Moving Employees from High Potential to Consistent Performance

There are those with the potential for performance and there are those that can outperform almost everyone else. When managing high potential individuals it is necessary to move from "spotty" performance to something more consistent. It is a process of improving motivation, self-awareness, and skill.

Listen to the Podcast Here

1.) Motivation: The individual should determine what goals are important to them and how to achieve them.

2.) Self-Awareness: Developing emotional intelligence is important for maintain an even "keel" approach to performance.

3.) Skill-Development: High potential doesn't mean they have all of the skills they need. Make an assessment and fill in the gaps.

You may want to read an article on gifted performance.
http://www.academic-capital.net/2014/01/saving-gifted-butterflies-with-service.html

Two Key Points on How Word-of-Mouth Transforms Marketing Messages

Online virtual marketing, word-of-mouth and social media are important platforms for marketing. Sometimes we just send messages out there and hope that they will be repeated. Research in the Journal of Marketing indicates that this isn't always true (Kozinets, et. al. 2018). Often such marketing messages are adjusted and changed by the people who repeat them creating new meanings not necessarily intended by the marketer.

1.) WOM is not simply an amplification of the marketing message.

Marketing messages may improve the volume of a marketing channel and create more "hit" on a site but they are not simply an amplified message. People who repeat them because the message resonates with something they believe in. As they encode new information they change it and repeat it in a new way.

2.) Marketers should consider how messages transform to resonate.

This changing and repeating information creates a dilemma for some marketers. Some may not want their messages changes or adjusted but it will happen nevertheless. Having a solid understanding of what type of people the message will attract will help to predict the ways in which it will be repeated. 

Kozinets, et. al. (2018). Networked Narratives: Understanding Word-of-Mouth Marketing in Online Communities. Journal of Marketing, 74 (2). 

Americans Spending But Not Saving New Data Shows-Try Some Methods of Saving

Spending in America goes up .8% which is 5.9% higher than last year. The trend doesn't seem to be slowing as Americans are optimistic about their jobs in the future. This higher spending does come with a price though. Savings are still at a low of 2.8% which means we simply aren't putting the money where it should be. If you are having some problems you may want to consider some advice.

Have a Budget: Remember that it is important to have a formal or informal budget to determine where and how you want to spend your money. You will need to know how much you plan on putting away and how you are going to adjust. It is furthermore helpful to know where you want to place your saved money. 

Have a Goal: You better know what you want to do if you desire to accomplish it. If you plan on putting about 7% of your income or you would like to save $10K then you should have some targets to shoot for. This may determine what investment vehicles you choose. 

Study the Options: Study the options for saving such as checking/saving accounts which have relatively low interest returns but allow for the ability to withdraw if you have a problem. If you are doing well in your saving plan you may desire to invest in your 401K or Roth IRA retirement funds-review tax benefits. Finally, if you want to be more aggressive and still have arms length needs for your money think individual stocks or ETFs.

To Eat More or Eat Less to Get in Shape?

If you read fitness magazines you may get frustrated if you follow the advice exactly and gain weight. What you may find is that the information isn't always accurate and unless you are spending 4 hours a day in the gym chances are you can't burn that many calories. Using reason and wisdom to match your fitness needs is important for future success.

First, much of this advice is for really think guys that want to bulk up. They don't process calories the same and have higher metabolizes. They need all these calories to leave some for building muscle.

No doubt building muscle requires a certain amount of high protein and beneficial nutrients. The difference is that if you go too high in those areas it converts to fat quickly.

For bigger guys that can either be muscled or chubby they should eat what they are required to eat but make better choices over their food. Watch themselves for a week and decide whether they need more or less calories.

Lets say they are gaining weight much faster than it is to make the 1.5 lbs of muscle a month. This will either be water weight or fat. Waiting a week to make a decision will help ferret it out.

If you are gaining more pounds you may either adjust their type of food you eat and the calorie amount. They should stay about the same to gain muscle and reduce fat. If they are trying to loose fat they may need to adjust their workout or eating style; but mostly their calories.

Making better choices will help you adjust calories through better eating. That is always the goal. However, anything over what you need will force your body to gain fat. Don't be afraid to pull back on the calories to 300+ under your needs to see if you start to loose again. Much of fitness is about the quality of the food and the amount of food you eat.

I am a certified fitness trainer so if you are in Escanaba or San Diego get in touch with me. muradabel@gmail.com

Manager Communication Tips

Managers are communicators. While they may be exceptional at their skills they are not nearly as effective as they are when they know how to talk with their employees. The purpose of management is to understand and engage with people to direct the workflow as well as create motivation to get things done.

Communication is essential to the success of the team and department (Leonard, 2015). Without communication skill the workflow process may be dysfunctional and employee confused about what actions they need to take. Likewise, managers may end up not being effective in the long-run thereby limiting their benefits to the organization.

Here are a few ideas on how to communicate well:

1. Understand the conversation before commenting. Make sure you aren't just throwing out assumptions. A lot of people do this in daily conversation. They make quick judgement without a clue what the other person is saying. This can lead to confusion and resentment. 

2. Have a plan on what you want to accomplish. It is hard to communicate others what you expect them to do if you have no plan on what to accomplish. Ensure you have some goals, a strategy, and then talk about it often. 

3. Accept feedback when it is appropriate. Don't be a "dumb" manager who doesn't learn and doesn't receive feedback. These type of managers don't last very long. Just make sure the feedback is valid and beneficial.

4. Send emails and having informational meetings. It can be helpful to share information by sending emails and having informational meetings. Get the word out about what needs to be accomplished and make things happen. Don't have too many meetings but ensure you have enough to run the department. 

Leonard, K. (2015). Communication as a management skill. Arkansas Business 32, (6).

Fed Rate Hike Will Increase Your Credit Card Payment-How to Reduce

The U.S. Central Reserve Bank is expected to raise interest rates by .25% in the next month. According to the June Credit Card Report there will be an increased $10 billion in credit care balances and $2.2 billion in interest payments. This means that carrying debt will be more costly to you soon. There are ways to get a handle on this before it gets out of control.

We spend entirely too much on credit cards, save too little, and invest almost nothing. At least that is the way it is for some people. To get a handle on your credit card debt means finding new patterns of spending.

-Stop spending except on things you need.
-Opt for a debit cards or cash.
-Cut out a few expensive activities and apply to your balance monthly.
-Put together a budget and designate a percentage you can use toward paying your balance.
-Use savings to pay off your balance and save the interest rate.
-Use your credit card for emergencies.
-Sell items you don't need or are cluttering your garage and you don't use to apply to the balance.
-Get a second job.

Do you have the right personality for your career?

Students enter college often picking their careers from things they saw in the movies, based on course load, and because their friends told them it will be "cool". This is an interesting video on determining your personality and how it relates to your career.  It is helpful to think about yourself while watching this video and relate it to your personality.

For example, being a professor may need complexity because they have high cognitive function. Scientists and artists may crave creativity. The video then moves into the entreprenuerial spirit and the eventual switch to more detailed oriented people. It further goes on to outlay an argument for both.

Lots of other "tid bits" of knowledge.