The Most Important Question a Manager Can Ask

 

“What can I do to help you be more effective?

What question could be more central to being a good boss? If you want to manage and lead successfully, you’ve got to know what the people doing the work need. So why not ask them? But the truth is, this question is not asked by bosses nearly enough.”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Learning e-Blast” article, “The Most Important Question a Manager Can Ask”, by Linda Hill & Kent Lineback.

In this April 18, 2011 post on the HBR Blog Network, the authors posit a simple but elusive point:  By asking your team what you can do to help them be more effective, you can gain their trust and unleash their potential.

More from the article:

“Once you start these discussions, you’ll find they don’t take much time, except when they deserve more time. And they pay dividends. They build trust, they help people work together better and do better work, they identify and remove obstacles.”

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

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Meet the Chinese Consumer of 2020

 

“Most large consumer-facing companies realize that they will need China to power their growth in the next decade. But to keep pace, these companies will also need to understand the economic, societal, and demographic changes shaping the profiles of consumers and the way they spend. This is no easy task not only because of the fast pace of growth and subsequent changes in the Chinese way of life but also because of the vast economic and demographic differences across the country.”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Learning e-Blast” article, “Meet the Chinese Consumer of 2020”, by Yuval Atsmon and Max Magni.

In this March 2012 McKinsey Quarterly article, the authors discuss changing demographics, new spending patterns, and the implications on companies.  This is one of a series of articles we’re sharing on our growing PRC consumer.  It is important for us to understand the context of this critical consumer’s evolving needs, desires, and behaviors as we seek to effectively meet their shopping needs in the markets where we serve them.

More from the article:

“Many of the changes taking place in China are common features of rapid industrialization:  rising incomes, urban living, better education, postponed life stages, and greater mobility.  Japan saw similar changes in the 1950s and 1960s, as did South Korea and Taiwan in the 1980s. 

But some unique factors are also at work, such as the government’s one-child policy and the marked economic imbalances among regions. Our analysis reveals important insights into the likely demographic and socio-demographic profiles of Chinese consumers at the end of this decade.”

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

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The Executive’s Guide to Better Listening

“Good listening—the active and disciplined activity of probing and challenging the information garnered from others to improve its quality and quantity—is the key to building a base of knowledge that generates fresh insights and ideas. Put more strongly, good listening, in my experience, can often mean the difference between success and failure in business ventures (and hence between a longer career and a shorter one).”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Learning e-Blast” article, “The Executive’s Guide to Better Listening”, by Bernard T. Ferrari.

In this February 2012 McKinsey Quarterly article, the author describes the power of effective listening skills to engage and develop talent, drive innovation, and facilitate organizational results.  We all could use a reminder of the importance of listening and this article provides some tools to help us achieve expertise as effective listeners.  If you want to lead effectively, you need to practice listening skills.

“Throughout my career, I’ve observed that good listeners tend to make better decisions, based on better-informed judgments, than ordinary or poor listeners do—and hence tend to be better leaders. By showing respect to our conversation partners, remaining quiet so they can speak, and actively opening ourselves up to facts that undermine our beliefs, we can all better cultivate this valuable skill.”

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

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8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees

“Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers… they possess a wide range of easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities.  A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Learning e-Blast” article, “8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees”, by Jeff Haden.

In this February 21, 2012 post on Inc. Magazine’s online edition, the author provides a straightforward list of qualities which separate ‘remarkable’ employees from ‘great’ ones.

At DFS we strive to select, develop, and retain the very best talent in luxury retail.  Learn how the author defines remarkable and then reflect on how or if you are developing the remarkable among your team and decide whether ‘remarkable’ is for you!

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

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6 Steps Successful People Take

“What is so different for successful people? How did they get where they are? Why are you where you are in your life? It’s easier and more comfortable to believe that success just happens to some people. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Learning e-Blast” article, “6 Steps Successful People Take”, by Mike Michalowicz.

In this December 14, 2011 post on the Amex Open Forum Blog, the author provides a tantalizingly simple set of principals followed by most successful people.  These ideas are not new – but bear repeating.  If it was so simple, everyone would be successful.  It tales courage and persistence to follow these steps, and it is true – anyone can do it.  Will you?

More from the article:

“Each notably successful person has taken six steps, whether they are financially successful or achieving at a high level in some other way. They didn’t just wake up one day and find that success had been delivered to their doorstep. Quite the opposite: Successful people have worked to get where they are.”

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

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The Service Manifesto

 

“Never before in the history of business and marketing has customer service been as front and center as it is today. So much so that it is being transformed and reborn in front of our very eyes as arguably one of the most mission critical components that can make or break a business.

The Manifesto for Customer Service documents this sea change, introduces the 10 new rules of customer service and introduces a key hypothesis, namely that customer service needs to be elevated to the front office; to that of a strategic imperative which becomes a, if not the, key differentiator in the board room and beyond.”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Learning e-Blast” article, “The Service Manifesto”, by Joseph Jaffe.

In this 2010 presentation on the site “Change This”, the author provides “10 New Rules of Customer Service” which focus on today’s international, inter-connected, increasingly virtual, rapidly evolving consumer reality. 

More from the article:

“The rise of social media, social networks and word-of-mouth across a connected, digital and virtual expanse has given us a glimpse into the power and potential of the ability (or inability) to solve problems, address concerns head on, and on occasion, humble a mighty corporate behemoth and bring it to its knees. It all begins with what is perhaps the most important issue business and marketing execs will need to come to terms with in 2010 and beyond: how to create an organization that is mobilized, structured and empowered to be responsive, empathetic, accessible, connected and human in the hearts, minds, and wallets of their most prized assets—their customers and their employees.”

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

What do you think?  Please add your comments to join the discussion!

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please follow, subscribe using RSS, and/or comment on my postings.

What Women Want in Their Leaders

 

“It makes sense that a female leader would be able to understand the particular issues of women and steer them through the mid-career maze. However, despite high profile female leaders, the number of women in leadership remains stagnant. What is the disconnect?”

The preceding quote is from the latest “DFS Global L&D e-Blast” article, “What Women Want in Their Leaders”, by Athena Vongalis-Macrow and Andrea Gallant.

In this February 6, 2012 HBR Blog article, the author shares five specific things leaders — both men and women – can do to deliver the best leadership and support to aspiring women.

The 5 recommendations:

1. Demonstrate both hard and soft leadership skills.
2. Take decisive action, fast.
3. Inspire and look to the big picture.
4. Balance emotional labor.
5. Focus on leading.

More from the article:

”Women are not waiting for the revolution from above. Getting more women into leadership positions can only happen if they experience effective leadership — from both their male and female bosses. They prefer leaders with directing and enabling leadership skills. It’s through these skills that women can do their job well and work toward their longer term leadership aspirations more effectively.”

Read the short article to learn more!

Mike Osorio, your Dare to be Contagious™ strategist

www.OsorioGroup.com

What do you think?  Please add your comments to join the discussion!

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please follow, subscribe using RSS, and/or comment on my postings.