am that I will…”, and you know they will do everything in their power to fulfill that.

What’s driving that Commitment or Promise? is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

There are a variety of relationships we can have to our word. Some people think it’s a complete pain to give their word, and you can hear and see that in their behavior. And some people feel empowered and supported by it.

Responses range from obligation, annoyance, or worse, to seeing it as a welcome challenge. The key is listening and coaching people where they are so they can take the next step.

Your Relationship To Your Word is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

When we say “Management”, what exactly are we talking about?
What is Management, if not intervention in some event about to go south?
In that moment, when circumstances argue that the job is not going to get done, how you intervene defines you and your style of management, of which there are many.

The most effective intervention I know is to be very clear on the outcome needed, not the process, not what they need to do, just the outcome. Make the most challenging, but doable, request to the responsible person, and listen for their commitment. It’s all about the quality of their commitment!

“Management,” “Business as Usual” and “Defining Moments” is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates