Challenges for new CEOs

A recent USA Today Snapshot^® referenced an interesting study. Asked to name the top challenges they face in their first 100 days on the job, 1,400 chief executive officers said:

• Increasing productivity - 30 percent
• Increasing profitability - 20 percent
• Personnel decisions - 13 percent
• Building rapport with new staff - 13 percent

Study results reaffirm Barr Corporate Success's DISC (Dominance-Influence-Steadiness-Compliance) and PIAV (Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values) profiles for those who work in profit-oriented leadership positions. An interest in the bottom line is critical in roles requiring careful management of resources. A CEO's natural tendency is to focus first on numbers, a comfort zone and primary accountability, rather than "emotional intelligence" strategies.

However, Barr Corporate Success's 20+ years' experience in high-level management strongly suggests that neglect of rapport, teamwork, employee engagement, and motivation seriously impairs strategic plans to improve profitability and productivity. Even CEO's with stellar track records can fail spectacularly if they start off on the wrong footing with their senior leadership teams.

Becoming familiar with current financial conditions in a new post is a no-brainer, but CEO's are well-advised to also establish strong rapport with direct reports. Those who do so reap the benefits of a better grasp of the skills, engagement, and styles of the team who will implement strategies which improve the bottom line. The result is smarter personnel decisions, messages that cascade throughout the corporation, more effective implementation, and very real financial gains. Disregarding the expertise and input of those who best know current conditions has dire consequences in today's difficult business environment.

Yes, market conditions are tough. But now is the perfect time to secure market position, find new markets, and develop a leadership team able to navigate stormy waters. Understandably, business owners and senior management are hesitant to commit scarce capital to consultants. They're right to be cautious. Some consultants offer recycled information, and induce eye-rolling or clock-watching with touchy-feely, time-consuming seminars.

Unlike so many of us, as her associate, I (Jodi) can attest Krissi Barr never wastes time. There may never have been a more effective time manager, or one more able to provide 100 percent signal, 0 percent noise! Our clients have written countless letters to affirm the value Krissi has delivered and the results they've reaped. Barr Corporate Success's services are focused, efficient direct consultations with specific information and hard data which quickly identify wasted time, money, and human capital. Clients are often amazed at the stark difference between Barr Corporate Success's results and those of prior consultants. Executives and their teams are never left thinking that time with Krissi might have been better spent elsewhere.

Let's face it: Only companies with an agile, engaged, and effective senior leadership team will be able to withstand and adapt to these economic conditions. The expertise of Barr Corporate has saved struggling clients before, and improves the bottom line of current clients every day.

Krissi will gladly discuss strategies to overcome the challenges you're facing, and offer concrete strategies to seize opportunities. Call (513-470-8980) or e-mail her today.

A Resolution Plan for Success

"New Year's Day... now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual..." - Mark Twain

Chances are better than even that many of us who made New Year's resolutions have abandoned them, or are flagging. According to a recent study conducted by Harris Interactive^®, only 22 percent of men and 14 percent of women follow through on our resolutions. Most of us drop our efforts by Valentine's Day, having faltered early and been overrun by the all-too-common cascade of rationalization and resignation.

If you're struggling, take heart. You can achieve your goals, and keep your resolutions. Having failed in the past in no way makes you weak-willed. What gets in the way of most of us is a total lack of preparation for success in achieving our resolutions. Here are some tips that can improve your odds.

Be specific. You are much more likely to follow through on a resolution with dates and measures in them. For example, "I will lose 2 pounds a month until Memorial Day, with an end goal of losing 10 pounds. I'll weigh myself on the 28th of each month." Contrast that with, "I want to lose weight." Which is more likely to produce results?

Be realistic and fair toward yourself. How many smokers have failed by vowing to quit a 3-pack-a-day smoking habit "cold turkey"? And dieters by limiting themselves to starvation-level calorie intakes? Achieving our goals should be enjoyable, not punishment and deprivation. Rigid and severe regimens are an "all or nothing" approach which can only exhaust you by constantly testing willpower. It's best to start with small, sensible, progressive goals that don't cause misery. Cut back in small ways. Give yourself small milestones along the way. As you succeed in those progressive goals, extend and expand them. Such goals are also more likely to result in a true lifestyle change, rather than a short-term crash course that is unbearable in the long run.

Review. We're often making the same resolution we made but didn't keep last year. You have a perfect opportunity to identify some potential problems! Think about the situations and obstacles which tripped you up last year. Did you end up pigging out on neighbor Bob's chili-cheese dip at the Superbowl party last year? Did Cousin Lisa's smoke-break call you outside despite your intention to quit? In either case, make a mental plan for what you'll do when tempted. Take gum to chew; bring something tasty but less sinful to munch on; sit away from the food; or take a few quiet moments out back, rather than out front with the smokers.

Write it down. By putting your resolution in writing and posting it somewhere within your view, you'll remind yourself to make choices that are consistent with your goals. As anyone who benefitted from taking tons of notes in school will know, merely writing it as you hear it can often give a little memory boost to the material. Many of us are visual or kinetic learners, so the mere act of manipulating a pen in writing our goals, or seeing it in black and white on a piece of paper, can impress that goal more deeply on our consciousness.

Share your goals. This may be the most important tip of all. It's unfortunate news for "the fairer sex," but men are more likely than women to always or often keep resolutions. (22% of men, versus 14% of women). Do men just have stronger wills (no) or is it something else? The key may be that men are also proportionately more likely than women to share resolutions with their spouses or others (41% of men versus 29% of women). Success in any given goal is much more frequently achieved when the goal is widely known and shared. What if everyone at the Superbowl party knew you were trying to lose 10 pounds? Would you be less likely to go for a third serving of the chili-cheese dip? If your family knew you had committed to one cigarette every 6 hours, you might be less likely to join your cousin in the garage for smoke-breaks. That's why sharing your resolutions is so important.

With some preparation and forethought, you can keep those resolutions. Be firm, but kind, with yourself, remembering that it takes 3 weeks of fairly consistent effort to cement a new "routine." Every step you take toward achieving a goal, no matter how small, is a significant improvement, and can't be wiped out by a small misstep. Get back on track, and take it one step at a time.

Let's get to work!