Ask any number of truly successful leaders of today and they will tell you, their success does not come from marking time. They are always in motion – thinking, doing, and leading change for their organizations, their teams and themselves. At the forefront of a successful business leader’s efforts are their company’s vision and acute awareness of how their actions affect that vision.

If you are looking to improve your change leadership skills, perhaps it’s time to get your act together!

Begin by making a regular habit of assessing your own act(ions); take a close look at a day/week/month in the life of you!  Make a list of specific actions you have taken that support the vision. Then, bring it into focus – analyze your list to determine:

- What gaps are evident?

- What actions have I taken (will I take) to close those gaps?

- What areas warrant more focus?

- Who can I turn to?  – What actions do I perform/oversee regularly can be delegated and to whom can they be assigned?

-Which actions prove strongest in moving our vision forward?

-Where is the proof that these actions have impact?

-What benefits (or setbacks) have been (will be) realized as a result of these actions?

-How will I hold myself accountable?

Be agile, use this exercise to stay ahead of the flow – adapt the plans and strategies that keep you and your team moving toward the vision.

Lynda Fleming – Director of Learning & Development, Frontline Performance Group

Some of the best managers use a technique in interviewing that I like to refer to as spider webbing. Spider webbing has many different names or references, but simply put, it is listening to the interviewee’s answers and asking questions from those answers.

In business to business sales, this is most commonly referred to as asking level 2 & 3 questions. Too often I have met sales managers who conduct a fantastic interview and then hand their sales reps a list of questions to ask when meeting with a customer or prospect. They don’t train their employees on the value and the purpose of the same transferable technique they used during the interview. However, many of them think they do because they include level 2 & 3 questions in the list they give their reps. What they fail to realize is that they very well may have crushed a key component of the sales call – active listening.

If level 2 & 3 questions are already predetermined, a new sales rep will sound robotic – if not extremely robotic. They are new, they are nervous and they need to be able to relax during the sales call. Instead, tell them to think they’ve just met their prospect on a plane or bar and begin a conversation. What would they ask then?

A spider web provides a visual reference for your salespeople to deliver on what they need to do; ask questions and ask relevant ones! On the flip side, if they are thinking about the corporate and perhaps intimidating words “level 2 & 3″, they may not be as relaxed. Besides, how well are they actually going to listen to the answers if they already know the level 2 questions they are going to ask? If they know the next question they are going to ask is solely based upon the last answer they are given, they can’t take the answer and run with it.

Give them the base line questions to ask and encourage them to spider web from there. They will appreciate the freedom and the trust you have in them. Most importantly, they will be challenged daily to be a creative thinker. Follow up with them after each appointment and learn where the spider web took them; learn their thought process and help them develop more. Who knows, they may just add a few level 2 & 3 questions your organization has not thought of yet.

Matthew Pietzak – Area Performance Manager, Frontline Performance Group

Last spring I was at a client location doing side-by-side coaching with a Customer Service Representative (CSR) and observed the CSR offer a service up-sell. She used incorrect language when it came time to present the cost and the customer promptly said “no.” After the customer left, we discussed in detail the proper dialogue for explaining price during a service up-sell.

A few minutes later, another customer walked into the location. The CSR offered an up-sell and when the customer asked the two magic words, “how much?” the CSR explained the price using perfect dialogue and technique. The customer said “yes” without any hesitation. The CSR completed the transaction and escorted the customer out of the store. When the CSR came back through the front door, she did not say a word. She simply looked at me and took a long, deep, theatrical bow.

Salespeople are not born, they are made. It is human nature to want to learn and grow both personally and professionally. Investing in the professional development of employees does more than allow organizational leaders to capitalize on their newly refined skills; it creates a positive environment that leads to stellar employee performance.

Don Anderson - Senior Speaker, Frontline Performance Group

Some may argue there is little to no difference…that it is purely semantics — I disagree.

I contend that when one is blessed with a specific, clearly definable talent, each day should be viewed as an opportunity to hone that talent rather than ride upon it.

Here are a few tips:

1. Get Over It!

“As long as you’re green, you’re growing. As soon as you’re ripe, you start to rot.” – Ray Kroch

Don’t become so rapt by your accomplishments that you miss the opportunity to grow. Success is a moving target and someone else is always a shot away from claiming its rewards.

2. Get On It!

“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” – John C. Maxwell

You know what your strengths are – now make a growth plan to build upon them. While being aware of your areas of weakness is a critical component of success, the majority of your time is best spent by giving focus to your strengths. Perhaps a continuing education course or even just the practice of networking with others who have achieved success in your field will provide the edge you will need to stay at the top of your game.

3. Get Through It!

“Smooth seas don’t make skillful sailors.” – African Proverb

Once you have mapped out your plan, prepare for obstacles. If allowed, the day-to-day workings of your business and your life can take you off course. Determining the pay-off will help to maintain the focus needed to achieve your goal of improving your strengths.

Lynda Fleming - Director of Learning & Development, Frontline Performance Group

What most people want is pretty simple: to be part of a company with a great working environment that empowers them, rewards them for hard work, and invests in their personal growth and development.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to help a client successfully navigate the transition to a service-based sales culture, which included developing the frontline sales team and providing the necessary tools and resources they needed to be successful. A few years later, I received a phone call from a FPG colleague who was completing some follow-up work with that same client. He stated he had a message for me from a frontline employee I had specifically worked with years ago. The message was simple: “thank you, you changed my life.”

In that moment I was reminded why I am so passionate about my work.

Employees want to make a difference. They want to be enthused about their work and in an environment that inspires them to contribute. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to help our clients realize this, bring it to fruition, and in the process, positively impact the lives of the people I meet along the way. That is powerful and something worth being passionate about!

Carole Wade - Director of Client Performance, Frontline Performance Group