Quick Hits

Why do we believe that it’s OK to do 2x the work but not OK to have a separate job?

A little context: Several weeks ago, I asked my Quick Hits panelists if it was fraudulent for someone to have two full-time, work-from-home jobs. 

The panel was split between employers who felt it was fraudulent and employees who said that they should be able to have a second job as long as they could do them both well. 

A commenter on my YouTube channel asked why it would be OK for a company to pay a productive employee the same rate as a less satisfactory employee, but not OK if that same employee gets a second job at another company. 

I immediately understood what this commentator was saying. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I worked at a bank. I got an hourly paycheck just like everyone else. 

My job was to process incoming wire transfers and answer the phone. I was always at the top of leader-board. But when bonuses came out, the company gave them to people at the bottom to help “motivate them.” 

What it did instead was discourage me and make ask why I even bothered to keep working so hard?

I put that commenter’s challenging question to my panelists Atif Agha, Jim Tam, Philip Tate and Lauren Schieffer. 

Our conversation focused on the nature and value of work — in other words, a company that provides meaning and purpose won’t have to worry about employees seeing work elsewhere. 

What do you think? What do "we" think nothing of someone working really hard for the same pay be balk at the idea that they might do a satisfactory job?

Connect with the panelists:
Atif Agha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifagha/ 
Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/ 
Philip Tate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiptateaprfellowprsa/
Lauren Schieffer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenannschieffer/
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 #workfromhome   #fraud

How much emotion is too much for a public or work setting?

When I worked in the corporate world, I knew that as a woman I wasn’t allowed to get angry. That wasn’t a thing. In an attempt to control that anger, sometimes I would get so frustrated that I would end up in tears. 

(Men, on the other hand, don’t seem to have this problem. They get angry at work and it seems to be OK). 

I often think about how businesses can create a professional environment where people can express their emotions in a healthy way — where they don’t suppress their natural emotions, but also don’t use their emotions to poison the workplace, like the toxic manager screaming and banging his fist on the table to intimidate his employees. 

I spoke with my guests Ed Samuel, Dr. Mohan Ananda and Karen Loomis about when emotional expression is appropriate in the workplace, the role gender dynamics play and whether it’s enough just to have good intentions.

“What’s the real intent? If the intent is to hurt, I’m not a fan. If the intent is to show boat, I’m not a fan. But if the intent is true and it’s in the right place and the right time, I’m okay with it.” Ed Samuel, career coach at Sam Nova.

“If someone shows a positive attitude, I think that will encourage others to work together…if you show stress or fear, that will inhibit not only your work, but the team’s work.” Dr. Mohan Ananda, entrepreneur and author

“I don’t think it’s ever acceptable to lost control, lose your composure and to be excessive.” Karen Loomis, founder of No Moss Brands, professor.

Where do you think the line is between not bottling up and too much at work?

Connect with the panelists:
Dr. Mohan Ananda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohanananda/ 
Karen Loomis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kloomis/ 
Ed Samuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edsamuel/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com 

 #work #Ethics #Emotions

How do you decide if something should be done via email, text, phone or social media?

There are so many ways to communicate, hundreds within social media alone. The one you choose can greatly impact your personal and professional life, especially when you work with a number of different clients.

You might text if it’s a real time issue. 

You might email if you need to send a longer message. 

You might text to forewarn your client that you’ll be sending a long email.

You might just default to the client’s preferred method. 

My three panelists each have an extensive client base which puts them face to face with this issue every day. We enjoyed a wide ranging conversation on how to pick the right means of communication in a given situation. 

“Some people I know don’t use email regularly, so I will send a text saying I sent an email.”(Alexi Bracey, Dementia Prevention Coach)

“Some people appreciate over-communication.” (Janice Dru-Bennett, entrepreneur & tech adviser)

“Whatever the client’s modality is, that’s what I try to match.” (Doug Crow, Author your Brand)

How do you decide how to get in touch with someone?

Connect with the panelists:
Doug Crowe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedougcrowe/ 
Alexi Bracey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexi-bracey-34935a7/ 
Janice Dru-Bennett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicedru/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#Quick Hits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com 

 #SocialMedia #CallOrText

What is the difference between asking and begging?

Gary Fredericks, Tim Hawkes and Connie Whitman are all major players in the sales game because they own their own businesses. They know that when questions start to feel sleazy and manipulative, that’s when asking has crossed the line into begging. 

On this edition of Quick Hits, they share their thoughts on how we can avoid crossing that line.We also discuss specific situations, such as our encounters with homeless people soliciting for money. Why is that begging and not asking?“

There are legitimate questions…and as you get more and more desperate, you start asking the begging questions.” (Gary Fredericks, CEO of On Point Partners)

“It’s not actually about begging or asking. It’s more about how influenceable you are with the whining and the desperation.” (Tim Hawkes, managing director of Unlimited Potential)

“Magic happens when we ask a question that isn’t desperate. Questions are your magic wand. The clearer our questions are, the clearer we understand the other person.” (Connie Whitman, CEO of Changing the Sales Game)

What makes begging different from asking for you? 

Connect with the panelists:
Tim Hawkes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhawkes/ 
Connie Whitman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conniewhitman/ 
Gary Fredericks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyfredericks/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com 

#AskingOrBegging #Questions

Why do orgs move non-performers, under-performers & toxic managers around rather than firing them?

I put this question to career coach Ed Samuel, business adviser Stewart Wiggins and IT Professional Atif Agha. 

Our conversation came back to one core principle: It’s all about leadership. 

Specifically the cultural priorities set by an organization’s leadership. They might retain toxic managers if (1) they make their decisions based on teammate surveys which hinge on the manager being ‘well-liked’; Or (2) they empower managers to drive their employees to the ground as long as they make the company’s bottom line. 

How can organizations avoid making decisions that lead them to retain such toxic people? What should they prioritize instead?

Listen in and let us know what you think. 

“Some organizations create this crazy dynamic that says being liked as a leader is more important than doing the right thing.” (Ed Samuel)

“It’s indicative of the organization itself. Those companies don’t develop people to prepare them for their role. We have to have the courage to sit down and talk to someone when they aren’t performing in alignment with our core values.” (Stewart Wiggins)

“People matter. That’s the most important thing. That’s how you build a culture where people stay and choose to stay. It comes down to individual leaders building their teams right.” (Atif Agha)

Have you ever been in a situation where someone should have been moved out but they were moved around? What do you think caused it?

Connect with the panelists:
Atif Agha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifagha/ 
Stewart Wiggins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-wiggins/ 
Ed Samuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edsamuel/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

#pinkslip #leadership

How do you lead a team of experts when you don’t understand what they do?

I worked with someone once who said that it was his job to provide people with air support so that they could do their jobs. 

In other words, the best leaders know that they don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. They just have to know how to direct their team’s expertise so that everyone moves towards the same goal. 

Dr. Mohan Ananda, Jim Comer, JC Glick and Annette Richmond have all advised and worked closely with leaders across a variety of fields and they all agree that great leaders tend to have two core qualities: attentiveness and humility.

“It’s not just the expertise, it’s the integrity of the person. You should be more of a listener rather than telling them what to do.” (Dr. Mohan Ananda)

“The most important thing I can say to anyone on the team is, ‘I don’t understand. What do you mean?’” (Jim Comer)

“Even if I think I know what people do, it’s important to say that maybe I don’t know what I think I know. Humility is really important.” (JC Glick)

“Listen and learn.” (Annette Richmond)

Have you either had to lead experts or been the expert with a boss who had no idea what you do? How did that work? 

Connect with the panelists:
Annette Richmond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetterichmond/
JC Glick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcglick/ 
Jim Comer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcomer/ 
Dr. Mohan Ananda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohanananda/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com 

#leadership  #expert

What does it mean to feel guilty and what do you do with that feeling?

We set standards for the kind of person we expect ourselves to be. When we feel that we haven’t done everything possible to meet those standards, we can find guilt settling in and making a home for itself deep in our chests. 

But we have to ask ourselves: Who sets those standards? Where do they come from? And most importantly: Do they matter? 

Are we just judging ourselves based on someone else’s expectations? Sometimes other people’s expectations are nonsense. (Dare I say most times?)

Joining the discussion are author, book coach and speaker Doreen McGettigan; Dr. Bob Choat, who works with executives on mental transformations, and Christopher Jerjian, who has worked in commercial real estate for 30 years and focuses on creating spaces for small businesses.

Some takeaway quotes:“At first I was trying to over excel…and everyone was saying, ‘No, it’s OK.’ And that was making me feel even guiltier because I felt like I was making everybody work harder.” (Doreen McGettigan)

“As humans, we need to feel like we’re in control all the time. We plan out lives and if things don’t work out, it makes us feel bad. ‘I thought I should have done this but something happened.’ (Dr. Bob Choat)

"For me, the biggest form of guilt is when someone asks for help and for different reasons you’re not able to give it. I’ll ask myself, ‘Could I have done something more?’ Sometimes the answer is, ‘Yes, you’re being selfish,’ and sometimes the answer is no.” (Christopher Jerjian)

What does it mean to you to "feel" guilty?

Connect with the panelists:
Christopher Jerjian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjerjian/ 
Doreen McGettigan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreen-mcgettigan-b4537a26/ 
Dr. Bob Choat: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobchoat/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 #guilt #shame

How do you tell existing customers you are raising your prices?

Inflation or otherwise, sometime you have to (and should) raise your prices. But what about existing customers? Do they pay the new price or get to stay with the lower one?

There is something to be said for loyalty. And if they have a contract, you likely won't be changing it.

But when the contract renews, or if they don't have a contract in place, how do you tell them your prices are going up?

At the grocery store they just slap a new price on and let you be shocked about it. You can't really do that in a service business. 

Fortunately, I got to ask three guys who have many years of experience pricing their services how they handle it. Jim Tam, Mario P Fields and Mike Sicuranza.

Have you ever raised your price for an existing customer? How did you do it?

Connect with the panelists:
Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/ 
Michael Sicuranza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsicuranza/ 
Mario P. Fields: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariopfields/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com 

#pricefreeze #inflation

How do you decide if you should quit vs being resilient?

This is an age-old question. You don’t want to stop digging two feet from a gold mine. You also don’t want to spend years and obscene amounts of money to did up a whole mountain only to learn there is no gold.

You don’t want to chase your loses and put good money after bad. You do want to be one of those success stories who is an “overnight success” after ten years of scraping by. 

Common advice says to “fail fast.” But that means quitting. We also hear “never give up.” Those two things seem diametrically opposed to me.

I don’t have a concrete answer that always works so I decided to ask a panel of people from diverse backgrounds what they do.

Jesse Carrie, Keji Moses, Pascal Derrien and Chuck Groot were kind enough to share their experience and ideas with me. 

How do you decide when to quit and when to keep forcing yourself forward? 

Connect with the panelists:
Pascal Derrien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalderrien/ 
Chuck Groot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-groot-b5763b25/ 
Keji Moses CMgr FCMI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keji-moses-mcmi-61aaa6180/ 
Dr Jesse Carrie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-carrie-70765036/
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com #neverquit #KeepGoing #failfast

How do you deal with the guilt of quitting?

I don't know about you but I have a lot of "stuff" about giving up, quitting, not seeing things through. But working for myself, I've had to get over that and stop doing things more times than I can count.

I wondered how other people dealt with that and this panel came through with some great responses.

Pascal Derrien kicked us off by saying there shouldn't be guilt about stopping. If something isn't working for you, is no longer taking you in the direction you need to go, just stop.

Keji Moses pointed out that guilt is often causes by worrying about what other people will think. 

And Jesse Carrie observed that people move on a lot faster from thinking about us and what we are doing than we do ourselves (meaning we hold onto the guilt of that other people think longer than they think about us).

"Life is too short to be worrying about hitting our heads against the wall. Stopping is not necessarily a bad thing." Wise words from Chuck Groot. 

All of that in just the first four minutes!

How do you get over the guilt of quitting? I'm still not good at it so if you have advice, I'd love to hear it in the comments. 

Connect with the panelists:
Pascal Derrien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascalderrien/ 
Chuck Groot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-groot-b5763b25/ 
Keji Moses CMgr FCMI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keji-moses-mcmi-61aaa6180/ 
Dr Jesse Carrie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-carrie-70765036/ 
Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

#QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me.