Keith Rosen, MMC
November 17, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

Can A Blind Manager See? Uncover Your Blind Spots

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After posting my blog the other day entitled, You Got Scammed! The Greatest Scams Salespeople Engage In That Managers Buy Into, I was hit with a few questions from readers, (which I certainly love to receive, so please keep sending them!) This particular blog must have struck a chord with many people, especially managers and executives. The question was, “Why do we continually fall into the trap of believing our own stories, fables, and illusions when we know that, from a logical perspective, they make no sense and wind up hurting us in the end?”

Here’s why. Because these S.C.A.M.M.s are blind spots. We’re just so used to them, we become blind to them. And this applies to both our S.C.A.M.M.s and the ones our salespeople run. Although we can more easily see the challenges and S.C.A.M.M.s in others, where they are stuck, what their core issues may be, and what might be an obvious solution for them, we are always the last person to be able to see them in ourselves. This is true regardless of your age, profession, wisdom, or experience.

What further drives the investment we make in our stories and the fables we create about ourselves is that we fall in love with our stories and the things we think are true. We love our stories and S.C.A.M.M.s! The more we tell them, the more engrained they become in our thinking and our being and the more we believe them. And boy, do they do a wonderful job justifying our position, experiences and performance. The problem is that we give our stories way too much power over us. The more we believe our fables, the more factual they seem to us, further adding to the challenge of distinguishing between what is reality and what is not.

Like the rest of the human race, managers need an objective person to peer inside their lives and help them identify and rewrite the stories they tell themselves, the ones that hold them back from greatness, prevent them from living life the way they want, and subsequently inhibit them from becoming a fully self-expressed, masterful executive sales coach. After all, I know many a manager who actually think they’re doing a pretty decent job coaching their team, when the harsh reality of it is, they’re not. And the evidence is in their monthly numbers and level of attrition they’re experiencing both within their sales team and with their customers.

Whether you’re an athlete, a coach, a manager, or a salesperson, you still require a coach on the sidelines to observe you and uncover the confining behavior or thinking that you cannot. There is a tremendous value to having someone on the outside looking in and pointing out the things that you are unable to recognize on your own; especially when you’re in the thick of the game.


October 23, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

So, You Think You’re Coaching Your People? Take This Executive Sales Coaching Assessment and See How You Measure Up Against a Master Coach

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Take the Coaching Assessment Here.

The rules of business have changed overnight and the areas most impacted – sales and leadership. How do you lead your team differently today compared to the way you did just six months ago? Have you benchmarked the skills needed to lead your team through tough economic times?

After all, I hear many managers tell me how they’re coaching their people, yet in the same breath, report how they’re still experiencing the same problems they’ve always had, and worse today. Then, how effective can your coaching actually be?

If you’re still experiencing the same problems you did before you started coaching your team, then it’s time to recognize the sign; something’s not right. Is it you, the person you’re coaching or your coaching approach?

So, if you think you’re coaching your people, take this Self Awareness Assessment to gauge your coaching acumen.

How effectively are you coaching your team? Just look at the results. Here’s your chance to get real about the areas you need to firm up and develop in order to get the results my clients experience – a 30% gain in sales. This assessment will help you benchmark the areas you need to develop as well as the strategies you need to implement in order to lead your team during good and bad times and most important, get them to thrive today.

Click on this link to go to the assessment where you will find a list of 27 coaching skills, competencies and strategies that the world’s most successful sales coaches, sales leaders and sales organizations have in common.

Take The Coaching Assessment to measure your true coaching acumen. Click here.


September 1, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

Win $2000.00 Worth of The Master, Zig Ziglar’s Greatest Works

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If you’ve been reading my blog then you’ve read about the company, CanDoGo. CanDoGo has more than 10,000 sales, management and motivational insights (in video, audio and text) from over 140 of the world’s best and brightest authors, speakers and coaches. You’ll find names like Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, Denis Waitley, Tony Parinello, Jill Konrath, (yours truly) and many other experts.

I figured if you’re going to try out this service anyway, at least here’s a good bonus to take advantage of.

All of this is available to you for only $9.95 per month— and on September 15th one lucky new subscriber will receive over $2,000 worth of Zig Ziglar DVDs, CDs and books. To enter for your chance to win, subscribe now.

I wish you the best of luck in your sales career and I know you will win more opportunities with CanDoGo at your fingertips.


August 5, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

What Exactly Do You Coach? The Top Ten Things You Can Coach Someone On

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What Exactly Do You Coach?
The Top Ten Things You Can Coach Someone On

I have found that the gap (the space you coach that is the area of opportunity which exists between where the person is now and where they want to be or the result they want to achieve) represents several key indicators or areas of opportunity that you can coach someone on. The opportunities for coaching someone are vast. Here is a detailed list of what you can coach.

1. The Who: Values, passions, standards, boundaries, integrity, and so on.
2. The Attitude: Belief, mindset, philosophy, outlook, or assumptions.
3. The Lesson: What have they learned? Why are the same lessons repeating themselves? Are they getting it?
4. The Ideal Characteristics: The ideal qualities you have defined that encompass a sales leader or manager. (Extroverted, actionable, honest, strong communicator, process driven, accountable, curious, organized, strong integrity and presence, knowledgeable, comfortable disposition, smart, responsive, etc.)
5. The Skill: Is there a missing discipline or one that needs further development?
6. The Activity: Are they engaging in the activities that support their goals?
7. The Strategy: How do they plan to achieve the intended result? What resources are needed?
8. The Commitment: Observe their energy level, consistency, enthusiasm, and motivation.
9. The Communication: The language, dialogue, or communication regarding style, delivery, presence, and disposition.
10. The Relationships: The relationships they have with intangible concepts and feelings as well as with their stories/illusions/assumptions.


August 4, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

The Top Characteristics of an Effective Facilitator

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The Top Characteristics of an Effective Facilitator

A client asked met the other day what makes a great facilitator (defined as, “someone who makes things easier”). Here’s what we came up with. I thought a list of the top characteristics of an effective facilitator would be of interest for those managers, speakers and trainers.

  1. Stimulates the interaction and the free sharing of thoughts and ideas.

  2. Creates the safe environment in order for the group to open up and become actively engaged in the discussion.

  3. Are masterful and engaging listeners.

  4. Provides the structure for the discussion. Sets the parameters, the intention and guides the conversation.

  5. Supports the well-being of each participant as well as the group.

  6. Acknowledges the participants and makes them right (and never makes anyone wrong.)

  7. Utilizes the art of the question to create and cultivate new possibilities that stimulate new thinking.

  8. Taps into the wisdom of each person, as the value derived in each discussion is a result of the co-creation and wisdom of the group (vs. dominates the discussion.)

  9. Is charge neutral and responsive rather than reactive.

  10. Is fluid and flexible vs. rigid. (Is light and dances gracefully within the conversation.)

  11. Connects with the group.

  12. Plans effectively yet is fluid based on the atmosphere and needs of the audience.

  13. Is authentic and shares themselves with others/is fully self expressed.

  14. Has fun and is passionate about the transformational process that occurs – if done successfully!


June 24, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

P7 - THE SEVEN TYPES OF MANAGERS

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With all the efforts those who are managed, the mass, put forth in a regal and often last valiant attempt to salvage a once positive work environment, at the core of every unhealthy working environment is the toxic boss, manager or supervisor that breeds it. All roads go back to the manager. And if the manager isn’t willing to change, then it’s a safe bet that in the end, nothing will.

That’s why to impact long lasting change, managers need to upgrade their style and approach to managing their people.

Throughout my years of coaching managers, business owners and executives, I’ve been able to identify seven types of managers. Using these seven types of managers as examples, identify the critical competencies necessary to become an effective coach. It all starts with the way we communicate. Which one best describes you or your boss?

1. The Problem-Solving Manager
This boss is task-driven and focused on achieving goals. These problem solvers are constantly putting out fires and leading by chaos. The paradox here is this: It is often the manager who creates the very problems and situations that they work so hard to avoid. Continually providing solutions often results in the lackluster performance that they are working so diligently to eliminate.

2. The Pitchfork Manager
People who manage by a pitchfork are doing so with a heavy and often controlling hand: demanding progress, forcing accountability, prodding and pushing for results through the use of consequence, threats, scarcity, and fear tactics. This style of tough, ruthless management is painful for people who are put in a position where they are pushed to avoid consequences rather than pulled toward a desired and collective goal.

3. The Pontificating Manager
These managers will readily admit they don’t follow any particular type of management strategy. Instead, they shoot from the hip, making it up as they go along often generating sporadic, inconsistent results. As a result, they often find themselves in situations that they are unprepared for. Interestingly, The Pontificating Manager thrives on situations like this. Often adrenaline junkies themselves, these managers are in desperate need of developing the second most essential proficiency of a coach: masterful listening. The Pontificating Manager is the type of manager who can talk to anyone and immediately make people feel comfortable. This character strength becomes a crutch to their leadership style, often blinding them to the need to further systemize their approach. As a matter of fact, the only thing consistent about these managers is their inconsistency.

4. The Presumptuous Manager
Presumptuous Managers focus more on themselves than anything else. To them, their personal production, recognition, sales quotas and bonuses take precedence over their people and the value they are responsible for building within each person on their team. Presumptuous Managers often put their personal needs and objectives above the needs of their team. As you can imagine, Presumptuous Managers experience more attrition, turnover, and problems relating to managing a team than any other type of manager. Presumptuous Managers are typically assertive and confident individuals. However, they are typically driven by their ego to look good and outperform the rest of the team. Presumptuous Managers breed unhealthy competition rather than an environment of collaboration.

5. The Perfect Manager
Perfect Managers possess some wonderful qualities. These managers are open to change, innovation, training, and personal growth with the underlying commitment to continually improve and evolve as sales managers, almost to a fault. This wonderful trait often becomes their weakness. In their search for the latest and greatest approach, like Pontificating Managers, Perfect Managers never get to experience the benefit of consistency. This manager is a talking spec sheet. Their emphasis on acquiring more facts, figures, features, and benefits has overshadowed the ability of Perfect Managers to recognize the critical need for soft skills training around the areas of presenting, listening, questioning, prospecting, and the importance of following an organized, strategic selling system. Perfect Managers rely on their vast amount of product knowledge and experience when managing and developing their salespeople. Because of this great imbalance, these manager often fall short on developing their interpersonal skills that would make them more human than machine.

6. The Passive Manager
Also referred to as Parenting Managers or Pleasing Managers, Passive Managers take the concept of developing close relationships with their team and coworkers to a new level. These managers have one ultimate goal: to make people happy. While this is certainly an admirable trait, it can quickly become a barrier to leadership efforts if not managed effectively. Although wholesome and charming, this type of boss is viewed as incompetent, inconsistent and clueless often lacking the respect they need from their employees in order to effectively build a championship team. You can spot a Passive Manager by looking at their team and the number of people who should have been fired long ago. Because all Passive Managers want to do is please, they are more timid and passive in their approach. These managers will do anything to avoid confrontation and collapse holding people accountable with confrontation and conflict.

7. The Proactive Manager
The Proactive Manager encompasses all of the good qualities that the other types of managers possess, yet without all of their pitfalls. Here are the characteristics that this ideal manager embodies, as well as the ones for you to be mindful of and further develop yourself.

The Proactive Manager possesses the:

<li>Persistence, edge, and genuine authenticity of the Pitchfork Manager</li>

<li>Confidence of the Presumptuous Manager</li>

<li>Enthusiasm, passion, charm, and presence of the Pontificating Manager</li>

<li>Drive to support others and spearhead solutions like the Problem-Solving Manager</li>

<li>Desire to serve, respectfulness, sensitivity, nurturing ability, and humanity of the Passive Manager</li>

<li>Product and industry knowledge, sales acumen, efficiency, focus, organization, and passion for continued growth just like the Perfect Manager</li>

The Proactive Manager is the ultimate manager and coach, relying on their newly developed skills, mindset that every manager needs to develop in order to build a world class team.

If you happen to have missed the book launch, my new book, Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions has several chapters dedicated to these manager types and how you can transition into the Proactive Manager. You can even download a few chapter excepts here.


June 19, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

Managers: Don’t Hide Under Your Desk - Register for Today’s Free Webinar on Motivating Your People During Tough Economic Times

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For those managers, business owners and executives who still haven’t registered, here’s the link to register and program description for today’s event brought to you by Hoover’s and Bizmazing.com.


To register, click here.

DATE: TODAY! June 19, 2008
TIME: 12PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME
LOCATION: Your Computer

What Recession?
How Top Managers Keep Their Salespeople Motivated and Productive During Good and Bad Times

When sales start slipping, managers are often quick to re-evaluate their sales process. Compound that with challenges in the economy and the tightening of budgetary spending within some organizations, leaders are quick to go into a reactionary, fear based survival mentality that can have detrimental consequences on team morale, even with their best intentions. While there’s always an opportunity to refine current systems and your selling strategy in response to certain market conditions, companies are missing the mark, not focusing on and recognizing what the core issue truly is that will ultimately determine success or failure. That is, how they motivate and develop their people; especially during uncertain and challenging economic times. Rather than blaming lackluster results on the economy, your salespeople, product or selling process, it is how you manage your team that is in desperate need of reinvention and an overhaul.

Keith Rosen, best selling author of Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions, has reinvented the rules of engagement for managers and executives when it comes to attracting, retaining, motivating and building a world class team. During this exclusive one hour event, you will discover that traditional management is “dead” and why the majority of managers are simply doing it all wrong, creating the very problems they are desperately looking to avoid. Managers who want to shift from surviving to thriving need to develop an entirely new skill set and mindset, which is counterintuitive to how they currently do things.

Discover what the top companies and managers are doing to motivate their people, especially their salespeople, during tougher economic times.

LEARNING POINTS:
• Prevent your team and yourself from being a victim of the media which can poison a once healthy culture.
• Turn underperformers into super-achievers; fast.
• Handle difficult salespeople and determine when to let them go without collateral damage or being held hostage by your people.
• Stop micro-managing and eliminate the heavy burden of dependency that traditional management styles create.
• Get people into action without resistance.
• Make the shift from a fear based, toxic culture to a coaching culture.
• Avoid the seduction of potential which can erode your team from the inside out.
• Determine who the players are on your team that would benefit from your support and coaching, rather than the uncoachable which simply wastes your precious and limited time.


To register, click here.


June 6, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

What’s Your Motivation - Your Fear or Goals? Choose the Fuel That Drives You

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Especially during challenging economic times and periods of uncertainty, many people spend more time focusing on that which they fear and as such, being driven by their fears to avoid a consequence, rather than the goals or dreams they want to create. Let’s face it; we’re all pretty good at articulating what we don’t want to happen in our lives yet fall short when trying to come up with a vivid picture of what we do want or our goals and dreams.

If you know what you don’t want and don’t know what you do want then where do you think you are going to continually wind up directing your thoughts and energy? Your goals and dreams don’t even stand a chance! Instead, empower your dreams and goals rather than your fears to be the driving force that moves you forward. Once you do so, you will then be able to achieve them.

The question is, if you are no longer going to be fueled by fear, consequence, or what you want to avoid to generate results, then what fuel are you going to use to drive you?

It’s better to find an energy source that will pull you towards something you want to create, something pleasurable, or something that you are passionate about, rather than fear, which pushes you away from what you want to avoid.

For example, if someone had to declare bankruptcy, they probably don’t want to experience another bankruptcy again. As such, instead of developing a clear vision or some measurable goals to achieve, they may operate from fear, driven to avoid this problem (running away from something) in the future rather than making choices that would be aligned with and complement what they want to create (moving towards something). This person may spend so much time focusing on the past, doing everything to avoid repeating their bad experience again, that they forgot where they are going. Worrying about the future rather than planning for the future is not the healthiest way to manage your thinking.

Since you need to add some type of fuel in your tank of life, here is your chance to tap into a new and positive energy source that will enable you to enjoy the journey of attaining your goals and objectives, especially as they relate to prospecting.

What are your values that need to be ignited? What do you value most that would be worth orienting your life or your career around? The bottom line is: Why do you do what you do? Why do you want to sell what you are selling? Without a healthy, motivating energy source as well as a true conviction in what you are selling, you are bound to travel down the road that leads to burn out. You are also placing a limit on your selling potential.

Here are some suggested fuel sources to assist you in uncovering your hidden passion that will become your driving force when prospecting and make you unstoppable.

1. Knowledge and Lifelong Learning. You have a thirst for knowledge and wisdom. You are a student of life and someone who embraces their own development and evolution. You are always looking for new ways to better yourself and your situation. You enjoy the experience of adding to your knowledge base and learning how to do new things that you never did before.

2. Giving Value and Helping Others. You are someone who experiences a great deal of joy when assisting other people. There’s no coincidence that you are in sales. You enjoy helping people solve their problems or better their condition. You derive a great deal of satisfaction knowing that you have assisted someone by sharing your time and expertise with them. You get energized when people rely on you. You seek to serve.

3. Product/Service: You possess a deep conviction about what you sell. There’s no doubt in your mind that what you offer can dramatically impact your customers and accelerate their success, enhance their life or career, or simply make their life easier. As such, you’re willing to talk to anyone about what you do. Your belief in your product is contagious. You feel as if you are doing your prospects a disservice if you can’t share with them what you can do that would improve their current situation.

4. Excellence. You simply want to be the best. Not to satisfy your ego or to be in the spotlight but because you enjoy the challenge of continuous improvement. You thrive off maximizing your potential and stretching your capabilities beyond what you initially thought you were capable of doing. That’s why you love to prospect! It provides you with a constant challenge. It’s the journey you enjoy, knowing that each day you have the opportunity to excel even further, fully embracing the challenges and opportunities that come your way in your quest to become a master of your life and career.

5. Family. At the end of the day, what’s more important than family? After all, why do you go to work every day? What is the ultimate goal? To raise and support a happy, healthy family. To be a great spouse, parent, and role model. You want nothing but the best for your family. They are your number one priority which you refuse to compromise. As long as it’s in your integrity to do so, you would do anything that honors the commitment you’ve made to them.

6. Relationships. You simply love people and connecting with new customers. You enjoy being part of your community. Your career allows you the ability to interact with a broad range of people and develop relationships with them. You deeply value the relationships you’ve made and give each one the attention and care they deserve. Connecting with people and communicating with them on a deeper level gives you a sense of purpose, comfort, and security.

7. Lifestyle. Your life-style is your style of living; the system or routine that you choose to use that governs your days, which makes up your life. You enjoy maintaining balance and harmony in your life. You appreciate the richness in your days that your career offers you. The income potential and flexibility played a huge role in your decision to become a salesperson. You are able to honor the priorities in your life such as your family, health and relationships. You feel that you own your day, which is evident in the amount of time you invest in taking care of yourself by engaging in the activities, hobbies, and sports that bring you the most joy. You are grateful for being able to create a great life and not just a living.

8. Creativity. You are always on the search for something unique, new and fun to try. You look forward to creating different strategies or tools that complement your selling and prospecting efforts. What puts a smile on your face is developing a new approach that will clearly separate you from your competition and grab your prospect’s interest. You love when your prospects say, “Wow, no one’s ever tried to get my attention like that before!”

9. Adventure. As a thrill seeker, what greater rush is there than closing a sale and earning a prospect’s business? You like the excitement and freshness that your career offers. Every day provides you with a new opportunity to create something that didn’t exist before; another new and happy customer.

10. Money. A high percentage of salespeople would admit that money is their primary motivator and why they got into sales in the first place. In many cases, salespeople are seduced by the thought of having a career with unlimited income potential. Before you chose money as your fuel, consider this. Is it actually the money that motivates you or is it what the money represents and what it can do for you? Does it give you security, freedom, a sense of accomplishment, peace of mind, a greater feeling of self worth? Will money allow you to create the lifestyle you want? Does it provide you with the opportunity to buy your dream house or new car, take that family vacation, enjoy more leisurely activities? Chances are, if you explore at a deeper level why you are choosing money as your motivator, you may realize that you’re better off using one of the other fuel sources that has already been mentioned.


May 1, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

The Art of Persuasion: The Sales Manager’s Path to Greater Influence. Interview With Dr. Rick Kirschner - Part 1

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As the economy heads deeper into a rough patch, companies must work harder than ever to meet financial targets. That means the pressure on salesmanagers to meet sales goals is huge.

We believe that a big part of producing sales results consists of supporting, coaching, and managing your people. Developing and strengthening coaching skills becomes essential to leveraging your competitive edge or you’re bound to get left behind.

Today our guest is Dr. Rick Kirschner, respected educator, popular speaker, executive coach, and best selling author of the ‘Insider’s Guide to The Art of Persuasion: Use Your Influence to Change Your World.” Dr. Kirschner offers some valuable insights for sales managers working to improve their skills as sales coaches.


KR: Rick, in your work with managers, what do you find to be the most common obstacle to building and projecting their authority and leading their sales teams?

DRK: Right off the top, I can think of a couple of obstacles. The most common one is the idea that management and coaching are about talking, that somehow talking takes priority over listening to understand. And I understand how this happens. In fast paced environments, it’s a natural tendency to put the pedal to the metal, to try harder, move faster, do more. The problem is that they wind up talking at their people instead of with them and to them. And the obstacle this lack of understanding creates is that without knowing what motivates your people, you can’t engage them where it counts.

When you understand what motivates your people, and it’s different for different people, you can speak with authority that is recognized as authority, because it is relevant and conveys experience and knowledge.

Then there’s the confidence problem. When managers come off as tentative, hesitant or uncertain, it tends to evoke these responses in their teams. This problem is the side effect of at least two missing pieces: first, not knowing your own motivation, and second, not being prepared to speak when you need to speak. The fact is, people want to be led, not managed, and they need to get that sense of authority from you, because it gives them confidence to do what needs to be done. They believe it when you believe it.

Now, it’s a legitimate question, confidence in what? After all, in these changing times, nobody really knows what’s coming next. And some degree of introspection is prudent for anyone wanting to thrive instead of merely survive. But you can have confidence in your motivations. You can have confidence in what you do know. And you can have confidence that under the right conditions, people will want to give you their best, to do their best.

KR: What are the key listening and communication skills that sales managers can improve upon as they work to develop and strengthen their coaching skills?

DRK: Essentially, there are two skills that are fundamental to success in coaching. The first is blending, the second is asking questions. Blending is the foundation of all successful relationships. It happens whenever you reduce the differences between yourself and another person. It happens whenever you send signals of similarity and commonality. And a failure to blend is the cause of most conflict, nobody cooperates with anyone who seems to be against them. If perception is everything in relationships, then sending blending signals is how you create the perception of partnering with your people in a process or project.

As for questions, I believe it was the stoic philosopher, Epicetus, who said “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Maybe this is the apt metaphor for the way we’re built, but I’ve observed that too many people just don’t get it. Although they certainly think they do. Ask just about anyone if they’re a good listener, and they’ll tell you yes. But most people do a meager job of it at best, instead drawing conclusions and then making statements instead of engaging people by asking questions.

Maybe the people who don’t ask very many questions are afraid of looking stupid. Maybe they think it makes them seem weak. Or maybe they think they’re supposed to have all the answers. Maybe it’s just a function of the fact that we can think faster, at 500 words a minute, than most people talk, which is about 130 words a minute. So it’s pretty easy to get ahead of what we’re hearing, or for our minds to wander to what we want to say when its our turn to talk. But a great coach understands the limits of his or her knowledge about another person, and explores that boundary to build the connection, rather than building the boundary and weakening the relationship. The key is curiosity. The less you think you know, the more you find out. The more value you place on what you can learn by listening, the less distracted you’ll be with your own thoughts.

Perhaps you’ve heard it said that ‘there is no such thing as a stupid question.’ That’s a great guide when it comes to everyone other than you! You can’t afford to ask dumb questions if you want to bring out the best in your people. When someone asks me a question, no matter how trite, simplistic or off the point, I welcome it and find the opportunity in it. But when it’s me asking, I think that there are dumb questions. They’re dumb if they fail to take into account things people have said. They’re dumb if they’re closed ended instead of open ended, unless I intend to bring something to a close. I want my questions to serve an intelligent purpose. I want to get to the deep structure of a person’s motivations and positions. I want to learn about their goals and aspirations, their desires and fears. Asking questions is a great way of leading people to their own resourcefulness. And I want my questions to inform, just as their answers will inform me. As a coach, the more you know, the more likely it is that you will know exactly what you need to know in order to elicit comfort confidence and credibility.

And it sets a great example for sales people, too. Because the best sales people talk about their customers’ and clients’ business rather than talking about the sales person’s business, and that’s only possible when they’ve been asking good questions.

To read more of Dr. Rick Kirschner’s suggestions for improving your ability to use persuasion to create positive change in your life, relationships, and work, visit Dr. K’s Blog here: www.drkblog.com.


April 30, 2008
By Keith Rosen, MCC

Time To Quit Your Job? Ten Signs That Suggest You’re Ready For A Career Change

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When do you know it’s time to quit your job and move on to a more promising opportunity? Here are ten signs that would suggest it’s time for you to re-examine your career path and move on.

The Top Ten Signs That Tell You It’s Time To Quit Your Job

I remember years ago when researching people’s sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in the workforce, the statistic at that time was that about 80% of the people in the work force were not happy at their job. Today, that percentage is even higher. And in my line of work, it doesn’t come as a shock to me, especially with the way I see people making career decisions and the tyrannical managers who they are unfortunate enough to have manage them. The bigger question is; “When do you know it’s time to quit your job?” Here are ten signs that would suggest that you need to move on and re-examine your career path.

  1. You’ve noticed signs of selective amnesia. Your boss falls short of fulfilling promises and commitments made to you.


  2. You leave the office three inches shorter than you arrived – each day. The constant belittling and negative, fear based motivational strategies can really affect you more than you think.


  3. You are finding it more and more challenging to fit under that microscope in order to get your daily dose of intense scrutinizing.


  4. You start bringing an oxygen tank to work just in case your boss decides to suck the life out of you that afternoon.


  5. You notice more and more that it’s affecting your home life and personal relationships. Don’t yell at the kids and it’s not the dog’s fault.


  6. You don’t like what you do during the hours you work. Thoughts of getting poked in the eye with a hot coal are sounding more and more enjoyable and stimulating than the daily tasks, responsibilities and activities you currently engage in. Your job is simply not exciting, rewarding (financially as well as mentally/personally), challenging or making the difference you want to make for yourself and for others.


  7. It’s a culture of survival – immunity challenges daily.


  8. Your manager’s definition of motivation and support; “I’ll save your !$%&# this time, but don’t screw this up again. Now, go get to work and get some sales. You’ve got to be tired of being the lowest producer on the team. And you’re welcome for my help.”


  9. You look forward to sick days.


  10. And finally, you’re miserable, overworked, underpaid, stressed out and, it’s painfully clear to you that you hate your BOSS!



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