Chuck Jarvie, the former president of Dr Pepper, and I were talking several years ago, and Chuck told me he had met with Willie Nelson the previous week. He said Willie had told him he shoots par golf. I thought, Willie Nelson? Par golf? I waited a minute for him to finish his joke. He said, “No, I really did meet Willie, and he did say he shoots par golf.” Okay… Then he said, “Willie told me he owns his own ranch, and on his own ranch he has his own golf course. Therefore, he sets his own par.”

Just recently I learned that Willie Nelson continually rethinks the par standards for his play.

And really, each of us has our own par. That means—in essence—we all have our own next level. And, like Willie Nelson, we should all be continually rethinking what the par for our next level should be.

For my book RESULTS Faster, we created a visual model—a bullseye—that represents the 21 most powerful lessons from the best of my life’s work. That included the more than 45 books I had published up to that point, along with the hundreds of courses I had developed over the years to help people get the results they want—and get them faster. The very first lesson in the RESULTS bullseye is thinking.

Because thinking matters.

In the list of the 100 books that have influenced my life the most, some form of the word “think” appears in many of the titles (e.g., As a Man Thinketh, Think and Grow Rich, The Power of Positive Thinking and The Magic of Thinking Big).

Others are powerful works about thinking (e.g., The Strangest Secret, Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, The Psychology of Winning, The Millionaire Mind, etc.).

The first thing I see each morning when I walk into my office is the word “THINK” on the wall beside my desk. And the first thing I see when I walk into the hanger that houses my gym are the words “NEXT LEVEL.” I’ve installed these signs so I will constantly be reminded to think about my next level. They are powerful visual reminders of who and how I want to be.

Next level is a mindset. It’s a commitment. And it starts with thinking.

The most impactful people don’t see things as they are; they see things as they want them to be. The bottom line is that most people simply don’t do enough thinking. And, as a result they often live on the proverbial hamster wheel. However those that spend enough time in thought and contemplation are the ones that consistently meet their goals and run the world.

If you want to have the best of everything:

• the best year, month, hour and minutes
• the best family, team, customers and relationships
• the best health, look, vibe and being

all of it starts with intentionality.

It’s great to get new perspectives; we all need them. Yet you will really start getting into the game of next level when you consistently and intentionally start gathering life-changing “a-ha”s and epiphanies that will supercharge your mindset, effectiveness and trajectory.

You can best find these through mentors, coaches, your heroes and champions (the people who are ahead of you on the trail of life), books, videos and even your own life experiences.

If you’re like most top leaders, what you really want is compression from your vision to reality. Whether it’s for a product launch, a new recruiting campaign, new country launch, or a new set of offerings, your vision is greatly enhanced the clearer and more defined your goals are. Next level realization is simply obtaining mastery in the areas of clarity, focus and execution.

Are you thinking about what the next level is for your business, for your life and how you can achieve it? If so, you may want to read on, because I’m going to give you five actions you can take in the areas of clarity, focus and execution.

Clarity

1/ Self-reflection (Past, Present and Future)

Understanding your past, present and future as a strategy allows you to reflect, understand current conditions and see the future you want to make into reality.

2/ Vision

The next-level mindset is one that constantly thinks “next level,” no matter where you are in reaching your goals. You may have been consistently moving closer to the bullseye (your current vision), yet you may need to think about expanding your vision. Also consider weaving in standards. Many leaders of organizations want their people to think like they do, and sometimes it takes months or years to achieve that unless you have written, documented standards that they can refer to.

3/ Values

Better and faster decision-making, including risk mitigation, comes much easier if you are clear on what you value and if you are consistently living in alignment with those values.

Focus

4/ Benchmarking

Look for things that work; that are proven; and that are better than what you are doing or thinking. And consider bringing those things into your organization. Benchmarking can come from advisors and consultants who share information you may not know; from research and industry events like DSU; and from studying podcasts, books, videos and even your competition.

Execution

5/ Team

Your team consists of your direct reports, their reports, and your Life Team. Having a person for everything allows for exceptional execution. In fact, the person who has the best Life Team often wins the most prizes in life. (Hint: Have a person between you and the task, project or deal.) And remember that you get more of what you appreciate; so constantly be thanking, complimenting and appreciating the people who do research for you; help you stay healthy; help you design your communication, etc.

6/ Humility

Attaining next-level results comes from ego-free daily decisions that turn into habits, and thus cultures. I believe ego is good, because it drives a leader to be exceptional. Yet some people often get stuck in thinking that they know it all and believe that they don’t have blind spots. And, in those cases, their ego is not helping them the way it could. Ego can also be limiting when people are not open to change, improving and deploying benchmark ideas to help get them to the next level. Remember my 2020 book titled The Game Is Always Changing.

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy—is a renowned strategist, executive coach and keynote speaker who changes people’s thinking. He and his team uniquely facilitate planning sessions in his one-of-a-kind RESULTS Center to help direct selling executives learn, grow, evolve and thrive.

From the May 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Take It to the Next Level first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Years back, when coaching the president of Ford Motor Company, I turned down a request to work with approximately 200 of their top leaders around the subject of High Performing Teams, because I wasn’t a team-building expert. But when they sweetened the deal by saying, “We’ll give you a million dollars,” I said, “I’ll become one.” That budget allowed me to hire people who were able to help me through the process of becoming an expert.

Over the last 25 years, the model that has proved out from that initial research, along with my book called High Performing Teams, has allowed me to impact the cultures of thousands of organizations by raising the level of their teams into High Performing Teams (HPTs).

Are your results falling short of your expectations? Maybe it’s because your teams are not operating at their highest level. Think back to the best teams in history and ask yourself what they have in common. Strong leadership, talent, experience, synergy and diversity are just a few of the characteristics shared by extraordinary teams. I propose that if you’re willing to adopt a new mindset—perhaps sharpen a few of your thoughts about what a team should look like—candidly assess where you are in that regard and really focus on forming a High Performing Team, then your overall company results will improve.

Many people have just never thought about the difference between a Group, a Team and a High Performing Team.

• A Group is just people working independently with no real common goals or tasks. Even so, their work can still collectively add up to a profitable enterprise.
• A Team is a group of people working together more interdependently toward a common goal.
• A High Performing Team focuses on being as effective as possible, while continually reevaluating to work toward better standards. Each team member has a high level of investment in the outcome/vision and is individually motivated. Since they’re committed to working together toward the same vision, team synergy is high.

Most people at the top of an organization want it to work as a High Performing Team because just the synergy alone leverages so many wins. Synergy utilizes collective intelligence and expertise; it expands leadership bench strength; it supports training; and it promotes engagement and enjoyment.

And when everything is aligned within a team, execution is streamlined, and the right results happen. Both organizations and individuals thrive when the culture is a High Performing Team. This should be at the heart of any organization, because business is a results contest.

So how do you go about creating a High Performing Team? Start with rating your team to see how far you need to go, then make your people aware of what you’re doing by showing them the vision of where you want to go. Then have each person evaluate themselves to see if they are part of a group or a team and see if they are motivated to become a part of a High Performing Team.

Our model for a High Performing Team is ACT, which stands for Accountability, Communication (starting with a shared vision) and Trust.

Accountability

Having accountability in a team means people do what they say they will. Team members finish tasks on time—or before—and communicate their progress well. When time commitments cannot be met, they are renegotiated. Measurable results are produced with consistency.

Communication

The vision/mission is understood and shared by every team member. Whenever possible, communication is thorough, so unknowns become knowns to all team members. The right tools are being used, and meetings are focused, bring clarity and maximized in a way that inspires the team members to execute well. The organization has established meeting standards, so when someone joins the company, they know what to expect.

Appropriate information is cascaded down at appropriate times and in the appropriate level of detail to the entire organization (such as when things change, as new information becomes known, and as the company grows and matures).

Trust

Individual expertise is valued, honored and respected by all, and team members are empowered. Expectations are managed carefully, and team members follow through. Team members are positive and helpful to each other and don’t talk behind each other’s backs. They are a single unit working together toward a common goal. There is consistent follow through on all promises and commitments.

Use the ACT Model to build your High Performing Team as you continue to hone skills and improve effectiveness. High Performing Teams generate commitment, and they provide the structure and a common vision that inspire people to give their best effort. They’re committed to excellence and to getting results. When designed and managed in a way that fosters results, a High Performing Team can literally transform an organization.

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy— is a renowned strategist, executive coach and keynote speaker who changes people’s thinking. He and his team uniquely facilitate planning sessions in his one-of-a-kind RESULTS Center to help direct selling executives learn, grow, evolve and thrive.

From the December 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Creating High Performance Teams first appeared on Direct Selling News.

MOST EXECUTIVES have three or more direct reports and at least one personal/executive assistant as well as a number of board members and strategic partners. And we could all benefit from maximizing our time and becoming more effective. Communication is a giant key to it all—in fact, communication and delegation with those who work closest with you is an executive High-Leverage Activity (HLA).

Over the last twenty-five years, I’ve researched, constructed and published 27 books on communication and presentation effectiveness. My most popular title is Life Is a Series of Presentations, which is endorsed by Shark Tank. The title itself says it all.

Using this concept as a core, my team and I have developed a powerful methodology called Presentation Mastery. Inside our methodology is a special tool called the Presentation Universe—a matrix in which you list all the presentation opportunities in your daily life, both personal and professional. For your convenience, there is a partially filled-in sample Presentation Universe matrix to help you quickly think through your daily world of presentations on pages 62-63.

Time is valuable to you, as it is to any busy executive. That’s why I preach/teach about time management every chance I get. When I’m speaking to a group and ask how many hours are in a week, only one in 20 knows the answer. There are 168 hours in a week. We have to sleep 56, and we take around 12 for maintenance—so that leaves basically 100 hours (50 for personal and 50 for professional). How we invest those hours will determine the life we build for ourselves.

Becoming a More Effective Leader

I believe communication (and often delegation) to direct reports can easily be divided into seven major buckets. Glance at the matrix and expand your thinking as you look at the recommended actions in the far-right column. Carefully read the rest of this article to glean even more details to see how you may make better use your time and impact results by upping your communication game.

The matrix includes a place for you to rate yourself on each of the presentation opportunities. To make you aware of how well you are doing currently in each of these communication vehicles, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, on your preparation (P); your delivery (D); and your follow-up (F).

For example, how well do you prepare for the huddles with your team? You would put that number under the P on number one. Let’s say you prepare better than most, so you would put a nine there. If you’re pretty effective in your delivery, you might put an eight under the D. If you’re weak on follow-up, let’s say you rate yourself a three under the F. When you average these out, your overall rating would be a 6.7.

Notice that in the last column of the matrix I’ve suggested three best practices for each communication vehicle, which gives you 21 ideas you can use as an executive to be more effective in your communication and delegation.

Now let’s take a little deeper look at those seven buckets:

1 / Huddles with your direct reports

A huddle is a short gathering—in most cases less than fifteen minutes—with one or more of your direct reports. Huddles can be daily, weekly or even ad hoc. They can be one-on-one or in a group, and they can be in person, on the web or a combination. Becoming exceptional at executing these 15-minute power meetings gives both you and your team a big win. They not only keep everyone on the same page as far as what tasks are delegated to whom and the status of your projects; they also provide great opportunities for brainstorming and synergizing.

2 / Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are usually held with one or more of your direct reports. In most cases, they are held on a weekly basis, but they could be ad hoc. There’s generally a protocol for creating the agenda so you can be efficient at holding the meeting. You or a team member will need to define your objectives before you prepare the agenda. And remember: your objectives trump the agenda.

3 / All-Hands-on Meetings

You hold an all-hands-on meeting when you and often your direct reports are communicating to your entire organization (as in a state-of-the-union scenario). These meetings are often scheduled annually. I recommend holding them quarterly. In these presentation opportunities, your direct reports can be in the audience or part of the delivery. You’ll probably want to cover things like where the organization stands currently so people feel connected; where you’re going (it’s always better to promote the clarity of your vision); and what is new or what’s coming down the pike. Inspire your team. Excite them. Share a cool, relatable video. You could also list things you’re asking everyone in the organization to do to improve so you can all win more.

4 / Video Messaging

You would use video messaging when you want to record a message that could be anywhere from a couple of minutes to ten minutes long to touch base with your direct reports and/or your assistants. These can be transmitted in the form of Marco Polo-type apps, selfie videos or in some cases a more formally recorded message. Video messaging is often a blind spot for executives. Direct reports love to be in the know. It’s a great tool for when people aren’t in the same time zone or can’t be in the same staff or all-hands-on meeting simultaneously. I will occasionally have one direct report record me as I’m sharing with him/her and then send it to the others. Both time efficiency and clarity are what we’re after.

5 / One-on-Ones

These are opportunities for you to communicate directly and more effectively with your assistants and direct reports. In a one-on-one meeting, you sit down with the person directly or over the phone or even via Zoom, on an as-needed basis and go over what’s been accomplished; what needs to be accomplished; what the roadblocks are; and what actions need to be taken. As you’re working together from the same side of the line of scrimmage, you can use a whiteboard when feasible to draw out your plan of action. Then you can take a picture of the board with your phone and text it to anyone else who can benefit from the information, providing a level of clarity almost as if they had attended the meeting.

6 / Strategy Meetings

A strategy meeting could (and probably should) be held with your direct reports at least once a month, so you can manage the effectiveness of your results (KPIs). Some executives have their strategy meetings quarterly or even offsite annually. With the rapid pace of changes taking place in our world, I recommend you schedule these meetings more often. Having a powerful facilitator can often make a giant difference in outcomes, especially when combined with live on-screen note-taking.

7 / Board-Related Meetings

This could be the actual board meeting itself, or it could be preparation for or even a run-through of the board meeting. The purpose is to make sure everyone is on the same page and communicating effectively. Be sure to compliment those who are efficiently carrying out the tasks you’ve delegated, so they and others will want to do more of it. A blind spot I see executives make here is not setting up their people and allowing them to shine. When they win, you win more.

I hope this article has provided you a thought-provoking perspective on how to be more effective with your time and delegation, specifically with your direct reports and including your executive or personal assistants.

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy— is a renowned strategist, executive coach and keynote speaker who changes people’s thinking. He and his team uniquely facilitate planning sessions in his one-of-a-kind RESULTS Center to help direct selling executives learn, grow, evolve and thrive.

From the July 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Communicating to Your Team So Everyone Wins More first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Corporate culture has been a subject of interest for executives for decades, and perhaps it matters more today than ever before.
We would like to expand your thinking about what an ideal culture may look like, leveraging a book we recently wrote specifically on culture. The book is called Vibe.

People make judgments based upon your brand, and every brand radiates some kind of Vibe—an energy at a subconscious level that’s either irresistible, repulsive or in between. When you intentionally make your brand’s Vibe irresistible, people will want to do business with you, work with you or strategically partner with you.

As a top executive in your organization, decide now that you’ll be even more strategic about building an exceptional Vibe that attracts both people in the field and people to work in your corporate office. These 25 ideas may be helpful:

1 / Be innovative.

Supercharge the energy and thinking of your team by bringing in guests, mentors, colleagues and subject-matter experts. Without fresh ideas flowing in, you could be stuck in outdated practices that could cause you to lose your relevancy and your positive Vibe.

2 / Be intentional in creating your environment.

Enhance your company’s Vibe with innovative distinctions in your work space. You can make every aspect of your space so intentional that people are already captivated with your energy the minute they walk in.

3 / Ensure your website and reviews exude Vibe.

People typically access your organization’s online presence when they’re checking out your brand. Brainstorm with your team (including your marketing people) to see how you can better leverage your Vibe throughout your and your leadership’s digital presence.

4 / Leverage references and testimonials.

Vibrant testimonials/reviews that include pictures, videos and letters speak loudly, because social proof is such a powerful tool today. Leverage them liberally on your website, your social channels and all your marketing tools.

5 / Be known as a “caring” company.

Caring for the values and situations of others is one element that determines whether a company has Vibe. It can be demonstrated by offering flexible working hours to support a person’s schedule, supporting team members in reaching their goals or any number of other ways.

Create Vibe Through Your Leadership Team

As a leader, you may be asking: Is our organization a leader in our industry? If not, how can we strengthen our leadership team to get us there? Here are some ways we believe you can create Vibe through your leadership team:

6 / Carefully cast your mission and vision.

As a leader, you—and every person who works for you—should be very clear on your mission and vision, which should be about the customer, the ownership and the people. Post your vision and mission statements on your website and on your walls strategically; convey them to people inside and outside of your organization; and even make them part of your taglines.

7 / Be clear on your standards/values.

Post them on your walls; communicate them to people who are being interviewed so they will know how the culture works; and make them the basis for your performance appraisals.

8 / Create a High-Performing Team. 

Know the difference between a group, a team and a High-Performing Team. In a group, people execute their tasks independently with no clear common goals. A team is a group of people working together interdependently toward a common goal. In a High-Performing Team, people are focused on being as effective as possible and continually reevaluating to ensure they produce the best results. Each team member is highly invested in the outcomes and thus considerably motivated. Three powerful elements make the difference in moving up through these levels: Accountability, communication and trust.

9 / Obtain clarity and maintain focus. 

Clarity involves understanding your vision, distinctly outlining your priorities, objectives and goals; having clearly defined values that align with your goals; clearly presenting your ideas and concepts, both internally and externally; and knowing where you are in relation to where you want to go.

KEEP IN MIND: Focus, the opposite of distraction, is perhaps the single most impactful area that has the greatest opportunity for improvement.

10 / Avoid bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy puts a negative drain on the Vibe of any organization. Efficient lines of communication streamline an organization throughout its levels of authority and facilitate execution. People have the resources, tools, motivation and authority to do their work; can work much faster; and are more inspired to bring fresh ideas to the table. When empowered to make decisions rather than having to go through several levels of bureaucracy, people feel more invested in the outcome.

Prioritize Organization

People often start making judgments based on how organized your company is. Here are some areas you may want to consider for improvement in the area of organization:

11 / Be best-practice oriented.

Correction of Errors, or COE, is a concept that simply means you’re constantly looking for best practices you can put into place. If something is not working, either create a best practice or search for one to correct it.

12 / Keep everything in order.

When people walk into your space and see that everything is clean and in order, it creates an immediate positive Vibe. Consider creating checklists to ensure routine tasks are performed properly every time and create standard operating procedures to automatically have things replenished, cleaned and organized.

13 / Create a second-to-none electronic tool chest.

Your electronic arsenal—which includes everything you’ve done as an organization—should be organized so you and your people can quickly access anything you need, and keep it user friendly, inviting and intuitive.

14 / Build a company of “A” players. 

Organizations attract a combination of A, B and C players. B players, though not highly-charged, are loyal, steady and good at follow-through; they’re valuable to an organization’s team. C players—those who are just barely making it—need to move up to at least a B-player position or find another place to work. A players give an organization Vibe, because they’re helpful, serving and caring. They proactively bring value to whomever they touch.

15 / Create a fast-paced culture.

Being fast-paced is a cultural issue that comes from the top. If your organization has a get-it-done-now philosophy, it emits a Vibe that says, “That’s how we excel.” The people you hire usually love that kind of Vibe.

Master Communication

Surveys consistently reveal that the top item HR leaders say could be improved company-wide is communication. People who work in companies that have mastered communication feel connected, in the know and appreciated. They know the company’s objectives and vision; feel a part of something bigger than themselves; and understand that when the company wins, they win. Conversely, people who work for companies that don’t put the right priority on communication typically have no idea what the objectives are—they’re often not even sure what their leaders really want or care about.

16 / Hold effective meetings.

Often, the most important indicator of a successful meeting is whether you reached your objectives. Remember that the objectives trump the agenda. The agenda is designed to help ensure you deliver on the objectives; and when you can confirm to your participants that you did, it can create a super-positive Vibe.

17 / Learn Presentation Mastery.

Use these eight powerful practices, shown in the mnemonic IPRESENT, to help bring Vibe to your speaking opportunities:

I – Involve the audience

P – Prepare your audience

R – Research and build a powerful presentation arsenal

E – Explain the why

S – State management:

1. Vacationers (just vacationing)
2. Prisoners (really don’t want to be there)
3. Graduates (know it all)
4. Students (there to learn and absorb)

E – Eliminate the unknowns

N – kNow your audience

T – Tailor your presentation

18 / Stay ahead with news and direction.

Communicating in a timely manner gives your organization a positive Vibe, because your people feel they’re a part of the team and are always in the know.

19 / Sharpen the communication saw.

Communication is an asset rather than just a skill. Having standards that reinforce your commitment to communication mastery and teaching people from onboarding forward how those priorities and standards should be lived out can greatly enhance your organization’s Vibe.

20 / Conquer emailing.

Email can be a significant time, money and productivity drain unless you learn how to make it work efficiently for your organization. Determine your basic guidelines; communicate your standards organization-wide; post them on the company intranet; and constantly reinforce them through ongoing training and new-employee orientation.

Enhance Your Organization’s Style

Style and Vibe have enough of an interchangeable distinction that they could very well be synonyms, or at least cousins. These ideas may help you improve your organization’s style:

21 / Ensure everything is in place.

If you’re not naturally inclined to keep things organized, you can staff for it or solve it with processes or technology. With everything in order, your organization’s Vibe is on display 24/7.

22 / Maintain a peaceful atmosphere.

When you enter an organization, whether in person or virtually, you’re often able to discern its atmosphere. If it’s peaceful, it’s probably because things are organized and in order. You can likely even feel the team synergy, which comes from its people being prepared and willing to work together to support the vision.

23 / Create a great first impression.

You can make an excellent first impression by demonstrating your organization’s ability to execute. Show you’re ahead of the game by organizing and confirming details and by maintaining an exceptional physical appearance.

24 / Maintain a healthy environment. 

Making your workplace healthier adds an incredible Vibe that serves to attract many of today’s A players, and it even improves your bottom line. Motivate your people to lead a healthy lifestyle and educate them on how to make healthy choices.

25 / Make it fun!

Including “fun” as a core value will likely keep your employees happy as well as enhance your brand’s Vibe. A culture of fun often produces employees who are mentally and emotionally healthy, and they in turn usually produce the most satisfied customers.

Have we convinced you that energy (Vibe) is a supercharger—a force multiplier—for every facet of your organization’s life? Decide now to put these 25 ideas to work to improve your organization’s Vibe in the areas of your brand, leadership, organization, communication and style. 

The Strategic Acceleration methodology of clarity, focus and execution drives success and achieves results faster, and Vibe is the magic ingredient that supercharges all three. When that formula is executed throughout the leadership and culture of an organization and applied to the right strategy, then combined with the power of Vibe, visions become real, faster. This book will help force multiply your results by revealing what Vibe really is and how to get it, grow it and keep it!

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy—is a prolific author and a strategist. His organization, TJI, facilitates powerful meetings, keynote events and coaches high performers to accelerate their results.

From the April 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post 25 Simple Steps to Build Your Corporate Culture first appeared on Direct Selling News.

1. How well do I manage change: As an individual? As a leader?

2. What is the secret to managing change?

The bottom line is that the most successful people manage change effectively by managing their mindset. Although you can’t control everything, you can control your mindset.

Without change, there is no innovation, creativity or incentive for improvement. Change is inevitable.

There are four main categories to look at in the change puzzle:

1. Life Changes

The world keeps moving on. Improvement makes life better. However, sometimes life changes can throw you a curveball!

You’ve always got to manage your mindset. Be willing to ask for help. Reframe your perspective. Focus on the future and look for positives. Life is ever-changing. It’s better to accept it and positively approach the future.

2. Individual Changes

Ask yourself—How well do I personally handle change? Here are a few statistics regarding the general population’s feeling about change. Where are you on this scale?

• Negative: 30 percent are resistant to change
• Indifferent: 50 percent don’t have a strong feeling either way
• Positive: 20 percent embrace change

People have their reasons for feeling the way they do. Here are a few thoughts to consider when facing a person who is negative and resistant to change. They may be experiencing or thinking any of the following.

1. Loss of control
2. Excess uncertainty
3. Unwelcome feelings of surprise
4. Things seems different
5. Loss of face
6. Concerns about competence
7. More work
8. Ripple effects
9. Past memories
10. Resentment

Indifference can frequently be the biggest challenge to deal with because this group feels no action is required at all for a different set of reasons:

1. Based on a belief that ‘this too shall pass,’ it is just another attempt to change what will inevitably remain the same anyway.

2. Individual doesn’t believe change requires anything on their part.

3. May feel that it just does not apply to them.

Positive attitudes about change can create a whole new perspective. Embracing change can be a beautiful thing! Time has proven out that the most successful embrace change with a positive, solution-oriented mindset that focuses on possibilities.

3. Leadership Changes

How do we best lead others through change? There are some specific strategies you can take to ensure your team is moving together in the right direction to make a smoother transition. For example, have open and transparent communications, be available and have effective meetings.

First, you need clarity. Define where you are going by sharing the vision with everyone. Understand and communicate the “why” about the changes that are coming. Let everyone know how all stakeholders can win with these changes. Explain how the vision is different, better, more compelling now than before. Ask your team questions/have them ask you questions to make sure they understand the rationale.

Then be prepared to manage organizational resistance. Phrase your communications to be more on the human side because people matter more than plans and processes. Understand the organization’s culture and be prepared to overcome objections that will arise. Predict what the outcome will be from these changes to avoid surprises and tackle uncertainty about the future. Speak to the individual when explaining expectations, measurements of success and what success really means.

Be an Influential leader, one who can instill hope for the future. Hope brings several major benefits to a culture. It renews faith, builds confidence, promotes empowerment with clarity, helps increase productivity and instills teamwork.

4. Organizational Changes

What’s your organizational culture? Does it foster change and working as a High Performing Team? Let’s do a quick exam of a culture that fosters a High Performing Team by incorporating changes into the DNA of an enterprise while driving operating results.

High-Performing Teams are successful at incorporating changes. They do this by using three strong concepts within their leadership behaviors. Accountability is one essential element, where you do what you say you are going to do, by the deadline or before. Communication is the second essential element, whereby you have a plan and communicate it, repeatedly. Turn the unknowns into knowns for your team. Trust is the third essential element, where leadership consistently follows through on promises and commitments.

Organizations thrive when change is a part of their cultural DNA. Life is ever changing…it’s better to accept it. Always cast a clear vision with hope for the future. Be in the right camp and embrace change.

Remember—get your head on straight. Manage your mind. Mindset matters! 

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy—is a prolific author and a strategist. His organization, TJI, facilitates powerful meetings, keynote events and coaches high performers to accelerate their results.

From the November 2021 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

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I’ve noticed for years that certain people attract others, almost as if with a magnet. I’ve dissected that, and my colleague Daniel Marold and I have been studying what causes it to happen. Over the last year, we’ve put together a new book called Vibe: Energy = RESULTS Faster.

Vibe is the energy emitted by a person or an organization, and we’ve determined that the greater your vibe, the better your results. We’ve entitled this article “Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe,” and we’re going to give you the “what” and the “how” to bring that to life.

The “what” is that having a great reputation—and attracting great people—at the highest level requires that you emit a great vibe, both as a leader and as an organization. You want to be strategic about your vibe so when people research you, your team, or your organization, the attraction is magnetic. As an executive, you want to attract members of your corporate team as well as field team members.

“The way to gain a great reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”

— Socrates

It’s really about more than who you attract. It’s also about “how” you inspire others as well as what they retain. As we all know, those are the three miraculous elements of the direct-selling multilevel-marketing business: attract, retain, and inspire.

Now let’s go to the how. There are five opportunities to enhance your vibe, keep your reputation at its highest level, and attract the right people, and I’ve listed five steps associated with each opportunity.

Five Opportunities to Enhance Your Vibe

1. Word of mouth. What are people saying about you and your organization?
2. Web search. When people search for you on the web, what are they finding?
3. Your website(s). Are they up to date, and are they designed to attract the right people?
4. Your training tools. Are they updated, and do they have vibe?
5. Social media (such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube). How do you convey your vibe across these media?

Five Steps to Maximize Each Opportunity

Step 1: Select an element.

Step 2: Assess it and determine where you are and where you want to be.

Step 3: Assign a lead person (generally from the marketing department or perhaps a person in the field.)

Step 4: Define specific actions for anything in the assessment you don’t like so you can tweak it and raise it to the next level.

Step 5: Manage it so you can keep it up, measure it, and continue tweaking it in order to keep your vibe at its highest level.

I’m suggesting that you apply each of these steps to each opportunity. Here’s what I mean:

1. You select the first one, word of mouth.
2. You assess it. What are people saying about you?
3. Determine who the lead person is on your team who should be in charge of word of mouth. Let’s say it’s the IDC—the independent counsel from the field—who is the lead person to handle word of mouth. Or it could be someone internally who works in your marketing department who would team up with someone in the field.
4. Then define specific actions we want to take to improve it. Be strategic.
5. Then you go about managing it. Every so often, you might take some surveys to see how word of mouth is working for you.

Now follow each of the five steps for the other four elements. The last step, managing, may involve these actions:

• For web search, you might have someone in your organization constantly be doing web searches to see what comes up.
•  For your website, you might take a good look to see if it’s outdated or whether it conveys your vibe.
•  For your training tools, you might look at what’s being put out by other companies and see if they may be a fit for today’s situation. An obsolete training tool could certainly affect your reputation.
• And of course, social media in today’s world is one scenario where you have to be constantly and consistently updating.

What kind of vibe do you have? How is it affecting your reputation? And is it attracting the kind of tribe you want?

From the July 2021 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

TONY JEARY—THE RESULTS GUY—IS A PROLIFIC AUTHOR AND A STRATEGIST. HIS ORGANIZATION, TJI, FACILITATES POWERFUL MEETINGS, KEYNOTE EVENTS AND COACHES HIGH PERFORMERS TO ACCELERATE THEIR RESULTS.

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As I was growing up, my parents modeled giving and serving others. That often involved giving of their time, when they would volunteer to help people in various ways. So, I grew up understanding the importance of not just giving value and doing more than expected but also looking for ways to be generous. In fact, that’s one of the things I shared in my tribute to my dad at his funeral—that he had modeled for me how to be super generous; that was his brand. Generosity can be a very powerful part of a leader’s brand.

How giving are you? And how about your organization? Is it looking for ways to contribute back to the world?

A year or so ago, I came across a gentleman, John Ruhlin, who was really into the world of gifting. We ended up co-authoring a very powerful little book together called Strategic Gifting. In the book, we discussed several valuable ideas about giving that we will be unpacking in this article.

One concept is to be both intentional and strategic with your giving. When generosity becomes a matter of the heart, there will generally be reciprocation in one form or another. Then, radical generosity becomes a strategic weapon that allows you to grow your brand, grow your business, and perhaps take it to the next level. As generosity truly becomes part of your brand, it often boosts referrals, retention rates, access, and growth like few other strategies. It unlocks what we call “active loyalty”—when your clients, customers, employees, and centers of influence start going out of their way to send you deals, referrals, prospects and business opportunities.

Gifting is actually a delivery vehicle for love, appreciation, and gratitude.

You’ll see astonishing results when you start proactively loving on your clients, customers, employees, and even your suppliers.

My co-author John and I discovered that we often treat our suppliers better than most people treat their best clients. And because of that, our partners—our suppliers—actually refer deals to us constantly. They often give us better pricing than some of the bigger companies they work with, and they give priority response time, shipping, etc. A giving brand matters!

Another concept is that sometimes you can give in ways that your gift keeps on giving with multiple wins, such as giving to an endowment. And your gift doesn’t always have to be large. Giving even a small thing of value can help people win on an ongoing basis. For example, I often will give coaching cards as a gift—a collection of cards that contain the best quotes and ideas that people have liked from my books over the years. The gift includes a cardholder so they can put the cards on their desks to continually motivate themselves and their team members.

Another idea we talked about in the book is giving to someone’s inner circle. A secret many people miss is that the real back door into relationships is not just taking care of the person who’s cutting the checks or the influencer—it’s taking care of the people around them. While you may be treating clients or centers of influence with all this love, for example, you’re often taking them away from their families in the evenings or for trips, and the assistants and spouses are left with juggling schedules and changing priorities. Spouses especially often get the raw end of the deal when the wage earner of the family is given these kinds of gifts because they are left to deal with all the challenges on the home front. If you give something of value to the kids or spouse—or even to a beloved pet—you can create massive impact.

One of my clients came into my RESULTS Center Studio on a Saturday a few weeks ago to give me advice on a few supplements, and he bought his three-year-old son in with him. His son got excited when he saw a yoga ball that I had in my office. So, I took a magic marker and wrote his name on the ball and gave it to him to take home. His dad was quite impressed with that very small gesture. I was not being disingenuous; that’s just the way I live my life. I look for ways to give, and I encourage others to do the same thing. I created multiple wins by giving away a $20 yoga ball. It was nothing for me to go out and buy another one, and yet this little kid was able to walk away with something that likely caused him to say, “Wow, Dad, that was really fun!” Also, it probably expanded the relationship I had with my client because I connected with his inner circle.

Many of the network marketing companies I advise and work with choose organizations to support that give back to the community. We have partnered with a company called Envision, one of the largest employers of the blind and visually impaired in America. They manufacture things like trash bags, magic markers, and face masks, and they also have a powerful call center. Eighty-two percent of the people in their factories are blind, and Envision helps them live a more normal life by being able to support themselves.

It just so happens that the CEO and I go way back, prior to his association with Envision. Because he understood and valued our methodology of clarity, focus, and execution and our practices of meeting effectiveness and streamlining organizations, he brought us in, and we ended up building a relationship where we could help his people in many different ways.

We put up a giant Envision plaque in my office, so anyone coming into our space sees it, and we are able to talk to them about the good the company is doing.

In fact, we just produced and sent out to all my contacts a virtual tour of their facilities, in which we encourage people to help us spread the word and find companies that will employ blind or visually impaired individuals and donate to help in the work.

I encourage you to find something you feel good about that you can support, either with your time, effort, or dollars. Giving is a big deal, and I encourage you to be more intentional and become a strategic giver. DSN

Tony Jeary – The Results Guy, is a prolific author and a strategist. His organization,TJI, facilitates powerful meetings, keynote events and coaches high performers to accelerate their results.

The post Strategic Gifting: Generosity Can Be An Important Part of Your Brand. first appeared on Direct Selling News.

With consumer sophistication growing, how and where customers buy products and services depends on meaningful and authentic interactions with brands. In the case of direct selling, these interactions often come down to one-on-one contact with independent distributors.

Active listening is key to connecting with today’s consumer and, Tony Jeary, author and Direct Selling News columnist, says that companies need to think strategically about training distributors in active listening.

Prospects want to feel they’ve been heard. They want to know products or services apply to them and their world and their vision of success. They also want to see their values, goals and priorities reflected back to them from their teammates, Jeary wrote in January’s issue.

So Jeary’s advice begs another question—If listening is key to prospect and consumer relationships, why not capitalize on active listening to strengthen the relationship between corporate and their independent sales force? They are, after all, the collective engine that makes the company run.

“Input can bridge understanding gaps, provide diversity of thought, and even prevent costly mistakes.”

Reciprocity

Organizations are quick to measure employee engagement and satisfaction. Winning companies listen to that feedback and treat the employee/corporate relationship as reciprocal. It’s not one-sided. Rather, it’s about perpetuating the momentum of each part.

“Reciprocity is key; cultivating wisdom requires being in touch with what matters most to your employees and giving them the room to express their opinions and put their ideas to the test,” writes Glenn Llopis, business strategist and author of The Innovation Mentality.

A Legit Line

While independent distributors are not employees per se, much of a direct selling company’s success or failure rests on their shoulders. They are collaborators with corporate and to forgo a legit line of communication with this collective would be a mistake.

How best to open and manage this line of communication with the sales field is a matter of debate across the industry, but most direct selling executives agree it is valuable. Input can bridge understanding gaps, provide diversity of thought, and even prevent costly mistakes.

Direct Selling News asked several industry executives about the pros and cons of creating a designated field council for this purpose, as well as alternative methods for gaining sales field input. We listened, took copious notes and now combine some of their anonymous comments to provide insight into a sometimes fraught but always educational process.

“Field councils can also suck time and inadvertently morph top field leaders into bureaucrats, distracting them from building their businesses.”

The Field Council

The field council is a formal group of independent distributors representing either a specific market or entire direct selling company’s sales field. Requirements to participate vary, as do individual roles and responsibilities.

The debate about the value and effectiveness of the field council is ongoing. They can give the sales field a voice in the planning and actions of the company, create buy-in and feelings of ownership, allow the field to work smarter and more efficiently, and save corporate from costly product or programming mistakes.

However, field councils can also suck time and inadvertently morph top field leaders into bureaucrats, distracting them from building their businesses. Sometimes it causes the field to mistakenly believe they are corporate decision-makers, causing friction between them and the executive team who are charged with running the company.

Optimizing The Field Council

Opening and optimizing a legitimate and effective line of communication can be two different things. From inception, companies should define the field council’s purpose and overarching role of participants. It is wise to make it clear that the field council plays an advisory role and is not a decisionmaking group.

Some companies find the field council works best when members are “green and growing, rather than ripe to rotten.” When legacy distributors dominate a larger, broader council, they can limit diversity of thought and choke off necessary input from newer generations of independent distributors.

Some companies avoid this by forgoing participation or rank qualifications altogether. Corporate handpicks individuals and assigns specific roles to everyone on the council. This can prevent a “moan and groan” climate and encourages members to report in only on their roles.

Other companies establish the field council based on meritocracy, rotating distributors every 18 months, to help curb confusion about the council’s role and improve diversity of thought.

“Make it clear that the field council plays an advisory role and is not a decision-making group.”

While smaller, market-specific field advisory boards commonly meet with general managers, upper level executives can have closer contact with the broader field council. This can be problematic for CEOs, whose comments may be misconstrued, misrepresented or even shared broadly as one-on-one consults with top leadership. Some executives steer clear of field council meetings for this reason.

Utilizing field councils effectively comes down to direct selling companies driving the process. As one top CEO put it, “Stop letting the tail wag the dog.”

Not Just A Faster Horse

The field council often gets the first glimpse at new products or programs generated by corporate. Employees seek initial buy-in to ensure overall field success. They may also look to the field council for new ideas.

However, the field council always seems to want a faster horse. They may think they know what they want or need, but they may not be qualified to accurately assess that need. This can be a dangerous path. It’s the responsibility of the company to create more than a to-do list from field council input.

As such, companies can bring field councils together for candid planning sessions, held off-site and in confidence. They can create a corporate culture and meeting atmosphere that gives voice to sales field concerns and helps them recognize and strategize about broader field issues and trends. At all costs, avoid meetings that devolve into, “This is what the company needs to do.” Instead ask, “What are you doing as a leader to address these issues?”

Opting Out

While field input is vital, some companies opt out of the formal field council. They believe the process leaves little time for actual work, and say that is not advantageous to anyone. Instead, ranking distributors participate in information calls before major program rollouts. Corporate wants them to “punch holes” through plans and ask questions early on, so there is clarity when a program begins. They also reserve the right to un-invite those who break confidentiality.

Other companies utilize anonymous sales field feedback, believing it encourages greater candor, thoughtfulness, and transparency than face-to-face encounters. Anonymity also dissolves concerns about hierarchy that can keep lower-ranking field council members silent. It also ensures no one voice carries the day.

One example is a system, whereby distributors share topics via Post-it Notes placed on a digital wall. Sheer numbers tell corporate what field topics need attention. It’s also a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) exercise that enables people to post and push, what and when they want. For example, “Here’s corporate’s plan to increase enrollments. Give us your ten best ideas to accomplish this.”

“Today’s consumers want more than a transactional relationship with a brand, independent distributors want something more and can give value beyond their selling abilities.”

Success Is Collaborative

In much the same way today’s consumers want more than a transactional relationship with a brand, independent distributors—immersed in the daily rituals of product sales, recruitment and running a business—want something more and can give value beyond their selling abilities. Direct selling companies are wise to seek reciprocity and collaboration from their sales fields.

Success is a collaborative effort, and it’s important to remember that collaboration is perpetual and neverending. Jacob Morgan, author of The Future of Work: Attract New Talent, Build Better Leaders, and Create a Competitive Organization, writes, “When going down the collaboration road within your organization, it’s important to make employees a part of the decision-making process from step one. Listen to their ideas, their needs, and their suggestions and integrate their feedback in your technology and strategy.”

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Helping people get more of the results they want by being more strategic in every area of their lives, both personally and professionally, is an everyday occurrence for me. Being more strategic (or, in other words, thinking smarter) is a powerful concept. You can be more strategic about everything you do, and that often leads to incredible results. So over the last few years, white papers, books, recordings, and even courses have come from my shop about the simple concept of being strategic. For example, you can be strategic about who you hire, about how you look at financial numbers, about how you build a culture, and even about how you invest your time.

Let’s explore being strategic with your time now, since it can impact your results as much if not more than anything else. The single biggest idea people miss in being strategic about their time is saying “no” more effectively. In 2016 I authored a book called RESULTS Faster! and ended up devoting an entire chapter in that book to the concept of saying “no,” because that’s one of the most valuable concepts of top leaders. If you’re strategic about your time, you understand that saying “no” to some things is a must. And it doesn’t necessarily have to mean “totally no.” It can often mean you’re saying “no” to something someone is asking so you can say “yes” to and be more focused on your High Leverage Activities (HLAs). Handling “no” the wrong way can cause negative consequences, and yet handling “no” the right way can often lead to extraordinary results.

For example, if a friend calls and asks you to lunch and that’s not an HLA for you, then you might simply ask, “What’s up?” If the friend just wants to talk about your introducing him to a mutual acquaintance, you might suggest that instead of going to lunch to discuss it, you can just connect the two of them by email. You have strategically said “no” to the request (burning two hours for lunch), and yet you’ve said “yes” to what your friend really wanted, and it just took a few seconds to execute. Sometimes when people ask us to do something, we say “yes” without going deeper first; being strategic by thinking it through is a must. As a leader, we can’t say “yes” to everything, of course, nor should we say “no” too often. What we should do is be clear on what matters most, and then we can more easily decide our “yes’s” and “no’s.”

Pick up the printed issue in which this article is found.

Clarity matters!

Let’s apply that truth for a minute. Strategic clarity about roles and responsibilities is important, of course. Do you agree? Rather than relying heavily on job descriptions as we’ve done in the past, what might be more strategic or important today is sharing with your people where you want them to invest their time. I believe your team members can be more productive and can focus more effectively by having clarity of what their five or seven High Leverage Activities are, versus just having a description of their role.

A super-effective tool we introduced in the RESULTS Faster! book is what we call an Accelerator Matrix, which helps people focus more on their HLAs. Study the template below for a minute or so.

Accelerator Matrix

Basically, you list out in the first column five to seven of the most important activities (HLAs) someone should be doing in any given week, whether they’re an executive, an executive assistant, or a mid-level manager (and it even works for the field). In the middle column, list the actions they could take to accelerate each HLA. For example, if one of your own HLAs is nourishing your team, one of the actions in that middle column might be to hold inspiring staff meetings. Another HLA may be to monitor three or four critical success factors that matter the most, and an action for that HLA may be to ensure reports are coming to you in a way you can understand them. Then in the last column list any roadblocks that could keep you from taking those actions. A roadblock for nourishing your team may be your busy schedule that keeps you from taking the time to invest in your people; to bust that roadblock, you need to calendar time with those people.

When you become more strategic about everything you do, including your time, you’re on the road to better and faster results.

Very Important Points:

1. Be more strategic about everything you do, and that often leads to incredible results.
2. Be strategic about your time.
   • Be really clear on your High Leverage Activities and invest more time in these areas.
   • Be clear on your Low Leverage Activities and do less of them.
   • Make sure you discover roadblocks that are causing you to not focus on your High Leverage Activities, and bust through those roadblocks.

Tony Jeary—The RESULTS Guy—is a prolific author and a strategist. His organization, TJI, facilitates powerful meetings, keynote events and coaches high performers to accelerate their results.

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