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The Bottom Line Coach
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Keith specializes in the issues facing small businesses and non-profit organizations. His lifetime
of experience, passion for people, common sense approach, and education makes him the #1 choice for you or your company.
The Bottom Line philosophy of coaching is based on four facts governing personal and professional success: know
who you are; know where you want to go; get equipped for the journey; go for it!
When asked what he does, Keith
states, "I help businesses and individuals create their dreams." He does that providing his clients accountability,
perspective, and truth.
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Send Your Question or Comment to Keith Today!
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RECENT QUESTIONS FOR THE COACH:
Dear Coach,
I'm a small
business owner just getting ready to hire my first employees. We're a service oriented business (office cleaning/homes/new
builder prep) and I don't know where to start. Any advice?
Signed,
Growing and Going
Dear
Growing,
Whenever a business owner believes himself/herself ready to hire employees, there are a number of factors
to consider:
1. Do you need this person to help carry out the primary functions of the business (cleaning and servicing
accounts) or do they need to serve as a support person (set appointments, do the books, etc.). The answer to this questions
is best found in who you are. Are you a great salesperson who loves the challenge of opening accounts? Do you love doing the
cleaning/serving the customer? Are you passionate about administration and need support help to open new business and keep
exisiting accounts? In other words, staff to your WEAKNESS. Get someone on board who can support you and generate income.
2. What kind of person do you hire? Three things have to be present with every person on your staff: character, competency,
and chemistry. Character makes sure they will not cheat you and will be a person of integrity. You cannot control this. People
are who they are. Often, a person's true character cannot be discovered in an interview process, so be prepared to make
it clear that ethical behavior is vitally important and that this will serve as a basis for performance reviews. Competency
can be learned, so have in place a solid training philosophy and cross train employees to fill in gaps. This is especially
important in service businesses. Chemistry is something that cannot be manufactured. Either you click or you don't. Let
your instincts guide you. A person may be able to do the job and have a good track record, but if you would not hang out with
them at a ball game, forget it! In a small company it is critical that all the personalities mesh. Don't get in a hurry
and rush to judgement and get a poor fit. It is easier to fire them before you hire them!
3. Who will manage the
staff? If it is you, and you've never managed people, study the subject a little before you rush into hiring. Read up
on the best interview questions. Ask them! Also, be friendly, not a friend with your staff. Correcting the performance of
a friend is hard to do. Firing or laying off a friend is even harder.
Thanks for asking!
Keith
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Dear Coach,
Here's one for the record! I was dating this person for a while and we broke up. It was as
good as it can be in a break up, I guess; but there were questions left unanswered for me, so I tried to talk to her. She
never told me to quit and never said that I was inappropriate. I'm a professional. Well-educated and a community leader.
What shocked me is that she, without warning, filed a restraining order against me! What do I do?
Signed,
Dazed
and Confused
Dear Dazed,
Here's the breakdown. As the song says, "Breaking Up is
Hard to Do." In fact, it stinks. Sounds to me like the girl is really not ready for a serious relationship. My advice
to you:
1. This is a civil matter, not a criminal matter, but you need to consult an attorney as to the affect
on your professional life. Will this show up on a background check when you move to your next position? Ask for legal advice
on your options to rpotect your career integrity.
2. Don't fight to have it lifted unless expressly advised
to do so by your attorney. It may spur on her delusions that you are a threat. If possible, let this sleeping dog lie.
3. This may mean that you have to find new friends if you had the same circle. That is life, and given her actions,
she will not move on and let you have them. Remember, you will keep some because of their loyalty to you. Accept the change
and move on. If you are part of the same clubs, religious organization, or workforce (Oh, vey! That's another subject)
you might have to find other groups - or another employer!
4. When you break up with a girl, remember that being
friends afterwards is not often an option. There is too much emotion attached. A breakup means that you are moving on. So,
move on. Let them go. I know it's hard; especially when the reasons weren't made clear. However, the lack of clarity
signaled her inability to communicate. You can't force her to be clear.
Feeling with you,
Keith
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Dear Coach, I'm a manager in my company. We have several supervisors/managers and I've been asked
to lead a segment of our next training. I'm frightened to death! Public Speaking is worse than death to me. I can't
get out of it, as this is expected of all the supervisory staff; we take turns presenting. HELP!! Signed, Can't
see them Naked Dear CSTN,
Speaking in front of a group is the number one fear anyone has.
It is a certain personality type that naturally flocks to the center stage. That is a small percentage of the human race;
but anyone can become a confident public speaker. Here's my advice:
1. If possible, choose a topic with which
you are familiar. That will lower your anxiety level. If the topic is not of your choosing, spend time reading articles on
it in major trade journals or recognized internet sites. Confidence that one knows the subject is the first step to a great
talk.
2. Plan to spend TIME on this task. Don't rush it. It may mean late nights and weekends in preparation,
but you do not want to be your company's "William Hung". Plan to spend five minutes for every minute you have
to speak in preparation.
3. Outline your talk. Begin with the purpose of the talk. Is it informative, instructive,
or motivational? Write out an objective for the talk. "At the end of this talk, I want my audience to ...." Keep
it to no more than three key points. Support each key point with a relevant fact or statistic. Position yourself as the expert
by using this approach. If possible, use a story to illustrate the relevancy of your points.
4. Prepare handouts
with fill-in-the-blanks. This will serve as your notes and also make your talk last more than the few minutes given to you.
Your audience will be in the talk with you; they will remember you. If available, also use PowerPoint or another program to
creat slides that follow your talk. That way, the audience will use all major maodes of adult learning.
5. PRACTICE!!!!
Do several dry runs, and then a "dress rehearsal" complete with your wardrobe, notes, and PowerPoint Slides. Practice
builds confidence.
6. Arrive early and don't eat before your talk. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine as
that can dry your throat. Have a glass of water handy during the talk. Being early will get you familiar with the room layout.
Don't add stress by cutting it close. If you think it will take 30 mins. to set up, give yourself an hour.
7.
Relax, breathe deep, and knock them dead!! You're a star!
Best wishes! Send me a copy of your talk to: keith@thebottomlinecoach.com
Keith
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