Nurture Your Future Leaders

Job, Jobs, Career , Employment

By: Gen Wright


They are the fast-rising and upcoming superstars of the organization. Young and talented, these entry level managers have excelled in their academic years and are looking to duplicate their success in a working environment.

On a smaller scale, they have already shown what they can do. Now, they are in search of more challenges. It is time for them to take bigger risks and make things happen. As your newest batch of managers, they are ready to rumble!

Connect them to the organization

Use the organization's core values to connect with upcoming superstars of the organization.
On their first day, pick a respectable senior leader in the organization to inspire them with a short talk on the importance of core values. Let the senior leader tell them stories of his or her past experiences to illustrate how the company's core values have guided him/her to success. The aim is to let new young managers understand that as leaders, they represent the core values of the organization. This gives them a connection to the identity of the organization - an alignment of their personal values with the organization's core values.

Allow new young managers to cross-train for a short period of time (4-6 weeks) with teams led by more senior and experienced managers who consistently demonstrate a high regard for what the organization believes in. This way, new young managers get to fully understand the meaning of the organization's core values as it is being practiced on a regular basis.

As an extended practice, new young managers can be given responsibility for values orientation among newly recruited people across the organization. This will give them a greater sense of accountability.

Develop their Emotional Quotient

Although high IQ levels count, let them know that developing their EQ is as critical as mastery of their chosen profession. Workers value a leader's abilities to control their emotions such as anger, to withstand difficult events and stressful situations, to be fulfilled with what life can give, and to be a cooperative member of the team.
As early as possible, let your young superstars participate in a leadership development program that includes topics such as enhancing self-awareness and self-reflection skills.

Encourage them to practice and seek on-going feedback from co-workers to identify and monitor inappropriate emotional behaviour. This will help young managers learn how to control their responses and quickly recover from any setbacks. Developing their EQ is an investment that will reap rewards in the area of relationships and personal growth once they assume more senior leadership roles.

Keep them Interested

Your new young managers will definitely find it exciting if their job descriptions say: implement change, multi-task, and solve problems. Multiple tasks and challenges are never a problem.

Gradually increase their responsibilities as they show capability to keep them challenged and interested with what they are doing. Give them regular feedback about their past six months' performance and update them about what's going to happen next.
New young managers are particular about structure - a clear hierarchy in the organizational chart, a well-defined scope of work, and an outline of their career path is critical if you wish to motivate them.

Special projects are also a welcome responsibility particularly if the assignment is related to the latest in communication technology or social networking. Encourage new young managers to strengthen informal bonds and create solid teamwork by setting up a networking system that allows them to communicate and collaborate.

Give them a life

Work-life balance is a must for long-term career growth. Managers of this generation lead multi-activity lives. They work hard but they also value time for sports, adventure, and recreation with family and friends.
Create fun and let friendship bonds be formed across various teams in the workplace through lunch break celebrations and socials in the office.

Encourage young managers to join clubs or teams that promote wellness or any team sport that they are interested in.
Allow them to spend enough time with their families on weekends to re-charge and re-energize their week.

New young managers are not threatened by job security or big pay checks. They want to learn from their senior leaders, be successful with their teams, and earn the respect of the whole organization. Nurture them early to create well-balanced individuals who will surely be productive as professionals and as respectable leaders in the organization for a long time.

Mel Mendoza is a virtual assistant for whatdoyouwantfromthem.com - an informal network for managers. Create a private social network for your management recruits.

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Leadership Training Tip - Use Momentum

Job, Jobs, Career , Employment

By: Lee Coates

Don't let past glories slow you down. True leaders have new objectives waiting in the wings that they immediately begin to pursue, the moment the present objective is complete. It's the momentum that keeps you moving forward. Keep the energy high or things can change from good to bad. Its momentum that ensures that your team maintains their enthusiasm and remains in motion

You are going to need discipline, drive and determination to be a true leader. The price that one pays for mastery is discipline. You can't have success without it. Every day you need to devote yourself to the perfection of the path you have chosen to peruse. By doing this you will achieve self mastery. Achieve self mastery and you will have developed the essence of a great leader. Discipline is about developing powerful habits and at one point those habits will become your identity.

If you have the discipline you will keep moving forward. Keep moving forward to provide growth for you and your team in character, in strengths and virtues.

Albeit Einstein said that compound interest was the most powerful force in our society. Discipline and perseverance are a lot like the principle of compound interest - The more committed you are towards your objectives, the greater the momentum you will build. In the beginning your progress may seam small, but as one success gets stacked upon another, the momentum you generate will make you a force to be reckoned with.

The opposite result is to decay over time.

Always know - What is your new objective?

Always be a leader.

If you're not sure - Act like a leader and support others like a leader.

"What really makes greatness is white hot action around red hot ideas. A genius idea alone has zero value" - Robin Sharma

Even before the end of your current task you should be asking.

What is my new objective?

This has been the tenth and last article about a special kind of leadership. I call it leadership without a title, because I firmly believe that anyone can be a leader in anything they choose to do. These ten action steps that have been presented allow anyone to step up and lead. These action steps apply to any sized task, the most common tasks that take mere minutes to complete, to ones that can last months. If you apply these steps to everything you do I know you will stand out head and shoulders above 90% of all those around you.

It's strange that when you research the topic of leadership that there is no one clear definition of leadership. Leadership is a very broad concept and there are many different types of leadership. There are a number of words that describe the qualities that many leaders possess and as you follow the ten steps I have given you, I believe that many of these qualities you too can't help but possess. Here are the qualities that many of the world's top leaders possess - believers, listeners, kindness, kindness, disciplined, imagination, excellence, determined, enthusiastic, responsible, humility, influential, vision, they reinforce core values, attitude of ownership, refuse to lose attitude, great habits, mental toughness, understand emotions, pro-active, love, focus, action orientated, persistent, patient, integrity, passionate, creative, flexible, compassionate, confident, calm, optimistic, assertive, courageous, decisive, accountable, to list just some. Is it any wonder that delership is defined in so many different ways by different people.

Keep practicing leadership in every little task you perform and many of these qualities will be yours to enjoy.

Lee Coates - internet entrepreneur, coach and trainer InfoAbounds.com is my blog for more articles about wealth, health, personal development and of course internet marketing. We teach internet marketing to anyone with an existing business, existing product or we can provide a complete internet marketing system for newbie's. We can help you. Check us out. BecauseItsTheBestHomeBusiness.com

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

How to Be Successful in Project Management and Leadership

By: David Shoemaker

It is not always easy to develop effective leadership in project management, but it can be done. It takes a certain drive, a lot of focus, powerful motivation, and a detailed plan. Project management and leadership courses can do two things: help you become ready to lead a team by studying your own management style and learning where your weaknesses and strengths lie in order to make yourself a better leader. They also teach you what to do to create and execute a useful project management plan. Remember that a goal without a plan is simply a dream. After completing training for leadership in project management, you should feel confident in five areas:

• Identify leadership strengths and weaknesses in the context of your own career, through feedback from colleagues and through self-assessment
• Explaining the role of colleagues, mentors, and your various networks in achieving your goal
• Explaining why it may be difficult to alter your preferences, even if making a change is the way to realize your goal
• Creating and executing a development plan
• Applying what you have learned to your management of projects and tasks

As a leader, you have a wealth of opportunities at your fingertips to continue to develop your leadership abilities. As you shape your development plan, think about where you need to review your current practices and acquire new skills. Second, evaluate the roles of those around you: how can they be part of your successful development?

What is the best way to plan for your successful development as a leader? Surprisingly, only 15% to 20% of people who study leadership in project management and create development plans in a seminar actually accomplish their end goals. Many discover that following through is difficult, for various reasons. It can be difficult to make changes to your predetermined leadership practices and many people need an effective support network. Trying to make changes to your habits is even harder within a busy work environment. Sometimes you can see good initial progress, but it's all too easy to fall back into old patterns.

Again, it is critical to utilize your colleagues, your network, and your mentor as much as you can to continue to learn and improve throughout your career. Take their support into consideration as you develop your leadership in project management.

Project management and leadership can be a difficult skill to master, especially because it is hard to continue to sustain a changed behavior. Change is much easier at first - you must work at it to keep up your new practices. One way to achieve this is to build up your support network in the workplace. Talk to people you trust about the changes you're trying to make; solicit their feedback. This is an important part of a successful development plan.

At the end of a project management and leadership course, you should have a more thorough understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses and you will understand the performance system that is being used inside your organization. Finally, you will develop a plan using this new information and insight. You will learn to make yourself as effective as possible. You will then understand the importance of getting ongoing feedback as you implement your plan. It is only by talking with other people and getting feedback from them that you can achieve the calibration that you will need in order to be successful in leadership in project management.

Job, Jobs, Career , Employment

Considering a Career Change-Should You Stay in Your Current Job?

By: Catherine Trebble


When it comes to considering a change in jobs or careers, there is nothing wrong with staying where you are, as there are many reasons that a job or career change might not be right for you, at least not right now.

There are many outside factors that can cause you to have to stay where you are right now, even if you are unhappy. One reason could be the timing. It could be that you need to get your finances in order first, you need the medical benefits your current job provides and you can't afford to risk losing those benefits for whatever reason, or perhaps you just need more time to get other aspects of your life in order before you think about making a change.

If you have felt unhappy with your job, it could be that you figured out it is due to something or someone in particular and not what you do for a living. Perhaps you feel you are just bored and would like to take on more responsibility. Maybe you have determined that you need more education so that you can transfer into a higher position within the company you are in.

If you have decided you want to work on getting a certain issue resolved instead of leaving your current job, a written plan of action can help motivate you to take the necessary action. If you work for a company, it is very likely that with some discussion with your supervisor or upper management, you can eliminate or minimize the source of your unhappiness. As you will see from the following chapter, a written plan can be beneficial to you no matter what changes you want to make in job or life.

If you find yourself wanting to stay where you are but know you need to make some changes, take the time to brainstorm the various options available to you. This will help you to know how to approach whatever issue it is that needs changing and create a plan of action.

But what if you aren't happy with your job but have to stay where you are for now? Even in a situation such as this, there are still certain steps you can take to make things better for yourself. Although there are many things that you feel are out of your control, we can control our own behavior. So if there is something about your job that you can't fix, look to yourself and see if there is a way you can adjust your own feelings or reactions so that you don't feel your usual negative feelings. Sometimes we can make ourselves feel a whole lot better with just a simple attitude adjustment.

It is also important to give your best. Just because you are unhappy with your current job doesn't mean you should slack off and act like a miserable employee. Instead, take time to think about what you could do better. How can you improve? The simple act of doing your best and applying yourself to everything you do can be very uplifting-really!

When you know you have done a great job at something and are giving your all, it will create a sense of pride within yourself and help you to feel better about yourself. Focusing on what you can do better will also help keep you from thinking about the things you are not happy about at your job.

And of course there's nothing to stop you from continuing to make plans for the future. Just because you have to stay in your current job for now doesn't mean you can't plan to leave at some later time. Creating an exit plan for later on down the line when the timing is better for you will not only keep you motivated and give you something to look forward to, it will keep your mind busy and give you something more positive to think about. It will also give you something to do, even if it's just typing up your plan and creating goals that you will carry out at a later date.

Job, Jobs, Career , Employment

Career Change For Over 40's

By: Catherine Trebble

Getting back into the workforce or changing careers after the age of 40 can be tricky, especially in this economy, but there is a great deal you can do to improve your chances.

As populations in the developed world are growing older and many countries are experiencing a crisis in the pension system, we are facing the prospect of having to work past the usual retirement age. Yet, at the same time, older people are not always welcomed back into the work force. Many also have difficulty finding a new job if they have an unbroken track record and are simply looking for a change in career after the age of 40.

There are a number of steps you can take to maximize your chances of getting a job, despite the negative views regarding age on the part of some employers.
When writing your CV or résumé, be sure to target it for the job in question. You can do this by highlighting all the skills and experience which are needed for the job and then proving that you have got them.

It is not necessary to put personal information on your résumé - in many countries it is illegal to ask about age so don't feel you have to volunteer your age on your résumé. You should either leave out your date of birth completely or put it at the end. Do not mention your marital status or the number of children you have or their ages. This is not relevant to the job!

The fact that you are older means that you have valuable experience in many areas and you need to make good use of this in your application. Don't worry if you are returning to work after bringing up children - soft skills, such as communication, time management and the ability to meet deadlines are crucial in the workplace today and all of those will be skills you have developed in the intervening years. So take a good look at all the skills you have acquired both at work and in other areas of life and make a list. You'll be surprised to see how many you have and how many of them are transferable.

If you find your particular career favors youth, consider the possibility of self-employment. Could you use your existing skills as a freelancer? If your computer skills aren't up to date, get your kids to teach you or find out about local classes, which are sometimes free. If there have been changes in your particular industry, look into refresher courses.

Many people make the mistake of assuming that they will get job satisfaction in one place, but this is the exception rather than the rule. So make a list of all the skills you'd like to use (or learn) at work and a list of the tasks which give you job satisfaction. Then consider the possibility of becoming a portfolio worker, that is, someone who has more than one occupation. You might, for example, work as a freelancer in your existing career for two or three days a week and set up a small business doing something completely different during the rest of the week. Or you might write about, teach or run workshops in one of the skills you have developed.

This doesn't have to be work-related - it could be a hobby you've been interested in for years, it could be a hobby you're passionate about. Look at everything you've done in your life so far and you'll find that there are several areas in which you are an expert.
If you are prepared to look beyond the conventional 9-5 job, you will find that there are many opportunities open to you, regardless of your age.

Job, Jobs, Career , Employment

 

Your Career Change Plan-Staying Motivated

By: Catherine Trebble

Motivation is very important when it comes to pursuing your goals and fulfilling your dreams. This is especially true when it comes to pursuing a new career.

One great way to stay motivated is to set up a reward system for yourself. Rewards are fun and give you something to work towards. When it comes to setting up a reward system, here are a couple of suggestions:

At the end of each week, if you completed your entire task list, reward yourself for staying on track and following through with your plan. My weekly reward is a massage at a beauty salon near where I live. I LOVE that massage, I really feel I've earned it and the very thought of it inspires me as I work through my to-do list each week.

But massage may not be your thing. So work out what your thing is. It can be something as simple as treating yourself to a special dessert, or having a guilt-free soak in the tub with scented candles.

Reward yourself whenever you accomplish a milestone towards your goal. Because these milestones are crucial to achieving your overall mission, go for something a bit more elaborate than your task list reward.

You may have to stash a little money away per week to save up for this one. My milestone reward of choice is a new pair of shoes. Shallow? Oh yes, but they make me feel so happy-and rewarded. Plan for whatever your "shoes" are. Go shopping at the mall for a new outfit, or take an afternoon off and visit with a friend. Accomplishing an entire goal is a big deal-you deserve something nice!

Just like the last example I gave here, not every reward needs to involve money. Sometimes time to yourself can be far more precious. If funds are tight, use your creativity to think up some fun and exciting rewards that are inexpensive or don't cost a penny. The important part of setting up a reward system is to treat yourself to something special for your hard work. You deserve it and you are worth it!

Another way to help keep yourself motivated is to post some of your favorite inspirational messages and quotes in various places. You can post them around your work area, on the bathroom mirror, on the fridge, next to your bed, and even on the sun visor of your car. Post them wherever your own personal space is. These motivational statements will come in very handy during times when you feel you are running out of steam or having a down day. We all have them.

From my own experience at creating written plans for myself and setting up goals, one of the most motivating factors for me was following through with my plan and keeping track of my progress. Each time I got to check off a task or larger goal as being completed, I felt proud and wanted to accomplish more. So stick to your plan and continue to take action-the sense of accomplishment itself will do wonders for your motivation!

Job, Jobs, career

Reputational Risks in Your Organization - Part 8

By: Peg Jackson



Relations with the Community

Organizations need to live and work harmoniously in their communities. Today's business and community environments can also contain individuals or groups that have their own political agenda which may not include living harmoniously with your organization. The actions of people and groups who might politically target your organization could also damage your brand and image.


Private sector firms such as Chiron and university researchers such as those at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz have been targets of animal rights and/or environmental activists who often break the law. These groups are some of the more extreme elements within a community, but honest, lower-key, non-violent political discord can also damage your organization's reputation.


Maintaining the organization's reputation as a good citizen can often center on simply maintaining good relationships with customers and the community at large. Strategies for effective public and media relations can be established in consultation with the organization's public relations advisor. This trusted advisor is essential in identifying those areas of your organization's relationship with the community that could trigger a reputational crisis.


Community relations checklist

• Location of your organization's offices, buildings, garages and/or manufacturing sites.
• Has your organization been the target of any community protest or complaints? If so, describe the nature of the complaints and/or protests.
• Actions that your organization's public relations department could recommend to improve the quality of the community relationships.
• Suggestions for the creation of a Community Relations Committee, task agenda and membership.

Some common problem areas include:

The organization does not handle complaints from customers and neighbors effectively.

The way in which an organization treats customers and neighbors establishes its reputation in the community. If customers and neighbors know that the only way they can get the attention of the organization is to have the media investigate, then that is precisely what will happen whenever there is a complaint. If you recognize your organization in this statement, you need to take action now!


The organization does not cultivate media relations.

If your organization does not have an ongoing positive relationship with the local media outlets, then, in the event of an emergency or crisis, your designated spokesperson will not have the advantage of working with reporters and media outlets that are familiar with the organization. Your public relations advisor can help you to establish this important set of relationships.


What are other issues that have either caused problems in the past or are causing problems now?

• Has the organization been targeted by community/environmental activists?
• Have these attacks created negative or adverse publicity?
• If this has not happened to your organization, has it happened to other companies in your industry?

Recognizing and identifying the issues behind community animosity is essential to doing what is necessary to maintain a positive reputation as an organization. Sometimes dealing with community issues takes the skill of a public relations expert. If your organization is having these problems without satisfactory resolution, your organization should add a public relations professional to your team of trusted advisors.

Job, Jobs, career

Developing Successful Leadership Practices

By: Riley Jones


Successful leadership practices and professional business management skills are proficiencies that develop over time. Actually, some people are born leaders, however there are certain areas which will be targeted on to develop leadership skills.

Mahatma Gandhi once said "If I have the idea that I can do it, I can surely acquire the capability to try and do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning".

Sensible leadership starts with a solid and clearly defined leadership philosophy. Why? As a result of your personal leadership philosophy defines a collection of beliefs that verify how you react to folks and situations.

Jim Collins and Jerry Porras describe the key parts of a leadership philosophy in their book Designed to Last. At the core of a leadership philosophy they place a group of beliefs or ideologies. It's necessary to define these for yourself to perceive your leadership philosophy. The three belief systems Collins and Porras define are what you think concerning individuals, what you believe concerning life and what you believe makes teams and organisations effective. These systems are expressed in your values and ultimately shape how you behave and your leadership style.

Martin Glenn is a leadership skilled and complete guru with demonstrable expertise and expertise. He and his team took Walkers Snack Foods from a relatively small regional operation to the most well-known supermarket brand within the UK in simply 5 years. By 2005, Walkers occupied forty five% of the ?2-billion salty snacks industry in the UK. Nowadays as the CEO of PepsiCo UK (the parent company of Walkers), Glenn has been tasked with making Pepsi a household name within the UK.

Martin Glenn has had wonderful teams behind him that have aided in his success. And while quality of product, branding marketing and distribution are the hallmarks of Walkers crisps' success - his account of this turnaround reveals many valuable lessons regarding successful business leadership practices, and his personal leadership philosophies.

In an eBook entitiled Successful Leadership in Apply, Glenn distils the various leadership lessons he's learned along the way. These embrace recommendation regarding managing teams and creativity, when to relinquishing, an uncompromising commitment to quality and excellence and engagement with every employee.

Martin Glenn provides some clear lessons in successful leadership practices. As an example, he says that in addition to having a clear leadership philosophy - it's also vital to know your business inside and out. A slip-up several folks in management positions create is just viewing the globe from their desks. Solely counting on data could be a huge mistake - and it's advisable to get out into the field yourself to work out what is really going on. Whereas you are out there, create time to speak to people. This is often one manner to elicit info from them that will give ways in which to improve or innovate.

He goes on to say that great business leadership strategies ought to not only keep individuals motivated, however conjointly ensure that the business stays contemporary and keeps moving forward. This does not mean that you must change for change's sake - this could be fatal to a brand that has been established over time. However, when marketing a product keep things additional-ordinary. This will guarantee that folks do not stop talking concerning your product or business.

Another lesson is that taking time to engage with each employee is very important to excellence in leadership. It is a well-established reality that deeper relationships and open internal communication channels with workers make every member of an organization not solely feel a lot of valued and empowered, however additionally motivated to try and do their job better and to create selections that are in the most effective interest of the organization.

Finally, and this could be a shocker - it's not all about profit! In Martin Glenn's example with Walkers crisps, yes, the profits doubled in five years however this was not the initial objective. This was simply a natural results of the means things developed as a result of of Glenn's specialize in doing his job properly and a specialize in growth.

Definitely taking these lessons in successful leadership practices on board will solely improve your leadership skills, enabling you to encourage teams and take your business to new heights in the data that you have a solid foundation on that to build.

Job, Jobs, career

10 Ways to be More Productive in Your Home Business

Working from home is a dream come true for most. Thoughts of simpler times and easier work - life balance, conference calls in your pajamas and uninterrupted focus on your work. Well, think again. Before you know it the lines between work and life begin to get blurred as you start to be pulled in multiple directions and are faced with choices such as "should I put in a load of laundry before I start this proposal", or "Should I plan dinner before inputting my business expenses". These are real world examples of what happens in home based businesses and before you know it, there are unforeseen distractions, lack of balanced time and sometimes, a lost identity since many relate who they are with want they do. But don't give up just yet; here are 10 tips to keep you on track and to be more productive in your home business.


1. Declare a specific work space

Maintain a separate and dedicated workspace that you can use when you are in "work mode". This is a place that you condition yourself that when you are in, you are to be 100% focused on work activities.

2.Set a work schedule

Make sure to structure your day so you are not pulled in different directions. Try to schedule your day and isolate a specific work schedule that works for you and your lifestyle. If you want to go to the gym everyday for an 11 o'clock yoga class, then work that into your schedule. Perhaps your workday starts at noon. One of the benefits of working from home is that you get to set your own schedule, just make sure you set a firm schedule and keep to it.

3.Outsource what you can

Streamline your business and outsource what you can. Hire a virtual assistant who can handle the administrative tasks which will allow you to focus on building your business. If you try to do everything yourself, you will soon realize that you are working long hours.

4.Stay focused

When you are at your workspace, stay focused. Make sure other members of the household know that you are in the "zone" and that you are not to be interrupted. Keep all of your personal stuff away from your workspace and stay 100% committed to getting your work done for the day.

5.Beware of the "needy" people

When people hear you are working from home, they often envision that you are lying around on the couch eating snacks and will begin to ask favors of you since they are stuck in their office. Don't fall into the trap of the needy people. During your work hours, you are working and be firm when your friends ask you to check on their pets, or wait for the cable guy or run errands for them. Treat your business as though you also have a job and set those boundaries up in the beginning.

6.Break for people

One of the benefits of working in an office is that you are around people. Don't isolate yourself from others. Take moments to join your friends for lunch or participate in classes. Surround yourself with others when you can so you can stay motivated, connected and engaged.

7.Group errands and tasks

Try to minimize your "out of office" time but grouping your errands together. Rather than a bunch of in and out of the house, set out to complete all of your errands in one complete swoop. This way, you will manage your time better.

8.Use technology

Be sure to use technology in your business. This will give the impression that you are bigger than you are and cut down expenses. Nowadays, you can have virtual meetings, send documents electronically and collaborate with others in an online environment. Just remember to have separate lines for yourself and your business.

9.Manage your administrative time

Checking emails, social media, returning phone calls, putting together reports and checking blackberry can be time wasters. Be sure to manage your time. Select three times a day that you check email s and that is the only time you check them. If you fall victim to checking emails as soon as they come in, before you know it, the day is gone.

10.Set your own pace to your own moods

This is your dream. Be sure to live it. Create a business that works for you and what you want just be sure to treat it as a business and stay focused and disciplined.

Employment, Careers, career

Do You Have the Courage of an Entrepreneur?

By: Sue Painter

Years ago, I heard the statement "the fastest way to personal growth is to open your own business." Thirteen years after opening my first business, I can promise that statement is true. Like many people who are self-employed, I came out of the corporate world, where I was used to having support staff, creative people around me to bounce ideas off of, and the big bosses over me to handle the heat. I also had janitorial staff to clean the office and technical support staff to handle an errant computer.

When I left all that to open my own business, I soon discovered that my support staff, creative people, big bosses, janitorial staff and technical staff was the person I saw when I stared into my mirror. My business was brand new and very small, one room in an office building. I had to handle everything, whether I was "trained" to handle it or not. I had to discover what I did well, what I enjoyed the most, what I hated to do, when I could afford to hire help, and what help I needed to hire first. I had to stretch and grow quickly.

Fortunately, because I had solid experience in growing a business, the Touch Therapy Center built itself quickly. Within the year, I could hire help for cleaning and laundry service. Next came a bookkeeper. Now, 13 years later, I manage the business while other staff do most of the therapeutic massage, I'm in a medical office building with multiple treatment rooms, and I have a practice manager to handle the front desk, errands, and most administrative tasks.

What I want to point out is the rocky path of personal growth it takes to get from year one to year thirteen, turning a profit the whole way. Here are some of the things I had to learn or consider.

• Watch my operating costs and bottom line - I had to remain profitable even if I was spending more money on getting help with cleaning, laundry service, and so forth. Watching my weekly financial statements was critical, or I could have worked myself crazy and not made a dime.

• Know myself well enough to figure out what I liked to do and was good at versus what I am not so good at and am not fond of doing. One of these in the massage business is laundry. I didn't enjoy dragging home loads of sheets and spending my evenings sorting, washing, drying, and folding them. And I wasn't particularly great at it, either. On the other hand, I'm very practiced and skillful at attracting clients. I didn't need or want to pay anyone to handle marketing for me, other than getting help with a design for my business card. It was easy for me and saved me money to develop my own brochures and press releases.

• I had to find out about my willingness to take risk and how to handle the good and bad that came from that risk. Should I move into larger office space and increase my rent? If so, how much more business would I need to generate to remain at my same level of profit? Could I get larger space, spend more money, and at the same time make even more money? Could I negotiate new lease terms that were favorable to me?

Before long, I had a very busy practice and was ready to hire other staff. Now, I could draw on my past experience as an Executive Director and use my past hiring skills. This time, if I made a bad decision, it was mind and mine alone to deal with, for better or for worse. After about 8 years, I had to make a decision about opening my second business, The Confident Marketer. Other entrepreneurs had been asking me for several years how I'd built my business, how I knew what to do when, and how I got profitable. I found that I absolutely loved helping other self-employed people be successful. So, about 5 years ago, The Confident Marketer was born. And with it, a whole new level of personal growth and challenge was necessary. It's one reason I keep myself always working with top coaches who can help me face up to the personal growth and new business skills I need to keep my business successful and innovative.

The point to my story is that it takes courage to be an entrepreneur. You have to be willing to find out what you don't know, get help with those things you don't do well, and become expert at a few things that are yours and yours alone. You have to be willing to step up to intimately knowing and watching your financial statements (something I find many new entrepreneurs don't want to do). You have to make decisions using both the facts and figures AND your gut feelings -- your intuitive skills. And when there is a problem, you have to be willing to meet it and work it through, taking time to consider whether and how much it affects your customer service and your bottom line. All this takes a great deal of courage and a willingness to grow both personally and professionally.

A great business takes three things - a solid business plan, a creative and well-thought-out marketing plan, and a willingness to engage in personal growth. Behind those three vital things is courage. Step right up, and see how quickly your business becomes unstoppable!

Employment, Careers, career

Employee Communication: The Secret to Business Success (Part 11)

Look closely at the communication happening in your business. Is it satisfying what workers want to be absolutely engaged and operating productively? Contemplate each of the four basic levels of communication in your organization for a solution:


1. Organization wide communication - involving all staff
2. Departmental communication - specific to 1 department or unit
3. Team communication - within one cohesive team or group
4. Individual communication - specific to one employee at any one time


Communications may be working effectively at higher levels, with regular and informative newsletters emanating from Head Office. However, the standard and quantity of communications could fail dismally at the a lot of native level. The interpersonal skills of supervisors, team leaders and native managers are particularly important at levels 3 and 4, as these are the individuals that frontline employees develop operating relationships with most personally and closely. Several exit surveys have shown that workers commonly leave an organization as a result of of a poor operating relationship with a right away supervisor. How are the communication skills of the supervisors in your organization?


Just as necessary is that the communication between and at intervals levels. Gone are the days when departments may stand as silos, isolated from the rest of the organization by impenetrable barriers. Intra-national and international competition is currently so fierce that everyone in the organization desires to collaborate closely on solving organizational challenges and on achieving agreed strategic objectives. What are the communication barriers in your organization?


Where is your organization at in its life-cycle? Is it large or growing rapidly? As more folks are added to an organization, communication needs and stresses increase exponentially. Joe, who used to try and do purchasing, inspection and warehousing on his own now needs to speak to 3 other departments yet as the people in his own growing team. What structures, systems and processes has your organization place in place to encourage and facilitate effective communication flow?


Well-designed organizational culture surveys and employee communication surveys can determine how well your communication systems and practices are contributing to your organization's performance - or how abundant they're hindering performance. This data can then help you in devising a good employee communication strategy. No matter else you do, communication practices impact each facet of your business. Wanting closely at communication in your organization is well price your whereas, as a result of even if you do not, your staff are.

Employment, Careers, career

Employee Communication: The Secret to Business Success (Part 1)

By: adam howard



Business surveys consistently show us that poor workplace communication could be a major supply of employee dissatisfaction. The repercussions of this include not just low employee morale. Employee productivity suffers, together with a vary of other business performance indicators.


Business Impact of Poor Communication
Have you ever stopped to think about how much unsatisfactory communication practices are costing your business? A number of these costs embody:

? increased employee turnover
? increased absenteeism
? dissatisfied customers from poor customer service
? higher product defect rates
? lack of specialize in business objectives
? stifled innovation

How several of these prices can you recognize in your business? You can flip the situation around. Staff can place in that further "discretionary effort" after they are kept informed brazenly and honestly on aspects of their job and the business and that they feel that they're being listened to with empathy.


Employee Communication Needs
What and how ought to you communicate together with your employees? Communication in your organization should satisfy the three key employee needs before they will be engaged and highly productive. Every and each employee needs to:

1. Apprehend that ...
-included here are facts regarding your organization and their specific job - what business you are in, who your customers are, specific details regarding your product or service, where forms are located, who to determine when there is a downside ...

2. Master that ...
-included here are the sensible skills required to try to to their job well - repairing a machine, filling out an invoice, designing a building, writing a software program ...

3. Feel that ...
-included here are the interactions that provide them a way of belonging and self-price - being listened to, revered, trusted, valued ...

Managers predominantly think about the primary need - grasp that - and pay less attention to the second would like to master skills. The third would like - feel that - is what makes workers distinctly human and what drives them to outstanding achievement in work and outdoors of work. And however it's in this dimension that employee communications are most lacking.

Employment, Careers, career

Resolving Workplace Conflict: 4 Ways to a Win-Win Solution (Part 11)

Seeing and dealing with workers as citizenry with real lives is typically overlooked within the busy workplace. People with high emotional intelligence can do this in a very skilled manner, and maintain acceptable boundaries. Another side of EQ is knowing and being sensitive to how employees are experiencing you as a manager. Half of EQ is teaching managers to be sensitive to how theyre returning across to others.

The fourth facet of reducing workplace conflict is putting in place behavioral consequences to be used with really uncooperative employees who are unwilling to change. Despite using of these recommendations, there can be a few workers that simply wont change as a result of theyre unwilling or unable. Meaning a manager should make a case for a consequence, which is an action or sanction that states to the worker the seemingly outcome of continuous problematic behavior. It will take skills from the 3 previous points to do this in a very non-threatening way.

Is there ever a place for anger in the workplace? Yes. When people can say, Wait a minute. Im not pleased with this; I dont like whats going on, and that they turn that anger into a positive action, then the anger can be seen as a quite motivator. Generally when were during a position where we acknowledge that we are upset about one thing, and we have a tendency to use that to our advantage, we have a tendency to can build that employment for us, and in the long run, really work for the company.

As staff, the additional we have a tendency to will learn to speak up, to be ready to mention what our desires and our needs are in a healthy way, and not let it fester to the point of rage or explosion, we tend to can use our anger as a motivator to assist us take action.

Employees will additionally modification their attitude toward their job whereas putting up with the unpleasant aspects of it. One method to reduce conflict and to be happier is to seek out a method to shift our perspective and our vision of why were there.

Id like to shut with a story thats going around concerning the janitor at Carnegie Hall who had been there for 20 years. Hes 45 years old. He was cleaning up the restroom, and a man during a business suit went up to him and said, You appear to be an intelligent fellow. For 20 years youve been cleaning the toilets. Why dont you do one thing together with your life and find another job?
And also the janitor said, What? And leave show business?
Its all in how we view the situation and understand what were doing that determines our satisfaction and success on the job.

Employment, Careers, career

Resolving Workplace Conflict: 4 Ways to a Win-Win Solution

By: adam howard

The effects of conflict in the workplace are widespread and costly. Its prevalence, as indicated by 3 serious studies, shows that twenty four-sixty% of management time and energy is spent coping with anger. This results in decreased productivity, increased stress among staff, hampered performance, high turnover rate, absenteeism and at its worst, violence and death.

Conflict in the workplace is the result of a selection of factors. Perhaps the most significant cause is when someone feels taken advantage of. This may happen when a perfectionist boss demands the same dedication and commitment from staff as he or she exhibits, however will not compensate them for the late or weekend hours.

Other scenarios embrace the worker having unrealistic expectations of what their job position extremely is, or of being misunderstood in the workplace. Conflict conjointly arises as a result of of values and goal variations in the company. The corporate may not have goals or not adequately specific the goals and values to their employees. Conversely, the employee may have personal goals and values at odds with those of the company.

There are four specific steps managers can take to cut back workplace conflict. The first is for managers to seem at communication skills, both in terms of how they convey and the way theyre teaching their staff to communicate with each other. This, after all, includes using I statements instead of you language. Owning your own feelings and your own communication may be a much additional effective approach to communicate and even additional, teaching your staff to speak that method with others, goes a long method toward reducing conflict.

The second part of communication is for managers to beef up listening skills. Active listening involves things like truly trying to perceive what the other person is saying, and then communicating to the other person that you are doing indeed perceive what theyre saying.

The second method to decrease workplace conflict is to establish healthy boundaries. Without boundaries, there will be conflict and squabbles, power struggles and all types of circumstances that make for messy situations.

You'll be skilled and be empathetic and compassionate toward your staff, while not crossing the line of changing into their friend. This is often especially important when theres a power distinction between 2 individuals in an employment situation.

The third factor to reducing conflict may be a skill referred to as emotional intelligence. There are many aspects and sides however it primarily means that developing skills to be more effective by teaching people to mix both intelligence and emotions in the workplace.

Employment, Careers, career

How to Make Money Online Without a Website (Part 11)

Step 3: Find a good affiliate merchant that targets your niche
In order to find a merchant that offers a relevant product and pays you a good commission, check out these affiliate networks and directories:

• www.associateprograms.com
• www.affiliatesdirectory.com
• www.ecommerce-guide.com
• www.cj.com
• www.clickxchange.com
• www.linkshare.com

When you're choosing affiliate merchants, ask these questions:

1. Do they offer a product that directly solves a problem you've identified?
2. Do they allow direct linking to their sites? Some don't. Check the terms and conditions before you commit.
3. Does the landing page generate pop-ups? If so, then forget it. This is not allowed. The back button on the page also has to be functional.
4. Is there a strong landing page for the product? If you send click-throughs to an irrelevant page, a confusing sales process, or a site that's just plain unappealing, then they won't convert and you'll end up wasting your money.

Step 4: Write a PPC ad that drives buyers to the affiliate merchant's site
Take a good look at the landing page your ad is pointing at and make your ad directly relevant to it. Your ad must:

• address the specific problem you've identified.
• include the keyword you've bid on, preferably more than once.
• reflect the keywords of the landing page.
• highlight a benefit of the product.
• include a strong call to action.

You can give your ad an extra boost by adding your keyword, or part of it, to the display URL at the bottom of the ad. The actual target URL will contain a big, ugly affiliate ID number, but the display version can show the domain name plus a subdirectory with a word or phrase that makes it look relevant to the search, like this:

Display: internetmarketing.com/affiliates_ppc
Target: http://www.internetmarketing.com/aff-iduao74elksdjdo-2u023f

Before you create your display link, check out the PPC competition to make sure it's unique so your ad won't be bumped. The better your ads, the higher the click-throughs will be, which means your ads will be rewarded with better positions for the same money. It's worth polishing them, and then testing them to see which ones are performing the best.

Running a pay-per-click affiliate campaign probably won't generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for you right off the bat--but it is the easiest way to leverage the keyword research and PPC skills you've developed in building your own site. And when Microsoft adCenter and Yahoo Search Marketing join forces sometime this year, you'll get the traffic from both, even if you only advertise on one. That makes direct linking even more appealing.


Employment, Careers, career