Cydcor Blog

By Brooke Levy

Top Five Negotiating Tips

For many, negotiation is the most intimidating of all sales and business skills. It seems like one of those mysterious talents you either have or don’t have, and knowing a situation requires negotiation—buying a car, accepting a new job offer, or making a business deal—will cause some to break out into a nervous sweat. But according to negotiation expert, and Cydcor Senior Vice President and General Manager, Business to Business, Brooke Levy, negotiation can be learned.

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What many people don’t realize is that they’re not bad at negotiating, they’re just doing it wrong. Like most things that require talent and practice, improving negotiation skills takes understanding what works and what doesn’t. Think about sports. You may never become a championship golfer, but with the right information about how to hold a golf club and how the wind can affect a golf ball in the air, you certainly can learn to improve your game. It’s the same with negotiation. With the right negotiating tips and techniques, and a lot of practice, you can learn how to overcome your fears and hold your own when asserting yourself.

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Here are Five Surefire Negotiating Tips to Help Swing the Outcome in Your Favor:

1. Stop Fighting and Start Compromising!

• How to do it right: When people think of a negotiation they often think of a boxing match where the parties enter the ring, head to head, and throw punches until someone falls to the ground and the other proclaims victory.  In a successful negotiation, both parties should feel like they have won. It is important to always approach a negotiation as a discussion (not an argument or a contest) with a potential win-win solution.

• Why it works: The art of negotiation revolves around give and take. Two parties must work together creatively to find a mutual win. If you approach a negotiation as a discussion rather than an argument, you will have a different tone. You will be better at listening. Less argumentative. More constructive in your thoughts and ideas. You will be patient. These characteristics are crucial to find a solution – not a victor!

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2. Know What You REALLY Want

• How to do it right: Understand the difference between positions and interests. Imagine that you are negotiating Saturday night plans with your boyfriend/girlfriend. You want to stay home and your partner is adamant that you go out on the town. Those are your respective positions. But what are your actual interests? The truth is, you only want to stay home because you do not want to spend money on an expensive night out. Your partner wants to go out simply because he/she wants to hang out with friends. Your interests are the factors and reasons that cause you to take a particular position. Knowing one’s interests (as opposed to just his/her position) is invaluable in coming to a solution.  Stay in Saturday night, but have friends over!

• Why it works: We typically argue our positions rather than talk about our interests. If you do your homework and understand what you really want and what the other party really wants, it helps you find the route to a mutual agreement faster. Compromise is key. If you can give someone what he/she wants, you can typically get anything you want.

3. Talk Less; Listen More

• How to do it right: It’s amazing how much easier it is to talk then to be patient and LISTEN. In fact, even when we are “listening,” we are often not even processing what the other person is saying but rather, planning what we will say next. To be a good negotiator, you need to understand what the other party really wants. You cannot get that information if you don’t take the time to listen and really process his or her view. It is important in a negotiation to ask lots of questions and then listen to the responses. Play detective! Knowledge is power.

• Why it works: Your strength/power does not come from how much you talk or how important you think you sound. In fact, many conflicts are resolved simply by listening to what the other party really wants/needs. The general rule is that you should never talk in a negotiation more than 30% of the time. Ask open-ended questions and allow the other party to tell you what they need. You will have much more success finding a compromise!

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4. Be Assertive!

• How to do it right: I always joke that the best example of being assertive and holding your ground is to negotiate like a toddler. When my son was three we used to negotiate every night before bed how many books we would read. “Luca, pick out one book to read before bed.” “No Mommy! Three books.” “No Luca, it is late and we only have time for one book so pick out a good one.” “No Mommy, three books!” “Luca, you have two options. Either you pick out one book to read or we don’t read any.”  “Ok, Mommy. Let’s just read two books.”

• Why it works: Toddlers never take no as an answer—but they always make sure to express exactly what they want in a non-threatening way. And they rarely ever waver. Being aggressive and being assertive are not the same thing. You do not need to be mean or disrespectful to ask for what you want and hold your ground. Also, just like toddlers, make sure to always aim high with your initial ask so that you have some room to move. If you ask for EXACTLY what you need at the beginning, you will look completely unwilling to compromise during the negotiation.

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5. Don’t Negotiate Against Yourself

• How to do it right: It always amazes me how many people negotiate against themselves. And it happens in so many ways. The most common example I see is when silence becomes uncomfortable. Imagine that you want to ask your client for an increase in the bonus they are sponsoring for the holiday season. You perfectly plan your argument as to why the increase makes sense. You have the appropriate leverage (always make sure you have leverage!) and you present your position well. Then, there is silence. The client doesn’t say anything at all!  And before you know it, you start offering up a lesser ask. You assume that the answer is a no. Or that the client is angry. Or that your request was too aggressive. Silence is ok! Once you have set forth a request, wait for a response!

• Why it works: All negotiations require that you plan thoroughly and have your position solidly in place. If you are prepared, you should feel confident in your requests. Do not waver from your position or negotiate against yourself just because the other party does not immediately react the way that you planned. Negotiation takes patience. Sometimes the other party simply needs time to digest or better understand your rationale.

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Not everyone loves to negotiate, but understanding how to negotiate and improve your negotiation skills is critical to achieving success in almost any kind of business, and in life. Even those who never work in sales will need to negotiate at some point or another, because resolving almost any disagreement requires compromise. Learning to control and play an active role in resolving conflicts can empower you to feel less anxious when asserting yourself and your wishes, and can help you get the results you’re hoping for more often.

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Brooke Levy is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Business to Business at Cydcor, where she is responsible for managing client relationships, driving results at the campaign management level, and exploring new business opportunities. Under Brooke’s leadership, revenue for one of Cydcor’s residential energy programs tripled in just 18 months. Brooke heads the company’s entire business to business sector, and she was instrumental in designing the business and legal framework for both of Cydcor’s proprietary residential energy businesses. She has also developed new mid-market sales opportunities for Cydcor, pairing clients with business models she personally built and tested to ensure long-term growth. Brooke joined Cydcor in 2013, following a successful 10-year stint as a corporate lawyer, specializing in mergers and acquisitions as well as private equity.

Wouldn’t you like to save a little extra cash every week? The savings are right in front of you—if you know where to look. It may seem like just a few dollars at a time, but add up the money you could save over a year’s time, and you will have “made” an extra $4,000 over the year that would have otherwise been spent on nonessentials. As a savvy business owner, it will work to your advantage to use your money wisely and frugally. We’ve already shared ten of our favorite tips to help you save $5,000. Here are a few more small changes you can make on a daily basis that will save you money—cash that you can use to invest in and grow your business.

1. Make Coffee at Home: That $3 cappuccino habit adds up over a year, but a good to-go mug is a wiser investment. When you do order coffee on the go, some coffee shops offer a discount for using your own cup, and they sometimes have a frequent buyer program with rewards. Savings: $15 a week.
2. Seek Out and Use Rewards Programs: Your grocery store, gas station, or any other businesses you frequent may offer savings or discounts that you can access just by signing up. Some grocery stores will also send you coupons based on items you typically buy, and you can find additional coupons in the newspaper or online. Many businesses offer a certain percentage off of your purchases for being a frequent buyer or purchasing certain amounts of certain items. Savings: $15 a week.
3. Shop Online and Earn Rebates: Companies such as MyPoints.com, Ebates.com, and Swagbucks.com allow you to receive a percentage of the money you spend back in cash or gift cards when you shop through their sites. Many of these sites also offer points or credit earned not by spending money but by participating in parts of their sites (such as watching videos or taking surveys). $15 a week.
4. Buy Beverages in Bulk: Take soft drinks to-go rather than purchasing them on-the-go. Convenience stores markup individual drinks you can get much more cheaply from big box stores. If you plan ahead and purchase a six-pack or two of your favorite drink, you’re saving a fair amount while still being able to enjoy your beverage of choice. Savings: $10 a week.
5. Shop Around: Call insurance providers to get the best rate, and do your research before making big purchases. A half-hour searching online or on the phone could be time well spent. There are lots of deals to be found and the savings can add up quickly. There are numerous apps that will assist you in your search for the best deal, and some that will even monitor the purchase price of the item both before and after you buy it and price match. $20 a week.

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Some of these tips may be easier than others for you to implement. Not to worry! Introduce some of these tips into your normal routine one at a time, and soon you’ll start to notices savings on a daily basis. Once you start to see results, you’ll be inspired to do more. From there, the money you save will begin to grow and the sky is the limit!

This article is the fifth in a series of five blog posts from management expert, and Cydcor Chief People Officer, Jeannie Finkel. In this series, Jeannie recommends the Top Five Books she believes can help you transform your management style and become a better, more effective leader.

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Managers, especially those leading a team for the first time, sometimes mistakenly believe that to be effective leaders, they must shape their team members' work styles and thinking to their own. But Ken Blanchard, the author of Leadership & The One Minute Manager, is a proponent of and helped develop the concept of Situational Leadership, a leadership style in which leaders adjust their own style to meet the needs and development levels of those they manage. It focuses on flexibility, adaptability, and an awareness of the competencies and individual strengths of those on your team.  Leaders who are versed in Situational Leadership come to understand that there is no single best or right way to lead, but that what’s important is using the right leadership approach for each team member.

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Below Jeannie Finkel recommends the book Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard to managers and leaders as a tool to help them become more effective and capable of leading more productive teams.

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Book #4 Leadership & The One Minute Manager

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Author: Ken Blanchard

Short summary: Ken Blanchard is one of the best-known modern “Management Guru’s”, with a global management development consultancy and over 40 books published and millions of copies sold. One of the first and most famous is the One Minute Manager, followed by this one, which provides a simple framework to help managers use the techniques from the One Minute Manager to tailor their management styles to the unique situation and individuals they’re working with. As with many of Blanchard books, this one is written as a fable, with a fictional entrepreneur consulting the One Minute Manager for advice as she’s finding she’s unable to get everything done by herself but also unhappy with her team’s results. As the One Minute Manager sends her out to talk to people on his team, she discovers the various leadership styles an effective manager uses to work with people at all development levels. She learns what she needs to, to become a Situational Leader.

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What you’ll learn: Without giving away this book’s great secrets, you’ll learn the key skills of a Situational Leader, which are: setting goals together to be sure you’re both on the same page; accurately diagnosing your team member’s development level on the particular goal or task (are they experienced or novice, for instance); and then matching your leadership style to the person’s development level. You’ll also learn the four key style choices leaders have to match with: Directing; Coaching; Supporting; and Delegating – and what sort of behaviors go with each. Throughout the book, you’ll find little phrases such as, “when I slow down I go faster” or “you can expect more if you inspect more,” which are also some of the “aha moments” the entrepreneur has as she goes through her learning journey with the various managers in the story. They are also illuminated as nuggets of management wisdom, wrapped around the core principles I just outlined.

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Why it’s a must read: Every manager should learn and master Situational Leadership, preferably early on in their career. I personally learned it during my first two years of corporate life many years ago, and I use it to this day. Two of the biggest challenges first-time managers face are: time management and delegation.  Situational Leadership helps address both. What I like best about it (besides the fact that it works) is that it’s collaborative. This is especially important even for seasoned managers who take on a new team. You won’t know right away what your new team members know or don’t know – but the simple act of asking someone what level of guidance they need from you, or how comfortable they feel with a project or task, immediately helps someone feel that you care about them and want them to be successful. Using Situational Leadership principles, to create a sense of partnership and ongoing, open communication with your team, stacks the deck in your favor as a manager!

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While many management courses out there are pricey and inconvenient, you can get the same invaluable experience in these books for managers written by industry leaders.  Read these other posts in this series to learn about other books every manager should have on his or her bookshelf: Encouraging the Heart, Leadership is an Art, The Elements of Style, and 13 Fatal Errors Managers Make and How You Can Avoid Them.

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To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Jeannie Finkel, Chief People Officer at Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales, has more than twenty-five years of business experience, managing human resources and administration at top firms. Jeannie served for nearly twelve years as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Charles Schwab & Co. Jeannie was also Head of Human Resources and Administration for a leading asset management firm, and served as Managing Director, Talent Management Systems and Strategies for a Fortune 100 organization. Jeannie later became a Partner with leading global retained search firm, Heidrick & Struggles. With years of experience managing teams and overseeing organizations, Jeannie is a seasoned expert in management, administration, and leadership.

Looking to save a bit of money in the year ahead? As a business owner, the more money you save, the more of your money you can put back into your business. But where do you start? Finding ways to save money on a tight budget can be challenging when you’re already living a pretty frugal lifestyle, but you might be surprised how quickly small changes can add up to big savings by the end of the year.

Here are 10 easy ways to save money on a tight budget and make an extra $5,000 or more every year:

1. Avoid the Idiot Tax: Unnecessary expenses include parking tickets, late fees, and overdraft fees add up quickly and can be eliminated completely by carefully reading street signs, managing your calendar, and scheduling important events. Savings: $720
2. Pack Your Lunch: Convenience costs money, so bring your lunch or carry snacks with you instead of eating out or stopping at convenience stores. Savings: $1,040
3. Control Your Vices: Cigarettes, lottery tickets, and alcoholic drinks put an unnecessary dent in your wallet. Make a conscious effort to cut down (if not quit altogether) on impulse-driven, nonessential items. The money you’ll save will be worth more than you’re ever likely to win on those weekly scratchers, and cutting down on your other vices can help you feel healthier and more energetic as you try to manage your business. Savings: $600
4. Right-size Your Tech: Be realistic about your phone, media, and entertainment needs. Do you really need all those bells and whistles? Become familiar with the details of your cell phone plan and cable bill, then streamline features to suit your needs. Rather than subscribing to cable services that include all the premium channels, save big with subscriptions to services like Netflix or Hulu, with lower barriers to entry. Savings: $720
5. Play Outside: Instead of springing for weekend getaways that require hotel stays, pack your tent and head out for a camping trip to your local national park. Skip the pricey gym membership, and take up hiking, jogging, or swimming to stay fit on the cheap. Or, join a local sports league and get in an awesome workout while you make new friends. Even an investment in a treadmill or other piece of at-home exercise equipment will pay for itself quickly and allow you to exercise any time in any weather in the privacy of your own home. Savings: $240
6. Go to the Library: Public libraries offer numerous money-saving benefits, from free or significantly reduced rates on CD and DVD rentals to free tickets to local events or attractions. Savings: $120
7. Cancel Unused Subscriptions: It’s easy to sign up for a “free trial” and then forget it will self-renew. Subscriptions you don’t use or can’t justify in your budget are taking money right out of your wallet. Savings: $120
8. Renegotiate Your Financial Commitments: Start by looking for better interest rates and lowering the payments on your student loans and credit cards. Sure, lenders might deny your request, but you’ll never know if you don’t ask, and you might just be surprised by what they can offer you. Savings: $1,200
9. Consider Renting Out a Room: If you have the space, consider renting out a room via Airbnb or a similar service during high demand times in your area, or share the space you’re already using by finding a roommate to pick up half the rent. Savings: $800
10. Set a Weekly Budget: Take out cash, and use only that. It’s very easy to overspend when you use your debit/credit card, but when you see the cash dwindling in your wallet, you become much more thoughtful of what you spend. Savings: Limitless!

Even a small step can lead to big changes and, in this case, even bigger savings. Many of these money saving ideas are easy to implement, and they could provide benefits that go well beyond the money you’ll save, such as financial freedom for you and your family. Most importantly, living within your means can reduce the additional stress you have to manage as you work to keep your growing business healthy. Every cent you save is just one more penny you can use to help your company reach its goals.

This article is the fourth in a series of five blog posts from management expert, and Cydcor Chief People Officer, Jeannie Finkel. In this series, Jeannie recommends the Top Five Books she believes can help you transform your management style and become a better, more effective leader.

What really motivates people? What is that drives people to do their best work and be the most effective version of themselves? As a manager and leader, it pays to not just be able to confidently answer these questions but to lead in a way that inspires and fosters that passion to execute. While we all work to earn money, there are myriad rewards and benefits of a career that go far beyond monetary needs, and leaders who understand how to encourage employees and feed their emotional needs as well, have the opportunity to unlock hidden talents and potential – the kind that only emerge when employees love what they do.

Below Jeannie Finkel recommends the book Encouraging the Heart by James Kouzes and Barry Posner to any manager looking to motivate his or her employees and help team members reach their potential through encouragement and inspiring leadership.

Book #4 Encouraging the Heart

Author: James Kouzes & Barry Posner

Short summary: This is a wonderful book about the art of rewarding and recognizing others, that opens up a world of possibilities beyond just monetary rewards. The book helps us explore what really motivates people and makes them feel appreciated.  The authors are best known for their major works on leadership. First was The Leadership Challenge, published in 1987, and the associated leadership development program and assessment instrument they created, used by major multinational companies. The second was Credibility, which examines what makes leaders credible, based on years of research.  This book is based on one of the “5 Leadership Practices” identified in The Leadership Challenge, and it’s the only one the authors chose to build out in such detail.  Kouzes and Posner recognize that one of the hardest, but most vital, things for leaders to do is excel in meeting those basic needs we all have: to be respected for who we are and recognized for what we do. This book is a “how to” manual that will help and inspire you to become great at not just meeting those needs but also unleashing truly high performance and commitment.

What you’ll learn: As with the other Kouzes and Posner books, this one starts with some foundational research, principles, and introspection. You’ll take a self-test to see how you score on the “Encouragement Index” (and might learn, to your dismay, that you’re not as good at this as you could be!). The bulk of the book takes you through the “7 Essentials of Encouraging the Heart:  Set Clear Standards; Expect the Best; Pay Attention; Personalize Recognition; Tell the Story; Celebrate Together; and Set the Example.”

In the concluding section, the authors revisit introspection, with a few thought-provoking pages on “Finding Your Voice”. And finally, they provide 150 suggestions for ways to get started!

Why it’s a must read: Honestly, all three of Kouzes and Barry Posner’s books should be read by anyone who aspires to be a leader. This one, in particular, is special because it speaks to those basic needs we all have, and what we hope we will experience from this thing called “work”. As the authors say, “To us, leadership is everyone’s business. Leadership is not about a position or a place. It’s an attitude and a sense of responsibility for making a difference.” Anyone who has to work with others to get things done can benefit from the wisdom and wealth of practical suggestions in this small volume. If we put them into practice, we can make our workplace a better place…and hopefully a BEST place!

If you found this book recommendation valuable, check back to read the upcoming and final post in this series. These books can help you become the kind of leader who inspires the passion, drive, and innovation necessary for organizations to produce extraordinary results. In case you missed it, don’t forget to read last week’s post about the book Leadership is an Art.

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To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Jeannie Finkel, Chief People Officer at Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales, has more than twenty-five years of business experience, managing human resources and administration at top firms. Jeannie served for nearly twelve years as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Charles Schwab & Co. Jeannie was also Head of Human Resources and Administration for a leading asset management firm, and served as Managing Director, Talent Management Systems and Strategies for a Fortune 100 organization. Jeannie later became a Partner with leading global retained search firm, Heidrick & Struggles. With years of experience managing teams and overseeing organizations, Jeannie is a seasoned expert in management, administration, and leadership.

Becoming a great athlete requires passion, perseverance, and hard work. And just like sales, sometimes in sports you need to fail before you can succeed. These motivational sales quotes from some of the world’s best athletes show that attitude and perspective are key when it comes to achieving your goals. Because whether you’re playing shortstop in MLB or working in sales, being out in the field can be thrilling and challenging. These motivational sales quotes can help you out along the way!

Here are 10 famous athlete quotes to inspire you:

1. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth

When you’re in sales, the prospect of striking out with a potential buyer can be intimidating. However, don’t allow fear of failure stop you from going out there and giving it your all. Believing in yourself is the first step when it comes to succeeding in sales.

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2. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

Without a doubt, being a great salesperson requires talent. But even the most talented individuals in the world are nothing without their team! Here at Cydcor, we support each other and work together in order to achieve great things.

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3. “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” – Bo Jackson

Never underestimate what you can accomplish. The higher you set your goals, the more you will achieve in the long run. With hard work and determination, you can do anything.

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4. “Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” – Mia Hamm

Accomplishing your goals is an amazing feeling. It’s a sign of hard work paying off! Every time you reach one of your goals, set a new one, and always strive for improvement.

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5. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King

As the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. In sales, you might make mistakes from time to time. Instead of getting down on yourself, learn from what you did wrong, and get ready to hit the field again with more knowledge and experience than before.

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6. “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretsky

Sales is all about putting yourself out there. If you don’t try, you’ll have no idea of what you’re capable of. When you see an opportunity for a potential client, go for it, and you’ll end up scoring in no time.

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7. “When you fall, get right back up. Just keep going, keep pushing.” – Lindsey Vonn

The best salespeople are individuals with exceptional drive. You may come across bumps in the road, but don’t sweat it! Challenges can be an excellent learning opportunity. Just maintain a strong mental attitude and keep going.

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8. “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” – Serena Williams

Sales attracts strong, passionate individuals. Combat your doubts with your desire to succeed, and you’ll be on your way to achieving your very best.

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9. “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter

Some things in your career aren’t under your control, but one thing that is under your control is your work ethic. Putting in 100% effort is what makes people great at what they do, and giving it your all until the very last minute will give you amazing results.

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10. “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael PhelpsAlways dream big. Strong aspirations will transform your career from ordinary to extraordinary. If you believe you can do great things, then you will.

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These famous athletes know that it takes more than just hard work to be your best; it takes passion and grit to overcome setbacks, fight through pain, and believe in yourself no matter what! Hopefully, these motivational sales quotes will help inspire your own drive to push through challenges and reach your dreams.

This article is the third in a series of five blog posts from management expert, and Cydcor Chief People Officer, Jeannie Finkel. In this series, Jeannie recommends the Top Five Books she believes can help you transform your management style and become a better, more effective leader.

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There are some clear cut skills that can help anyone become a better manager, but it can take a harder-to-define set of qualities to be a strong leader. Management expert Jeannie Finkel recommends Max De Pree’s Leadership is an Art to anyone looking to find out how to establish your unique point of view as a leader, fill your organization with passion, and foster loyalty and drive within your organization. Great managers show enormous faith in the potential of their people, and this book can help you discover how to lead by establishing relationships based on mutual trust, building a culture of inclusiveness, and by offering constant support.

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Below, Jeannie Finkel explains why every manager and aspiring manager should read Max De Pree’s book on leadership, to build their identity as a leader and help shape their vision for their organization:

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Book #3: Leadership is an Art

Author: Max De Pree

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Short summary: This is a beautifully written collection of leadership principles written by Max De Pree, son of the founder and former CEO and Chairman of Herman Miller, Inc. Herman Miller is a nearly 100-year-old company, but it has consistently been recognized throughout its history as one of the best companies to work for in America, as well as one of the best managed and most innovative.

If you’re looking to understand how leaders can create a culture and set of principles that can stand the test of time, this book is a great place to start.

De Pree opens with a story about his father as a young manager whose experience with the death of a long-time employee shaped his philosophy of leadership. De Pree’s father went on to weave those ideas into the fabric of his company and the hearts and minds of his sons, who ran the company after him. The various chapters, each written as a little essay, bring this philosophy to life, starting with the question everyone asks at one point or another: “What is Leadership?”

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What you’ll learn: The most important aspect of this book is the humanity and belief in the potential of people and the human spirit that it expresses. If you are not familiar with the concept of servant leadership, by the time you finish reading, you will be, and hopefully will be inspired by it.

De Pree also lays out his ground rules for how work relationships should operate based on mutual accountability. He looks at the capitalist system and helps us imagine how it could be enhanced through a more inclusive mindset where everyone participates. He provides guidance on how to stimulate innovation by recognizing and supporting “giants”, and he reminds us of the importance of sharing culture, values and shared history through storytelling.  De Pree also offers techniques for becoming alert to the signs of complacency in ourselves, and he teaches us how to recognize the signals of organizational entropy, as well.

Every time I read this book (which is about once a year!) I take something new away from it.

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Why it’s a must read:

This is an enduring classic. I came upon this one because I fell in love with Herman Miller’s products and services, and their exquisite attention to design, aesthetics, functionality and harmony in creating a work environment in which people were inspired and enabled to do their best. I had the privilege to have HMI as a client when I was in the recruiting business, and in order to do my best work and find the right people for them, I had to understand the culture.  The manager I worked with encouraged me to study the company and read the book – and I was captivated. It helped me visualize the kind of company I hoped to be a part of and the kind of leadership I wanted to practice.  It left me with a sense of my obligations as a leader which I’ve tried hard to live up to ever since.

And on top of everything else, the writing is absolutely beautiful – it’s like reading poetry!

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If you found this book recommendation helpful, make sure to check back for upcoming posts in this series to learn about two more books that can help managers build their skills, earn the trust of their team, and lead their organizations to success.  In case you missed it, don’t forget to read last week’s post about the book The Elements of Style.

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To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Jeannie Finkel, Chief People Officer at Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales, has more than twenty-five years of business experience, managing human resources and administration at top firms. Jeannie served for nearly twelve years as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Charles Schwab & Co. Jeannie was also Head of Human Resources and Administration for a leading asset management firm, and served as Managing Director, Talent Management Systems and Strategies for a Fortune 100 organization. Jeannie later became a Partner with leading global retained search firm, Heidrick & Struggles. With years of experience managing teams and overseeing organizations, Jeannie is a seasoned expert in management, administration, and leadership.

It's always a boon to morale to show gratitude to employees. Making sure employees know their hard work doesn't go unnoticed is a nice reminder that the bottom line isn't the only thing that matters in sales. Is there a better time to explore ways of showing gratitude and the positive effects it can have at work than Thanksgiving?

Ways to Show Gratitude at Work:

Call-Outs: A simple "good job" in any form – whether it's during a meeting, included in a company-wide email or posted on a bulletin board in a common area – goes a long way. It may mean more when the recognition comes from management or the C-suite level, but don't discount the value of peer recognition. Encourage your employees to keep everyone informed if they think part of their team is doing exceptional work. It goes a long way towards fostering a team-oriented environment and building community within your office.

Rewards: Verbal call-outs are great, but tangible gifts and experiences can leave an even bigger mark. Gifts don't have to be extravagant; even something as simple as a photo frame for the team member’s desk, a funny coffee mug, or a stylish journal is a great way to recognize someone. Personalizing a reward to suit an employee's taste goes the extra mile toward positive reinforcement. Gift cards, a lunch out or tickets to a show also make great tokens of recognition. We’re not suggesting you should make handing out awards a daily occurrence, but recognizing employees who consistently go above and beyond is a great practice.

Group Activities: The only potential downside to singling employees out is the risk of alienating other employees who feel they were passed over. So much of business is a team effort, so why not plan a team outing that lets people relax and get to know each other on a more personal level? Dinner out, sporting events, leisure sports like bowling, scavenger hunts, live shows and movies are all great options.

If group outings feel too costly or burdensome to coordinate, consider buying lunch for the office. Planning a potluck and supplying the main dish can also bring people together.

At Cydcor, we’re constantly working to achieve outstanding results on behalf of our clients, but that doesn't mean forgetting the amazing people who make those achievements possible. It’s important to take the time to remind your employees that your own success and that of the company depends on them, their passion, their drive, and the time and effort they devote to helping the team reach its goals.

We hope you and your work family all have a safe and happy holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the second in a series of five posts on tips and books for managers, and Cydcor Chief People Officer, Jeannie Finkel. In this series, Jeannie recommends the Top Five Books she believes can help you transform your management style and become a better, more effective leader.

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Writing well isn’t just a nice talent you can use to impress friends and colleagues. Sure, it can do that as well, but effective writing is much more important than that. Clear, concise writing is essential to be an effective communicator, a skill you must have if you ever hope to succeed in a leadership or management role. The way you write and communicate can mean the difference between getting the job or not, gaining approval for a critical project, earning the confidence of your team or organization, and the ability to explain yourself in cases when your actions are not as well received or understood. Effective writing ability is not just nice, it’s critical. It can directly impact your ability to survive and thrive in the workplace and your future growth potential.

Below, Jeannie Finkel recommends a book she believes any manager must have to help improve writing ability and communication:

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Book #2: The Elements of Style

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Author: William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

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Short summary: If any aspect of your work involves written communication – beyond texting – and you want the quality of your writing to stand out, this little book will teach you what you need to know to master the core principles of writing clearly. It focuses on the fundamentals, clearly explaining proper usage and composition, and helping explain and address the rules of good writing that are most frequently violated.

This really isn’t a book you “read” per se. Rather, it’s a great reference tool that everyone who aspires to write well, or needs to influence, explain, or inspire would do well to study. It’s less than 100 pages, divided into three segments. The first segment is two chapters which give a set of “rules” for English usage and composition (you’ll remember grammar class in grade school!). Then there’s a terrific section about words and expressions that are most often misused – EVERYONE should review this part. The book ends with a set of 21 tips to keep in mind as you create your own writing style.

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What you’ll learn: What you learn from this book really depends on what you need. If you’re newer to business and fresh from writing college papers, you might have to change your style to adapt to the brevity required for business writing, such as reports, PowerPoints, and emails. Find excellent advice to guide you through this transition under the sections entitled “Use definite, specific, concrete language” and “Omit needless words”.

Or, if you’ve been in the business world for some time and now need to or communications for publication, you’ll benefit from reviewing the chapter entitled, “Misused Words and Expressions”. We don’t notice many of these in our everyday conversations with friends, but they really stick out in a written piece!

Dip into the book enough and you’ll experience a true appreciation of the beauty and richness of our language, and realize the professor who wrote the original book truly loved his subject and hoped to pass on the art of communication to future generations.

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Why it’s a must read: This is a desk reference I’ve kept with me ever since a rather embarrassing experience with a boss many years ago.  I had just been promoted to my first Vice President level assignment, working for someone who had a reputation for being extremely tough. I was a literature major in college, and I thought I wrote pretty well. I wanted to impress him and show I was worthy of the big new job and title, so I wrote a lengthy memo about something I thought he should consider changing. But, I was afraid to be too direct in case he thought I was overstepping. Instead, I made it so indirect and wishy washy that (as I realized later) it was impossible to figure out what I was trying to say.

Thankfully, rather than ripping up what I’d written and leaving it in shreds on my desk, he said nothing. Instead, after lunch, I came back to a little brown paper bag from the bookstore down the street with this book in it, sitting on top of a copy of my memo. I opened it up and looked at the content. My boss had gone so far as to check off the sections he thought I should read, and underline several key sentences in red ink. This was the President of a key business unit who’d taken the time to go out and get this book for me and do this!! After I got over feeling mortified, I rewrote the memo (it was probably two pages shorter) and went in to thank him and make my case, this time much more directly, confidently, and clearly. We went on to be a great team and work together for many years, and we are still good friends today. I credit him, and this book, with setting me on a path to becoming an effective business writer! Maybe it will do the same for you.

Look out for upcoming posts in this series to learn about three more books every manager must have on his or her bookshelf to bolster professional growth and personal development. In case you missed it, don’t forget to read last week’s post about the book 13 Fatal Errors Managers Make and How you can Avoid Them.

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To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Jeannie Finkel, Chief People Officer at Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales, has more than twenty-five years of business experience, managing human resources and administration at top firms. Jeannie served for nearly twelve years as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Charles Schwab & Co. Jeannie was also Head of Human Resources and Administration for a leading asset management firm, and served as Managing Director, Talent Management Systems and Strategies for a Fortune 100 organization. Jeannie later became a Partner with leading global retained search firm, Heidrick & Struggles. With years of experience managing teams and overseeing organizations, Jeannie is a seasoned expert in management, administration, and leadership.

We all want to love our jobs, and while most of us accept that not every part of our job can be our favorite thing to do, what happens when you start getting bored at work? Does that mean you’re doing something wrong or that your chosen career might not be right for you after all? Not necessarily. While you should never stay at a job you absolutely hate, feeling occasional boredom at work can actually mean that you’re making valuable progress you’re not even aware of.

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Here are five reasons why feeling a little bored at work can sometimes be a good thing:

1. Mastery Takes Repetition; Lots of It: You can’t always be working on something new and exciting. Sometimes it’s all about doing the same things over and over again until you’re an expert at them. It’s that practice and experience that will drive you to the next level of success. And for some jobs, like sales, it takes a certain level of exact repetition to ensure success, because it’s a numbers game. You have to do the same pitch to hundreds of customers in order to ensure the right number of sales. Sales people call that the law of averages, and mastering your pitch by delivering it exactly the same way to as many customers as possible, is the ideal way to hit your sales goals.

Make the Most of It Tip: Rather than focusing on the monotony, remind yourself that even if you can’t see the improvements right away, you are getting better at what you do with each repetition.

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2. It means you’re focused: In today’s workplace, a lot of emphasis is put on multi-tasking, but bouncing from one thing to another, might mean that you’re not doing any one thing really well. Rather than shifting gears, what might be called for is digging deeper, even when a project or task gets tedious. If you start to feel bored, it might mean that you’re doing a good job of tuning into the project at hand, and for those of us used to constant distractions and stimulation, that level of focus can sometimes feel a little strange.

Make the Most of It Tip: Tell yourself you can check your emails, surf the web, get coffee, or spend ten minutes socializing with coworkers once you’ve finished the assignment in front of you. By giving yourself small rewards to work towards, the strange feeling of only paying attention one thing at a time might not feel so uncomfortable. At the end, you might be surprised to see how much you’ve accomplished, and it may help you enjoy those periods of focus a bit more the next time.

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3. It means you’re not skipping steps: Sometimes, when you become familiar with your job, and you know it like the back of your hand, it becomes tempting to start cutting corners. But being a little bored can be a good indication that you’re tackling the project as it needs to be tackled rather than handling only the lighter, easier version. Being efficient is great, but not at the expense of quality. Doing a job the right way, doesn’t always mean doing it the easy way.

Make the Most of it Tip: Rather than looking for ways to speed things along, take pride in the fact that you’re accurate and thorough. Tell yourself that doing things right is part of your personal brand, and know that it’s that attention to detail that will help you stand out amongst the competition.

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4. It can Signal that You’re Ready for a New Challenge: It can sometimes be hard to tell when you’re ready for a promotion or greater responsibility at work. It’s easy to let fear and self-doubt hold us back from asking for what we think we deserve. If you’re finding yourself bored because you can do your current job in your sleep, use that feeling as an excuse to ask for a big new project that demonstrates what else you’re capable of.

Make the Most of it Tip: Use those moments of boredom as opportunities to think through the case you’ll make to management for why you’re ready to move up to a new role. Use the ease with which you do your current tasks as part of your argument. Explain that the job has gotten so easy that you’re confident you could be doing more, and offer to help train your replacement to be as proficient at your current role as you are.

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5. Boredom can Leave Room for Innovation: When we’re always rushing to meet tight deadlines, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for creative thinking. Studies have shown that daydreaming may be good for our brains, and a reasonable amount of daydreaming can allow you the space to come up with those new and untested solutions that might prove to be game changers.

Make the Most of it Tip: When your mind starts to wander, take advantage of those moments by choosing to brainstorm new ideas for your company or ways you can make projects more efficient. In other words, decide to use your daydreams to benefit your company, and you may be surprised how that decision can boost your own career growth as well.

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Like most things in life, boredom, in moderation, won’t hurt you, and it could even help you take your career to the next level. Remember that being great at your job may not be fun and exciting every day, but feeling the occasional boredom shouldn’t send you running for the hills either. Realize that even the greatest jobs will have ups and downs, and what may seem like a rough day today could be helping you toward that big win tomorrow.

This is the first in a series of five posts by management expert, Jeannie Finkel. In this series, Jeannie weighs in on the top five books for managers, featuring one book each week.

Being a great manager is a skill that benefits from constant honing and refinement. While some are born with the innate ability to influence others, inspire action, and drive results, most leaders require a great deal of training, practice, and studying to become as effective as they hope to be. There are many incredible management training courses available, but they can be very pricey. Luckily, there is a wealth of information that can help you transform the way you lead and manage your team available for free, from the local library.

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Book #1: 13 Fatal Errors Managers Make and How You Can Avoid Them

Author: W. Steven Brown

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What it’s all about: Brown draws on his years of experience as a sales and management coach and consultant, working with Fortune 500 companies, to identify the top errors managers tend to make repeatedly, so we can recognize and stop doing them, or better yet, avoid committing them in the first place. The good and somewhat surprising news he shares is that there really aren’t that many – just 13 of them! He describes each one clearly, illuminating why the error gets in the way of achieving our goals as managers, and provides stories, examples, and suggestions to help us understand what the error looks like and how to correct it. He also ends chapters with helpful tools and a workbook section to create an action plan, summarize your key learnings, and think about how you’ll apply them.

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What You’ll Learn: Whether you’re a new manager or one who’s been around a long time, there’s something in this little book for everyone. For newer managers, especially if you’ve been promoted from among a group of your former friends and peers, the transition to the role of “boss” and having to hold your friends accountable, can be very tough. For those in this tricky situation, the chapter, “Fatal Error #8: Be a Buddy, Not a Boss,” might really help.

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For more experienced managers, who find yourselves wishing you could get your team to be more productive, there are great insights in the chapters “Fatal Error #3: Try to Control Results Instead of Influencing Thinking,” and “Fatal Error #7: Concentrate on Problems Rather than Objectives.” Or, maybe you’ve always been a top performer, and even though you set a high bar for your team, somehow, you know they can do even better. The chapters, “Fatal Error #5: Manage Everyone the Same Way,” and “Fatal Error #12 Recognize Only Top Performers,” could provide some good tips!

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Why it’s a Must Read: I bumped into this book soon after it was first published, when I was a young manager. It was a godsend to me, as the firm I worked for did not provide any management training so I had to figure things out for myself. I discovered that I was committing most of these errors, and I quickly realized that the suggestions the author provided actually work. When I applied them to my own role, I became a much better leader of people, in large part because of the simple lessons this book offers.

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This is a top management book I revisit every so often, and I recommend it to any new manager who’s just starting their leadership journey, as well as more experienced managers looking to strengthen their leadership skills. It’s really easy to read – you can probably finish it on a cross country plane flight or quiet Sunday afternoon – but the wisdom sticks with you long afterwards!

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Look out for more book recommendations from management expert, Jeannie Finkel, as we continue our series on The Top Five Books for Managers. No matter where you are in your career, feeding your student mentality with advice from the top management experts can only aid you in your quest to reach your current and future goals and achieve success.

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To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Jeannie Finkel, Chief People Officer at Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales, has more than twenty-five years of business experience, managing human resources and administration at top firms. Jeannie served for nearly twelve years as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Charles Schwab & Co. Jeannie was also Head of Human Resources and Administration for a leading asset management firm, and she served as Managing Director, Talent Management Systems and Strategies for a Fortune 100 organization. Jeannie later became a Partner with leading global retained search firm, Heidrick & Struggles. With years of experience managing teams and overseeing organizations, Jeannie is a seasoned expert in management, administration, and leadership.