One of my clients has a very simple rule, which is to include the account executive on any communication relating to his or her accounts. Team members know that this means to copy them on emails and update them on any verbal discussions.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, many of the client management hiccups that occur in this company relate to breaching this simple guideline. How and why does this happen?
When you’re stuck, emotions often take over your otherwise rational approach to problem-solving. You may think that a particular task or initiative may be the obstacle, when in reality an underlying emotional hindrance is the real culprit.
Your ability to reframe the emotional issue will help you break through to a solution. The key is identifying the what is really getting in the way. Here are a few of the more common emotional obstacles:
Remember the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared”? Are you? Is your team?
How do you handle it when someone on your team is unprepared for a meeting or a presentation? This can happen as innocently as an honest oversight or it can be because the person intentionally let it slide. People who feel entitled do the latter, that is, they are unconcerned about their contribution to the overall team.
When you’re not prepared, you can derail an initiative just because you didn’t do your job. Even worst is the implication that you don’t respect to your co-workers, by signalling its lack of importance.
Summer has officially arrived, and many people are revving up for some well-deserved time off. There shouldn’t be a need to say this, but my hope for you is that you take advantage and enjoy the season.
If you wake up 10 weeks from now and wonder what happened to summer, it will be too late. So, for all of you dedicated leaders, here are a few thoughts.