CMA Daily News

Seven Meeting Etiquette Rules Not To Forget

Business meetings are held for a variety of reasons, but one common characteristic is the sharing of information with others. As in dining, there are rules of etiquette that go along with meetings. I cannot believe the number of times I have been to meetings and some individuals in the room exhibit unprofessional business etiquette.

I recently was leading a meeting of business owners and managers who meet together to help find resources and ideas to build each others businesses. One person’s cell phone rang in the middle of a presentation and instead of silencing it, they answered the phone. Not only did they answer it, they carried on a conversation for a brief time. I was appalled at the lack of courtesy.

I think it would probably be true to say that most people in business are aware of etiquette rules for meetings but I thought I would share my top seven:

1. Do not put your Blackberry, Treo, or other email organizer on the table. What does this do? Every time an email is received it causes a vibration that is echoed through the table for the whole room to hear and causes as much a distraction as if the phone had rang. Turn it off.
2. Do not arrive late, make excuses to everyone while the presenter is speaking, and then go in search of coffee. If you arrive late, step in quickly and quietly while taking your seat. The less interruption the better.
3. Do not leave your cell phone turned on. This goes along with #1. We all know what an interruption this can cause.
4. Do not talk on your phone during the meeting. Just in case you forgot to turn it off, do not answer the phone in the middle of a meeting.
5. Do not carry on a conversation while someone else is talking. I cannot believe the number of times I have witnessed someone trying to carry on a conversation with another in the middle of a presentation.
6. Do not come to the meeting unprepared. Prepared means in the way of carrying a pen, pencil, paper, notepad; whatever it takes for you to be ready if information is shared.
7. Do not make your presence known by making noises. Noises being pen or pencil tapping, paper shuffling, coughing continuously. If necessary, leave the room.

If you are a manager and have people who frequently display a lack of business etiquette, consider offering a mini-seminar to your department. Not only will it reinforce positive behavior but it will get your message across without you verbalizing it.

For those individuals hoping to aspire to a certain level in business, learn and practice good business etiquette. If portrayed correctly it will help to launch your position in business and you will always be a welcome presence with your peers.

Carole DeJarnatt is the President of Alliance Advisors, Inc., a business advisory and coaching firm for development and implementation of strategies to grow and enhance businesses for greater success in their future. For more information visit the company website at Alliance Advisors, Inc

Leading With Feeling - The Four Keys of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

True or False: Feelings play a key role in effective leadership. True. Emotions, not intellect, naturally connect and inspire people, and the best leaders know how to leverage their feelings to build bonds and achieve business goals. This emotional self-awareness, as well as being in touch with the emotions of others, is called emotional intelligence, and accounts for nearly 90% of the difference between average and highly successful leaders.

What about IQ? Doesn’t intelligence equal success? Being smart is important, but it is not enough. According to Dotlich and Cario, authors of “Why CEOs Fail,” leaders, no matter how brilliant, will derail if they fail to make a real emotional connection with others. As leaders acknowledge their feelings and use them in making wiser decisions, they help create a culture of openness and trust, and thus drive business results.

So, how do you know if you are an emotionally intelligent leader? Ask yourself these questions:

* Do I motivate others by creating a positive emotional tone that is fueled by optimism and hope?
* Am I in touch with my own thoughts and feelings and those of others?
* Am I mindful—authentic and present in the moment—and agile in the face of challenge?

Based on Daniel Goleman’s decade of research and model of emotional intelligence, here are the four keys of emotionally intelligent leadership:

1. Self-Awareness. Self-awareness is the basis of emotional intelligence. Leaders with this competence:
* Are mindful of which emotions they are feeling and why
* Understand the link between their feelings and thoughts and behavior
* Recognize how their feelings impact their performance

2. Self-Management. How we manage our internal state can be the difference between achieving goals and derailing. Leaders with this competence:
* Manage their impulsive feelings and distressing emotions
* Remain composed and optimistic in stressful situations
* Stay focused, adaptable, and agile during times of change

3. Social Awareness. Being in touch with the feelings of others and the organization’s climate gives leaders an edge in achieving business objectives. Leaders with this competence:
* Are empathic—sensing others’ feelings and perspectives and taking an interest in their concerns
* Recognize and develop key internal networks
* Leverage diversity and attend to customer needs

4. Social Skills. Managing professional relationships well leads to improved communication and greater influence. Leaders with this competence:
* Inspire and motivate others
* Develop others through feedback, reward, mentoring, and coaching
* Manage crucial conversations and conflict
* Champion and manage organizational change

Raising emotional awareness takes commitment and practice. Leading with feeling cascades down through an entire organization, benefiting everyone through collaboration, greater focus on business objectives, higher performance, and increased bottom-line results.

Ken Giglio has over twenty years of experience in business in leadership positions in the financial services industry and as a leadership consultant and executive coach. A Hudson Institute Certified coach, Ken's expertise includes one-on-one executive coaching, executive team development and coaching, design and facilitation of leadership retreats, change management, and leadership development. For more information about how Ken can help your organization, visit http://leadershipmomentumgroup.com

Leadership Is a Muscle

There's a long-standing debate about whether leaders are born or made. But let's not revisit nature versus nurture. Instead, let's ask a weirder question: Could it be that your point of view on this issue is what actually makes you a better or worse leader? And if so, is nature or nurture the more career-enhancing POV?

Read the full article from Fast Company

Managing Versus Doing - Getting the Balance Right

One of the biggest challenges facing those taking on a management or supervisory role is finding the time to manage. It can sometimes feel like that you have 100% of your time allocated to doing tasks and the only way to fit in the management part of the job is to do lots of unpaid extra hours. So how can you start to address this dilemma?

Be clear on what is expected of you

As a new manager you need to get absolute clarity on what is expected of you and how your performance in the job will be measured. The last thing you want is to get to your appraisal and find out that you have been aiming for the wrong target.

Set aside time for managing

If you do a 40 hour week and you know that management will take up about 40% of your time, block out 16 hours in your calendar each week and set up a schedule of things that you will work on. It might be appraisals, work planning, recruiting, staff training, customer surveys, management meetings to name a few.

Let go of the jobs you do not need to do

You might love doing that piece of analysis work on excel that you have always done but you know deep down that someone else can do it. Train them and let go of it.

Be accessible but manage interruptions

Managers love to talk about having an open door policy but make sure that people understand that this does not mean they can interrupt you whenever it suits them. Have slots when your team can come to you to discuss issues and make sure people know when they are. With e-mails, set aside times in you day to deal with them. If it a real emergency someone will call you. You may also need quiet time to focus on a report or presentation. Divert your phone to someone else if you can or to voicemail.

Build in some space in your schedule

Things crop up that you did not expect or anticipate, so make provision for these in your schedule so that you can be flexible and responsive.

Ask for help if you are getting overloaded

We all have blind spots. If you are finding that you are getting overloaded and cannot seem to find a way through, ask for help. Merely sitting down with someone else and asking them to take a look at the challenges with you and help find solutions can get you back on track and delivering great results.

At the end of the day there is no magic solution but taking control is a powerful first step.

Duncan Brodie is a Leadership Development Coach and Management Trainer at Goals and Achievements http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk He specialises in helping accountants and professionals to make the transition from technical expert to manager and leader. As a former Finance Director he has real experience of the challenges of moving from technical to managerial and leadership roles.

How To Lead Without Even Trying

Leadership is mistakenly portrayed as an exclusively intentional activity. Most commonly, we think that we need to make a speech to lead. It’s allegedly a matter of making a deliberate appeal to people to follow us along a particular path.

Leadership can, however, be shown by example, unintentionally. Every time you achieve something at work against the odds, work extra hard, propose a better way of working or simply set an ethical example for others, you might be having a leadership impact on those around you without knowing it. If you want to be seen as a leader, you need to understand all the ways in which you are already showing leadership. If you focus only on your intentional leadership efforts, you will have a narrow view of leadership.

Compare leading to selling. If you have the sort of personality that makes you a natural salesperson, you will often sell people on things, say taking a trip to your most recent vacation spot, without even realizing it, let alone intending to sell them on this action. Just describing where you spent your recent holiday in vivid, passionate language has an impact on people even though you may not intend it. People without this natural gift who want to become better at selling need to learn and practice sales techniques in a very conscious way. Similarly, if you want to improve your leadership effectiveness or change your leadership style, you need to make a deliberate effort to behave differently.

But this is not the whole story. Whether you are in a formal leadership role or seen as an informal leader, you are already doing all sorts of things that are having a leadership impact on those around you. If your work is of high quality, your colleagues will be taking note and some will be trying to follow your good example. Such unintentional leadership is much more common than is generally recognized.

We all play to our strengths at work, otherwise we wouldn’t be successful. Because everyone has strengths that others don’t have, playing to them can have a leadership impact on those around us. Unfortunately, we have a bad habit of overlooking our strengths. The fact is that everything we enjoy doing and find easy to do is indicative of strengths, but precisely because we find them easy, we discount them. We say, surely anyone can do that! Or, that’s just part of my job. We shrug our shoulders while others are amazed at what we have done. It comes naturally to us but is a struggle for others.

If people look up to you at work, you have no doubt shown leadership to them in a number of ways other than your intentional leadership efforts to show leadership. This is important because if, like most people, you tend to discount your strengths, you may be unnecessarily agonizing over what you need to do consciously to show leadership when you are already doing enough, or at least 80 percent of what others want from you in the way of leadership.

The bottom line is that when you think about improving your leadership effectiveness, be sure to recognize that you may just need to round off an already good enough picture. It may not be a matter of starting from scratch. If you want help in determining how you are showing leadership now, have someone interview a few of your colleagues and ask them to name two or three things they are doing differently since working with you. Perhaps someone in your HR department can gather some feedback for you around what things you do are viewed by your colleagues as showing leadership to them.

The next question, given that you don’t have to start from scratch, is this: How can you build on the good things you are already doing? There may be some common themes across the people interviewed, but keep in mind that leadership is in the eye of the beholder, so everyone might want something slightly different from you. Like successful sales people, leaders need to flex their approach to move different people.

In conclusion, start to develop yourself as leader by determining the minimal changes you need to make for maximum improvement in your leadership effectiveness. This is just good strategic thinking.

See http://www.leadersdirect.com for more information on this and related topics. Mitch McCrimmon's latest book, Burn! 7 Leadership Myths in Ashes was published in 2006. He is a business psychologist with over 30 years experience of leadership assessment and executive coaching.

Career Guidance for This Century

Guy Kawasaki interviews author Penelope Trunk whose new novel Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success has just hit the bookstores.

There is some great stuff here: How munch money does it take to be happy? Is it more important to be competent or likable? etc. Click here for the Ten Questions with Penelope Trunk.

Penelope also shares her 9 Biggest Myths of the Workplace - click here for those.

Negotiation - Understanding Your Sources Of Power

One of the main differences between negotiators is how confident they feel when negotiating. Typically, the more confident we feel, and the better we are prepared, the more successful will be the outcome of our negotiations.

Personal power comes from many sources. To build up and increase our confidence as negotiators we need to step back and analyse the sources of our personal power and compare them with those of the people with whom we are negotiating.

Power is not absolute. In most negotiating relationships the power balance moves with time as the negotiation progresses.

Here are just a few examples of sources of power:

Information Power:

Information power comes from having knowledge that will influence the outcome of the negotiation. Planning and research can increase our information power, as can asking the right questions before we reach the bargaining phase of the negotiation.

Reward Power:

Reward power comes from having the ability to reward the other party in the negotiation. It could be the power a buyer has to place an order for goods and services or the power a salesperson has to give good service and solve problems

Coercive Power:

Coercive power is the power to punish. This is seen most commonly in the buyer- seller relationship, but can be a feature of other types of negotiation.

Situation Power:

Situation power is the power that comes from being in the right place at the right time. A customer is desperate to place an order and you are the only source of supply in the short term. Having an effective network and keeping in touch with what is happening can increase your situation power.

Expertise Power:

Expertise power comes from having a particular skill which you can apply and which can influence the outcome of the negotiation. Improving negotiation skills helps you win better deals. Other areas of expertise could also help the outcome of the negotiation.

And Finally - Referent Power:

Referent power comes from being consistent over time. If people see you as having a clear, consistent strategy as a negotiator, you will increase your referent power. Having standards that you stick to and being consistent will help to increase your referent power. In the eighties, Margaret Thatcher wasn’t universally popular, but was respected by many for being consistent in her views and behaviour. In the end she failed because her approach was too rigid and she was unable to adapt to changing circumstances.

Copyright © 2007 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved

Jonathan Farrington is the Managing Partner of The jfa Group. To find out more about the author, subscribe to his newsletter for dedicated business professionals or to read his weekly blog, visit: http://www.jonathanfarrington.com

Having Self Confidence On The Job

Having self confidence in your job and at your work place can help you get what you want out of your job. Employers want self confident people that they know they can trust to get the job done. Here are four ways you can improve your self confidence on the job so that you can get the promotion that you want.

1. Be the first to volunteer.
If there is a project that is needed to get done, be the first to volunteer for the job. This shows initiative on your part and will give you an opportunity to prove yourself. The most important thing that this does though is not let an opportunity to pass you by.

2. Stand up for yourself.
Don’t let yourself be pushed or bullied by others on your job. Promotions go to those that have respect from their co-workers. This doesn’t mean that you have to bully back but at least stand up for your self. You have something to offer at your job so don’t let other people tell you that you don’t.

3. Don’t act inferior.
Whenever one of your supervisors or superiors talk to you don’t act inferior to them. Of course you want to show respect for their position but you don’t have to act like you are nothing compared to them. Believe it or not but they will like knowing that you are confident in yourself.

4. Take responsibility.
Take responsibility for your actions on the job. This shows that you are able to be confident even when you have made a mistake. Nobody likes it when the blame is passed. Just remember, your bosses have made mistakes as well.

About the Author: Jason Osborn has dedicated himself to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through his Find Your Greatness Newsletter. Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don't know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, 'Find Your Greatness' Get it free here: Find Your Greatness Do you want to learn how to create successful habits and goals? Download Jason’s new FREE ebook here: Goal Setting

Survey Finds Employers Form Opinions of Job Interviewees Within 10 Minutes

MENLO PARK, CA -- Hiring managers often know whether they might hire someone soon after the opening handshake and small talk, a new survey suggests.  Executives polled said it takes them just 10 minutes to form an opinion of job seekers, despite meeting with staff-level applicants for 55 minutes and management-level candidates for 86 minutes, on average.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Finance & Accounting, the world’s first and largest specialized financial recruitment service.  It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, “How long does it typically take you to form either a positive or negative opinion of a job candidate during an initial interview?”  The mean response was 10 minutes.

In addition, executives were asked, “How many minutes, on average, do you spend meeting with a staff-level candidate during a job interview?”  The mean response was 55 minutes.

Respondents also were asked, “How many minutes, on average, do you spend meeting with a management-level candidate during a job interview?”  The mean response was 86 minutes.

“The interview begins the moment job seekers arrive, so applicants need to project enthusiasm and confidence from the start,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International and author of Job Hunting For Dummies^®, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.).   “The opening minutes of the conversation often set the tone for the rest of the discussion, making it wise to prepare especially well for the first few interview questions.”

Following are five questions frequently asked at the beginning of an interview and tips for responding:

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?  Concisely discuss your professional goals and interests as they relate to the job opportunity.  Your answer should provide insight into why you are the right fit for the position and the company.
2. What do you know about our firm?  Research the business beforehand and be prepared to describe how your skill set and experience will help you contribute to its success.
3. Why do you want to work here?  Whether it’s the company’s values, history of success or reputation in the industry that attracted you, respond in a way that shows you understand the organization’s priorities and business objectives.
4. Why are you looking to leave your current position?  Keep your answer focused on the opportunity -- for example, a chance to advance your career.  Remain positive and avoid disparaging other employers.
5. What is your most significant professional accomplishment?  Cite an achievement that demonstrates your abilities and shows you value results.

Founded in 1948, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a division of Robert Half International, has more than 350 locations throughout North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and offers online job search services at www.roberthalf.com.

10 Ways We Get Confused Over Communication

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to speak on our level and others seem to be making noise, but not making any sense? Take a look at the following 10 assumptions. If you think this way, you may need to make some changes.

1. We thought that we could take someone else's message and simply pass it on. This is like learning to paint by numbers. The true artist paints from an inborn passion about what s/he sees. When we paint by numbers, we attempt to copy someone else's passion. If we want people to truly hear our message, it must be communicated with passion and belief. We must own it. We must communicate the importance of our message. This happens when we're are able to communicate with conviction. If we are not gripped by our message, our hearers won’t be either.

2. We thought the message was more important than the people we were talking to. There's a difference between talking to a wall and talking to a person. Yet, if we don't communicate properly we may get the same response from both. Our message must communicate a belief in people. Our communication must show respect and what kind of expectations we have in our hearers. If those who receive our message feel like they are being talked down to or belittled, they will turn us off quickly.

3. We thought that how we lived didn't have an effect on what we said. Many times we try to communicate from the perspective of the person we'd like to be instead of the person we are. Authenticity is a powerful communication tool. We must communicate with words consistent with our actions. If we talk the talk, but it doesn’t match the way we walk the walk, then we will face a credibility issue. Sometimes the way we live our lives speaks so loudly people can’t hear what we’re saying - unless the two match up.

4. We thought that leaders should always say something. A leader may be passionate, knowledgeable, and have something very worthwhile to say. But if the message is delivered at the wrong time, it won't have a chance to connect with the hearer. There are times we must know when to communicate and when to be silent. Leaders understand that the right message given at the wrong time can have negative consequences. Consider the timing of every communication. Ask yourself – Is this the right time to say this?

5. We thought that our own style of communication would work in every situation. While we may have a certain way of communicating that is most comfortable to us, our hearers have a variety of ways that they process information. Use variety. Mix it up. Within the first 15 seconds of our communication, people are making decisions as to whether they will keep listening or reading. What will we do to make our message stand out from the rest? The key is to be creative while remaining consistent and understandable.

6. We thought that people would know how to respond to our message. When I was in the third grade, the popular way to ask a girl if she liked you was to write her a note expressing your affection and then give her three options to proclaim her answer (yes, no, and my personal favorite...maybe). Of course, my preferred (but often rejected) response was a "yes, but at the very least, I had let her know her options. When we communicate, we must clarify the appropriate response. We should help our hearer to know how they should respond to our communication. Clearly spell out what kind of action steps they need to know. Give appropriate deadlines and guidelines if necessary.

7. We thought that we only had to say it once. The truth is, we need to say the important things often. Dr. Phillip E. Bozek in his book, 50 One-Minute Tips to Better Communication says, “Busy readers tend to notice the beginning and endings of documents. Place must see information in strategic first and last locations on the page, and place the less important details in middle paragraphs.” In whatever mode of your communication, if it’s important, it’s worth repeating.

8. We thought that all we had to use was words. With all of the options available to us through technology and the internet, there is no reason for us not to use visuals and media to enhance our message. Many times it is not enough to say something in order for our hearers to get it, a message must be demonstrated and visualized as well. It is true that a picture can sometimes say it better than we can.

9. We thought if we had something important to say, that people would naturally connect with us. One of the first questions your hearer asks themselves is, "Who are you?" They won't believe your message unless they find you believable. It is our responsibility to connect with our audience. People need to develop some kind of relationship with us if they are going to hear what we’re saying. The definition of rapport is “Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.” The rule of thumb is: No rapport – No response.

10. We thought that people wanted to hear every detail. The best communicators have the ability to take something complex and to make it simple, understandable. Because there is so much information to sort through out there, we must keep our communication brief. A shorter, concise, focused statement communicates much louder than pages of detailed information. Most of the time, brevity will be our best friend. Remember, our job as a communicator is to express, not impress. We shouldn't try to wow our audience with our expansive wisdom. Just say what needs to be said in a way that people will hear it.

Tim Milburn develops student leaders through his organization, Studentlinc. Please visit Studentlinc at http://www.studentlinc.net