2070

For mid-upper level executives prepared to take approach the next level in their careers, we offer a complimentary discovery call where you can learn more. DM me below or info@fosterstrategiesgroup.com and be sure to add your time zone.

Guiding talented professionals to increase their impact to others and improve their professional life is our mission at
✨FORWARD Executive Career Services.

#ExecutiveCareers #Automotive #BetterTogether #ExecutiveGrowthStrategy #BetterTogether #Coaching #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #CorporateLeadershipDevelopment #CareerAdvisory

2068

How often do people share a success blueprint with others?
Here is what the research shows us:
👉10% weren't interested in the first place.
👉20% are curious but forget about the entire meeting once they leave the room.
👉20% are very interested, but not sure how/when they will start.
👉40% do nothing at all.
👉Barely 10% will even recall what was said, want to carry through, make a plan even...
👉But barely 5% end of following the blueprint and unlocking the successes it offered freely.

This is why true professionals are happy to openly share their insights.
First, good people appreciate the gesture.
But most will never follow the clearest, fastest roadmaps to succeed.

Two questions to close on for the moment:

.Can you recall a time when you stopped and intentionally shared valuable information to help someone, only to clearly observe they did not follow your path? What were your thoughts?

Can you recall a time when someone stopped and shared valuable information with you and you did not take advantage of their generous insights? Is there someone you could ask for a 're-set' with?

No matter the outcomes, today or in the future, you can count on us to keep sharing. I believe there' a good chance many of you would break the model of our percentages above.

🔦We will keep leading the way towards greater success through collaboration, inspiration and proven strategies to solve your greatest challenges. It's what we were built for.
-Laurie
Founder
Foster Strategies Group
✨FORWARD Executive Career Services

#BettrTogether #Automotive #Leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #CorporateLeadershipDevelopment #Learning #PayAttention #Generous #Success #SuccessBlueprint

2067

Our colleagues on the manufacturing side of the Automotive industry are asking for some equity in their pay. Enormous payouts have been given to leadership in bonuses and to stockholders.

Who all contributed to this profitability?

Should we use a multiples based method?

When we look at Auto Retail, there are places where the rare Sales Associates earns more than a Manager. These are typically outliers.

On another hand, General Management pay has reached a point where it bears rethinking.

I hear from a lot of GMs. Recently, something a concerning pattern has emerged.

A majority of Dealers still offer a 5-12% commission and a base ranging from $8-20k on average. Dealers in the past assumed this gave an incentive to work hard for a greater payout.

The flaws here are now easier to witness.

When margins shrank-what happened? Good managers fled to more consistent pay structures. Those staying often required significant changes in their monthly comp.

Are GMs truly motivated by the bottom line of the P&L? How many even fully understand this or have been trained to operate every lever?

When GMs call, with no formal education and 5-7 years in any type of a leadership role, they are expecting, regardless of the size of the rooftop:

$250K? higher
$350k? Higher
$500k? HIGHER

At $650-700,00 GMs are regularly complaining about their pay, citing other stores in their group or region making 2-4x of this.

Yes, complaining.
Entitled or conditioned?

How do we justify this while paying the front line team $15 and thinking they are overpaying? Donna who's been around forever, helps everyone, knows so much, takes care of customers, covers for your managers and team-how is she doing?

Dealers/GMs think of her pay at an hourly rate and to them, $17/hour sounds generous, but fail to consider this equates to $34,000 annually and the healthcare options you offer her would cost her $7200 + per year, plus $5-8000 in deductibles.

Normalize talking pay in projected annual salaries.

Back to the archaic General Manager/GSM comp structures. Is He (rarely she) really, truly worth $12 to $40,000 Per WEEK?
That's the math.
The math those *only*making 12-15k per week are unsatisfied with.

In the past, some said, we can't find anyone to do the job- or the classic "you have to understand the car business."

Was this ever true, or did we not try?

I urge you to look into the regular pay of some of the smartest, most talented business professionals in the country. Well-rounded in Finance, Economics, Labor, Retail, Supply Chain, B2Anything. Other than Hedge-fund outliers, you could hire a steady stream of talent who are equipped to run your business and be delighted with less pay.

With their qualifications + business acumen, learning how Dealerships operate would require very little time at all, with remarkable payoffs.

The OEMs have their problems to sort out. Auto Retail could use this as an opportunity to look at market value for all roles.

Let's talk.

2066

Our FORWARD Execs programs are in high demand! We have experienced massive growth since our launch as an independent branch of @Foster Strategies Group last December.

This short video will give you career tips and insights as to some of our winning, innovative formulas.

Tell us what you like most here.
#BetterTogether #ForwardExecs #ForwardCareerStrategy #LeadershipMatters #ExecutiveCoaching #CareerDevelopment #LeadershipIsLonely #Performance #Compensation #FinancialRewards

2064

On An Offer You Can Say 'No' To: The Job Offer Edition

When seeking new employment, it is easy to want to take any and all interviews, regardless of their merit, the match to your goals and your true interests.

When we go ahead and take these interviews, we lose:
Precious Time you could spend on more productive pursuits
Mental Energy as in your mind you are wrestling with knowing all the reasons it's a bad fit and trying to contort yourself into being/acting interested.

When the Interview with the Company you know you probably should have already Rule Out produces an Unappealing Offer, Under-utilizing your skills, Setting You Up for ambiguous Pay, Bonus Structures, PTO, Schedules, Org Structures, Future Opportunities...and you wonder why their Turnover has been a problem, know these things:

👉Trust your instincts and insights, earlier.
👉Reserve your time and effort for pursuits that align with your true goals.
👉Commit to a process where you make decisions based on these realities and not because the interview or whatever was offered.
👉Immediately thank and turn down terrible offers. Do Not Waste A Minute!!!
👉Even if they acquiesce to your 'demands' they will either Not Agree, Not Live Up to Their Promises and will always, Always remind you of how They went our of Their Way for you.

Whether you need to replace your income quickly or not, these significant time and effort wasters are limiting you, not helping.

Say 'No thank you' to interviews with companies you know are not aligned with your moral/ethical compass.
Do your homework PRIOR to accepting the offer to interview.
Turn down politely requests for opportunities: too far away, ambiguous comp plans, low comp plans, poor structure.
Only accept interviews that have gone through your careful, methodical filtering process.

If offered a confusing, low or uninteresting comp plan, politely decline to go further. Immediately.
Don't let them 'sell' you on rainbows and unicorns when you can already smell the pigpen!

This happens at every level of position and with many, many companies.

Their offer to you is the desperate move.
Also, if they don't put their best offer forward first, what does it tell you about the respect and appreciation for the role you would be assuming?

🎯Avoid predictable traps.

✨You have more options and opportunities aligned with you, but you need your precious time and focus to secure them.

I teach people on the regular how to say 'no' politely and creatively on repeat.

Learn this skill before you end up in another dead-end job- where the person you should be upset with is yourself.
-Laurie

#BetterTogether #AutomotiveCareers #DeadEndStreet #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCareerCoaching #CareerOpportunities #Interviews #JobOffers #CompStructures #Attrition #TalentAcquisition

2063

On Updating My Speaker Bio: A task I find challenging!
While I write for others and provide guidance on effective communication both written and verbal, some tasks are still challenging when they are personal.

👉Enter the Speaker Bio,

As I was entering the requested information for another industry event, as much as these have been nearly dreaded (?! Fact) for prior events, today, the muse was right there and it was easier and more enjoyable than ever.

I believe in part it is due to embracing and recognizing my ever-increasing knowledge, impact, influence and accomplishments.

✨How often do we stop and reflect on our own growth, our own contributions and how the work you share is assisting more people and companies every day? It's okay to measure it all and take stock.
This also provides a fresh benchmark from which to launch your next level of personal goals.

Here is what I wrote. If you could take a moment or two and share your thoughts it would mean so much to me.
~~~~
As Founder of Foster Strategies Group and FORWARD Executive Careers, we provide much needed and appreciated proven strategies and solutions facing companies and leaders throughout the many facets of Automotive.   
  
After working across the country for over two decades with companies including the largest public Auto Retailer and 2nd largest third-party service provider, I have partnered with thousands of Auto Leaders in both Retail and Auto Adjacent companies. I have had the privilege to be routinely requested and often hired to provide insightful, informative and inspirational presentations and professionally host/moderate panels of leaders at the largest companies at industry conferences. 
  
Launching Foster Strategies Group nearly 5 years ago, clients were quick to reach out for this special skill set from within the industry.  In December of 2022, due to demand, we added FORWARD Executive Careers Services to provide requested guidance and leadership for today's mid-upper level leaders and executives. We also provide Career Strategy towards Promotions and Placement and Talent Acquisition for proven and forward-thinking companies. 
  
Our clients range from mid-large companies providing services and products into Auto Retail to mid-large Automotive Retail Dealer Groups. 
  
It is a privilege to provide my particular form of leadership in the industry. 
  
With 25 years in Automotive, we have never been more prepared, equipped and enthusiastic to help our progressive clients.

I appreciate every one of you and how you have contributed to me and to the success of my companies. Thank you and please take a moment to share your thoughts.
#BetterTogether #Automotive #IndustryLeader #IndustryExpertise #LeadershipMatters #ExecutiveGuidance #CorporateStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #Performance #Process #People #Profitability

2062

On Real Talk, Preparedness and... the UAW Strike?!:
Good Thursday everyone! Yes, we are still creating genuine, timely information for you without any #AI or #ChatGPT assistance. We hope that you enjoy our 'real' conversations. We want to hear your 'real' feedback.

👉Today, the Automotive Industry at large has the looming #UAW strike at the top of their mind.

In no way am I taking a position on the issue of the intricate decisions behind 'to strike/not to strike'. We certainly cannot control this either way.

What can we can control? The controllable?

✨A Preparedness Mindset. This is your personal and professional choice to make.
👉The good news? This is a skill you can learn.
👉The bad news? Most are living by the ups and downs of the hour or the day or the month.

The ebbs and flows of everything need to be considered. Plans are often based on 'Best Possible Outcome' and even as we fail, we fail again when we don't make adjustments to our planning process.

I'm going to share what I call our 'Living Laboratory' today. Here isa blueprint of how we help our clients create their Preparedness Mindset:
Living Laboratory Preparedness Session: A UAW Strike

1. Call for a Leadership meeting to take place within the next 24 hours.
2. Invite Leaders from each vertical or internal team, plus one for each.
3. Once scheduled, pull together your agenda.
4. Start with a list of questions/situations you want them to be thinking about as to how this situation might impact:
👉The company
👉Their team
👉Your customers
5. As you start adding to the list, ask a fellow leader at your level to add their own insight and contributions to the list.
6. Prepare these in a digital and printed format.
7. Have both ready to share at the meeting.
8. Use your whiteboard as the anchor for the conversation 'Preparedness Mindset'. You might have called this 'Readiness' but Preparedness speaks to the effort to have you 'ready'.
9. Prior to the meeting, go through each section of the company and your clients and list out all possible risks from your POV:
🎯Revenue
🎯Reputation
🎯Disruption
🎯Other...
10. Begin in a positive, professional, proactive manner. You're all there to reset the table, identify risks/opps and work together towards a preparedness plan.
11. Be open. Allow this meeting to explore routes, ideas you hadn't considered, but do return to focusing on your immediate situation and speed to execution.
12. Get Agreement, Alignment and Accountability on paper prior to wrapping up your initial 'Preparedness' meeting.
13. Schedule your follow up session
14. Be ready to call for another meeting asap if the strike occurs.
15. Ask yourself what you learned about your own preparedness and your trusted leaders.
16. In an email, ask them to contribute their thoughts and what they. Take each seriously.

Our goals for this event include
🎯Increased Confidence
🎯Improved Communication
🎯Reduced Disruption
🎯Realistic Planning

How will this help you today?
-Laurie

2061

#BetterTogether
Think about it.
Who can you partner with where together you make an incredible impact?
More than twice, but three, four, five times greater than either would on their own?

What individual, what company? Think hard!

My childhood pal, #Aristotle said it best as we all sat around on the marble steps
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." He was always coming up with something clever. No wonder the teachers and every else picked him first.

The benefits still available for us from the minds of the ancients.
Every bit as relevant today.

That's all for tonight.
Let's go farther, faster together.
- Laurie

2059

Good morning! It's Wednesday, September 13th.
Why am I dating my LI-blog today? It's a test and you are already a part of it. Below you will find a calculated effort to provide you a thorough overview of our #services , #results, how clients reach us and everyone's favorite, #ROI.

As an 'others-proclaimed' LinkedIn expert (?!) I am always making an effort to understand their ever-shifting algorithm. It's their platform, their business, they have every right to do so.

They don't make these subtle or significant changes on a whim.

Remember, this is a #business. Powered now by Microsoft. They are smarter than you and me put together. ;)

Foster Strategies Group and ✨FORWARD Executive Career Services

The core industry I serve is #Automotive.

I offer #Strategies and #Solutions for companies and leaders.

Our services include #PerformanceStrategy #MarketingStrategy #MergerGuidance #EventStrategy #Growth #Revenue #People #TalentAcquisition

Our core corporate clients include #GrowingCompanies #Entrepreneurs #SaaS #AutoRetailDealers and #AutomotiveAdjacent companies.

My core individual client roster includes #Executives #Leaders #MidTierManagement #UpperTierManagement #CSuite #Owners #DealerPrincipals #GeneralManagers and similar leaders. These are #OneOnOne sessions.

To aide our corporate clients, we offer tailored #group sessions onsite and virtually. Some clients start on an individual event basis. Most choose to keep us on as a partner for #OnGoingSupport.

Some projects are #FixedTerm with a clear goal in sight. These range from one event to 12+ months. Others operate without a #Deadline, so we install frequent #bidirectional updates, ensuring we stay on track towards our agreed upon #Goals.

Our First Principle includes #Clarity of Vision #Comprehension by all #Stakeholders reality-based #expectations and most important #JointAccountability.

Individual Clients are categorized into 3 segments: #LeadershipGrowth for current or new roles #CareerGrowth to be fully prepared + upskilled for a next step and seeking #NewOpportunities to actively engage in an #internalpromotion or a strategic move to a new company.

#ROI differs for all clients. Both individuals and corporate clients report significant measurable growth in their chosen scope. For individuals, we are pleased to have #increased #compensatio by 20-40%. We have also helped secure #BonusOpportunities in the 10s of thousands of dollars and when necessary, negotiated otherwise overlooked #Severance packages at $50k+.

For companies, #Revenue increases as well as #costreduction solutions are enormous, equating to $200,000 to well over $2.5m annually.

Our #ClientAcquisitions are 38% #referral, 22% repeat clients 28% direct from #social, primarily #LinkedIn and 8% from our #website and a few we can't pin down.

Let us know what you think- and when you see this!
Thank you for joining in!
-Laurie

Activate to view larger image,

2057

Good morning! It's Tuesday, September 12th.
Why am I dating my LI-blog today? It's a test and you are already a part of it. Below you will find a calculated effort to provide you a thorough overview of our #services , #results, how clients reach us and everyone's favorite, #ROI.

As an 'others-proclaimed' LinkedIn expert (?!) I am always making an effort to understand their ever-shifting algorithm. It's their platform, their business, they have every right to do so.

They don't make these subtle or significant changes on a whim.

Remember, this is a #business. Powered now by Microsoft. They are smarter than you and me put together. ;) Unless you are well, no never mind. They're smarter.

Foster Strategies Group and ✨FORWARD Executive Career Services

👉The core industry I serve is #Automotive.

✨I offer #Strategies and #Solutions for companies and leaders.

📈Our services include #PerformanceStrategy #MarketingStrategy #MergerGuidance #EventStrategy #Growth #Revenue #People #TalentAcquisition

🏢Our core corporate clients include #GrowingCompanies #Entrepreneurs #SaaS #AutoRetailDealers and #AutomotiveAdjacent companies.

🙋🏼‍♂️🙍🏻‍♀️My core individual client roster includes #Executives #Leaders #MidTierManagement #UpperTierManagement #CSuite #Owners #DealerPrincipals #GeneralManagers and similar leaders. These are #OneOnOne sessions.

🎯To aide our corporate clients, we offer tailored #group sessions onsite and virtually. Some clients start on an individual event basis. Most choose to keep us on as a partner for #OnGoingSupport.

✍🏼Some projects are #FixedTerm with a clear goal in sight. These range from one event to 12+ months. Others operate without a #Deadline, so we install frequent #bidirectional updates, ensuring we stay on track towards our agreed upon #Goals.

🎯Our First Principle includes #Clarity of Vision #Comprehension by all #Stakeholders reality-based #expectations and most important #JointAccountability.

Individual Clients are categorized into 3 segments: #LeadershipGrowth for current or new roles #CareerGrowth to be fully prepared + upskilled for a next step and seeking #NewOpportunities to actively engage in an #internalpromotion or a strategic move to a new company.

💰💵 #ROI differs for all clients. Both individuals and corporate clients report significant measurable growth in their chosen scope. For individuals, we are pleased to have #increased #compensatio by 20-40%. We have also helped secure #BonusOpportunities in the 10s of thousands of dollars and when necessary, negotiated otherwise overlooked #Severance packages at $50k+.

📈For companies, #Revenue increases as well as #costreduction solutions are enormous, equating to $200,000 to well over $2.5m annually.

👉Our #ClientAcquisitions are 38% #referral, 22% repeat clients 28% direct from #social, primarily #LinkedIn and 8% from our #website and a few we can't pin down.

Let us know what you think- and when you see this!
Thank you for joining in!
-Laurie

2056

Good morning! It's Tuesday, September 12th.
Why am I dating my LI-blog today? It's a test and you are already a part of it. Below you will find a calculated effort to provide you a thorough overview of our #services , #results, how clients reach us and everyone's favorite, #ROI.

As an 'others-proclaimed' LinkedIn expert (?!) I am always making an effort to understand their ever-shifting algorithm. It's their platform, their business, they have every right to do so.

They don't make these subtle or significant changes on a whim.

Remember, this is a #business. Powered now by Microsoft. They are smarter than you and me put together. ;) Unless you are well, no never mind. They're smarter.

Foster Strategies Group and ✨FORWARD Executive Career Services

👉The core industry I serve is #Automotive.

✨I offer #Strategies and #Solutions for companies and leaders.

📈Our services include #PerformanceStrategy #MarketingStrategy #MergerGuidance #EventStrategy #Growth #Revenue #People #TalentAcquisition

🏢Our core corporate clients include #GrowingCompanies #Entrepreneurs #SaaS #AutoRetailDealers and #AutomotiveAdjacent companies.

🙋🏼‍♂️🙍🏻‍♀️My core individual client roster includes #Executives #Leaders #MidTierManagement #UpperTierManagement #CSuite #Owners #DealerPrincipals #GeneralManagers and similar leaders. These are #OneOnOne sessions.

🎯To aide our corporate clients, we offer tailored #group sessions onsite and virtually. Some clients start on an individual event basis. Most choose to keep us on as a partner for #OnGoingSupport.

✍🏼Some projects are #FixedTerm with a clear goal in sight. These range from one event to 12+ months. Others operate without a #Deadline, so we install frequent #bidirectional updates, ensuring we stay on track towards our agreed upon #Goals.

🎯Our First Principle includes #Clarity of Vision #Comprehension by all #Stakeholders reality-based #expectations and most important #JointAccountability.

Individual Clients are categorized into 3 segments: #LeadershipGrowth for current or new roles #CareerGrowth to be fully prepared + upskilled for a next step and seeking #NewOpportunities to actively engage in an #internalpromotion or a strategic move to a new company.

💰💵 #ROI differs for all clients. Both individuals and corporate clients report significant measurable growth in their chosen scope. For individuals, we are pleased to have #increased #compensatio by 20-40%. We have also helped secure #BonusOpportunities in the 10s of thousands of dollars and when necessary, negotiated otherwise overlooked #Severance packages at $50k+.

📈For companies, #Revenue increases as well as #costreduction solutions are enormous, equating to $200,000 to well over $2.5m annually.

👉Our #ClientAcquisitions are 38% #referral, 22% repeat clients 28% direct from #social, primarily #LinkedIn and 8% from our #website and a few we can't pin down.

Let us know what you think- and when you see this!
Thank you for joining in!
-Laurie

2055

Through my participation with McKinsey & Company, I read many articles to share with clients.
Today, this is for any #CSuite leader to review and register to join, complimentary of course. I found the question posed intriguing:
👉"What is our company's superpower?'

Not only is there great material to peruse here, I would add this thought:
✨What do our employees and our customers believe to be our superpower?

For our CEO, COO, CRO, CFO, CSO, CTO, CPO CIO executives following us, please read, register and do dm, call or email with your insights from this thought-provoking article.
What is your real superpower? I can't wait to hear from you.

#BetterTogether #Automotive #AutomotiveLeadership #IndustryLeaders #CEO #COO #CRO #CFO #CSO #CTO #CPO #CIO
#CorporateLeadershipTraining #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCareerStrategy #Performance #Sales #Revenue

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