It happens overnight. One day you aren’t and the next day you are. What am I talking about? Leadership. Maybe you’ve experienced this personally or maybe you’re a leader who has fallen victim to this well-intended practice. 

Consider the case of Joe Doe – He’s a highly motivated and extremely talented sales representative at XYZ Company. He meets or exceeds every quota set for him. He actively expands his customer base, while still maintaining the highest retention rate of clients on his team. John exemplifies XYZ Company’s core values and is highly favored by his peers and his supervisor. As matter of fact, he’s so favored that his superiors see him as a candidate for management, and very quickly, Joe is offered a promotion to Sales Manager. This position comes with higher compensation, more influence and an elevated title. “Sir Joe” is officially “knighted” into leadership. Happy ending, right? Unfortunately, no.  

Joe’s performance begins to slip. His team, who once were his peers, are filled with some resentment. Overall his sales team performs at a subpar level, often falling short of their quotas. They are slowly losing market share and existing customers are beginning to question their value. Joe is under a lot of pressure, both from his superiors and his team. He begins to dread Sundays because he knows Monday is coming and even finds himself drifting into career search engines to find a way out. 

What happened? Something that happens far too often. When looking to fill management roles, senior leaders typically gravitate towards the “Joes” in their firm. We assume high performers, who have seemed to master their current role, are the perfect choice for leadership. Good workers don’t always make great managers. We grant our “best of the best” new titles while neglecting to provide them the tools to be strong leaders. 

Professional training and leadership development is costly. However, the return that can be reaped, as well as, the consequence of not making the investment, is much greater. Providing leadership and management training is not only a way to reward high performers, encourage loyalty, and increase morale, but also has the potential to increase effectiveness, productivity and competency. How can you turn your role leaders, like Joe, into strong leaders? Invest in them.

Here are a couple local partners that provide leadership training:

StrongLead (stronglead.org)- Specializing in helping companies find new levels of success by developing the strongest leaders, the healthiest culture, and the highest performing teams possible. 

Management, Supervisory, and Leadership Training is available at CVCC’s Corporate Development Center for all levels of leadership – first-line supervision, management, and executives. (www.cvcc.edu)

As one of our strategic priorities, your Chamber provides high-quality local leadership development opportunities throughout the year. Contact us directly or visit www.catawbachamber.org. 

If you could do one thing better tomorrow than you do today, what would that be? What are you focusing on improving for your business in 2020?  I would like to share some of my own thoughts to start your gears turning as to how you will make the year 2020 better than the last:

Listen to understand, not to respond. Are you too quick to respond or defend that you fail to receive the value one may be “gifting” you in the form of constructive criticism? As John Maxwell states, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”  Although it can often be difficult to hear, listening to customer feedback allows you the opportunity to measure customer satisfaction and often gives you actionable insight to improving your overall customer experience.   

Work on your business instead of in your business.  I was once told, “moving your business ahead, always requires you to take a step back.” Small business owners are the biggest culprits – you work tirelessly as the CEO, COO, CFO, CMO,…..COEUTS (Chief of Everything Under the Sun)….either because you don’t feel like you can afford hire someone to fill these voids or truthfully, you don’t trust anyone else with those tasks, and you neglect the most important task — running your business.  I challenge you to delegate and move back into the drivers seats.  Look ahead, plan, and place your focus on developing your team and growing your business.  

Grow your “net(work)” worth: Help, don’t hustle.  I challenge you to “build your village”. Write down the job titles of every profession you can think of that makes up a “village”, placing specific focus on any potential referral partners  (Residential Realtor, Commercial Banker, Mortgage Lender, Insurance Agent…etc).  Once you’ve completed your list, use LinkedIn or your own existing “black book” of contacts and fill in a name that represents each title.  Make effort to make personal contact with each individual on your list with the single objective of….here’s the catch…. ask how you can make THEM more successful….and follow-through!  The bottom line?  If you place your focus on being a “helper” as opposed to being a “hustler”, mark my words, the more you give, the more you will receive in return.

Be a Rookie.  Always be an enthusiastic, fearless, humble and undaunted learner; take risks, and don’t be afraid to fail.  Essentially, be a rookie.  It is within this realm of being outside of the safety of things you do well which yields inspiration, innovation and the ability to receive the true joy that only comes from hurling ourselves into new challenges and embracing the role of being a rookie. 

Offer yourself as value.  You have experience and knowledge that is invaluable and could give a hand up to someone else.  Be someone’s mentor, further the mission of a local non-profit by serving as a member of their Board of Directors, volunteer for a community development task force/committee, or offer yourself as a speaker or expert panelist for the young professionals group or within your industry association.   

Say Thank You.  There’s something special today about a handwritten note. Keep a stack of cards and envelopes on hand and dedicate 3 minutes per card several times a week to offer a word of encouragement or a quick note simply to say “thank you.”  Aside from it being the right thing to do, study after study shows tangible return in the form of customer retention and employee productivity as a result of adding value to others by showing them that you value them.  

Happy New Year! Allow our team the privilege of serving as a valuable member of your Board of Advisors  – consider us your one-stop comprehensive business resource; silent partner and #1 support system. 

On Monday, we hosted the Tapping Into Talent Symposium in partnership with the Catawba County EDC, K-64, Catawba Valley Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University. We brought together leaders in business and education together to spotlight local resource centers and best practice efforts by companies in the region regarding talent attraction, retention and development. Topics included work-based learning (apprenticeships, internships, etc.), engaging the next generation of talent, organizational culture and concluded with a keynote talk titled “Generation Z at Work” by Meghan Grace, generational researcher, podcast host of #GenZ and co-author of Generation Z: A Century in the Making & Generation Z Goes to College.

Generation Z is composed of those born between 1995 and 2010, which means that the youngest are around 9 years of age and the oldest, 24. We’ve spent a lot of time researching and evaluating the millennial generation (born 1981-1996), but Meghan Grace says it’s imperative to turn some of the attention to our current and future co-workers, the Gen Zers.  Meghan pointed out that this new generation has a lot in common with millennial, but by and large they are different. I’d like to share a handful of their attributes from her research that she shared with us:

1. Gen Z values stability and security.

Our worldview and value system is molded in part by what we’ve experienced or seen others experience. From the Great Recession, to the college debt crisis, polarity and divisiveness in the political landscape, to mass shootings and other global tragedies where first person accounts and media coverage can easily be accessed through the internet, these young people have been exposed to a lot of instability. 

While millennials are often seen as more idealistic, and more motivated by purpose than a paycheck, Generation Z may lean more toward security and money. This is a pragmatic generation — they care about making a difference, but are ultimately motivated by ensuring they have a stable and secure life outside of work. More of them are skipping traditional higher education and opting to earning stackable certifications or credentials. If you’d like to recruit and retain them, make sure you’re offering a competitive wage and opportunities to further develop and advance. 

2. Gen Z values equity and inclusion.

It seems the idea of taking on the world and leaving it better than you found it is common among all generations. Gen Z has already shown the world that they have the potential to be the most influential generation of all time when they rallied the most attended activist protest in American history, the “March for Our Lives” movement. Grace says this is the most ethnically diverse generation yet with 49% of their generation identifying as non-white and they believe that equity and inclusion to be one of the most important issues of today. They aren’t afraid to discuss cultural and societal issues and they have a powerful global mouthpiece to gain influence and support via the internet and social media.

Millennials were known as the “me-centric” generation, where Gen Zers are “we-centric.” It seems to me that companies would do well to use Gen Z as the guidepost for creating more inclusive and diverse workplaces. 

3. Gen Z is entrepreneurial.

Grace stated that Generation Z is 55% more likely to want to start a business than the generation before them. Meghan Grace called it the “Zuckerberg Effect” — they’ve come to the realization that if you have a little grit, propensity for risk, an idea, laptop and internet, you’re well on your way to creating the next transformational entrepreneurial empire. If you can’t find your dream job, create it. The rise of the “gig economy” is altering the way that people view and perform work – a Gen Z can work a full-time job and then go home and bring in some extra coin with their “side hustle,” which is more than likely a very viable business.

These budding entrepreneurs can make great employees. They are likely to soak up as much knowledge as they can and take on many different challenges. Grace says companies who optimize their return on this generation challenge them with “intrapreneurship” — give them a problem, a rather lengthy distance and allow them to solve it. Whether it’s in the product innovation and design space or organizational development and internal processes put their entrepreneurial mindset to work for your good.

4. Gen Z craves face-to-face communication.

This may come at a shock if you are a parent, relative of mentor to a Gen Zer due to the fact that they love their technology, but Generation Z likes to talk face-to-face. As matter of fact, they crave it. In ranking order, Grace stated that they prefer face-to-face communication, then texting and email and phone round out last place. She pointed out that the technology they’ve grown up with (FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, Snapchat) has allowed them to communicate with a full range of sound and motion, instead of just text. They feel that they’re able to make more meaningful connections with their friends or family. She even said, “Virtual Chilling” is on the rise which consists of group “FaceTiming” with friends that are all in separate locations. 

Employers, with this new generation, Grace said to fully communicate what you expect, but be prepared for regular in-person meetings or Skype/Zoom meetings with your Gen Z employees. She also encouraged educational leaders to incorporate how to craft a professional email and email etiquette in their curriculum since they will be required to adapt to this form of communication in their professional setting for the foreseeable future.   

5. Gen Z are true digital natives.

Most people know Millennials as the first “digital generation” but they actually grew up in a world full of fax machines, overhead projectors, dial-up internet and phones with cords. They have seen technological advance over their lifetime at a rapid pace, but have had to acclimate themselves to these advances along with the generations to their senior. Gen Z, on the other hand, has been living in a world of smartphones, free Wi-Fi and wearable tech for as long as they can remember. Grace stated that two-thirds of this generation report multitasking across multiple devices, as many as five, throughout a typical day.

For employers and educational leaders seeking to engage this generation, know that their relationship with technology is instinctual. Gen Z will expect and often require access to multiple technology solutions and devices as tools to get their work done. However, know that as I mentioned above, above all, they crave a relationship with you and others around them.  

“Let’s go to the Candy Barrel”, said my mother. To a little girl, no other six words strung together in one sentence could be more exhilarating. As we entered into Mast General Store in downtown Boone, we were met with friendly greetings and smiling faces from their various attendants. The store’s appearance was always the same, outdoor clothing lined the racks, which surrounded a central cashier’s station in the middle of the first floor. The smell was always the same — a mixture between sweet and earthy, and the floor seemed to have a voice of its own. Customers perusing the displays seemed to make music as they made their way across the scarred wooden boards. “How can I help you?, one associate asked, however, having been there before and distracted by my excited anticipation of digging through heaps of sugary goodness, I bolted past. As I breached the doorway, I grabbed my bucket and made my rounds. From Mary Janes, wax juice bottles to strips of candy buttons and more, they all ended up in my bucket and eventually in my belly after rationing my stash for weeks, almost as if I wanted the feeling to last as long as possible.   

I relived this exact experience, almost in the exact detail when I had the opportunity to meet and connect with Lisa Cooper, President of Mast Store, last week at a regional conference in the high country. As I described “the feeling” that I had on the few fortunate occasions with her store as a child, she smiled and replied, “Oh yes, the floor has to creak.” To my pleasant astonishment, she told me that in all 10 locations, the floor is made to creak. When they began to grow and expand, all of these details and more that I described were elements of the “Mast Store brand” that they didn’t want to lose. Her desire is that regardless if you are in downtown Boone or in downtown Greenville, SC, each patron will experience the “Mast Store” experience. She laughed as she described the puzzled look on the flooring installers’ faces when she relates the mandate that the floor must creak.  

This conversation truly inspired this marketing and branding guru and I’ve reflected on it ever since. When one thinks of customer experience, I’m sure like me, your mind automatically thinks of service —- Are you pleasant and friendly? Knowledgeable of your products and services? Timely in filling customer orders? Resolve complaints in a constructive manner? Is your place of business tidy and presentable? Your customer interactions are critical, but as demonstrated by my experience as a little girl, a memorable customer experience involves all five senses – sounds, smells, taste, sight and touch. 

 To add to my own data points from my memories, I went to social media to see what others had to say.  “What are some of your fondest memories of businesses and/or places that “take you back” based on one or more of your five senses?, I asked. The responses came flooding in and what a pleasure it was to relive these experiences along with those who took the time to share:  

“The Young Men’s Shop in Newton had its own smell…I loved buying my husband suits there in our younger days (30 years ago).”

“The Winn-Dixie in Viewmont regularly played “Hey Good Lookin’” in their store. I remember hearing it when I would go grocery shopping with my mom as a girl.”

“The smell of the Waldensian Bakery in Valdese, where I grew up. That smell of fresh bread baking is “home” to me.”

“The smell of the pipe and tobacco shop in Valley Hills Mall with the gentle sound of rain from the water fall…. circa 1985”

“The “department store aroma” (perfume, cologne, leather, new clothes) always takes me back to when I used to shop with my Grandmommy on Saturday mornings at Spainhours, Burands and Lazurus.’”

“The smell of grilled cheese sandwiches at H&W Drug in Newton.”

“I have a very distinct memory of skating at the Roller Palace in Lenoir to Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ when I was about 12.”

 Just as Lisa challenged and inspired me, I want to challenge you to ask yourself the following questions around your customer’s experience:

• Have you identified and/or sought to understand your customers’ journey? 
• What matters to your customers? How to you collect their feedback?
• What differentiates you or makes you unique from your direct or indirect competition…ie, what is your “floor creak”?
• How can you ensure every customer leaves with a lasting memory that makes them want to return or retell it to someone else at a later date?

My friend found himself in East Village on a business trip in Manhattan around dinnertime. Yelp told him that the best place for a hot dog was Crif Dogs that was conveniently located down the street from his hotel. After venturing two blocks over, there it was, a sign “Crif Dogs,” in the shape of a giant hot dog bearing its catch phrase, “Eat me.”

Inside he found a very underwhelming brick and mortar hot dog stand that was dimly lit, had a low ceiling and plain aluminum tables. He, along with the other hungry patrons, piled in and grabbed a seat. My friend chose the bar with the galley kitchen in plain view. As he sat enjoying his deep-fried dog and PBR, the cell phone of the guest to his right rang. The guy answered and immediately got up and went through a narrow accordion door that mimicked a vintage phone booth in the front right corner of the establishment. My friend noticed that he curiously didn’t come out. A short time passed, and the cell phone of the person to his left rang, he also answered, and vanished through the same narrow accordion door in the front right corner of Cif Dogs, and never came back out.

After finishing his meal, my friend’s curiosity got the best of him. He had to see what was on the other side of the wooden accordion phone booth door. He slid open the door to find a small room that contained only a rotary dial phone mounted on the wall. There was a handwritten note stapled to the wall beside the phone that said, “For reservations, dial 1.” So he picked up the phone and did just that, only to hear someone on the other end state, “Do you have a reservation?” He responded, “A reservation? To what?.” The voice stated, “I should have a reservation in about 30 minutes, what’s your phone number?” He said, “A reservation to what?” The voice said, “I’ll call you when we have an opening,” and hung up. My friend left the booth and just before he finished his second PBR, his cell phone rang, with “Please Don’t Tell” on his caller ID. He answered and the hostess’ voice simply stated that “his seat is open”, to “come to the booth, dial 1 and the steel door will open”.

The steel door opened to reveal a faux speakeasy cocktail bar. In complete contrast to his sister establishment Crif Dogs, PDT (Please Don’t Tell) is a swanky lounge with a long intricately carved bar, plush bar stools, killer cocktails and highly skilled mixologists.

Come to find out, my friend was lucky to have been granted this experience. Reservations typically sell out by mid-afternoon (they are taken same-day only) and the bar is first-come, first-served. So how does a bar who attaches business cards to their receipts that say “Shhh…Please Don’t Tell” with no signage, Facebook page, website, or much less, a front door, remain packed? They create an experience. Marketing gurus call it, “inbound marketing.”

My friend and marketing strategist, Kyle Sexton, related this experience to me, and a host of other attendees, at my state association conference several weeks back to illustrate an important concept for successful promotion. Inbound marketing is a strategy that is used to attract new people to your place of business by creating value. Historically, of course, speakeasies were establishments that sold alcohol illegally. The modern speakeasy, although legitimate, is concealed—as if it had something to hide. People tell secrets…and secrets like “PDT”, they cannot wait to tell! Kyle’s true story is a perfect example of inbound marketing.

A great experience at a speakeasy can cause others to create that content for you by way of reviews, articles, word-of-mouth marketing, and ultimately, raving fans. Your company or organization, just like PDT, can create an awesome “tell-worthy” experience. Being “loud” with marketing messages that you “push” doesn’t always work. How can you create an experience to get your fans and customers to market for you?

I challenge you to try it, but “Shhhh…Please Don’t Tell.”