Did you know your brain AND your heart combined power most of your decision making?

I recently attended a self-empowerment workshop session, hosted by The Women’s Network (affiliated with the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce) and led by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Michael McCarty, PhD, CCAC-S of Heartspace Enterprises, LLC.

The session, entitled “Power Up: Aligning Your Heart and Brain for Optimal Performance,” was a topic of interest for me and clearly for many of the other professional women attending the seminar.

The primary focus of Dr. McCarty’s seminar was to showcase how the heart as an organ actually has an immense role to play when we make decisions for our businesses and our personal lives.

Before moving further into this topic, it’s important to approach this subject with a clear, objective mind. Those who may want to downplay the heart’s role in our decision-making process may want to revisit a few myths of the past which have since been dispelled, including:

• The sun revolves around the Earth
• The Earth is flat
• We have a limited number of brain cells
• The only way we can gather and interpret the world around us is through our five senses

And now here’s a new ‘myth’ to add to the list:

• The primary function of the heart is to pump blood

There’s enough current research and findings, cites Dr. McCarty, to prove that our hearts do much more than merely pump blood throughout our bodies. “This premise was inspired by 19th century fascination with steam engines,” shares McCarty who believes many people today continue to misunderstand, ignore or dismiss the heart’s capabilities beyond its popular blood-pumping reputation.

In today’s new field of neuro-cardiology, research shows the following about the human heart:

• The human heart is a sensory organ
• The heart is the center for encoding and processing sophisticated information
• It has an intrinsic nervous system called “the heart brain”
• Its circuitry enables it to learn, remember and make functional decisions independent of the cranial brain

So how is this possible?

If you do the “heart math,” you’ll note that your heart beats 100,000 times a day, averaging to about 40 million times a year! It pumps two gallons of blood per minute and 100 gallons of blood an hour traveling the combined distance of approximately 60,000 miles of veins and arteries.

Beyond these fascinating blood-pumping facts is where it gets even more interesting: Between 60-65% of the cells in our hearts are neural cells which are identical to the ones found in your brain; they even function exactly the same way!

To that end, Dr. McCarty explains these neural cells within our hearts allow our hearts to actually store memory.  “Our experiences go to our hearts first, are “thought about” and then sent on to the brain for further processing.”

Without going into too much more detail about “heart intelligence,” the one thing most of the professional women attending walked away with was the notion that aligning the heart and brain is indeed essential for optimal performance and well being.

I found Dr. McCarty’s “heart intelligence” information to be highly intriguing, insightful and rather relevant to business decision making which often does have some impact to our stress levels. Stress levels, in turn, impact our hearts and mind. Moreover, many decisions in business do require more than just brain power, therefore, the heart — the epicenter of our emotion and feeling — and its involvement in our decision making process cannot be ignored.

This is surely not a mainstream topic so I welcome your thoughts and ideas on the matter…

PS  – For those wanting more information on Dr. McCarty and his practice, Heartspace Enterprises, you’ll need to be patient. He’s been slow to come on to the Internet and is not found on any social network. Moveover, he’s currently working on his practice web site and blog and will not be online for at least a few months.  I’ll provide his updated contact information here after his site launches.

Image courtesy of The Glowing North Stars .

Mayra Ruiz is founder of Ruiz McPherson Communications, a social media influence and digital marketing service based in historic Charles Town, West Virginia. With more than 15 years of hands-on marketing, communications and PR experience, Mayra leads her clients forward on all aspects of creative direction, online promotion and marketing communications with innovation, passion and gusto. When offline, Mayra enjoys “old fashioned” non-techy stuff like cooking, sewing and collecting vintage treasures from area antiques stores. She can be reached at www.twitter.com/mayraruiz orwww.twitter.com/ruizmcpherson (her marketing practice).

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: The Secrets of Your Second Brain

People want to imagine it takes different skill sets to influence types of different people— based on their position especially and their relationship secondarily.

For example, some believe that influencing “up,” toward your superiors, is the most challenging of all; others believe they have no power to influence vendors or suppliers or customers. In reality, the person sitting across from you is exactly that: a person. There are dynamics that come into play, but one thing I feel certain about: the relationship pretty much trumps anything.

When we help people learn to influence, we suggest that they assess the relationship based on two foundational elements: trust and commitment.

Question 1: What’s your relationship like with this person? What is your level of trust?

Question 2: Do you have commitment to shared visions and/or goals? Are you on the same page?

Following are some general things to consider and keep in mind when you find yourself in these influencing situations:

Influencing Your Subordinates: When you are formally responsible for managing the performance of someone, you cannot accept poor performance because that means you’re really not fulfilling your responsibilities.

Keep in mind the power dynamic here. You need to create opportunities for open, honest communication among you and your subordinates. Your relationship with your employees is the single biggest leveraging point in an organization, since the relationship between the employee and the immediate supervisor is what influences performance, morale, productivity, employee engagement, etc.

Influencing Your Peers and Colleagues: Having a high-trust colleague at work is invaluable. Cultivate these relationships and develop them. When you need to confront or influence a peer, keep in mind that saving face may be incredibly important to them. Be conscientious of where you might have conversations and keep them confidential, if possible.

Work to create win-wins. If a peer or colleague is creating a roadblock or not performing to standard, confront the issue and discuss it directly, rather than borrowing position-power and going above someone’s head.

Influencing your Superiors: Influencing up is necessary! One essential thing to try to keep in mind when using influencing as a power dynamic is that this person’s focus is most likely very different from yours. Appeal to the “what’s in it for me?” factor.

Ask them for what you want, and focus on how it will benefit them. Offer reassurance that you’ll keep them in the loop so they won’t be surprised by anything. Their reputation and their credibility are probably important to them. They generally want to be seen as competent, confident and carrying out the mission of the organization.

Influencing Customers and Clients: If you take the time to develop relationships with customers and clients, they will not only be satisfied, they will be loyal. Relationship-based selling trumps price and the competition almost all the time. Try not to focus on the one-time sale, but rather on the long-term relationship.

Most of the time, influencing customers and clients effectively involves more listening than talking. If you can discern through careful listening and clarifying questions what they really need, you can help them. Don’t concentrate on yourself—concentrate on them.

Your ability to use language well, to enter into conversations boldly and confidently, and to create strong relationships and demonstrate understanding across multiple groups and situations will absolutely determine your ability to create, sustain and maintain a profitable culture. Pay attention to the above tips for each relationship category and you will experience and watch your profit culture grow.

Image courtesy of Flickr user quinnanya.

Libby Wagner, Libby Wagner & Associates, is one of only a handful of published poets regularly welcomed into the boardroom. Author of the new book The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business (Global Professional Publishing), she has been labeled The Influencing Coach™ by her clients. Her expertise in leadership, strategy, management, and executive team development helps organizations create environments where clarity and increased trust lead to unrivaled results, shaping such Fortune 500 cultures as Boeing, Nike, Philips and Costco. Find out more at http://www.libbywagner.com/

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Influencing for All Seasons: Creating and Influencing Specific Business Relationships

A battle is underway. The politicians are jockeying for position and an amorphous blob (AKA, “The Staff”) is creating options that will impact the daily lives of many. To be fair, they’ve got a difficult challenge that can no longer be ignored or delayed.

And like any true dilemma, there is no ideal solution; no matter what the choice, people will be unhappy and negatively impacted.

Sound familiar?

Business leaders regularly face difficult decisions, sometimes balancing bad versus worse, but often involving painful tradeoffs.

For example, our community – and that of the larger county in which we reside – faced an untenable situation; something had to give.

The questions were: which “something,” to what extent, and with what broader implications? Those are not unlike the questions business leaders regularly encounter.

Three actions to get back on track to meet your business objectives:

Get over it.

Our community’s initial reaction was simply to block the change. We were dragged into the challenge by circumstances beyond our control, so we’d “fight to the death” of the proposal. Yet, as we gathered more information from a variety of sources, we came to appreciate more fully the dilemma facing our county and community. So we got over it.

Focus on the end-game.   

Next, we got on with it. We zeroed in on what really mattered to us. Our needs differed; yet we found common ground. No doubt you’ve done that many times in business to resolve conflicts. You look for the best combination of choices to achieve the outcomes.  In negotiation, that’s called a BATNA – the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement.

Reframe the question.

We quickly realized we couldn’t remove roadblocks simply by focusing on the outcome. Time to stop beating our heads against the same proverbial wall and expecting different results.

Instead of asking: “How do we defeat that option?” we began thinking in terms of our shared end-game. We asked ourselves – and politicians and The Staff: “Specifically, what will it take to achieve our outcome?“

Reframing the question changed our mindset. We identified and implemented specific actions that systematically moved the conversation forward.

By no longer getting hung up on the proposal itself, we thought creatively and strategically about how to influence the county’s choices – and turn an untenable situation into something tenable. We succeeded.

These three steps can dramatically shift mindset and remove roadblocks in business too.

For example, confronted with a difficult but “mandatory” organizational change, one group stubbornly clung to its old ways in this Fortune 500 manufacturing firm. Repeatedly, its leaders created new roadblocks or spouted all the reasons why they could not change.

Finally, our team asked: “What would it take to make this work, to turn that ‘no’ into ‘yes’?” One by one, we were able to deal with the very real challenges – and fears – this group encountered as a result of the forced change.

Focusing on the outcomes and reframing the question transformed a resistant – and legitimately challenged – group into a powerful, compelling partner. Together, we created a solution that truly added value for their business.

When facing a dilemma – or getting stuck in a rut – reframe the question. That’s not simply about viewing the situation through a different lens, although that can also be helpful.

Rather, reframing the question allows you to focus once again on achieving an outcome and most importantly, redefining the path you take to get there.

Image: S L James via Flickr, Creative Commons

Tara Rethore is president, M Beacon Enterprises, and helps business leaders to do what they set out to do. She’s passionate about breaking down complex concepts into a few, critical themes that shift thinking and deliver results. Tara knows what it takes to succeed, to execute a strategy, and to transform vision into reality. Tara can also be found commenting on business strategy, execution, and results on Twitter.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Stuck in a Rut? Reframe the Question and get Back on Track

“The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual.” ~ Samuel Smiles, 1859

So much advice about leadership and management is based on generalities about what is involved and how you should do better in relation to such external considerations.

Though useful, I think focusing first on your particular possibilities and preferences, as well as your situation, is a more productive place to start. You’ll also feel more motivated to take action.

For example, choose among the following:

• Name the specific management and leadership strengths that are important in your current situation and probably for your future.
• Appreciate the management and leadership strengths you have and the specific abilities you want to develop further.
• Identify and organize ways to develop those specific abilities.
• Assist individuals, groups and organizations to improve performance and outcomes because guiding others is often the best way to learn yourself.

Since management and leadership abilities often overlap and reinforce one another, you may consider them together.

Nevertheless, one difference is that effective leaders tend to inspire others and influence the big picture in the present and future. Effective managers do this too, but they are more focused on getting the work done through others.

Assessment

For each category listed below, jot down up to five of the most important abilities you need to be effective in your work.  On a scale of 1 to 5 (highest), circle the number that reflects your current level of mastery for each, based on how you perform in supportive or at least neutral situations. Be generous rather than hard on yourself in your self-evaluations.

• Working with people
• Working with ideas and information
• Working with things, products and services
• Taking goal-related action
• Enhancing professional qualities and behavior

Appreciating your strengths

• Check all abilities that you labeled 4 or 5.
• Identify any you want to take to level 5.

Preparing for further development 

• Highlight every ability you have labeled 1, 2 or 3.
• Consider whether or not you want or need to develop each one further, checking the ones you do.
• List the ones you will develop further in order of importance to you, your work situation and your professional development.

When these three criteria are met, you’ll see which abilities are best to put at the top of your list. Identify what level of mastery you seek for each of these top priorities and at least two sources to support your development (e.g. workshops, mentor, projects for stretching, self-directed learning).

Image: ryangs via Flickr, Creative Commons

Ruth M. Schimel, Ph.D. launched her career and life management consulting practice in 1983, using an original process to help clients honor their complexity. In 1998, she founded The Schimel Lode, encouraging innovation and collaboration for the public good in the Washington, D.C., area. Ruth has previously been a professor, diplomat and management consultant, and is writing a series of books based on her dissertation on how people can express their courage.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Take Your Leadership to the Next Level With a Self-Assessment

Originally published on April 13, we re-run this always-pertinent post for your benefit.

Time management is always challenging, and never more so that when you’re constantly being interrupted at work.

Here are a few tips on how to deal with it.

1. Get clear about this: Your Availability ≠ Your Importance.

2. Configure your office so your desk faces the door. This allows you to see who’s coming your way, and gives you more control.

If a “frequent visitor” is headed to your office, you can:

• Pick up the phone so you’re engaged before the person gets to your office – just be sure to activate a phone line and put it on mute as you pick up the receiver.
• Have a cell phone ear piece on AT ALL TIMES. As long as your hair covers it, they won’t be able to tell whether it’s actually in use or not. As the person approaches you, feign conversation with a non-existent other party and point to your ear so the intruder understands you’re using your ear piece.

This even works for those who get hijacked when they walk past the office of the highly social person. Always carry your cell phone with you when you leave your office, always have your ear piece in, and you can evade any effort to divert you.

• Start talking as though you’re on speaker phone – ensuring that just as the person gets to your threshold you can say to the speaker phone: “Yes – of course – I’ll be right there.” If necessary, hit the speaker phone button so it’s lit, then the mute button so the tone of “no connection” isn’t audible, then as you utter the words.
• “Sure I’ll be right there”, click the off button. Establish a “buddy” or two to whose office you can go for this purpose.

3. Develop phrases that deflect the “Got a minute?” intrusion to a later time:

• Yes – but just a moment – am on deadline here on a work product for Patrick.
• Actually I’m on my way to meet with x, but Susie knows more than I do about…
• Of course I have time for you! How about X o’clock this afternoon/tomorrow?
• Sure – as soon as I finish this I’ll pop down to your office.
• Actually I’m preparing for X and I can’t be late. Could we talk at x o’clock instead? I’ll come to your office!

4. Use “modified” open door policy. Consider putting a big DIAL on your door – settings could read:

• “Available – come on in!”
• “Really concentrating – but if it’s really important…”
• “Working on an insane deadline – try me after X o’clock”

5. Consider working in another location for the day. Take a lap top to a conference room, or to a close-by hotel/restaurant, or to the local library.

6. Stand up on the entry of intrusive visitors, pick up a binder/tablet, and walk them to your door and out of your office since you’re “on your way to the ladies room/ an appointment/a conference call with/in your buddy’s office.”

7. Try to ensure that meetings with the most intrusive of your colleagues occur in THEIR office rather than your own. This allows you to control departure time.

What tips do you have to avoid unnecessary interruptions?

More from Women Grow Business:

• How to have a work/life balance, by Melanie Spring
• Three gifts for you in 2011, by Patricia A. Frame

Image: incurable_hippie via Flickr, CC 2.0

Francie Dalton, CMC, is founder and president of Dalton Alliances, Inc. and author of the recently published book Versatility. Her Washington, DC based consultancy helps the C-Suite solve business nightmares. Francie equips clients to deal with what they didn’t see coming (and shows them there’s always another way to win!). She welcomes a chance to meet you via Twitter or on LinkedIn.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Tips on Managing Interruptions at Work [Redux]

In some industries, like film and music, ending up on the “hit list” is a good thing. Fame and fortune are bound to follow.

Unfortunately, winding up on the “hit list” as a manager is an entirely different story.

In the newly-released movie, “Horrible Bosses,” three friends devise a plan to rid themselves of their bosses. This idea seems to resonate with many, as the film has had a strong opening at the box office. Here’s why.

Bad bosses are all around, which means there is a shortage of role models for those interested in becoming a boss that others admire. Don’t despair. There are ways to make it into the Good Boss Hall of Fame on your own. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way.

Be yourself

Employees can see right through bosses who try to be someone they will never be. This strategy can certainly backfire as the employee retaliates by pretending to be someone they are not.

This game has no winner. Instead, be authentic. If chitchat isn’t your thing, then be cordial. At least your people will know which personality will be showing up for work tomorrow.

Don’t mix business with pleasure

Working evenings and weekends doesn’t leave much time for a social life. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to “friend” people in the office. Or worse yet, try to date someone at work. There is a reason why people say it’s not good to mix business with pleasure.

A harassment suit is the last thing you need added to your otherwise stellar resume.

Consistency be thy name

If you’ve ever worked for a boss who said one thing on Friday and another on Monday, you know exactly what it’s like to work for a psycho boss. Employees need consistency from their leaders. It’s okay to change your mind every now and again, but certainly not on a daily basis.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin sang about this years ago, yet the idea of respect is still a foreign concept to many. Respect means treating people the way you’d like to be treated. This includes speaking to people, rather than at people. And let’s not forget the screamers who can be heard two floors below. Screaming in the office is never acceptable, regardless of the situation.

If you are that upset, take it outside and yell at yourself in your car.

Yes, there certainly is a shortage of good bosses who can be role models for today’s leaders. But that doesn’t mean you can’t become a role model for the next generation of bosses.

Image: bradleypjohnson via Flickr, Creative Commons

Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions and author of the international best seller, Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around. She is also an Expert for Monster and BostonWorks (a division of the Boston Globe) and a blogger for Fast Company. Sign up to receive a complimentary subscription to Roberta’s monthly newsletter, HR Matters.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: How to Avoid Becoming a Horrible Boss

Leading well involves leading yourself first.

This seems an exercise in obviousness, though the simplest concepts can often be the most powerful. Leading yourself first means that you’ve got to start with you, on the inside, and that takes some courage and honesty.

As I have worked one-on-one with many leaders in multiple industries, I have identified what I believe are six keys to developing a success mindset:

Key 1: Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem

If you’re a leader, don’t you, by default already have healthy self-confidence and self-esteem? Not necessarily. And don’t confuse ego or arrogance with confidence.

• Confidence suggests that you know what you know, and you also know you always have something to learn.
• Arrogance suggests you think you know it all.

Self-esteem is related to your belief system, especially your beliefs about yourself and how your own self-talk can help or hurt you.

Key 2: Getting Over Yourself

Getting over yourself is about having the self-confidence not to be so self-absorbed. Getting over yourself is about eliminating self-sabotaging behaviors like procrastination, as well. On the other hand, it’s also about helping others, which can create the positive energy we need to lead. It’s about, ultimately, about having a sense of humor.

You’re going to make mistakes—learn from them and move on!

Key 3: Committing to Congruence: Take the High Road

“It is my behaviors that influence, not my intentions.”

Right now you need to make your own commitment to epitomize integrity in all of your actions and interactions as a leader.

You need to make a decision to take the high road, always. Integrity suggests the notion of integration and congruence. Who you are on the inside—intentions—fully integrate with what happens on the outside—actions.

Key 4: Removing Obstacles with Discipline and Perseverance

Ask yourself this question: “What are the current issues, obstacles, problems preventing me from ______?” You fill in the blank with where you want to go, then try to identify both real and imagined obstacles.

Sometimes we perceive that something is an obstacle when in reality, it’s not as bad as we think. Sometimes, we need a coach or advisor to help us work through obstacles, but not investigating them will keep us stuck.

Key 5: Balancing Accountability and Respect

Here’s the trick, the most effective delivery of an honest message balances both accountability and respect, especially if the target of our honesty is someone whom we’d like to influence. It does matter how the message is delivered.

There is a difference between respectful honesty and disrespectful honesty.

Key 6: The Differentiation Factor

In my work with hundreds of leaders, two particular elements differentiate the successful leaders from those who struggle in their ability to influence their followers. You may think, “Well, everyone knows that!” but knowing and doing are different.

Differentiator 1: clearly articulate your vision and get others to follow you.

I find two main errors in thinking when it comes to the vision/mission issue: either there is none articulated, or it’s so vague no one believes it’s important. Your employees believe that you have a vision and they think it’s your job to tell them about it.

Remember that the degree to which you are not specific, someone has to guess or to try to read your mind.

Differentiator 2: confronting issues quickly, directly and respectfully.

Leaders need to respond thoughtfully and immediately to issues that arise. Candor and honesty are the critical currency of good leadership—the art is in the delivery.

It’s helpful if you are willing to redefine confrontation as someone’s ability to respectfully resolve an issue—it does not have to be confrontational. Effective confrontation is direct, specific, and respectful.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: Creating a Success Mindset

I saw a link on the Facebook page of one of my friends last week to a video called “29 Ways to Stay Creative.”

I have to be honest. I almost didn’t watch the video.

For one, I’m not a big fan of video online. I find it easier to read content than watch it. Second, I’m always skeptical about advice columns on the topic of creativity. Because, let’s face it, we all find our creativity in different ways.

And if you’re reading this right now saying, “I’m not an artist/writer/insert-typically-thought-of-as-a-creative-profession here. I don’t need advice on creativity. I don’t need to watch this video.” …

Well, you’re wrong. Everybody in every profession has to be creative at some point. So keep reading.

But I overcame my skepticism and forced myself  to watch it. And I’m glad I did. It’s not that the video necessarily had any revolutionary advice, but  it reminded me of some important “lessons” that I think many of us forget in our daily life.

Things like:

Step Away from the Computer

It’s easy to read and answer “just one last email,” post “just one more Facebook or Twitter update,” or edit/write “just one more document.” It’s much harder to leave that email unread or document unwritten and step away from the keyboard.

But it’s critical you do just that – be it for 10 minutes or 10 days. Clearing your head clears the way for creativity, problem-solving and rejuvenation.

Today, I’ll be stepping away to visit the new Shady Grove Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market on our campus.

Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes

There are a lot of numbers out there about failure vs. success. One website I visited claims entrepreneurs average 3.8 failures before final success. Not convinced yet?

R.H. Macy founded seven unsuccessful companies before launching the successful Macy’s department store chain.

Henry Ford started five unsuccessful companies before launching Ford Motors.

Walt Disney was fired from his job with a newspaper because his editor didn’t think he had any imagination. (Who had the last laugh there?)

The point? Make mistakes. Just make sure you learn from them. [For those of you who have employees, I'd say also allow -- perhaps even encourage -- your employees to make mistakes... as long as they don't make the same ones over and over and over again.]

Go Somewhere New

Maybe it’s a new restaurant. Or a new town nearby. Or maybe it’s a new country. Regardless of where, a new environment can spur innovative ideas.

And those are just three of the 29 ideas. Others include tips like “Read a page of the dictionary” and “Sing in the shower.”

My own tip:

Read something you normally wouldn’t read.

Maybe it’s a non-fiction book even though you’re a novel junkie… a Harry Potter story when you normally devour crime novels.  Or a business magazine when you’re an US Weekly fan. But reading something new often spurs new ideas or new ways of thinking.

I encourage all of you to watch the video and then come back here and either tell us your favorite tip from the video or add your own advice as to how you stay creative.

Screen shot reprinted with permission from @tofu_design

Robin Ferrier is Communications Manager for the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus. She is also the immediate past president of the Capital Communicators Group, chair of the PR Committee for the Gaithersburg Book Festival, and chair of the Marketing & PR Committee forLeadership Montgomery. She has inadvertently become a frequent career / professional / job hunt resource for friends and colleagues due to a career path that has included five jobs in 12 years.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: 29 Ways to Stay Creative… How Many Will You Try?

A Project Manager came in last week to report a problem on a client site. I listened to her tell the story of what happened, then I said, “Okay, let me call the client and apologize.” The Project Manager insisted that she could handle it, but I continued, “Oh, I know you can handle it, but if the apology comes from me, it will mean more and you won’t get beat up so much.”

As the Chief Executive Officer at Matrix Group, I’m also the Chief Groveling Officer.

Think about it. When you’re at a store or dealing with a company over the phone over a screw-up, you want to talk to the manager or the owner.

If the manager is unavailable, you just get madder and madder. If the manager gets on the line, apologizes sincerely, and offers to do right by you, you calm down and you get over whatever it is that made you furious in the first place.

Heck, sometimes I calm down just because someone felt my pain and apologized.

Here are my rules when it comes to apologizing to clients.

Be sincere.

An insincere apology is worse than no apology. When I apologize, I mean it. I try to put myself in the client’s shoes and I try to feel their pain. I know that saying “I’m sorry” means something, even if it wasn’t me who actually made the error.

I listen and I let them yell.

Most of the time, unhappy people just want to be heard. They want someone to know how they were wronged. So I let clients vent and explain to me exactly what happened. I don’t cut them off, I don’t try to defend my team, and I don’t try to problem-solve early in  the conversation. I just shut up and listen.

Ask the client what they would like you to do.

It’s amazing how well this works. I ask clients what I can do to make things right by them, they tell me, I do it, and the sun rises again.

Follow-up.

Whenever possible, I follow-up with the client a week or two later. This shows that I haven’t forgotten, I’m staying vigilant to make sure we don’t screw up again, they are important and I’m making time for them. I get great feedback about how my team is doing and it’s another chance to connect with a client.

I called a company a few months ago because I was unhappy about a product I had received. I asked to speak to the owner and I was told that the owner never takes calls from customers. Really? But imagine if the owner had taken my call, apologized and offered to give me a discount on a future order, I would be a customer for life. Instead, I’ll NEVER do business with that company again.

As a business owner and CEO, sometimes you have to be someone’s doormat and punching bag. Comes with the territory. You might as well get good at it.

More from Women Grow Business:

• 5 ways to lose a customer … fast, a guest post by Sunny Brady
• Turning an unhappy client around, by Lori Saitz

Image: butupa via Flickr, Creative Commons

Founder/CEO and self-proclaimed Chief Troublemaker of Matrix Group International, Joanna Pineda is known for her visionary big-picture thinking and drive for excellence. Combining her broad liberal arts background and passion for technology, she started Matrix Group in 1999, today a leading interactive agency. As a trusted advisor, Joanna inspires and motivates her clients and employees alike to simply, “be better” with her mantra being: Do or Do Not. There is no try!

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: CEO or Chief Groveling Officer?

Guest post by Susan T. Spencer

Clem was a far cry from the stereotypical truck driver.

An out of work engineer, tall and lanky, with dark wavy hair and a preppy demeanor, Clem insisted on working in well-pressed chinos, a button-down shirt, and penny loafers and one more thing—this was his first job as a truck driver. Women are open to hiring quirky employees because our gut often decides for us. In this case my gut took a leap of faith.

“You look nice, Clem. Too nice for a dirty job like this,” I said. “This is who I am, Susan. I’ll be fine,” he said. And he was fine until . . . less than one week later a case of beef fell over, covering Clem in blood.

“Well, you were right about this being a dirty job,” he admitted when he called me later that day, “but I’m still me, and I’m not buying a new wardrobe. I think the company should buy me white smocks to protect my clothes. I’ll wash and press them myself.”

The goal in the food distribution business is to get in and out of the loading docks as quickly as possible. The less time you expend visiting more docks, the more money you make. Clem was a genius at this.

After driving the truck for only a month or two, he figured out that the most efficient way to get in and out of six casinos in an eight-hour shift was to work with the foremen in charge of the individual loading docks. By doing this, Clem was generally able to finish work in seven hours.

The loading dock operators took special care of Clem because he helped improve their productivity. And my company’s credibility increased because of it.

Clem was brilliant. Clem could also be incredibly difficult. He was definitely not a yes-man and was never shy about offering his opinion on every decision I made, whether it was welcome or not. Usually it wasn’t.

But Clem had a unique point of view that often gave me a valuable perspective of a situation, although at the time he offered it, it felt like his agenda was to rub my nose in the truth as he saw it.

Most businessmen wouldn’t stand for this kind of insubordination from employees. On the other hand, successful businesswomen often hire diverse individuals to create a unique mix of personalities among employees, which invigorates a business.

In most traditionally managed businesses, having an employee question the employer’s decisions is not tolerated.

Women and even some enlightened men are beginning to encourage employees to point out problems and offer suggestions—in effect, get them to take ownership in the business—which increases productivity and adds to the company’s bottom line.

Clem was a nonconformist who liked to play his guitar and compose music in the truck while he waited during pickups and deliveries. An honest, hardworking guy with a song in his heart, he not only got the job done, but through his innovations he helped establish my company’s credibility and contributed significantly to its success.

Clem eventually became my COO and remained with me for 15 years. He left New Jersey and my company when he heard California calling him. His parting gift to me was a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” that I read often and laughed out loud at his blunt commands and personal reprimands; at the same time, I felt the deep sadness that grabs you when something valuable is lost.

Women business owners have a different take on what makes a great employee. They focus on the individual’s strengths and welcome individualism so long as it benefits their organization.

The more “diamonds in the rough” you include in your company, the more likely you will build a solid business composed of people that make a difference.

“A Gem or a Dud Named Clem” is an excerpt from Susan T. Spencer’s book Briefcase Essentials. © Susan T. Spencer 2011, cover image used with permission.

More from Women Grow Business:

• Build forward, by Patricia Frame
• The partner predicament: deciding what’s best for your business, a guest post by Mary Abbajay and Karen Bedell

The author of the book Briefcase Essentials, Susan Spencer has previously served as the VP and General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles as well as the owner of Allied Steaks for more than 20 years. Currently, Susan is a guest lecturer at UNLV, hosts a radio show, owns a meat trading company, and has started a lecture series for health-care professionals. To learn more about Susan and her book, visit http://www.briefcaseessentials.com/ or follow @SusanTSpencer.

Share Your Thoughts on this article here: A Gem or a Dud Named Clem?