Straightforward Advice from a Friend

I had the good fortune to have a wonderful conversation with my friend, Meg Mannion, sitting on our front porch this week up in Charlevoix, Michigan. Meg has an important position with CBL &

Associates Properties, a N.Y. Stock Exchange real estate investment trust and a major owner of regional shopping malls across the country. And Meg is a wife and mom of teenagers.

I had absolutely no intention of writing about my conversation with Meg, as we simply got together to catch up since we just see each for a week or so each summer.  However, when I realized the wisdom that Meg mentioned in speaking about her business and balancing all of her responsibilities, work and family, I thought there are a number of very important messages that I want to pass along to my clients and other readers of my weekly posts.

While making notes to write this, I realized that Meg’s principles apply at all levels of an organization. These are principles that are good practices for CEOs, for all bosses, middle managers and everyone in a company.

I could probably write a book by expanding on these messages with stories, but I also think they are so straight forward that their validity speaks for itself.

• Learn (by asking) what is needed and wanted, and just do it, no drama, just deliver.
• Don’t play games. Intrigue is not helpful, adapt.
• A sense of humor serves you and everyone.
• Our jobs are so very important, adapt, make it work, learn to love what we do.
• Learn to sell effectively, to help grow our business (do not be dejected by rejection, it’s part of the learning process, and many no’s lead to yes’s).
• In today’s business world, we have to be willing to do what is needed, whenever. It’s okay to for a colleague or client to call us at home, even an evening or weekend. It won’t happen regularly. Our job is to deliver.
• Promote harmony with our organizations.  That is what is wanted and serves us all.
• Good communication is key. Be efficient; get to the point.
• Be well organized, it helps enormously.
• Bring a notebook and take notes at every meeting and important conversation, and ask purposeful questions.
• Beware of letting social media take too much of our attention.
• Certainly a lot of communication is by email, yet remember the value to speaking directly with someone, by phone and, better still, in person.

What great advice, Meg, for all of us.

Learn what is wanted and needed, and just do it!