ETIQUETTE WEEKEND #1

ETIQUETTE WEEKEND #1

If you have been following me on Twitter (@daveguerra), Facebook (facebook.com/thedavidguerra), Google+ (plus.google.com/+DaveGuerra) then you know for the past several weekends I have been posting links to websites and online articles that are all about Etiquette: Business and Personal.

Now, I am taking this one-step further. I will be posting every Sunday evening this weekend’s collection of Etiquette posts.

1. BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN GERMANY
(http://www.makeeuropeworkonline.com/focus/business-etiquette/)
From the Make Europe Work website, a short straight to the point webpage on business etiquette in Germany. The point of this page is to remind everyone the “first impression” is a lasting impression.

2. Work Email Etiquette- Blunders to Check for before pressing send
(http://www.alliedoffices.com/blog/las-vegas/work-email-etiquette-blunders-to-check-for-before-pressing-send)
The Allied Offices (Work Virtually Anywhere) blog has a great article that serves as a great big, yellow caution sign when it comes to sending email messages.

3. To break the ice, know your manners
(http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/07/19/why-manners-matter/yrMM3QFiOLj6vKb5W3KDeP/story.html)
The Boston Globe’s Etiquette at work article on the importance of knowing your manners.

4. How to behave at work: An Interview with business etiquette expert Diane Gottsman
(http://www.monster.com/blog/b/how-to-behave-at-work-0721)
Monster.com’s Interview with Diane Gottsman, founder of the Protocol School of Texas and Huffington Post etiquette writer. Five questions and fiver powerful answers. Answers that you can act on now!

5. Pinterest Etiquette: 8 Rules to Follow when Pinning
(https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/pinterest-etiquette-8-rules-pinning-211752461.html)
Pinterest is here to stay. Just like any of the modern social media site there are rules. These rules, when followed, will make you a rock star. However, fail to follow the rules of the community, well you do so at your own risk.

6. Business Etiquette Still Matters in a Casual New Business World
(http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/07/business-etiquette-matters.html)
SmallBizTrends.com article reminds the reader that with the world that encourages disconnected conversations (Skype, Facetime, Chatting, etc.) “business etiquette still matters and can be a competitive advantage for you.”

7. What is Correct Small Business Etiquette in 2014?
(http://horizonbusinessfunding.com/blog/what-is-correct-small-business-etiquette-in-2014/)
Horizon Business Funding reminds us why business etiquette is not just for the heavy hitters.

8. Gentry Want to break up? Don't do it by email
(http://www.delawareonline.com/story/onlyindelaware/2014/07/22/email-etiquette-gentry-delaware/13012043/)
The DelawareOnline website offers us great piece of advice on how to deal with others in a professional manner via email.

9. Dining Table Etiquette
(http://diningroomspaintcolors.com/dining-rooms/dining-table-etiquette.html)
One of those websites that has a collection of articles from other sites (hmmmm). This article takes a different approach to etiquette, table setting. I recommend saving this webpage and refer to it the next time you are planning a formal dinner or having someone special over for a nice meal.

10. Avoiding blunders when sharing a meal
(http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/05/31/six-perplexing-dining-etiquette-questions/43qfKCzYVy3vAXKAEtO3TI/story.html)
Another article by the Boston Globe. This time dining etiquette is the topic. Another one to save and refer back from time to time.

Please visit the links and let me know what you think.

Thank you,
David Guerra

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

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Leadership Tip: The Simplest Cure for getting out of a Rut

Leadership Tip: The Simplest Cure for getting out of a Rut.

Occasionally everyone gets into a rut. A rut is a "habit or pattern that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change." There is nothing wrong with being in a rut. Being in a rut is actually a good thing. A very good thing come to think of it.

It is a good thing in that you have to slow down and re-evaluate what you were doing to get into that rut or slump in the first place. Then you can begin working to find a solution to get you out of that rut. Once determined, you take action to make that solution a reality.

So what is the cure?

The cure is to SLOW DOWN.

Easier said than done! I know. However, I truly know no other way to get out of the rut than to slow down and work your way out of it.

One of my duty stations in the US Army was with the 197th Infantry Brigade (M) (S). The M stands for Mechanized and that meant we used Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) to move from Point A to Point B. For about six months, I was a driver of an M113 APC. That meant that I was the guy in the driver’s seat while the rest of my Infantry squad sat in the back of the APC. It was very cool driving a 13-ton APC through the South Georgia woods at Fort Benning.

When we deployed to the field, we would drive down the tank trails to get to our staging areas. On those trails there would be posted signs that read, “Don’t Track Your Buddy”

All you had to do is look down to understand what was going on. The vehicle tracks start cutting into the ground and at one point you are scraping the center underside of the vehicle against the ground (that which the tracks have not eroded).

Ruts In the Road (for this post please replace the grass with mud & the dirt with deeper mushy mud)

During most vehicle convoys, all the vehicles will come to a complete standstill, most of the time without any reason. If you find yourself tracking your buddy, you and your vehicle do not want to stop in one of those ruts. Especially, if those ruts are muddy because when the convoy starts up again you and your APC are going to sit there spinning your tracks. The vehicle’s underside is resting on the “elevated” ground and both sets of tracks are moving nothing but mud. Here is where the slowing down and working the problem comes into play.

The truth is there is not a quick and clean solution to getting a 13-ton M113 APC out of the muddy ruts. It will be a time consuming and muddy affair but it can be done.

The same applies in business and in life. As a leader, you are allowed to get into a rut. It is only human nature to fall into those ruts. However, as a leader you are expected to get yourself out from the ruts as soon as possible but do not be hasty in getting out.

If you do not think it through and try to work the problem you may find yourself right back in those ruts. Going for the quick fix is not the answer. Take your time, you worked long and hard to get to where you are now. Naturally, it will take time to get back on track.

Once back on track, remember to stay cognitive of the fact that it will happen. You are human after all.

A special notice to those Leaders that know someone that has fallen into that rut. Show them some empathy but do NOT attempt to pull them out of that rut by yourself. Let them know you are there to help but they have to get out of it by themselves. Otherwise, they will fall into that rut the first chance they get. However, this time they will blame you and they will have every right to do so.

One last time: Get all the data you need about the rut you are in. Take your time developing a plan of action. Act on the plan. Adjust accordingly. Get out of that rut!

Thank you,
David Guerra

P.S. I never got stuck in the muddy road ruts. Now getting my 13-ton vehicle at a 45° incline is a different story for a different time.


I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com


To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

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About Teacher Effectiveness???

  

I was listening to a recent NPR story, "'Building A Better Teacher': Dissecting America's Education Culture" about how teachers teach here, in the USA, versus abroad.

You are probably thinking, "Oh, here he is with that Teacher thing gain!"

If you are thinking that, well, you got that right. If you are not thinking that, well YOU BETTER!

The report mentioned that there is a "pervasive idea" that Great Teachers are born and NOT made. Just as a Great Leader can be made, Great Teaches can be made. I guess the only ones that believe that Great Teachers are born are those that go out of their way to say they are Great Teachers yet do not have the qualifications (in real life) of a Great Teacher.

Personality & Charisma vs. Technique

The report mentions that while others may say that great teaching takes Personality and Charisma but in actuality, it is the Techniques that the Teacher uses that makes them great. Guess what? Someone had to teach that Teacher the techniques that work and how to make them work effectively. There you go, a Great Teacher is made. Great Teachers recognize that in order to be great they have to do everything they can to stay great. Seriously, who wants to be irrelevant?

The NPR report mentions in the U.S. there is "A CULTURE OF PRIVACY AROUND TEACHING" and how it is the opposite in countries like Japan. 

A Culture of Privacy around teaching? Really? 

In the United States, Teachers spend most of their workday surrounded by their students. Those young minds that, essentially, know nothing and cannot hold the teacher to a higher standard. Those students look to the teacher for answers and when the teacher needs a question answered whom does he or she turn to? No one. 

In the US workplace just like in the schools (elementary, middle school, & high school) there is the daily dash to the parking lot when the last school bell rings or the work whistle blows. No one wants to stick around and chit chat. No one wants to be late going home. Of course, there are those very few exceptions but how many are the exception?

Is Mentorship the answer?

Yes, Mentorship is one of the answers. Everyone needs a mentor and everyone needs to be a mentor to somebody. However, there are not enough mentors out there just like there is not enough teachers that truly believe they need to be mentors. Why is this? Why are people afraid to share and ask for help? Why do people say they need help but refuse to be helped, especially when it will directly affect their chosen vocation?

A Science of Teaching (or Becoming A Great Teacher)

It was nice to listen that the issue of Teacher Professional Development is something that others are thinking about and actively have on their mind. Just as in every profession, being a Teacher requires taking the initiative and staying up to date with the latest news, tips, techniques, and training when it comes to becoming a Better Great Teacher.

However, some (if not many) Teachers that want to be Great but firmly believe that they will become great ONLY if their Principal or District Administration wants them to become great. Otherwise, why bother? Why bother? If it was not for the love of teaching, why did you bother becoming a teacher? Seriously! 

Guess what? You have to do it on your own. If you wait for your Principal or the District to send you out to get some Seriously High-speed Important and Timely Training, it is not going to happen. You have to give them a reason to send you. You have do a little work on your own. Imagine that?

The real issue at hand is the need for Teachers to do what they can and must do to become better at their chosen profession. That way is to become lifelong learners and that means putting in the work. Putting in the work on your own.

There is no excuse for not honing your craft. Gain new skills and refine those techniques that have made you a Great Teacher and become the Greatest Teacher of them all. However, it begins with you and aren't the kids you teach worth it?

As a Parent, I know my kids are worth having the Best of the Best Teachers teach them.

Thank you for your time,
David Guerra

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

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5 Simple Leadership Fundamentals

5 Simple Leadership Fundamentals

The leader does not have to be the boss, the leader is not automatically the person who signs your paycheck. Remember, leaders come in all shapes and sizes. Leaders come from ALL levels of the organization.

Always remember and don't ever forget; Any one can be a manager but not just any one can be a leader. It takes someone with a special kind of something to be a leader. Please do not get those two confused.

All leaders, no matter who they are or where in the organization they are ranked, share the same 5 Simple Leadership Fundamentals. Of course, there are plenty of other fundamentals but these are the Top 5.

1. The mission is bigger than the man

The mission of the organization is why the organization exists. If it were not for the company's mission and vision there would be no sense of direction and purpose. The company would just be a place where people came to "hang out" for 8 hours every day and ultimately, the organization would not last very long.

Leaders must ensure that everyone knows why the company is in business and that each stakeholder is critical to the life-cycle of the organization. The leader cannot do it all by herself, that is why she motivates others to achieve the common goal: Creating and Maintaining a Successful Organization which in turn, makes all Stakeholders Successful.

2. Do as I do is the only way to lead

A leader knows and understands that the only way to keep the people you lead motivated is to ALWAYS do as you do.

The "Do as I say" mindset is strictly reserved for those minor league managers that have not been properly taught to do, teach, and believe otherwise.

3. Create more leaders

The mission of any leader is to create more leaders. I firmly believe the truest measure of a leader and her leadership abilities is by the number of leaders she has created and is creating.

If a leader is not doing anything to foster the growth of those he serves, he's just a manager with a touch of jealousy and insecurity. That is the bottom line.

4. Treat others they way they want to be treated (with respect)

Every leader wants to be respected. Here's a little secret I want to share with you: every leader gets respect because she respects others. A real leader will respect everyone that follows him as well as those that do not follow him. Everyone gets respected by a true leader and in turn, as if by magic, everyone returns that respect. It is the classic give and take. Give respect and others will respect you.

Do as your Grandma used to tell you, "Be respectful."

5. Before you can lead, you must first learn to follow.

All leaders had to begin somewhere. All real leaders begin as followers. World War II hero and US General George S. Patton was a young plebe at West Point at one time, as was US Army General and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Former General Electric Chief Executive Officer and Author Jack Welch started with GE, in 1960, as a Junior Chemical Engineer and over the course of a twenty year career he moved to the top of the company.

Everyone must start at the bottom. Everyone must pay their dues. Everyone. Do not think about cutting corners because there is no short cut to being a leader. This applies to the children and immediate relatives of the CEO, President, or Owner of any organization, as well. Do not for one minute think you have it made. Your family elder worked, scratched, and clawed to the position they are and nothing should be just handed to you. Whether you think you deserve it or not. To truly deserve followers you must not hesitate to get into the trenches and get your hands dirty.  The only way to get into the trenches and get your hands dirty is to do so by following a leader who will show you the way.

As I mentioned, there are plenty of other fundamentals to great leadership but these 5 Simple Leadership Fundamentals I feel are the most important. All other Leadership Fundamentals, Skills, Traits, and Abilities are based on these five. 

Now, get to work.

Thank you,
David Guerra

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

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