THE FOUNDER’S FIX
File Under “Things I Wish I Knew 20 Years Ago”
There have been an unconscionable number of emotional intelligence failures on my leadership journey. Reaction time has been non-existent. The distance from emotion to thought to word-vomit, microscopic.
More recently, though, I’ve benefited from a clarity that has really informed and simplified my communication with my employees and colleagues and partners.
It is this: In any human interaction, your very first job as a leader, and usually your only job, is to listen and understand.
That’s it.
Understand their motivation and the story they’re telling themselves. Talking too soon usually gets in the way of reaching an understanding. Giving my opinion, suggesting solutions and making observations too quickly screws up my ability to empathize and influence.
One tactic that works well for me is to count. It’s amazing how often a small time delay makes them talk more and expands my understanding so much more. It’s easy. Just count to five, or 10, slowly, after the other person’s last word.
Then, and only then, after I’ve given the person every opportunity to say everything they could possibly want to say, and after I have gained a lot more confidence in my understanding of HOW they feel and WHY they feel that way, should I open my mouth.
If I’m really on-point, before I open my trap, I’ve done the same thing with myself. Why am I about to respond the way I’m about to respond? If I know myself the way I need to, I’ll be more measured in my response, instead of reacting the way I’m hard-wired to react (Thanks a lot, evolution!)
That’s the goal. It doesn’t always happen, but that’s the goal.
Want to learn about this concept from the master? Check out The Art Of Communicating, by Thich Nhat Hahn.
-Alex Gertsburg, Esq.
THE LEGAL FIX
OHSA to Implement New Covid-19 Vaccination Rules for Private Businesses
President Biden recently announced that the federal government would soon mandate Covid-19 testing or vaccination for federal workers and employees of many private businesses.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) within the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for implementing the proposed new rules, which will mandate all employees be either vaccinated against Covid-19 or subject to weekly tests. Employers will be required to provide paid time off for workers to get the vaccine and/or recover from any vaccine side effects. The Biden administration has threatened monetary penalties of up to $14,000 per violation of each ETS.
To learn more about the implications of this order, please read here.
-Louis J. Licata, Esq.
THE DEAL FIX
Benefits of Hiring an M&A Advisor to Sell Your Business
As a business owner, you make decisions big and small every day. The biggest and most daunting decision you may ever make is whether to sell your business. With so much on the line, an undertaking of this magnitude can be overwhelming, and many business owners don’t even know where to start.
To find the best buyer for your business, you need to reach as many qualified purchasers as possible. Engaging an experienced mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) advisor to create a market for your company through a competitive process can help optimize the sale of your business. This exercise
takes a lot of time, effort and expertise, and the assistance of an advisor can help make the process much easier to navigate.
Thinking about selling? Here are the top reasons why you need a sell-side advisor.
-Michael Callam, president, Gertsburg Licata Talent and Acquisition groups
CEO CONFIDENTIAL
On Working with Family…
This week on CEO Confidential, Alex chats with Mark Schnieders, Founder, President and CEO of Stride Mobility, LLC. In the episode, Mark explains how he wanted to build a company but needed people that we’re willing to learn with him along the way. For this reason, Mark decided to combine his interpersonal relationships and work relationships and create “one big family”, a decision that came with great benefits but giant pitfalls.
Listen now or download for later.
Alex is seeking the stories of the moments that have challenged and shaped the entrepreneurial journey of CEOs and founders from NEO and beyond. If there is a business leader you’d like to hear from, let us know and we’ll invite them to share their story.
THE RANDOM FIX
Chasing Fall Colors
Click here to find out how I’m planning my next five road trips.
-Alex Gertsburg, Esq.
