BOOK A DEMO NOW
1920x417-hero

leadership-group-filterDuring the third week of October, the executive and management team at Get The Referral met for a Leadership and Planning Retreat in La Jolla, California. We all came together to define our fourth-quarter goals and plan for 2022. We brainstormed. We planned. We pushed beyond the status quo and we dug deep into the things that matter most - helping our customers’ businesses grow and thrive while making our products the very best they can be.

As one of the newer team members, I was genuinely impressed with the level of talent, experience, and passion that I found myself surrounded by. Our team is dedicated to our mission of delivering value by offering innovative products and services that delight customers through collaboration, trust, and clarity. Each member’s depth of understanding and dedication to their purpose left me feeling hopeful, confident and inspired.

Between presentations, breakout sessions, and way too much delicious food - we were also fortunate enough to have a couple of speakers that left quite an impression on our group. I’d like to personally thank Robert Magee (Executive Director of The Engineering Society of Detroit) for sharing his time, wisdom, and insights with us. With that, I’d love to share my eight biggest takeaways from our time with him. Enjoy!

1. Invest in Night Study.

night-studyPersonal and professional development is vital to your continued growth. Taking the opportunity to leverage your time in a way that allows you to continue to grow in your profession and develop as a person will yield long-term dividends. Create goals around the areas in your career and in your life where you need to learn and grow, and then make a plan to do a little bit each night. Taking just 30-minutes each evening to invest in your learning can have a powerful impact over time.

2. Motivation Comes from Within.

People are motivated by many different things for many different reasons. The important thing to remember is that you do not have the power to motivate someone else - one can only motivate themselves. Understanding this as a leader can help shift the ways you work to “motivate” your team members. Helping others find their motivation comes down to understanding what their personal motivations are, and then leveraging those as a reminder of why energy and focus are needed.

3. A Positive Attitude is a Key Ingredient to Success.

Keeping a positive attitude is easier said than done, but it is necessary. When trying to accomplish this, remember that “a bad day” only has the power to steal your joy if you let it. More than that, reprogramming your mind to counter a negative thought by flipping it into a positive one is an excellent way to achieve this. I also find positive affirmations, journaling, and meditation helpful tools that assist in transforming one’s mindset.

4. Get Clear on Your Goals.

Robert Magee-sizedThere are a plethora of resources to help with goal planning and setting SMART goals. Once you get clear on your goals, then you determine the how. I like to start with a big goal and then work backward to define the smaller goals and milestones required to achieve that goal. With this approach, you can usually build a roadmap to meet the big goal you’ve set for yourself and your team.

5. Define the Low-Hanging Fruit.

When going through the goal-setting process, be sure to define the easiest or most obvious opportunities to make progress toward your goal. This often leads to quick wins and a faster path to success overall. Making changes and improvements in areas that yield quick results and create momentum can be motivating for the entire team.

6. Your Pipeline is Critical.

Your pipeline shows where all prospects are in the purchasing process and when they can be expected to close. Managing your pipeline to ensure your prospects are being followed up with and provided the things they need to make a purchase from your company when the time is right should always be a top priority. More than that, however, ensuring that your pipeline is healthy and nurtured can provide your business with the sales you need during slow periods or times of crisis (like a global pandemic or other unexpected events). 

7. Segment and Manage Your Budget.

breakout-session-sizedOur Chief Financial Officer did an excellent job of helping us during our budget planning exercises. At GTR, we take our overall company budget and then segment it among the department heads for management. Having each department take responsibility for its own budgets creates a culture of ownership and responsibility across all of our teams.  

8. Always be Ready to Defend Your Brand.

When you step outside of your office and someone new asks what you do, remember you are representing your company. The impression you leave on that person about your company is the one they will carry with them when they depart. Having your “elevator pitch” ready with relevant positive talking points can give you the confidence and ease needed to represent your brand to the best of your ability, at any time, anywhere.

Robert shared his wisdom and expertise with so much passion and charisma! Everyone in the room was inspired by his powerful insight and advice. Which of the above takeaways resonated with you most? Please leave us a comment below and be sure to stay tuned for Part 2 (coming next week).

Are you ready to see how we can help you grow your business? Book a demo below!

BOOK A DEMO NOW