When I train folks I frequently am asked about poor performance issues or handling performance-based challenges. Leaders capable of changing the focus from excuses and rationalization to removing the roadblocks that inhibit great performance should be held out as role models.

Here are some questions you can ask when you hear someone rationalizing inferior performance:

1. Instead of asking why someone has not met a goal, ask what they are doing to get there.

2. Ask, “Do you need help?”

3. Ask, “What stands in your way?”

And here are six questions leaders must ask themselves in terms of performance:

1. Are you tolerant of excuses?

2. Is there clear ownership of objectives?

3. Are you focusing on what’s most important - the significant few - or the important many?

4. Is compensation tied to results or activity?

5. Have you established the systems and culture to support your people in attaining their goals?

6. Are you hiring people who are smarter than you, who can evaluate situations and offer wisdom and experience to narrow the performance gap and acclerate the attainment of objectives?

The goal as a leader and employee is to deliver on results not activity.

This whole week was customer service service week and I just wanted to give some tips to keep in mind when it comes to customers and keeping them loyal.

Here are some key questions you want to ask:

1. What can we do to better serve you?

2. What do you want more of?

3. What do we need to do to win more of your business?

To strengthen loyalty and gain quality introductions and testimonials, your company must do the following six things well:

1. Sell reliable products and services

2. Make and meet committments

3. Underpromise and overdeliver

4. Resolve problems quickly

5. Minimize surprises

6. Follow up.

Holding everyone accountable for improving customer loyalty is key because it takes the entire company to solidify customer loyalty.

Here are nine statements I use in training with leaders and managers to evaluate the effectiveness of the leadership team. All of these should be in place at your company as well and you as a leader should be able to answer a resounding YES to these.

1. The top objectives of my company have been clearly defined and articulated.

2. Everyone in my company knows the top objectives and understands what is expected of them.

3. There are appropriate incenties for producing results and penalties for not producing results.

4. We have regular performance reviews.

5. I consistently hire and surround myself with people who are smarter than I am.

6. We consistently achieve our business and profitability objectives.

7. There is ample time to plan.

8. We only have meetings when they make sense - when we have clearly defined objectives that are tied to the company’s top objectives.

9. We consistently meet committments without follow-up.

Email me and tell me if you have more to add to this list!

Here’s an interview I did recently with Peter Clayton of TotalPicture.com . I’d love to hear your feedback on it, and please post a vote at the site too.

Peter does an amazing job with interviewing!

In light of all the recent news around companies not serving their customers in terms of providing the support and service customers should expect, I thought I’d post seven key questions you can use to measure how your customer service is on track.

Do we:

1. Consistently underpromise and overdeliver?

2. Resolve customer problems quickly?

3. Take all customer feedback seriously?

4. Have a process in place to reduce problem recurrence?

5. Consistently measure customer loyalty and improve results?

6. Know what each person at the company must do to maintain a loyal customer base?

7. Continually explain ongoing value to existing customers?

If you’ve answered no to any of the above questions, then you have some work to do.

Here are eight pro-active steps you can take to ensure your customer service success.

1. Test your customer service and support process often.

2. Link key customers with senior executives to deepen relationships.

3. Be proud of your service and charge accordingly.

4. Communicate effectively and fulfill comments.

5. Keep in touch.

6. Strive to have 100 percent of your customers refereancable.

7. Overcommunicate in times of trouble

8. Don’t become a bank for your customers. Collect outstanding receivables aggressively.

And remember at least once yearly take time to conduct a formal survey of all your customers and truly listen to the feedback you receive.

Hi Folks,

We’re back from Book Expo and are happy to report a Book of the Year award from Foreword Magazine and a Silver IPPY from the Independent Publisher’s Association. Book Expo was fantastic and there was wonderful response to the book and our message.

We also did a short podcast interview at the event with many other esteemed individuals and I wanted to put a link to that interview on the blog. I hope you’ll take a moment and listen to the interview.

Hi Folks,

I’m in New York at Book Expo and Foreword Magazine just announced their Book awards! I’m proud to say “Kiss Theory Good Bye” won the Silver Award for Business/Economic category. We are thrilled!!!!

This is just a fantastic event in New York and I’ve met so many amazing business leaders, authors and wonderful folks.

We’re excited that Kiss Theory Good Bye will soon be out in Portuguese and we appreciate all the folks that continue to talk about the book.

And I’m grateful to be doing the work I love and connect with so many fantastic people along the way. We’re having a ball at Book Expo! Come by and see us at Booth 1641!

You would be surprised how many CEOs and leaders don’t feel it’s important to efffectively track and learn from complaints during the good times as well as the downtimes. My take is that every complaint you listen to and learn from is one complaint or problem less that you’ll have to deal with further down the road.

Your customers are absolutely key to your long-term success, keep them loyal and happy and be responsive to them and they’ll stick by you.

I believe that profitability in and of itself is not the ultimate objective. It’s only the enabler. The real goal is to have choices and profitability enables organizations to have the freedom of choice.

Choices ensure in our lives, that we’re all doing what we really want to do. One of my favorite professors during grad school at Georgia State told our class something that I relate in my book and that I try to continue to bring up when I collaborate with companies in training.

The professor said, “There are two great things that can happen to you in life. The first is to find what it is you really love to do. The second is to have the courage to go and do it.”

My whole focus is to help people work harder, not smarter so they can have a work and life balance and feel great enthusiasm for both work and their personal life.

Have courage and you will achieve greatness.

I’m looking forward to reading Lee Iacocca’s latest book and enjoyed this article in Forbes on his views at 82. One of the more interesting parts of the article is his thoughts on leadership being all about giving back.

Leadership is truly about giving back and keep in mind that the best leaders have always been able to share their insight and experiences, empower their staff and engage their customers.