What Everyone Ought To Know About Why I am Out of Sync and Need Help

Posted on May 25, 2018 |

I need your help. I’m out of sync! The funniest part is that’s how I made my living for years. I knew exactly how to line things up and make them work. I could spot what was out of whack much earlier than my colleagues. That made me annoying. Now I am out of sync.

Four years ago I created Aligned Workplace, assisting C-suite Execs and Managers align their resources, team skills and messaging to quickly drive their agendas and grow their organizations. Big shout out to those of you who bought my services! And know how to drive your agenda, I did. I was intense, pushed too fast, and was hard on you.

Then something amazing happened. Managing Annoying People: 7 Proven Tactics to Maximize Team Performance was born. The book officially launched January 2017. It’s a fun, easy read handbook to deal with people in the workplace who suck your energy, time, and Zen. “I built the book. The book built the business and the business is building me” as said by Dean Minuto of Yescalate. Thanks Dean!

And now I’m not in sync. The book and business did really build me. I’m different now. More purposeful, relaxed and open. I am at crossroads of what to do next. Where should I be focusing my efforts? Who is the exact customer that needs me and what should I be doing?

Data Points

I love data points, so here are mine. Here’s what’s been happening:

Close to 500 copies of my book have made it into readers’ hands.
I speak and train new audiences on how to be better managers and handle difficult workplace situations (gentle reminder, send opportunities my way).
My radio interviews, guest blogs and articles (such as Glamour.com) give career advice to new workers, mid-level managers and millennials on how to jump start their leadership journeys.
Through coaching, I provide CEOs and team leaders with action plans to broaden their spheres of influence.

My unique ability is to provide services, just in time. I am in your corner as change occurs: be it environmental, personal or workplace shifts that alter the existing rules. What I find interesting is that everyone thinks their solution is so unique and yet they all want that one silver bullet – the actions they can take to propel them forward. They want answers. They want shortcuts. They want it wrapped up and delivered with a bow.

So now the ball is in my court. How do I reach and serve those who need me? Originally targeted to CEOs and team leaders, I now seem to be more useful to sandwich managers. This is a term I coined. Like the sandwich generation, stuck in the middle of two masters. Sandwich Managers have to manage up and down and are usually annoyed all the way around! I find these to be newish managers, late 20’s to early 30’s. Particularly complicated now that everyone is gluten-free.

Here’s Where I Need YOUR Input:

Who should I be speaking to – where are the associations, populations connections to people and service organizations who could use my services?
Where are the right training opportunities with groups of 30 – 50 people?
What do you think of the creation of on-line “paid for course”?
Who would benefit most greatly from my services?
Who is willing to pay for this content?
Would it be fun to have more short videos with annoying situations played out?
How about more guest pod casts?
How annoying are these questions?

I am out of sync. Now that I have repeated that three times – I think, you got it.

Hit REPLY and tell me what you think. And a truly radical idea, pick up the phone and let’s have a conversation and catch up.

The lines are open 212.787.8581.

Spoiler Alert – next week’s blog will be a survey on How Annoying are You in the Workplace?

Looking forward to connecting.

Un-Annoyingly Yours,

Ilene