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manuj’s blog

January 3, 2022

11 Questions Corporate Executives Need Answers for

11 Questions Corporate Executives Need Answers for

Question 1: I am doing a lot of good work – but it is going unnoticed and people are not taking any action based on my work

Answer: Trust me on this, you’re not alone. Many business owners and C-level executives are doing a lot of good work but are still unnoticed. You know, I have once worn those shoes and I know how bad that could hurt. 

However, there is a number of probable reasons why this is happening:

  • You’re not blowing your own trumpet.
  • You’re yet to leverage the power of the internet and social media.
  • Your team does not understand what you do.
  • You’re yet to define your target audience.
  • You’re not crafting messages that particularly meet the needs of your target audience.
  • You’re not quick on hopping on opportunities.
  • Your marketing strategies are outdated or very inconsistent.
  • Your contents are not engaging and do not appeal to your audience’s emotions.
  • You’re not monitoring your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as you should.
  • Your contents usually don’t contain clear call-to-action(CTAs).

There are probably so many other reasons why you’re not getting the recognition you want. 

I can help you address these issues, but this can best be done in a systematic framework. Here, I will diagnose your particular concerns and roll out concise solutions to solve them. I always tell my potential clients; time wasted is money ignored.

Question 2: I do not know how to get buy-in from my board members

Answer: Getting buy-in generally entails understanding a lot about the thoughts and desires of the person we want the buy-in from. 

Everyone has their belief systems and experiences that shape their actions and what they want to. 

To convince them to understand what you think or the solutions you offer, entails getting into their belief systems and reshaping them using storytelling and emotional appeal. 

Getting buy-in from board members can also involve getting them in problem-solving and decision-making. Involving people in problem-solving, be it gathering facts or getting suggestions for potential actions, is very useful.

Are you tired of having a ‘bored board’? Did you know that your board of directors if built correctly should be a reflection of your membership and your community?

Here are 8 vital tips that can facilitate getting a better buy-in from board members:

  1. Recruit the right people on your board and give them a thorough orientation.
  2. Your board must know what value your organization brings to the community to be a voice for it.
  3. Make sure they understand all the pieces of your organization and how they function together.
  4. When meetings are scheduled, ensure every member of the board is informed duly and has every vital information they need for the meeting, ahead of time.
  5. Allow them to contribute at the policy level. Quit the ‘show and tell’ style.
  6. Keep your board actively engaged in the day-to-day work of the organization. Don’t only connect at meetings!
  7. Have periodic networking opportunities for the board. Feel comfortable splitting them into smaller groups and having them generate various ideas.
  8. Learn to recognize their presence at events, programs, or functions. Also, acknowledge their contributions.

Question 3: I am intimidated by social media and virtual online presence

Answer: Of what use is having products and services without it getting to the final consumers? Marketing is a great way to put a word to the world about what you have to offer and what stands your business out from competitors. 

In modern times, traditional marketing forms are gradually becoming outdated, and everyone seems to be glued to the internet and most especially, social media platforms. In short, recent studies found that 50% of the global population is using social media, that is, over 3.8 billion people. 

Also, another study in 2019 found that social media users spend at least 2 hours 24 minutes. From this, you can tell that any business that isn’t leveraging the bountiful power of social media is missing a whole lot! 

There’s absolutely nothing to be intimidated by in the use of social media and building a strong online presence. There’s social media for everyone and every type of business. 

Business owners should be ready to invest in employing the right people to manage their social media platforms and promote their products and services, as well as create a social media marketing strategy that aligns with business goals and objectives.

Question 4: I do not have faith in my board leadership or vice versa

Answer: Not having faith in your board leadership can be a big deterrent to the growth and expansion of your company. However, it is very important to understand why this distrust exists. If your reasons hold water, then, there’s probably a need for changing the board leadership as soon as possible, as having the right people on the board would greatly foster the company’s success. And having differing opinions on issues won’t be in the best interest of the company.

To build faith in your board, and have your board build faith in you in turn, here are 5 helpful tips you could employ:

  1. Understand your board’s perspective and motivation
  2. Cultivate relationships with your board members outside the board meetings
  3. Set expectations about communication
  4. Communicate proactively and transparently
  5. Nurture relationships among board members by helping board members work together.

Question 5: My board and CEO approves of my work and appreciate it

Answer: Yes! Being recognized and appreciated by the board and CEO is an awesome sign of how great you are at what you do. Moreover, that’s not all. You can become a leading authority or expert in your field of endeavor. How? You need my service as an executive coach to push your brand to the next enviable height.

Here are 6 important questions to ask oneself while trying to build a personal brand:

  1. In which areas of work do I excel?
  2. What motivates me?
  3. What characteristics have others complimented me on?
  4. Which projects have others had to help me with repeatedly?
  5. Which roles seem to drain my energy?
  6. Which projects can I spend hours on without feeling overwhelmed or tired?
  7. Answering these questions correctly is the first step in creating a personal brand.

Recommended to watch: Five tips to consider before hiring a consultant.

Question 6: I think I know everything

Answer: Honestly speaking. no one person knows everything. We know a little about everything and everything about something. This brings us to realize that we can be experts in one field but not all. 

Trust me, building a startup from the ground level up to the level of fortune 500 companies isn’t easy, it comes with so many sacrifices, including having to lend from the expertise of an executive coach (and this is where I come into the picture). 

Here are 3 Tips to bear in mind while debugging this ideology:

1. Knowledge is limited

No matter how well-traveled, educated, or well-exposed you think you are, there’s always something you know very little about. As humans, our knowledge is very limited. And as a business owner aiming to be a global brand, there is no room for entertaining these sorts of limitations. Thus, getting help and knowledge from others is vital.

2. The world is fast-evolving

You’re probably born a millennial in the 20th century, but you’re currently running a business in the 21st century, with GenZ’s as part of your customer base. When you were young, social media was not a big thing. At the moment, social media is everything! How do you close this knowledge gap? Of course, the world is rapidly evolving, thus, it’s important to consider getting help from other people, as what you know is never enough.

3. You don’t have to make all the mistakes

A popular saying goes, “A wise man learns from his mistakes; while a smart man learns from the mistakes of others.” By engaging the expertise of an executive coach, you’re learning from my 25 years of wealth of experience, and this would ensure you don’t repeat the same mistakes I made. And this makes your growth even faster. 

Question 7: I do not know how to make emotionally engaging content or presentations

Answer: Content is the king of every brand! It’s pertinent that businesses learn how to create powerful and engaging content, and create a content marketing strategy that would skyrocket the sales of their products and services. There are various types of contents businesses can make – blog posts, emails, graphics, videos, pictures, whiteboard presentations, and many others. Different types of content suit better for different types of businesses.

It is very important to know how to create emotionally engaging content and presentations. Here are 3 important questions to ask  yourself:

  1. Who is my target audience?
  2. What struggles/problems do they face and how can I help them solve them?
  3. What is the best way I can present it to my audience?

On targeting your audience, every business must understand that no business can be for everyone. Yes, your business might proffer a range of services that vary in price and exclusiveness, yet it is still not for everyone. While targeting your audience, it’s important to identify the age, demographics, gender, and economic status of those most likely to be fascinated by what you have to offer. 

Identifying your target audience is very important because having well-prepared content in the face of the wrong audience is a thorough waste of the company’s content marketing efforts.

To this end, most organizations try as much as they can not misfire by creating an Avatar or what is more commonly known as a ‘customer persona’. This enables companies to picture one person while crafting all contents on social media, their websites, emails, and so on. It also enables them to address their customers in one precise tone known as a ‘brand voice.’

While creating a customer persona, understanding what needs your target audience has, what struggles they face and how your company, products, and services can be of help to them.

This is true of great importance while trying to create content.

When you’ve identified your target audience, creating a customer persona, the next step is to decide on what content type appeals most to them. The kind of content that appeals to older people doesn’t appeal to the younger ones, and contents on LinkedIn are exceptionally different from those on Instagram or TikTok. 

Thus, while trying to create contents that appeal to your audience’s emotions, it’s very important to understudy what works on the different social platforms and stick to where you’re most likely to find your target audience, and use the exact types of content that fly there.

Click here to discover how to grow your business, and get one-on-one guidance tailored to your needs.

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Question 8: I want to get an outside perspective but I think getting help from outside will erode my credibility

Answer: Getting executive coaching to improve the outlook of your business doesn’t in any way undermine your credibility or expertise in your field of endeavor. However, it’s important to note that no one person is an encyclopedia of knowledge. We are constantly learning, unlearning, and relearning every single day.

In the same way, you’re a leading expert in your field, so are we experts in delivering solutions that would bootstrap your business to its next major milestone.

Here are some reasons why you should consider getting an outside perspective:

1. Adding fresh perspective

Doing one thing over a long period might blur your senses from seeing the need for changes or improvements. By getting an outside perspective, you’ll have no doubts about borrowing an extra pair of eyes, and by extension, making your business better.

2. Fosters Growth

It’s no longer news that so many businesses die off in their first few years of existence. This is simply because they tend to keep repeating the same methodologies and techniques over and over again, which seems like they aren’t working. By getting an outside perspective, you’ll be getting new ideas and perspectives to approach your business’s challenges and by extension promoting the rapid growth of your business.

3. Enhancing diversity

Getting outside help wouldn’t just foster growth and add fresh perspectives, but it would also enhance diversity. Like it’s often said, “Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.” It is no doubt true that the most successful companies are those who are very diverse.

4. Staying competitive

You’re probably absorbed in the day-to-day running of your business and have become oblivious of what policies and decisions your competitors are making to expand their business. By seeking external assistance, you’ll be abridged by information about your competitors, which will keep you on your toes and would keep your rise atop the waters.

5. Reduces employee tension

Even the best employees with passion, great degrees, and experience get demotivated most times. As a business expands, the business owner should incorporate the services of experts in certain fields to help alleviate the tension on employees, thus resulting in better productivity.

As mentioned above, the benefits of seeking external assistance are numerous, and there’s absolutely nothing to be skeptical about. You’re not less credible for seeking external assistance.

Question 9: I only want to get advice from people with multiple ivy-league degrees

Answer: Glassdoor’s Employment Confidence Surveys of 2014 and 2015 (Q1) reveal that close to 70% of the employees feel the need for specialized on-the-job training even with their degrees. Nearly 48% of the people said their degrees were not relevant to their current jobs.

Though a degree remains the entry criteria for most jobs, organizations are willing to bet on undergrads with relevant experience than invest in expensive training programs to train freshly minted MBAs!

This proves a clear point – having multiple ivy-league degrees is good,  but having first-hand experience in a field is better. 

As an executive coach with over 25 years of working in different companies offering a wide range of products and services, I can assure you that my experiences have taught me far harder than any college professor would. 

I have made my own mistakes, and I won’t love to see you make some mistakes. I’d love to guide you through the process and prevent you beforehand with the right arms and weapons to fight the wars ahead of you in the world of business.

Why pay attention to me? Why do you need my services as an executive coach? (You might ask)

1. Concept vs Application

Lots of people who attend the world’s finest colleges or business schools are simply stuffed with lots of abstract concepts that cannot be applied in real life. The series of formulas do not work like that in the real world and business life is not a straight line graph, lots of ups and downs and bound to happen. So, what happens to a fancy degree-holder when the formula can not be applied?

2. Workplace reality

Like earlier mentioned, what is learned in the four walls of the classroom might never be applied in the real business world. Trust me, workplace reality is a whole new different ballgame. Thus, I am here to help.

3. Power of Network

Having worked in so many companies in the course of my career trajectory, I have worked with different kinds of people and have built a lot of relationships with many. This stands me out! Not just what I know, but who I know; that can spur you on to be the best you want to be. A saying goes, “Who you know is as important as what you know, (if not more important).” 

In conclusion, Albert Einstein, one of the world’s smartest minds that ever lived once said “The only source of knowledge is an experience!” Think about that.

Question 10: I want to be considered a leading authority in my field (within and outside my company

Answer: What do you think stands Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg from the rest of the businessmen in the world? Their money, their fame? No. These men have been able to carve strong niches around what they do; they have become leading authorities in their fields. This was only made possible because:

1. They think differently

What does it mean to think differently? Thinking differently simply means seeing opportunities in things people see ‘problems’ in. The world’s most innovative companies were born out of the desire to proffer solutions to the world’s biggest problems. To become a leading authority in your field, learn to think differently. This will stand you out from the pool of people doing or saying the same thing.

2. They are opinion-makers /Thought leaders

When things happen in the world, these men are not scared to air their views or thoughts about these issues. A leading expert or authority in any field is never scared of being quoted or held responsible for what they’ve said. You must learn to have a unified response on an issue everywhere – be it on social media, on interviews, your public speaking engagements, and so on. This is very important because people are watching and taking note of what you have said.

3. They build a strong personal brand

It’s one thing to think differently and be a thought leader, and it’s another thing to have a strong personal brand. What are you known for? What are people saying about you? What does Google say about you? What does your social media say about you? What solutions does your existence offer the world? In giving answers to these questions, one can build a strong personal brand.

4. They work hard and smart

A popular saying goes, “If wishes are to be horses, beggars would have ridden on horses.” Nobody becomes a leading expert/authority in any field without giving in a lot of their time and energy into it. Hard work and unrelenting determination are the only antidotes to long-lasting success! And when you work hard, you’ll find out that the flip side of “hard work” is nothing but “smart work”.

5. They are in-depth learners

Becoming a leading authority in your field of endeavor doesn’t come on a platter of gold. To become a leading authority, you must first be a voracious learner yourself. Are you willing to learn new things? Are you hungry for knowledge? How ready are you to research those rare subjects? How many books are you ready to read? Recent research found that the world’s most successful CEOs and people read nothing short of 50 books a year.

Would you love to learn how to start thinking differently? Would you love to become an opinion-maker or thought-leader? Would you love to build a strong personal brand? Would you love to start learning in-depth? Would you love to become as influential as people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Warren Buffett, and become a leading authority in your sphere? I can help you.

Question 11: I want a way to set up distributed teams across the globe and have them collaborate seamlessly

Answer: No business exists by itself alone. Every business is by far the result of the collaborative efforts of different people, contributing their skill sets and intellect, towards a set goal. 

Most young Startups usually have small teams consisting of about 2-10 persons, and most times situated within the same building. However, as a business expands, it gets to have various offices and branches across the same city or various cities or even different countries. 

A distributed team is a group of individuals who work across time, space, and organizational boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology.

Companies with distributed team members have the luxury of accessing skilled personnel from all parts of the world at a reasonable price.

These companies leverage the joy of increased employee loyalty and lower overhead cost of renting office space, managing furniture, and paying bills to offer flexibility to their employees.

According to a survey conducted by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, 85% of businesses confirm that productivity has increased due to greater flexibility. Ninety percent of employees say that the flexible work arrangement and schedules greatly boost their morale while 77% add that working remotely may lead to lower operating costs.

No doubt, setting up and managing distributed teams across the globe can be very challenging but businesses can still strive, if and only if the right steps are taken and the right tools incorporated.

Here are 5 tips to bear in mind when thinking of setting up distributed teams across the globe:

1. Begin training from the onboarding stage

If your staff is going to meet and collaborate over zoom calls or Microsoft team meetings, it’s pertinent that employees learn to use these tools from the start! So, it’s totally fine to have your interview and onboarding over these tools to ensure employees are comfortable with them to avoid lapses in the future.

2. Hold structured weekly & monthly meetings

Since every member on the team doesn’t get to meet physically daily, it’s important to have a fixed time, once weekly or a few times within the week is fine. This enables everyone to know how everyone is progressing with their tasks, for the overall good of the company.

3. Employ the right communication & collaboration tools

There are several project management systems and collaboration tools companies can employ to keep the process as trouble-free as possible. These tools could include project management tools like Click-up or Microsoft To-do lists that monitor execution of tasks. Slack, Microsoft teams, Zoom for presentations. Every employee needs to be trained on how to use these tools effectively, for the success of the company. 

4. Communicate a clear & realistic expectation

As the business owner, why it’s very important to have big goals set, each member on the team must be very clear about what the company’s expectations are. All big goals should be broken down into shorter-term goals and the right key performance indicators should be monitored over fixed periods.

5. Focus on results

It is impossible to monitor how every member of your distributed team performs their tasks. It is difficult to ascertain how they take each step along the journey. As ahead of a distributed team, be focused on the results. Your results are what will tell you if your team members are working on not, not the process.

I am an expert in advising you on which tools or methodologies to employ based on your business type. I lead a distributed team with over 40 team members across the globe, including Asia, North America, Middle-east and even Africa. I can help you bring your dreams alive.

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