Tom Cooper

Does your HR team increase your profits? Here’s how!

April 24, 2013 by Tom Leave a Comment

Is your HR driven by paperwork and compliance?
There’s a key link between HR and direct customer care?
What are the simple keys to increasing profits through HR?

In today’s podcast we dig deeply into these issues and talk about how HR can act as a strategic enabler to your business.

Is it possible for HR to really support you in your vision? We’re not talking about “old school HR thinking” (blocking and tackling to make sure that you don’t get sued) – We’re talking about how HR can add huge value to your bottom line. You won’t want to miss this one.

Today I have the privilege of interviewing Karen Usher from TPO, Inc

Karen Usher is the Founder and Chairman of TPO, Inc. During her career Karen has worked with hundreds of executive teams to help them improve their leadership and achieve their business goals through the people they employ.

Her career combines change management, HR leadership, and entrepreneurship, even founding her first of three companies in 1981. Karen leads the firm’s strategic planning and is practice leader for TPO’s succession planning services.

The “4 Keys to Strategic HR” checklist can be found here:

Why your training budget is a total waste of money & 3 keys to fix it

March 18, 2013 by Tom Leave a Comment

Back in the days when I was a manager overseeing tech folks, a team member came to me about a training class she wanted to take.

It was relevant to her work, and we had the budget to do it. She was hard working and smart, and I wanted to keep her, but I said no. Why?

As a boss I had spent a lot of money over the years sending people to training classes which were a total waste of time and money.

I have since learned the key to making training programs an incredible investment for companies, and learned exactly what I had been doing wrong.

The goal of training is:

For team members to gain critical skills and
To use those skills to help move the business forward.

We’re talking about getting people to change what they DO after a class.

According to persuasion expert Dr. BJ Fogg of Stanford University, there are three elements in getting people to change.

Motivation – Why do they want to change?
Ability – Do they have the skills and opportunity to change?
Triggers – What will remind them to use the skills and motivation?

Keys to successful change — The keys to making change really stick

Motivation

The person must have some motive to do things differently.

WII-FM

Everyone’s favorite radio station is WII-FM – “What’s In It For Me?”

Why do they want these new skills? What do they want? How will having these skills help them get it? What’s wrong with what they are doing now?

BEFORE the class, as you’re deciding whether to pay for it, invest some time thinking about what’s in it for the team member.
Ask them to think about why they are motivated to do this.

Ability

Will the class teach the skills your team member needs?

This is what most training programs focus on. Specific skills in a particular area. Most of the time training companies do a decent job of this – but not always. It’s a good idea to make sure that the topics are relevant and that there’s a refund policy if the class doesn’t deliver the value promised.

Triggers

How will the team member remember to use those new skills instead of “what they have always done?”

I have rarely seen any formal system or program to help team members with this part of the puzzle. We all know that accountability matters. Having someone who can help you overcome your resistance and to whom you are accountable makes the difference between success and failure.

Champion athletes do this. Weight Watchers has used this principle to build an almost $2B business. It works.

We have an easy answer!

We offer a system tuned to adult learners – triggers to help them remember what they were supposed to be doing, accountability programs and support with open Q&A to help them firm up their grasp on those new skills.

Coaching
Post-training support
Ongoing educational system
Deep Dive techniques
Accountability

Back to the story

Getting back to my team member, six months before her request I had sent her to a different class. After that class I didn’t see her apply a single thing that was supposed to have been taught in the class!

I had observed this with her before, too. I think that I failed her. I don’t think that anyone had ever set an expectation for her that she would be held accountable to USE the skills taught in the class. I had that expectation in my mind, but I didn’t communicate that to her – until I told her why I was saying no.

Without a comprehensive system of Motivation, Ability, and Triggers, you’re probably wasting those training dollars.

Give me a call to talk about how I can help you with

Project/Program management,
Leadership Development,
Strategic Planning,
Product Management,
Communications, and more.

We offer a powerful system that will equip your team with skills and empower them to perform in amazing ways.

CEOs – Promote your tech business like Apple – 6 secrets your PR team won't tell you

March 13, 2013 by Tom Leave a Comment

Welcome to this installment of the Tech CEO Essentials podcast.

Today I’m interviewing Dan O’Brien from Tech Image.

Dan is a marketing and PR expert with roots in the advertising world, and was behind the major rebranding campaign turning Andersen Consulting into the recognizable Accenture brand.

In today’s discussion, Dan addresses key questions that CEOs need to think about:

What does the public see when they look at your company?
What stands in the way of a successful communications program?
Where is the best bang for the buck in marketing?
What are today’s trends in PR – How can executives really benefit from them?
How can you use new technology to tell your company story?

Audio only version below

Dan also has included Tech Image’s checklist of PR best practices: 6 simple areas to check to make sure that you’re getting the most from your marketing. These are your six secrets to PR success!

About Dan O’Brien

Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

As Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Dan O’Brien thoroughly enjoys the power of positioning in growing client brands, using the most advanced digital techniques available today. With a pulse on the marketplace and technology trends, Dan likes to collaborate with clients to align their programs with their audience’s media behavior. This always includes a unique combination of highly effective rich media content and distribution channels that together accelerate awareness, adoption and results. Dan believes PR has never been more measurable, interesting and fun!

He previously owned his own PR and marketing agency, was the global director of advertising for Accenture and led a number of blue chip accounts as a Senior Vice President at J. Walter Thompson. He holds a Masters in communications from Eastern Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree from Bradley University.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Coach?

March 12, 2013 by Tom 2 Comments

How Much Does Coaching Cost?

That’s a question I get all the time. The answer is: it depends!

The cost for these services depends on the level of service that you’re looking for. As you might expect, coaches charge more based on two factors:

How much time they spend working with you personally (or with people on our team) and
The value that they bring to your organization. Frankly, if you’re running a larger organization, you’re going to pay more for the help of a coach.

Three Basic Models For Coaching

Group coaching
Individual coaching
Organizational coaching

1. Group Coaching

Group coaching helps you get an outside perspective from your peers once a month or quarterly, usually for a full day at a time.

In group coaching the executive joins a roundtable of other executives, usually in similar size businesses, and usually outside your industry. These programs can be as inexpensive as a few hundred dollars a month, but generally it will run between $1,000 and $2,000 per month for a year long program.

If that sounds expensive to you, there are programs available through departments of economic development or the SBA to provide low or no cost mentoring to small businesses.

2. Individual Coaching

In individual coaching, the executive meets personally with their coach on a weekly or biweekly basis. The job of the coach is to help you get out of your own way. A great coach should ask you tough questions that will make you think differently. For example – I recently asked a client – “You really believe that your industry is reactive. Why do you believe that? Are new problems coming up all the time, or the same old problems? Could you develop standard approaches to each ‘old’ problem?”

Sessions last about an hour, and you should expect that the coach will not leave you comfortable.

You should expect to have some “homework” between sessions – to help dig deeper and think more about the items covered in the session with your coach.

Many coaches work on an hourly fee basis. You should expect to pay as much as you’d pay for an attorney. A Harvard Business Review article from 2009 says that coaching may be as inexpensive as $200/hour up to $3,500/hour.

I work with clients on a fixed fee basis. My clients know exactly what it will cost each month, not matter how much they call me.

3. Organizational Coaching

In other cases, executives want to make investment not only in a single leader, but also want to bring in a customized program which will align their lieutenants with the senior leaders and help all of them to grow.

In engagements like this, fees can run from $15,000 to over $100,000 per year depending on the number of people in the programs.

These programs may include: Individual coaching for some executives, group coaching for leadership teams, team building programs, development programs on leadership, communications, problem solving, strategic planning, tactical planning, and more. Programs may involve weekly, monthly and quarterly sessions with different team members, and it’s all based on bringing the best program your budget allows.

Is Executive Coaching Worth The Money?

That depends, too. The key factors in success are:

Does your coach “fit” with the team? and
Is your team open to trying new things?

If your coach connects with the team members, and the team is open to learning and trying new things, there can be a HUGE payoff.

Make sure that when you talk to a potential coach that you ask them how they can help you find the answers to those questions.

I follow an on boarding process. What I find is that about half the time there’s a good fit and I can help. about half of the time it’s not a good fit and I can refer you to someone else or suggest a more effective course of action than coaching.

Coaching Return on Investment (ROI)

What do you get for your money? A 2003 study from Metrix Global showed an ROI of 788% – that means for every dollar invested in executive coaching, study participants reported organizational results of almost eight dollars!

Here are some more stats from the International Coaching Federation’s 2009 study on Coaching Effectiveness.

by swrightcreative.

Who are the best executive coaches in Montgomery County MD? (Reviews/Ratings)

March 11, 2013 by Tom 1 Comment

I meet with business leaders all the time who want to make their company stronger and better.

Leaders like you want to take their team to the next level. Many times people want to know who else does what I do, too.

I’m a firm believer that you need a coach, and I want to help you find the right coach for you.

List of local coaches

Lowell Nereberg – Lowell ran companies before and shepherded them as they grew. He has tremendous experience to help you and your team as you are making important decisions.
Debbie Zients – With The Alternative Board – Debbie offers a program for entrepreneurs who participate in roundtables to help each other.
Ken Gosnell – Founder of the local chapter of C12 – a forum for Christian business owners – provides a place for business leaders who believe that their faith is an important component of their business and are looking for encouragement and support.
Laurie Maddelena – Bringing a background of leadership in the financial services industry, Laurie connects with business leaders through what she calls “success circles.”
Tony Mayo – I have heard Tony Mayo speak, and have seen his work with clients. He brings a powerful prospective and helps leaders with focus. He’s a smart guy, and can do you good.
Ingar Grev – I have watched Ingar work with a client who was in the process of creating a significant plan for leadership alignment in a partnership. He does a fine job with balancing the “ideal future state” with the realities of operations while making improvements.

There you have it – six potential places to turn to look for an executive coach. We all need an outside perspective. Who is YOUR coach?

Keys to a great coach experience:

1. Find someone you trust – having an emotional connection is important.

2. Find a coach who helps you think outside your box.

3. Find a coach who will call BS on your BS. Holding you accountable.

Hopefully you’ll find a fantastic coach and see your business really soar to new heights!

What’s the biggest problem you’re facing in growing your business?

Post a comment below or send me an email!

Dan Pink’s "Pixar Pitch" is really rich!

February 19, 2013 by Tom 2 Comments

I’ve been in a group mastermind this month, focused on Dan Pink’s (#DanielPink) new book: To Sell is Human

It’s fantastic. One of the things he talks about is how to “pitch” ideas. He describes the “Pixar Pitch” which is the formula that Pixar uses for their stories.

Here’s the formula:

Once upon a time
Every Day
One day
Because of that
Because of that
Until finally

It’s the pattern of all Pixar movies.

Here’s my story in “Pixar Pitch” format

Once upon a time, many years ago I was young geek who worked on software and IT projects.
Every day I watched too many good people and good projects fail to meet business goals.
Have you ever seen failed projects at work? It hurts, doesn’t it?
One day I discovered the secret to successful projects.
I learned that leadership is the key to effectively moving people and delivering business value.
Because of this I began to study what it means to be a leader and how to lead others effectively. I learned that leadership is a skill that can be learned, and over time I practiced those skills and became a better leader.
Because of this new awareness, I began to see that few tech leaders understood this secret. Few of them ever study these types of skills. I really wanted to help them learn what I learned.
Until finally I created a business with to help tech leaders get more from their teams. Would you like to know how I do it?

Can I help you?

What do you think?

240-668-4799