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Here is my first attempt
at this blogging thing, where I will offer ramblings that the rest of the world can read. I will also pull
articles from competent experts in various fields, they will be acknowledged at the end of their articles. Drawing
from experience, family, friends and customer problems & solutions, we can look at the world together. Hopefully you will find it interesting, informative, sometimes humorous
and at times brutally honest. Feedback is always appreciated.
Thanks for reading,
-rex
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Thursday, December 18, 2008
Get Better Performance
We have all seen Olympic gymnasts, American Idol contestants or other competitors
anxiously wait for judges' scores. As children we watched our parents' faces when we at school plays or at recitals.
We look for information returned from customer satisfaction surveys.
Feedback -- we watch for it, we
want it. Whether it is good or bad, we always want information about how we are doing. We use this information to determine
how to respond or what to do next. It is one of the most powerful tools a manager has to influence performance.
However,
feedback is not a process for the manager to vent. It is a learning event that focuses on particular behaviors that need to
be sustained or improved. Though this approach is more human, it does not coddle employees. It defines expectations and holds
employees accountable. This process insures that the employee is treated fairly, learns and is responsible for her actions.
Effective performance feedback has rules to ensure its effectiveness because, done poorly, it can do damage
to the manager/employee relationship. Employees don't want to be told what to do or to be scolded. They want meaningful
information to help them improve.
we offer tips to enhance the feedback process and guarantee all it will
focus on behaviors and performance.
Start with a "COOKIE" (a positive
comment). No one likes to hear about something that needs improving with a strong statement. Feedback is about people,
behaviors and emotions. Start each performance feedback with a positive comment, something that shows respect and understanding
of who the person is and wins the employee into the discussion.
Describe
the current behaviors and situations (give great details). Explain what is currently happening, the behavior that you
want to reinforce or redirect and the specific situations where you observed the behavior needing feedback. Be specific, brief
and direct. Remember, the goal is to change behavior that needs changing or encourage good behavior to continue.
Source: Jay Forte
is a speaker, consultant and author. His first book Fire Up Your Employees and Smoke Your
Competition is due January, 2009.
Take Action - Add Meaning To Your Life
Unfortunately, many people remain idle in the face of challenges and make
the decision to stay put in a life of discontent -- to remain in a job that brings them no satisfaction and to remain in a
world of unhappiness. These people take a passive approach to life.
When opportunities present themselves,
these people don't act. They're not prepared. It's one thing to know what to do; it's something entirely different
to put that information to good use and turn knowledge into action. If you don't take the necessary action, you will be
left watching opportunity after opportunity pass you by, wondering what might have been.
Here are some ideas you
should keep in mind if you are ready to take action and make some serious changes in your life.
Look At Your Life In Totality
If you are looking for professional and personal fulfillment, you have to
look at the whole picture, your daily life in totality. You will be unable to block off 10 hours of your day for work and
then expect to live the rest of each day in happiness, forgetting about work completely. Work is a part of life; therefore,
to live a true life of fulfillment, you must make work part of the total equation. This does not mean you can't lead a
happy life if your job isn't ideal. It simply means that you can absolutely make your job part of the larger vision for
your life where work is exciting and anticipated instead of unfulfilling and dreaded.
Make the time to learn about
yourself. Find your purpose. Put in the effort to create a specific vision. Develop the goals and the plan that will turn
that vision into your reality. Most important, take action -- don't stop with a dream.
Take the action
that will define who you are. Separate yourself from those that only talk about things. You are unique, and you have unlimited
potential. These gifts can only be offered to the world if you take action. You were meant to express yourself and contribute
your talents. You will make yourself happy, and this will undoubtedly be radiated to those around you.
Incorporate More Meaning Into Your Life
Everyone has moments of happiness. When you add that extra element
of meaning, you will take yourself to a higher level altogether. Think about your job. Have you ever found yourself asking,
"Why am I doing this?" If you aren't very interested in what you are doing, you will not truly care about your
job, and it will show.
How do you behave when you are excited about something or truly care about the result?
Do you act differently? Of course. You don't even think about the time or effort you put into reaching your goal. You
just do it. Period.
Take Action Today
You can discover your purpose,
create a vision, and set your goals, but if it's not followed up by action, it's meaningless. Action is the critical
component that leads you to a fulfilling life. As obvious as it might seem, taking action is the part of the equation that
is most often overlooked.
Nobody Is Going To Do This For You
There
are three reasons why you need to picture the life of your dreams.
One is to help clarify what it is you really want,
two is to create your destination and the road map in getting there, and three is to help you realize what you are giving
up when you choose not to take action. This does not mean that the life you are currently living is no valid. It simply means
that you have the capability to make changes and create a life for yourself that is in keeping with your purpose.
Remember the words of Earl Nightingale, "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." Taking action
is an ongoing process. It will take effort; it's hard work, but it can be fun, too. That is why it is important to be
involved in something that you believe in. If you feel as though you are working hard out of sheer necessity, not by choice,
you will understandably feel discouraged.
Make the decision to act. You will be glad you did.
Source: Jan Peter Aursnes is the author of Unlock Your
Future: The Key to a Fulfilling Life. With a degree in management sciences from the University of Manchester, England,
Aursnes has more than 27 years of experience in the corporate and non profit world.
Take Action On Your Goals
Chances are you've read countless books and articles on how to improve yourself, professionally
and personally. You may have even attended a self-improvement or business enhancement workshop or two. But if you're like
the majority of people your professional and personal life hasn't changed at all. What went wrong?
As with
all things in your life, you have a choice to make. In this case your choice is clear: Are you going to apply what you've
learned in pursuit of a better life or business, or are you going to file this knowledge away and stay in your comfort zone.
Realize that action is the key to making positive changes in your life. Without action, knowledge is lost. Inaction
will not result in fulfillment. There is only one thing standing in the way of achieving all that's possible: you.
If you make the conscious choice to sit back and watch the world go by without attempting to achieve your goals, you
will experience profound regret.
Here are a few ideas you should keep in mind if you are ready to take action and
make some serious changes in your life.
Don't Let Fear Hold You Back
You can't let the fear of the unknown or the fear of failure prevent you from taking the necessary action to succeed.
You must stick with your vision even when times get tough.
Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich (Hill 1987), put it beautifully. "There is no substitute for persistence! It cannot
be supplanted by any other quality! ... Those who have cultivated the habit of persistence seem to enjoy insurance against
failure. No matter how many times they are defeated, they finally arrive near the top of the ladder."
Know
the path to success will include many obstacles and challenges. You will certainly have tough times. But don't let misconceptions
lull you into inaction and eat away at your dreams. Realize all great accomplishments come despite hardship, not in its absence.
You have to be aware and prepared, and you must match your vision with action.
Eliminate Regrets
The regret of never trying to make the most of your potential will far outweigh any bumps
you will encounter along the way. There is no limit to what you can do with your life.
When faced with the
idea of taking action, many people quickly create a long list of what can wrong and why they should stay in their comfort
zone. Most people will never run out of reasons when they are asked to analyze why they shouldn't try to do something.
Yet, the moment you ask them to create a vision for what they want out of life, they suddenly lose their creative prowess.
When it comes to their approach to life, many people don't think about what they are losing, because they have
never had it. This is a flawed way of thinking. You can be whatever you want to be. It is never too late or too early. Make
no mistake, by choosing to sit idly by without taking responsibility for what happens in your life, you are giving up a tremendous
amount. Just because you might not be able to touch it yet doesn't make it any less real.
Tomorrow we'll
examine: Looking At Your Life In Totality and Incorporating
More Meaning In Your Life.
Source: Jan Peter Aursnes
is the author of Unlock Your Future: The Key to a Fulfilling Life. With a degree in
management sciences from the University of Manchester, England, Aursnes has more than 27 years of experience in the corporate
and non profit world.
Take Your Career To The Next Level
As a salesperson, did you know consistent research reports that 97 percent of unhappy
customers don't complain? Or, if you're in a leadership position, did you know that the higher you go in an
organization, the less honest feedback you are likely to receive from your internal clients or employees? This frightening
data shows that you could be under-performing, and not even know it.
Even the most talented professionals can operate
on autopilot, unaware of their impact. They may work hard, just not necessarily smart.
Often two simple steps can
make a profound difference in how you are perceived and getting you to that next level at work.
Step One: Self-Knowledge
Many of us are self-aware, but we lack self-knowledge. What's the difference?
Self-awareness is knowing what you do right or wrong. Self-knowledge is knowing what you do and why you do it. The difference
between these two creates breakthrough opportunities to remove barriers that may be success stoppers.
The fastest,
most efficient approach to gain higher self-knowledge is to constantly discover the "why." However, there is a caveat.
People are generally uncomfortable with providing critical feedback and most subordinates may never be brutally honest with
their managers. Consequently, many leaders keep achieving mediocre results by doing the same thing.
Getting Objective Feedback
When leaders become approachable, teams typically communicate better, trust and
loyalty is higher and performance improves because an open atmosphere is created -- one conducive to allowing mistakes and
fostering a stronger team dynamic.
Possessing self-knowledge is crucial, but it's only the first step.
The proof of higher performance requires the execution of outcome-focused action.
Step
Two: Results Based Behavior
If behavior doesn't change for the better, results don't get better. The challenge
here is that many people are not sure of the right application and need a clear roadmap with behaviors to build leadership
and team performance. Specific results-based behavior might include:
* Have regularly scheduled
individual staff meetings and commit to them as you would client appointments.
* Ask staff members
what their goals are and how to reach them. Be sure to capture this in writing for retention and follow-up.
* Project enthusiasm and a positive spirit. This should be reflected in your tone of voice, smile and how you greet others.
* Put a post-it note on your computer to thank or recognize team members at least twice a week.
* Set deadline-driven goals and express to staff that you must all work together to hold each other
accountable.
Because formal schooling usually lacks the relationship and leadership skills instrumental for professional
success, the instructional manual for how to create a positive working environment, build team trust or recognize employees
is often underdeveloped. Determining absolute behaviors to get results requires being a student of self-development and an
interviewer and listener of others.
We all want to own our successful accomplishments; these two steps can
take you to your next level -- if you are willing to dig deep. They are simple in theory, but also require openness, consistency
and implementation.
Constant improvement and reinventing yourself is what life is about and, in an unstable
economy, it may be the best business investment you can make.
Source:
Joe Takash, founder of Victory Consulting, is a business consultant and keynote speaker who specializes in leadership, motivation
and selling skills. A syndicated columnist, he has been featured in Entrepreneur, Investor's
Business Daily, Leadership Excellence, Selling Power, Crain's New York and MSNBC.com. He is the author of Results Through Relationships: Building Trust, Performance and Profit through People.
Historical Secrets Of Success
Current business leaders, entrepreneurs, and salespeople face an unpredictable
economy, a credit crunch, fierce competition, and shifting demographics. These situations are remarkably similar to the challenges
faced by the leaders who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 to draft a new constitution and form a government to tackle the
issues of the day.
Some modern business owners are learning and applying success secrets from these
founders. So flip on the TV, slip in that DVD, surf the web, crank up that CD or grab a book and start your leadership learning
journey today. Our founding fathers are waiting to coach you to brilliance.
we will explore seven business lessons
gleaned from history that can be utilized to help your business flourish. Yesterday we looked at the first three. Today we'll
look at the last four.
Citizenship Matters
Business leaders admire
their country and its history and want to learn from it. They look for ways to practice their citizenship whether on the local,
national or global level. They not only serve on nonprofit boards, they mentor students, build homes and dish-up dinner in
soup kitchens. Ben Franklin founded dozens of civic organizations, while Alexander Hamilton and John Jay helped found one
of the early societies for the abolition of slavery. Thomas Jefferson founded a university to create an "academical village"
to mingle formal education with practical commercial learning. The founders constantly looked for ways to improve their world.
Government Matters
It's easy to complain about government. However,
unless a businessperson understands the origins and current functioning of our government, he or she will find it difficult
to interact with it effectively or be a good citizen. Our founding fathers and mothers never turned down the call of their
country to serve it. They believed it was their duty to be in public service at some point, even when it would interfere
with their business and personal affairs.
Leadership Matters
Real leaders are committed to becoming better leaders. What better role models to learn from than the towering successes
and all too human shortcomings of the nation's founders? We can all learn from the U.S. founders precisely because they
were very much like us. They struggled with the same shortcomings modern leaders must overcome. They provide a practical guide
to leading under the most difficult circumstances.
Survival Matters
The
founders believed liberty required an informed public. Modern and historic leaders know national survival requires more than
an extravaganza of politics every four years. Many of the key political debates today hinge on what was going on in the minds
and lives of U.S. leaders in the late 18th and early 19th century. Modern business leaders know these continuing debates
will have a direct effect on whether their companies will survive and thrive in a tough economic climate. They stay informed,
learn from history and encourage their employees, friends and family to stay up-to-date and involved.
Source: Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, Ph.D., president of Advantage Leadership, Inc., works
with leaders who want to grow their companies strategically. She is the author of Conventional
Wisdom: How Today's Leaders Plan, Perform and Progress Like the Founding Fathers and Success Planning: A 'How-To'
Guide for Strategic Planning.
Biz Lessons From History
History has always offered insight into the future. It is no different
in business. As businesspeople read about the leaders of the past, they often find guidelines for what can be done today.
Learning from the past is easier than ever with information readily available online.
Over the last decade,
the publication of an unprecedented number of enthralling histories and biographies gives business leaders more opportunity
to learn about the past and apply these secrets of success to their present day businesses.
Today we will explore seven
business lessons gleaned from history that can be utilized to help your business flourish. Today we'll look at the first
three.
History Matters
Despite the words of the old pop song, "Don't
Know Much About His-tor-e!" smart businesspeople know the importance of learning from the past. They're interested
not only in avoiding mistakes, but also understanding how important leaders faced monumental challenges and succeeded. Our
founding fathers were all history buffs. As the framers debated the details of the Constitution, they pointed to specific
lessons from the rise and fall of the Roman Republic to make our own republic more robust.
Downtime Matters
Successful people know the importance of relaxation. They are clear about their priorities.
These folks spend time resting and enjoying their families and friends. Their historical counterparts enjoyed rich social
and family lives, were physically active and never stopped reading and learning.
The founders didn't
have seminars on work-life balance but still achieved more than most people today, while making time for enjoying life.
Learning Matters
Strategic businesspeople read, watch or listen to history
and biographies because they enjoy learning. They are always looking for ways to improve their performances by absorbing
the lessons of the past. George Washington, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin left a rich legacy of their ongoing self-improvement
efforts. When the framers wrote in the Constitution they wanted "to establish a more perfect union," they
were reflecting their personal journeys seeking to become more perfect leaders.
Source:
Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, Ph.D., president of Advantage Leadership, Inc., works with leaders who want to grow their companies
strategically. She is the author of Conventional Wisdom: How Today's Leaders Plan, Perform
and Progress Like the Founding Fathers and Success Planning: A 'How-To' Guide for
Strategic Planning.
Survive In A Tough Economy
Stress is building as many small business owners watch the economy evaporate in front
of their eyes. As the economic news continues to worsen daily they struggle to meet their most basic obligations.
If the slowdown continues, some may face hard decisions.
However, most entrepreneurs have a sink or swim
mentality. Focus on the right things and you can get through this downturn.
We will explore ways to stay focused
and survive these challenging times.
1. Cash flow is king: As a small
business owner, you must know how your cash flows. This isn't fancy accounting; it's simply tracking how cash comes
in versus how it goes out. Take two hours, and use your QuickBooks or check register to get a grasp of this monetary movement.
2. Trim the fat: Many small businesses experienced a tremendous run in
the last 10 years. Since they had good cash flow coming in the door, they allowed fat to accumulate in the things going out
the door. Now is the time to look at where your money is going, and eliminate unnecessary items.
Think
about trading in business Hummer for a less expensive and fuel-efficient car and getting rid of that expensive copier lease.
In addition, you may need to make some tough decisions about eliminating employees. It's critical to quickly get
your cash outflows to a manageable level.
3. Look into the future:
When clients and projects were rolling, most entrepreneurs believed new business would materialize whenever things temporarily
slowed down. Those times are gone. Analyze what money is coming in during the next three months, specifically from where,
and when. Compare this to the new cash outflows that you assessed in step No. 2. If things are tight, that's fine; if
more is going out than coming in, trim more and find additional income. Do this exercise each month, always looking three
months out.
4. Get back to basics: When you first went into business,
you may have had to fight and claw to make ends meet. Make a list of the things you did then to bring in revenue. You probably
moved away from many of those strategies when business improved. This is the time to aggressively return to them.
5. Avoid the evil temptation: It's tempting to use debt and credit cards
to borrow your way through slow times. Since no one knows how long this slump will last, borrowing may result in the demise
of your business. Say "no" to using credit cards, the equity in your home, or any other borrowing. Resolve that
you're going to scratch and claw your way through this using the cash flows of the business. You'll come out stronger
in the end.
Source: Thomas E. Houck, CPA, CFP, is a speaker, author and consultant whose
program, "Your CFO Advantage" helps business owners grow their businesses, reduce their taxes and lower their stress
level.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Caution: High Stress Levels Ahead
Do you read articles on how to manage stress? Do you say to yourself, "Yes this makes sense
and I should practice some of those techniques"? Maybe you've tried for a minute or two, or even for a full day to
keep the suggestions alive. Somehow, however, life keeps happening and your attempts at stress management fall to the end
of the priority list.
This is a common experience for most professionals even though everyone knows unmanaged stress
is not a good thing. Decreased productivity, poor co-worker relations, and increased absenteeism are just a few of the red
flag consequences of unmanaged stress.
These negative outcomes originate from individuals not taking
care of themselves when stress levels begin to increase. Time and energy are then spent managing the consequence of high stress
levels, often causing more stress and more negative consequences.
Imagine the positive outcomes if everyone knew
their individual stress signs (Yellow Flags) and changed one or two small behaviors to counteract crashing into Level Red?
Not only would productivity and intra-office relations improve, but bothersome mental and physical health symptoms would also
decrease. Before attempting to change behavior, one must know the Yellow Flags that indicate a danger zone ahead.
Following are some known and little known Yellow Flags signifying a crash is impending:
* Early morning (3 or
4 am) awakening
* Eating that "Oh I shouldn't" piece of candy found in your coworker's candy dish
* Feeling on edge most of the day
* Feeling like you are walking through molasses on your way to work
* Hitting
the snooze button 10 to 15 times each morning
* Procrastinating on important projects
* Drinking that "Oh,
I shouldn't" extra glass of wine at night
Once these signs are acknowledged there are several methods
you can use to prevent a Level Red breakdown and give you a better chance at managing your stress, feel healthy, productive,
and empowered.
Below are five techniques you or your employees could actually do, starting today, often with immediately
stress reducing results.
1. Deep Breathing. Breathe by directing air
into your diaphragm and extending your stomach, hold it a second or two, and then slowly let it out through your mouth or
nose. Repeat three to five times. Breathing in this way will help slow your thoughts, clear your mind, and get more oxygen
into your system to help you work more effectively.
2. Repeat A Simple Mantra
To Yourself. No you don't have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), if you repeat a word or phase over and over.
Try repeating to yourself, "yes I can," "I can stay calm" or "stress is manageable," or you
can pick words that are meaningful to you. This strategy works by changing negative self-talk into productive self-talk.
3. Take A Walk Around The Block. It will help your mind switch tracks from
focusing on a problem to figuring out a solution. Exercising at least 20 minutes each day will keep those neurons firing productively
and help you stay in solution-focused mode.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
You can do complete a mini progressive muscle relaxation protocol while at your desk. Pick various muscle tensing activities,
such as pointing your toes upward, clenching your fists, and raising your shoulders to your ears. Separately, tighten each
muscle group for 30 seconds, then release -- feeling the difference between tensing and relaxing. Once you stop tensing, your
body wants to relax. It will assist you in helping these specific muscles to relax promoting overall body and mind relaxation.
5. Draw Circles. If you find yourself getting frustrated while sitting in a
meeting and are not in the mood to think positively, can't leave to go for a walk, and have already tried deep breathing,
try taking pen to paper and draw circles.
The process of actively doing something in your control, plus the symbolic
representation of the circle (i.e. wholeness and completeness) should be enough to get you to the end of the meeting. Of course,
after the meeting try taking that walk, and/or breathing deeply.
Source: Julia M. Rahn, PhD, is a clinical psychologist
and founder of Flourish Studios, a multi-faceted learning center. In addition she is a speaker and consultant.
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