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Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions
Do you encourage customer feedback with hotlines, focus groups and in-depth customer surveys?One car manufacturer was exposed for systematically hiding customer complaints over a period of thirty years. How would you feel buying an automobile from a company with a policy and culture like that?With your suppliers, what kind of customer are you? If they make a mistake, do you tell them right away and give practical suggestions for improvement?How frequently do you give feedback to your team members? Are they satisfied with once-a-year appraisals? Are you? Is that enough to keep your people motivated and improving?Many organizations have shifted from basic ‘boss-to-subordinate job reviews’ to ‘360-degree evaluation’. These exercises include constructive input from superiors and subordinates as well as colleagues, customers and suppliers.In ‘720-degree evaluation’, each person being evaluated simultaneously appraises those evaluating him or her. These reciprocal exchanges allow a coordinated, quarterly flow of constructive compliments, critiques and suggestions. Key Learning Point -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A regular, vigorous dose of omnidirectional feedback helps individual employees – and teams – quickly learn, improve and grow. Action Steps -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <

ather relevant information about yourself. You probably already know most of your strengths and weaknesses, but knowing what others think they are can be truly eye opening. One of the best ways to find out is to ask. That can take several forms, but probably one of the most effective is the multi-rater 360 instrument. A well-crafted survey will capture the opinions of direct reports, peers, and your boss, if you have one. Once you understand what their perceptions are, you will be able to take steps to improve in ways that they think you should. The experience is usually both educational and beneficial. Once you know how your behavior affects your team’s productivity, you will be equipped to make changes and to offer more coaching, all important first steps for building trust.

Can I Trust You?

Farrier: Working With Horses
If you enjoy working with horses and are strong, then being a farrier just might be for you!According to the Farrier’s Act 1975, the definition of a farrier is “any work in connection with the preparation or treatment of the foot of a horse for the immediate reception of a shoe thereon, the fitting by nailing or otherwise of such a shoe to the foot or the finishing off of such work to the foot.”The craft is an ancient one, possibly practiced as long ago as during the time of the Roman Empire.To become a farrier, you must attend one of the many schools offering classes in the craft. A wise idea, although not required, is an apprenticeship after graduation. This lends itself to hands on skills while under the watchful eye of an experienced farrier.A farrier’s work consists of checking a horse’s leg, foot and hoof, cutting away any excess hoof growth and ensure that the horse is balanced. Selection of the appropriate shoe relies on the horse’s size, foot condition and whatever work or activity the horse is involved in. Next, adjust the shape of the shoe using an anvil and hammer. Then affix the shoe to the hoof.There are few considerations you should take into account if you feel this is the career path for you. You must enjoy working with horses and know how to handle them. Some horses don’t like their feet handled and can be difficult to work with. Good manual skills and hand-eye coordination are a must. You do want to hit the

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. Peter Drucker

Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats and make sure your seatbelt is fastened tightly around you. We are encountering some unexpected turbulence. I have no idea what that turbulence will be, the source of it, the cause of it, or the cure for it. But I can guarantee it will come. And like the captain of a 747, your job as the boss, will be to make decisions that help all those on board with you navigate the sometimes unfriendly and uncharted skies of your particular industry. You will make decisions that affect you, but more importantly, you will make decisions that will affect many, possibly thousands of other people. That’s what bosses do. They take charge in turbulent time.

Why would anyone want to be led by you? That’s the question that needs to frame your journey to better leadership. If you have a hard time answering that one, try this one, “Would you want you for a boss?” When someone answers with an awkward silence or a stare similar to a dog watching a ceiling fan, you can infer that the answer is “no.” The next questions are, “What makes you think others want you for their boss?” and “What are you doing that you wouldn’t want your boss to do?” As simple as the exercise is, it is eye opening in almost every case.

To score a leader’s version of the rainbow’s pot of gold, you’ll need to rouse others with confidence in you and inspire them with assurance in themselves. Lou Holtz, famed Notre Dame football coach, captured the essence of this daunting task in three questions that he speculated people always ask about their leaders:

Are you committed to excellence?

Can I trust you?

Do you care about me? There are many myths about great leadership and just as many pieces of advice to match them. But Lou Holtz’s questions make it all very simple. Can your direct reports answer “yes” to all three?

Are You Committed To Excellence?

People want to play on a winning team, and most realize that hard work and sacrifice make a team win. Football players suit up to practice in the 100 degree temperatures of August not because they like it, but because they know it is part of attaining excellence. Your direct reports are no different. They expect you to demand what it takes to separate your company from the competition.

During his tenure on the speaking circuit, Lou Holtz told stories of inspiring his team by saying that he had called the coach at the University of Michigan to see if he would agree to easy practices for his players so that the Notre Dame players could take it easy that day. Their coach said he wouldn’t agree, so he couldn’t let them off easy either. As he explained, if the competition is doing it, we have to do it if we are going to beat them in the opening game of the season.

From the time we are children, we understand that excellence requires hard work. People won’t grouse about it if they think you are really striving for superiority. What is the essence of excellence? Leo Tolstoy wrote “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” an observation that is probably applicable to top performers too. Successful bosses are all alike in how they commit themselves to the pursuit of excellence by committing to their own improvement, an ongoing and never ending quest to attain new levels of achievement.

The single worst thing that can happen to cause you to cease being excellent is that you will exhaust your intellectual capital and reach your level of incompetence. Early in your career you dedicated yourself to learning, growing, and experiencing. Now, you are bogged down in the perpetual challenges of getting results. Stephen Covey talked about the successful wood cutter taking time to sharpen his saw. Trying to cut with a dull saw keeps you in motion and lets others know you are busy and dedicated, but it’s not the smartest way to operate. You become so busy doing that you forget about learning, the intellectual equivalent to sharpening the saw. You need to learn faster now, so take the time to learn how to learn. It can pay enormous dividends.

The first step is to gather relevant information about yourself. You probably already know most of your strengths and weaknesses, but knowing what others think they are can be truly eye opening. One of the best ways to find out is to ask. That can take several forms, but probably one of the most effective is the multi-rater 360 instrument. A well-crafted survey will capture the opinions of direct reports, peers, and your boss, if you have one. Once you understand what their perceptions are, you will be able to take steps to improve in ways that they think you should. The experience is usually both educational and beneficial. Once you know how your behavior affects your team’s productivity, you will be equipped to make changes and to offer more coaching, all important first steps for building trust.

Can I Trust You?

Termination of Franchise Agreements
Why would any franchisor want to terminate a franchisee who pays royalties into the system, assists the franchisor in extending his brand name and helps the franchise system gain market share, growth and profitability? Indeed all good points to the question; why? Well often a franchise outlet is under performing, undermining the system or not accomplishing those objectives.It is for this reason as a franchisor and often feeling more like a grandfather or coach, I had to come to terms with when it was time to sever the franchise relationship. I therefore put this clause into my franchise agreements;6. TERMINATION AND DEFAULTS6.1 Termination by FranchisorFranchisor may terminate the Franchise Agreement at the time indicated, if any of the following events occurs, each of which shall be deemed a default:(a) immediately, if the Franchisee or the Franchised Business is declared bankrupt or judicially determined to be insolvent, or all or a substantial part of the assets of the Franchisee or the Franchised Business are assigned to or for the benefit of any creditor, or the Franchisee admits its inability to pay its debts as they come due, or the Franchised Business is seized, taken over, or foreclosed by a governmental official in the exercise of his duties, or seized, taken over, or foreclosed by a creditor, lienholder or lessor, provided that a final judgement against the Franchisee remains unsatisfied for thirty (30) calendar da

at one, try this one, “Would you want you for a boss?” When someone answers with an awkward silence or a stare similar to a dog watching a ceiling fan, you can infer that the answer is “no.” The next questions are, “What makes you think others want you for their boss?” and “What are you doing that you wouldn’t want your boss to do?” As simple as the exercise is, it is eye opening in almost every case.

Are you committed to excellence?

Can I trust you?

Are You Committed To Excellence?

Can I Trust You?

Tips to Use Before You Start Your Job Search
It’s not easy to find a job, especially in these days, and in the situation that the world faces. This market situation demands an active search for jobs, that is, to look for a job in a persistent and organized way. Don’t let your self down; learn to adopt a positive and dynamic attitude.Don’t believe that there are no opportunities for you, don’t spend your days watching TV, and don’t keep waiting for your phone to ring. Stop being lazy. Job searching it’s a full time job. It’s about a real job that requires time, energy, will and persistence. Looking for a job shouldn’t be made in a random way, but instead in an organized way.First, start by evaluating yourself, making a personal and professional balance of yourself. You should try to answer the following questions: “what can I do?”; “What do I like to do?”; “What do I don’t like to do?”; “In what sort of activities am I good at?”; “What do others think of me?”; “In which aspects should I improve?”; “Do I have the need to improve my knowledge and professional skills?”; “Will I be Willing to move far from home?”. After reflecting about your skills, tastes and interests, try to make a list about the kind of jobs that could better fit your professional profile. You should dedicate so much hours a day as you would by working in a regular company.Second, you must organize a plan of action. Keep yourself posted about the job market. Read the job section of the daily newspapers, and highlight

nd most realize that hard work and sacrifice make a team win. Football players suit up to practice in the 100 degree temperatures of August not because they like it, but because they know it is part of attaining excellence. Your direct reports are no different. They expect you to demand what it takes to separate your company from the competition.

Can I Trust You?

Handling Invoices and Payments in A Medical Billing Business
When you start a medical billing service you need to be prepared not to receive a payment for at least thirty to forty-five days. It would be nice if all of your clients paid you within ten days but this is just not realistic. The majority of your clients may not be able to pay you until they are paid themselves. Usually this is what happens with smaller clients. However, with larger clients if only a few of their patients pay, you will still get paid because they will have an accounts receivable account setup just for situations like these.Allow your clients at least twenty to thirty days to make payment to your invoice. As mentioned earlier some clients can not pay you until they are paid themselves. Allowing them twenty to thirty days gives them a little while to receive payments from their clients so they can pay you. Your clients are your entire basis of your business, and without them, you will not have a business. So be a little flexible in receiving your payments. You have obligations too, so make sure you have cash flow available to take care of those obligations while you are waiting to be paid.Depending on the amount of clients you have, set aside one day each week or each month and handle all of your invoices for that period. Trying to send out invoices after each job is completed can become hectic. It may sound like a good idea to complete your billing this way but you can lose control over your billing. You may forget whether you in

appy family is unhappy in its own way,” an observation that is probably applicable to top performers too. Successful bosses are all alike in how they commit themselves to the pursuit of excellence by committing to their own improvement, an ongoing and never ending quest to attain new levels of achievement.

Can I Trust You?

Project Management Training Guide 101
Project management refers to a planned and systematized way to successfully accomplish a particular task. Project management is about setting targets, developing strategies that focus on minimum use of resources, choice of resources and setting deadlines and budgets.Few decades ago project management was to be taught and learnt while working or doing a related job. But now project management training is provided off the field with aid of specialized courses. These courses cover the various aspects in project management like handling projects, planning, handling client expectations, designating work, tracking the progress of the report etc.The certified programs are designed to inculcate and develop the requisite insight and skills for effective project management. As Kevin Graf, a senior manager supply and operations at Prism Sulphur puts it “Professionally run courses allow you the opportunity to learn at your own pace in a comfortable group setting environment.”Today many institutes offer project management courses at different levels. For instance the course offered by the Project Management Institute is ideal for students with an IT background. While project management can be learnt at affordable rates by doing an online degree course with International Webmasters Association.Learning project management online is quite in these days. Several universities such as the Avila University, American Sentinel University, Villanova Univ

Can I Trust You?

Once your direct reports are sure that you are committed to personal and organizational excellence, they will want to know if they can trust you. This particular question is, “Can I, your direct report, whose future, job satisfaction, and livelihood depend on your good judgment, trust you?” The answer needs to be “Yes. You can trust me to be open when I can be, to be honest and ethical all the time, to be predictable when I can be, and to admit my mistakes.” Nobody is perfect, and nobody gets it right the first time or every time after that. Your direct reports know you aren’t perfect, they just don’t tell you that they know.

When you try to cover your mistakes, pretend they didn’t happen, or worse yet, blame them on someone else, you can forget about sustaining, much less building trust for a long, long time. Winston Churchill said it best: “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” Churchill is a name that lives on because of his successes, but those who know history understand that he was not without his fiascos or his critics. You won’t be either; it’s just one of those nasty realities of being in charge.

Do You Care About Me?

The word “coach” is used throughout leadership books, and indeed has been used throughout this discussion. There’s little argument that a great boss also needs to be a great coach. But an under represented concept is the boss’s role as cheerleader, the person who strives to rally enthusiasm and energy so that the team can play on, even when encountering a tougher team in a dirty fight. Observe the coaches on the sidelines of any high stakes competition. Is there much difference between them and the cheerleaders? The cheerleaders jump more and wear cuter clothes, but they are fundamentally doing the same thing. Like an animated cheerleader, the job of the boss is to be the Energizer Bunny for your direct reports. It’s the boss’s duty to be the power source that others know they can rely on. What if you don’t feel energetic? Fake it.

For so many decades organizational research has been dominated by a desire to understand and ameliorate human dysfunction and problems in the workplace. The emphasis was on motivating disgruntled employees, improving dysfunctional attitudes, overcoming resistance to change, and coping with stress and burnout. Positive emotions, such as hope, were largely ignored. Hope is an attribute that hasn’t traditionally been associated with leadership, but with recent work on the subject, new ways of understanding it are receiving attention. The research results indicated that “high hope” leaders had significantly better financial performance, subordinate retention, and satisfaction scores than the “low hope” participants.

Hope has two dimensions: willpower, or the desire to have a positive outcome, and waypower, the willingness to do what it takes to make constructive things occur. High hope individuals tend to be more certain about their goals and challenged by them. They value progress toward objectives as well as the objectives themselves. They enjoy interacting with others and readily adapt to new and collaborative relationships; they are less anxious in stressful situation; and they are more adaptive to environmental changes.

Instilling hope in your direct reports is one of the single most important gifts you can give them; it doesn’t cost a thing; and anyone can give it at any time in any set of circumstances. Here are three suggestions:

1. Facilitate the willpower component of hope by engaging your direct reports in discussions and empowering them to set specific stretch goals. Communicate your own faith in them so that they can develop their own “can do” attitude.

2. Assist them in developing the waypower component by requiring well-developed action plans for achieving goals.

3. Act as a sounding board for their thoughts, but instead of shooting holes in their ideas, guide them to their own conclusions by asking open ended questions that encourage them to analyze more fully implications of their decisions.

Accomplishing some objectives can seem a little like trying to eat an elephant. The task is huge and the feelings of accomplishment much removed from current efforts to complete it. Therefore, your direct reports may need for you to break down complex, long-term projects into smaller tasks with a deadline for each “step” along the way. Accomplishing each step then builds hope that the next step and the one after that will also be attainable, with the ultimate realization of the objective becoming more realistic with each achievement.

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Minority certification can help you grow your business quickly. What to consider when applying.

It is estimated that the number of employments of registered nurses is going to increase at a rate much faster than any other occupation by 2010 as many current nurses are on the edge of their retirement opening thousands of spots in coming years. As a matter of fact, nursing is currently the only largest health care field in United States with over 2.7 million registered nurses.

Career Development - 4 Steps to Get Where You Want to Go. All of us have worked with people we think have no business being in positions of leadership but it is a waste of out talent and energy to worry about them. If you see something you don't like...

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