communication | The Barefoot Spirit

THE NEXT STEP IN BUSINESS AUDIO? ASK THE CROWD!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 15:59:03 +0000

STORY AS COMMUNICATION, FROM CAVEMAN TO WALKMAN

When humans listen to a story something amazing happens. each individual in a crowd reaches into their own personal memories to create and complete the scenes in which the action takes place. In other words, they source the props from their own mental inventory. When this happens, they tag the story to be more easily recalled. why? Because they had something to do with its telling. They were interacting by embellishing the scenes with their imagination, they were involved in a process of co-creation.

Pre-literate indigenous people would hand down their history and the principles they had learned about survival, the environment, medicine, and even virtues through story. Fast forward 8,000 years, we are rediscovering the power of story to convey principles. We, the audience, hear the story and draw out the take-aways, principles, and lessons. Through using our imagination to complete the scenes, and even identify with the characters, we can recall and use the lessons in our own businesses and life! This is a type of experiential learning.

PRESCRIPTIVE TEXT

Without story, business books, especially, can seem one dimensional, prescriptive, and even patronizing. The principles are all laid out for you in a logical construct-like outline. “Here are the 3 things to do, the 5 things never to do, and the 15 things your customer wants from you.” Even if the points are made using examples, the mind glazes over by the end of chapter two. And the retention and application of the principles being shared is questionable.

With the renaissance of story, we are reconnecting with what our ancient ancestors instinctively knew all along: if you want your listeners to remember and use the message, wrap a convincing story around it with compelling characters overcoming challenges using the principles you wish to convey.

To read the complete article, please visit Crowd Sourcing Week

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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The Hierarchy of Communication Methods

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 07:52:02 +0000

Our Bengal cat, Cosmo, has been spayed. But that doesn’t stop him from marking his territory or sniffing out the interlopers. It’s amazing how much information is exchanged in one spray. He knows who the other cat is, when they were there last, and how often they come by. Of course, he also uses various other means of communication including body language to let us know what he thinks of us, and various cries that convey if he’s hungry, just caught a gopher, or wants to go for a walk. Wouldn’t it be great if we could communicate all we had to say that easily?

But we not only have a lot more to say, we have many more ways to say it. And therein lies the challenge. We have to be very careful that we use the right form of communication for the appropriate message to be clear, effective and avoid misunderstandings. By understanding each method’s values and limitations, we will be better prepared to use them appropriately.

Basically today, you can choose to communicate in person, by phone, by video, by email, or by text. Sure, there’s other platforms like social messaging, audio recordings and video recordings. There is even the old-fashioned method of writing a letter and mailing it. But for business, we rely on the big 5. Let’s look at their strengths and weaknesses so we can better choose the right one for the right message.

The Big 5 Communication Methods

In Person

We have found in person, face-to-face communication to be the #1 way to communicate effectively, especially when you are trying to make a sale or get the other person’s OK on your proposal. Here’s why:

First, you actually see the other person in real time. You see their reactions to what you are saying. Misunderstandings can be nipped in the bud. The face has about 20 muscles that can form hundreds of expressions. Why not get this powerful and constant feedback to immediately iron out differences and misinterpretations on the fly? You also see by their body language that tells you if they are being defensive or truly interested.

Second, they know that you are giving them your undivided attention. You are not checking email or multitasking. This is a commitment of your time and energy, and that gives you the benefit of the doubt. You are not hiding behind a platform and are vulnerable to answer sometimes difficult questions. This communicates a level of sincerity and builds a bond that will create the familiarity you want to develop in the relationship.

This method is best for first meetings with VIPs and is important to confirm your continued commitment to large repeat customers. The drawbacks are obvious. It’s time-consuming. Travel is involved. You can’t multitask. And you are on the spot.

By Video

Video is best used when you can’t meet in person. It has many of the same advantages without the drawback of travel. Plus you can meet with multiple people in many different locations at the same time. Video is great for meetings where you are working on a shared document and it provides a powerful tool to keep the beneficial aspects of the initial face-to-face meeting alive.

When people can see you, even on a screen, they are more likely to assume that you have positive intentions. For this reason, we prefer video to telephone. The drawbacks include poor connectivity, poor user knowledge, and a variety of features missing on many of the platforms.

By Phone

Phone is in real time and it’s more personal than email. Phone is a great way to immediately straighten out misunderstandings that may occur over email. When your emails start going back and forth to try to explain or argue a point, it’s time to pick up the phone! There’s no law that says all your communication has to be in writing.

Phone also gives you tonality and intention. You can tell by the other person’s tone of voice if they are sincere or agitated. Their tone may tell you that’s it’s not a good time to discuss your issue, for instance. Imaging not having this level of feedback and just continuing to write to them by email blindly!

We like the phone over email for two-way discussions. The drawbacks include the inability to see the other person’s facial expressions, it’s less personal than video, and it’s easier for the other party to be abrupt. With phone, you can be just a voice on a device, less worthy of respect than someone they can see. Phone works better after an initial introduction in person or by video.

By Email

Email is a great way to document what was said at a meeting or a phone call. It’s also a great way to transmit other documents. Email is a terrible way to have a disagreement. Both sides tend to feel obligated to get in the last word or explanation. And if you were wrong, or you change your mind, guess what? It’s there as evidence forever! Some things are better off unsaid in email.

Email has a certain behavioral bandwidth that many have yet to discover. If you have several requests in a list, for instance, chances are your recipient will only address the last one. We suggest one request per email. Also, if your email’s paragraphs are too long, they won’t read it. We suggest no paragraph longer than 3-4 lines, no matter what. We have written extensively about how to get the most from your email, all based on actual procedures we put in place in our business.

The biggest drawbacks to email include not getting read at all because there’s just too much of it in the other person’s inbox, misunderstandings that result in terminal back-and-forth, saying something you regret that now has a permanent record, it’s not in real time, and the impersonal nature of the media itself.

By Text

Text is a great way to get through when you can’t talk on the phone or in person. It’s also a great way to stay in touch before a meeting with your ETA status. It’s great to keep up with family and friends. But you’d better know the other party as it assumes a level of familiarity that can put off many.

Text is a great way to send physical addresses and communicate with folks who are in route. Even though text is being used more and more these days, it extremely limited and has several important drawbacks.

The party you are texting may not know your name and just your phone number shows up as the sender. This is very frustrating for the receiving party. We recommend that you state your name, especially if you have any reason to believe they don’t yet have you in contacts. Text is usually short bursts with one thought per burst. It can be personal if they know you and irritating if they don’t. Text documents everything, so be careful not to say anything you don’t want brought up later. Text also assumes that you and the other person are connected 24 -7. If you don’t respond right away, the other party could be offended.

Conclusion

Just like our cat, Cosmo, choose your method of communication to be appropriate for the message you want to convey and the party you want to communicate with. Be aware of the advantages and drawbacks of each method and use them all in concert to reinforce each other. Respect the hierarchy of communication tools where in-person real-time continues to be at the top!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Russian Students Visit the Russian River!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 17:00:58 +0000

We recently had the honor of hosting 40 graduate entrepreneurship students from Skolkovo Moscow School of Management. They were here to tour Silicon Valley and gain knowledge from the shrines of American Entrepreneurship. At the end of their tech tour, we invited them up to the Russian River wine country. Here they enjoyed some time in nature, a few talks on entrepreneurship, an outdoor luncheon, a history lesson about grapes and wine in Sonoma County, and yes, a wine tasting.

Skolkovo is one of the top universities in the world and is associated with MIT. The students were in their 30s and many already had their own businesses. Others were either considering the prospects or just wanted a better understanding.

Introducing the Russian Students to Soft Skills

We knew they had seen a lot and heard a lot about hard tech in the Valley. Between the VCs and the auspicious examples of technical success, we figured they might appreciate a more natural environment and a talk on something entirely different, so we presented them with our course on “How Soft Skills Earn Hard Cash.”

We decided to take them through the three basic soft skills (Appreciation, Acknowledgement, and Communication), and how they apply to the three basic business relationships (Employees, Vendors, and Buyers).

Although soft skills are not the only thing you need to be a success, their absence can result in expensive and crippling turnover, higher costs, loss of credit, and loss of customers. In other words, there has to be a balance between tech skills and soft skills.

We were impressed with the students and their sincere interest in achieving business success. We started with what we had in common: a desire to have loyal and engaged employees, a need for extended credit and terms, and a need for ongoing and increasing business.

Even with the obvious cultural differences between our societies, business is business and people are people. How folks are treated makes a big difference in their discretionary decisions regarding your company’s products and services. And probably the most important consideration you can give others as a business person is respect for their concerns.

If they are employed by you, do you have their interests at heart?

Do you demonstrate it? For instance, can employees enhance their careers with your company? Do they get the compensation, recognition, education, security, and the time with their family they need to remain loyal?

If they are your vendor, do you treat their salespeople with respect?

Do you call in advance of a late payment with a plan to bring your account current? Do you consider a long-term contract so they can feel confident extending the terms and credit you need to grow your business?

If they are your buyer, do you service what you sell?

Do you honor your warranties? Do you provide the kind of support they need to stay with you, increase their purchases, and promote your products? Do you understand and address every level of buyer from your warehouse to your ultimate consumer so your products will move freely through the channels?

All of this really comes down to putting yourself in the other guy’s shoes. Know what they want, and get what you want by giving them what they want first. In other words, as our friend Ivan Misner likes to say, “Take off the bib and put on the apron!” Or, as we like to say, “If you are going to be a jerk, get out your wallet! It’s going to cost you more.”

These lessons are international and timeless. Anyone with a great idea that can change the world will have a much easier time doing so by practicing these soft skills. They can make the critical difference between success and failure.

When we first got into business, we thought that our product was so good, that it would sell itself (Gold Medal winners under $6). We couldn’t understand why the world wasn’t knocking out windows and kicking down doors to get to us. It cost us plenty of time, money, and anguish to finally learn and master these essential skills, which, ultimately, resulted in our major success.

We were thrilled to be able to share the practical benefits of soft skills in business with the impressive students of Skolkovo. We wish them the best in their own businesses and hope they will return for another visit to their “Outdoor Classroom in the Wine Country!” Надеюсь увидеть тебя снова в ближайшее время!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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5 Ways You Can Steer Technology in the Right Direction

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 17:00:17 +0000

Our 97-year-old friend, Don, built the P-51 Mustang fighter planes during WWII. This was the airplane that really made the difference for the allies because of its speed, range, and fire power. Don knows quite a bit about aircraft and has worked with it his whole life. According to him, when airplanes first came out, they were used mainly for entertainment. Folks set them on fire, flew them through barns, and walked on the wings. And nobody ever dreamed that they would carry passengers to Chicago!

When we began the Barefoot Wine brand, we were using calculators, and ended up with the internet and social media. We saw and used every iteration of digital technology as it proceeded, developed and improved. Now we can’t live without it! And we are chomping at the bit for the next big thing. But are we still, in the scheme of things, in the barnstorming days, like the airplane was for so many years?

Are we ready for the “advantages” that technology brings? Has social networking actually hurt our social skills? Has the sheer amount of information impacting us reduced our attention span? Have we become so impatient we will act on over-simplified answers? Have we gotten to the point where what’s new or sensational is more important than what ultimately effects our health and well-being? Do we have a reliable independent source of news beyond our “friends” on Facebook?

These are the challenges we face now, in the early days of the information revolution. Like the early days of the airplane, we are still “barnstorming” with tools that have a much greater potential.

The improvements required to meet that potential are not so much in the technology, but in us! We need to realize how much technology has changed us in just the past decade. By returning to time-tested classic values we have a better chance at getting the most out of technology. Here’s our short list of classic values which we think should be driving technology:

More Visual Communication. Text is a great tool when you need to get picked up at the airport. Email is great tool for documenting what’s been said. But live video is the best tool for first meetings (if you can’t do it in person). Voice is second best. But real-time visual and audio communication conveys reactions, feelings, and queues you just can’t pick up in virtual communication. You can avoid misunderstandings by demanding and using more real-time communication.
Less “News” from “Friends.” Prevent yourself from being manipulated by fake news sources and network ads that are designed to exacerbate political differences. Realize that as a society, and as an economy, we need the cooperation of those with whom we disagree – to maintain our livelihoods, and our freedom. Open your mind to understanding opposing ideas by talking to “the other side.” Demand fact-checking before you pass along information to your network, and be skeptical when you get “news” from your “friends”. Respect science!
More History and Civics. Regard history as a teacher, a warning, and a path toward wisdom. Don’t look at it as something old, outmoded, or irrelevant. There is a vast difference between retro and classic. Learn and understand how entire countries have been subjugated by misinformation and the exploitation of prejudices. As the Irish statesman Edmund Burke said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” This is as true today as it was during his lifetime, 1729-1797. By learning civics, you will understand what our governing bodies and offices can and cannot do. You will be less likely to vote for candidates who promise more than they can legally deliver.
Less Simple Answers. Appreciate that there are no absolutes. There’s lots of grey! Learn the nuances before you act. Don’t let the current state of technology pander to your impatience to quickly “get to the bottom of it.” Stop saying, “Just tell me the one thing.” The real answers are never simple. Seek sophisticated answers that discuss various sides of the issue. Stop looking for who’s to blame, or how to make 6 figures in 6 months!
More In-Person Conversations. Don’t “hide” behind a technological “shield” to protect you from personal contact. Have a meeting, talk to some people, become vulnerable. Learn some lessons about human-to-human, in-person interactions. People will appreciate your undivided attention. Your social, business, and cooperative relationships can reap many benefits. Stop using social media as a substitute for real social interaction. Social media is a great way to let folks know what you’re up to, but don’t let it atrophy your social skills.

Realize that technology, and more important, how we use it, is still in its infancy. Our standard of living, our economy, and the peace and tranquility of our lives depend on it. Let’s take control of this “airplane” before our impatience lets it take control of us! Get out there and say “Hello!” to a real, live person!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Maximize Communications Technology to Avoid Misunderstandings

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 17:00:02 +0000

Today we have many methods of communications. But which ones are the most appropriate for what kinds of communication? When should we use in-person, video conferencing, phone, email, or text? Some folks favor one form over another, but each has its place and should be used accordingly. Here is our short list for communications etiquette.

In-Person: This is still, by far, the most effective way to establish a relationship. You have a chance to read body language and so do they. You demonstrate your undivided attention by your presence. The time you have taken to physically be there also adds to your credibility. In-person is best for first meetings and important negotiations. It’s also a great way to diffuse any misunderstanding.
Video Conferencing: If you can’t meet in person, video conferencing is the way to go. It’s live, it’s real-time and it has many of the advantages of an in-person meeting. You can read the other person’s facial expressions to see if they get it, or if they have issues, you can address you can address them on the spot. Many misunderstandings are avoided by face-to-face conversation. We like to set up a video conference with anyone we are considering doing business with. It breaks the ice and they can see that we are real human beings, same as they are.
Phone: We have a client who is in the relationship sales business who says, “We have mastered an ancient form of communication: the telephone!” Before you laugh too hard, he has determined that phone sales are 108 times more effective than email sales. Why? Because you can hear the tone of the other person’s voice and make changes on the fly. You can give explanations quickly that would take mountains of back and forth emails. And your sincerity can be heard in your voice.
Email: We believe the best use of email is to document or flesh out agreements made in real-time. We send an email on the heels of a real-time meeting that basically says, “These are the understandings we have as a result of our meeting today. Please let us know before 5pm if we have anything incorrect. Otherwise we will proceed based on these understandings.” Email is a great way to memorialize conversations, but as a sales tool it is grossly abused, overused, and opened less and less. When it comes to requests, we like to ask for only one thing per email. If you ask for a list of things, the other person will generally only respond to the last thing on your list, causing you to go back and ask for all the others to be answered. Oh, and if you have a misunderstanding on email, pick up the phone and resolve it quickly. Don’t get into an email argument! And lastly, there are some things that should never be in email unless you want to live them down forever.
Text: This is a great way to coordinate meeting details with someone who is in the final legs of coming to visit. It’s also a great way to carry on a conversation with someone you are already familiar with and want to give them a chance to respond at their leisure (unlike the phone). Texts should be short and to the point – no more than three lines at a time. Make sure ahead of time that the other person agrees to being texted so they will keep their phone on.

All of these methods of communication have their place, advantages, and disadvantages. When you use them correctly you will have less misunderstandings and more improved relationships.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Small Business Creates the Most Jobs and Does Most of the Training

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 11 May 2017 17:00:22 +0000

Last week was National Small Business Week. Every year at this time the North Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida celebrates with an awards luncheon singling out small business owners in their region who are outstanding. This year was their 25^th anniversary and we were honored to be their keynote speakers.

Earlier in the day, they asked us to present a workshop to their VIP members and supporters. These folks were already successful, so we had to give them something special that would help them, hopefully, in a unique way.

We shared one of our favorite business principles, which is “Make Mistakes W-R-I-T-E,” (not just right)! We had plenty of experience in making mistakes; so much in fact that we got good at it. We actually developed a process for making mistakes that greatly improved our company and caused our acquirer to remark, “Wow! This is the best documented company we’ve ever seen!”

It all starts with giving your people permission to make mistakes. They are going to make mistakes whether you give them permission or not, but without permission, they are going to deny the mistake, cover it up, or blame others. They prefer to think it never happened, and go off to the next thing.

You can’t blame them. They’ve been programmed since grade school not to make mistakes. After all, a mistake would get you marked down, give you a lower grade, and could go on your record.

Yet, by giving your people permission to make mistakes w-r-i-t-e, you encourage the improvement of your documents and your very way of doing business. How? By asking your people to identify all the documents that need to be changed, clarified, or created to make the mistake less likely to happen again. Something written must be created, changed or improved. It may involve policies, procedures, checklists, sign off sheets, or even clauses in contracts.

The next step is circulating the new document to get everyone’s sign off of understanding. Then, and this is an important part, thanking the person publicly for improving your business!

Now, everyone knows that you celebrate mistakes – when they are used to refine your business process and ultimately help with training, communication, and profitability.

Sure, you have to apologize and make any one hurt by the mistake whole again. But when you show a customer or a vendor that you are changing written materials to prevent a reoccurrence, they are more likely to not only forgive you, but give you more credibility. They saw you in action. Remember, people judge you by how well you handle a mistake. So, why not do it really well?

And what about those outside vendors, that salesperson, or that difficult customer? Surely, many of the mistakes are their fault, right? We say, “Aim, don’t blame!” When you blame the other guy, you disempower yourself. Rather, take action and clean up you own backyard. What can you do to make the mistake less likely to happen again?

We once had an executive who commented on our unrelenting campaign to tweak, write, and rewrite our documents in the face of any mistake. He complained, “You guys are trying to make everything idiot proof!” We responded, “No, we are trying to make it idiot resistant!” to which he responded, “But even now, as we speak, they’re building a better idiot!”

So, the best way to stay ahead of the “improved idiots” out there is to make mistakes write, and build your business on the back of your mistakes – like we did!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Social Skills Can Reduce Your Need for Cash

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 17:00:07 +0000

Business owners want to know, “How do I raise more money?” We ask, “Why do you need more money?” The answer is usually, “To pay my bills” or, “To grow my business.” But we have found that more money may not be the answer. What if you could get more investors, increase your credit limits, extend your terms of payment, and close more prospects – all by using better social skills?

By developing and using good social skills you can reduce your need for capital. Conversely, poor social skills will increase your need for cash. Why? Because people simply don’t know you, like you, our trust you enough to take a chance on you. And people are ultimately making the decisions… not algorithms!

Here are a few examples of how poor social skills will increase your need for capital:

Increased turnover because of poor relationships, resulting in loss of knowledge, skills, and critical supplier and buyer relationships.
Increased need for prospects, because you will be closing (or converting) less.
Reduced opportunities to extend lines of credit because of poor communication.
Everything you want to do takes longer because of lack of cooperation.
Reduced knowledge of your industry because folks simply don’t want to talk to you!

Have we become so dependent on email, social media, and texting that we have forgotten how to communicate in real time? Are we so afraid of personal rejection that we need that constant security “screen” that gives us the lag time to ignore, delay, or delete any uncomfortable or negative communication? Are we afraid to face a person in real time because we may not have all the answers they want? If any of this sounds familiar, get out your wallet! You’re going to need a lot more money!

Perhaps, instead of asking for more money, you should be asking “How can I improve my real time, face-to-face communication skills with vendors, suppliers, employees, and buyers? How can I improve the first impression I make with total strangers in real time?”

Not too long ago before email, social media, and texting, the Baby Boomers had to do their communication in real time. Just imagine! Phones were used only for verbal, real-time communication; meetings were in person; sales calls were in person; and suppliers gave credit if they felt you were trustworthy based on your face-to-face meetings! Personal relationships built trust, and business relationships are built on trust.

So how did these Boomers build the greatest economy, the greatest infrastructure, and the highest standard of living the world has ever seen? They did it by building trust through real time relationships. What are the social skills that made them so powerful and effective in real time? Basically they practiced what we call today the Humanities (AKA the Liberal Arts or Human Studies). They learned how humans tick! They learned through formal education, their upbringing, or just plain hard knocks!

We speak internationally at universities that teach entrepreneurship. Each school of entrepreneurship comes from a different place. They come from the school of business, the school of technology, and from the school of engineering or agriculture. But all have one purpose, to teach their students how to succeed in their own businesses.

Students ask us, “What else should I be taking beside business courses to be successful?” We always answer, “Communication, Psychology, Philosophy, Social Studies, History, Culture, Religion, Literature, and Political Science.” Why? Because it is through the mastery of these Human Studies that you will be better prepared to conduct more fruitful, real-time conversations that will save you money, time and effort. It is through these Human Studies that you will be able to turn real time into real money!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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3 Essentials of Effective Leadership

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 17:00:31 +0000

Running a company, division or a team is a responsibility that goes way beyond being the executive. In many ways you are in a parental role. It’s not enough to lay out the path and make the big decisions. You must also nurture your people if you want them to perform at their best. After all, they are spending more time with you, in many cases, than they spend with their own families. They not only take direction from you, but they look to you as an authority figure. A word from you can make a big difference in their personal development as well as their skill set.

And isn’t that what you want – team members who are better this year than they were last year? So what exactly are those words from you that can make all the difference to them and your team’s productivity and your company culture? Just like the gas you put in your tank that gets you to your destination, here is the “G.A.S.” that keeps your team running:

Guidance. Make sure your team has clear and achievable weekly goals. Review them again on Wednesday to make mid-course corrections. Clearly describe to every member of the team what they have to do, and by when, to achieve those goals. Be sure to explain why what they are being asked to do is important to the big picture, the health of the company, the security of their jobs, and ultimately their compensation, bonuses, commissions and benefits. In other words, tie it to sales! Get the deadlines on the calendar. Get involved in helping to remove roadblocks and barriers to communication. Make suggestions and offer help when needed. And then get out of their way!

Acknowledgement. This often overlooked essential is the building block of validation. And validation is what your people want when they are creative, take responsibility, and complete a job well done. We feel that acknowledgment is right up there with compensation when it comes to why they even work for you at all. A heartfelt “Thank You” is always appreciated, but don’t stop there. Do it in writing, be specific about what they did and how it moved the project forward, saved money or made money, and copy the entire team. Public acknowledgement creates more appreciation among team members for their team mates, encourages more of the productive behavior you want, and creates loyalty and tenure.

Support. This is not hand holding. This is not micromanaging. This is being there to answer questions, and to provide the right tools, applications, and services. This is conducting yourself in a reasonable and understanding manner during frustrating times. This is taking it down a notch when things get crazy. And this is standing up for your people when they need it. It’s also interceding on their behalf when they run into the type of contracted or other ‘outside’ folks who won’t work with a delegated person and want you personally on the line. Take those types aside in advance and spend the time to convince them to work with your delegate. Then help your own people develop the confidence and people skills to get the respect they need to get things done on their own.

So when it comes to Leadership, don’t run out of G.A.S.!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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National Entrepreneurship Week – Early Exposure Builds Confidence

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 18:00:39 +0000

Gary Vaynerchuk says entrepreneurs are born, not made. We disagree! Early exposure to the entrepreneurial mindset can be the difference between young minds knowing that entrepreneurial success is possible and never finding out. Sometimes something happens at a very early age that opens the door to entrepreneurship as a valid alternative. What is that?

The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (EntreED) promoted Congress to designate the last week of February to answer that very question. Dr. Gene Coulson, the organization’s Executive Director, has some educational programs he is encouraging. He wants to make young people aware of entrepreneurship as a career alternative in grades K-12.

Sure, in kindergarten and the 1^st grade it might be just a definition of what entrepreneurship is, how to spell it, and how it’s distinguished from employment. Exposure progresses and by the time the students are in middle school and high school, they will be aware of entrepreneurship as an option for their future. The key is every student learning more about entrepreneurship every year.

Some of the groups he works with encourage high school students to get involved in a business plan and other types of entrepreneurship competitions. Others bring in real entrepreneurs for the young folks to see, hear, and question. They thus expose the students to successful entrepreneurs who overcame their risk adversity, solved a problem, and improved the community.

Gene feels strongly that it’s the entrepreneurial mindset that really distinguishes the true entrepreneur from the business school students learning form and function. And that mindset can be encouraged at an early age. He says young folks need to take inventory of challenges and problems within their own communities, see them as opportunities, and imagine ways to solve them. Encouraging young people to begin to notice these problems and ask, “Who else do these problems effect?” is the beginning of ideation.

One member of EntreEd is the Generation E Institute which is promoting the “Entrepreneurs Interview” during National Entrepreneurship Week. During the event, middle school and high school students have the opportunity to meet local entrepreneurs and business owners. Smaller groups of students ask them questions in an informal conversational setting, then explain what they have learned to others.

This approach incorporates social skills, writing, communication, and public speaking – all essential entrepreneurial skills in themselves. But the contacts these students make will also become opportunities for future job prospects, mentor relationships, and community goodwill. Check out more ideas for the Generation E Curricula for K through 12 in Teaching Success: New Directions in Entrepreneurial Education.

We love this whole concept! These young people grow up thinking of entrepreneurship as a valid alternative rather than something reserved for the elite or well born. We feel that the entrepreneurial mindset can be taught and with that education comes the courage to take risks and see ideas through to success. It can help young people look at problems as opportunities and can give them the communication, social, and other skills necessary to engage and empower others to make their ideas a reality.

Gene is promoting these K-12 programs in the rural parts of Appalachia. Instead of resistance to these ideas, he was met with enthusiastic support. With the demise of the coal mining culture, the community has welcomed these programs. “Entrepreneurship is the only hope for this region,” they say.

Big companies and industries come and go. And when they do go, like coal in Appalachia, those who have been dependent on them for employment will be looking for solutions. Perhaps those solutions are in our schools right now! Let’s take out an insurance policy on our future. Let’s celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week by supporting ideas like those encouraged by EntreEd to build some great entrepreneurs!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Millennials Benefit from the Successes and Failures of Boomers

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 17:00:27 +0000

According to Wikipedia, “The Information Age formed by capitalizing on computer microminiaturization advances. This evolution of technology in daily life, as well as of educational life style, has allowed rapid global communications and networking to shape modern society.” Clearly, this Information Age has given us many tools that have improved our lives.

It’s easy to get carried away with the advances in technology and possibly even come to the conclusion that those who didn’t grow up with it have nothing to offer. But this is far from the truth! Technology has given us tools that make communication easier, but also raises questions of privacy. Automation has made business processes more efficient, but sometimes less flexible. Applications have enabled us to quickly perform functions, thus allowing us rely less on our resourcefulness and cognitive abilities. Social networking has increased our ability to interact with a greater number of people, but has dulled our social and communication skills.

The millennials were born into this incredible information revolution. However, experiencing a day and time before that revolution makes boomers keenly aware of how the technology has, in some ways, pandered to our human desire to work less, think less and insulate ourselves from criticism. Perhaps it is easy for boomers to see this because they come from an era before the information revolution, giving them a more objective view about not only what has been gained, but what has been lost. Some of what has been lost may be critical to the very success of those millennials.

Today it is still hard work, critical thinking, resourcefulness, and a willingness to accept constructive criticism, and even rejection, that foster the essentials of true entrepreneurial success. Growing up in a world where information is so easy to access and people have hundreds of “friends” may have diminished the importance of valuable traits such as innovation, tenacity, and relationship building.

As childless boomers ourselves, and as successful entrepreneurs, we have dedicated ourselves to helping millennials achieve their own success. We want them to benefit not only from technology, but also from the time-tested guiding principles and standards that never change – principles which we learned too many times the hard way. We want to cut the time and money it takes to succeed in half by giving them the benefit of our experience. In the past two years we have spoken to millennials in 40 universities in three continents about the lessons we learned in the hopes that they will apply it to benefit their own endeavors. It’s not the rosy picture of super hero success that makes the news and gets all the hits and likes. It’s more about the real and imperfect world in which we live – and understanding how to best communicate with the people in it.

We give the millennials examples of our own mistakes in real life stories they can relate to. We outline the assumptions we made (much like the ones they now hold) that led us to those mistakes. We give them practical and tactical, rather than abstract and philosophical, advice so they can avoid these mistakes. We get granular and hands-on. When the millennials tell us we “connected the dots” for them, we are thrilled! We know we have made a difference with this great generation of new entrepreneurs! It’s what we as boomers have to give that will improve everyone’s future.
Technology is even better when we add in the experience of the pre-techno generation. Millennials are invited to check out our new webinar series we created especially for them. Here we share the guiding principles for success that we used building the Barefoot Wine brand. Some things never change!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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