Archives for September 2021

Why You Could Use a Company Retreat

by

Company retreats are about more than just a fun, relaxing break, though they are both of those things as well. So, how else do company retreats benefit you and why could you use them?

Benefits of Team Building

Regardless of your company’s size, both yearly and quarterly retreats will surely benefit you immensely when it comes to ensuring alignment, team building, and productive engagement among your leadership team.

“Strong teams don’t just happen by hiring qualified employees – they need to be built through activities designed to bring employees together. Team building is any action or method, which brings a group together and motivates them to work collaboratively. The purpose of any team-building exercise is to build a stronger unit of employees.” – Compliance and Ethics Blog

A company retreat is the ultimate team-building event. There are so many different activities that can be done during a retreat to bring your team together, from sports tournaments to discussions around the campfire. Retreats will strengthen the bond that is essential between any successful team.

Benefits of Location

Retreats should be done off-site, in an environment where group interaction is feasible. There’s just something that changes a team’s dynamic when they are removed from their usual environment, such as the city and relocated to a cabin or a chalet. This place should be away from the distractions of things such as bars and restaurants. This retreat is just about you, your team, and your company.

“The location of your corporate retreat is a prime factor to consider. The regular work environment of your employees is often characterized by the busy, urban life. This can get really exhausting. Therefore, the perfect getaway is one that gets your employees away from all that chaos. Pick a location away from town, Make sure there is enough room that everyone can stay at the same venue.” – Medium

The goal of a company retreat is to learn, work, and live together. The more rustic the location, the tighter the bond of the team will be. Retreats are also more effective in recharging the group if there are active rest activities that everyone can participate in together, such as hiking or kayaking.

Benefits on Skills and Objectives

Once you’ve found a place for your team to engage on a much deeper level, the main work to be done during a company retreat is on prioritizing yearly or quarterly objectives. It always works best to review the company’s Vivid Vision® right at the start of the first day of the retreat.

When everyone systematically reads the Vivid Vision® each quarter, the decision-making gets a lot stronger and more focused on highly impactful projects versus the big, shiny objectives which can easily distract everyone. Allowing two days for a company retreat also produces some serious discussion and debate around projects. That extra time allows the group to ensure the right projects are chosen and the people working on them have the right skills to succeed.

“Corporate retreats are often used to prepare people for the coming year or work period. Other than to relax their minds and cement relations between them, at corporate retreats your employees are normally trained on certain relational and essential skills.” – Cameron Herold

Long story short, you need a company retreat to have the most successful team you can. Get creative in picking a place for a retreat. Everyone will be more focused and will be able to recharge much more easily at a rustic cabin over a stifling hotel in the middle of the city.

Where would you like to go with your company when you have the chance? Let us know in the comments below!

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2012 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

You Need to Hire Based on Your Vivid Vision®

by

Even down to the employee recruiting stage, your company’s Vivid Vision® helps ensure alignment.

That’s why you need to hire based on your Vivid Vision®, but how do you do that?

Also, if you don’t know what a Vivid Vision® is, check out this blog first!

Require a Pre-Interview Vivid Vision® Reading

Have all your potential employees read your Vivid Vision® before their first interview. This way they’ll know if the job/work culture will feel right to them. Ideally, doing this weeds out unqualified candidates.

One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. You don’t want an employee that doesn’t want to make your Vivid Vision® a reality. Not only will that employee be a drain, but they’ll bring others down, too.

Ensure Everyone Gets a Copy of Your Vivid Vision®

To make sure that everyone does read your Vivid Vision® before their first interview, set up an email auto-reply so that all candidates who send their resumes to your company via email instantly get a response.

This response should say something like, “Thank you for applying to work for us. Please read the attached Vivid Vision® that describes what our company looks and feels like three years out. If this sounds like the kind of company you’d like to help build, send us an email with the words, ‘please interview me’ in the subject line.”

It’s a great system that saves everyone a lot of time by not interviewing candidates that don’t like what the future has in store for them. It also shines a spotlight on candidates who are paying attention and take the time to send a reply back following your directions. Plus, in the interview, you’ll know if they’ve read your Vivid Vision®. The ones who have will stand out!

Come Back to the Vivid Vision® Frequently

It’s important that, even after hiring, you have all of your employees and suppliers re-read your Vivid Vision® every quarter. When every employee reads it, the process of alignment starts taking place.

Every quarter, have each person read the Vivid Vision® quietly and circle keywords or sentences that resonate with them. Then go around the room and have each person read out the areas they like. This provides alignment for the whole team before the brainstorming process takes place. It can also assist in planning and prioritizing future projects.

“It is very important that you share your Vivid Vision with your employees. When your employees know exactly what is envisioned for the company in the next three years, especially all the minor details, they know that their work will have an impact.” – COO Alliance

Your Vivid Vision® should be in use in all aspects of the job, from hiring to being an employee. Everyone involved with your company needs to be familiar with it. If a potential candidate doesn’t bother to get to know it, then their interview isn’t worth your time!

Do you use a Vivid Vision® or something like it when hiring new employees? Let us know in the comments below!

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2012 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

How All Business Leaders Can Learn to Listen to the Other Side

by

Active listening is crucial to good communication and good communication is necessary to the success of any business. That’s why it’s vital for business leaders to work on their active listening skills so that they can understand what people are saying… even if they don’t agree with it.

So how do you listen actively so that you can understand the other side?

Paraphrasing and Repeating Back

When communicating with an employee or even another leader, the person must feel as if you are empathizing with them and that you understand and care about the same point of view.

To really help with this, it can be useful to use techniques such as paraphrasing and repeating back what the other person has said. You want to ask questions to ensure that you’re understanding them correctly and to ensure that they feel as if you are actively trying to understand them. It’s called perception checking.

Perception checking is the process of watching someone’s reaction and asking if they’re following you and understanding what you’re saying. A good business leader ensures that their own perception is checked!

Define the Problem

Once you agree on the issue at hand, define the problem. You want to make sure it’s clear to both of you as to what you disagree on.

You want to deal with the reason the person brought up the disagreement in the first place and be aware of any underlying issues at the root of it. Try not to get too personal and stay on track. Examine what you did that helped cause the problem, rather than just focusing on what the other person did.

A good business leader takes the lead and admits the things that they did that were wrong. They admit what they could have done differently and encourage the other person to do the same. Good conflict management doesn’t mean giving something resolution. It means getting each person to admit their contribution to it as well as the facts and feelings involved.

Know What Not to Do

When it comes to conflict resolution and understanding the opposing side, there are things you need to remember to do and things you need to remember not to do:

Remember to:

  • Confront the issue
  • Examine your own contribution to the problem
  • Acknowledge what each person wants out of the process

Remember not to:

  • Confront the person rather than the issue
  • Focus only on the other person’s contribution to the problem
  • Focus on the problem and not the solution

In the end, ask yourself, have emotions been diffused and an agreement been made on the issue? Finding solutions everyone can be happy with can be very complex, but it all begins with being open-minded and trying to understand the other person’s side rather than dismissing it. Understanding is key to finding the right solution for everyone, not just you.

You don’t have to agree with someone’s point of view to understand where they’re coming from and learn from it. Good business leaders don’t just brush aside someone’s opinion just because they disagree with it. They use it as a tool to look at their own opinion critically and to better understand the people they’re working with.

“Personally, a technique that I use to listen to others is to sit on my hands. It somehow stops me from trying to talk and interrupt, but that’s just me. Here are some skills and techniques that will help every leader be a better active listener.” – Cameron Herold

What helps you to understand the other side? Let us know in the comments below!

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2012 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Make Your Employee’s Goals Your Goals

by

It’s common knowledge that good leaders encourage their employees to dream big, but it’s less known that great leaders actually help them achieve those goals.

Have you ever considered how helping an employee achieve their goals and dreams could go far in helping you to achieve your own? It doesn’t matter if you are Second in Command and not the CEO. Personally helping your employees become more ambitious will ultimately reward you and the organization that you work for.

But, how?

Focus on Your Employee’s Personal Goals

Helping your employees to succeed in their personal goals to, in turn, help you succeed in your own is a concept from the book The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. It’s a concept that all great leaders should adopt.

Basically, the concept is, that if you focus on your employees’ personal goals instead of the work they do for your company, they’ll do just about anything to help you succeed in return.

Some might think it sounds wishy-washy or idealistic, but it works.

Have Them Write Down Their Goals

This concept can be put into practice by having your employees write down as many goals as possible in 30 minutes or less. Encourage them to use categories for these goals such as:

  • Things I would like to buy
  • Activities I want to do
  • Subjects I want to learn more about
  • Places I want to go
  • People I want to meet
  • Etc.

Dedicate Time to Their Goals

After your employees have written down their goals, dedicate time every week to help them set tangible steps to make these dreams come true. This does not mean you should be loaning them cash to buy a 7-series BMW or buying their plane ticket to Peru. Instead, helping, in this case, means reverse-engineering their goals into small, attainable steps.

Or, it could also mean lending your expertise and calling in favors from your own network to help your employees. For example, a CEO might help their COO take the right steps to obtain the CMAA certification that they’ve been wanting, just by putting them in touch with accomplished COO training experts. The grateful COO will then delve into a whole new realm of commitment and vigor, inspired and thankful for their CEO’s help.

Share Your Wisdom

A goal that is often shared by employees is to pay off their student loan debt. Lots of young people are being crushed by the burden of these loans and can never seem to get ahead. That’s where you can bring in your knowledge to help them.

If you know you have the skills to do so, sit those employees down and help them each work out budgets that’ll help them succeed in their student loan goals. Then, follow up each week to see how it’s working out.

With a few hours of mentoring, you just might be able to save your employees from a horrible situation. By helping them so immensely, you’ve in turn created loyal partners for life. They’ll never forget how you helped them, and it didn’t cost you a thing!

You can think about helping your employees’ goals selfishly if you want. Help enough people achieve their dreams and you’ll have so many loyal people in your pocket. You’ll always have a huge network of people to lean on for anything: hockey tickets, stock advice, even moving.

Everyone says a company is like a family, but that only comes when you really support your employees. Listen to their goals, then work your hardest to mesh them with your own. You’ll be amazed at what can happen!

Remember, whether you are CEO, CFO, or COO, you are the privileged 1% who can reach out and help the rest!

Do you help your employees with their goals? Let us know in the comments below!

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Access Cameron's Best Ideas For FREE!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Cameron Herold
COO Alliance
instagram
Caneron Herold
COO Alliance
COO Alliance
COO Alliance
Cameron Herold
The-Second-And-Command

Back To Top

© cameron herold.
all rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy contact cameron

Facebook-f Linkedin-in Youtube Instagram
book-4

Meetings Suck: Turning One Of The Most Loathed Elements Of Business Into One Of The Most Valuable

order now on 
order in bulk

We all know that meetings suck, right?

You hear it all the time. It’s the one thing that almost everyone in business can agree on.

Except it’s not actually true… 

Meetings don’t suck.

We just suck at running meetings.   

When done right, meetings not only work, they make people and companies better.

In Meetings Suck, world renowned business expert and growth guru Cameron Herold teaches you how to use focused, time effective meetings to help you and your company soar.

This book shows you immediately actionable, step-by-step systems that ensure that you and everyone in your organization improves your meetings, right away.

In the process, you’ll turn meetings that suck into meetings that work. 

In life, we always hear about people who’ve made huge decisions from their gut – without data.Today, I want you to make a decision, not only from your gut, but also from some data.  A decision that is only $12 per employee but will be priceless for your business.

Right now, your gut is telling you something is wrong with your company’s meetings.  You KNOW everyone complains about meetings.

People HATE going to them, they HATE running them, and they really have NO idea which meetings are truly necessary but they hold meetings simply because they think that is what they SHOULD do.

Even some of the smartest CEOs in the world complain about meetings – Elon Musk publicly told employees at Tesla & SpaceX to walk out of meetings if they weren’t being run properly.

I sent Elon a message saying that wasn’t going to fix anything – the key is to fix the root of the problem – NOT continue to ignore why meetings suck.

A Meeting is – Any phone call, video call or occasion where 2 or more people meet to discuss or work-through office topics.

Most employees on average spend 1-2 hours per day in meetings.

And likely, none of those employees – front-line staff or leaders – have had any training on how to attend meetings or participate in them, LET ALONE How to RUN THEM.

Consider this…

If the Average employee spends just 1 Hour per day in meetings – that’s 1/8th of their time.

If the Average employee earns $50,000 per year.

And they’re spending 1/8th of their time in meetings, that means you’re paying $6,250 dollars per year for just ONE employee to attend meetings.

The reality is, employees spend 1/8th of their time – and 1/8th of your company’s payroll – doing something they have literally NO idea how to do.

The Reality is…

95% of employees are booking & leading meetings – and they have NEVER been trained on how to run them.

95% of employees have had NO training on how to show up and participate in the meetings they attend daily.

And 95% of employees and companies have no idea what meetings are even necessary to hold.

Meetings CAN be hugely effective – IF you know how to run them

Meetings don’t SUCK, we just SUCK at running meetings. 

Investing $15 per employee – to help ensure the $50,000 a year you spend on them is an obvious and easy choice.

This could be the most impactful $15 you’ll ever spend and will save the company’s money, time and resources instantly.

Buying a copy of Meetings Suck for 100% of your employees and having them read it this month will have a huge impact on your company’s success.

book-5

Free PR: How To Get Chased By The Press Without Hiring A PR Firm

order now on
order in bulk

Public relations has always been an essential part of doing business which is probably why you’re shelling out big money to an outside PR firm. But the truth is that you don’t need them. You already have all the necessary tools in-house to do as good a job as the so-called experts. 

Cameron Herold and Adrian Salamunovic have taught thousands of company execs how to exploit free media coverage and ditch these expensive, often ineffective outsiders. 

Cameron & Adrian have also built in-house PR teams, spent decades learning how to generate Free PR and how to leverage public relations to complement their sales and marketing strategy. 

In Free PR, you’ll learn how the media world operates while you gain invaluable insider knowledge and actionable advice on how to: 

  • Build your own in-house PR team
  • Provide effective interviews
  • Score great media coverage for free with just a few easy steps 

Landing public relations coverage for yourself and your company is a powerful tool to help elevate your personal brand. PR is easier to generate than marketing, PR is easier to leverage than marketing and PR is more cost effective than marketing. In other words, Public Relations is more critical than ever in growing your brand and your business. 

You’ve got more passion, commitment, a larger stake, and a deeper understanding of your business than any outside PR firm could ever have. So stop wasting money and take the reins yourself.  Learn the secrets to landing TONS of Free PR for your company.

What they’re saying:

“I think PR is the core for promoting any business. Public relations acquires customers! That’s what’s cool about this book.”

– Kevin O’Leary,  Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

“The ultimate guidebook for those looking to get press, grow their brand, and get in front of the masses. Free PR is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.”

– Peter Shankman, Founder, Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

“Adrian and Cameron will show you the secrets of getting massive exposure for your business. This book is packed with actionable insights from two guys that actually know how to to do it.”

– Dan Martell,  Serial Entrepreneur & Investor (Intercom.io, Unbounce)

“I told Cameron to write the book on generating free PR. I’m excited to see that he’s finally sharing his secrets with the world. This is a must read for any entrepreneurial company and marketing team.”

– Verne Harnish, Founder of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)

book-3-1

Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future

order now on
order in bulk

Many corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. 

But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how. 

Vivid Vision is a revolutionary tool that will help owners, CEOs, and senior managers create inspirational, detailed, and actionable three-year mission statements for their companies. In this easy-to-follow guide, Herold walks organization leaders through the simple steps to creating their own Vivid Vision, from brainstorming to sharing the ideas to using the document to drive progress in the years to come. 

By focusing on mapping out how you see your company looking and feeling in every category of business, without getting bogged down by data and numbers or how it will happen, Vivid Vision creates a holistic road map to success that will get all of your teammates passionate about the big picture. 

Your company is your dream, one that you want to share with your staff, clients, and stakeholders. Vivid Vision is the tool you need to make that dream a reality.

miracle-morning

The Miracle Morning for
Entrepreneurs: Elevate Your SELF to
Elevate Your BUSINESS

order now on 
order in bulk

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Hal Elrod’sThe Miracle Morning has helped redefine the mornings and the lives of millions of readers since 2012. Since then, careers have been launched, goals have been met, and dreams have been realized, all through the power of the Miracle Morning’s six Life S.A.V.E.R.S.

THESE SIX DAILY PRACTICES WILL FUEL YOUR EFFORTS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE.

Now The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs brings you these principles in a whole new light—alongside the Entrepreneurial Elevation Principles and the Entrepreneur’s Elevation Skills. These are essential skills that you need to create a successful business and personal life. Cameron Herold— Bestselling Author and a widely-respected expert on entrepreneurial mindset—brings his wisdom and insight to you using Hal Elrod’s powerful Miracle Morning framework.

DEVELOP A VISION FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND BECOME THE INFLUENTIAL AND INSPIRING LEADER YOU WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE.

The principles and skills you’ll find in this book will help you to channel your passion and achieve balance in a remarkable new way. – Learn why mornings matter more than you think – Learn how to master your own self-leadership and accelerate your personal development – Learn how to manage your energy—physical, mental, and emotional – Learn how to implement Hal Elrod’s invaluable Life S.A.V.E.R.S. in your daily routine – And much more… You’re already an entrepreneur. Now discover how to take your success to the next level by first taking yourself to the next level. The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs is your roadmap to masterfully building an empire with a powerful vision, utilizing your areas of personal genius, with the right team at your side.

Start giving your business and your life the very best opportunities for success, right now.

double-double

Double Double: How To Double Your Revenue And Profit In 3 Years Or Less​

order now on
order in bulk
free chapter 1 pdf
get audio book
download on itunes

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.