Executive Spotlight: How To Set Up A Proper Budget

Executive Spotlight: How To Set Up A Proper Budget

A critical responsibility of an executive is to set up a proper budget for their organization. Setting a proper budget usually involves setting financial goals, identifying expenses and revenue streams, and creating a budget that helps drive business success. So, what are some practical strategies for creating and managing a successful budget?

We recently asked our executives how they set up a proper budget.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

As an executive, setting up a proper budget is a critical responsibility that requires careful planning, analysis, and monitoring. Here are some steps to consider when setting up a proper budget:

  1. Define your financial goals: Before setting up a budget, you need to define your financial goals and objectives. This will help you to prioritize your spending and identify areas where you need to cut costs.
  2. Estimate your revenue: Determine how much money your organization expects to generate in the upcoming period. This includes revenue from sales, investments, and other sources.
  3. Analyze your expenses: Identify all of the expenses that your organization will incur during the upcoming period. This includes fixed costs like rent and salaries, as well as variable costs like marketing and materials.
  4. Prioritize expenses: Once you have identified all of your expenses, prioritize them based on their importance to your organization’s success. This will help you to allocate resources more effectively and avoid overspending.
  5. Allocate resources: After prioritizing your expenses, allocate resources to each category based on their importance. This will help you to ensure that you are spending money where it is needed most.
  6. Monitor and adjust: Once your budget is in place, it is important to monitor your actual expenses and revenue against your budgeted amounts. This will allow you to identify any discrepancies and make adjustments as necessary.

In summary, setting up a proper budget requires careful planning, analysis, and monitoring. By following these steps, you can ensure that your organization’s financial resources are allocated effectively and efficiently.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

Budget, finance, business concept

I love the time of the year when it’s time to work on the upcoming year’s budget at the NFL.

For me, the budget is a living and breathing document. You just don’t put in all the effort to file the budget in the filing cabinet once approved. More on that later.

I have a process that I follow every year. I keep a folder with all the notes and conversations that I had to build the budget. I keep various budget versions as I move to the final approved budget.

My budget process goes as follows:

1. Current Year Actual

The current year’s actual P&L numbers will be my basis for the upcoming budget cycle.

I go to each department head in our group and ask them if they have anything they want to buy or change that they didn’t do this season. Also, I will ask if they have any one-offs that won’t be done after the season ends.

2. Game and Replay Officials – (CBA) Collective Bargaining Agreement

Seventy-six percent of the Football Operations budget is covered by the Game and Replay Officials’ salaries and travel expenses agreed upon in a seven-year agreement between the NFL and the Officials’ Union.

So, I only have control of 24% of the Football Operations budget.

3. VP & Finance Review

This is when I sit with my boss and Finance to make any adjustments, then move to the approval of the budget.

4. VP & Commissioner Review

After Finance approves the budget, my boss sits with the NFL Commissioner on what the department wants to do in the upcoming year.

The Commissioner doesn’t have the time to go through the entire budget page by page. So, I draw up a “one-page” report. This is a simple one-pager with one number at the top of the page, representing the current year’s “actual” spend. In the middle of the page are the budget changes for the upcoming year. At the bottom is the total budget for the upcoming year.

5. Finally, the Living and Breathing Part

Now that I have a final version budget in my hands, I will bring life to the budget by calendarizing the budget. That means I will spread the budget over twelve months, showing when to spend the money. That means I can discuss how we are pacing every month or quarterly, from budget to actual.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Marketing executive sets up the marketing budget

As a brand marketing executive, a well-planned marketing budget is critical to strategically allocating resources, outlining a successful marketing strategy, maximizing return on investment (ROI), and effectively reaching your target audience. Creating a marketing budget may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are six steps to help you set up a marketing budget that aligns with your goals and drives tangible results:

1. Define Marketing Goals & Objectives: Before diving into budget planning, clearly define SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) marketing goals and objectives. For example, what are you looking to do? Increase brand awareness or consideration, generate leads or conversion, drive loyalty or advocacy? Understanding your objectives will guide your budget allocation decisions and ensure your marketing efforts align with your business goals.

2. Conduct Analysis & Research: Analyze historical marketing data and conduct research that will provide valuable insights for budget planning. Evaluate the performance of past marketing campaigns, identify successful strategies, and pinpoint areas for improvement. Additionally, research market trends, customer behavior, and competitor activities to make informed budgetary decisions.

3. Develop a Marketing Plan: Develop a marketing plan with strategies and tactics aligning with your goals and objectives. Part of the planning includes researching the costs of the various marketing tactics. This is when you can determine which budget line item you want to include, how much money you want to allocate, and when you plan to spend it.

4. Estimate Marketing Costs: When submitting your marketing budget estimates for approval, it is crucial to accurately forecast how much you anticipate spending, as once approved, these estimates become your budget. Research industry benchmarks, obtain vendor quotes, and consult with your team to accurately estimate the costs involved.

5. Develop a Marketing Budget: Set a realistic marketing budget considering your financial resources, revenue projections, and the estimated costs of executing your marketing campaign. Strive for a balance between ambition and realism to ensure you have sufficient funds to support your activities throughout the budget period.

6. Monitor & Adjust: Regularly monitor and evaluate the performance of your marketing activities to ensure your budget is being utilized effectively. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rates, cost per lead, and customer acquisition. Identify areas that require adjustments or optimization. You can optimize your budget allocation for maximum impact by staying agile and responsive to data-driven insights.

Setting up a proper marketing budget requires careful planning, data analysis, and an understanding of your business goals. Then, you can create a budget that drives measurable results, strengthens your brand, and propels your business toward success.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you set up a proper budget? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

3 Ways Companies Can Show Appreciation For Their Employees

3 Ways Companies Can Show Appreciation For Their Employees

The first Friday of March has become the unofficial holiday of Employee Appreciation Day in the U.S. Some companies celebrate this day, while others celebrate their employees throughout the year.

No matter how your company does it, showing employees appreciation is essential to providing a good employee experience. Every company has different ways to recognize employees. Some may plan a big event around Employee Appreciation Day, while others may plan quarterly or monthly events to show appreciation for employees.

Some companies may show their appreciation with financial awards like bonuses or through offering additional time off, while others may have more modest ways of doing so.

The bottom line: It doesn’t matter how big or small the appreciation is. What matters is that you take time to show appreciation for your employees.

If you’re limited on ideas, or resources, here are some simple ideas for showing appreciation:

Personal Notes

A young professional writes a few notes of appreciation for her employees

Work can be a grind sometimes, so anytime an employee gets a note from their boss or supervisor expressing appreciation for their efforts, it can be a nice little pick-me-up.

Every company wants hard-working and passionate employees because those are the type of employees who throw themselves into their work and are proud to represent the company. However, with hard work comes stress. That’s why it’s nice to check in with employees from time to time and thank them for their efforts.

These notes of appreciation don’t have to be long. They could be written or emailed.

Many employees will just appreciate the fact you took the time to recognize them. One little note can really work wonders for morale and motivation.

Company Gatherings

Team/employees gather for a Employee Appreciation Day activity

Most companies will have some sort of weekly meeting to update the workforce on current happenings and to touch base. Every once in a while, the company should hold a gathering instead to recognize the workforce and discuss positive happenings in the company.

Sometimes the workforce needs a good reminder of why they do what they do and the positive things that come from it.

These gatherings could be on or off site; it’s a matter of company preference. The important thing is that the gatherings focus on thanking employees and celebrating the positive accomplishments of the company.

And, these gatherings should include food! It doesn’t matter if the company provides the food, or if employees contribute via potluck, just as long as there’s food.

Give Employees Some Control

Employee activity committee discusses ways to show appreciation for the workforce.

Some companies use employee-led committees to plan monthly fun activities that encourage workplace bonding. These committees can also be used to plan employee recognition activities or coordinate company community service activities.

Sometimes just giving employees more ownership of things within the company is the ultimate sign of appreciation. It signals to employees that management doesn’t have all the answers and that employees deserve a large role in shaping the company’s culture.

Management should always look at their company and ask themselves where they can give employees more ownership in shaping it. Not only will this type of trust motivate employees, but they will feel appreciated.

What does your company do to show employees appreciation?

These are only a few ideas, but there are several more ways to show employees appreciation.

Tell Work It DAILY how your company appreciates employees and you might be featured on our website and social media channels to thousands of job seekers and potential employees!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Executive Spotlight: How To Present Updates To C-Suite Members

Executive Spotlight: How To Present Updates To C-Suite Members

In your career, you might climb the ladder and reach a point where it’s time for you to present updates to C-suite members. This is a big opportunity—one you don’t want to mess up. Presenting to the C-suite can be nerve-wracking, but, thankfully, there are many tips that can help you prepare for this opportunity.

We recently asked our leading executives how to present updates to C-suite members.

Here are their responses…

Melodie Turk, Learning Experience Executive

Presenting updates to the C-suite is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your project, demonstrate your own executive presence, and share valuable information. Here are three steps to presenting successfully (and a fourth if you’ve already done this):

  1. Know Your Audience. Whether it’s one C-suite member or a group of them, make sure you understand their priorities. Also, try to find out their personal information-receiving style. Every piece of information you share will be assessed against their priorities and delivering it in a way they like to receive it will be an added bonus.
  2. Organize Your Information. Once you understand the audience a little better, organize your information—this might mean a formal PPT presentation or a detailed report, or something in between. As you put together your update, make clear correlations on how it may (or may not) impact their priorities and include any critical points they may need to make decisions in the future. You may also highlight a special achievement during the update but do relate it back to their priorities or help them understand the significance.
  3. Practice Your Delivery. You want to be able to deliver your update with confidence, which means you need to practice the delivery. You also need to practice giving answers to questions they may never ask. And you need to practice giving them a response when you don’t have the answer or need more time to provide a more complete answer. In my experience, this is where I have seen the biggest failures—not being prepared.
  4. Delegate Your Delivery. I only recommend this fourth step if you have already given multiple updates to the C-suite. This could be a prime opportunity for you to delegate this delivery and give another person a development opportunity. If you do this, make sure to provide a personal introduction that shares just enough accolades of why you are allowing another to deliver your update.

My last tips:

  • Be succinct. This doesn’t mean brief (although it could be); it means making each piece of information valuable.
  • Be prepared and don’t make answers up on the fly. Practice what you know and be prepared to be upfront about what you don’t.

Melodie Turk is a learning experience executive with a unique background in the learning and development arena as well as change management. She is passionate about bringing change to the workplace—change that is meaningful and change that will last.

Lynn Holland, VP Sales & Business Development

Woman presents updates to executives/C-suite members

Presenting can be stressful, especially when presenting to the C-suite, but with a little effort to cater to this audience, it will set you up for success.

What’s that look like?

Part 1 – Right Thinking

Whether you are interviewing with, pitching, or in this case, presenting updates to the C-suite, think intently about this vision, strategy-driven vs. tactical executive-level audience that you’re going to address. Start with these questions:

  • What are their roles and what is important to them about this subject matter?
  • What is the data they need and how will they look to act on this data

Next, if possible, reach out to your key executives beforehand to float the agenda to see if there is anything they’d like to add or if there are particular data points they’re looking for, and give an opportunity for them to uncover any new details or concerns to guide your preparations.

Part 2 – Right Message

Now outline the main points and key data, tying them to a framework that is easy to convey and memorable. Something like “The 3 KPIs that we exceeded this quarter” and relate your points to big picture items like:

  • Making money
  • Saving money
  • Mitigating risk
  • Beating competitors
  • Improving the customer or employee journey

Part 3 – Right Execution

In light of your executive-level audience, use these (5) tips to deliver a message that holds their attention and is actionable:

  • Spare the big intro with context
  • Give the major conclusions up front
  • Use 1/3 of your allotted time to present with the balance for questions
  • Always give a handout for key info
  • If you use slides, no more than 10 with a clean design, heavy on images vs. text, and use a 30pt font

Lynn Holland is a business development executive with 18+ years of experience taking operational, IoT & retail technologies, products, & consumer engagement to market with a focus in petroleum & convenience retail.

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

Executive takes notes during an employee presentation to the C-suite

Presenting updates to C-level executives can be a daunting task for many professionals, especially if they lack experience or confidence in their presentation skills. However, with careful planning, preparation, and execution, anyone can effectively communicate updates to C-level executives in a clear and concise manner. Here are some tips on how to present updates to C-level executives:

  1. Know your audience: It is important to research and understand the background, interests, and priorities of the C-level executives you will be presenting to. This information can help you tailor your message to their specific needs and interests. For example, if you are presenting to a CEO who is primarily interested in revenue growth, you may want to focus your presentation on the financial metrics that demonstrate progress in that area.
  2. Define your objectives: Before you start preparing your presentation, it is important to clearly define your objectives. This could be to provide updates on a project, share key performance metrics, or propose a new strategy. Whatever your objectives are, make sure they are clear, measurable, and aligned with the overall goals of the organization.
  3. Keep it simple: C-level executives are often busy and may have limited time to review your presentation, so it is important to keep your message simple and to the point. Avoid using technical jargon or complex language that could confuse or bore your audience. Instead, use clear and concise language that is easy to understand.
  4. Use visuals: Visual aids such as graphs, charts, and infographics can help convey complex information in a clear and concise way. Make sure your visuals are easy to read and understand and use them strategically to highlight key points and support your message. For example, if you are presenting financial data, you may want to use a graph to show trends over time.
  5. Practice your delivery: Practicing your delivery can help you build confidence and ensure that you are able to deliver your message effectively. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself, or ask a colleague to provide feedback on your delivery. This can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your message.
  6. Anticipate questions: C-level executives may have questions or concerns about the information you are presenting, so it is important to anticipate these and be prepared to respond. Take the time to research and address potential objections or questions ahead of time. This can help you demonstrate your knowledge and expertise and build credibility with your audience.
  7. Follow up: After your presentation, follow up with the C-level executives to ensure that they have all the information they need and to answer any additional questions they may have. This can help build trust and credibility and demonstrate your commitment to delivering value to the organization.

Overall, presenting updates to C-level executives requires careful planning, preparation, and execution. By understanding your audience, defining your objectives, keeping your message simple, using visuals, practicing your delivery, anticipating questions, and following up, you can effectively communicate your message and achieve your objectives in a clear and impactful way.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

Professional woman presents updates to executives/C-suite members

High-level executives—CEOs, CFOs, and CTOs—can be a difficult audience because of their limited time and high demand for their time. They are demanding and might interrupt the presentation whenever needed.

I might even go as far as to ask other colleagues who have already made a presentation to these C-suite executives. There could be some tangible takeaways from knowing what another group experienced.

You must prepare thoroughly with these three points to keep in mind:

1. Know Your Audience

You must prepare your presentation knowing how your audience will use the information you’re putting out. The information must be directly linked to their ability to do their job. These executives don’t deal with the nitty-gritty details. They deal with “big picture” issues.

2. Start at the End

Consider the main point you are here to prove with your presentation and state it first. A clearly stated objective works to retain the interest of the executives. This is the time for your hook.

Remember, these types of executives think strategically. They don’t think about day-to-day operations. Structure the presentation around the big picture.

3. Manage the Presentation

The presenter will be the central part of the executive’s attention. It’s okay to use visuals but don’t dwell on them.

Difficult questions are to be expected when presenting to a C-level audience. It isn’t unacceptable to admit that you don’t know the answer to a question. Don’t try to bluff a C-level crowd.

Don’t go into overtime. End the meeting on time!

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Kathryn Marshburn, Music Program Manager

Professional man presents updates to executives/C-suite members

​While many teams find communicating with executives to be intimidating, I have found that it’s an opportunity to showcase projects, develop visibility within organizations, and provide a roadmap for driving revenue.

Three tips for preparing for C-suite meetings should include:

  1. Know your audience and invite strategically, where not only decision makers are present but lateral team leaders who report to decision makers are present. This allows for consensus building before the meeting, where you can network for feedback prior to the meeting to get a sense of potential buy-in and prepare for any potential objections ahead of time.
  2. Prepare PowerPoint slides for support, to provide context, and to move into data and analysis quickly. Most executives are busy and require little information to make a decision, so keep providing talking points and revenue reports for the best time effectiveness. Allow space for questions during the presentation. If at all possible, share projected revenue results and/or expense for topic being presented.
  3. Preparation, preparation, and more preparation. Be natural and observe others. It’s always tempting to just read reports and use notes, yet I find I am most impressed when a speaker can tell the story without looking at notes or the presentation and interacts with attendees. To me, this skill comes from true well-thought-out prep and practice. No one is a good speaker right from the start, but working and reviewing the data in a calm setting and investing time to feel prepared is SUPER valuable and should not be underestimated.

Finally, remember to have a meeting buddy that ahead of time can listen to your presentation and ask questions that pertain to your deal points. If you follow these suggestions you are bound to have an amazing C-suite meeting!

Kathryn Marshburn has spent 12+ years in the music and gaming industries guiding teams on identifying targeted goals with an agile approach resulting in driving revenue and reducing risk.

Mark Taylor, Product & Operations Executive

Employee presents updates to executives/C-suite members

A companion to last week’s discussion about effective presentations. Some complementary thoughts:

  • No surprises. Make sure negative news is pre-communicated.
  • The answer is yes. Now, what’s the question? But…
  • …tell the truth. (Note the difference between “the truth” and “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”)
  • DYDWYSYWGTD? “Did you do what you said you were going to do?” If in the last meeting you said X, Y, and Z would be completed within the week, make sure that they were killed off 100%. (Tasks can be like cockroaches…)
  • Be concise. Use minimal decks. (There was feedback last week about how difficult it is to create a short deck. Understand that that’s what they pay you the big bucks for! Your grasp and oversight of what you own should be such that you can condense the complex into a simple short story.)
Mark Taylor has 20+ years of risk, technology, and product management experience working in global and regional financial services firms in the UK and the U.S. He’s managed teams of 40+, successfully addressed 100+ regulatory issues, and has saved companies $15M+.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Woman presents updates to the C-suite/executives

​Presenting updates to C-suite is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase your skills, strategic thinking, and organizational contributions. Every time this opportunity arises, seize it enthusiastically and prepare to make a lasting impression. Here are 10 strategies and tips for presenting updates to C-suite members to propel your career to new heights:

1. Determine Your Purpose: Clarify your purpose, aligning your objectives with their strategic priorities. What do you want the C-suite members to do, think, or feel due to your presentation?

2. Understand Their Perspective: Executives focus on high-level strategic goals, financial performance, and organizational success. Tailor your presentation to their priorities, needs, and concerns. Frame your updates in a way that highlights the impact on the company’s bottom line, growth potential, or competitive advantage.

3. Craft A Compelling Narrative: Tell a story that engages the C-suite’s attention and resonates with their aspirations for the company. Connect your updates to the company’s mission, vision, and values. Weave a narrative that demonstrates the significance of your work and the positive impact it has on the organization’s trajectory.

4. Highlight Key Metrics & Results: Clearly articulate key metrics and outcomes in your update. Whether it’s financial performance, customer acquisition, or market share growth, provide tangible evidence of progress. Utilize charts, graphs, or visual aids to make the information more digestible and impactful.

5. Be Confident & Concise: Project an aura of self-assurance and professionalism. Deliver your updates with clarity and brevity, focusing on the most critical points. Avoid overwhelming them with excessive information or unnecessary details. Ensure your presentation is concise and visually appealing, allowing the C-suite to grasp key takeaways quickly.

6. Communicate Risks & Mitigation Strategies: Acknowledge potential risks or challenges related to your update and present well-thought-out mitigation strategies. Addressing potential roadblocks and demonstrating your ability to navigate them effectively shows your preparedness and commitment to success.

7. Provide Strategic Recommendations: Offer strategic recommendations aligned with the C-suite’s goals. Leverage your expertise to suggest innovative solutions, growth opportunities, or operational improvements. Presenting actionable recommendations demonstrates your proactive thinking and ability to contribute to the company’s success.

8. Anticipate Questions & Prepare Responses: The C-suite has probing questions or seeks additional clarification. Anticipate potential inquiries based on the information you present and prepare thoughtful responses in advance.

9. Engage In Active Dialogue: Presenting updates to the C-suite should be viewed as a two-way communication opportunity. Encourage engagement and invite questions, feedback, and discussion. Actively listen to their insights and perspectives.

10. Follow Up & Follow Through: Take the initiative to follow up with the C-suite members. Address any unanswered questions or concerns they may have raised. Provide additional information or data as necessary.

Presenting updates to C-suite members is an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate your skills, strategic thinking, and contributions to the organization. By embracing the opportunity and delivering a compelling presentation, you can establish yourself as a trusted advisor and elevate your career.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

What are your best tips for presenting updates to C-suite members? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Executive Spotlight: How To Build A Working Team

Executive Spotlight: How To Build A Working Team

In the workplace, you can spot a great team by how well the members communicate and collaborate with each other. A team that regularly achieves its goals and exceeds expectations is irreplaceable. So, how can you build and manage a successful team, one that will take your organization to the next level?

We recently asked our executives how they build successful working teams.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

One of the most important things for a leader to do is to build a working, well-orchestrated, and high-performing team.

  1. Start with clear goals and expectations. What do you want your team to achieve? Once you know your goal, you can start to build a team that is well-suited to achieve it.
  2. Hire/bring the right people. When you’re hiring for your team, look for people who have the skills and experience to contribute to your goal. But don’t just hire for skills and experience. Look for people who are also a good fit for your team culture.
  3. Get to know the team members. Once they become part of your team, make sure that you get to know them, their strengths, and their passions.
  4. Create a positive work environment. A positive work environment is one where people feel comfortable being themselves and where they feel valued. Make sure your team has a space where they can collaborate and be creative.
  5. Set clear expectations. Let your team know what you expect of them in terms of their work, their behavior, and their contributions to the team. This will help them to understand their role and to be successful.
  6. Provide regular feedback and feedforward. Feedback is essential for team growth and development. Make sure you’re providing your team with regular feedback, both positive and negative. This will help them to learn and to improve. Feedforward focuses on the future rather than the past. It is a way of providing suggestions and guidance that can help improve their performance.
  7. Celebrate successes. When your team achieves a goal, be sure to celebrate their success. This will help to boost morale and to keep your team motivated.
  8. Address conflict head-on. Conflict is inevitable in any team. When conflict arises, be sure to address it head-on in a constructive way. This will help to prevent conflict from escalating and damaging the team’s morale.
  9. Trust your team. Trust is essential for any team to function effectively. Make sure you’re trusting your team to do their jobs and to make decisions. This will help to create a sense of ownership and responsibility among your team members.
  10. Be open to feedback. No one is perfect, including you. Be open to feedback from your team members. This will help you to grow as a leader and to improve your team’s performance.
  11. Have fun! Work doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Make sure your team has fun together. This will help to create a positive and productive work environment.
Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

John Hoffman, Creative Producer

Team works on a project together

As someone who creates temporary teams to execute big ideas, building a highly efficient team with a minimal learning curve is vital for success.

It starts with understanding the project’s mission, goals, and desired outcomes. From there, select the appropriate team members, focusing on a few solid leads in critical areas and support around them.

A clear mission statement in everyday language is essential for all team members to understand and take ownership of the outcome. When selecting team members, look for those with a strong work ethic, a collaborative mindset, dependability, flexibility, solution-oriented, candor, and a positive attitude.

Effective communication and budgeting skills are also necessary, but the key is how well the team works together, the fit, the trust, and the collective strength. A team that makes each other better and stronger is essential for success.

Creative team building and leadership are the most critical aspects of my job. Obsessing over who is on the team ensures the project’s success.

John Hoffman has 15+ years of leadership experience creating and producing video content, branded entertainment, PR stunts, and experiential and live events. At his core, he’s a storyteller who has mastered the creative map and can scale logistical mountains.

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

Successful team meets at work

Just like in the world of sports, we should all want to field the best players for the team. That’s the job. We all want to win.

In building a team, I must have the same winning mindset. I want the project to succeed, and I like the team to win. Anything less, then I’m in the wrong place.

The Mission

My first step in building a team is to know the “mission.” I need to know what the team needs to accomplish. Once I know this important detail, I can build a pool of possible team members.

My first step in building a team is setting a standard for each candidate. I need to develop a tool to vent or filter to see who rises to the top of the standard.

The Team

Now that I have a properly vetted pool that should be on the team, I will now look at the diversity of the pool. I want to bring different perspectives, experiences, and demographics onto the team.

It is important to consider diversity in terms of not only ethnicity or gender but also in terms of age, education, background, experience, and skillset. This can help ensure the team has a wide range of perspectives.

The Work

Now that the team has been selected and assembled, I can begin meeting with each member to discuss their role and responsibilities. Then I would meet the entire group collectively to discuss how to work together. Then I would lay out the assignment and the mission. And finally, the expectations. And feedback.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Debra Shannon, IT Executive

Team meets to get to the performing stage of team development

When building a high-performing team, it’s critical to make sure the right individuals are in the right roles. Involve the team and build the team together. They typically will have a good idea of the type of individual who would be a good fit for the team, especially for hard-to-fill roles.

Starting at the beginning of the hiring process, does your organization have a referral program? The internal “referring” employee is already familiar with the culture so they can improve the quality of the hire for a better cultural fit. Also, create a special “referral” process for applicants to apply so that you can more easily identify and track those individuals. If successful, offer the “referring” employee a referral fee. You can reduce the time to hire and the cost per hire, which will outweigh the referral fee cost.

During the interview process, ask some team members to participate in the interviews. Let them ask questions to determine whether the applicant could be a good fit for the team and the overall team dynamic. In addition, the applicant gets to meet the team members.

So, solicit the team’s input during the hiring process. The more involved the team is, the more they will feel valued and engaged. This, in turn, can improve the employee retention rate.

Debra Shannon is an IT executive who is also a CPA, CIA, and CISA. Her passion is turning chaos into calm. With her unique blend of experience in technology, project management, and auditing, she can break down complex business problems, identify practical solutions, and lead executive teams and business partners to embrace the value of technology changes.

Carla Biasi, Personal Stylist

Successful team has fun during a work meeting

​First, start by hiring the right people. Ask individuals about specific examples of how they worked in a team environment and what they did and did not enjoy about it. It’s imperative that individuals realize the importance of team building.

Secondly, set very clear objectives for each team member. Explain how their role affects the team and the overall goal.

Have fun by having team-building exercises or icebreakers! Let everyone get to know each other a little bit and enjoy each other’s company.

Delegate responsibilities to the team and let them creatively work together.

Remember, a team is only as strong as the weakest link.

Carla Biasi is a personal stylist living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She currently has her own business and works part-time at an upscale women’s boutique and as a virtual and kit stylist for a women’s specialty brand.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Man leads his team at work

Teamwork is an underestimated tool that can help drive organizational success. Employees who collaborate at work are more engaged, have higher success rates, and are less tired. A good team leverages each person’s unique skills and talents, working together instead of against each other.

Here are eight ways to build a working team:

  1. Set SMART Goals: It’s an effective approach to ensure clarity, focus, and measurable outcomes.
  2. Define Roles & Responsibilities: When team members have well-defined roles and responsibilities, they can focus on accomplishing their tasks within the allotted time frame.
  3. Set Clear Expectations: Communicate individual and team performance expectations, deadlines, and deliverables. Define measurable goals and provide regular feedback to help team members track their progress.
  4. Foster Effective Communication: Establish open channels of communication and encourage active listening. Promote a culture of transparency where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback.
  5. Motivate With Positivity: I subscribe to two theories: “you get more flies with honey than vinegar,” and I serve the needs of others over my self-interests. I aim to encourage a supportive, positive, and inclusive team culture that values diversity, respects individual contributions, and recognizes and celebrates achievements.
  6. Encourage Collaboration: Promote a collaborative environment where team members work together towards common goals. Encourage brainstorming, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional collaboration.
  7. Give & Accept Feedback: Promote a culture where team members actively give and receive constructive feedback, fostering continuous growth and improvement.
  8. Provide Resources & Support: Ensure team members have the necessary resources, tools, and training to perform their roles effectively. Offer support and guidance when needed, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you build a successful working team? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Executive Spotlight: How To Stay Current With Trends As A Busy Executive

Executive Spotlight: How To Stay Current With Trends As A Busy Executive

Executives have many responsibilities as leaders, but ensuring their organizations remain competitive and relevant is one of the most important. Staying current with trends is the simplest way executives can accomplish this. But with incredibly busy schedules and long to-do lists, how can executives successfully keep up with trends and stay ahead of the curve?

We recently asked our busy executives how they stay current with trends.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

As a busy executive, it can be challenging to stay current with the latest trends and developments in your industry. However, it’s essential to remain up to date to ensure that your organization stays competitive and relevant. Here are five key strategies to help you stay current with trends as a busy executive:

  1. Prioritize learning: Make learning a priority and carve out time in your schedule to stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your industry.
  2. Build a network: Build a network of peers and experts in your industry to stay informed about the latest trends and developments. Attend conferences, seminars, and networking events to connect with others and gain insights into emerging trends.
  3. Utilize technology: Utilize technology to stay current with trends. Subscribe to industry newsletters, set up Google alerts for relevant keywords, and follow industry influencers on social media.
  4. Delegate responsibility: Delegate responsibility to other members of your team who can help you stay current with trends. Assign someone to monitor industry news and report back to you regularly.
  5. Read widely: Read widely to stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your industry. Set aside time to read industry publications, blogs, and books regularly.

In summary, staying current with trends as a busy executive requires prioritizing learning, building a network, utilizing technology, delegating responsibility, and reading widely. By implementing these strategies, executives can stay informed and ensure that their organization remains competitive and relevant in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

NFL stadium

In the world of sports, as the NFL continues to rise in popularity, challenges and adversity also come. The NFL must find ways to predict the future to get ahead of these challenges and remain a leader in the industry.

4 Trends That Remain a Constant in the NFL’s Planning:

1. Millennials – The sports world faces an uphill battle of finding ways to entice millennials to attend games. The rise of technology has made it easier to consume games in the comfort of their homes. Many major sports leagues have made it easier to consume the games on their mobile devices or networks, like NFL Network.

2. Technology Integration – The pace of technology keeps changing. Fans want to connect to the games on their social media accounts, like Facebook and Twitter feeds. If teams are not proactive with social media and cannot entice fans with modern technology, fans will not follow them or go to the games.

3. Gameday Experiences – The NFL wants to give the fans an experience that can only be achieved at the stadium. This includes pregame tailgating and shows, halftime entertainment, and post-game celebrations.

4. Predicting the Future – The world is constantly changing. The sports industry faces the challenge of predicting the next trend, the next big idea that will capture its audience. While the future is nearly impossible to predict, it will be worthwhile for sports leagues to continue to study trends.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Busy executive writes down current trends to stay up to date

As a busy global marketing executive, staying current with trends is crucial to keep up with the ever-changing business landscape. While staying on top of the latest developments can be challenging, it’s essential to remain relevant and competitive in today’s fast-paced business world. Here are five things I do weekly as a brand marketing executive to stay current with trends:

1. Leverage Technology: In today’s digital age, technology can be your best ally in staying up to date with trends. With many online tools and resources, you can easily keep track of the latest developments in your industry. I use ChatGPT, Canva, Grammarly, and SaveTik daily. You can follow thought leaders or industry experts on social media, subscribe to podcasts or newsletters, sign up for Google alerts for keywords related to your industry, attend webinars, or take online courses that focus on specific industries and trends.

2. Collaborate with Peers: Collaborating with peers can be an excellent way to stay current with trends. Consider joining industry-specific associations or forming a peer group with other executives in your field. By sharing ideas and insights, you can learn from each other and stay up to date on the latest trends.

3. Read: Industry-specific publications are a valuable source of information and insights. Subscribe to publications that cover your industry, and make it a habit to read them regularly. You can also follow relevant blogs and thought leaders in your industry to stay informed about the latest trends. I joined a marketing book club to stay current on the latest brand marketing trends.

4. Attend Conferences and Networking Events: Conferences and networking events provide an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest trends and connect with like-minded professionals. As a busy executive, it may be challenging to attend every event, but try to prioritize the most relevant to your industry.

5. Continuous Learning: It can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you don’t have enough time to learn new things. However, committing to learn new things continuously can help you stay current with trends in your industry. This can involve taking online courses, attending webinars, or even reading books related to your field. I’m learning how ChatGPT can assist me as a brand marketer while reading a few brand marketing books to improve my skills.

Staying current with trends is essential for any executive looking to remain relevant and competitive in today’s fast-paced business world.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you stay current with trends as a busy executive? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Executive Spotlight: How To Create & Deliver A Persuasive Presentation

Executive Spotlight: How To Create & Deliver A Persuasive Presentation

As a professional, you’ll likely need to give a presentation at some point in your career. Good presentation skills can help you succeed at work, no matter your position. Therefore, everyone should know how to create and deliver a persuasive presentation.

We recently asked our executives for their expert advice on creating and delivering a persuasive presentation.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

Presentations can be very scary! Especially if they are being delivered to a new audience, have news that may not be as simple to digest, or if there is a lot at stake for the presenter, to name a few…

In my experience, these are some high-level key tips on how to create and deliver a persuasive presentation:

1. Know your audience.

The first step to creating a persuasive presentation is to know your audience. What are their interests? What are their needs? What are their objections to your message? Once you know your audience, you can tailor your presentation to address their concerns and to persuade them to your point of view.

2. Have a clear message.

What is the one thing you want your audience to remember after your presentation? Make sure your message is clear and concise. Don’t try to cover too much ground in your presentation. Focus on one main point and make sure you support it with evidence.

3. Use strong evidence.

Your audience is more likely to be persuaded by your message if you can support it with strong evidence. This evidence can come in the form of statistics, expert testimony, or personal stories. The more evidence you can provide, the stronger your argument will be.

4. Be passionate about your topic.

Your audience is more likely to be persuaded by your message if you are passionate about it. If you don’t believe in your message, it will be difficult to convince others to believe in it too. So, let your passion show!

5. Practice, practice, practice!

The more you practice your presentation, the more confident you will be when you deliver it. Practice in front of a mirror, with a friend, or with a group of people. The more you practice, the more natural your presentation will seem and the more persuasive you will be.

6. Be yourself.

Don’t try to be someone you’re not when you deliver your presentation. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. Your audience will be more likely to connect with you if you are authentic.

7. Connect with your audience.

Make eye contact with your audience, smile, and use gestures to engage them. Ask questions and get them involved in the conversation. The more engaged your audience is, the more likely they are to be persuaded by your message.

8. End with a call to action.

Tell your audience what you want them to do after your presentation. Do you want them to sign a petition, donate money, or simply think about your message? Whatever it is, make sure you tell them what you want them to do.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Andrea Markowski, Marketing Executive

Marketing professional makes a presentation at work

Giving a persuasive presentation can be difficult. With the help of neuroscience, here are three tips to steer you in the right direction.

Neuroscience tells us that humans have an aversion to loss and a fear of the unknown. As long as we are reasonably happy and feel safe with our current choices, we probably won’t change.

For that reason, the first tip for an effective persuasive speech is to describe how the status quo is bad—or even dangerous. For example, maybe the current approach is too expensive, time-consuming, or unsustainable.

But you can’t just list these reasons in the speech and call it a day. That probably won’t work.

That brings us to the second tip: use storytelling to elicit an emotional response. Why? Because humans are not logical creatures. We’d like to think we are, but 90-95% of the time, we actually make decisions based on emotions that we then justify with facts.

So, start your presentation with an emotional story about how the status quo is unfavorable. But that’s not all!

The third tip: tell this story from the viewpoint of the audience. By seeing themselves in the story, it will catch and hold their attention while also being memorable. This is due to our selfish human brains—because, yes, we are wired to think mainly about ourselves in order to keep us alive.

There are additional neuroscience persuasion hacks, but emotional storytelling about how the current approach is unfavorable, told from the audience’s point of view, is an excellent starting point to sway opinions.

Andrea Markowski is a marketing director with specializations in strategy development, digital tactics, design thinking, and creative direction. She has superpowers in presentations and public speaking.

Mark Taylor, Product & Operations Executive

Man gives a presentation at work during a meeting

Some thoughts:

  • Use a one or two-page deck with five to six bullet points per page and one maybe two short sentences per bullet. (It’s not a script…)
  • Look the audience in the eye and tell a story that you’ve trimmed of excess through sufficient practice to retain spontaneity.
  • You are much closer to the content than they are. Even if you’ve spoken to the audience before about this topic, assume they remember nothing. (“Skip Intro”)
  • If you have 30 mins allocated, aim for 15-20 minutes of you talking. You want questions as you speak (it shows people are engaged).
  • If the headline of your presentation is expected, lead with that headline.
  • If the results of what you are presenting will be a surprise to the audience, concisely show the work and logic building up to the headline. Leave more time for questions!

Mark Taylor has 20+ years of risk, technology, and product management experience working in global and regional financial services firms in the UK and the U.S. He’s managed teams of 40+, successfully addressed 100+ regulatory issues, and has saved companies $15M+.

Carla Biasi, Personal Stylist

Professional gives a persuasive presentation at work

The first step is to know your audience when delivering a presentation. Consider the demographics of the group, along with their level of experience and knowledge of the topic. This will help you create a very interesting and targeted message.

Secondly, take note of where the presentation will be held, the time frame you are working around, and what extra materials you will need. Know the layout of the room and try to see it beforehand.

Lastly, HAVE FUN! There’s nothing better than having a presenter that is thoroughly enjoying themselves and sharing their passion for what they are presenting. Don’t worry about messing up. No one will know but you. Engage with the audience! Ask questions and encourage feedback. Let them have an interactive experience. Smile, smile, smile!

Carla Biasi is a personal stylist living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She currently has her own business and works part-time at an upscale women’s boutique and as a virtual and kit stylist for a women’s specialty brand.

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

Motivated employees give a persuasive presentation at work

As an executive, you always want your messages to be clear and well-detailed. This might be your only opportunity to pitch your ideas, so you want an accurate and attention-grabbing presentation. This calls for a plan!

On the Creation Side

You can’t persuade an audience that isn’t listening. Developing a “hook” to draw the audience in would be the best way to grab attention. You are creating a fundamental purpose or a “why” we are all in the room; this is essential. I like to confine the critical message topic to a single sentence.

From that “single sentence,” I like to build a point-by-point argument detailing my vision. This is where my words and body language will project credibility.

On the Visual Side

This is my favorite part of the presentation. My favorite visual tool is PowerPoint. With a PowerPoint presentation, I can use financial data to create infographics, pie charts, videos, and graphs. These types of visuals can tell a very compelling story. I can appeal to an audience’s emotions and sense of logic with visuals.

Lastly, I must make my closing as memorable as the beginning statement.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Woman gives a persuasive presentation at work

Creating and delivering a persuasive presentation requires careful planning and preparation. The following steps can help you create an effective and engaging presentation that can inspire your audience.

First, determine your purpose. This involves identifying what you want your audience to do, think, or feel as a result of your presentation. This will help you to focus your content and create a clear message that aligns with your goals.

Second, know your audience. Understanding your audience’s needs, interests, and concerns is essential for creating a presentation that resonates with them. This will help you to tailor your message to their specific needs and preferences.

Third, craft a clear message. Your presentation should have a clear and concise message that is easy to understand and remember. Use storytelling techniques and real-life examples to bring your message to life and make it more relatable.

Fourth, use effective visuals and delivery techniques. Visual aids such as slides and videos can help you to illustrate your points and keep your audience engaged. Effective delivery techniques such as eye contact, body language, and vocal variety can help you to connect with your audience and convey your message more effectively.

By following these steps, you can create and deliver a persuasive presentation that engages your audience and inspires them to take action.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you create and deliver a persuasive presentation? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Executive Spotlight: How To Delegate While Remaining Accountable

Executive Spotlight: How To Delegate While Remaining Accountable

An essential part of being a leader is knowing how and when to delegate tasks to co-workers, direct reports, and other team members. The best leaders use delegation to be more efficient, increase team productivity and confidence, and give team members professional development opportunities. While delegating work is a sign of a good leader, how can you remain accountable when assigning responsibility to someone else?

We recently asked our leading executives for their expert advice on how to delegate while remaining accountable.

Here are their responses…

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

As an executive, I always take the position that I am responsible for anything that happens, good or bad, in my operations. I am responsible for the outcome.

Unlike authority and responsibility, accountability cannot be delegated. I own accountability.

The Team

It’s my responsibility to build a team that can achieve the deliverables. My job as a leader is to ensure that the right people are in the right place.

I am responsible for each team member being equipped with the technical knowledge to perform to their full potential. But more importantly, leadership must let the team know why the task matters and how they fit into the big picture. The team needs to know what’s at stake.

As the company’s mission, goals, and competitors change, leadership is tasked to make the necessary adjustments to ensure the team can pivot to meet upcoming challenges.

Lastly, the team’s leader inspires the commitment of the team. People get excited about what’s possible but commit only when they understand their role in meeting challenges.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

Delegation/leadership concept

Delegation is the act of entrusting tasks or responsibilities to others while still retaining ultimate accountability for the outcome. An effective delegation is a powerful tool for leaders as it helps to increase productivity, build trust among team members, and allows leaders to focus on higher-level tasks.

One critical aspect of delegation is ensuring that the delegated task is clearly defined. This means being specific about what needs to be done, the deadline for completion, and the desired outcome. When the person taking on the task fully understands what is expected of them, they are more likely to succeed, and there is less risk of misunderstandings or delays.

Choosing the right person to delegate the task to is also essential. It’s important to consider the skills and experience required to complete the task successfully. When delegating tasks, choose someone who has the necessary skills and experience, which will increase the chances of a positive outcome and minimize the risk of errors or delays.

Providing the necessary resources is another crucial aspect of delegation. Leaders must ensure that the person taking on the task has access to all the resources they need to complete the task successfully. This could include information, tools, equipment, or budget.

Regular check-ins are also essential to ensure that the task is on track and that any issues are addressed promptly. Even if leaders trust the person taking on the task, it’s important to set up regular check-ins to monitor progress and offer support if needed.

Leaders must also hold themselves accountable for the success or failure of the delegated task. As the leader, they are ultimately responsible for the outcome, and they must be ready to take responsibility and provide support if things don’t go as planned.

Finally, learning from mistakes is essential when things don’t go as planned. Leaders should take the opportunity to analyze what went wrong and identify ways to improve the delegation process for next time. By doing this, they can improve the effectiveness of their delegation skills and, ultimately, lead to better results for the organization as a whole.

In summary, effective delegation requires clear communication, careful selection of the right person, provision of necessary resources, regular check-ins, accountability, and learning from mistakes. By following these guidelines, leaders can delegate tasks effectively while still remaining accountable for the outcomes.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Manager delegates tasks to his team members

Delegating tasks to others is an essential skill for leaders, but it’s important to do so in a way that ensures accountability for the ultimate outcome. Here are some tips on how to delegate while remaining accountable:

  1. Clearly define the task: Ensure that the person you are delegating to understands exactly what needs to be done, the desired outcome, and any relevant deadlines. This will help to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
  2. Assign responsibility: Make sure the person you delegate the task to has the necessary resources, responsibility, and support to accomplish the task. This includes any training, equipment, or other resources that may be needed.
  3. Set checkpoints: Establish regular checkpoints to review progress and make adjustments as necessary. This helps to ensure that the task stays on track and that any issues or concerns can be addressed in a timely manner.
  4. Provide feedback: Provide regular feedback to the person you delegated the task to, both positive and constructive, to help them improve their performance and ensure that the task is completed successfully.
  5. Monitor progress: Keep an eye on progress and be prepared to step in and provide additional support or guidance if needed. This will help to ensure that the task is completed successfully and that any issues or challenges are addressed in a timely manner.
  6. Take ultimate responsibility: Ultimately, as the leader, you are responsible for the outcome of any tasks you delegate. It’s important to take ownership of this responsibility and ensure that the task is completed successfully, even if you are not directly involved in the execution.

By following these tips, you can delegate tasks effectively while remaining accountable for the outcome. This not only helps to ensure successful outcomes but also helps to build trust and confidence in your leadership among your team members.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you delegate while remaining accountable? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Executive Spotlight: How To Influence Key Stakeholders

Executive Spotlight: How To Influence Key Stakeholders

As a professional, the ability to influence key stakeholders is an important skill to have if you want to achieve success in your career and help your company reach its goals. It’s not an easy skill to master, but with practice and a few helpful tips, you can learn how to successfully manage and influence key stakeholders in your line of work.

We recently asked our executives for their expert advice on how to influence key stakeholders.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

Influencing top stakeholders can be a real challenge, but it’s not impossible. It just demands focus, strategy, execution, and follow-up.

For this article, I wanted to bring forward some of the most common yet not as well-known frameworks that can be used to influence top stakeholders. Some of the most common frameworks include:

  • The Power/Interest Grid: This framework helps you to identify the stakeholders who have the most power and the most interest in a particular issue. The stakeholders with the most power and interest are the ones who are most likely to influence the outcome of an issue.
  • The Stakeholder Analysis Matrix: This framework helps you to identify the stakeholders who are most important to your organization. The stakeholders who are most important are the ones who you need to focus on influencing.
  • The Stakeholder Engagement Framework: This framework provides a step-by-step guide to engaging with stakeholders. The framework helps you to identify the stakeholders, understand their needs and interests, build relationships with them, and influence them to support your goals.

These are just a few that can be used to influence top stakeholders. The best framework for you will depend on the specific situation and the stakeholders involved.

Some additional concepts that we should not forget about the topic are:

  • Be clear about your goals. What do you want to achieve by influencing the stakeholders? Once you know your goals, you can tailor your approach accordingly.
  • Build relationships with the stakeholders. The more you know about the stakeholders and the more they trust you, the more likely they are to be influenced by you.
  • Be respectful of the stakeholders’ needs and interests. Don’t just try to force your agenda on the stakeholders. Instead, try to find ways to meet their needs and interests while also achieving your own goals.
  • Be (very, very) patient. It takes time to build relationships and influence people. Don’t expect to see results overnight.
Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

Business partners talk to a key stakeholder while meeting for coffee

A stakeholder in sports is an individual or organization whose attributes and actions influence the success of the NFL. Influencing stakeholders should be in every NFL executive’s toolkit—the art of building a partnership that buys into your company’s ideas and culture. In the sports arena, I have identified three types of stakeholders to influence.

1. Participants

Participants are the players, coaches, team staff, and others fundamentally linked to the team and the NFL’s success.

Players at all levels look to a well-regulated sport to offer them opportunities to participate in the game safely with the security of good medical care, salary, and benefits to last them for a long time.

2. Spectators

Spectators influence the financial success of the team. Teams raise revenue from the spectators through ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, and apparel sales. The NFL needs spectators to consume the games in person or on television. Networks pay the NFL a lot of money for the rights to air their games.

3. Financial Stakeholders

The NFL has financial stakeholders to influence to keep revenue flowing in. Major NFL stakeholders are the TV networks covering the pre-season, regular season, and postseason games.

Also, the NFL has significant sponsorship agreements that provide game-day equipment and supplies, and also commercial advertising revenue.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Lynn Holland, VP Sales & Business Development

Two business partners walk together and discuss key stakeholders

​As a businessperson, you are in sales. You may be selling your team on an idea, convincing your boss to champion a new tech tool to make your business life more efficient, or you may sell a product, service, or technology to a buying committee.

Executives want to participate with low-risk, high-results initiatives so how can you achieve buy-in?

As a SaaS tech seller who helps founders get to market and build early revenue, here’s a 9-step framework I use:

1. Do your research to know the need, how it’s solved, your audience’s selfish desires and motives, and how you will co-sign with accountability to achieve the proposed outcome.

2. Prime your audience so they know what they are going to hear in the context that you want them to act and why.

Example: “I think we have an opportunity to fill a gap in our (fill in the blank) process that if we address it, we’ll add/improve (fill in the blank).”

3. Express why this matters.

Example: “Today this is a problem in that we’re (fill in the blank).”

  • Exposed to potential risks
  • Operating with unnecessary time, costs, errors, etc.
  • Missing an opportunity for profitability
  • Creating friction in the customer/employee journey

4. Illustrate the problem and a solution with a story with statistics to create emotion/care.

5. Personalize.

  • W.I.I.F.M (what’s in it for me – your boss, DM)
  • W.I.I.F.T (what’s in it for “them” – the greater good of teammates, the division, market served, etc. )
    • How
    • How much
    • How quickly this helps them directly (return)
    • Steps for accountability to achieve the outcome

6. Outline major steps and timeline for how you’ll optimize/execute.

7. Give a case study as proof – an example of implementing it and the results (i.e., efficiencies, fewer errors, lower turnover, etc.)

8. Give the top 2-3 risks to the success of the ask and how you’ll mitigate to address likely questions you’ll get asked.

Example: “Here are the potential risks if (fill in the blank) doesn’t work, but here is the backup plan.”

9. Ask “When can we get started?”

Lynn Holland is a business development executive with 18+ years of experience taking operational, IoT & retail technologies, products, & consumer engagement to market with a focus in petroleum & convenience retail.

Carla Biasi, Personal Stylist

Business people in a meeting discuss key stakeholders

Success is all about relationships. Find out the key stakeholders in your organization and establish a healthy rapport with them. Find out how they became major players and look for similarities in your own work.

People love to talk about themselves so be genuine and ask questions. Learn from the best. Many top-level professionals love to help up-and-comers in their careers so show sincerity when getting to know these people in your organization.

One day you can be a key stakeholder and help others along their way.

Carla Biasi is a personal stylist living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She currently has her own business and works part-time at an upscale women’s boutique and as a virtual and kit stylist for a women’s specialty brand.

Kathryn Marshburn, Music Program Manager

Two business partners shake hands after discussing key stakeholders

Who is a stakeholder?

A stakeholder is someone who is affected by or will be affected by your brand.

Roadmapping stakeholders and how to build your key stakeholder relationships will be solidified by mapping and identifying what level of interest they have, which will help build your brand. When you think about how you interact with your stakeholders, you remember that your brand and your reputation are at stake.

There are two different types of stakeholders: internal and external.

Stakeholder mapping in this example will look into internal stakeholders.

It’s important to ask yourself a few questions:

  1. What are these people responsible for?
  2. What do they care about when considering my brand activity?
  3. Do they provide advice or funding?

4. Examples of internal stakeholders: receptionist, marketing team members, sales director, or board of directors.

Start by listing people and departments. Although each project will have a different approach, identifying where each stakeholder resides is useful for organizing and maximizing your time.

  1. Rank stakeholders by interest (1=Most Interest, 2=Some Interest).
  2. Plot key stakeholders with where they rank.
  3. If they have high interest, manage closely.
  4. If they have some interest, keep them informed.

To grow your brand, building a stakeholder map is essential for effective stakeholder management.

Kathryn Marshburn has spent 12+ years in the music and gaming industries guiding teams on identifying targeted goals with an agile approach resulting in driving revenue and reducing risk.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Businessman shakes hands with a key stakeholder

To be effective in organizations today, it’s more important than ever to be able to influence others because of the increased pressure on driving results. Here are 10 tips to influence key stakeholders:

  1. Build Strong Relationships: You can achieve this through personal connections, regular communication, understanding their goals, offering personalized solutions, and aligning with their interests.
  2. Be An Expert: To establish yourself as an expert, keep informed on the latest trends, technologies, and news. Share your expertise through thought leadership content.
  3. Keep The Bigger Picture In Mind: It is essential to understand the broader business objectives and how your department’s efforts can support them. This approach helps you make decisions that align with the organization’s goals.
  4. Listen Before You Persuade: You must listen well and make your key stakeholders feel heard. Listen to their concerns, opinions, and feedback. Use this information to tailor your solutions to their needs and perspectives.
  5. Body Language & Tone Is Essential: Be mindful of your body language and tone of voice, as it’s critical to conveying the right message. Use confident and positive body language to get your message effectively communicated. Ensure that your tone is friendly, respectful, and professional.
  6. Find Common Ground: Going out of your way to find areas of agreement and using them as a starting point for discussion will go a long way. This approach can help build a relationship of trust and cooperation.
  7. Provide Data-Driven Insights: Key stakeholders are looking for tangible results. Provide them with data-driven insights that demonstrate the overall effectiveness and impact on the organization and how they align with the overall business objectives.
  8. Give People What They Want: People are more likely to be influenced when they feel their needs are met. Offer solutions that align with stakeholders’ interests, preferences, and values.
  9. Employ Reciprocity: If you give something, it’s more likely that you’ll receive something in return. Offer value to stakeholders through personalized solutions, insights, and expertise. This approach can help build a relationship of mutual benefit.
  10. Map A Strategy: Identify key stakeholders you need to influence. In some cases, you can influence a stakeholder directly, while in others, you may need to identify other stakeholders who influence the person you want to influence.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you influence key stakeholders? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.


CEO Critical Conversations: How Communication Failures Cost Your Company Millions

CEO Critical Conversations: How Communication Failures Cost Your Company Millions

Effective communication is essential for business success. Therefore, communication failures will have costly consequences for your organization.

In this article, Work It Daily experts from Vistage will discuss actionable strategies for improving communication and why it matters to you, your organization, and the future of your company. Read on to hear these Vistage Chairs explain the impact of transparent/clear communication on morale, company culture, and business results.

Nora Taylor

​When CEOs fail to communicate effectively, it can lead to a range of negative consequences for the organization including lost opportunities, decreased productivity, increased employee turnover, damage to the company’s reputation, and unplanned legal fees. Ultimately, communication failures can cost companies millions of dollars.

Today more than ever before CEOs need to build a culture that places importance on relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. CEOs set the tone of the organization with the culture. If the CEO wants effective communication in the organization, it is essential to prioritize the behaviors that promote open effective communications beginning with respect.

Communication planning should be thought of as critical, not obsolete, in this age of instant communications where every misstep has the possibility of going viral. Although plans may take a different form than those of the past, they are important.

In many ways, business communications have become very informal and that in and of itself is not bad. However, when you remove the formality, it does remove the guardrails. When delivering information around sensitive subjects, it is better to err on the side of sensitivity, not levity.

Nora Taylor helps CEOs and executives achieve success. As a Vistage Chair, she leads confidential peer advisory groups where the members work together to develop informed decision-making, improved judgment, and confident leadership.

Kirsten Yurich

Leader/CEO talks to her team during a work meeting

Eighty-five percent of business issues are relationship issues.

  • Most leaders did not take courses or get degrees in “how to manage relationships.”
  • Relationships are what many leaders spend the least amount of time “doing.”
  • As they get higher in the organization, the “what” they produce (from a tangible, leave-it-on-the-desk standpoint) changes.
    • The higher they go, the more leaders are responsible for PRODUCING relationships.
  • Relationships are the product of a leader’s work.
  • Relationships are the platform along which all other work is done.

How do you develop better relationships? Have more meaningful conversations!

Set intentions around your WHAT and HOW.

What should leaders be talking about?

1. Have more “why” conversations and less “how” conversations – increase motivation, get to the “real” issue, etc.

2. Motivation and fit between employees; SOONER rather than later in their tenure. Identify if there is a mismatch between the employee and the company (or the employee and the assignment).

    • Do the incentives line up / match with the people we have hired?

3. Are you setting clear expectations and do they line up with the feedback and consequences you have arranged?

    • For example, the leader tells the EE that her performance as a manager is important (the performance of her direct reports) but company incentives line up with alternate job outputs.

4. Don’t leave the drama up to your employee. CEOs are CROs, creating the narrative so employees can see themselves as PART of it, instead of leaving it up to the employee to create the narrative and the leadership team be in reaction mode.

How should leaders be talking?

1. As humans, employees want to know that their leader is a real person who cares about them.

    • Ask yourself, “How do I want this person to feel when I’m finished interacting with them?”

2. Taking the perspective of the “other.” We often call this “empathy.”

    • Lead with saying what you heard from their perspective.
    • Follow up with what you would want to hear if you were in the same situation or experiencing the same feelings.

Be deliberate and intentional with your relationships; they are your most important accomplishment as a leader.

Kirsten Yurich is a former CEO and current Vistage Chair. As a clinician, professor, author, and executive, she leverages this unique blend and creates learning environments for executives to become better leaders, spouses, and parents.

Mark Fackler

Business leader/ CEO says something during a work meeting

Communication failures fall into two categories. The first is the wrong message or, even worse, no message at all. The second is not communicating enough. Failing in either category can cost millions if not the death of an organization. Yet with focus and courage, they are easy to fix.

In a sense, CEOs have a simple communication playbook once you have your organization’s foundation in place. That foundation consists of mission, vision, and values. Couple that with long and short-term goals and you have a foundation. Focused and courageous communication hardens the foundation, preventing costly or even catastrophic failures.

The CEO’s words must always point back to the company’s organizational foundation. Messages to employees, clients, vendors, and the public in general all need to reinforce what you stand for. No matter what the situation, from crisis to mundane, craft the message derived from the foundation.

Once the message is set, repeat, repeat, repeat. This is where courage comes into play. Employees, clients, vendors, and the public at large will never leave you because you stick to foundational-based messaging.

CEOs must believe in their foundation, focus their communication on that foundation, and have the courage to repeat it forever.

Mark Fackler is a retired CEO and currently leads the Vistage CEO group that he was a member of from 1991 to 2002. He is passionate about creating great ROI for his member CEOs.

Mike Thorne

CEO/leader communicates with her team members during a work meeting

Twenty-three percent of executives say they are good at aligning employees’ goals with corporate purpose. Only 17% of employers think line managers are good communicators. Sixty-two percent of emails are unimportant to employees. Yet effective communication (changes/overall) lead to a 3.5X increase in performance. How can this not be a core strategy?

See the opportunity to communicate change as a connection vs. a confrontation and you will see the trust build and, ultimately, the performance of the company improve. Adjust your communication effort to the habits and mobile-first preferences (hybrid/remote/office mix) to what works for how your organization receives information.

Mike Thorne is a former CEO and current Vistage Chair. He leads and facilitates a group of trusted advisor entrepreneurs and a CEO peer group in New Hampshire and Maine.

What’s your experience with communication failures in companies? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Continuous Improvement: A Positive Feedback Loop Towards Operational Excellence

Continuous Improvement: A Positive Feedback Loop Towards Operational Excellence

Are your organization’s operations more status quo—don’t fix what’s not broken? It may not be broken, but business changes, emerging technologies, and evolving regulatory requirements are inevitable. If your organization isn’t changing, then it may become stale and irrelevant. Continuous improvement helps the organization adapt in response to changes and also drives efficiency and innovation.

If your organization hasn’t implemented a continuous improvement process, how can you get started? The first step is to build a culture that encourages and supports continuous improvement. Develop a culture that fosters a curious mindset enabling employees to identify and address inefficiencies in processes and systems, which leads to improved efficiencies and better outcomes.

Benefits Of Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement concept

When you’re continuously improving, this promotes innovation within the organization. Encourage employees to challenge the status quo and seek better ways to do things. This will enable employees to identify and evaluate inefficiencies and to come up with innovative solutions to problems and challenges, which will improve processes, products, and services. This, in turn, can help the organization optimize operations, achieve higher levels of performance, and even potentially mitigate risks to prevent incidents or failures.

Another benefit of continuous improvement is that it encourages employee engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to be productive, motivated, and committed to the organization’s success. Empower employees to take ownership and drive improvements by contributing their ideas, insights, and suggestions for improvement. Don’t forget to acknowledge and celebrate the employees’ continuous improvement contributions. This will inspire others, build momentum, and create a positive feedback loop that encourages more continuous improvement initiatives.

Provide employees with the appropriate tools (including skills, knowledge, and resources) for their continuous improvement efforts. Support employees with the training and ongoing professional development they need. There are various training and certifications available to effectively implement different continuous improvement methodologies, tools, and techniques. You may also need to provide access to resources such as relevant data.

Continuous Improvement Methodologies, Tools, And Techniques

PDCA Deming Cycle / continuous improvement concept

There are several methodologies, tools, and techniques to implement continuous improvement. If you’re just starting, one of the simpler approaches is PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act), which is known as the Deming Cycle. It’s a continuous improvement model that involves planning, implementing, checking, and acting on changes in a systematic way. It’s a cyclical process of identifying opportunities for improvement and then planning, implementing changes, checking the results, and acting on lessons learned. For example, your business partner wants to implement an unused module within enterprise resource planning (ERP). In addition to the technology, take the opportunity to look broader and see which business processes up/downstream could benefit from being updated at that same time.

Other more formal methodologies are Agile, Lean, and Six Sigma. Six Sigma, for example, is very formal (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) and has a certification wherein belt colors indicate the level of training, knowledge, and expertise. Each approach is different and depending on your organization’s needs and goals; one or more may align better than others. Also, the approaches aren’t mutually exclusive so you can adopt more than one of them.

When your organization is continuously improving (and not just maintaining the status quo), it’s able to respond to changes and challenges, be more resilient and competitive, and, ultimately, promote operational excellence. So, foster a culture that encourages and supports continuous improvement initiatives.

For more information on the benefits of continuous improvement, follow me on LinkedIn!

Executive Spotlight: Signs Your Company’s IT Operations Are Failing

Executive Spotlight: Signs Your Company’s IT Operations Are Failing

Organizations must manage their IT operations or they could risk catastrophic outages and failures. What are the signs a company’s IT operations are not working properly?

We recently asked our leading executives for their expert advice on the signs a company’s IT operations are failing.

Here are their responses…

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

The IT department is the backbone of off-the-field and on-field operations at the NFL. With failing IT operations, it would prove nearly impossible to maintain the necessary communications and infrastructure needed to operate in a professional sports arena.

Signs of IT failures would include:

1. Off-the-Field Operations

  • Home network and connectivity problems
  • You’ve suffered an IT security breach more than once
  • In-person meetings are taking longer due to Wi-Fi issues
  • Backup and recovery plans are a mystery
  • Employee productivity is down
  • IT issues between league office and teams during game day

2. On-Field Operations

  • Coach to quarterback communications problems
  • Sideline tablets are not working for game day
  • Instant replay will not be available for game officials
  • Media operations – cutting-edge graphics and stories
  • Security smart navigation to monitor dangerous weapons
  • Referee contact with league office for critical calls

Failing IT operations would damage the NFL’s main product – the GAME!

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Lynn Holland, VP Sales & Business Development

IT operations, information technology concept

In my work of evangelizing various SaaS technology solutions on behalf of emerging startup and growth founders, largely with enterprise companies, I have the privilege of helping ops leaders to recognize and solve operational challenges that are:

  • Exposing them to risk
  • Generating excess operating costs
  • Diminishing the profitability of their operations

From an objective, outside-in vantage point I help escort them through the practical considerations for identifying where their operations are underperforming because of technology or the lack thereof and justify addressing it by:

  • Mapping the end-to-end transaction or process as it flows through siloed workgroups, their existing systems, and data requirements
  • Recognize when tolerated low-value activities can be automated into new processes with a measurable near-term return, taking out the risk of errors, giving time back to the staff for income-producing activities, and creating greater capacity to increase output without adding more infrastructure
  • Informed by auditing end-to-end operation, preventing shelfware, and building a tech-buying solution spec for needs vs. nice-to-haves to source, evaluate, and select objectively best-suited tech solutions and partners
  • Building a whole-organization business case for selecting and adopting the new solution to the benefit of key stakeholders and those in their charge

Like the proverbial frog in the pot, however, it can be difficult for enterprise leaders to detect when it’s time to look under the hood because their operational technology is no longer serving them well. Here are five signs it’s time for a checkup:

  1. Lacking an owner of the end-to-end organization-wide technology and operations flow to know the process journey with associated data that flows through the organization, through departments, in and out of every system, then into a platform of record
  2. Lacking a periodic end-to-end audit of the organization-wide technology and operations process flow
  3. Existing operations require a manual process or data entry to transfer, share, or archive data between departments
  4. Excel spreadsheets are still a central tool in the operational process
  5. In the absence of an end-to-end technology and process audit, redundancies in apps, shelfware, and tolerated manual processes haven’t been identified

Lynn Holland is a business development executive with 18+ years of experience taking operational, IoT & retail technologies, products, & consumer engagement to market with a focus in petroleum & convenience retail.

Carla Biasi, Personal Stylist

IT expert, information technology concept

There are a few signs I would look for if you think your company’s IT operations are failing.

First, do you consistently have the same issues? We understand there are hiccups with technology, but they should be resolved or in the process of it. If your IT problems do not get fixed, there could be bigger issues at hand.

Secondly, is your company outsourcing its IT operations? If there is no in-house department to work on IT issues, it makes sense a company would outsource this function. If there’s an in-house IT department, they should be handling many of the issues.

And lastly, is there a lot of turnover or employee unrest in the IT department? If so, that could be a sign of interdepartmental issues that are resulting in poor performance from the team.

Carla Biasi is a personal stylist living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She currently has her own business and works part-time at an upscale women’s boutique and as a virtual and kit stylist for a women’s specialty brand.

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

IT operations, system error, information technology concept

IT operations is a lot like your car: if something’s not right, you’ll know!

If your car isn’t making the right noises when you start it, or if it’s taking longer than usual to get going, that’s a sign that something is wrong. There are other signals too: check the oil; look for leaks; check the tires and make sure they’re properly inflated.

The same is true for IT systems. If your network isn’t performing up to par or you’re experiencing performance issues with applications and services, there could be something wrong with your infrastructure.

IT operations failure is often caused by poorly managed assets, so it’s important to regularly monitor utilization levels and ensure that assets are appropriately sized for their workloads. Failure to do so can lead to increased costs due to underutilization or overprovisioning, which in turn leads to poor user experiences that negatively impact productivity and customer satisfaction levels within an organization.

My bottom-line comment would be to get a get-go alignment of metrics and expectations across different stakeholders and then measure and adjust as needed!

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

What are some other signs your company’s IT operations are failing? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Executive Spotlight: How To Conduct A Productive Meeting

Executive Spotlight: How To Conduct A Productive Meeting

As a manager or leader in the workplace, a big part of your day is probably spent in meetings—attending them and leading them. For the meetings you set up and lead, how can you ensure they’re a productive use of your (and your team’s) time?

We recently asked our leading executives for their best tips on how to conduct a productive meeting.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

This is such an important and yet everyday question!

Here are some tips for the super basic ones for me:

  1. Setting a clear purpose and agenda. What do you hope to achieve by the end of the meeting? What topics need to be discussed? Creating a clear agenda will help keep the meeting on track and ensure that all of the important topics are covered. And please share it in advance!
  2. Invite the right people. Only invite people who are essential to the discussion. If you invite too many people, or too few, the meeting will be more difficult to manage and less productive.
  3. Start and end on time. Respect everyone’s time by starting and ending the meeting on time. If you start late, people will start to check their phones or get distracted. If you end late, people will start to get restless and anxious to leave.
  4. Encourage participation from everyone. Don’t let one or two people dominate the discussion. Make sure everyone has a chance to contribute their ideas. Be inclusive. If someone is shy, ask them specific questions to get them involved.
  5. Summarize the key points and next steps. At the end of the meeting, summarize the key points that were discussed and identify any next steps that need to be taken. This will help ensure everyone is on the same page and that the meeting was productive.

In order to make it even more productive:

  • Create a positive and productive environment. Start the meeting by setting a positive tone and encouraging everyone to participate. Make sure the meeting space is comfortable and conducive to discussion. Especially consider this with virtual participants in the meeting.
  • Be an active listener. When someone is speaking, give them your full attention and avoid interrupting. This will show that you are interested in what they have to say and that you value their input.
  • Follow up after the meeting. Send out a summary of the meeting and any action items that were agreed upon. This will help ensure everyone is on the same page and that the meeting was productive. Maybe use one of the various options to create the summaries.
Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Kathryn Marshburn, Music Program Manager

Creative employees in a meeting

Having thoughtful, efficient meetings with teams should include many factors. Here are some tips for achieving a successful meeting:

1. Provide objectives, goals, and notes from previous meeting minutes, in an agenda format, and distribute them the day before the meeting (preferably by noon). Ask for anyone’s input BEFORE the meeting and add all responses to the agenda and assign team members to specific topics if needed.

2. Once a detailed agenda (that includes all the important topics and issues that need to be discussed) is completed, be sure to distribute it as a Google Doc. (This makes it easy for multiple members to edit and update during meetings on Zoom). Ensure that each agenda item has a specific timeframe allocated to it and that all attendees are aware of the agenda in advance and will be ready to speak on the topic that has their name noted next to the item.

3. Start the Zoom platform, or other platform, on time as a host.

4. Greet everyone on camera and have a positive, energetic vibe! Welcome any new members or guests. Give team members five minutes to enter the meeting before you start.

5. Welcome everyone and shift to “share screen” to showcase the Google Doc that has the agenda. To keep attendees awake and alert, update the Google Doc LIVE during the meeting by assigning follow-ups, notes, and meeting member names to any input given on the topic. This does work to keep people alert, as they watch you update the document as the meeting progresses.

6. Encourage all attendees to participate and provide their input on the topics being discussed. Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak and that there is no domination by any individual or group.

7. Keep the discussion focused on the agenda items and the objectives of the meeting. If a topic is taking too much time or is straying from the agenda, gently redirect the discussion back to the main topic.

8. Following the meeting, distribute the meeting minutes, follow-ups, and action items to all attendees. Schedule follow-up meetings or calls to ensure that action items are completed and that progress is made.

These tips should help execute an amazing meeting. Good luck!

Kathryn Marshburn has spent 12+ years in the music and gaming industries guiding teams on identifying targeted goals with an agile approach resulting in driving revenue and reducing risk.

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

Proactive employees lead a meeting at work

In the past, I was never one to encourage frequent meetings. I have encountered managers who wanted to meet solely to look like something was getting done. This caused frustration with the team.

1. Define a Clear Purpose for the Meeting.

Assign a theme as to why the meeting is being called. Why are we coming together? Who needs to be at the meeting?

Assign a timeline. How long will the meeting be?

2. Set a Meeting Agenda.

What will we discuss, and what are we trying to achieve? Is there any old business that still needs attention?

Who is going to do the talking? For how long?

3. Collaboration.

I would let everyone know that this is a working meeting. Allow open engagement and feedback amongst the team. Set the tone of the meeting that encourages and embraces a space where everyone can express their ideas and opinions without feeling afraid. As the leader, I would make sure the discussion stays on topic.

4. End the Meeting.

As I wrap up the meeting with final thoughts, I would ask if there were any final questions or thoughts. I would thank the team for their input and attendance. I will summarize the discussed agenda points and discuss the next steps.

Finally, I would propose a date for the next meeting so that everyone could put it on their calendars.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

How do you conduct productive meetings? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.