Employment | The Barefoot Spirit

Be an Entrepreneurial Job Applicant – A Message to Grads

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:00:33 +0000

If you are a recent college grad, you may be hitting the employment market about now. You may think you are searching for a job, but maybe you should be searching for a “customer.”

“I need to pay my bills,” you say, or “I need some security,” but by changing the paradigm slightly to “I need to find a customer, or client, for my services,” you can stay in control of your career and approach the job search more effectively.

If you think of yourself as a self-employed entrepreneur you will focus more on what you do best, what your skill sets are, where your experience is, and how you can alleviate your client’s concerns. You will have to bone up on the “prospect” and distinguish yourself from the competition to land the deal.

In addition to seeing your employer as a customer for your services, you also have to consider your own reputation. All your “customers” have to benefit from, and advocate for, your services in order for you to improve your personal brand image and justify higher fees in your future. So be careful not to take on a “client” whom you cannot really help, or who cannot give you the extended experience and responsibility you need to build your reputation.

By putting yourself in your customer’s shoes you can better understand what they are really looking for in terms of (your) features and benefits. Your features and benefits should address your employer’s major concerns when hiring any new person:

False Starts. The cost of turnover is the #1 hidden cost of any business. But after a while every business becomes painfully aware of the cost of searching, vetting, and interviewing. What if it doesn’t work out? Start all over again! Have some empathy for their investment in the search itself. Selling yourself to them before there’s an opening can give you a big advantage when the time comes to hire.

Orienting and Training. If it doesn’t work out, they lose the cost of reduced production by both the trainer and the trainee. You can reduce their anxiety by becoming thoroughly familiar with how they make their money, what their biggest challenges are, and how your potential job fits into the big picture. Learn as much as you can about the company and the job before you apply. The faster they think you can get up to speed and contribute, the more likely they will be to hire you.

Production. They are naturally concerned with your ability to produce. You are pretty much an unknown for which they will take a big risk. Demonstrate your past experience at successfully overcoming steep learning curves. Get testimonials from previous employers or professors that address this specific issue.

Longevity. They worry that after they invest in training you, you will quit! If you can demonstrate that you have stayed at your previous jobs for at least two years, even if it was internships, you will relieve some of their fear.

Dependability and Responsibility. They want to believe that they can depend on you to show up, produce, meet deadlines, and take responsibility for your own actions. Show them that in the past when mistakes were made you have improved processes to prevent their reoccurrence. They want a process improver, not someone who passes on the blame.

These should be among the features you offer that will benefit your employer by reducing costs and anxiety while improving production. Take another look at the “services” you offer as if you were an entrepreneur selling them. You will be much better prepared to get the “customer” you want!

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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“Quick kid, make up your mind!”

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:07:33 +0000

High school graduation is almost here and Career Days are upon us. This is when young people are expected to focus on college, career, and beyond.

It seems like parents, relatives and other adults are always asking young people, “What are you going to do when you graduate?” This of course means, “Are you going to college?” and if so, “Where are you going? What will you major in? What will be your profession?” These and other probing questions put kids on the spot. But is it fair to put young people under pressure to make life choices at such an early age?

Being a teenager is challenging enough without the added pressure of, “Quick, kid, make up your mind!” The irony is that they don’t really have the experience and may not be prepared emotionally to make those decisions yet. How would you like to be held to the decisions you made right out of high school – for the rest of your life?

Some societies encourage or enforce some “breathing time” in the form of public service for a few years after high school. Many junior colleges and four-year colleges offer general education programs for students with a non-declared major. These practices give young people a chance to get a few years under their belt before they “have to” declare a major and “make up their minds.” We have met hundreds of professionals, entrepreneurs, and trades people whose livelihood today is far removed from their schooling, so maybe it is a good idea to hold off on major decisions.

There are many factors to consider for high school grads. In a lot of cases, the decision to go to college means moving away from home for the first time, maybe even to a new city or a new state. Then there is the cost. What to do? Borrow at high interest rates and face an ongoing liability that lasts for decades? Or take on a full or part-time job and still spend 20-30 hours per week in studies? And don’t forget the time and attention required by the car and the sweetheart!

Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California has asked us to speak to their graduating class on Career Day. This is Michael’s alma mater, and we want to give them some encouragement and direction based on our experience. We will tell them the process of going to college, all by itself, is a major skill builder. Here students will learn how to manage funds, classes, time, work, and social activities, the fundamental requirements for any career. Learning skills, including research, communication, and comprehension, can give them a distinct advantage, no matter what path they choose.

It’s OK to not declare a major right off. It’s OK to change your major. Liberal studies are the key to relationship building in any career involving sales, and benefit most management positions. And it’s a good idea to get working experience in the field you are interested in prior to deciding on your major.

What advice would you give a graduating high school student?

Who We Are

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

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Build Your Business using Guiding Principles – Part 1

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 23:46:20 +0000

Our grandparents called it “The Golden Rule.” Our parents told us to “Put yourself in the other guy’s shoes.” We call it “How would you like it?” But it’s all the same concept of fair play. Unfortunately, in our fast-paced, highly competitive business environment, this basic idea can get lost.

Starting a business feels overwhelming. It seems like there’s never enough money, time, or resources to gain traction in the marketplace. We may apply industry standards in our own business, and not even question them. Then we add our own personal standards that we inadvertently bring to our new business. Some may be counterproductive to our very success. Business consists of one decision after another, back to back, sometimes in rapid succession, and often under pressure. Is there a set of guiding principles we can weigh those decisions up against to help us make the choices that will sustain and grow our business?

While building the Barefoot Wine brand, we learned, sometimes the hard way, what those guiding principles looked like. We call them collectively, The Barefoot Spirit . They enabled us to get the advice we needed, and keep the best people. They reduced our need for capital, and increased our credit and terms. By relying on our guiding principles to make decisions, we increased sales, reduced our overhead, gained new loyal customers, and grew our brand. Since then we have found that these same principles apply to most businesses.

Over the next few posts we will examine these guiding principles and how they may benefit you. We will ask questions in four categories to uncover a series of critical decisions that can make a big difference in your success. They may seem simple at first, but as you get into them and their implications, you will realize they are anything but simple.

The questions are: How would you like it if you 1) worked for yourself, 2) extended credit to yourself, 3) sold to yourself, or 4) bought from yourself?

1. Would you work for yourself? Would you want to work for an employer who treated your labor as a commodity, trying to see how little you would work for? Would that save the company money, or lose money due to turnover and lost relationships? Or would you prefer an employer who sees people as an asset, rewarding them for performance and acknowledging their achievements? Would this increase innovation and long-term relationships? We found that people work primarily for income, recognition, personal time, and security. When we began paying for performance rather that attendance, we found our best people didn’t leave because they benefited financially from their own production. Those who were less productive were paid less and could not afford to stay. As an employer, do you acknowledge producers publically, or are you afraid they will ask for a raise? By giving time off, do you think you are losing production, or that you are increasing production with recharged and loyal people? Do you see medical and retirement benefits as a cost, or as an investment in long-term stability?

Your attitude and philosophy toward these critical aspects of business will shape the decisions you make. Next time we will examine the other questions that reveal your basic business philosophy. In the long run, if you would be happy doing business with yourself on all of these levels, you will have a big head start on the ultimate success of your company.

Who We Are

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

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KUCI Radio Show Interview

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 21:53:54 +0000

Michael discussed the history of Barefoot Wine, including the discovery of Worthy Cause Marketing and his new book, “The Barefoot Spirit” with Ann Herr, radio host for Operation Community Stimulus. This show can be heard weekly on Wednesdays on KUCI 88.9 FM in Irvine CA. It is also streamed online through www.kuci.org. The Mission of Operation Community Stimulus is to be a platform to bring together BUSINESSES-NON PROFITS-COMMUNITY LEADERS-CITIZENS to collaborate in the community. Listen to the interview here!

Who We Are

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

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Increase Your Abundance by Expressing Gratitude

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 23:21:16 +0000

Sometimes all we can see is what’s missing, what needs fixing, and what’s wrong. Although we should strive for improvement in whatever we do, we need to take time out and really take inventory of the good things in our lives.

Yes, imperfections may stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, but we still have nine good fingers. It seems like the more we notice something, good or bad, the more we give energy to it and the more it reoccurs. Just the process of giving thanks forces us to think positively about situations, occurrences and achievements that have a powerful impact on our business and lives.

When we take the time to acknowledge what is going right, we tune in with our eyes and ears for more of the same. We tend to miss opportunities if we’re bent on complaining or looking for what’s wrong.

This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in America, we chose to share some things for which we all should be thankful:

Health. Most of us are reasonably healthy, and our life expectancy has increased significantly, just in the past few decades. This means we have the opportunity to be with loved ones and share what we’ve learned over a longer period of time. We can employ new discoveries about diet and exercise that will improve our health and fitness over an extended life span.

Wealth. Most of us are living well above the poverty level, and we are certainly better off than most of the world’s population. We have inherited an incredible infrastructure from our parents. It enables us to communicate, access knowledge, travel, drink clean water, and reduce disease. Efficient commerce enables us to enjoy a higher standard of living.

Cooperation. The people we work with and depend upon give us the opportunity to make a living. Our income is dependent on customers, colleagues, vendors, employers, suppliers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. They all play a part in our wellbeing, and provide opportunities for us to sell our products, services and labor.

Friends and Family. The people who know and love us have been there over the years, giving invaluable support and encouragement. They provide us with the long-term view of what’s important and how we are growing though our experiences. These time traveling companions give us a point of reference and share the memories that keep our history alive.

Transparency. Probably the biggest change brought about by the information revolution is the new realization that we can now see where our money goes. We now have the opportunity to research the products and companies we patronize for their practices that affect our welfare, environment, and rights as a global community. Today, we can choose to do business with those we best resonate with. By using our money as our vote, we have an opportunity to improve the world.

There are many more benefits to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Let’s not just take them for granted. When we verbally acknowledge that which is most important to us, we tend to see more of it in our lives. Give it a try and see if it improves your attitude!

Well, if that hasn’t cheered you up, check out these two great videos:

From TED, this short video is on our favorite book of the year, “Abundance” by the editor of Popular Science
An oldie but goodie from the late, great Godfather of Soul, James Brown

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!

Who We Are

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

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Hire a Person with a Sense of Urgency

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 02:01:38 +0000

We have a friend in Chicago who uses a self-styled word to define the quick moves a person uses to accomplish the task at hand. He calls it “hustlative.” It stuck with us as a great descriptor for this critical attribute. It can be the difference between success and failure, especially in a start up. It can save the bottom line with the proverbial “stitch in time.”

We used to interview people to try to get a feel for where they stood on the “hustlativity” scale. Beyond their skill set, personality, or even intelligence, their ability to move quickly on a project with a sense of urgency was critical to our grossly under-capitalized and growing business.

We had to hustle, and everybody we hired had to as well. When we got a write-up in a trade journal, or won a gold medal in a wine competition, we had a print version of the announcement up on the shelf in the stores the very next day! If our salesperson got a last minute appointment with Mr. Big at 10 o’clock the next morning, our accounting people had a report in his hands before day’s end.

When we had a deadline, everyone would pitch in. Our team was aware the major advantage that our company had over the big, sluggish corporations was – we had hustle. We were lighter, faster, and able to adjust quickly to take advantage of sudden changes in the market place.

When we heard of a distributor who lost a big brand in our price point, we went to them the same day with a proposal to put our product in everywhere the brand they lost had been. Hustle meant money to us, and we built a national award-winning brand in spite of the size of our staff, the size of our competitors, and the size of our budget. Hustlative counts.

Here are three ways we used to try to determine how hustlative our job applicants were:

1. Get Water. During the interview we would ask them to go out and get us some waters. We would watch how they got up, opened the door, left the room, how long they were gone, and how they moved on their return. Were they deliberate, determined and focused, or were they unstable, slow and just shuffling along?

2. Grab a File. Later, we would ask them to get a report on the other side of the room. We could see how they executed a simple physical task, and how long it took them.

3. Take a Walk. After the interview, we would invite them to take a walk with us around a nearby lake. We would take mental notes of their cadence, posture, and balance. We walked rather quickly, and observed if they could keep up.

Their body language shouted volumes. Our experience told us that their approach to the job, with all its challenges and deadlines, would not be much different than how they used their body to perform simple physical tasks.

Looking for, finding and capitalizing on opportunities that suddenly present themselves, and approaching them with a sense of urgency, all took a great deal of hustle. We were successful because we worked as a team, and each of us was hustlative!

Who We Are

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

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The 9 Essential Elements of Mentoring

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 03:04:27 +0000

We’ve all had mentors who, one way or another, have encouraged us to live up to our potentials. Perhaps they recognized a natural talent in us that they wanted to help elevate. Perhaps they wanted to see us get ahead. We may have lost touch with our mentors, but we can certainly show our appreciation by passing it on and helping others the way they helped us.

As the principals of a successful start-up that became a well-known national and international brand, we had the opportunity to mentor many wonderful people who worked with us. We also learned by the experience. We learned how to be better mentors.

Here are what we consider to be the 9 essential ingredients of successful mentoring:

1. Sincerity. You have to really want to help make a difference in someone’s career. It can be trying at times. To stick in there long term requires a sincere level of concern.

2. Qualification. The candidate you are mentoring has to be both receptive and willing to improve. They prove this by demonstrating steady improvement over time. They have to realize and appreciate that you have their best interests at heart.

3. Investment. You have to be willing to be patient and make a long-term investment in that person. Everyone says they are fast learners, but how many examples do they need to understand the concept and apply it to new situations? The time and attention required by you will differ with each person.

4. Permission. Your apprentice naturally looks to you as an authority figure. As such, you are in a unique position to grant them permission to experiment, discover, and yes, even make mistakes. We’ve found permission to be the most important ingredient in progress.

5. Encouragement. Look for them to “get it,” master a new skill or demonstrate a more sophisticated level of judgment, and when they do, congratulate them! Tell them you knew they could do it. And when they fail, ask them what they learned and how they are going to apply it next time.

6. Communication. When they ask a question, listen for the underlying question. They may have a serious conceptual misunderstanding. Take the time to explain the details behind the concept, even though they may not have asked about that in particular.

7. Seasoning. Some aspects of what you have to teach them they may already know, or learn quickly, but some aspects can take much longer for them to understand and apply. You have to be patient and hang in there. They may not get some of what you are trying to impart until after you have left, but maybe you laid the foundation for a later epiphany.

8. Examples. We’ve found that folks respond better to real life examples from which they can draw their own conclusions than they do from a more prescriptive, text book approach. Rather than repeating the lesson, give them more examples. One will finally resonate.

9. Validation. As a mentor and authority figure, your acknowledgement, approval and appreciation are probably the most powerful tools you have. Folks want to know that they did it right and that someone they respect confirmed their success. They will then repeat that success with confidence.

People ask us what we are the most proud of. We always point to the success of the people we’ve mentored. Nothing is quite as rewarding as seeing another person avoid the pain you’ve endured and capitalize on the experience you’ve imparted when you “pass it on!”

Who We Are

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

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Landing the Perfect Job Applicant Requires Seasoned Piloting Skills

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:56:57 +0000

When we owned Barefoot Cellars and were recognized for our success, we had our excellent staff to thank. So, it is not surprising that people ask us how we found such good people. Probably the most stressful part of hiring is, as Forrest Gump’s mom said, “You never know what you’re going to get!” Hiring anxiety is well founded.

Suddenly you are faced with the loss of productivity caused by the vacancy and the urgency to get a suitable replacement. The advertising and vetting process can last weeks. There’s also the knowledge that whomever you hire will operate at 50% capacity for some unknown period of time, and so will the person who trains them. Then there’s the fear that the new hire might not work out at all – and the process will start all over again.

Is there a way to mitigate some of this cost in time, nerves, and dollars? After years of struggling with this critical challenge, we finally honed in on a successful hiring process.

Typically, we would start by running an ad, posting a job on the web, or using the services of a human resources agency. The first responses were usually a plethora of well-polished and professionally composed resumes, accompanied by glowing cover letters. The red light went on right there, because we weren’t seeing how the person presents himself. And, in any company that sells something, it’s essential to know.

Here, then, is our secret to (more) success in that hair- pulling hiring process: The 7 Steps to Hire by Wire:

1. Standard Take Off. After you have advertised and received your first batch of resumes, begin the standard vetting process. Identify the shortlist of candidates from their listed skill set, experience, and cover letter.

2. Set the Course. Check the references of the top candidates and settle on the prospects you would like to interview by phone.

3. Cruising Altitude. Call up the top candidates and give a short, standard phone interview. Ask the crucial questions.

4. CHANGE COURSE! Explain to them that the position they are interviewing for is not stand-alone, but is one of a team player. Tell them who your customers are, the products or services you provide, how your company makes money, and why this job is essential to the process.

5. Request Permission to Land. Ask them to, on one page only, summarize what you have said, how they are qualified to help the company achieve its goals, and ask them to email it to you by 5PM the following day. This gives them an opportunity to show you that they understand the job, have good comprehension and retention skills, can organize and communicate in writing, and can meet deadlines.

6. Control Tower. You will be amazed at what comes in! During a recent job interview process, we found few applicants wrote in complete, succinct sentences, comprehended what was said, stayed to one page, and met the deadline. And every applicant was a college grad with a well-written resume!

7. Cleared for Landing. Now you can clearly see who you should bring in for an in-person interview. You can learn a ton about an applicant using this email-me-back method.

This may not apply to every job, but we’ve found it provides us with qualified candidates, and saves us time and money. Put into practice, these 7 steps will help you navigate through the glare of the shining resumes. Using the phone and email prevents you from flying blind, and allows you to hire by wire.

Who We Are

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

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Put Your People on the Same Team

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 00:29:36 +0000

No matter what kind of business you think you’re in, you quickly find out you are in the personnel management business. With careful hiring, mentoring, recognition, and compensation plans, your people can be your greatest asset.

Recurrent, personnel issues can be a distraction to you and your staff. Some react to personnel problems by firing the offending parties. Occasionally this may be necessary, however the issue may be a symptom of misunderstanding how your company works.

This is why it’s so important to address the main areas that can permit or actually cause personnel issues:

1. Hiring. Before you are dazzled by a stellar resume with the perfect skill set for your opening, consider the individual’s ethics, motives, and team outlook. Do they think they should be paid whether or not you are paid, or whether or not the company satisfies its customers? Are they bringing an agenda to work that has nothing to do with the job? Do they want to get paid for attendance or for production? Are they willing to take responsibility for their own behavior or are they looking to blame and complain?

2. Orientation. Don’t just show them the lunchroom and the bathroom. Show them where the funds come from that pay their salary, benefits, and bonuses. Give them an info graphic that traces the money from your customer, through your sales people, to cover your overhead and eventually pay them. Show them how their job affects the bottom line. Show them how everybody else’s job affects their paycheck. It’s easier to look beyond a co-worker’s personality when they know how everyone fits into the big picture.

3. Compensation. Most compensation plans are based on an hourly rate, which is paying for attendance, not necessarily production. Consider offering bonuses based on sales, cost reductions, and customer retention. Give them a financial reason to help the team perform. With the ideal compensation system, non-producers can’t afford to work for you and producers can’t afford to leave.

4. Mentoring. The time and attention you put into a new hire pays off. Listen to their questions. Clear up quickly any misconceptions about processes and interrelationships. Instead of narrowing down their focus, broaden their outlook to include their co-workers and the larger processes at work. Help them establish priorities. Seeing the big picture keeps the focus on their careers and performance rather than personnel issues.

5. Acknowledgement. A great way to build team spirit is to send out written acknowledgements or make an announcement when a person does something that positively affects business. We did this on each employee’s anniversary. Your people will gain more respect for their co-workers’ value as a team member. It is great when your employees can be friends, but respect and appreciation for their interdependence can be more effective in reducing personnel issues.

When your people know how their check gets to them, how they depend on their teammates, and how their bonuses are affected by the company’s performance, they are more likely to all pull together. Then you can focus on the journey and not the pebble in your shoe.

Who We Are

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

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7 Tips to Being Proactive – the Key to Job Advancement

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 02:32:36 +0000

People ask us how to know when administrative people “own” their jobs. What behavior convinces us that we can depend on them? How do we know when they take responsibility for the outcomes related to their performance? When can we stop worrying about them and stop micromanaging them?

It’s when they become proactive.

One dictionary defines proactive as “the ability to initiate change rather than reacting to events.” Another says “Proactive employees generally do not need to be asked to act, nor do they require detailed instructions.”

Anticipate a need and take the action necessary while preempting undesirable consequences. That is what we look for. Sounds simple, but it’s a tall order. “Proactive” is not generally taught in school, yet it is required to get ahead. Being proactive can be the difference between administrative and clerical.

If you are looking to advance in your job, here are seven tips to becoming proactive:

1. Be a Conceptual Learner. Everybody needs examples, but after a while you should be able to extrapolate the concept from one learning lesson into a similar situation. If you know how to put out the Bar-B-Que fire with a fire extinguisher, don’t let the place burn down from a kitchen fire, even though you weren’t shown how to use the fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

2. Grasp the Big Picture. Understand who in the organization depends on you and why. Understand and calendar all the big deadlines, strategic and tactical, that depend on your performance. Ask questions until you know how your job relates to the income of the business. You can’t take pre-emptive action unless you understand the big picture.

3. Prioritize. Zero in on the time-sensitive tasks and do them first. Don’t wait to be told. Bring your calendar to meetings and listen for deadlines. Anticipate what must be done to meet them.

4. Develop a Sense of Urgency. “I’ve got a call in” is not enough. Regularly check back with people key to the deadline. It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the attention. Be sure to thank them when they do get back and tell them why you appreciate it.

5. Verbally Acknowledge. When you receive a lesson, don’t just sit there, say something. It’s OK to ask questions because it shows you want to get the job done. And if you do get it, say it back to them in your own words so they are reassured.

6. Track Your Progress. To give a good progress report you must know the goal and all the deadlines required to get there. So keep track of where you are on your projects, and give your boss a frequent update.

7. Pick up the Pace. Identify the areas that seem to slow you down. Ask for special training in those areas. This sends your boss a message that you want to work smarter, faster and more effectively. A good boss will realize that the one-time cost of what you need pales in comparison to your increased production.

At the end of the day, it’s all about taking action that convinces your boss she doesn’t have to worry about you. Show her that you are a self-starter and have the company’s best interests at heart. When she’s asked about you, she’ll say, “I can rely on Mary, she’s on top of it”.

Who We Are

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

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