Digg it UP - Business

For Change Management Success It Pays To Be Seen
Leadership at organizations undergoing significant change spends a lot of time talking about the process and explaining it to employees. Communications to employees can take many forms -- from town hall meetings to company newsletters.These activities -- what I call "active communication" -- are very important. Employees are often confused and concerned by change. Leadership should take every opportunity to explain how the change will impact the company and employees’ day-to-day jobs. However, "passive communication" is just as important -- and, in certain cases, can be more valuable.By passive communication, I mean ensuring that the organization’s leadership (everyone from the CEO to front-line supervisors) demonstrates to employees that they are committed to t

Small Business Marketing Tip - Brand and Customer Referrals
It’s true: Good customers want to help your business succeed. Let’s help them out.As a small business owner you know your business better than anybody else. However, our experience shows that many small business owners and marketing managers need help in clarifying and clearly stating their own company Brand.Lots of people talk about word-of-mouth advertising. Creating successful word-of-mouth is much more art than science. Think of it as having your customers and employees carrying a Brand Banner for you.Let’s be candid: even your best customers won’t wave your Brand Banner all the time. And they don’t need to. You only need them to wave it when the opportunity arises: when they are talking to another potential customer. In an earlier article we discussed t

Do you hesitate to bring up tough issues, because you aren’t sure how to resolve them? Do you dread talking with your boss or co-workers about controversial topics, because you know the result won’t be good? Do you get stressed out just thinking about a difficult conversation you need to have? Is your organization suffering, because managers and employees don’t know how to talk about challenging issues without ending up in arguments that have unsatisfactory outcomes?

Difficult or “Critical” Conversations can make the difference between success or possible failure for your business or for you as a manager. Poor communication is at the core of 70% of stress experienced at work and consistently creates obstacles for the accomplishment of your major business or career goals. Two things can create the opportunity for managing this personal and interpersonal challenge. Awareness of habitual responses that have sabotaged your communications is the first step and then practicing certain skills will offer you the ability to break out of old, negative patterns enabling you to succeed more easily where you may have struggled in the past.

Let’s start with creating awareness that will help you to break out of your negative, self-defeating patterns. At the very core, is understanding how you habitually respond to difficult communications. Do you get so stressed out that you stop problem solving and just create “knee jerk” responses that can make difficult situations worse? When we get stressed we often react with two primitive survival responses: Fear or Anger. Neither of these will promote positive outcomes. Controlling, or at least managing, your stress response is one of the first things you can do to promote better outcomes. Since everyone responds in their own unique and habitual way to stress, then you must begin the process with going “internal” to observe, understand, and control your own stress response pattern. (I have written other articles, in fact, books on thi

Michael Jordan's Got Nothing On You
I made a mistake last week involving pants… I bought them. The problem is, and I have to say that I pretty much knew this before I left the store, they don't fit. In my defense, I am a man. I don't like clothes-shopping to begin with, and when you throw in the extra step of having to try things on, I get to a point where I'd gladly plunk down my credit card on an ill-fitting clown suit, if I thought it would get me out of the store faster. But the real mistake was taking the pants home, cutting off the tags and then deciding they don't really fit. Now I'm stuck with them, and despite having spent the better part of this week trying to convince myself that they're okay, I know I am a liar. In my experience (and in this cas

ssues without ending up in arguments that have unsatisfactory outcomes?

Success Comes From the Inside Out, Not From the Outside In
Whether you have been running a home based business for 5 years, for 3 weeks, or if you are still searching for the right fit, you will succeed exactly in proportion to the degree of self-esteem & self-confidence you hold, and to your willingness to play nice with others.As those of us with experience well know, there is a vast difference between working in an office environment with lots of other people around to offer stimulation and motivation, and working from home. The home environment offers many amenities - some would say too many – from the refrigerator, to the TV and stereo, to playing on the Internet, to going out the door for a walk break or to pick a few weeds in the garden. Staying motivated and focused is a primary challenge and is the major reason why this type of busines

gs can create the opportunity for managing this personal and interpersonal challenge. Awareness of habitual responses that have sabotaged your communications is the first step and then practicing certain skills will offer you the ability to break out of old, negative patterns enabling you to succeed more easily where you may have struggled in the past.

What If Advertising Was Illegal?
What if advertising was illegal? What if it were taken away? What if our nations media charged for their content and news instead of delivering it free and collecting from advertisers? You might be surprised how close that came to be back in the olden days. Thomas Jefferson once said that all advertising was misrepresenting and lying. He indicated if it were not for the news in the papers the whole thing would be a lie?Today it seems it is just the opposite, as the news is not truthful and full of misrepresentation but the advertising is under very harsh scrutiny with rules and regulations from the FTC. So many rules in fact that often they cannot even tell all the benefits of a product or service because someone may say that from their perspective that the commercial may not be true. Thi

ill help you to break out of your negative, self-defeating patterns. At the very core, is understanding how you habitually respond to difficult communications. Do you get so stressed out that you stop problem solving and just create “knee jerk” responses that can make difficult situations worse? When we get stressed we often react with two primitive survival responses: Fear or Anger. Neither of these will promote positive outcomes. Controlling, or at least managing, your stress response is one of the first things you can do to promote better outcomes. Since everyone responds in their own unique and habitual way to stress, then you must begin the process with going “internal” to observe, understand, and control your own stress response pattern. (I have written other articles, in fact, books on th

Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active
Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for work is humiliating, and your fragile self-confidence reels under the blows of indifference and rejection.It becomes harder to get up in the morning, to take care of yourself, to be supportive and loving to those around you, to swing energetically into job search activities.Here are 7 tips on beating those I-want-to-get-a-job-but-nobody-wants-me blues.1. Create a schedule for your week: 5 hours per day (maximum) of looking for work, 2 hours per day (minimum) of relaxing, having fun with others, and appreciating yourself.2. Act as if you are still working: get up at your usual time, shower, have your regular breakfast - it will maintain your sense of sense and provide the familiarity of routine

will promote positive outcomes. Controlling, or at least managing, your stress response is one of the first things you can do to promote better outcomes. Since everyone responds in their own unique and habitual way to stress, then you must begin the process with going “internal” to observe, understand, and control your own stress response pattern. (I have written other articles, in fact, books on this topic. See Guide to Stress Reduction for more information.) But in case you do not have the time to study up, start by taking a deep, slow breath. Pause after you inhale and then exhale slowly and completely. Relax your jaw! Relax your neck/shoulders. Smooth your forehead. Slow down and become more fully present. Repeat these slow breaths two or three more times until you can begin to feel yourself starting to “let go.” This will take practiced repetition but can be used as you plan and then enter into critical conversations.

Be aware of what you really want from this interaction. Plan and then visualize the most positive outcome. Practice seeing it happen (if you have the time.) If you are confronted and do not have time to plan, then take charge by saying that you are not prepared to have this interaction at this moment, and then schedule it at a more appropriate time. At the very least, do not get “sucked in to the drama” by reacting. Use your breathing technique to slow things down and to keep from falling into old negative patterns. Know what your ideal outcome would look like and expect this to happen (do not dwell on the potential disasters.)

If possible, study or know the “intentions” of your communication partner. If you are unclear, start by controlling the conversation. “Back up” and ask the questions that will allow your communication partner to reveal their “agenda” (including their fears and their expectations.) You do not have to “cave in” to their emotional or personal needs, but it may be helpful to really feel their position. As an exercise, understand h

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Everybody talks about innovation but not many firms can “walk the talk” and turn a creative idea into something of value. According to the Harvard Business Review only 1 in 10 new product introductions succeed in the market. But what makes the difference between success and failure? If we knew the answer we could use innovation to drive faster growth and superior profits. I asked 65 companies world-wide to look back at their recent projects and decide why some projects worked and some didn’t. They include IBM, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank and the RAF. Here are the conclusions of the study:

Many of those who are mechanics may wish to go into the Mobile Oil Change Business because the entry costs are low and because that is their area of expertise and a much needed service. But if they do this, will they make money?

Want better response from Monster and the other online job sites? Try this quick fix.

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