Broken promises can drive 78% of a company’s customers to consider defecting. (source) Advice from Alexandra Valentin, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: Organizations need to be careful about setting and fulfilling customer expectations. When your organization advertises the benefits of a product, then your product needs to live up to consumers’ expectations. Likewise, if your organization has made claims about your superior service, then every employee in your organization should be committed to fulfilling that promise of superior service. "Always" is the most important word in customer service. You are building a relationship with your customers. If your service is erratic or if your organization has made promises that it can’t fulfill, then customers will lose confidence in your organization and will look for another company to meet their needs. By providing consistent customer service, your customers will begin to trust you and will turn into loyal customers. However, even your loyal customers will still consider defecting if the quality of your service declines. The Credo of The Ritz-Carlton states: "the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission." All of our employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—are committed to fulfilling this mission every day. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development.  The Blog Post Significant Stat: Defecting Customers appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Each month, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center (RCLC) features an interview with an employee — also known as Lady or Gentleman of The Ritz-Carlton — in order to share an insider’s view of the organization. This month’s interview is with Laura Troy, Social Media Manager for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. RCLC: Please share a little about your background and role within The Ritz-Carlton organization. Ms. Troy: I began my Ritz-Carlton career eight years ago as a sales and marketing assistant. I transitioned into public relations just as social media was beginning to rise outside of college campuses. Over time, my work became focused more on social media and less on public relations and my role evolved into social media manager. I am currently responsible for creating and executing our social media strategy and online community management. I also work with our hotels and ensure that all social media efforts are cohesive, customer-centric and aligned. RCLC: How did The Ritz-Carlton first become involved with social media? Ms. Troy: Initially, we launched on two channels; Facebook and Twitter. Allison Sitch, Vice President of Global Public Relations, managed our Twitter channel and I managed our Facebook presence. When we started, we weren’t sure if luxury consumers would participate in social media conversations or want to engage on our platforms. We knew our focus should be on adding value to the digital time spent with us and to create engaging communities in which our guests could connect with our brand, become inspired and share their travel memories with us. Today, we see high levels of engagement on our social media channels with our consumers participating in conversations across multiple channels. For the second year in a row, Engagement Labs, an independent social media auditor, has recognized The Ritz-Carlton as the most engaged hotel brand in the space. RCLC: How many channels does The Ritz-Carlton have now? Ms. Troy: We currently have 13 channels including social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare and Sina Weibo in China. Our two newest channels are an Instagram account dedicated to The Ritz-Carlton Reserve and an Instagram account dedicated to Food and Beverage at The Ritz-Carlton. RCLC: How do you decide to launch a new channel? Ms. Troy: Before we create a new channel, we take a thorough look at what our consumers are using. For example, we know that people love taking photos of their dining experiences on Instagram. With amazing chefs, mixologists and bartenders all over the world it made a lot of sense for us to highlight our culinary expertise on Instagram. Each social media channel needs to have its own objective, purpose and content strategy. We don’t want to add additional channels that replicate the same content and messages over and over and over again. RCLC: How many people does it take to manage 13 social media channels? Ms. Troy: We partner with Pandemic Labs, based out of Boston. They have been our partner in the space from the very beginning. Three people from Pandemic work on our account full time with me—so it’s really a team of five people including our Vice President of Global Public Relations who oversees our social media strategy and heavy contribution from 90 Ritz-Carlton Communications professionals around the globe. RCLC: How do you produce all the content needed for 13 social media channels? Ms. Troy: Fortunately we have 91 highly engaged hotel properties around the world, and each month they submit content for the brand channels. We provide them with different types of content prompts every month that can be based on popular topics, themes, destinations and cultural trends. We want to make sure we are creating content and conversations that our consumers want to participate in whether it be on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. RCLC: Do you use content generated by guests? Ms. Troy: Yes, we use user-generated content through our #RCMemories campaign. We search that hashtag every day and select posts to re-gram and create captions with a credit to the user. We also share a collection of user-generated content through #RCMemories on our website. RCLC: Do guests reach out over social media? Ms. Troy: For us, social media is a constant conversation with a very large group of people who are extremely important to us. We want to be present on whatever channel our guests/audience choose to converse with us. For example, a couple of weeks ago a guest Tweeted us, "I am with my 12 year old son, what other fun stuff should we do while we are with you." We Tweeted back "If you have a sweet tooth, we suggest Marshmology. Learn the history of marshmallows from our marshmologist while enjoying s’mores around the firepit!" This happens every evening at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. They did, and they Tweeted back how much fun it was. Often a social media channel is the first point of interaction with a guest. It is essential that the experience is as meaningful and professional as possible. The Ritz-Carlton on social media is a natural extension of the service being provided at our hotels. We are connecting and engaging with guests in similar ways to how our Ladies and Gentlemen do every single day—but in a digital environment. RCLC: How often do guests reach out over social media with customer service issues? Ms. Troy: Our Ladies and Gentlemen do a fantastic job resolving any issues real-time and in-person so it rarely escalates to social media. When customer service is requested over social media, we engage. We have a designated team that sits in our customer relations department who work to handle any opportunity. RCLC: The Ritz-Carlton has won awards for social media. What differentiates The Ritz-Carlton approach to social media from other organizations? Ms. Troy: We have always stayed true to our goals from the very beginning, extending customer engagement digitally in the social arena. As social media channels evolve, we adapt our strategy, but our core mission is always engagement. We strive to share content that ties back to our company vision to "inspire life’s most meaningful journeys." Success is participating and reacting to 11,000 interactions every 24 hours. We love to hear about travel experiences and precious memories — if they happen to be at one of our hotels, that’s a bonus. It is extremely rewarding to know that our channels and content do indeed provide inspiration for others to travel and experience a rich world of cultural experiences. RCLC: Since The Ritz-Carlton is a global brand, how do you approach social media around the world? Do you have to alter your content based on geography? Ms. Troy: The goal around the world is to inspire and to use social media as a means of developing meaningful relationships with our audience. Channels that have global appeal take preference and then regionally specific ones too, such as Sina Weibo in China. We do need to be culturally aware, sensitive and respectful with messages, because not everything translates in every market. Research drives the topics we engage in. RCLC: What do you value the most about the culture of The Ritz-Carlton? Ms. Troy: One of my favorite aspects of The Ritz-Carlton culture is that our Ladies and Gentlemen are empowered to create amazing experiences for our guests every day. Many of the wonderful stories and memories that our consumers are sharing over social media are a result of our Ladies and Gentlemen being empowered to create an assortment of memorable experiences for our guests. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development.  The Blog Post Our Ladies and Gentlemen: Laura Troy appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Imagine if every person acted like a lady or gentleman….. Etiquette Tip: Ladies and gentlemen have an attitude of gratitude. No matter what is going on in your personal life or your workday, a lady or gentleman can always find a way to express gratitude. Expressing gratitude to your customers is particularly important. At The Ritz-Carlton, we dedicate a full week, known as Global Customer Appreciation Week, to recognizing our key accounts, top customers and global partners. In 2014, our global sales staff reached out to thousands of customers, hosted them at special events and attended thousands of in-person meetings. Events included luncheons, evening receptions and several exceptional experiences. For example, in Hong Kong, the team hosted a private viewing party of a documentary about Hong Kong. Their top clients not only had the privilege of attending the film’s first showing in Asia, but also had the opportunity to meet the film’s director during an exclusive viewing party and cocktail reception. In-person meetings were also opportunities to make meaningful connections. In past years a small team that set up a meeting with a client in Kansas City decided to turn the upcoming meeting into a "Happy Hour." They recreated the famed guacamologist presentation from The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas and spent the meeting time getting to know their client better. Setting aside dedicated time to express gratitude to clients is valuable, but when you combine that with getting to know your customers better, you’re able to express personalized appreciation throughout the year. ∞ The motto of The Ritz-Carlton is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto sets a tone of goodwill and grace for all. The Blog Post Etiquette & Engagement: Gratitude appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

93% of employees who volunteer with their company also report being happy with their employer. (source) Advice from Jennifer Blackmon, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: There is nothing more powerful than an engaged employee who offers his or her best every day. As leaders, we need to understand what truly motivates our staff; and not just from a day-to-day, "get the work done" perspective—but understanding what motivates them in their hearts. What creates passion and pride? One of those key motivators is giving back. Many of us have a desire to contribute to the greater good in some way and when the organization that we are a part of not only supports those efforts, but creates the opportunities to make them happen—the result is a binding tie. At The Ritz-Carlton, our Community Footprints efforts span the globe and give every Ritz-Carlton employee—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—the opportunity to contribute to their own communities in a meaningful way and as a team. We come together to make a difference and depart smiling, fulfilled and unified. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Significant Stat: Employees Who Volunteer appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

The employees of The Ritz-Carlton—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—aim to craft unique, memorable and personal experiences that cultivate guests for life. This guest story illustrates how memories create powerful emotional ties. It was the particular pleasure of the Ladies and Gentlemen at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel to celebrate 30-year-old memories while creating new ones with a long-time guest. A Message from Afar The marketing team at Al Bustan Palace received a private message via Facebook from the daughter of a long-time guest. She explained that her mother was on her way to Oman for a visit that would coincide with her parents’ wedding anniversary. Her mother had chosen to stay at another property in town because the memory of her late father would be too difficult to handle at Al Bustan Palace. However, her mother could not imagine spending her wedding anniversary in any other place than the palace. Unfortunately, the daughter could not make it to Oman on that day, so she enlisted the help of the Ladies and Gentlemen to ensure a special and meaningful day for her mother. With the call to action to create a memorable day at the hotel, the team at Al Bustan Palace immediately answered with enthusiasm. The Ladies and Gentlemen in marketing teamed up with the Assistant to the Executive Assistant Manager Rooms and Operations, known for her brilliant ideas and creativity, to surprise our guests. Together they reached out to the restaurant and spa teams and worked out a schedule for the mother’s visit to Al Bustan Palace. A Meaningful Commemoration On the date of her visit, a chauffeur, with a bouquet of flowers in hand, picked up the mother from her hotel and brought her to Al Bustan Palace. The Ladies and Gentlemen of the hotel lined the lobby and gave her a warm welcome. Among the employees in attendance was the Director of Conference Services, who has served at Al Bustan Palace for more than 30 years. The guest of honor paused when she saw him, and in a very emotional gesture, approached him with a large smile having recognized him from her many visits in the 1980s. The Director also recognized her and the two exchanged a few words, both touched by the emotional re-encounter. The mother was then escorted to the newly opened Six Senses Spa, where she was given a tour and offered a facial. She spent the morning lounging and relaxing in the facilities overlooking the glittering Sea of Oman. After her spa experience, the guest was taken to Al Khiran restaurant for lunch, where the entire team greeted her. The restaurant supervisor then joined other Ladies and Gentlemen in escorting her to her table. The guest remained speechless when she discovered her table, facing the Infinity pool and the sea, dressed with rose petals with a framed picture of her husband and herself at their wedding. She began to shed happy tears and the guest thanked the Ladies and Gentlemen profusely. Everyone was so happy to meet the long-time guest and be part of her special day. The restaurant supervisor uncorked a bottle of champagne to celebrate the moment, and the guest enjoyed it along with her lunch and sharing memories of her husband, their wedding and their children. The General Manager then joined the guest at her table with a cake as well as a "Welcome back to Oman" note. Making New Memories At the end of her special day, the guest, who now felt truly part of the Al Bustan Palace family, mentioned she intended to spend the next few days with an old friend of hers. Her friend had lived in Oman for many years as an expat, and sadly, her husband passed on a few months earlier. The two ladies were invited to come and enjoy dinner at Al Bustan Palace before leaving the country. A few days later, the guest returned to Al Bustan Palace with her friend for dinner on the beachfront at Beach Pavilion restaurant. The ladies were offered flowers and invited to dine in one of the restaurant’s private cabanas, where they spent the evening sharing memories of their years spent in Muscat, their husbands and families. Both expressed how much they enjoyed returning to Al Bustan Palace. Before leaving, the guest’s friend requested to make a reservation for herself for a date in December. After hearing her friend’s wonderful wedding anniversary celebration, she decided she wanted to live the same moments and wished to be at Al Bustan Palace on her anniversary day as well. The daughter who had originally reached out to Al Bustan Palace heard about the memorable visit and expressed her deep gratitude to the Ladies and Gentlemen for making her mother feel truly taken care of on this special day. As a result, she decided she would take her whole family to stay at Al Bustan Palace next summer, including her mother. Everyone at Al Bustan Palace was happy to hear the news and is looking very much forward to the family’s visit. Genuine Connections One of the Service Values at The Ritz-Carlton states "I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life." You can’t build strong relationships if your employees are on auto-pilot. Your employees need to be listening and engaging with your customers. The guest in the above story felt a genuine connection that lasted from her wedding day to her wedding anniversaries—creating a lifetime of cherished memories. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Guest Story: Celebrating Guests for Life appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Imagine if every person acted like a lady or gentleman….. Etiquette Tip: Ladies and gentlemen are patient when out in public. The holiday season is a time of giving, goodwill and cheer. However, it is also a time of searching desperately for parking spaces, working your way through crowds while hunting for that perfect present, standing in long lines while you wait for service and racing to social functions while trying to fit in all the obligations of work, family and friends. Often the joy of the season can be eclipsed by feelings of fatigue and frustration, but a true lady or gentleman practices patience. When you express patience, you can view a long line as an opportunity to smile at others, text an old friend to let them know you care or spend the time thinking about your gratitude list. Rather than succumbing to a "bah humbug" mentality, you can help preserve holiday cheer by being patient and kind. Patience is particularly important for anyone who works in customer service. Keeping your composure as you help frustrated or upset customers is critical. Without patience, the employees of The Ritz-Carlton—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—would be unable to provide the "warm, relaxed, yet refined ambiance," which our Credo requires. Expressing patience is also a great way to show your customers that you genuinely care about them and that you appreciate their business. ∞ The motto of The Ritz-Carlton is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen." This motto sets a tone of goodwill and grace for all. The Blog Post Etiquette & Engagement: Patient appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

The first 90 days of one’s employment are pivotal to building rapport with the company, management and coworkers. (source) Advice from John Cashion, Corporate Director, Culture Transformation at The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: In the first three months, new employees will learn all about an organization’s culture, build relationships with co-workers and begin to earn the trust of leaders. The first 90 days is a critical time because new hires will be forming their first impressions about their place of work and the people, and likewise, colleagues and managers will be forming first impressions of the new employee. Dr. Jack Schafer, a retired FBI special agent and behavioral analyst, notes that "once a first impression is formed, people are less likely to change their mind. This is based on the psychological principle of consistency: When people articulate an idea, they are less likely to change their minds because they would first have to admit that they were initially wrong. Maintaining an erroneous notion, such as a first impression, actually causes less anxiety than admitting an error and adopting another position." If new hires have a favorable impression of their co-workers, managers and work environment, they will begin to settle in and show their commitment to the organization. At The Ritz-Carton, new employees—known as our Ladies and Gentlemen—begin by going through a two-day onboarding process where they learn about the culture of The Ritz-Carlton. New staff members are then assigned learning coaches who train and mentor them. Starting on day one, new Ladies and Gentlemen must work on building rapport with everyone because delivering world-class service is a team effort. ∞ The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center offers advisory services, courses and presentations to organizations that wish to benchmark the award-winning business practices of The Ritz-Carlton. Your organization can learn about The Ritz-Carlton methodology for customer service, employee engagement and leadership development. We also guide organizations through a multi-step process in order to achieve sustainable culture transformation. The Blog Post Significant Stat: Building Rapport appeared first on The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.

Enspire designs and develops courses for adult learners and as a result their preferences are at the center of what we do. I was recently asked whether user-driven exploration is more effective than linear instruction. Here’s the question and how I responded. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Q: Is user-driven exploration more effective for adult learners than a forced linear path? A: It depends on the target users and the instructional content. Andragogy, Knowles’ theory of adult learning, emphasizes the importance of considering the learner’s prior knowledge on the topic and whether they are self-motivated to proceed on their own. As learners progress and mature in skills so does their approach to learning. Veteran learners tend to go more in-depth with their learning. Self-determination theory focuses on motivation and how people learn. Adults want to be able to apply what they learn to help solve a problem or to improve their performance. Most of the courses Enspire develops encourage user-driven exploration. A try and then learn approach is often incorporated, enabling learners to see for themselves how much or how little they know about a topic. Then, a differentiated learning experience is provided based on this information. A linear path is used to describe a specific process or procedure. User-driven exploration, linear pathing, and a combination of both can be effective with adult learners.  Related Reading 9 Tips to Apply Adult Learning Theory to eLearning Non-Linear eLearning Design Misconceptions Self-Determination Theory The post Linear or Exploratory Learning? appeared first on Enspire.

AUSTIN, TX  - Global learning solutions  provider Enspire Learning announced today that it has been named one of the 2015 Top 20 Gamification Companies by Training Industry, Inc. "Our second annual Top 20 Gamification Companies List showcases the companies who best integrate gaming into learning and development programs," said Ken Taylor, president, Training Industry, Inc. "The top companies provide some of the most innovative forms of gamification in learning, whether we are discussing serious games, training simulations, or any other form of structured training program." Selection to this year’s Top 20 Gamification Companies List was based on the following criteria: Features and capabilities of the gamification of products/services Company size and growth potential Quality and number of clients/users Geographic reach Awards, recognition, and competitive differentiation "Incorporating gamification into your corporate training remains a strong trend across the industry," said Doug Harward, chief executive officer, Training Industry, Inc. "Those selected are incredibly in tune with their clients’ needs and goals, and provide them with solutions that enhance the training experience and the employees’ retention of the new skills." "We are incredibly proud to be honored by Training Industry as a Top 20 Gamification Company for a second year," said Enspire CEO Mary Maltbie. "Everything we do, we do for our wonderful clients, whether that’s develop cutting-edge custom learning games or deploy Enspire Challenge leadership development simulations to corporations worldwide." Founded in 2001, Enspire creates learning designed to educate, delight, and change learner behavior through corporate, consumer-facing, and higher-education solutions. Enspire’s wholly-owned Houndstooth subsidiary develops  world-class media, exhibits, and interactive experiences. The post Enspire named Top 20 Gamification Company appeared first on Enspire.

That’s a wrap! Last day (of four!) on set at Brackenridge Hospital with our friends from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Thanks to our client, the great crew from Revelator, and the Enspire / Houndstooth team for a fantastic shoot. The post Lights, Camera… Done! appeared first on Enspire.

Preparing my costume and going door-to-door asking for candy was fine. But the real fun came at the end of the night: dumping all the loot onto the living room floor and sifting through it with my sister while evaluating our treasures. First, we sorted the candy into piles of like treats: chocolates, hard candy, chewy, etc. But wait! What about the crossover candies like lollipops with gum in the center? Re-categorized and sorted again, this time by sizes, shapes, and colors. (Am I the only one who loved doing this?) Once sorted to satisfaction, the prioritization began. Which is better? Whoppers, Bottle Caps, candy cigarettes? (It was the 1970s.) No, I don’t want the raisins either. Put them in the give-away pile. Perhaps this is where I first learned to gather, sort, chunk, and prioritize content for learning experiences. Here are four of the most important lessons I learned. The Candy Lessons Gather the goods. Whether it’s candy or content, before you can sort it, you have to collect it. Some houses - er SMEs - have better goods than others. Some give more generously. And some give rocks. But you won’t get anything unless you prepare adequately and ask the right questions. Often an SME doesn’t know what you need. It is up to you to suit up and ask for what you need. TIP: Do your research. Be prepared with the right questions. Evaluate the bounty. Review all the content. Sniff out any cyanide-laced Pixy Stix and check for razor blades. An SME may not realize that a simple copy-and-paste is actually plagiarism or that they’ve introduced errors in their haste. Don’t let their mistakes end up in your course. TIP: Perform an internet search for phrases that seem either particularly well-turned or stand out as different from the other writing. Ensure your work is clean. Sort and chunk. Source content often comes as a hodgepodge of presentation slides, speaker notes (if you’re lucky), articles, and interviews with SMEs. Rarely is it well organized when received. Often it is even difficult to assess whether the content is useful for meeting the performance objectives. So dump it all out and begin figuring out what you have. Do you have two versions of the same presentation? Which one is most current? Are you missing information? Do you have a lot of company history info and not enough about how to use the product? TIP: Organizing the content allows you to assess what you have and what’s missing. Prioritize. Next, determine what’s most important. What content is "need-to-know" versus "have-to-know." Weed out what you don’t need. Did someone give you raisins? If it doesn’t support the performance objectives, out it goes. Whittle the "keep pile" down to what is most important to meet the training objectives. TIP: SMEs often have a hard time letting go of "nice-to-know" training. Consider putting that information in a resources section for learners to access outside of the actual training. With initial analysis done, you can add just the right candy into your design and scripting process. Enjoy your treats! The post Sort, Chunk, and Prioritize your Content Candy appeared first on Enspire.

Rummaging through old files today, looking for a photo of Jay Cross and me from 2005… I still can’t find it. But I found many documents exchanged with him over the years, including a slide deck containing this: Jay definitely thought differently while he was here. I began following his Internet Time site in the 1990. So many "a-ha" moments found there. Most CLOs still need to read his Informal Learning book from 10 years ago. He’d recently launched The Real Learning Project, using Google and Dropbox files for massive, collaborative input. Jay was a constant and generous giver of all that he knew and envisioned. After 20 years as an avid follower, I find it difficult to imagine the training and development industry without his thought leadership and community guidance. For more remembrances on this remarkable man, see: Tributes to Jay Cross The post A Pioneer Passes appeared first on Enspire.

Individuals are often misunderstood by others, despite what they consider to be their best efforts to communicate clearly. This disconnect can create many issues, both in the business world and in an individual’s personal life. At the heart of the problem is the fact that many people are unable to accurately see themselves as others see them. They simply do not know how they are perceived, so they cannot make adjustments to present their true selves. In No One Understands You and What to Do About It, Heidi Grant Halvorson explains the unconscious drivers behind the misperceptions people have about one another and provides a practical guide to making sure the impressions individuals make are exactly the ones they want to make. Halvorson provides readers with the following advice: Misperceptions are predictable. While the way people judge other people may seem random, there are actually common thought processes underpinning these judgments, including biases, assumptions, and stereotypes. Understanding this is the first step in changing others’ perceptions. Individuals do not see themselves as others see them. People tend to mistakenly assume others have the same view of themselves as they have. In fact, people are very complex and can be difficult to understand. It is more typical for others’ views to be quite different from one’s own. First impressions are long-lasting impressions, and that can be detrimental. It is very difficult to overcome a first impression. Subsequent views of a person typically build on and confirm that first impression. This unconscious way of thinking thwarts people’s ability to change their opinions about someone else over time. Overcoming biases and assumptions takes work. Biases and assumptions are largely unconscious and are part of Phase 1 thinking, which is automatic and used most of the time. Phase 2 thinking, which produces analytical thoughts, takes conscious effort and is more difficult to carry out. To learn more, please visit http://www.bizsum.com

Sometimes life’s circumstances are out of people’s control. However, how individuals think, feel, and behave as a result of those circumstances is very much within their control. It is simply a matter of learning to think, react, and respond in positive and productive ways. In Mind Gym, authors Sebastian Bailey and Octavius Black share scientifically based exercises and techniques anyone can use to train the mind to think positively and productively, including resetting thoughts, taking control, deepening connections, persuading others, resolving conflict, letting creative juices flow, and minimizing stress. The result is a more successful, fulfilling life. Mind Gym provides techniques individuals can use to control and change their thoughts and actions in order to have more successful lives: Resetting the mind from automatic thinking to conscious, attentive, optimistic thinking. Taking control of actions and overcoming procrastination. Deepening connections with others and adopting an "I’m Okay/You’re Okay" mind-set. Persuading others in order to enhance personal relationships and achieve objectives. Resolving conflict by breaking destructive communication patterns, engaging in authentic dialog, and removing drama from relationships. Letting creative juices flow to accentuate inspiration and innovation. Minimizing stress in order to maximize bliss. To learn more, please visit http://www.bizsum.com

In Yes, And, The Second City executives Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton describe how the fundamentals of great improvisational comedy and can be applied to business. Tapping into their years of experience running the theater troupe responsible for some of today’s biggest comedy superstars, Leonard and Yorton provide leaders with a guide to using improv skills to increase their employees’ engagement and innovation output. In order to master successful improvisation, leaders must enable their employees to say, "Yes, and…" to new ideas and work as ensembles by eliminating their fear of failure. According to Leonard and Yorton: Leaders must embrace the fundamentals of great improvisation. By promoting the values of creativity, communication, and collaboration, organizations can improve their employee engagement, innovation output, and customer relations. As organizations start to improvise more, they must affirm and build upon employees’ ideas. When organizations take the ideas their employees put forward under serious consideration, they embrace the two fundamental words of improvisation: "Yes, and…" It is vital for organizations to promote their teams to work as ensembles. To work together as effective ensembles, employees must learn how to put their teams’ goals ahead of their own personal glory. Co-creation is a powerful tool that takes improvisation to the next level. Just as improvisers take creative suggestions from other performers and audience members, organizations can improve their final products by involving their customers in the creative process. Failure must be viewed as part of the creative process. By acknowledging that failure is not the opposite of success, organizations can produce more cutting-edge innovations. Everyone in an organization must learn to listen deeply. Leaders can broaden their employees’ perspectives and increase their creative output by teaching them to listen for the sake of truly understanding others-not just responding. To learn more, please visit http://www.bizsum.com

In The Like Switch, former FBI Special Agent Jack Schafer and author Marvin Karlins offer proven techniques for reading people, developing mutually beneficial friendships, and influencing how people are perceived by others. Spanning both verbal and nonverbal communication cues, the authors educate readers on how to improve their likeability through body language and word choice.   Schafer and Karlins assert that: There are four main building blocks of friendship that form the basis of the Friendship Formula. This formula states that Friendship = Proximity + Frequency + Duration + Intensity. Friendly people are like fireflies: They capture people’s attention, even from far away. People see others before they hear them speak, so nonverbal signals are crucial in getting others’ attention and forming first impressions. First meetings should adhere to the Golden Rule of Friendship in order to set the right tone for future encounters. This rule states, "If you want people to like you, make them feel good about themselves." The Laws of Attraction govern the likelihood that two people will be drawn together. Using these laws can help enhance relationships, but some of the laws are not designed to work with certain personality types. Speaking the language of friendship can ensure that friendships are stronger and last longer. The key to speaking this language is encouraging others to speak, listening carefully to what they say, displaying empathy, and responding positively to their comments. Relationships face many kinds of peril in the digital world; however, digital relationships also have some distinct advantages, including ease of finding common ground and the ability to research others to learn about their interests. To learn more, please visit http://www.bizsum.com

"This stuff about body language is spot on, really useful," says the English guy in the audience. "But I spend most of my time on conference calls, so I don’t think it applies. Do you have anything about presence on the phone?" I’m presenting to a group of twenty-five high potential leaders at a large pharmaceutical company in the Boston area. Everyone else in the audience nods their head vigorously at David’s comment. "Want to try something, David?" I ask in reply. I ask him to turn his chair around, away from the group. "Can you do me a favor and sit in ‘low presence’ in your chair and we’ll improvise a phone call?" David slumps low in his chair, puts his head back and starts to fidget with his pen. "Ring, ring!" I say. "This is David," he replies in a mumble, as if he I’ve just awakened him. "We’re meeting now, right?" I ask. "Oh, yeah. Right. Okay. I wanted to talk to you about that spreadsheet you sent last week. I just got to it…and I had some questions…and wait, let me just find it on my desktop (long pause). Here it is. I guess I sort of wanted to hear about the meeting budget for next year and I don’t really know where you got some of these numbers…." He trails off. He has just done an impression of either a 14-year-old boy or someone who hasn’t slept in several days. His energy is low, his speech is mumbled and qualified and he keeps sighing. We debrief. I ask the audience how they perceived David’s presence on the improvised call. "It’s like he doesn’t care." "He seems really disorganized." "I wouldn’t trust him with the budget numbers." I’m always amazed by this; people don’t say, he seems tired or he needs to sit up straight, they instead start to call into question his credibility and even his character. Now you might say that this is an extreme example. Most professionals do not sit in their swivel chairs like they are at home watching TV. But I have witnessed managers cross their legs and lean back in their chair while they are leading a call and all of a sudden they are talking too much and too long, and a lackadaisical tone has crept into their voice. I’m a stickler about this for myself; before I dial into the conference line I conduct this 3-point checklist - Feet flat on the floor. Sitting on the edge of my chair. Straight spine. This 3-point system helps me to breathe more deeply, speak with a stronger voice, and in general keeps me alert and present during lengthy or high-stakes calls. Try it. It takes a bit of effort at first, but muscle memory takes over pretty quickly. I’m at the point where I automatically adjust my body language as I am dialing. The result is that I show up with more presence and energy for my clients and colleagues, which they translate into credibility and character. The post Communicating Virtually? Body Language Counts appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesCommunicating Virtually? Body Language CountsForget WIFM, Try WIFT: The #1 Skill Millennials Need To Get PromotedGroup Presentations: Improving Your Rehearsal Process 

I hate turbulence. For someone who flies regularly, I really am a baby when I’m in a shaking plane. I practice my belly breaths, I tell myself over and over that flying is the safest form of travel. I visualize we are softly bouncing from fluffy cloud to fluffy cloud - and not about to plummet 30,000 feet. It works most of the time, but I have to work at it. Recently I was on a flight to Phoenix. We took off in a rainstorm, so I knew what we were in for. And we bounced around for about an hour and a half. I have to hand it to the captain—he was constantly talking to us, telling us where we were on our schedule, and how the bumpiness would let up somewhere around western New York. He even came on to tell us that we were over Albany and almost out of the woods. I started to notice my own anxiety ebb as he checked in with us. "This is temporary," I told myself. "We’re almost there." And I had a bit of an "a-ha" in that moment: If I know that turbulence will end, and fairly soon, I can manage it. If I don’t, I stay in "fight or flight" mode pretty much the entire time. At a leadership training I was attending recently, the topic of change came up, and how change has changed. It used to be that an organization went through a distinct re-organization because of a merger or market shift and there was a beginning, middle and end to it, and we all hung on because we knew the turbulence was temporary and that it would end. Now your company can experience multiple changes at once: you can finish a re-org and then enter immediately into another one; the board can acquire another business before you are finished integrating the last business; one-third of your company can resign, leaving you to hire and train new staff; in the meantime, the market is going soft and you have to re-calibrate your product strategy. The turbulence does not end. If you’re lucky, you’ve got a captain who is on the loudspeaker telling you exactly where you are in the journey. Maybe they are telling you when things will get better, and if they don’t know, they are trying some new altitudes to take the pressure off the plane—which they are also telling you about. Do you sense a theme here? One of the first things to break down during change is communication, and if the communication in your company was never award-winning, you probably need to over-communicate. Here are some ideas on how to do that: For the captain: CEO - Communicate early and often. If it crosses your mind to share where we are in the journey, press the "talk" button on your P.A. Even if you don’t have good news, at least we’ll all know. Your passionate purpose should be "to reassure" most of the time - keep that in mind and you’ll have a calm, soothing tone of voice that we will hold onto as we are being rattled. Thank us for flying. The captain always comes out of the cockpit to say "thank you" as we leave the plane. He’s the one who flew us through the turbulence, but we got through it and he thanks us for doing so. Thank your team members for their work during this trying time. For the passengers: Deep belly breaths. The only thing that arrests the "fight or flight" response is more oxygen. Turbulence won’t cause your business to crash. Going to a doomsday scenario does not help you or your seatmate whose hand you are crushing. Pilots are trained to deal with turbulence. Practice saying "this too shall pass" and keep the faith in your leadership. Get some context. My husband turns to the air traffic control channel on the handset when things get rough. He hears others calmly landing planes and it calms him. Find out what’s happening in your industry—is everyone experiencing rough skies or is it just you? Might be time to switch carriers if that’s the case. Whatever you do, don’t bank on a smooth flight. In today’s crowded skies, you very well might hit some turbulence. Have a strategy for managing that uncertainty—and keep your seat belt fastened—so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. The post Flying Unfriendly Skies: 6 Ways to Manage Change appeared first on Ariel Group.          CommentsWell done, Kate! Great tips for fliers and leaders, both!! by Joel GluckNicely put, Kate. Perfect metaphor for what we are all looking ... by joshbroderGreat article. Communication is key, it makes you feel part of ... by Pamela De BeerGreat article, Kate. Perfect metaphor for keeping in mind how ... by KennyRelated StoriesHow to Influence Without AuthorityExtinguishing BurnoutBe Nice! It Pays 

The fear of employee burnout can rattle many work environments. With the unpredictable economy, it’s become imperative for companies to strive to keep their employees highly engaged. But, as the New York Times tell us, most employees feel engagement has become synonymous with the forced expectation for them to "go the extra mile." As a result, the possibility of burnout is more imminent than it’s ever been. What is Burnout? What exactly is burnout? Most people think stress and burnout are the same thing. You might have thought "I’m crazy stressed out at work! I must be burnt out!" Actually, it’s the opposite. When you’re feeling a high amount of stress it’s usually because something is too much: Too many pressures, too much demand on you physically and emotionally. Burnout on the other hand is a result of not enough: Feeling empty, unmotivated, undervalued and basically beyond caring. Burnout Risk in Today’s Workplace Employees feel they are expected to "go above and beyond the call of duty." They feel compelled to work longer hours than needed. They feel they’ll get reprimanded if they aren’t always logged on—even on nights and weekends. This "always on" routine will ultimately lead once enthusiastic employees to feel nothing but apathy. Stress is something many of us deal with on a daily basis. Whether it’s in the workplace or at home—it’s inevitable. It causes us to feel hyperactive, over reactive and anxious. When you are experiencing the characteristics of burnout, those indicators show up as disengaged, hopeless and detached: A complete lack of passion and motivation. Here is a handy chart to show some other differences: STRESS  VS  BURNOUT Stress Burnout Characterized by over engagement Characterized by disengagement Emotions are over reactive Emotions are blunted Produces urgency and hyperactivity Produces helplessness and hopelessness Loss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope Leads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and depression Primary damage is physical Primary damage is emotional   How to Avoid Burnout How can you avoid the feeling of wanting to strap a smoke detector to your head? Here are some ideas for combating burnout: Understand what makes you tick: The "S" in our PRES model represents self-knowing and this is hugely important when it comes to avoiding burnout. If you’re someone who is usually energetic, creative and quick-witted, and you start to notice a melting sensation in your brain, perhaps it’s time to do a temperature check. By understanding how you function and thrive as a professional, you’ll create greater awareness of when your personality and motivation start to shift. Find projects that can help you re-energize: A project where you feel more productive or gets your creative juices flowing can help you feel like an important member of the team. Connect with someone you trust: Individuals should have the courage to approach their manager or mentor and open up about their challenges at work, especially if they feel lost. A good manager or mentor will listen and offer solutions or suggestions to help ease the difficulties. Remember—it’s a two-way street: Individuals need to speak up when they feel like they’re drowning. And managers need to create an open door of communication and trust. This can lead to easier professional balance and better completion of projects. Managers: How You Can Help Your Team I’m not letting you off the hook so easily managers! One of the indicators of burnout is not feeling valued. If managers provide specific, timely praise—allowing the employee to feel valued—it may help to shift the tide. Spontaneous praise can go a long way to make employees feel engaged. You should also take a note from your direct reports. According to a Towers Watson survey, leaders who demonstrate a healthy work life balance and take a sincere interest in their employees’ emotional welfare, tend to lead more financially successful organizations. "Wait a second Drew, are you saying that if I don’t work nights and weekends consistently, AND allow myself and my team to take that summer vacation my company will make more money?" Yes person I just made up in my head, that’s exactly what I’m saying. The study stated that companies with the highest profit margins are those where leadership demonstrated a healthy equilibrium in their careers and personal life. And instilling a trusting and stable environment that allows others to do the same, lead to a more productive and successful outcome financially. By taking care of your physical and emotional state you will ultimately be your most productive self. Leading to a thriving and successful professional culture and outcome.   The post Extinguishing Burnout appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesClaim It until You Make ItBe Nice! It PaysFlying Unfriendly Skies: 6 Ways to Manage Change 

As a founder of a startup, I don't have a lot of time to slow down and relax and most days feel like high stakes gambits. So, whenever I have the opportunity, I push myself to go to the gym to disconnect while my batteries recharge. Exercise is both a stress reliever and a way for me to fuel myself to endure the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial roller coaster ride.One of my favorite classes at the gym is Burn, a mix of cardio and strength training, performed in circuits. The intensity level is very high, the pace is fast and there is simply no room to think about anything but getting through the class alive. One of my favorite instructors is Jonathan who teaches an early Saturday morning class. Jonathan comes in the exact package you would expect of a high-intensity fitness instructor - muscular and toned with a lot of energy. However, Jonathan is missing a key skill that I look for in an instructor - he never looks anyone in the eye. The studio at the gym holds about 40-50 people when at max capacity but, on most Saturdays, the class has an average attendance of about 20-25 people. It is a relatively intimate setting and Jonathan leads us from the front of the class, facing the group and expertly demonstrating the exercises we are to perform. While he is going through the routines, he tends to look out into space, always averting the eyes of his students which, for me, continually creates a level of disconnect. Because of the speed of the class and the demands of the participants, I find it off-putting to have the instructor, with whom I am trying desperately to connect to ensure that I am performing the exercises properly, to never connect with me. Without looking me in the eye, I feel like he never sees me and is completely disengaged. And, it is entirely possible that I am the only one in the class that feels that way but I tend to doubt it. Good eye contact is, undoubtedly, one of the most critical skills we employ to make a connection with another person. Looking someone in the eye demonstrates sincerity and authenticity. How many times have you heard or said "look me in the eye when you say that," as a way to provide evidence that you are telling the truth. We use eye contact as a way to ensure that the person with whom we are communicating is listening and engaged. "Look at me when I am talking to you," is a constant refrain when I am talking to my children. When we are presenting to a group of people, we can make each and every person in the room feel like we are attending to them by briefly but consistently making eye contact while sharing a thought or idea. And, we feel like our message is resonating when our audience looks back at us, rather than staring off into space or looking at their mobile device while we are speaking.Admittedly, Jonathan's lack of eye contact is not making me perform any less vigorously in my class and I am still getting a great workout. However, I am less likely to ask him a question or request assistance because I feel like I am invisible to him and his inability to connect visually makes me feel like he is disinterested in my experience. I am sure that is likely not the case for him and, because of what I do for a living, each week I find myself a little bit more preoccupied with what barriers exist for him to look at us straight on. I'm sure he is just a little bit shy and probably much prefers his 1:1 personal training over leading a large group. Yet, for most of the others in the class, they may never give it much more thought and will come to their own conclusions. And those conclusions may keep them from returning to class the following week which is certainly not a good outcome.For now, I am going to keep focused on working hard in my class and will try to encourage him to look at me by continually looking at him while he talks. Perhaps one day he will feel comfortable enough to match my behavior.

Today is International Moment of Frustration Day. I had never heard of this day before, but what a great opportunity for us all to kick our frustrations out the door. Admit it… we all need a little nudging about this at times.When I worked in commercial real estate, I once had a team member who continually described his frustrations - from our sales strategy to the quality of our office coffee. Our whole team knew many of his frustrations; actually, they jokingly recited them at times. Until one day our team leader told him to quit his complaining or leave (there were a few more expletives in there). Much to our surprise, my teammate apologized to all of us. He said he appreciated the wakeup call. He didn’t really even understand the effects it was having on his team…let alone him.Could this be you? Or someone around you? When frustrations fester in the workplace, it is really unhealthy. In corporate America, we sometimes call these frustrations the elephant in the room. That thing that we know and feel compelled to not talk about, because the consequences may not be "pleasant". At Fierce, we call them Mokitas. And we don’t want them near us, so we have to talk and deal with what bothers/scares/surprises us.This week’s tip is to deal with your frustrations in a constructive way. There are many ways to deal with your frustrations from reflection to seeking help to just letting it go. No matter what you choose, your goal should be to end your week with a lighter load than you started with.The longer you hang out with your frustrations, they more they are not going to serve you. They need to be dealt with. And if you really get this, do it now. No more excuses.The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Deal with Your Frustrations…Now appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

If your organization is undergoing a major change, like a new CEO for example, know that a common question running through the minds of your entire company is: How does this affect me?Of course anytime there is variation within an organization, this question is front and center. It can be even scarier with the change of a senior leader. Why? Because it is all about the relationship, and a new leader means that an important relationship within your organization is unknown. This fear, if prolonged, can lead to less productivity and disengagement.The key to managing change  in leadership is providing space for conversations.Often new leaders focus their time and energy on the bottom line by having all the conversations about strategy, vision, and ROI. While these are all very important topics and deserving of those resources, if your employees feel like they don’t know what type of leader you are. They will be less committed.How you have the conversations with those inside your organization will differ depending on the size and location of the company. However, whether you’re the new CEO of a company of 50 or 50,000, the same rule applies: the conversation is the relationship.There’s only one true way to answer your employees question about how your leadership will affect them and that’s by talking about it.The post The "How Does This Affect Me" Conversation appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and identifies the common communication mistakes that are holding your team back.Think back to the last time you tried to give a team member constructive feedback. How did it go? For most of us, it usually ends with someone walking away frustrated, angry, or disappointed. With such a predictable outcome, it’s no wonder some managers throw in the towel and relegate feedback to a dreaded yearly event.Yet, studies consistently show that employees want and value feedback. So, where is the disconnect happening? It starts with the way we approach the feedback conversation. Instead of letting our emotions rule the conversation, A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior recommends delivering constructive feedback in three steps. Identify the problem. State what needs to happen. Offer Help.Why is change so hard?"Learning — by definition — will always feel inauthentic. Practicing a new behavior, showing up in a new way, or acting differently, feels inauthentic. Changing a dance that’s been danced many times before will never feel natural. It will feel awkward, fake, like pretending. The hedge fund manager was angry, the CEO was annoyed. Not expressing those emotions feels fake."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: A Simple Formula for Changing Our Behavior appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Woodrow Wilson said, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."Think of the leaders in your life. The ones that push you and stretch you in new ways. Who do you have in your life that enables you to live with greater vision?Have you said thank you to any of them lately? With our go-go culture, it can be difficult to take the time to celebrate. On top of that, it can be easy to think that the acknowledgment is not needed, or that the person already knows what you would say.But trust me, it is always a good time to pause and share appreciation. When I think of the leaders in my life, I think about one I grew up with. My dad was an Admiral in the Navy, and after his 28 years of service, he still has so many people in his life that would follow him to the ends of the earth - without incentive or acknowledgment. He has impacted their lives in such a substantial way, that they feel forever connected. And he continues to have the same impact now that he is in the private sector. I think most of us strive to enrich people’s lives in the way he has. I’m so grateful for the example.This week’s tip is to celebrate a leader in your life, in a meaningful way. It could be in person, on the phone, or through a different form. It matters more that you do it, than how you do it.I would love to learn about leaders in your life. Who are you going to celebrate this week?The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Celebrate a Leader in Your Life appeared first on Fierce, Inc..