Recently a colleague asked if I’d been on vacation, since I looked so relaxed (which speaks volumes about my usual demeanor, I guess). Laughing, I told him that it was my daughter who had been on vacation — two weeks at summer camp.

We chatted about how, as parents, we seem to have little time to take it easy and enjoy. I joked that I hoped to maintain at least the look of relaxation when my daughter returned. He just smiled and said, “Press save,” and went on his way.

Press Save.

So what does this phrase have to say to you as a manager, parent or not? Plenty! We’re still in the midst of difficult days and it’s easy to forget the fun times when we hit the office. It’s especially important that you take care of yourself now, so that not only can you survive the long haul, but also help your team do so. (more…)

If you have ever managed employees, or more specifically sales professionals, you know how delicate the balance between pushing and pulling for better performance can be. I remember when I was just starting out as a business owner. I thought that everyone I hired should be able to perform at my level. This, of course, was catastrophic when it came to my demeanor when managing my sales team; as a manager I was certainly much more of a stick man than a carrot. So how do you find that balance and what seems to work the best?

Let’s take a few realities of the typical sales professional into consideration. They tend to be hungry for recognition, are used to winning, are frequently gregarious, are horrible with paperwork, and are often less detail oriented than other folks. These general traits create havoc when trying to manage a group of individuals that don’t necessarily respond to the exact same motivation techniques. Some feed on the competition and beating out their neighbor in the next cube, while some only focus on their own wallet and could care less about what the person sitting next to them is doing. (more…)