tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78852435917180919952024-02-19T22:29:05.999-08:00Business Profesionalsbendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-68894141142774921662012-10-31T14:09:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:10:16.850-07:00Manufacturing Salaries<div style="text-align: justify;">
The composite highest-income practitioner reported in this field
(salary plus cash bonus and/or cash profit-sharing) is the President "B"
of a manufacturing firm (defined as a chief executive officer who has
little or no financial interest in the firm). The firm manufactures
automotive parts/accessories, food/beverage/tobacco products, chemical
& allied products, or machinery & heavy equipment; has 1,000 or
more employees; has a total annual revenue of $100,000,000 or more; and
is headquartered in or near Denver/Colorado Springs, Houston, Memphis,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Modesto/Stockton, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Indianapolis,
Boston, New York City, or Dayton, or outside a metropolitan area studied
in Idaho. However, while the median President "B' has a total annual
income of $214,966, the highest-income individuals reported are
Presidents "A" (having a financial interest in the firm) and make well
over $30,000,000.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Far
toward the other end of the income spectrum, Assemblers "D" have a
median income of $20,418. Sometimes earning under $14,600, the
lowest-paid employees in this group are employed by firms that
manufacture building materials; have $1 million to $4.99 million in
total annual revenue; have 5,000 to 9,999 employees; and are located in
or near Greensboro/Winston-Salem, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Dallas/Ft.
Worth, or Charlotte, or outside the metropolitan areas studied in
Texas, North Carolina, or Florida.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These composites represent the
briefest possible "boil-down" of the voluminous data provided regarding
current salaries and cash bonuses and/or profit sharing, and numerous
demographic variables provided by 343 firms on over 54,000 managerial,
supervisory, sales, engineering, technical, clerical, and blue-collar
employees in 187 benchmark jobs which resulted in the eight-volume
survey report, Compensation in Manufacturing, 24th Edition - 2004,
sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Copies of
the entire eight-volume report are available for $1,250.00 from Abbott,
Langer & Associates, Inc., Dept. ART, 548 First St., Crete, IL 60417
(telephone 708/672-4200; fax 708/672-4674; <a href="http://www.abbott-langer.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">www.abbott-langer.com</a>)
Also available is Compensation in Smaller Manufacturing Firms (under
250 employees) for $595.00. Each volume of both reports may be
purchased separately. Also available is findpay-MFG04 (a computer
program which permits the user to determine pay levels of each survey
job on the basis of two or more variables simultaneously).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It
would be an exercise in futility to attempt more than a superficial
overview of the survey results in this summary. However, some overall
data regarding compensation can be presented herein. In addition to the
incomes of the benchmark jobs already discussed, the median total cash
compensation nationally of some of the other jobs included in the survey
report is:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chief Legal Officers - $181,200</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Vice Presidents of Manufacturing/Production - $135,375</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chief Marketing & Sales Executives - $133,835</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chief Corporate Financial Officers - $130,066</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Vice Presidents of Manufacturing/Production Engineering - $112,274</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Research & Development Managers - $90,377</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Engineering Department Managers/Superintendents - $89,232</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chief Human Resources Executives - $80,849</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Plant Managers/Superintendents - $78,595</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Product/Brand Managers - $75,789</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Design Managers - $74,347</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Facilities Managers - $68,198</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cost Accounting Managers - $67,161</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sales Engineers - $67,000</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Manufacturing Engineers - $66,477</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Production Managers/Superintendents - $65,730</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Quality Assurance/Control Managers - $64,890</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Computer Programmers - $61,963</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Purchasing Managers - $61,805</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Warehouse Managers - $54,000</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
General Production Supervisors - $49,781</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
General Accountants - $48,725</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-49774973472676413762012-10-16T14:09:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:10:50.249-07:00Situational Marketing<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
There is a nuclear-strength "secret" weapon that 90% of
self-employed professionals are missing out on as they try to build
their businesses. It's amazingly simple, amazingly powerful - and -
amazingly overlooked!<br />
It's called "Situational Marketing," and it can revolutionize your business.<br />
As
professionals in service industries, we live, eat, and breathe ideas.
We live flying in the stratosphere, soaring with angels, shooting with
stars. We think in terms of big ideas and processes. When we talk about
what we do, we love to describe how things work in our field and
theoretical explanations of how to fix problems.<br />
The trouble is
that the vast majority of our potential clients don't live in the world
of ideas. They live on the ground. They think about getting their kids
to school. They worry about being laid off from work. They struggle with
getting their own businesses to work better.<br />
People have very
short attention spans. Most people are aware of a very small number of
acute, practical problems that are driving them crazy. They want
solutions, they want them to be quick, and they want them now. They
don't have the bandwidth for a lot of exposition.<br />
Self-employed
professionals like coaches who try to sell "realizing your potential,"
"getting where you want to go," or "creating the life you want to live"
really have a problem. Most people might think those are nice ideas, but
they have to think so hard to figure out what that means for them that
they'd rather go home and balance their checkbook. Even if they might be
intrigued, they are thinking something like, "It would be nice to work
on that right after I deal with my employee turnover problem."<br />
Other
professionals who try to sell "accurate accounting services" or
"high-quality graphic design" face a different but related problem.
Those are commodities in the minds of their potential clients. Such
language goes in one ear (or eye) and out the other. Ten minutes after
finding out about you they have forgotten all about it.<br />
It's a
well-known fact that people buy what they want rather than what they
need. Your marketing needs to be about the client: the client's
situation, the client's feelings, the client's problem, and - finally -
the solution you will provide for the client.<br />
I was talking with a
struggling self-employed woman the other day. She asked me what kind of
coaching I do. I said, "I work with business owners who are tired of
having their marketing efforts fall flat." She said, "Oh my God, that's
me!" I asked her, "Do people's eyes glaze over when you tell them what
you do?" She said, "Yes! They do! I need you!"<br />
She was excited
when she heard my marketing statement! She instantly heard herself in
the description. It indicated to her that I know her situation and
probably have the perfect solution. This is what situational marketing
does for you.<br />
Good situational marketing has several important qualities. It is:<br />
· Clear and specific - the listener hears themselves exactly in the message<br />
· Emotional - it elicits a response in the gut or the heart<br />
· Communicated in the words your clients actually use themselves<br />
· Easy to remember<br />
· Unusual in a way that really makes it stand out.<br />
Start
with a careful examination of your unique talents and strengths. Then
examine the situations your ideal clients face and listen to the words
they use to describe them. Ask yourself what they say to themselves as
they're driving to the office or brushing their teeth at night. When you
find a match between the work you are passionate about doing and a
problem your clients are aware that they have, you have struck gold. You
know what to say, and you know what products and services you need to
develop in order to help them. You know you can help them because their
problem is really rooted in an area of personal growth in which you are
an expert. And your ideal clients actually become excited to talk to
you!<br />
Here are some more examples of situational marketing:<br />
· People who secretly wish they'd get laid off so they can go do what they REALLY want to do<br />
· Single working moms sharing custody with a jerk<br />
· Contractors who are tired of worrying where their next job is coming from<br />
· Business owners who wish their employees would stop bickering and do their jobs</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-52368112822620982482012-10-08T14:07:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:07:56.462-07:00Business Lessons From History<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Harry Truman stated, "The only new thing in the world is the
history that you don't know." Truman spent many years studying the
history of those who preceded him. His study paid off. Truman today is
regarded as one of America's greatest Presidents. The reason history is
important is because we live in a cause-and-effect universe. Similar
choices produce similar results at the individual (micro) level and at
the national (macro) level. History is the story of choices made, and
the results of those choices. LESSON ONE: Look For What Worked And
What Didn't Work, And Why You can use history like a case study in
business school. Example: Mark Twain became a partner in a publishing
company, Webster & Co., which published the " Personal Memoirs of U.
S. Grant." Twain also obtained the rights to Pope Leo III's authorized
biography. The first book became a best seller. The second sold poorly.
Both publications seemed like good ideas. Twain assumed that purchasing
the Pope's biography would be required reading for American Catholics.
It wasn't. At that time many working-class Irish and German Catholics
couldn't read and those who could had little discretionary income for
purchasing books. Grant's memoirs became a literary and financial
triumph because it was written by a popular President who had just died,
it provided an insider's account of the Civil War, which was a
fascinating topic for millions, and it was beautifully written. (See
Fred Kaplan, "The Singular Mark Twain." NY: 2003, Doubleday, pp. 422,
423) <br />LESSON TWO: There Is Magic In Thinking Big Ted Turner is the
biggest-thinking individual I have ever known personally. He literally
changed the world with CNN. Changing the world is exactly what he
intended to do. I was an on-air host and producer at TBS when CNN was
being planned. But I had no idea how big Ted was thinking. And where
did Ted Turner get his inspiration? From history. One of Turner's
favorite characters as a youth was Alexander the Great, who is reported
to have wept because there were no more worlds left for him to conquer.
An in-depth study of history can raise your aspirations. When you
discover what others have been able to accomplish under adverse
conditions and often with few advantages, you may hear a voice inside
that says to you, "I can do something significant too." "Make no little
plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." The quote is from Daniel
H. Burnham. Here's a thumbnail sketch of the man behind the quote.
Burnham, who's the subject of Erik Larson's beautifully written new book
"The Devil In The White City," was the man who made the Chicago World's
Fair happen. He was Director of Works, World's Columbian Exposition,
1893. Burnham and his partner John Wellborn Root designed some of
Chicago's earliest skyscrapers. His plan for Chicago was used for many
years, and is considered a classic example of city planning. The book
"Time Tactics of Very Successful People" contains an entire section on
how high achievers make plans. For information about obtaining this
book, go to
http://www.achievementdigest.com/timetacticsofverysuccessfulpeople.html
LINCOLN'S LOG Lincoln still influences decisions. Christie Hefner,
chairman and chief executive, Playboy Enterprises, recently told a New
York Times writer that she had learned an invaluable leadership lesson
from Lincoln. Here is a quote from that interview: "In leadership, it
isn't about what you say; it's about what the other person hears. If you
articulate well, like Lincoln, you have a tendency to think: 'I've made
myself clear.' But the point is, Lincoln realizes, what did the other
person hear?" Lincoln is generally thought of as a politician, which he
was, but his vocation was the law. He served about 1500 days as
President and 23 years as a lawyer. During that time he tried
approximately 5000 cases, an average of about 200 a year. In the huge
Eight Judicial Circuit of Central Illinois, Lincoln had the largest
single caseload. During his career, Lincoln was involved in 15 murder
cases. Of those, four men were found not guilty (one by reason of
insanity), two were indicted but not prosecuted, one escaped during
trial, six were convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter, and only
two were found guilty and sentenced to hang. (Lincoln Legal Briefs,
July-September 1996, No. 39)<br />
A
quaint note has survived from one of Lincoln's civil cases in the
1850s. "If you settle I will charge nothing for what I have done, and
thank you to boot. By settling you will likely get your money sooner,
and with much less trouble and expense." (Journal of the Abraham Lincoln
Assn., Vol 16, No. 2, pp. 4, 5) Lincoln understood that compromise is
necessary in everyday life. "Persuade your neighbors to compromise
whenever you can," he wrote in a lecture for lawyers. "Point out to them
how the nominal winner is often a real loser--in fees, and expenses,
and waste of time." Learn about how Lincoln communicated from the
recently released DVD "Lincoln On Communication." It is widely used as
an instructional manual in leadership and communication programs, but
it also is valuable for self-study. It comes with an instructor's guide.
For information about obtaining this valuable resource, go to
http://www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html
Another Lincoln resource is the book "The Words Lincoln Lived By." For
information go to
http://www.achievementdigest.com/thewordslincolnlivedby.html The book
is available as a spoken-word audiocassette. For information, to
http://www.achievementdigest.com/inspirationalwords.html Quantity prices
are available. One of our readers ordered 200 copies to give to
customers and prospects. This article is excerpts from The Achievement
Digest www.achievementdigest.com<br />(For a complimentary subscription, go to www.achievementdigest.com and follow the prompts.)<br />
Gene Griessman, Ph.D. Editor and Publisher www.achievementdigest.com<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource" style="text-align: justify;">
Gene Griessman, Ph.D. is editor-in-chief of The Achievement
Digest--www.achievementdigest.com
[http://www.achievementdigest.com]--and is an executive coach and a
much-sought after public speaker for conventions, conferences, and
retreats. He has interviewed some of the most famous people in the
world asking the question: “What makes people great?”<br />
His list
includes Ronald Reagan, Ray Charles, David Rockefeller, Sandra Day
O’Connor, Jack Nicklaus, Hank Aaron, Ted Turner, Julie Andrews, Aaron
Copland, Jack Lemmon, Billy Joel, and Tennessee Williams and many
others.<br />
Griessman often appears on television and radio, and his
award-winning programs have aired on WCNN and TBS. For years he was
host of “Up Close” on TBS, the SuperStation founded by Ted Turner.<br />
He
has written and co-authored seven books, plus a one-man play on Abraham
Lincoln. He has performed twice at historic Ford’s Theatre and at the
Lincoln Memorial.<br />
His book “Time Tactics of Very Successful
People” was featured in Reader’s Digest and is now in its 24th printing.
He is also author of “The Words Lincoln Lived By” and “The
Inspirational Words of Abraham Lincoln.” His latest CD is entitled “99
Ways to Get More Out Of Every Day” and his latest DVD is “Abraham
Lincoln on Communication.”<br />
He has taught at the College of William
and Mary, North Carolina State University, Auburn University, and
Georgia Tech. He has served as a Fulbright professor at the national
graduate university of Pakistan and as a visiting researcher at the
National Agrarian University of Peru and the University of New South
Wales in Australia.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-15739459717202452452012-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:07:04.574-07:00How To Create A Mission Statement<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Creating a mission statement can help you focus your business
effort and do a lot of good in bringing your workforce together behind a
common theme. The key to success is not just creating a mission
statement, it's living the mission statement.<br />
A
mission statement identifies the major purpose that you fulfill when
providing products and services to customers. Your mission statement
should:<br />
<ul>
<li>Include the reason for your business</li>
<li>Identify your firm's unique 'value added'</li>
<li>Reflect your firm's core business activity</li>
<li>Provide a focus</li>
<li>Identify the purpose you fulfill</li>
</ul>
<br /><b>Step One</b> -- Develop your mission statement by identifying:<ul>
<li>Stakeholders - Those people who are directly affected by the
company's successes and failures. Stakeholders could be employees,
internal customers, organizational customers, external customers.</li>
<li>Products and Services - Items that you produce for your customers.
Products and services might include consulting, training, products or
services for individual use, products or services for business use.</li>
<li>Value Added - The key advantage you provide over the competition.
Why would a customer come to your company for service? What makes your
company special?</li>
</ul>
<br /><b>Step Two</b> -- Construct A First DraftThe [your company name] meets the [your products and services] needs of [stakeholders] by [value added].<br />
<b>Step Three</b> -- Refine the Mission Statement<br />
Is
it too wordy? Is it brief and to the point? Will employees remember it?
Would it make sense to your stakeholders? Is it a true mission
statement and not a goal? Does it inspire your organization? Does it
describe your business focus and effort? Is it unique?<br />
<b>Step Four</b> -- Make It Visible
<br />Post the mission statement for easy review by all employees and customers.<br />
<b>Step Five</b> -- Live it!
<br />This step will be easy if you've involved your entire group in the process.<br />
</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-44519208270343279202012-09-24T14:05:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:06:24.782-07:00Enjoy Procrastinating, and Get The Job Done Anyway - 7 Steps<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. Choose a task you have been meaning to get done but never seem to
get around to doing. You must be able to see and touch something that
represents this task to you. It could be a note about making a phone
call or a file folder containing everything you need to start writing a
report, or a stack of material you have been meaning to file.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2.
Pick up the object, the note, the stack, the paint can...whatever it
is. Preferably pick it up 10 times a day; but at least once a day.
Hold it and look at it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. Say aloud the following words. "I don't
want to...(fill in the blank with words similar to these the
following)...call this client (specify his/her name), fill out this
form, write this check to (specify the name)." "Nobody can make
me...(say again what you are not doing.)" "I will do...(say what it is
once more) when I am damm good and ready to do it!"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. Pay
attention to your creative (or resistant) thoughts as you do this
process. Laughing, giggling, or stomping your feet during the process is
okay too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
5. Repeat this process daily for at least 5 days -- unless of course you complete the task before then.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
6.
If the job still isn't done by now, you certainly know why it isn't
done and/or what resources you need to do it. Decide whether or not you
will actually do the task.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
7. Do it, ditch it, or delegate it appropriately.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This
works because procrastination is often a sign of ambivalence. Part of
you does want or needs to do the task, but another part of you, usually a
silent part, does not want to do it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Giving the resistant part of
you a chance to speak, as well as acknowledging that you have the power
to complete the task when you are ready resolves the impasse.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-42483638981441821922012-09-17T14:04:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:05:10.059-07:00Hidden Traps for Life Partners Who Work Together<div style="text-align: justify;">
Neither couple I describe knows the other couple, but their stories are strikingly similar.
<br />
<br />
Craig and Warren are both recently retired executives. Craig's wife,
Marcy, owns and operates a website design firm. Warren's wife, Sharon,
owns an exclusive gift shop. Both businesses are successful, and each
woman finds business ownership personally satisfying and rewarding.
Both women requested couples coaching for similar reasons. Their
husbands were interfering in their businesses.
<br />
<br />
Craig and Marcy were newlyweds. It was a long distance romance, and
they both were delighted when his retirement allowed them to be
together. His unspoken plan was to help her with her business so that
she could work less, and they could spend more time together. Her plan,
also unspoken, was to continue to develop her business in order to sell
it in a few years and fund her own retirement.
<br />
<br />
Craig enthusiastically earned his certification in web design. He
found the new information fun and refreshing after years of heavy
corporate responsibility. Marcy was delighted that he was busy and
happy, until he started to help her with her work. She found his
suggestions insulting. It was her business, she was the expert, and she
supervised many designers and negotiated profitable contracts. Now he, a
novice, was trying to tell her what to do!
<br />
<br />
Warren and Sharon did talk to each other about their plans and
goals. Warren felt that his expertise could be put to good use in
Sharon's business. He convinced her, against her "better judgment,"
that expanding the business would create long term benefits for both of
them. She decided to go along with his ideas.
<br />
<br />
They made plans together, expanded their capacity, hired several new
employees, and Warren started pressuring everyone to be more
productive. Sharon began to hate going to work. She had loved the
personal contact with her customers, but now she spent most of her time
managing employees and trying to keep Warren calm.
<br />
<br />
Both women knew they were angry about their husbands' interference,
baut neither could communicate about it effectively. Each was trying to
balance keeping the peace, supporting their husbands and taking care of
themselves and their businesses. Each time the women tried to discuss
their own discomfort, their husbands would logically explain that they
were only trying to help their wives.
<br />
<br />
During our sessions we uncovered the hidden assumptions and
discussed them. When each man discovered the cause of their respective
spouse's feelings they was astonished to learn about the negative
effects of genuinely trying to help their wives.
<br />
<br />
Neither of the men had thought much about how they were going to
find a meaningful way to fill their time after retirement, and simply
picked up what was convenient--their wife's business. As the women
learned to protect their own boundaries, a new conversation emerged.
Each man needed to explore their own options for finding their own
fulfilling activities.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-39027917726244421612012-09-10T14:03:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:04:14.504-07:00The Boss Didn't Understand Why His Staff Wasn't Reading His Mind<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many people believe that everyone sees the world exactly the same way
as they do. This is never true and was the source of much turmoil in
Dr. Jacob's office.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When the Job Isn't Getting Done</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"They never seem to get any work done on time, but they complain that they're being underutilized."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Jacob, a chiropractor, was talking about his office staff.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"I
have to do so many things myself that they could do for me, but they
don't. They just don't seem care about what I want. I just don't
understand. I pay them well and they need their jobs."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As Dr.
Jacob's frustration increased, he explored the idea that he had hired
inappropriate people in the first place. He reflected that if only he
could find the proper leverage he thought he could make them do what he
had hired them to do.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Leverage to Dr. Jacob meant the proper combination of rewards and threats.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Guidelines May Be Necessary</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When
I asked about what guidelines the staff was given to do their work Dr.
Jacob admitted that he let them set up their own procedures with very
little input from him. He communicated his expectations very vaguely,
because he himself hated to be told what to do.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Jacob thought if he were "nice" to them, they would like him and work hard to assure the success of the office.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unclear Expectations Produce A Schizophrenic Experience for the Boss and His Staff</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr.
Jacob only got angry when they didn't meet his admittedly non-specific
performance expectations. When he got frustrated enough, he would
insist that his rules be followed; telling his confused and demoralized
staff exactly how to do what he expected. They were constantly
seesawing between unclear expectations and over-detailed instructions
that discounted their intelligence and experience.a</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Giving Others What You Need For Yourself May NOT Work</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr.
Jacob argued when I suggested that he needed to create clear guidelines
for his staff and then leave them alone to do their jobs. He was sure
his staff would hate him and quit if he did that, and he firmly believed
they would never get any work done without closer supervision.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Jacob believed that everyone in the world hated structure as much as he did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When
I explained that most people need and want structured guidelines in
order to feel safe and happy, Dr. Jacob was surprised. He explained how
he had been forced to follow rules for most of his life and cherished
his present freedom. He assumed that everybody else felt exactly the
same way he did.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Give Your Staff What They Need to Produce Results</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He
experimented with the idea that some people felt nurtured by structure.
Warily, he started telling his office manager only the outcomes he
wanted including necessary completion times.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-78044817090444784862012-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:03:26.904-07:00Turning Piles into Files<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you searching for an organized office? Then, the best thing you can
do for yourself is schedule the time to clear the "To File" box and all
those piles that have accumulated on your desktop, counters, chairs and
floor. If you want organization, you will need to get rid of the piles
and break the habit of piling. The secret is developing a filing
system that works for you.
<br />Schedule some serious time in your dayplanner, roll up your sleeves,
and get to work. This is a good time to get those files in order,
purge the unnecessary and archive those that you absolutely must keep,
but rarely use. Current, active files are for those items that you need
to run your home or business for the fiscal year. These files are
accessed frequently and need to be in an order that makes sense to you.
The archival files include those items that you need or want to keep
but are not accessed frequently. These may include past year's tax
forms and documentation, old love letters and personal correspondence
that you cannot part with, children's art projects or research for your
book.
<br />As you progress through your organizing project, be on the lookout
for excess papers that are cluttering your files. Toss or archive the
old ones to make room for the current influx. Box, label and store the
archives in the attic, basement, garage or off-site. Do not get caught
in the trap of keeping papers "just in case." Consult your attorney or
accountant to find out what you personally need to keep and what you can
safely toss.
<br />Here are some simple filing rules that may make it easier to determine where to put your papers:
<br />1. Separate personal and business files. If you have a home-based
business or bring work home from an outside office, be very careful to
keep everything separate. Set up specific zones or boundaries for each
type of paperwork that enters your office. Color coding separate files
makes it easy to visually identify where a particular file belongs.
<br />2. Establish a labeling system that works for you. There is no law
that says it has to be alphabetical. You can use broad categories and
subcategories, color-coded files, numerical files, 3-ring binders,
cubbyholes or desktop files. Whatever works best for you is the right
thing to do. Just remember to label, label, label.
<br />3. When you first set up a filing system, use post-it notes for
labels until you are comfortable with the order you have placed things.
It is much easier to tear off a sticky note than retype labels. First
set up the system, live with it for a while, and then type the labels.
Typed labels are neater and easier to read and worth the investment of
time. Use a label maker or learn how to use labeling software installed
on most computers.
<br />4. Toss those prefabricated labels and concentrate on your own
words. Label files according to how you think. You do not need to use
nouns. Verbs and even full sentences may work better. My favorite
filing job was with my mother who wanted to keep some papers that were
not specific to anything. Of course, I posed the big question, "Why?"
Her response was that they were things she liked. We set up a file
labeled "Things I like" and she is happy. She now has a place to put
those trivial papers without cluttering her desktop.
<br />Why get organized? Paper has become the biggest source of clutter -
junk mail, emails, correspondence, and website surfing. Most of us
prefer to read information on paper rather than the computer screen, so
we print and print and print some more. With the information highway
spewing forth tons of data, the printers keep spewing forth tons of
printed material even though statistics show that we use only 20% of the
papers we keep.
<br />It is time to wage war on the paper influx by learning to make wise
choices. Take a good look at everything piling up on your desk or
countertops. Is the information still relevant? Is the information
available somewhere else? Toss papers that can be replicated or
unimportant. Clutter is simply the by-product of indecision. Make the
decision to purge!
<br />Email is a major form of paper clutter as more households obtain
computers. Printed emails pile high around the computer with the good
intentions of reading them someday. Decide what action to take on the
document while it is still in the computer inbox - act on it or delete
it. Be careful not to overload the inbox. This, too, can become a
source of clutter.
<br />When you take time to establish an effective way to handle incoming papers, you can win the battle of the piles. </div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-4424168403566504772012-08-26T14:02:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:02:37.761-07:00Internet Home Business Secrets That Payoff!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I can picture you exactly where I was just a few short years ago --</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sitting
in another useless meeting organized by a group of senior managers that
have a combined IQ less than your own child at 3-months old.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Around
in circles you go, no progress again today and only those who play the
game the best will collect the bigger paychecks - but even they can't
outlast this game of roulette can they?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Listen - I get asked often, even by my own wife, "why are you so driven!"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's true, these days I am passionate about just about everything I do - especially my internet home business.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Is it the thought of a new porsche sitting in my driveway that motivated me to succeed with my internet home business?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What about cruising up and down the Pacific Coast in my new yacht?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maybe it's being able to take a dream vacation to Australia and New Zealand?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nope! You guessed wrong.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In
fact, what motivates me everyday is the thought of having my time,
energy, health and family UNDER THE CONTROL of someone other than myself
scares the heck out of me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I mean all out spiders on my face, snakes in my bed and lizards in my pants scared!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I hit 30 back several years ago - I was in a hotel, alone on business in downtown London, England.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Incredible
city, but I realized that after spending 29 birthdays with my family - I
was FORCED to spend this one alone thousands of miles from home.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Every day after, I became incensed each time someone at my old job controlled some aspect of my time, health, energy or family.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't mean a little upset - I mean DEEPLY ANGRY.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There's
only two ways to deal with something like that in your life - curl over
and die a slow death or take action until you change the circumstances</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Trick was, to channel that anger in the right direction - positive instead of negative.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then I discovered something incredibly powerful --</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anger and Pain Are Part of the Formula for Success!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Name
me any highly successful person and chances are I can find a burning,
gut-churning, unstoppable force within them that will not let them fail.
That force usually comes from anger or pain.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LET ME SAVE YOU 5-YEARS OR MORE....</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even with this incredible passion I had to control my own destiny, success didn't come right away.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I tried opportunity after opportunity, scam after scam, UNTIL...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
THE HOLY GRAIL - Internet Home Business</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ever since the beginning of business, the same principles hold true - you must have;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. Compelling product to reachable market</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2. Competitive Advantage or Unique Selling Proposition</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. Operation plan that is profitable</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. Constant Plan, Do and Review process to increase profits</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whether
you want to market other people's products online or create your own
products or services, you must follow these fundamental business
principles.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What's great about an internet home business is:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. You can find reachable markets and compelling product ideas sitting in your office in your underwear</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2.
You can easily discover and communicate your Unique Selling Proposition
without having to spend thousands on competitive intelligence</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. You can develop very profitable operational plans taking advantage of instant download, or build to order systems</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. It's easier, and less risky than ever before to continually test and improve your internet home business.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So - snap out of it!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Stop settling for whatever it is that is eating away at you!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Take action - right now!</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-66966342196174167012012-08-19T14:01:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:01:48.300-07:00Fat Day<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
The other day I felt fat and flabby. I was having a "fat" day.
My stomach felt bigger than normal, and I felt puffy. My legs jiggled
and seemed to spread to the corners of the earth when I sat down. I
must have eaten too much or exercised too little. I must have been
having a hormonal moment. Discipline must have failed me. I felt like
my work wasn't working. I must be losing my focus. Oh no, I'll never
get fit. Why keep trying?<br />
But
wait! I hadn't lost focus, except in my mind's eye. My mind was
playing a trick on me. I couldn't see the strong me that I usually see
looking back from the mirror. My mind was showing me a flabby, ugly,
fat woman. What a dirty trick. But haven't we all felt that way
before? Haven't we all felt the futility of our efforts and questioned
the point of keeping on?<br />
Here is what I have learned. No matter
how much we exercise and no matter how well we eat, every once in a
while we will feel fat and flabby. That magician in our minds - our
emotions - waves a mean, magic wand, making us see things that aren't
really there. Our bodies don't have issues, our minds do. The truth is
that yesterday's exercises worked and tomorrow's will too.<br />
Easy
to say, hard to believe, right? I struggle to keep my mind's eye
focused. I struggle to respect and acknowledge my emotions without
letting them get in the way of my daily life. I struggle to interpret
them realistically and struggle to avoid seeing my emotions as a fat and
flabby mind instead of as a fat and flabby body. When my mind's eye
gets blurry, I know it's time to step away from the mirror. It is time
to separate mind from body. It is time to sort out the emotions that
are manifesting themselves as rotten feelings about my body. It is time
to go to my journal. I try to be honest and gutsy as I write down my
thoughts and describe my feelings. Wow! I am always surprised when I'm
able to come around to the realization that my feelings of "yuckiness"
have nothing to do with my body. Being honest with myself allows me to
correctly classify my feelings as frustration, worry, or sadness,
instead of disguising them as jiggles and rolls. I'm able to admit that
my physical efforts are good ones. From journaling to jumping jacks,
they are all good efforts.<br />
The bottom line is that nobody is
perfect all the time. The goal is to continue to strive toward our own
personal "perfection." I always tell you to listen to your body, and I
now want to encourage you to add a filter to that. When you feel fat,
flabby, or jiggly, use that filter to separate the emotionally charged
feelings from your truly physical instincts. Best wishes for good
feelings of strength and beauty.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Molly Setnick</strong> graduated from Baylor University
with a BS in Health/Fitness Studies. She is certified as a Physical
Fitness Specialist through The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in
Dallas, Texas and is AFAA certified to teach aerobics. She co-writes a
weekly column for the Texas Jewish Post with Jessica Setnick, MS, RD/LD
called “Making Fitness Fit”. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-57691363506612767442012-08-13T14:00:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:00:56.180-07:00Use Your Invoice to Increase Your Value<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>What does your invoice say?</b><br />
Does
your invoice simply list the products or services and the invoice
amount? What about the application fee you waive? ...or the extra hours
you don't bill your client? My invoice used to simply list the products
and services billed to my client and the rate. But, since I revamped my
billing system, I've added the various products and services that I
normally provide my client without charge. I list the retail rate and
note "<i>no charge</i>" next to the rate. My client might have no idea I
was providing products and services others would normally charge for
unless I specifically list the various items. Just to give you a few
ideas... We have an application fee others would charge anywhere from
$20 to $50. We choose not to pass this fee on to our clients, but
instead note it as "no charge." If you process credit cards at your
retail location, a backup imprinter (aka a 'knuckle buster') is an item
that some businesses may charge anywhere from $45 to $75. We simply
provide this to our clients, listing it on the invoice as "no charge."
If you provide a professional service, you may have made a conscious
decision not to nickel and dime your client with lots of little fees.
But unless you list those phone calls, or mailings, or extra hours you
provided at no cost, your client won't have a true picture of the real
value you provide. Your invoice is one piece of communication your
client is sure to read line by line, so use it to build value for your
business and improve your cash flow.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource" style="text-align: justify;">
Cheryl Cook works to develop business
relationships where her experience, knowledge, and ideas can help
improve the small business owner’s cash flow. As the Executive Director
of Pro Money Inc., Cheryl conducts workshops with the Chamber of
Commerce and teaches adult education classes on topics related to cash
flow. Cheryl publishes an ezine every other week titled “Cash Flow Tips
for Your Business.” </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7885243591718091995.post-46155351231538333872012-08-06T13:59:00.000-07:002012-11-02T13:59:56.909-07:00Leadership Skills Coaching<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Old Way - Command and Control</b><br />
Although
workplaces and management styles have come a long way in the last
decade, the command and control style of management remains common
practice in many companies. This management approach basically means
that employees are told exactly what to do, when to do it and even how
it should be done. The manager is in charge, has all the answers, and
fixes all the problems.<br />
It's no surprise that plenty of people
find this approach demotivating - and that workplaces with a
command-control style are rated as pretty unsatisfying. When it comes
down to it, none of us really enjoys being told exactly what to do, and
neither do our employees. When people feel as though they have no say
and are given no opportunity to contribute outside of their work tasks,
then they switch off and become disengaged.<br />
The command and
control approach is being phased out for a more collaborative and
engaging style - a 'Coach' approach or being a manager-coach. This is a
positive shift - as long as we are clear about what the new expectations
of managers really are.<br />
<b>Coaching - What does it really mean?</b><br />
The
coaching profession has exploded in recent years, diversifying across
many different fields and industries. All of these people are dedicated
to helping others achieve their goals, improve aspects of themselves or
their business, or move forwards from where they are today.<br />
In a work environment, the role of a manager-coach can be described as :<br />
- achieving results and excellence through others rather than personally taking care of things, and<br />
- focusing on developing employees in order to achieve business results rather than micro-managing their every move.<br />
Adopting
coaching as a management style requires managers to help other people
unlock their potential and enhance their own performance. It's about
supporting people to learn instead of telling them what the answers are.<br />
<b>The New Mindset</b><br />
The
mindset of the manager-coach is to create an environment that fosters
learning, independent thinking and opportunities to contribute. The
manager-coach doesn't want to be seen as a solution provider. Rather,
they want to be seen as a facilitator, paving the way for team members
to achieve their results.<br />
Coach managers are a role model for
others. They are excellent listeners and communicators, providing
perspective and encouragement whilst setting high standards and
expectations.<br />
There are 8 ways to make coaching behaviours part of what you do:<br />
<b>Number 1:</b><br />
Stop
thinking about employees as people that need to be controlled or
managed and give them the latitude to take actions and make decisions.
Trust is a vital component of this equation. If you can't trust people
to do their jobs well, then you either have the wrong people in the
jobs, or you have the right people but you haven't trained them
sufficiently. A third option is that the people are properly skilled,
but the manager just can't let go.<br />
<b>Number 2:</b><br />
Listen,
listen listen. If there are unhappy or disgruntled people in your
business, you can guarantee that at some stage they've tried to tell you
what the problem is. It's likely you weren't listening (or didn't want
to listen), or perhaps your initial reaction made the person think twice
about bringing the problem to you. Truly listening is one of the
greatest skills to develop, regardless of your role. Good listeners are
genuinely interested, convey empathy, and want to find out what's behind
the conversation. Great coaches are great listeners -without exception.<br />
<b>Number 3:</b><br />
Focus
on developing the strengths of each employee rather than managing
merely for results. Identify each person's development needs and commit
to following through on them. When people are growing and improving,
their enthusiasm and effectiveness is greater. And they feel more
connected and loyal to the company for supporting them.<br />
<b>Number 4:</b><br />
Endorse
effort and growth instead of pointing out failures or errors. As
individuals, we all know how seldom we are given positive feedback, but
how often we are reminded of our "mistakes". Instead of pointing out
errors, the coach-manager accepts them as learning opportunities and
uses them to develop their employees. The focus is on making sure the
same mistake doesn't happen again by fixing the source of the problem.<br />
<b>Number 5:</b><br />
Stop
providing solutions. Managers often achieve their positions after being
technical specialists, and so will have an opinion or view on how to
"fix" situations or problems. The mindset is that it's usually faster to
tell someone what to do, or do it yourself, than give your employees an
opportunity to figure it out. By always providing the answers, managers
take away the learning opportunity for their employees to come up with
alternative (and potentially better) ways of doing things. If you catch
yourself about to provide the answer, take a deep breath and ask a
question like: "What would you do in this situation?"<br />
<b>Number 6:</b><br />
As
a manager, stop making all the decisions. You don't have all the
answers all of the time. Engage those around you - your team and peers -
when it comes to finding a way forwards. Involvement breeds ownership
and engagement. The more you can find opportunities for people to
contribute to the decision-making process and encourage people to have
their say, the more your employees will feel connected and satisfied
with the company.<br />
<b>Number 7:</b><br />
Be unconditionally
constructive - no exceptions. Don't patronise or be critical of others -
take complete responsibility for how you are heard. If you catch
yourself about to make negative remarks, take a breath and rephrase your
words to get your message across without the emotional attachment. It
is possible to phrase everything in constructive terms - even a negative
sentiment. Practice makes perfect!<br />
<b>Number 8:</b><br />
Create
an environment where people want to work with you, and feel valued and
respected. Make it clear to your employees what they are responsible
for, but give them the latitude to go about it in their own way. In
short, treat them the way you would want to be treated.<br />
<b>The Wrap-Up</b><br />
The
true success of a leader can be measured by the success of the people
that work for them. When managers and leaders adopt a coaching style,
the productivity, motivation and satisfaction of the employees
increases, which filters through to bottom -line results. All this makes
for an engaged workforce who are committed to giving the business as
much as it is giving them. And as an extra incentive, adopting a
coaching style of management results in a much more enjoyable workplace
for everybody!</div>
bendothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02417530757518509520noreply@blogger.com0