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com The Weekly Business-to-Business Forum
Seven Deadly Managerial Sins
that You Can and Must AVOID!
Edward S. Piatt and Don Daake | B2B contributors
The road to success for leaders and managers, (however you
define it), is rarely easy. Virtually all managers make their share of
mistakes as they learn how to become effective in their roles. Even
experienced executives must evaluate and readjust their manage-
ment approaches periodically to make sure they continue to be
effective. “Becoming a respected manager takes time and constant
refinement” according to Max Messmer, author of “Seven Mistakes
to Avoid as a Manager,” Journal of Strategic Finance, March 2006.
Many leadership traits may be innate such as charisma and person-
ality. However, scholars and practitioners agree – most management
skills can be learned. A paradox of leadership is that knowing what
does not work can be as critical as what does. Messmer outlines seven
common mistakes managers make and how to avoid them.
The B2B “Bad Economy” Cure:
Five Reasons Why Now Is the Time to Embrace New Product Blueprinting
Dan Adams | B2B contributor
Economically speaking, (and with apologies to Thomas Paine),
these are the times that try men’s souls. This is especially true when
those men (and, obviously, women too) are business leaders. If
you’re one of them, you have a tough row to hoe. Keeping the cus-
tomers you already have can be difficult enough in an age of con-
sumer anxiety, vise-tight budgets and suddenly Scrooge-like
bankers. But actually growing your company in the way it needs to
be grown in order to thrive long-term—well, it can feel like an
impossible feat.
When debt financing flows freely, it’s easy to grow your company
through acquisition. When consumers are on a buying spree, even
a mediocre business can grow nicely. But when these go away—like
right now—the real quality of a business shows through. After all,
it’s hard to tell how well your engine is running when you’re coast-
ing down a long, smooth hill. You have to grow from within. That
means becoming a well-oiled, finely tuned new product machine.
A company’s growth engine is its ability to deliver differentiated
value to its customers through new products and services. Period. If
you can’t develop new “stuff” that customers want to buy—and keep
doing it over and over—you won’t be in business for long. As Peter
3 Keys to Engage Any Audience
Jon Stetson | B2B contributor
Running a successful and effective meeting, whether large or
small, requires one key element: engagement. If you want cus-
tomers and employees to receive true value from your message and
take action on your ideas, you must make the effort to engage your
audience. The more involved and engaged people are, the better
their comprehension and retention of information.
Chances are you had teachers and professors who taught via lec-
ture format, and others who taught with a hands-on and involve-
ment approach. In one class you sat in your seat for the prescribed
amount of time and simply listened to your instructor drone on
(perhaps taking a few notes just to stay awake), and in another class
you interacted with the instructor, answering and asking questions,
forming project groups, presenting and receiving ideas, and perhaps
even getting up and moving about the room.
When people are engaged, they pay attention. This then creates a
synergy, because the speaker or meeting leader feels the engage-
ment and responds with more energy and enthusiasm, which builds
even more engagement. When it’s all over, both recipients of the
communication have a higher reward factor.
To make every meeting and interaction you have meaningful and
engaging, keep the following engagement principles in mind:
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Not promoting the company vision
Repeatedly managers fail to share key details about company
goals and challenges, thinking employees already know or will not
be interested. By communicating to employees how their individual
contributions relate to the company’s mission and vision, this will
ensure they feel more invested in the outcomes of the firm.
Failing to listen to everyone on your team
Listening skills are critical to becoming an effective manager. As
a matter of fact, Jim Collins, in Good to Great, found that a spirit of
humility and learning distinguished high-performing CEOs from
failing CEOs. Managers need to be proactive in their communica-
tion style. They can use group brainstorming, one-on-one meetings,
and engage in active listening. They also need to provide timely and
honest feedback to employees’ ideas. These techniques eliminate
the “us” versus “them” feelings employees may have.
Holding all the authority
Most managers naturally resist giving up authority to their
employees believing that “if you want something done right the first
time, do it yourself.” By empowering your employees to focus on
the processes involved in completing their work, you can focus on
the bigger picture.
Employing poor decision-making
Good decision-making is never easy. Sometimes managers slow
down the workflow through indecisiveness because of a lack of
information, distractions or political considerations. Nobel Prize
winner, Herbert Simon, a generation ago, recognized that perfect
information is never possible. At the other extreme are “cowboy”
decision-makers, who make snap decisions and develop a reputa-
tion for being arbitrary. Managers must strike a correct balance
between these two decision-making styles. When a decision leads to
success, you need to share the credit and rewards with those on
your team who played a role. When a decision goes bad, hold every-
one accountable, including yourself! Be open in both situations
about what worked and what did not work, so that everyone on the
team can learn from the experience.
Withholding praise and recognition
“If your employees do not feel valued, you greatly increase the
risk of turnover,” according to Messmer. Employees want to feel val-
ued. A manager offering praise during a staff meeting or in a private
discussion can go a long way in making employees feel appreciated.
Remember, though, the simple rule “praise in public, reprimand in
private.” Thank those who regularly accept added responsibilities
or increased workloads and when possible give them a tangible
reward. Research has shown that many times a small PUBLIC mon-
etary reward, plaque, or certificate is much more effective than a
secret large cash bonus.
Drucker put it, “The business enterprise has two—and only two—
basic functions: marketing and innovation. All the rest are costs.”
Here are a few steps that will help you with your innovation mission:
Step 1: Market Research. Beautiful product development in an
ugly market segment makes no sense, so sift your potential oppor-
tunities early and cheaply. You do this with internet-based market
research, combined with simple but effective screening tools.
Step 2: Discovery Interviews. Technical-commercial teams inter-
view customers using qualitative techniques to uncover dozens of
needs in depth. You enter the customer’s world to discover and
understand what will excite him.
Step 3: Preference Interviews. In a second round of interviews,
you quantitatively prioritize customer needs that are most impor-
tant and least satisfied. You replace your internal bias with hard
data...and kill your project if customers aren’t eager for change.
Step 4: Side-by-Side Testing. You compare existing products you
may have with your competitors’ best. This baseline helps you
attack their weak spots, avoid getting blind-sided, and optimize
pricing...possible only when you understand all your customers’
options.
Step 5: Product Objectives. You now have a wealth of outside-in
1. It’s about surprise.
Connect to your listeners in an unexpected manner. You want to
create an interactive experience that causes the “a-ha” light to go
off in people’s brains and the “deer-in-the-headlight look” of aston-
ishment to cross their face. Give people startling facts, tell a rele-
vant joke, engage them with real-life stories – anything to help form
a connection. All four corners of the room are “touchpoints,” so
make sure everyone in each of the four quadrants is engaged and
involved in the experience – even those people who tend to hide in
the back row or in the corners.
2. Find a bigger shared interest.
People love to share and talk. If they experience something col-
lectively, they talk about the experience every time they have the
opportunity. Therefore, rather than just talk to people, give them
something to talk about. For example, you could have them do an
exercise together, role play with volunteers or have attendees act
out a skit to drive home a key point. Always remember that engage-
ment is about connecting experiences that drive conversations,
long after the engagement is over. When you do so, people will talk
about you, your company or your brand to others.
3. Focus on your listeners.
Never forget that the only people who matter in your meeting are
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Editor: Andrew Wheeler
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815-928-9769
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Not investing in your staff’s growth
By offering mentoring, in-house seminars and classes, or tuition
reimbursement programs, the manager can boost their employee
skills, morale and retention. Creating special teams, with the expert-
ise to support organizational goals, can be exhilarating for all involved.
Failing to improve your own skills
Managers must be realistic about their own strengths and weak-
nesses as well. They must set the example by looking at their own
gaps in abilities and knowledge. Programs such as a “360 Review
Process” can help mangers and leaders solicit suggestions from oth-
ers to refine and enhance their skills and abilities.
In summary, take an honest look at your current management
thinking. Make sure you are not succumbing to any of these com-
mon and “deadly” seven mistakes. Go on the offensive, capitalize
on your strengths, and work on your areas of weakness.
Don Daake, Ph.D. is professor of busi-
ness and director of The Weber Lead-
ership Center at Olivet Nazarene Uni-
versity. Edward S. Piatt is an Ed.D. stu-
dent at Olivet Nazarene University.
customer and competitive data. Your project team uses this data to
create a blockbuster product design in which specific customer
needs are targeted and market reaction predicted.
Step 6: Technical Brainstorming. You’ve got the “what” (your
product design), but must now consider the “how”...preliminary
technical paths to pursue. This brainstorming includes technical
solutions that come from outside as well as inside your company.
Step 7: Business Case. Would a venture capitalist fund your proj-
ect? Twelve points must be addressed in every blueprinting project.
This drives out assumptions, bias, omission and wishful thinking
before you begin heavy spending in the product development stage.
Companies that take this approach consistently launch products
that are eagerly embraced by their customers.
Dan Adams is president of Advanced Industrial Mar-
keting, Inc. He is an award-winning speaker and con-
ducts workshops in every region of the world. For
more information, visit newproductblueprinting.com.
His book, New Product Blueprinting: The Handbook
for B2B Organic Growth (AIM Press, 2008, ISBN: 978-
0-9801123-4-4, $35.00) is available at bookstores
nationwide and from major online booksellers.
your attendees. Therefore, make your listeners and/or attendees the
true stars of the show. Focus on their needs and intertwine exam-
ples they give you in casual conversation into your presentation.
Additionally, during your talk, solicit audience feedback and get
their opinion on topics. Everyone loves to be treated like a VIP.
When you keep your audience actively engaged and involved, they
will become your biggest evangelists. People appreciate being treat-
ed as special, which occurs when they are involved, and as such,
their message retention is much greater. No matter what, always
leave your audience with a content driver that they can remember,
act upon and share with others.
The Power of Engagement
When you take the time to engage your listeners, you provide
enough value so you become an indispensible resource to your
attendees, who in turn become your best sales force. Remember,
people want something more. Good meetings engagement is strate-
gic, because attendees are ready to receive one or more messages
you want to deliver to them. This process allows you to create, inno-
vate, entertain, and deliver content in a lasting and meaningful way.
Jon Stetson is an internationally acclaimed intuitionist,
and he provides intelligent, interactive entertainment
and experiences to business audiences worldwide. The
Stetson Experience offers a connection between mind,
mirth and mystery, entertaining groups that include
President Bush, Donald Trump and CBS TV. For more
information, contact Jon at www.JonStetson.com.
101208201106275
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