Mike Garber: Commercial Productivity and Organizational Development

  The other day I was watching an episode of “ Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” with my kids. I loved this program when I was little and am glad that it is still around for streaming for my children to enjoy. The reduced pace and calmness of the program is a welcome change from the bright, flashy, fast, and loud kid programs today. In today's media, arrogance and bullying are often celebrated…especially when they come from the main character. Insolence is treated as a virtue, not a flaw. Instead of guiding children, adults are portrayed as oppressive figures. And absolutely nothing bad ever happens that can’t be fixed in 5 minutes. This shift in storytelling shapes a new understanding of success and failure. That brings me to today’s topic: winning and losing. In this particular episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” his friend entered a baking competition. He tried his best and produced a nice cake. He wanted to win…really wanted it.  In today’s shows he would’ve won because w...

Every startup is looking to thrive, and these companies need a strategic approach to sales that goes beyond the sole focus of quick growth. This is where sales enablement plays a pivotal role. I've witnessed firsthand how implementing effective sales enablement strategies can fuel remarkable growth, drive success, and put your startup on track for sustained growth.  Sales enablement isn’t just training, it is a comprehensive approach that equips sales teams with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to excel in their roles. It empowers companies to navigate the challenges of growth, scale their sales efforts, and maximize revenue potential by creating repeatable and scalable processes and for new and seasoned reps and managers. Streamlining Processes for Efficiency Startups operate in a lean environment, where efficiency and resource optimization are crucial. Sales enablement brings structure and streamlines sales processes, ensuring that every interaction with potential cu...

  There have been a lot of posts about the recent advancements in AI, especially around Large Language Models like ChatGPT, the integration with Microsoft Office products, and Google’s Bard. I worked with Nokia and Microsoft during the digital assistant revolution (#Cortana was ahead of its time), and the excitement now is even more palpable. More than just assistants, the new breed of innovation is moving into the realm of truly augmenting human capability- even at its current state. With a background in sales and enablement of nearly two decades, this is where I tend to focus my attention- and the changes over the past few years have been enormous. Technologies that have been around for decades, like CRMs, have made exponential leaps, and new technologies are coming into existence that can forever change the landscape of sales. The increasing prevalence of sales automation tools now allows sales teams to streamline their processes and improve their results like never before....

  Having worked in a remote or hybrid role for over a decade, it is always interesting to me when this topic of discussion is brought up. Many companies have embraced the benefits of allowing employees to work remotely. However, not all employers have been successful in managing remote work and Clearlink CEO James Clarke's recent remarks highlight the challenges of this transition. According to an article and video posted by Vice , Clarke told Clearlink employees that many remote workers have "quietly quit" and become so brazen that dozens at his company "didn't even open" their laptops for a month.  He then goes on to resurrect an old and tired complaint about caregivers being incapable of productivity, while praising those who essentially sell their souls (and their family dogs) for their employers. While I agree that these two extremes have weight in the conversation and understand that he is frustrated by the challenges of managing a remote workforce, hi...

  ChatGPT from OpenAI has been all over the news this past month, and gaining steam this past week, and for good reason. Not since the rise of Personal Digital Assistants in the mid-2010's has there been such an incredible example of AI and how it can be useful to everyone. Before you come at me, I know that Cortana, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant did not come on the scene as Artificial Intelligence, but they include aspects of Machine Learning and natural language processing- which are aspects of AI. So, while they are not AI themselves, they do take advantage of the systems. And for most people, these were their first interactions with AI technology. My social media timelines have been inundated with talk of how GPT will be used. Some positive, and some negative.  So, I asked ChatGPT why it should be used to enhance a business's content creation strategy, and here is the response: In today's digital age, content is king. From blogs to social media posts, businesses of ...

  I am a fan of psychometric instruments and heuristic exercises. Many times, the tools are self-assessments. These serve an important function in self-awareness and self-realization but do also run a risk of being skewed towards traits that the individual feels are more important or desirable. In moments of true self-reflection, though, tools like Meyers-Briggs , DiSC , Emergentics , Herrmann (HBDI) , and StrengthsFinder can bring extremely valuable insight into one’s personality, preferences, and strengths. They are not meant to “box someone in” or “profile” someone’s ability- although there are many detractors, and even proponents, who would have you believe otherwise. The key is honesty .  In both my undergrad studies in HR, and my graduate schooling in the field of Management and Leadership, I have been able to see first-hand the groundbreaking insights that come from honest self-assessment. I have also seen the charlatan, carefully choosing their answer in order to skew...

  Creating a Buddy Program for your new hires is a giant step in helping them feel welcome and truly instilling the company culture from Day 1. This article is not designed to a "one-stop shop" for how to build a Buddy Program from the ground up. Instead, I will be focusing on some lessons learned and quick tips from building out programs over the last 10 years. This will also serve as a resource for the Catcat Learning Path on Creating a New Hire Buddy Program. Things to remember when creating a Buddy Program First and foremost- you need buy-in. Managers will need to assign and support Buddies for their New Hires, and your L&D or Enablement teams will need to create a program and onboarding process for the Buddies and managers.   It is best to integrate the role of the Buddy into their daily work. That means delivering content to the New Hire as it becomes relevant, and allowing the Buddy to walk them through real-life examples as they shadow- providing context and i...