Blog | Shannon Procise

5 Strategies for Building Strong Communication in Your Mobile Workforce

November 2, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

Facilitating effective communication among their employees and associates can provide businesses with a range of potential benefits. For organizations that rely upon a decentralized business model and a mobile workforce, many unique challenges need to be overcome. The following strategies can help to ensure reliable communication within a mobile workforce.

Seeking Ideas From Employees

Arbitrarily dictating policies rather than allowing a communication strategy to grow and develop organically could be a misstep. Employees and workers can provide valuable insight and a range of ideas that businesses might have otherwise overlooked. Encouraging workers to become more involved in the development of a new strategy or policy could prove to be a very smart move.

Cloud-based Infrastructure

Tethering a workforce to one location can hamstring their effectiveness. Cloud-based services and mobile apps allow teams to be flexible and improve communication regardless of their physical location. Moving things online also makes it possible for businesses to store necessary project documents in one centralized location. This allows all virtual team members to access the project from their respective locations. Investing in the right digital resources and architecture could end up making a real difference in the success of your virtual team.

Unifying Communications

Mobile communication strategies often need to draw upon a wide range of resources in order to be effective. While chat clients and mobile apps allow teams to be flexible and improve communication, failing to properly integrate and unify all resources could lead to an endless supply of problems. Unified communications is one of the cornerstones of any effective strategy.

Leveraging Mobile Technology

Current and next-generation smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices can provide businesses with a variety of different communications resources and solutions. Mobile apps allow teams (virtual or otherwise) to be flexible and improve communication in ways that conventional technology may be unable to rival.

Soliciting Feedback

Failing to update or fine-tune a strategy once it has been implemented could blunt its effectiveness in the long-term. The needs of a business or organization will continue to shift and evolve over time and strategies may need to be adapted to remain effective. Outdated strategies are rarely able to benefit from the latest technologies.

Each business has different needs, and no one strategy can provide the same quality and level of results for every organization. A little trial and error may be required in order to devise or develop strategies that will provide superior results. For businesses that rely on a highly mobile workforce, crafting a strategy that will allow for more effective communication among workers, staff and associates should always be a top priority.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

4 Hiring Principles Necessary to Build a Motivated Team

September 8, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

The research is clear; high performing employees are the most motivated employees and out produce average employees by 4 to 1! What fundamental principles are necessary to build an effective hiring process that will staff your organization with high performers and motivated teams? The highest performing organizations have cracked this code and here is how they do it.

Determine What Capabilities Will Drive Your Company’s Success

Think about those brands that you admire. What is it that they are very good at doing? Walmart differentiates itself by their expertise in supply chain management while Nordstrom is known for their customer service. How does your company differentiate itself from the competition? What qualities do you admire in the employees you already have, and what are you going to be looking for in the new hires?

Determine What Skills are Aligned with Your Organizational Skills

Personal competencies are a person’s ability, skill, character, and knowledge that develop through life experiences. Personal competencies account for nearly 90% of successful performance on the job. A partial list of the 67 personal competencies from the Lominger organization include:

Action Oriented
Business Acumen
Organizational Agility
Customer Focus
Timely Decision Making

Determine What Technical Skills are Required for a Specific Role

Technical competencies represent the skills and knowledge necessary to perform in a specific job role. The majority of hiring is done with a focus on technical competencies. It is important to note, however, that technical skills only account for 10% of successful job performance.

Establish Objectives for Interview and Screening Processes

First off, you need to have great managers.If you don’t have great managers, you will never have a high performing, highly motivated team. Period.

Most hiring managers make hiring decisions based on:

Their “gut”
The similarity in personalities with the candidate
The degree to which they “like” the candidate

Pre-employment evaluations combined with structured interview processes are critical to the screening process as they remove the subjective human biases of the interviewers while screening all candidates using a common methodology.

High performers have the personal and technical competencies that align with the desired organizational capabilities of the company. If the screening process is built with these principles in mind, the result will be a highly successful organization. For more hiring techniques and advice, check out my blog!

Filed Under: Business, Coaching, entrepreneurs, Relationships Tagged With: business, coaching, entrepreneurs, motivation, relationship, team building

How Veterans Can Leverage Their Communities and Benefits for Success

August 27, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

If you’re a veteran, you might be wondering what your options are for moving forward after military life. Maybe you want to start your own business. Perhaps you want to return to school. Maybe you aren’t quite sure what your next step will be. Fortunately, no matter which branch of the military you served in, there are several ways you can leverage your benefits for success. Here’s what you need to know.

Resources for Starting a Business

If you’re interested in starting your own business, but you aren’t quite sure how you can afford it, you might be surprised to learn that the VA does offer business loans to eligible applicants. Consider applying for a loan in order to jump start your new business. This can give you the leverage you need to get started doing what you really want to be doing.

Resources for Furthering Your Education

The VA offers educational benefits through the GI bill, which will enable you to pursue a college degree at the school of your choice. You may use your GI bill benefits for either an undergraduate or graduate degree. Note that this benefit covers the cost of tuition. You will also receive a stipend for housing and for books. The rates for these benefits vary based on your location, the type of school you’re attending (online versus on-campus), and the number of credit hours you’re enrolled in.

Resources for Training

Did you know that much of your military training translates to the civilian world? If you’re an expert at something and received solid training in the military, you may be able to utilize this training to pursue a career in a new field. Don’t make the mistake of thinking things you learned don’t apply in non-military positions. They do! Chances are you’re more qualified for local positions than you think.

While the choice to leave the military can be a tricky one, rest assured that you have many available options for moving forward and succeeding in the world around you. Whether you want to start your own business or simply develop the skills you need to become a business professional, it’s possible to find the help and the assistance you need to get started. Begin by considering your personal goals and then explore what particular options and benefits the VA has to offer you. You might be surprised at just how much you’ll be able to do.

If you are looking into starting your own business, check out this site for some helpful advice and coaching opportunities that will take you to success!

References:

VA Low Rates | Veteran Home Loans

Chron | 5 Resources You Need to Succeed to Start a Business

Success | 3 Ways Your Team Can Benefit from Military-Style Leadership Training

Filed Under: Business

What are the Secrets to Throwing a Successful Seminar?

August 27, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Real Estate Elevated

Nowadays, there are seminars on all types of subjects. The purpose of these seminars is to provide quick access to information in a short amount of time. People visit seminars with certain expectations, so it is essential to make it as successful as possible. A significant key to a promising seminar is good leadership and teamwork. Here are other vital secrets to throwing a successful seminar:

Devise a Specific Theme

You will want to select a theme that correlates with the primary objectives of the seminar. The primary theme for any seminar should be to train and teach on a specific subject.

Showcase Leadership Qualities

Effective leadership skills will allow you to take charge of the flow of the seminar. Leaders stay organized, and they work to get the job done. These skills are critical to the success of the seminar. Those who attend and those who work under you will recognize that you are confident, in control, and you know what you are doing, and they will respect you for that.

Identify Keynote Speakers

The speakers that you select should have relevant knowledge on your specific seminar topic. The speaker should be reputable and charismatic. They should also be able to entertain while providing specific information to seminar attendees. Speakers could also be experts in their fields. Some great ways to find speakers are looking on LinkedIn, checking out other seminars and seeing who spoke at those, issuing a call for proposals, and using industry publications. Be sure that speakers have the right accommodations as well. Speakers will need to be able to park as close to the venue as possible. It is also a good idea to provide speakers with information for alternate modes of transportation to ensure they will arrive in a timely fashion.

Plan to Succeed

In order to plan to succeed, you must prepare. Research trends in the area you expect to host your seminar. You must also envision a successful end result for your plan. Plan a specific date, time and place for your seminar to be a success. Notate the specific tasks that you will need to accomplish. Assign a task for every detail to prevent mishaps and mistakes. Consider each and every small issue that could arise in advance.

Choose a Central Location

The location of the seminar is the ultimate predictor of the success of the event. It is best to choose a location that is easily accessible and offers free or low-cost parking. The location should also be functional. Attendees should have enough space to mingle and interact with one another. It is important for the seminar site to be in close proximity to an airport for attendees who aren’t local. This will attract more attendees for even greater success.

Focus on making your seminar as successful as possible by focusing on speakers, patrons and session topics. If these factors are in place, people will flock to attend. To book a complimentary event strategy session go to www.Meetme.so/ShannonGronich

Filed Under: Business, Events, Marketing

5 Office Hacks for Improving Employee Productivity

August 19, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

A work environment where employees seem to lack energy or focus is a business that’s wasting money with poor productivity. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with management. A workforce that’s happy and engaged will produce more, and with better results. Here are five tips for boosting productivity.

1. Time Management Tools

In a fast-paced environment, it’s better to focus on time management than multitasking. Set aside sufficient blocks of time for priorities. Employees can manage their own time with apps that allow to-do lists and synchronized calendars. Effective tools can also monitor activities so wasted time can be minimized.

According to Common Areas Maintenance Software, in pretty much all instances, having time management tools are essential to get the visibility needed to somehow manage it all. A good arsenal of tools to help with time management will help to remove the panic and provide you with a sense of priority, allowing you to become more effective.

2. Pay for Performance

Offering an incentive is one of the best ways to increase productivity. Tier pay increase policies or bonuses to performance. You’ll have to work out fair and realistic metrics for each job role to measure results. Those who consistently rank high should be rewarded. Before long you’ll be able to identify those with poor work habits and take appropriate action. This will continue to raise overall efficiency.

3. A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Often, the best workers are those who try hardest and devote the most time, but the downside is that they burn out more quickly. This impacts job performance as well as employee retention rates. Employees may also have stresses at home, such as troubled relationships or sick children.

It’s important that workers are allowed reasonable time to take care of personal priorities, as well as provide opportunities on the job to regularly relax or have a little fun. One way to promote the health and happiness of your employees is to incorporate employee wellness programs and challenges. These can include challenges related to fitness, mindfulness, sustainability, and financial wellness.

4. Structure the Workday

Everyone has natural body rhythms when certain capabilities may peak or wan. The workday should be structured to take advantage of these patterns to improve productivity and reduce stress. For instance, mornings are the best time to hold progress meetings so everyone can wake up and get attuned as soon as possible. Analytical tasks should take place around mid-afternoon when energy levels are highest.

5. In-Office Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice that helps to de-stress and rebuild energy. In-office yoga also has wellness benefits such as improved muscle tone, flexibility, and respiration. It can be done very affordably and learned easily. Having a yoga instructor stop by a few times a week is a great way to keep productivity high.

Many conservative business owners would rather live with acceptable output than spend precious time and money improving it. However, productivity is directly linked to profits, and affordable means to boost it will pay off consistently.

Need more in-depth instructions on how to improve teamwork and productivity in your business? Shannon Gronich can help with that. She is an experienced coach who can get your team on common ground and help everyone push forward to success!

Filed Under: Business

Why Customer Service Is One Of The Best Skills To Learn

June 13, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

Customers rule. After all, they have unprecedented access to products and services from around the world. Customers can also assess other information such as product specifications and prices, putting themselves in control of their shopping experiences.

Meanwhile, businesses need customers to survive. For this reason, companies increasingly adopt customer-centric business models that attempt to deliver the products, services, and experiences that their customers expect and deserve. And it is essential to hire the right people to fit the position. Checking pre-employment assessments and aptitude tests can help you make that decision. Personality tests are also a way to ensure you hire the best person for the position.

As a result of the modern customer-first attitude, customer service has become an integral part of the success of a business, even if they don’t work in a customer service department. Continue reading to find out why.

Customer Satisfaction

Attorneys say the most important thing with any legal case is your confidence and comfort level with your attorney. Meanwhile, American Express reports that more than half of consumers reconsider their purchases because of poor service.

Simply put, the quality of service that you provide has a direct impact on the number of sales you make. If you master the ability to make clients and customers feel comfortable, valued and appreciated, you have a higher likelihood to close a sale. You also will increase the possibility of other desirable outcomes such as repeat business and positive reviews.

Customer retention

Businesses spend a lot of money attracting new customers. When those customers have a terrible experience, they most likely will shop elsewhere in the future. However, customers who have a positive experience will probably buy again with the same company.

Companies can serve repeat customers for less than the cost of acquiring new customers. Therefore, businesses with high customer retention rates have lower transaction costs and higher profits.

Reputation Marketing

By learning and exercising excellent customer service skills, you can create a stellar reputation for your brand that inspires others to choose your brand. Shoppers value the experiences of others more than branded marketing messages, so make sure you consistently provide excellent service.

Even when you do your best, some people will leave negative remarks online. When this happens, use the situation as an opportunity to demonstrate your exceptional customer service to the world. Always treat people with respect and show a willingness to find a usually satisfactory resolution to every problem.

In summary, customer service is one of the best skills to learn because of its impact on every business. Excellent customer service can grow your business, reduce your expenses and lay a solid foundation for consistent long-term growth. Try to see challenges with customer service as an opportunity to improve your business model and your product, which is in actuality an opportunity to grow.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business practice, customer service

5 Ways to Improve Team Unity and Build Brand Awareness

June 9, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

People are the lifeblood of your business. With the right people on your team, virtually anything is possible. Without great talent, however, you are doomed to failure. Bad employees can bring the whole company down by doing things in public that shed a bad light on your business. So be sure to have robust vetting processes in place and hire the most motivated and qualified people you can find. If you think you might need help with this, then make sure to check out coaching sessions that will help guide you in building a high performance team.

Don’t Tolerate Gossip

(Image Credit: Dreamstime)

Gossip is the worst offense of an employee outside of harassment. This is because it sows discord among your ranks. It makes everyone think that the other workers are out to get them. Eventually, the whole team will break down from a lack of trust. Don’t let this happen, cut out gossip whenever you find it to prevent it from growing.

Team Building

(Image Credit: Wrike)

Build your team up with lunches and exercises. Don’t rely on chance, either. Set aside specific groups each week, month, or quarter to have these events. Whether it is at work or outside of work, it can be useful to bond people together. Then, they’ll feel more motivated to work harder for the brand goals you have.

Daily Meetings

(Image Credit: Dreamstime)

When you have daily meetings, you have a significant advantage. Everyone can feel unified and on the same page. It is a regular way of checking in and confronting any issues that might be brewing under the surface. They will soon find ways to promote the brand in better ways as well.

Branded Apparel

(Image Credit: Elevate)

Give your employees some swag to show off. Whether they’re with friends or family, your brand will get more traction. The best part is that most apparel is customizable to your exact business. Therefore, it not only builds team unity but also acts as a secondary marketing channel for you.

In the world of entrepreneurship, the brand is what sets you apart from the rest. And without a solid team to back it up, you can’t get far. So don’t make the mistake of ignoring these two crucial aspects of your company. Instead, turn them into one of your most significant assets for a major advantage over the competition.

Filed Under: Coaching Tagged With: brand apparel, communication, meetings

How To Increase Office Morale Without Breaking The Bank

June 9, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

Increasing the morale of your business is an important goal to set because it can have a host of other positive benefits for the company. Being a great leader in the office has a lot to do with encouraging input from your employees on how they feel and how the office works. Many times this means providing incentives and other sorts of fun activities for employees to feel motivated by. And while you want to do best to keep their morale up, you also have to keep the budget in mind. Fortunately, you don’t need to destroy your business’s budget to create a more friendly vibe in the workplace.

Offer Refreshments

While you don’t want employees lounging on the couch and eating snacks all day, you can provide them with some complimentary refreshments. You could purchase bagels from the store and have them ready to toast in the office kitchen with spread prepared to go, or you might bring in tacos from an affordable restaurant for lunch every other week. Another option is to stock the break room with beverages and snacks. If you want to let them pick, you could always purchase used vending machines for discounted prices, or you could look into coffee that’s for sale in bulk quantities.

Host Events

You want to encourage employees to work together professionally, but encouraging them to socialize can have tremendous benefits. Employees who feel more comfortable with each other often make better team members. You could host events in the office space to reduce the cost. Also, some local activities, such as paint nights or escape rooms, may offer discounts for large groups. If you want to include food at the event, host a potluck. Asking everyone to bring in a dish also allows your employees to show off their culinary style.

Procure Updated Equipment

Imagine that it took your computer the better part of an hour to load in the morning or that the copier broke every time you needed to make handouts for presentations. Looking into companies that offer corporate discounts can help you to save on the price. Also, you may want to look into having older equipment repaired. While the end goal is likely to replace the machines, doing so might not be possible at this moment.

Let Them Work from Home

Instead of having to pay for office snacks and even utilities, why not let your employees work from home? Introducing a virtual office policy can boost your team’s morale as well as offer other benefits. Employees who have the opportunity to telecommute report substantially higher job satisfaction and quit at half of the usual rate. Plus, many studies have shown that people who work from home tend to be more productive than those who spend their 9 to 5 in an office. According to DavinciVirtual.com, there are three types of telework: full-time, part-time, and situational. Depending on how many days your employees work from home, you could save more than $1000 per employee per year.

Provide Positive Feedback

It’s true that offering criticism of your employees is sometimes necessary as you need to let your employees know where room for improvement exists. However, when you constantly criticize your employees or do so negatively, they are likely to start thinking that they aren’t doing any of the tasks correctly. According to LiveChatInc.com, letting employees know when they succeed is an essential part of acting as a good boss. But if you do have to give some critique, do it well. This strategy will cost you no money whatsoever to implement.

As you begin to think of ways to increase morale, you may see a significant price sticker attached to the plans. Fortunately, you can motivate your employees and make them feel happier at work without spending too much.

Filed Under: Business, Relationships Tagged With: coworkers, morale, office

How To Find Areas Of Improvement In Your Growing Business

June 9, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

Companies that want to be successful often look to customer praise and competitor admiration as validation of their efforts and as an impetus for improvement. However, the question of how to use negative reviews should be explored as well, since it’s true in all walks of life that we often learn best from failure and mistakes. Here are some valuable ways of becoming aware of an organization’s limitations as motivation for future enhancements.

Customer complaints

Although some companies question whether the customer is always right, the fact is that customers offer a helpful perspective on what is not working effectively within the business. From waiting on telephone hold too long to sky-high pricing, customers and clients provide glimpses into the consumer mindset about what might need to be tweaked to give a better customer experience. Online reviews or customer service department complaints can be mined for thoughtful feedback on how a company can improve its services, although keep in mind that not all reviews are helpful; general trends are more likely to guide you in the right direction.

Employee tensions

When two or more employees complain about a company policy or rule, it’s time to reexamine the rule to ensure it is clear and fair to all. Sometimes the language may need to be clarified, or doesn’t fit with company culture. Other rules may merely become outdated, such as those about an office dress code. Invite employees to share their concerns through a complaint box or an email discussion board. Negative comments, unless disrespectful, should not cause backlash or discrimination to the employee, but rather a courteous thank-you for sharing a pressing concern.

Liability concerns

If you work out of a physical, brick-and-mortar location, then you may have experienced safety concerns and near misses on your property. If employees and customers have complained about the pavement in your parking lot or about structural issues inside your property, then it’s wise to fix them now before injury occurs. Under premises liability law, property owners have a responsibility to keep their property safe—or at least warn against potential danger. Take steps now to minimize potential dangers on your property. This will improve your business image and protect you against future liability suits.

Training issues

Sometimes a training class does not go as planned. It might be that an external trainer does not fully understand the company’s culture or the issues being dealt with. Other times, employees can be resistant to change and reluctant to embrace new policies and goals. These situations provide valuable opportunities to discuss employees’ emotions and concerns so that the company can adjust its approach if necessary, or provide employees the necessary support and incentives for embracing change, which will increase employee retention.

Product feedback

Whether a company sells products or services, it is a good idea to solicit customer feedback about goods or services received. Product feedback is an invaluable resource for companies. This can be done anonymously by return postcard or online via the company website. Showing interest in improving the product will impress customers build confidence in the company as well as possibly generate more sales.

Financial Records

If you don’t personally track your business’ spending, when was the last time you looked a nice close look at your finances? Chances are, it’s been a while. Going through your spending reports can give you some unique insight into potential trouble areas for the future. Organize the data and look for trends. How much are you spending on utilities? How much are you spending on product development? Are you staying well within budget? How many times have you had to dip into emergency funds? Once you’ve looked at the data, ask yourself how you can improve. To use utilities as an example, you may wish to reduce your utility bill. Investing in energy-saving devices could help make room in your budget for more comfortable growth.

Negative criticism can render positive results if used productively for company enrichment. Look for ways to encourage customer feedback, including critical comments.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: business practices, growth, training

Bare Minimum Background Checks for Hiring on a Small Budget

June 7, 2018 By Shannon Gronich Leave a Comment

When you are running a small business with limited resources, you may consider foregoing background checks to cut employment costs. However, personal and professional references often don’t provide enough information about a person. Even simple background checks can make candidate selection decisions faster and easier. This is especially important for a small business that might lack the resources to address problems that can arise from poor hiring decisions.

Criminal Background Checks

Running a basic criminal background check on applicants before officially hiring them can keep a small business from becoming a victim of fraud. While many issues that might come up through a criminal background check may not be relevant to the individual’s ability to perform their job, crimes related to fraud or theft should be considered during a hiring decision. While large corporations can handle some losses, one wrong employment decision can drive a small business to close. For this reason, money spent on criminal background checks is an essential insurance policy for the overall security of your business.

Credit Reports

A credit report is another background check that can offer employers valuable information about applicants. However, small employers can afford to be more discriminating with which positions require credit checks. Applicants for jobs that require a high level of financial accountability or that will have access to business finances should be screened using a credit report. Be aware that the states of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington have state laws prohibiting employers from using employee credit reports in hiring decisions.

Legal Considerations

For all types of background reports, employers must be careful to follow specific legal requirements. You may not run a criminal or credit check on an individual without their written consent. Most employees will ask applicants to sign a background check consent form at a later stage in the hiring process. After viewing a background check, you must send the employee a pre-adverse action disclosure, a copy of the report, and an explanation of their rights to dispute reports if you think you may not hire them based on the report. When you make the final decision to not hire them based on information in the report, you must send applicants an adverse action notice to let them know.

Vetting

Transparency in hiring, on the part of the employer and the employee, is essential to building trust. This transparency can be achieved through proper vetting processes. Vetting assures that potential employees are who they claim to be and have done what they claim to have done so that you can choose the best talent for your business with confidence. In order to establish trust with potential employees, your business can join the Clear Business Directory by completing an annual vetting process which shows your community and potential hires that your operations are reputable and trustworthy.

Small business owners should always run a criminal background check on potential applicants; doing so can save a lot of money in the long run.

References

Filed Under: Business, entrepreneurs Tagged With: business, hiring