orglearn - Management Thought for the Week

orglearn Quick Selection of Latest Tweets

2011-10-14T09:01:00.004+08:00

{EAV_BLOG_VER:eaaec97800695fe5}

by orglearn

"Recruiting’s Blunder of Epic Proportions: Ignoring Mobile" >> bit.ly/pHWebi << Dr. J Sullivan on ere net bit.ly/n8D9CB

by orglearn

A thought for current times perhaps : "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." ~ W. Edwards Deming orglearn.org

rictownsend

by orglearn

5 Things You Should Never Have on Your Resume > bit.ly/nUk7mr < from Work Goes Strong orglearn.org Thanks Buzz Smith

67 rictownsend

by orglearn

Goal Setting is Just The Start of the Real Work >> orglearn.org >>> bit.ly/ntSP9l <<<...and unfortunately sometimes the end of it.

Trouble with getting recruited in the current tough times? Got the wrong things on your resume? Need a new a more focused resume? Visit orglearn -- resume example

ps Be careful what you tweet employers will research it!

The Secret to Dealing With Difficult People: It's About You - HBR

2011-10-13T09:32:00.000+08:00

An excellent article! The Secret to Dealing With Difficult People: It's About You - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review Well worth the read. Ric orglearn

Problem Solving and the Value of Crowd Sourcing

2011-07-22T18:22:00.000+08:00

New post covering various problem solving methods for mangers and teams at: problem solving which discusses different traditional techniques and how crowd sourcing can improve the process. Don't forget to take a look at the resume sample with and editable format and some example statements and explanations.

Ric-orglearn

Dealing With Change 6 Tips - 'RULES'

2010-12-09T06:05:00.002+08:00

New information on dealing with change 6 Rules for Dealing with Change If you want to make a radical change and change jobs this sample resume form should help with your resume.

rictownsend orglearn

orglearn rictownsend seventy thousend followers on Twitter

2010-11-15T10:03:00.005+08:00

Website promotion and social media is an interesting mental challenge. The need to come up with fresh content continuously keeps our minds active. With recent "brain plasticity" discoveries perhaps it is a great activity for all us "older" folks.

I use a number of web vehicles to stay involved: a Career Success Advice blog and Career Advice on Twitter.

I also have a resume help page on my website www.orglearn.org at this link: resume sample which can contribute a few dollars for the effort.

If you are a retired manager and have something you can offer from your experience I would be happy to post what you have on a blog or as a guest contributor (with full credit to you) on my own blog.

Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Form | Resume Examples | Resume Sample | Cover Letter
Fill in the free online blank resume form (positive statement examples), a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers.

Career Success Blog

2009-06-03T17:56:00.015+08:00

New blog, good career success, management, leadership, teamwork, competence, power, motivation, communication, cover letters and resume information! Updates every day or so orglearn career success blog.

You can also follow the author on Twitter rictownsend

Free online blank resume and handy resume form with positive examples and a free backup service.

Visit the site...

Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Form | Resume Examples | Resume Sample | Cover Letter
Fill in the free online blank resume form (positive statement examples), a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers.
Free blank resume form with examples and samples.

Scientific Proof: You can Change Yourself and Become More Successful

2009-06-01T16:39:00.006+08:00

So you think your ruled by fate... sorry your success is really up to you and here's why...

So get on with it, no one else can do it for you!

Ric Continuous learning and Success are partners!

Is Your Company Watching Your Social Media Activities

2009-05-31T12:24:00.009+08:00

Maybe you don't care what your company thinks of your social media activities?

Do you ever think about how your social media activates will effect your future employment prospects?

An interesting report...

Social networking and reputational risk in the workplace -

What effect can social media have on you if you are on the "other end of the stick" as a business owner? Have you developed any policies, plans or protocols to deal with social media and how your staff (or customers) could destroy your reputation?.

What work have you done on your organizations culture, values and ethics to take account of (and hopefully mitigate) the risks to your reputation and business viability that online communities present. Is social media part of your S.W.O.T. analysis?

Ric orglearn blank resume resume form Is your resume posted online... is it helping or hurting... a lousy online resume is a negative, time to fix it or remove it.

Visit the site...

Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Form | Resume Examples | Resume Sample | Cover Letter Fill in the free online blank resume form (positive statement examples), a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers.

Free blank resume form with example and samples or.....

The Six elements of a Good Decision

2009-05-30T02:38:00.006+08:00

Great article by decision making guru Carl Spetzler

"(1) The right frame — making sure you’re solving the right problem in the first place.

(2) Clarity about what you want. For example, are you trying to maximize shareholder value or just trying to stay alive and minimize damage?

(3) Creative alternatives. [remember all ideas are good ideas until proven otherwise]

(4) Gathering the right information, including information about uncertainty, which is essential if you want to choose the best alternative.

(5) Reasoning, which includes what you know and what you don’t.

(6) A commitment to make it happen, since a decision is no stronger than its weakest link."

Two great decision making articles:

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13056_23-295108.html

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13056_23-295098.html

Ric deciding to change jobs? free blank resume form

Effective No Cost and Low Cost Advertising

2009-05-29T12:13:00.014+08:00

Free advertising program earn rewards for effort or targeted ads for 0.005 cents per ad... its HERE

Traffic Python Revealed!

This is a really good program... for me the best I have found and the only one I have signed up for... well it was free and I don't have a big advertising budget, I wish I did. Free advertising... its HERE

Ric-orglearn

Visit orglearn and the new Career Success blog link on the site...

Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Examples | Resume Sample | Cover Letter Fill in the free online blank resume form (positive statement examples), a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers.

Free blank resume sample with example and samples

Managing innovative projects: Don't mistake the map for the journey...

2009-05-28T23:07:00.009+08:00

... or compliance as success! Article by Rick Freedman of TechRepublic

'The lesson that project managers need to understand is that compliance with project specifications does not constitute project success; in the ultimate analysis, only business results matter. Stated another way, the largest risk in any project is not that it will deviate from plan; it’s the risk that the final outcome won’t fulfill the real need. Predictive methodologies, such as the techniques championed by the Project Management Institute in its PM Body of Knowledge, can add tremendous value, especially for projects for which we have a historical basis to look to for precedent. For truly innovative projects, in which any prediction is little more than guesswork and for which we’ll be inventing never-before-seen products, we need to look for a new approach. Hence, the growing popularity of agile approaches.'

The full article is at: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-manager/?p=1402

Ric management and leadership and vision and planning orglearn

Visit the site...

Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Examples | Resume Sample | Cover Letter Fill in the free online blank resume form (positive statement examples), a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers. Free blank resume form with example and samples or.....

toolbar powered by Conduit

Successful Managers Don't Manage

2009-05-27T10:01:00.009+08:00

"Management doesn’t work. It is ill-conceived and badly carried out. It is, literally, inhuman. We are all wasting our time.

This is the basic thrust of Charles Jacobs’ new book. Inspired by the latest discoveries of neuroscientists and armed with some startling scientific data..."

"Jacobs provides the scientific evidence for why this might be the case. And it leads him to believe that: “The managers who produce the best results are the ones who do the least managing ... the biggest challenge is for managers to stop doing most of what they’re doing now.”

This is a good article the rest is here: Management Rewired

Lots more management articles at orglearn... Sample Resume | Resume Blank | Resume Form | Resume Examples | Resume Sample | Cover Letter Fill in the free online blank resume form (positive statement examples), a handy self-analysis to evaluate the commercial realities of what you have to offer current or potential employers. Ypou can go to the index page and also take a look at the new blog.

Know Yourself - Free Resource - Online Personality Test

2009-05-25T12:43:00.002+08:00

Take the free iPersonic personality test!

As the site says "No registration required!

Takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

Free, immediate and accurate results."

iPersonic test.

This is a good five minute online test!

Ric career advice blank resume form at orglearn.org

Hate Your Job and the People at Work

2009-05-22T05:46:00.003+08:00

Sometimes no matter what you do you just seem to end up at a place that you don't like and working with a bunch of less than desirable people.

So do you resign or stay?

If you do have to stay how do you solve the problem?

Here's the best answer l've found so far, see the short video... SOLVE MY PROBLEM WITH WORK

If it didn't work for you, you can fill in the blank resume form!

Best of luck Ric

p.s. If it does work could you to come back and comment :-)

The "obituary résumé." Résumé mistakes!

2009-05-20T05:22:00.004+08:00

Interview of Dick Hart (AKA the Résumé Doctor) by Ruth Sheehan of "The News&Observer"

quote:

The "obituary résumé." Dick Hart says:

'That's a document that uses stuffy formal language to describe all the stuff someone did once upon a time.'

"What employers need to know is what you can do for them," he said.

By Hart's reckoning, a jobseeker has about 20 seconds to grab the attention of the future bosses.

He has a term of art for this, too. It's called the "rule of thumb." Pick up a standard 81/2-by-11 sheet of paper. Your thumb lands about 3 inches from the top of the page.

"If you don't hook 'em by the time they get to their thumb, you can forget it,"

:end quote

The rest of the article is here http://www.newsobserver.com/news/sheehan/story/1531741.html however its a bit like Hart's resume advice... once you get to the thumb the rest is a bit useless.

Free blank résumé with examples résumé form orglearn index

Visit the site...

Click to become a super EagleTweeter

Free blank resume form with example and samples or.....

toolbar powered by Conduit

Mentoring 101 Article from HRlink.in

2009-05-17T16:27:00.002+08:00

Hone Your Mentoring Technique (Good article from HRlink)

"Tips for becoming a better mentor:

• Establish a partnership that helps your protege learn.

• Foster discovery. Thought-provoking questions are more powerful than smart answers.

• Allow for mistakes. They are necessary for growth.

• Put your protege at ease by being authentic, open and sincere.

• Act more like a friend than a boss.

• Give feedback that helps your protege improve his performance.

• Continue your support after meetings.

• If your mentoring relationship isn’t working, discuss your concerns."

The full article is here: http://hrlink.in/topics/mentoring-101 and is worth a quick read!

Ric career advice management cover letters and resumes

Job Search and Career Advice Quick Tip Tweets

2009-05-17T05:09:00.002+08:00

Selected Twitter Employment Advice

Advisor ONE @liahni (http://twitter.com/liahni)

"Best advice for today's clients/career/job seekers -be nimble, flexible, do solid research, and networking! // Networking is Key!"

"Objective on a resume? No longer a benefit - sends the message you're old school. Replace with career summary and key industry/title words"

"I work w/ clients in transition. Best advice for today's client - be nimble, flexible, do solid research, and networking!"

"Recruiters see growth in executive hiring 1) Bus. Development 2) Sales 3) Engineering 4) Ops Mgmt 5) Mktg 6) Consulting 7) Finance 8) R & D"

"Don't wait 'til you're unemployed to develop a career strategy! Networking is essential to keep your career on track and w/ the right people"

Advisor TWO @InSide_Job (http://twitter.com/InSide_Job)

"Free Podcast for Job Seekers: "You're Hired! Interview skills to get the job" http://www.yourehiredbook.com/podcast.html #work #hunt #offer"

"RT @JobCircle Good article about negotiating a higher offer in today's job market. http://jobcircle.com/z18o "Know how much your peers make""

"RT @theonlinebeat RT @danschawbel: JOB SEARCH: 101 Ways to Get Hired in a Recession http://tinyurl.com/cfvdhn #jobhunt #career"

"RT @Arcadia1 timing is key for getting a job! great timing!" [so keep at it and keep at it and keep at it!]

TWEET: twitter job search and resume advice

HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE - 3

2009-05-11T09:04:00.002+08:00

A final six keys to winning during change.

Adapt… even in nature (Galapagos Finches) demonstrate that those that have the greatest capability to survive are those that are most adaptable.

Develop a broader range of competence. The days of just being the best ‘technician’ (engineer) are long gone.

Think… during a restructure would you choose for example the accountant with problem solving and team building skills or the ‘best’ at accounting?

Seek new experiences, new skills, and continuos education; broadly based knowledge and experience is always in demand.

Understand that the responsibility for me is mine alone; take the lead in your own life.

The more we involve ourself in the change process and succeed the better we understand that we can survive change. The payoff… increased confidence

TO SOME PEOPLE LIFE IS ABOUT FINDING ANSWERS, IN TIMES OF CHANGE PERHAPS LIFE NEEDS TO BE MORE ABOUT FINDING AND DEALING WITH MORE INTERESTING QUESTIONS.

Ric free management lessons

The 4-Hour Workweek

2009-05-09T08:12:00.004+08:00

Tim Ferriss in his popular book "The 4-Hour Workweek" uses the acronym DEAL It stands for: Definition, Elimination, Automation, and Liberation.

Definition define what you want, get over your fears, look past others "expectations" and figure out what it will really cost to get you want to go.

Elimination concerns effective use of time by using the old 80/20 rule to focus only on those tasks that contribute the majority of benefit. Again Ferriss use the efficiency versus effectiveness idea.

Automation to do this you need to build a sustainable, automatic source of income. This includes techniques such as where as a retailer you set up a system whereby the wholesaler ships direct to you customer so you don't have to (transport, hold and deliver stock), marketing he suggests can be by Google adwords/asdsense of course many other functions can be outsourced.

Liberation is dedicated to the successful automation of one's lifestyle and the liberation from a geographical location and job.

Rather than seeing technology based communication such as email, instant messaging and Internet-enabled PDA's as helpful he promotes the idea that they complicate life rather than simplify it. As I heard him say in an interview you need to control or avoid these devices to "cut out the static" from your life. This point I particularly agree with he uses on his blog the expression " cultivate selective ignorance - and create time - with a low-information diet". Good advice for all of us perhaps.

Probably much to the chagrin of the rapidly growing number of American (and other) unemployed at the moment he is also a strong advocate of hiring "virtual assistants" from developing countries such as India to free up personal time.

From the radio interview I mentioned before some of his main points were:

Stop spending your time doing emails, let them wait, answer them at set time each day "say 11.00 and 4.00 so you can focus on doing one task at a time and doing it well. He also says we need (If we want to work less hours and remain productive) to "control our impulses".

Having sat down to a meal with many friends who spend much of their time reading messages on and instantly responding on their "Blackberries" or mobile phones I can particularly relate to this point. Many today seem to suffer from what I like to call the "Pavlov's Dogs Syndrome".

Ric-orglearn Management Training Career Advice Cover Letters and Resumes

How to Fix Business Schools

2009-05-06T09:50:00.004+08:00

Article by Paul Hemp

Scrap the MBA

"How do we fix business schools? Scrap the MBA If you believe that MBAs and the education they receive are at least partly to blame for the current economic mess, what changes must we make to management education to prevent something like this from happening again?"

A conversation with Henry Mintzberg a long time detractor of MBA's

Article and Audio here: Scrap MBA

Ric's Comment to Harvard (also published on site)

Mintzberg is correct, "most of the things a manager needs to know-whether that's how to motivate [inspire] people or assess a balance sheet-are context-specific and not universally applicable".

As an ex financier I learnt how to lend money by being sent to collect it from delinquent borrowers for six years. Only late in the process was I able (and permitted) to renegotiate and rewrite existing loans. During this period I learnt how to assess what we called the five C's of Credit particularly the character component. Standing alone in front of shot gun armed and distressed farmer teaches you a lot about character ...and quickly. We didn't have mobile phones in those days so you also learnt a little self reliance as well and of course the all important, how to close a very critical sale... don't shoot me I'm only twenty one. The last couple of years I also supervised (under supervision of a manager) the activities of others, the beginnings of my 'management' training. What ever happened to "supervisors"?

Finally into lending. I wrote loan submissions with no approval rights for two years while the financial controller taught me financial analysis and my direct manager sent back my lending proposals with words "so what" in red pen after each unsubstantiated or illogical statement. If I didn't know how to answer to the "so what" I was curtly told "go and ask the customer". From this I learnt how businesses operate across a broad range of industries and how to deal with senior executives of large companies and find out what I needed to know, diplomatically. What did I learn... everything from the complications and tax implications of shifting income to overseas divisions and why and how my customer did it to... how an injection moulding machine works. My customers taught me business and how it works (or doesn't for that matter). Of course at the same time I was studying the legal and technical aspect of the financial products we offered.

I also of course learnt from my 'allowed' mistakes. Lending limits were finally granted and I was a supervisor (again), this was in a lending department. Early on in my new role I released a forklift under pressure from a 'good' existing customer without getting the deposit cheque cleared, which was of course was a "cardinal sin". The factory and the forklift burnt... it was arson... no insurance recovery. I was requested to tell my story which was then published nation wide (supposedly anonymously) as a learning bulletin. I was also asked "what did you learn Richard". Well I did a dumb thing however I wasn't stupid so I replied "expletive I'll never do that again". The company's response.. money well spent then.

I say it again Mintzberg is correct, management learning is "context specific".

p.s. Please if you get to talk to Mr Mintzberg again can you explain to him that "you can't motivate staff, because all motivation comes from within". You may however be able buy understanding and using their motivations "inspire" them.

Richard Townsend (orglearn.org)

Need a Job? How Social Networking can Help

2009-05-05T07:14:00.002+08:00

Article by Erica Perez of the Journal Sentinel

Excerpts from

Need a job? Get social - in a networking kind of way

"What I try to explain to students is that social media accelerates professional networking," said Grace Kutney, career technology specialist at Lawrence University. "And since 85% of jobs are found through networking, and right now in the current market it's maybe 95%, if they can accelerate their professional networking through social media, they're better off."

College career centers advise "...many employers use the Web to research job candidates." Now, they are encouraging students to strategically craft their Web presence. 'Social networking.... is something we need to figure out how to use it for (career) networking,' said UWM student Olivia Johnson, 21. Twitter - advisers say, ...[should be] "about showing off your interests and expertise."

Advice to students: Research companies you want to work for and the people who work for them and follow them on Twitter. Try to catch these people's attention with your posts. Examples of what to "tweet": What are you researching? What did your class talk about? "It can be anything like that that says 'I have a skill,' " said Spreenkler's Steve Glynn.

Grace Kutney, who has worked in career development for 11 years, also knows the networking potential of social media firsthand. She has become more active online - in her blog "Sweet Careers," Twitter and more - in the past six months. "In that time, I've developed more and stronger professional contacts than I had in 10 years previous," she said. "I was able to connect with people who are like-minded in the industry and have learned a lot more about my field."

The rest of this interesting article and good advice is here

Ric career advice - resumes

SEE VALUE IN TWITTER AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO TWEET!

2009-05-04T17:09:00.005+08:00

YOU HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE... LOTS OF VALUABLE AND INTERESTING PAGES AND INFORMATION... AND VIRTUALLY NOBODY READS YOUR SITE... AVERAGE PAGE VIEWS 1... 2... or 3. SO YOUR AD INCOME IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE AND PERHAPS LESS THAN YOU HOPED/BUDGETED FOR... NO READERS = NO CLICKS = NO AD RESPONSE!

SOLUTION

I'll TWEET FOR YOU - RIC'S TWITTER SERVICE GUARANTEED 3 TWEETS A DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK, TWEETS BASED ON YOUR WEBPAGE TOPICS EITHER IN YOUR NAME WITH YOUR LOGO OR AS A THIRD PARTY IF YOU PREFER.

COMPARATIVE COST FACTS

About 82% of web cost per click (cpc) advertising costs from $ 0.00 to $ 0.30 (cents cpc) and of that more than half is between $ 0.10 and $ 0.19 (cents cpc) Say you pay an average of $0.15 cpc 1200 clicks will cost you $180.00

"SEM firms typically bill monthly. They manage your PPC search advertising and paid-inclusion spend. For core professional services, which include complete SEO, expect to spend from $90,000 to $240,000 per Web site annually for a full-service SEM firm or $50,000 to $90,000 for a solo consultant or smaller SEM company." clickz.com

Advertising budget?? Take autos as an example: Cost per click for "autos" is $0.29 - $0.64, Clicks per day is 9,800 - 12,400, Cost per day $2,830.00k - $7,980.00 spread between a reported 4 advertisers. spyfu.com

So that's on average $10,810.00 per day / 4 = $2702.50 X 365 days = $ 986,412.50 p.a. / 12 = $82,201.04 p.month

Cost USD$ 250.00 per month. Opt out any time, payable through "PayPal-only" Monthly payment day 15 (mid term which gives you two weeks to assess the value/potential)

Contact rictownsend@yahoo.com ! More about me http://www.orglearn.org/ or just Google " rictownsend "!!!

Robert Iger C.E.O. of Disney Interview Leadership Lessons

2009-05-04T07:37:00.006+08:00

Interview by Adam Bryant. "Corner Office" of "The New York Times"

The guts of it...

Most important leadership lesson

RI "optimism is a very, very important part of leadership. However, you need a dose of realism with it" ...'be patient ...be focused and don't overreact to things that are said'

Best and worst bosses

RI 'Roone Arledge - drove everybody to levels of perfection or to come as close as possible to it'

'Tom Murphy and Dan Burke - the importance of trust and managing people'

'Michael Eisner - creativity'

'My first boss at ABC told me I wasn’t promotable, so I’d have to put him in the category of “bad boss.” I rose above it very quickly, and there was a lesson in that. I think it toughened me up a little bit more.'

An insight that put your career on a different trajectory

RI 'The first lesson, if you’re not good at one thing, try something else. Don’t stick with something unless you think you could turn yourself into someone who [is] good at that.'

Career advice to others

RI 'patience is extremely important because people set goals for themselves that often are unrealistic and... everything changes' [opportunities arise]

To managers about leadership

RI '...the need to be direct with your people [and] ...the need to be accessible — [both] very important [attributes] for a leader.'

How to stay in touch employees/colleagues

RI '...face to face, you’ve got to project an accessibility — the elevator ...the employee cafeteria ...stroll a floor ...I make it part of my schedule to do that.'

Hiring. How do you do it?

RI 'Carefully. I try to get to know someone ...references [are] an important guide. [Quotes]: Warren Buffett... “When you hire someone, you look for brains, energy and integrity and if they don’t have the third, integrity, you better watch out, because the first two will kill you.”

I also look for qualities in people beyond that...'

Then he talks about "I love curiosity" and other issues... the full article is here

Good advice for all of us! leadership orglearn

Mastering Resume Cover Letter Format Basics

2009-05-03T11:15:00.005+08:00

Article by Jimmy Sweeney

"What’s So Important About Resume Cover Letter Format Mastery?

In the first place, a resume cover letter that you write yourself is going to be specifically tailored to the job you are applying for and the qualifications that you bring to it. And in resume cover letters, it is this sort of specificity that speaks to hiring managers and makes them want to offer interviews.

Second, a resume cover letter that you write on your own using standard resume cover letter format will have the added benefit of being original and fresh compared to the stale and overused form cover letters that thousand of other job seekers have tried to send in."

This is probably the best article on cover letter writing I have read and the rest is here

Its so good I wish I had written it! Reminds me of my father's advice 'there will always be people smarter than you and dumber than you... live with it and learn from the smart ones, don't resent them!'

HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE - PART 2

2009-05-03T10:54:00.002+08:00

Six more keys to winning during change.

Do not become part of the “but we’ve always done it this way” group or you will become just another victim… which you must refuse to be.

Realize that becoming a ‘victim of circumstances’ is vastly overrated, as there is always a positive alternative. We all choose the variables that make up our life.

Remember that the most important choice we have is whether we develop a positive (or negative) attitude toward life’s realities.

If we don’t like or can’t support the changes at our workplace we can leave, as painful as that my be.

Believe that all and any companies or our position in a company is constantly changing and that it is a natural state of affairs.

Accept that you always have other possibilities and you will truly be empowered. If you can’t accept empowerment best find a way to leave the planet.

YOU MAY NOT HAVE A CHOICE ABOUT WORKPLACE CHANGES HOWEVER YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE ON HOW YOU RESPOND!

Leaving? How to write a resume.

How to Counter Resistance to Change

2009-05-02T11:10:00.000+08:00

Article by Peter Bregman

"We believe that people resist change.

So we do all sorts of things to counter that resistance. We try to motivate or coerce people to change.

But instead of breaking through resistance, we create it. People resist being controlled. And so 70% of all corporate change efforts fail.

Here's what's interesting: people freely choose to make major life changes every day. We move, get married, start families, face challenges, learn new technologies, change jobs, and develop new skills. Not all of these changes are smooth. But most of the time we seek those changes ourselves and make them successfully.

So why are people willing to change in one situation and resistant to it in another?"

Great article the rest is here: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/04/how-to-counter-resistance-to-c.html

Leadership Video Free Six Minutes Learn a Lot

2009-05-01T09:53:00.009+08:00

Great Video on Leadership, it says sales leadership however lesson is general and applies to all leadership It's from "bnet" First 20 seconds bit slow however the last five and a half minutes well worth the time investment. Get your notepad ready!

Reference: http://www.bnet.com/2422-13723_23-250026.html?promo=808&tag=nl.e808

Ric-orglearn

HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE

2009-04-30T06:35:00.001+08:00

Six keys to winning during change.

Acknowledge that things continually change. Simple and obvious however many will delude themselves into believing life is stable, secure and constant.

Accept that now is the only time you ever really have and live in the present rather than sitting around relishing the past.

Understand that worrying about the future is useless. If you don’t believe me… what where you worried about on the same day last year?

Realize that the best way to cope with change is to approach it as inevitable and use it as an opportunity to satisfy the priorities and desires we have set.

Insert yourself in the change process so you can influence to the outcome.

Commit yourself productively to others who are trying to solve problems or capitalise on new opportunities.

Time Management is Key to Business Success

2009-04-28T17:58:00.004+08:00

Main points/tips:

'One of the most effective time management tools is also the simplest, the basic daily to do list... check the ones that are the highest priority as must do items.'

'Use subordinates effectively.' 'Those accustomed to "doing it all" find this exceedingly difficult. Time spent in training employees to handle specific tasks will pay big dividends in the long run.'

'When employees come to you with a problem, they generally want you to solve it for them' [so they don't have to think]. 'Turn this situation into a learning experience by asking them, what they believe is the best way to deal with this issue? If their response is reasonable, praise them.'

'Learn to minimize distractions... phone calls and walk-in customers... If a subordinate can handle the customer's need, be sure to bring them together. Explain that he or she is responsible for that function.'

'Time management must be part of the culture of a successful business, and the leadership, by example, must start at the top.'

From Ric... get rid of 80% of your meetings because about that percentage is nothing more than a talkfest. Limit meetings to a maximum of 45 minutes by following good meeting practices.

Ric-orglearn

ref: http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SCOR27_20090424-230904/263828/

by Grey Peohler Score Business Counselor

Leading Change

2009-04-26T13:12:00.010+08:00

A leaders priorities for leading change in organizations...

1. Establish a strong sense of urgency 

2. Pick a good team 

3. Create an enterprise vision 

4. Communicate the vision 

5. Remove obstacles 

6. Achieve short term wins 

7. Consolidate progress and keep on changing 

8. Anchor change to the culture 

9. Make the change stick

Marquardt and Kotter

ref: http://rapidbi.com/management/2009/04/nine-ways-leaders-transform-organisations/

10. "An Oldie but a Goodie". (source unknown)

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.

Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.

Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.

Why not?

Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.

That is how a corporate culture develops.

So 10. is Replace all your monkeys at once!

Ten qualities leaders most need

Broad education

Boundless curiosity

Belief in people and teamwork

Boundless enthusiasm

Willingness to take risks

Devotion to long-term growth rather than short-term profit

Commitment to excellence

Readiness

Virtue

Vision

ref: Warren Bennis

Ric-orglearn

Success Winston Style

2009-04-24T07:05:00.005+08:00

For tough times some inspiration - Churchill 1941 - Harrow School - Supposedly Speaking on Success

As the story goes... the school members were sitting in anxious anticipation... there is a great sense of awe and drama as Churchill strolled into the auditorium... he approaches the center of the stage... purposefully removes his bowler hat and the cigar from his mouth... props his cane against the lectern... pauses.... gazes for some time at the hushed assembly... and finally says...

Success... "Never give in. [pauses] Never give in. [pauses] Never, never, never - on nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in, except to the convictions of your own honor and good sense."

He then replaces his hat... picks up his cane... takes a puff of his cigar and leaves the stage!

Credited as one of his shortest and perhaps one of his most powerful speeches... apt for now perhaps!

Ric - orglearn

Career Help/Tips/Advice and Experience

2009-04-23T08:33:00.001+08:00

Three positives that worked for me:

1) Being published in a prestigious magazine as an technical 'expert' in my field - So work at getting yourself published because it gives you credibility with your bosses and colleagues and brings 'status' to your company.

2) Asking for a promotion that I knew I was qualified to handle when a vacancy in a position I sought appeared - If you get a no then ask what do I need to learn to be suitable the next time a similar position is available (then learn it).

3) Undergoing retraining in a new skill set as economic or technological change made past skill and experiences less valuable - Deregulation of the Australian finance/banking sector meant my kill set became redundant, moved into manufacturing then retrained into advertising then retrained into management and leadership training facilitation.

One Positive from a friend:

4) You hear it all the time... but I think you can never do it enough and that's NETWORKING. Stay in contact with people from past jobs, vendors you worked with, others from your same career field, neighbors, the list goes on and on. Can't tell you how many times a person from my past positively affected my career when I least expected. If I hadn't stayed on contact and kept the relationship nurtured those positive outcomes would have never happened.

One negative for me:

Stopped listening to my staff and their concerns as I became totally focused on my perceived goals and what the senior management wanted - You can't do it alone nurture you staff and co-operate with your colleagues, particularly in HR the staff and other divisions are your internal customers not somebody to hold power over and rule. the best way to make yourself look good is to make you staff look good and publicize their successes.

Wisdom

"In the Midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you."

- Deepak Chopra

From ELBERT HUBBARD'S historic book "A MESSAGE TO GARCIA"

'My heart goes out to the person who does their work when the "boss" is away, as well as when he [or she] is home. And the person who when given a letter for Garcia [(task)], quietly takes the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets "laid off," nor has to go on strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long, anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a person asks shall be granted. He [or she] is wanted in every city, town and village - in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such; he [or she] is needed and needed badly - the person who can carry a message to Garcia'.

"A MESSAGE TO GARCIA" SURELY A MUST READ FOR ALL - COMPETENCE AND COMMITMENT THE SECRET OF SUCCESS.

Ric-orglearn career advice & resume form

Job Searching in a Recession - Great Advice

2009-04-22T11:42:00.004+08:00

Article by - Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

quote: "During a recession it is best to move forward with force, while your competition is moving slowly. It is easy to use the economy as an excuse," says Roberta Chinsky Matuson, president of Northampton, Mass. based Human Resource Solutions. "Successful job seekers know that even in tough economic times, there are opportunities. You just have to dig a bit deeper."

If you are getting ready for a job search during troubled times, here are some tips from the experts. :endquote

The rest is at http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-975-Job-Search-Job-Searching-in-a-Recession/

A truly worthwhile read *****

More career advice and a free blank resume form and cover letter tips

How do I Stay Motivated During a Takeover?

2009-04-21T13:01:00.004+08:00

Perhaps this readers question (see below) should be (and maybe is) How do I Survive or even thrive in a when being taken over?

Here is the actual question...

"I would like to ask you on how an HR Person would still feel motivated and make subordinates motivated in the mids of buy-out?

Honestly speaking, it is quite difficult on my part to retain employees with this kind of issue. I myself is also affected, and yet should show a different aura infront of the employee though..."

Possible approach...

When my company was taken over I took the advice of my brother-in-law who had a similar experience and did well. He said, 'engage yourself in the process, look positively on the change, work towards the new team goals, become an asset to the merger/takeover team, look to the future and their vision forget the past and most of all stay away from the detractors, the fearful and the resistors.' In other words sell yourself to the new management.

Note: I did also well, became a liaison officer for the staff on both sides was included in a roadshow to explain the new vision and ended up with a better position in the 'merged' company.

Ric

p.s. ...and spruce up your resume (just in case), cover letter resume form or is that a bit demotivating?

A Letter from Pakistan - What Career Step Next?

2009-04-20T15:22:00.004+08:00

'Seeking your help... I live in Pakistan I'm married and have 2 children my age is 26 and my education is an MBA . Can you tell me what can I do for future [work wise] bcoz its very important for my children.'

Hi [name withheld],

This is an extremely difficult question and I am not sure if I am qualified to answer however, what I have said below is a very personal opinion...

If you are looking for a career I guess the most important issues are: making sure you are technically competent in your chosen field, being willing to adapt to change, being a continuos learner and not assuming what you have learnt to date will be relevant tomorrow and of course picking an industry to work in that has a strong future.

From a work perspective studying human behavior and psychology is always good as work is about people, teamwork and a shared vision of the future. Learning how communicate effectively within the cultural confines of your society and organizational culture, becoming an expert in selling (as in selling your ideas) and having strong networking capabilities both within and outside your organization are all very important factors in what is traditionally seen as achieving 'success'.

Actually as you mentioned the importance of your children I also have two children, both now adults, one lives in Europe and one in a Northern Asian country, and I am an Australian living in Indonesia. I think the important issues for children are: be patient, listen to and support their dreams, let them choose their own path and don't treat them as if they where personal property. Let them go when it is time and try not to be a limitation on their options. The best thing I believe you can give to children is to encourage them to live by logic rather than tradition, see the whole world as their future place to live and work and base your relationship on love rather than instilling in them, or forcing on them a need to only act only out of a sense of duty.

Finally for children encourage them to learn languages, perhaps English and Chinese (or Japanese or Arabic).

Sorry I am unable to give a you a more definitive answer to your question, life is a journey and times constantly change and often outcomes and opportunities are just a matter of chance.

Ric-orglearn

Free blank resume form with examples & cover letter advice!

SALES - 3 MORE QUICK TIPS - FOR SALES MANAGERS

2009-04-18T10:12:00.004+08:00

DECISION MAKERS:

Have your salespeople send you a list of names and positions of the people they contact and see how many secretaries, purchasing officers, clerks and other strange characters they are talking to. If they have developed a “milk run” just to keep their call rate up remember the experts tell us (last time I heard) it costs about US$220 per call. That’s a lot of money to smile at a secretary who can’t approve any purchases.

NO FEAR:

Sales people need to overcome their fear of rejection and have no call reluctance. They need to understand risk in their profession comes from developing too few customers and prospects, not from having too many. They have to accept rejection as part of their life and do not allow a prospect’s rejection to effect and control their mental attitude. Fear can be reduced by planning, being prepared for every step of the selling process backed by solid product knowledge. Even a well developed prospecting script with prepared responses to all of the major questions and objections they might encounter can help.

DESTROY THE SALES SCRIPT… DON”T PITCH

Selling, or more correctly helping the prospective customer through the process of deciding that what you have to offer is a worthwhile solution to satisfy his or her wants (or needs if you must) should be a conversation not a one, two, three (or ten) act play. If you or your salespeople are using a script (and many still do) you are probably not listening to the customer you are just pitching. You need to let the customer explain what he or she wants and then know enough about your product or service to explain how it provides the solution or benefit desired.

Looking for a sales job in tough times you, will need a great resume: how to write a resume !

In Management, Keep it Simple (from BNET)

2009-04-17T17:33:00.004+08:00

Good BNET article by Steve Tobak

"Some people have a knack for making things more complicated than they need to be."

"In 9 Notable Management Trends (or Fads), you’ll notice that simple concepts - such as core competency - have been successful over the long haul, while complex ones - like matrix management (which Yang employed at Yahoo, incidentally) - haven’t stood the test of time."

The rest is here http://blogs.bnet.com/ceo/?p=2109&tag=nl.e713

Ah yessss... the old "value adders" versus "energy suckers" problem!

In a complicated company, working for a complicated boss... new career... a resume form to get ready to move on :-)

"What's the balance of your Trust Bank?"

2009-04-15T07:00:00.003+08:00

Quote: Steven Covey, in his "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" first introduced the notion of trust, not as a soft social virtue, but as a hard edged economic driver that can be deposited and withdrawn from one's emotional bank account. He suggested that it takes a long time to build up the trust balance by way of small deposits and this balance can be quickly depleted with just one withdrawal - as in this example… :enduote

Wisdom from Bob Sheldone MD Australian National Learning Institute

The rest is here:

http://www.management-issues.com/2009/3/31/opinion/whats-the-balance-of-your-trust-bank.asp

Time for a new resume?! resume form and and information on how to write a resume

Ric-oeglearn

Getting Squeezed by Your Employer

2009-04-14T08:41:00.011+08:00

"More employers are using the recession as an excuse to roll back employee benefits, force unpaid time off or fire workers."

quote: from article “This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute [assume US], about the number of employers “squeezing” employees in the name of a bad economy. :end quote

Interesting read the full article is at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30154965/

Time to update your resume... resume form index how to write a resume with examples

Ric-orglearn

'It's time for an assessment of career goals'

2009-04-13T09:24:00.010+08:00

Some truly well thought out advice...

"Whether you are jumping into a job search or considering an alternative path, you need to revamp your resume while your work experience is still fresh on your mind. You don't need to hire a professional to do the work for you. Resume writing is a skill that everyone should develop, and there are cheap and easy ways to learn." There is more about doing your resume.

This comes from an excellent article in the Winston-Salem Journal where they also discuss; if you are "laid off" the following questions need to be considered...

"Do you need job re-training?" Do you want the same profession? "Do you want to return to work?"

The article is here:

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/apr/12/after-a-layoff-its-time-for-an-assessment-of-caree/business/

Free resume form fill in the blank resume online! More career advice !

Ric www.orglearn.org

Five Ways Managers Breed Incompetence.

2009-04-10T13:25:00.007+08:00

"The Find: If you’ve got incompetent employees the fault may not all lie with them; there are a handful of ways managers commonly breed incompetence in their teams.

1. Using numbers as the only device to measure performance.

2. Spreading workers too thin: cost-cutting is an essential component of survival, but... "

The rest of this very astute piece of advice is here:

http://blogs.bnet.com/bnet1/?p=1604&tag=nl.e713

Author: Jessica Stillman

career advice at orglearn.org

CAREER ADVICE - how to write a resume

2009-04-09T13:32:00.004+08:00

New information regarding how and what to emphasize in your employment cover letter has been added to orglearn as have new resume examples and information.

There is now additional career advice on management in the form of a series of short lessons/articles.

The user interface has been further resourced with more tips on how to write a resume and usability has been expanded in that you can now join the resume form site and submit questions or make comments.

Ric-orglearn

THREE MORE QUICK SALES TIPS

2009-04-05T07:58:00.002+08:00

REFERRALS:

If the sale is made and the order signed, salespeople (as against order takers) should then ask, ”Fred who do you know that might also benefit from this product/service/widget”. All to-do lists and of course sales reports should include a referrals section and if they don’t come back with at least one from each satisfied customer find a sharp object and insert it where it will inflict the most pain.

PROSPECTING TIP:

Ask if they look in the phone book, you think I’m joking, bet most of your sales staff have never even thought of it. Those who have are often intimidated…. it’s a lot of names and it looks like a lot of work, “hmm best not tie up the phone, a customer might be trying to call me”… Slip outside and grab a couple of your sales “experts” and ask them how they prospect, (take your blood pressure pills with you).

ANOTHER SIMPLE PROSPECTING TIP:

Where to prospect… existing customers, suppliers, colleagues, investors, advisors, associates, family, friends, acquaintances, researched leads, past customers, public presentations, civic activities, networking, trade shows, competitors internet sites, next door

Looking for a new sales position resume form and cover letter - orglearn

SALES - 2 MORE QUICK TIPS

2009-03-28T15:58:00.004+08:00

THE NUMBERS GAME:

Rule of thumb, ten cold leads will get one prospect, ten prospects will get one customer. How many calls a week is that against the number of customers you expect from each salesperson. More importantly how many contacts are your salespeople really making a week? Selling is a numbers game, the more we talk to, the more we get. Make sure they are networking.

TESTIMONIAL TRICK:

Third party testimonials are very powerful but hard to get. The best way to do it is to ring up the customer (when you know things have gone well) and ask questions that you know will get positive responses. Then ask permission to write the customers experience down, ask permission to send it to him/her and then ask that he/she put it on the company letterhead and send it to you. If you ask customers to write testimonials they will always be too busy, this way you take the thinking out of the process and most will accede to your request.

www.orglearn.org

Sell yourself into a new organization...

resume samples I resume examples I blank resume I resume form

SALES - 3 QUICK TIPS

2009-03-22T14:32:00.002+08:00

TURN ONE CALL INTO THREE:

Go next door, both sides, or at least visit two more potential or current customers in the same area. When I used to train bank managers to sell they would want to travel thirty miles for one call then return to the branch. Have fun tell your sales staff to (as I did with the bank managers) go to the building next door and visit every office, you might get a pleasant surprise!

CROSS-SELL:

Train sales staff to sell aligned products or a range rather than having only “one product expertise”. ‘But boss I sell left handed widgets I don’t know about right handed widgets… take a deep breath and say… well find out…! Hotels are good at this they have travel experts, meetings experts, corporate experts, incentive experts… come to think of it when I was a financier (before I grew up), we had dealer experts, mortgage experts, leasing experts, personal loan experts and of course bullshit experts. Sure specialist knowledge is great but no sales person should walk out without at least trying to sell a visit by their other product ‘experts’ and they should at least have a broad enough product knowledge to recognise a prospect for anything your organization sells.

THANK YOU NOTES:

Everyone likes to be thanked, a quick note saying thanks for seeing me, or thanks for the order, or thanks for the payment, or thanks for whatever can be a powerful relationship builder.

NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL SOMEBODY SELLS SOMETHING

Need a new sales job blank resume, resume form, resume sample

MORE STEPS FOR SETTING UP A LEARNING ORGANIZATION - TWO

2009-03-16T17:41:00.005+08:00

The only way to improve is to learn and as continuos learning is an imperative, what other steps do we need (according ‘mostly’ to Mitch McCrimmon) to create organizations that learn?

To continue…

5. Form learning partnerships with suppliers, distributors, and customers - set up feedback mechanisms such as focus groups, R&D joint ventures and customer survey mechanisms.

6. Have all positions applied for and include outsiders in our recruitment drive – only appoint the best in their field and avoid the all to familiar ‘best of a bad bunch’ in times of competence shortages.

7. Benchmark our culture against other entrepreneurial firms – seek ways to understand key success factors for the market leaders in our field and study the oppositions’ successes.

8. Set up a readily accessible knowledge bank and ‘experience’ network of mentors, gurus and experts in their field.

9. Celebrate and recognize attempts to learn by employees who take a market risk and publicise within our organization by initiating fast real world feedback mechanisms.

FROM A VERY GOOD BOOK – ALMOST A MUST BUY

NB Adapted from - ‘Unleash the Entrepreneur Within’

Want to join a learning organization - need a resume go here blank resume or resume form or resume sample with statements!

STEPS FOR SETTING UP A LEARNING ORGANIZATION - ONE

2009-03-09T12:55:00.002+08:00

Remembering that the only way to improve is to learn and the only proof of learning is a change in behaviour, how can we create organizations that learn and more importantly change?

1. Budget, time, money and manpower to achieve both individual and organizational learning – ensure management and ALL employees see learning as a ‘real target’ and set up mechanisms to ensure accountability and to measure results.

2. Identify strategic learning areas for your business and where new products or product innovations are likely to yield the quickest and greatest payoff – invest most of you’re resources in these areas.

3. Empower your work force to take risks in the market by decentralising decision making – particularly encourage those in areas of key knowledge.

Note: Many empowerment programmes in Asian operations of international organizations run in to problems because of cultural attitudes (and beliefs) related to power and responsibility, be careful in implementing this option!

4. Set up a system of on job training, job rotation, provide incentives and support for personal development – initiate a PD (personal development) discussion process.

THESE ARE EASY, THE HARD ONES NEXT ISSUE

Looking to join a learning organization? Need a resume form? orglearn!

REINFORCEMENT THEORY – ‘THE CARROT & THE STICK’

2009-03-03T09:06:00.004+08:00

Theorists who support this ‘motivation’ approach believe that we need not be concerned about follower’s internal mental states, prior knowledge, learning styles or current levels of an individual’s understanding (internal cognitive events). Rather they argue that ‘reinforces’, (consequences that immediately follow behavior) will, if they are ‘good’ lead to a repetition of the behavior and if they are ‘bad’ will lead to an avoidance of the behavior.

Although this theory is accepted in many circles, (because its easy and we don’t need to think too hard to apply it) experience shows that this philosophy ignores much that is known about human behavior. In addition it is likely (particularly if applied in isolation) to stimulate behavior designed to do as little as possible to avoid the ‘stick’ and as little as possible to gain acceptable levels of reward or the ‘carrot’.

If the object of creating motivated staff is to strive to create excellence and superior performance the danger of using this technique is that the leader/manager will only create a comfortable state of trouble free mediocrity.

Do you ever say to yourself... god this is a mediocre bunch...or that department is a poor performer... perhaps you should look at they're boss and ask him/her to stew his/her carrots over someone else's fiery sticks...

YOU CAN LEAD A MULE TO WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE IT REPRODUCE

Do you ever say to yourself "new job need a better resume"... resume form

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY THREE

2009-02-19T17:22:00.004+08:00

To prove to followers that “equity” exists leader/managers must openly share the reward decision-making process. If it is not an acceptable option, then at least an open sharing on how decisions where made must be offered. The process must also be seen as being consistent and in line with unbiased practices. The object of this approach is to prove:

Procedural Justice, i.e. a decision process that is perceived as fair and…

Distributive Justice, i.e. there is a fair allocation of available rewards.

Experience shows that employees will devise any manner of measurements to test the justice of relative staff situations. For example I once had a colleague who was displeased with a $4,600.00 salary increase because staff in more junior positions where given a $ 2,100.00 increase which represented 12% over their previous pay levels. The cause of the discomfort was that the colleague had only received an 8% increase hence the gap between the two positions had narrowed causing a perception of an inequitable margin between the two jobs or a perceived diminution in his relative importance, which he saw as unjust.

The validity of this theory really becomes obvious and proven when we are engaged in something as mundane as allocating new company car parks or redesigning office layouts. The tension, bickering and office politics that grows from this type of activity can be truly amazing.

INEQUITY CAN TURN ADULTS INTO CHILDREN OR EVEN WORSE, POWERFUL ADULTS CAN TURN INTO DEMANDING PARENTS.

Looking for a more equitable position? Time to do your resume; resume form, blank resume, resume template, online-free!

"Elearning" is a Misnomer - Eteaching it Maybe!

2009-02-12T17:42:00.005+08:00

'Nothing is taught, everything is learnt'

To my way of thinking 'elearning' is not a correct term, nor perhaps is it much more than an inadequate substitute for "real training and learning as conducted by learning facilitators with line management backup".

I am not alone in this view...

"Elearning is a classic example of the readiness with which people are ready to disregard received wisdom. We know that the more contact we have with our teachers the better we learn. Just look at the concern surrounding growing classroom sizes. Equally important is the amount of contact students have with their peers. Learning in groups is not just socially more enjoyable, it is a proven source of motivation. Working towards a common goal, sharing tips on revision and simply offering encouragement: none of these factors should be overlooked." - Rob Chapman

Read the rest...

The elearning diet: Not recommended for long term results

Learning is linked to emotion - how do you inject emotion into so called 'elearning programs'?

Ric

www.orglearn.org

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY TWO

2009-02-08T14:47:00.005+08:00

If our staff perceive themselves as being unjustly or inequitably treated in relation to others and they experience equity tension there are a number of possible courses of action they are likely to choose from:

Change their level of input - reduce their level of effort

Change their outcomes, where reward is linked to output - reduce quality to improve quantity

Change their self-perception (of worth) - maybe I really am a workaholic

Distort their perception of others - that guys got a hard job

Change their referent - I’m doing better than my sister is

or last but not least… Quit the job

Factors that may be used by individuals judging their input levels include, effort, experience, education, time, perceived competence, skills and knowledge. Factors that may be seen as outcomes include, salary, prospects of increasing financial rewards, promotion prospects, levels of praise and levels of public recognition.

BEST PLAN WELL ON HOW TO JUSTIFY DIFFERENT REWARD LEVELS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION OR ITS… “I’M THE CHEAPEST LABOUR HERE” & ITS OUT THE DOOR THEY GO

if your heading out the door time to update your resume... resume form and other information or go straight to the free blank resume form

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY

2009-02-03T06:56:00.007+08:00

This theory states that individuals compare their level of job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then actively seek to eliminate any inequities. In other words if we believe that we are being correctly rewarded for our efforts in relation to others a state of justice exists, however if we perceive ourselves as being unjustly treated in relation to others we experience ‘equity tension’.

The benchmark that is chosen by each individual is important for the leader/manger if he or she is to uncover an individual’s motivation. These benchmarks or ‘referent comparisons’ are:

Self-inside, experiences in other positions inside the organization

Self-outside, experiences in other positions outside the organization

Other-inside, other employees within the organization

Other-outside, other employees outside the organization

Another interesting aspect of this theory is that comparisons can be made on the employees past treatment in relation to another’s current treatment. This particularly comes into play when you are hiring new staff. If the entry-level wage for an existing employee hired two years ago was $1,000.00 per month and today you offer the same position at $1,200.00 per month it is likely that existing employees will see this as inequitable. This situation will occur, even if the existing employees are paid in excess of the $1,200.00 you are now offering.

IT IS HUMAN TO COMPARE OURSELVES WITH OTHERS SO BEWARE OF PERCEIVED INEQUITIES

suffering from an inequitable situation time to move free blank resume resume form from www.orglearn.org

Leaders in Tough Times - Remember Maslow?

2009-01-24T13:31:00.005+08:00

Maslow

‘Basic human needs are arranged in a hierarchical order’

Townsend

“Individuals constantly move up and down the pyramid depending on how the perceive their current and potential situation”

According to Maslow ‘there are two major groups of human needs: basic including physiological, such as food, water, and sleep and psychological, such as affection, security, and self-esteem. These basic needs are also called deficiency needs because if an individual does not meet them, then that person will strive to make up the deficiency.’

‘The higher needs are called growth needs. These include such things as justice, ‘goodness’, order, unity, glamour, status, beauty and self-fulfillment. Deficiency needs Maslow argued take priority over growth needs. People who lack food or water cannot attend to justice or beauty.’

So in the current climate leaders will need to concentrate on making their followers feel ‘secure’. I would be searching for articles on “motivation” (Google) and be keeping this issue at the top of my (your) mind over the next 12 - 24 months. Now is the time to be carefully listening to the concerns of your followers and perhaps taking on the “leader as servant” advice.

This is the third time I have been through this situation and it reminds me of how everyone feels during a merger or takeover. During stressful times all questions about work or the company are really just one question in many disguises. What is that question… “What’s going to happen to me”?

This worldwide situation is a paradigm shift and ‘when there is a paradigm shift everyone goes back to zero’ - Joel Barker

It is s also time to update your resume (blank resume) (resume form)

Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy

Self–actualization

Growth, Achieving one’s potential, Self-fulfillment

Self Esteem

Self Respect, Status, Recognition, Autonomy, Achievement

Social

Belonging, Social Activities, Love and Affection, Acceptance and Friendship

***Safety

Security, Protection from danger both physical and emotional

***Physiological

Hunger, Thirst, Sleep, Shelter, Sex and other bodily needs

Ric

Richard Townsend

www.orglearn.org

MOTIVATION… THE LAST EXPECTANCY LINK!

2009-01-18T05:45:00.004+08:00

EXPECTANCY THEORY offers one more linkage insight into why many people are not motivated in their job. The last of the three links or relationships is:

The Reward = Attractiveness relationship (How attractive is the reward?)

In this last relationship the individual’s personal judgments and personal goals come strongly into play. If you offer a promotion to someone who is looking for more intellectually challenging technical problems/opportunites the reward offered will be ineffective. More money may not be attractive to someone who craves more personal time to be with his or her family.

The key message this theory offers for effective leader/managers is that it demonstrates the need for leaders to have a sound understanding of an INDIVIDUALS goals and aspirations and their perceived linkage between effort and performance, performance and rewards and finally rewards and individual goal satisfaction.

THE OLD ‘LETS HAVE AND EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AND HAND OUT SOME RECOGNITION’ JUST DOES NOT WORK.

update your resume at www.orglearn.org use the free blank resume form

FREE BLANK RESUME FORM

2009-01-10T19:19:00.003+08:00

A free on-line template where you fill in the blanks (with a positive statement examples guide) and then print out your resume. Resume writing is a great way to document your ‘employability’ or to check how well you are progressing with the ‘commercial’ realities of what you have to offer employers & they should be done yearly particularly at annual appraisal time etc...

The blank form and links to tips are here blank resume or direct to the form here: resume form

With tough economic times are occurring it is even more important to keep our resumes up to date and well written and effective! Well done resumes get interviews and interviews get jobs!

MOTIVATION… THE LAST EXPECTANCY LINK!

2008-12-20T18:57:00.007+08:00

EXPECTANCY THEORY offers one more linkage insight into why many people are not motivated in their job. The last of the three links or relationships is:

The Reward = Attractiveness relationship (How attractive is the reward?)

In this last relationship the individual’s personal judgments and personal goals come strongly into play. If you offer a promotion to someone who is looking for more intellectually challenging technical problems/opportunities the reward offered will be ineffective. More money may not be attractive to someone who craves more personal time to be with his or her family.

The key message this theory offers for effective leader/managers is that it demonstrates the need for leaders to have a sound understanding of an INDIVIDUALS goals and aspirations and their perceived linkage between effort and performance, performance and rewards and finally rewards and individual goal satisfaction.

THE OLD ‘LETS HAVE AND EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH AND HAND OUT SOME RECOGNITION’ JUST DOES NOT WORK.

ps. How do you spell it... résumé, resumé or resume, free blank form with examples at orglearn. No matter how you spell it you need to keep yours updated and during these tough times its more important than ever.

STAFF MOTIVATION… ANOTHER LINKAGE PROBLEM!

2008-12-14T15:41:00.003+08:00

EXPECTANCY THEORY offers (as I said previously) a number of insights into why many people are not motivated in their jobs. The “expectation” is based on an individual’s belief the their actions will be followed by a given outcome and particularly on the attractiveness of that outcome. The second linkage that the theory focus’s on is the:

Performance = Reward linkage (What is the reward?)

Many employees see the performance reward linkage as being very weak. This particularly occurs when the organization completes a performance appraisal then does something stupid like give an ACROSS THE BOARD, 5% SALARY INCREASE TO EVERYONE. Performance management (inspiration) is a process and needs to be a whole year ongoing effort which includes, vision sharing, personal development discussions, training, counselling and action planning as well as the annual performance appraisal.

TOO HARD… MAYBE GO AND FIND THAT BIG STICK… OR PERHAPS SOME CARROTS

Not being rewarded... time fill in your resume... there is a free blank resume form at www.orglearn.org

DIFFICULTY WITH STAFF MOTIVATION… IT COULD BE A LINKAGE PROBLEM!

2008-12-07T13:26:00.008+08:00

EXPECTANCY THEORY proposes that an individual will act in a certain way based on the expectation that what they do will lead to, or will be linked to, a particular outcome. The motivation ‘value’ is also linked to how that person views the attractiveness of that outcome. The theory focus’s on three relationships:

The first of these is the… Effort = Performance linkage (How hard will I have to work?)

Looking at this proposition, if employees do not perceive themselves as competent (having the skills and knowledge they need) they may believe that no matter how much effort they exert they will not receive recognition as a top performer. Often this undesirable situation is reinforced by a performance appraisal system that takes into account such factors as loyalty, initiative, courage, third party perceptions on a person’s ability to be promoted and even the employees general presentation.

IF YOU NEED TO INSPIRE FOR TOP PERFORMANCE YOU NEED TO STRONGLY LINK EFFORT TO REWARDS

More on motivation next issue...

p.s. If your an employee that is not getting the desired level of rewards perhaps its time to move on. Follow here for a free blank resume form, you fill in the resume form blank sections under each heading and build yourself a 'personal interview gabbing ad'.

LOOKING FOR LEADERS - TWO

2008-11-30T15:30:00.004+08:00

A few more handy attributes to look for when selecting leaders…

- those that seem to make others feel good about themselves, the types that say, ‘he’s a good guy’ or ‘she’s a great help’ and that are comfortable paying compliments to others

- those that can sell the ‘no’ or a different point of view with tact and still maintain relationships by knowing what is common ground and strengthening that, rather than accentuating differences

- those that don’t bad mouth others or complain about workmates, ‘those idiots in accounting or the upstart pampered sales team’

- those that solve problems in imaginative ways and through negotiation rather than the ones that come to your office and say, ‘this is a cock up what do we do now’!

- those that listen and show they are listening

Not a complete list for sure, but not a bad start OR is it back to… “AH FRED WHO’S OUR MOST SENIOR ENGINEER?

Thinking of a job change free blank resume at www.orglearn.org

LOOKING FOR LEADERS - ONE

2008-11-23T16:00:00.006+08:00

Yes we could make the best engineer the next manager/leader however what do we get… DOUBLE TROUBLE… WHY? … We lose our best engineer and often get a lousy manager! SO WHO DO WE LOOK FOR?

- those who regularly tell others what they are doing and the results they have achieved on behalf of the company. Yeah I know they can be seen as braggers but better this sort, than the ones who are mumbling about the problems at home or type of boat they are thinking of buying

- those that seem to be able get their workmates to help out when things need to get done, the characters that say ‘hey lets all come in on Saturday finish this off and we can go to the pub for lunch together after’

- those who are willing to be in the spotlight… you know… the types that volunteer to plan a company event or activity or that will give presentations to other employees

- those with a good network, they know ‘everybody,’ the sort of person you instinctively go to, to ask… do you know anyone that can get me a left handed widget for my ‘whats-it-thingo’

- those that finish tasks on time without sacrificing quality or wasting resources

LOOK OUT OF YOUR OFFICE DOOR THERE MUST BE SOMEONE OUT THERE LIKE THAT… NO… OOPS

ps: I these are your attributes and your company wont promote you to leader perhaps its time to fill out your resme... there is free resume help at www.orglearn.org

If entrepreneurial organisations need to be learning organizations (and they do)… WHAT DO LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS LOOK LIKE?

2008-11-16T09:23:00.004+08:00

‘Management encourages a culture of exploration and risk taking and seeks ways to expose staff to new ideas and perspectives’; ‘A market action oriented philosophy drives company leaders and staff and there is a shared belief that he only reason a company has to exist is to serve a customer’; ‘They hire for all levels from outside the organisation and will often use outside consultants to bring a new perspective’; ‘Management actively promote job rotation and project teams to develop individuals and encourage active networking and collaboration with outsiders’; ‘They allow mistakes as part of learning (without recrimination) and they often openly reward healthy rule breaking and policy defiance’; ‘Individual’s knowledge sharing is promoted and rewarded and free access to information is provided across all levels’.

KEY ISSUE: Some years ago (when I was an ‘aussie’ financier), I was sent, to a five-week, live-in, management-training programme. On my return to work I had gained some insights on how to improve my area of responsibility. When I attempted to implement the changes the boss’s reaction was, ‘the way we are doing things now is just fine, we all feel like that after ‘the course’, you’ll get over it in a few weeks, just get on with the job’.

Many equate training people with being a learning organisation. Training people is imperative however the new skills and knowledge gained from the training must lead to a change in how the organisation operates. A change in the organization’s behaviour and implementation of new ways of doing things based on what has been learned (and shared) is the only true sign that you really are a learning organization.

IS YOUR ‘TRADITIONAL COMPANY’ GOING THE WAY OF THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCE INDUSTRY… (IT NO LONGER EXISTS)?

*Adapted in part from Mitch McCrimmon’s book ‘Unleash the Entrepreneur Within’

Want to join an entrepreneurial company?
Need a better resume?
There is a free blank resume at www.orglearn.org

A MAJOR KEY TO BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL - HOW WE LEARN

2008-11-09T09:20:00.002+08:00

Traditional Learning (SINGLE LOOP)

Scanning, Sensing, Planning (THINK) >>> then >>>
Comparison to norms (DECIDE) >>> then >>>
Initiate action (ACT) >>> then >>>
Adjust (GET FEEDBACK) >>> then >>>
The process restarts with Scanning, Sensing, Planning (THINK) and so on.

Due to the ‘need for experimentation and speed’, entrepreneurial activity means less planning and more doing. I suggest the traditional learning model is no longer appropriate or effective.

Entrepreneurial Learning (EXPERIENTIAL-DOUBLE LOOP-ADJUSTED)

Scanning, Sensing, Acting (ACT) >>> then >>>
Reflect on what happened (FEEDBACK) >>> then >>>
Compare to norms (THINK QUICKLY), plus
2nd loop Question the norms (THINK QUICKLY) >>> then >>>
Adjust (DECIDE) and the process continues with,
Scanning, Sensing, Acting (ACT) and so on.

ARE YOUR KEY PLAYERS LEARNING FROM MARKET REALITIES OR ARE THEY STILL DOING FIVE YEAR PLANS BASED ON AN IRRELEVANT PAST…

Time to leave your old company? Free blank resume template at www.orglearn.org

ENTREPENEURS ARE ACTIVE CONTINUOUS LEARNERS

2008-11-04T09:26:00.006+08:00

If we are to capitalise on future business opportunities we need as leaders to be ‘entrepreneurial learners’!!! The old think, decide, act and asses (or plan, do, assess and adjust) single loop corporate learning cycles advocated in the past are no longer appropriate in modern learning organizations. The problem is that in the fast moving business climate of today too much time thinking and planning will mean short term windows of opportunity for new business will be gone (taken by others) before we have a chance implement our activities.

In addition to a change in the traditional learning model to be true entrepreneurial learners the time in which the cycle takes place needs to be much more rapid and based on trying new ways of doing things regardless of ‘right or wrong’ outcomes. The ‘6P’, PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS PITIFULLY POOR PERFORMANCE advocates and the idiot who said ‘DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME’ at this stage would be calling for my head.

Learning Facts.

All learning takes place outside our comfort zone; Entrepreneurial learning is primarily experiential; Entrepreneurial learning means taking a risk; Learning is severely hampered by our paradigms; We can too easily become victims of our own past success; The rational learning model (traditional) expects us to decide if we like a new type of food without first tasting it; Truth is merely a perspective of reality; Reality is what we need to learn.

DECISIONS NEED TO BE REALITY BASED NOT TRUTH DRIVEN!

AT YOUR PLACE, DO THE MANAGERS CONFIRM THE OLD PARADIGM’S TRUTH… OR REPORT (AND LEARN FROM) THE CURRENT REALITY?

Free blank resume at www.orglearn.org

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS

2008-10-26T09:16:00.002+08:00

Managers manipulate what is, things and information to produce a result that is clearly specifiable in advance. Entrepreneurs try to create what isn’t by a lot of guesswork, improvisation and learning from mistakes. (Mitch McCrimmon)

ENTREPRENEURIAL FUNCTIONS

Organisational learning; Knowledge leadership; Creative ‘resourcing’; Providing flexible structures; Innovation; Visioning; Teamwork; Stimulating diversity.

ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE AND VALUES... PROGRESSIVE MANAGERS/LEADERS NEED TO...

Provide an atmosphere that promotes continual experimentation. Tolerate loose organisational structures and behaviour. Willingly hand over decision making to those with expertise in their field. Help risk takers and encourage those who fail as much as they celebrate those who win. See networking as more important than traditional lines of authority. Promote multi directional communication that crosses all responsibility levels. Allow leadership to change as situation demands in line with expertise required at any point. Easily change direction in response to market, technological or political influences. Constantly interact with customers, suppliers, and colleagues, in fact the total environment. Seek feedback from all experiences and sources and be highly responsive to new conditions/situations.

IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR A FUTURE IN THE MODERN BUSINESS CLIMATE WHERE WE ALL (IF THE PUNDITS ARE RIGHT), NEED TO BE MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL?

changing jobs... blank resume at www.orglearn.org

SO WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR?

2008-10-22T07:26:00.003+08:00

DEFINITION OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

Someone with the ability and willingness to introduce NEW products or services, THAT SELL, to a market where those products or services where previously either unavailable or not desired. Obviously the emphasis is on doing something new in the market place. To stimulate the creative, risk-taking behaviour required for success in the future should be the primary role for us all if we are going to lead a successful organization into the future.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

Risk taker that can live with uncertainty; Adaptable to change and able to improvise; Can see how new innovations satisfy a market; Interested in effectiveness rather than efficiency; Either creative him/herself or able to utilise those who are; Has a desire to lead in his/her area of operation or market; A continuous learner willing to make and or tolerate mistakes; Flexible, willing to change direction as the circumstances dictate; Self possessed of a sense of urgency and stimulates that sense in others; Recognises his/her shortcomings and empowers others who compensate.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR MANAGERS… OUCH?!

"an entrepreneurial manager"... perhaps good words in your resume?

www.orglearn .org for free blank resumes

THE NEED TO BE MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL

2008-10-12T06:26:00.003+08:00

The chief executive of a global leader in the telecommunications industry for whom I conduct training, recently stated that the most successful division in their organisation achieved its outstanding results because it’s ‘managers’ took an ‘entrepreneurial’ approach to business. He went on to say that all divisions of the organization would need to become more entrepreneurial if their organisation was to survive, let alone remain a leader.

One author of a book on entrepreneurship goes so far as to predict that mangers will all but disappear from organisations and be replaced by ‘leaders’ that are able to manage ever-increasing rates of change and be nimble enough to capture fleeting market opportunities.

Corporate Japan’s continuing troubles are thought buy many analysts to be the result of the fact that no further productivity increases can be found in what are already highly efficient production processes. Future productivity increases will only be achieved if Japan is able to find and grasp new and different opportunities rather than continue to do the ‘same things’ better. Japanese managers, to be honest, are not renowned for their creativity and willingness to change. Take a look at Japan’s banking industry and you will know what I mean.

If, as the growing evidence suggests, we all need more entrepreneurial ‘managers’, how many of these key players in the future success of our organisation understand what an entrepreneur is, let alone, know how to be entrepreneurial in their approach to work. Try this at your next management meeting, ask your managers to write down a definition of an entrepreneur, then (if my past experience is any guide) you will need to resist the temptation to leap out the nearest window.

SO WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR… ?

put "entrepreneurial" in your resume, www.orglearn.org blank resumes

PEOPLE BUY BENEFITS NOT PRODUCTS!

2008-10-04T07:08:00.004+08:00

How do we discover the real benefits of our product or service? The best way is to complete a FEATURES/ADVANTAGES/BENEFITS analysis.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a feature as a - ‘distinctive or characteristic part of a thing’ and an advantage as a - ‘better position, superiority, favorable circumstances’. A benefit is defined as’ ‘do good to, receive benefit (by thing)’.

Product features should be fairly obvious to anyone selling their product for more than a few weeks. If you have staff that has been selling a product for some time and they don’t know its features you really should (no offence intended) advise them to change their profession. Acknowledging that some products are more complicated than others the fact remains we can’t sell what we don’t understand.

To start have your sales staff list down six to ten of the most important features of your best-understood product or service, (ask them just for fun). Then check that they only have features listed buy checking if what they have written qualifies under ‘The Concise Oxford’ definition above. Examples may be, it has two handles, it is conducted over 3 days, it has a 3-litre engine, it has river views, or it has a 1000-meg ‘Pentium’ chip.

Then have them give each of the features at least two advantages. In the Pentium chip example the advantages could be, faster processing, quicker programme loading, superior movie viewing or quicker web browsing.

The final step is to review the features and advantages in light of the definitions and turn the advantages into real customer benefits. To do this it is best to line the three headings up side-by-side and turn the three categories into a sentence joining them with the words (feature) “which means” (advantage) “which gives you” (benefit). An example is… this computer has a 1000-megahertz chip…‘which means’… faster file processing…‘which gives you’…an increased work output over a shorter time period. In the case of the two handled pot it could be ‘this pot has two handles which means it is better balanced when being carried improving your chance of getting from A to B with out spilling the contents.

ONLY BUY COMPLETING THE THREE STEPS WILL THE REAL BENEFIT BE FOUND.

Job hunting use the free resume form at www.orglearn.org

PEOPLE BUY FOR THEIR REASONS NOT OURS

2008-09-28T05:04:00.002+08:00

If this is true (and it is), then it stands to reason that if we are going to make a sale to someone, we best find out his or her reasons for buying. One useful technique for doing this is to look at a useful motivation reference point that is common among many buyers. There is an old but useful benefit buying guide that can give salespeople at least a start in understanding a potential buyers basic motivations…

Buying Criteria Guide:

S - Security/Safety
P - Performance/Power
A - Availability/Appearance
C - Comfort/Class
E - Economy/Ecology
D - Dependability/Durability

These BENEFITS are often referred to as the SPACED benefits and with a little thought the criteria can be applied to all products and services. As an example if the prospect wants a fast car don’t try to sell a safe green one… or if a prospect wants a ‘cheap’ computer don’t waffle on about a Pentium sixteen with 50,000 meg of ram and a 45 inch screen…

DO THE SALES STAFF KNOW THE SPACED BENEFITS OF WHAT THEY SELL? IF NOT BEST INSERT A ROCKET WHERE IT WILL DO THE MOST GOOD…

go to www.orglearn.org for free resume forms

ANOTHER SALES QUESTIONING TIP…

2008-09-21T05:56:00.002+08:00

TIP 4: Try to only ask questions that will get yes responses!!!!!

For example If you were in the training business and you asked a prospective participant of a training course, ‘have you filled out the nomination form I sent you yet’ (and they were not intending to come), you will evoke a NO response. Then if you follow with, ‘is the reason you’re not coming because you think the price is too expensive” you will most likely get another NO as few people will admit they cannot afford something. Then you might ask ‘if we offer a special discount’... NO, ‘will you change your mind if... NO’ and on it goes.

A more positive line of questioning would be...’Do you see improved effectiveness of your company as a key management responsibility’? The person you are talking to would have to be a very ‘hard nosed’ individual to say anything but YES (or a total idiot). Then perhaps, ‘do you, like most of us have a desire to get improved work results’… YES. ‘Are you as is the case with most successful managers often hampered by a lot to do and limited time’… YES. ’Do you think that a four hour time saving per week would benefit to you in your business’? Obviously… YES. Then…’if I could show you how this course can save you four hours a week or one day a fortnight, would you be interested in talking to me’? Once again you have a better chance for a YES and so it goes. If you start with a YES, you have more chance you have of finishing with a YES.

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IS VERY IMPORTANT...
PRODUCT OF THE PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE IS CRUCIAL

resume forms and management articles at www.orglearn.org

OKAY RICHARD LAST POST YOU SAID ASK QUESTIONS… HOW DO I DO THAT!

2008-09-16T08:57:00.003+08:00

TIP 1: Asking permission to ask questions will work 99% of the time.
A good start is to say… ‘In order to save you time and to ensure I fully understand your requirements, do you mind if I ask you a few questions’?

TIP 2: As a sales contact cannot be an interrogation, some polite a relationship building questions based on what you know about the prospect and his or her company are a wise start. How are you? How many people on your staff? How was your weekend? How long have you worked for XYZ? How’s your…whatever is appropriate….

TIP 3: Effective salespeople do their best (through research) to know what to ask to ensure that their questions will get the answers they want.
Example - Don’t ask about the last dealing the prospect had with your company without checking on the success or difficulties that have gone before.

OPEN QUESTIONS GET LONG EXPLANATIONS & CLOSED Q’s GET ONE WORD ANSWERS…

free resume forms at www.orglearn.org to help get that interview

THEY DON’T WANT TO BUY, SO THEY TELL A WHITE LIE!

2008-09-12T11:22:00.001+08:00

Often prospective buyers will give false reasons for buying (or not buying) and if sales staff cannot get to a prospects real buying motive they may miss the sale. For example to justify the purchase of say a Mercedes Benz buyers may say, “the only reason I buy a ‘Merc’ is to keep the family safe”, however if this were true why not a 4 wheel drive or a Volvo, both of which are cheaper and arguably safer. If truth was always part of the buying process many Mercedes buyers would, I suggest own up to the desire for status.

As people by nature will not come straight out and tell salespeople what they want from a product or service, salespeople need to develop a technique to uncover the truth. Perhaps they could carry a gun or bottle of truth serum however this could hamper the sale at the closing stage. What can salespeople do to find out what the potential customer (or prospect) really wants? There is only one way... ASK QUESTIONS!

Good questioning technique is important (and powerful), as people are usually SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE TOLD but generally BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY. So if salespeople ask the right questions they increase their chances of uncovering the prospects real desires or wants plus have the prospect believe that they are credible and that the salespersons product information or ‘sales’ claims are truthful.

DO YOUR SALES STAFF KNOW HOW TO ASK A CUSTOMER QUESTIONS TO MAKE A SALE OR DO THEY JUST PITCH PITCH PITCH?

sales resume free form at www.orglearn.org

PEOPLE BUY WHAT THEY WANT, NOT WHAT THEY NEED!

2008-08-31T09:23:00.004+08:00

A notably successful ad from the past shows a hung over man who takes an ‘Alka-Seltzer’ and walks away looking refreshed and invigorated. For salespeople the question should be what did the man buy. An ALKA-Seltzer many will reply. Those with a little better understanding may realize he bought the product of the product, relief from discomfort. This product of the product or PRINCIPLE BUYING MOTIVE is often referred to as the buying NEED. There is however a more powerful buying motive, even deeper than the need, that is the all-important... SECRET BUYING MOTIVE. This ‘secret’ is what the customer REALLY wants. The man in the ALKA-Seltzer needed relief but wanted to be able to feel good and get on with what he wanted to do or achieve.

Many will still argue that people only buy what they need… a question, how many TV’s do you have in your house… or how many pairs of shoes do you own? If shoes were invented for foot protection and we can only wear one pair at a time why do we all have so many pairs? Because we WANT... cool feet, fashionable feet, sporty feet, smart feet, corporate feet, golfing feet, formal feet, outfit coordinated feet, or in other words we are really buying social acceptance. In the case of TV’s, we may need to occupy the children or get away from the ‘what we watch argument’ with our spouse and still many will still say… I need a second TV, however, what they really want is the ability to take control of what they watch.

When salespeople understand that customer’s inner wants are far more powerful motivators than their perceived needs its…

“YES SIR, PRESS HARD, THE THIRD COPY”S YOURS”

free resume forms at www.orglearn.org

MORE NEGOTIATION TIPS – The Bare Minimum

2008-08-22T17:13:00.004+08:00

If all of the previous tips are too hard at least:

Separate the people from the problem – stick to specifics and discuss only the facts of the situation, (personal attacks and attacking others beliefs and values will build a no win divide – it is almost impossible to change peoples beliefs).

Look at interests (REAL NEEDS), don’t argue over positions – e.g. don’t dwell on number of ‘nuclear inspectors’ as in the case some years ago that led to the failure between the US and USSR during their initial nuclear arms limitations negotiations, when each side’s real need was mutual transparency.

Create options for mutual gain – get all participants involved in an exercise to discover mutual needs and a range of possible solutions, (builds on the idea that you are allies or even a team trying to solve a mutual problem).

Get parties to use objective criteria to judge the validity of positions – keep away from opinions & perceptions, don’t allow distorted ideas about what is going on the cloud the reality, (find out real facts, precedents, industry norms, competitors conditions, factual business conditions, best practices).

STICKING TO OUR PRINCIPLES IS MINDLESS, SELF CENTERED AND A REFUGE FOR THE INEPT.

great free resume form at www.orglearn.org

MORE NEGOTIATION TIPS

2008-08-16T14:51:00.002+08:00

Things that will help us mess up a negotiation

A negative attitude, assuming a winner & loser outcome, communication difficulties, becoming emotional, fear of assertiveness, a self-righteous attitude, lack of knowledge of the negotiation process, seeing the others as adversaries, lack of knowledge of tactics, fearing we will lose, lack of confidence, lack of patience, fear of confrontation and of course the big one… lack of persistence.

Things that will help us NOT mess up a negotiation

Developing a win-win strategy and attitude, learning to listen (not just hear), practicing emotional control, taking an objective rather than subjective approach, developing patience and appropriate timing, not fighting with our ‘opponent’, deciding what we can afford to lose, knowing what our alternatives are if minimums aren’t met (lifeboat), trying to build a relationship before we start to negotiate, (it is hard to be committed to a win-win if opponent is a total stranger), finding out common interests or goals so we feel comfortable in looking for a win-win.

CHURCHILL ON SUCCESS… ‘NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP’

www.orglearn.org has a free blank resume form

EXCELLENT SERVICE IS A PHILOSOPHY, NOT A TECHNIQUE!

2008-08-09T11:55:00.004+08:00

Does our company/department/staff take customer requirements very seriously? If we are to be truly customer focussed… no one is just doing a job, we are all satisfying customers. How long has it been since we have executed (metaphorically speaking) anyone for saying “its not my job”. Is our organization free of demarcation disputes? Do we have a total quality attitude to our work or is everybody working to rule.

Do we look at what we do from the customer’s point of view? How long has it been since we surveyed our customers; got feedback on how we are doing. (“Face-to-face” is best.) How much effort is really taken to make our customers feel important and respected? Try this… put a dollar coin in a jar every time you hear a phone sound for more than three rings and if the jar is too heavy to lift at the end of two months invest in some attitudinal changes in the corporate culture.

The latest wisdom suggests that partnering is the way to the future… do we show concern for our customer’s business requirements, communicate effectively our needs and demonstrate an understanding for theirs. Is there a follow-up system in place or do we just wait for complaints. When we get complaints do we conduct a ‘witch hunt’ or do we re-educate the staff to do it better next time.

DOES OUR ORGANIZATION PROFIT (LEARN) FROM OUR MISTAKES OR DO THEY JUST COST US CUSTOMERS?

www.orglearn.org great resume tips and blank form

EXCELLENT SERVICE NEEDS TOTAL COMPANY COMMITMENT!

2008-08-02T12:40:00.002+08:00

A strong customer focus at all organization levels is basic to success in providing excellent customer service. Customer focus by all employees versus, the all to common, ‘IT’S THE SALES DEPARTMENTS RESPONSIBILITY’ is essential to prevent ‘cock-ups’ at the external customer service level. We all need to realise that there are three types of customers for most of us to service… ‘internal’, ‘ultimate’ and ‘external’…

We all know our internal customers (don’t we)… these are any individuals that receive our work output. In most organizations we also have ultimate customers… these are guys/ladies at the sales/buyer interface… and of course we are all here to serve the external customers or those (if we are smart) we refer to as ‘king’!

So who are our customers then? Anyone for whom we do anything is our customer, whether it is directly from one hand to the next, or indirectly through others in the service chain. Therefore if we need a strong customer focus by our non-sales staff they will have to buy into the proposition that they need to work to serve the ultimate customer and their priority must be to do their job in such a way that it makes the job of the next person in line as easy as possible.

HOW DO THE STAFF IN PURCHASING, FINANCE, ACCOUNTING AND ADMINISTRATION SEE THEIR ROLES?

free blank resume form at www.orglearn.org

HOW TO BEHAVE DURING A NEGOTIATION PART II

2008-07-26T18:01:00.002+08:00

When it is our turn to present in a negotiation we should never make inflammatory accusations or become personal, we must try to create empathy for our situation by explaining our stance with facts rather than giving our perspective on their attitudes. They are entitled to their attitude regardless of how we feel about it.

It is wise always to encourage the parties to define a number of possible solutions, emphasizing both party benefits to be gained rather than starting a bargaining or trading process, which is not true negotiation. It is dangerous and foolish to go to our extreme position (i.e. if you don’t do this, I will or will not do that), rather we need to emphasize that we are looking for a mutual solution.

If the negotiation is stalled, (with the process still functioning) we need to try to resolve some less crucial issues to get the process re-started. If a deadlock occurs focus should be on ways to keep the negotiation moving by introducing discussions on how to continue the process rather than resolving the issues. It must always be a priority to stay in the process rather than letting the negotiation degenerate into an open dispute or walk out.

WE ALL NEGOTIATE CONSTANTLY, BARS, BEDROOMS OR BOARDROOMS… OR THE MIDDLE EAST… WINNERS ARE GRINNERS.

www.orglearn.org mangement and leadership site

HOW TO BEHAVE DURING A NEGOTIATION

2008-07-20T12:21:00.002+08:00

From the start of any negotiation we need to be objective when outlining the issues and while doing so watch closely for non-verbal gestures in an attempt to gauge reaction. If the other side interject, be patient and ‘listen to learn’. Our primary aim at the early stages should be to identify areas of agreement or disagreement.

When the other party is speaking we should NEVER interrupt, listen and look carefully and see if you can gain some insights into their level of knowledge and see how confident, (or fearful) they are. We should be trying to see what they need or want from the negotiation or what is driving or motivating them.

Always focus on what is happening now and where we and they want to go in the future, never get into ‘the last time we met you said’, it is confrontational and a road to no where. At the outset take the initiative and ask the other party to define their current perspective on the issue, remember as in selling, the one who asks the questions controls the discussion.

NEGOTIATION IS ABOUT WIN – WIN, BARGAINING IS ABOUT WIN – LOSE!

free blank resume with examples at www.orglearn.org

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY FACTORS AFFECTING COMMUNICATION?

2008-07-12T17:52:00.004+08:00

Individual differences, Cultural differences, Attitudes about the message or the other person, Stereotyping, Generalising, Beliefs, Values, Assumptions about what the other person knows, thinks, feels or has heard, Age, Sex, Perceptions, Expectations, Emotional state, Jargon, Differing verbal and non verbal signals, Pre-empting, Thinking about your perspective or answer or something you don’t understand, Lack of feedback, Bad questioning technique or not questioning at all, Inability to summarise, Environmental noise or visual distractions, Way in which the message is sent and of course the big one, OUR OWN LISTENING ABILITY.

To send messages more effectively we need to think about:

WHAT WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE: Organise our thoughts. Make a mental outline… (Know any people that never get to the point?) and state what we are communicating concisely in the appropriate order and at the appropriate pace.
WHEN TO SEND MESSAGE: Is this the right time? What frame of mind is receiver in? … Is the receiver going to listen or are they under stress or pressure from other situations they are dealing with?
WHERE TO GIVE MESSAGE: Is this the right place or are there a lot of distractions? Is more privacy required? (Your standing with colleagues and the boss says... This proposal has some serious flaws, in Para, 4.3.a. the etc., how much do you hear)
WHO IS THE RECEIVER: Their frame of reference, experience and needs… (Hi so you’ve just joined, I’m Fred from HRD, I look after MDP and HRM planning for Mobile, Fixed and MD338 production and this is Harry from finance he is our expert on DCF analysis controlling project analysis for our AXE customers)… HUH!
THE METHOD OF SENDING OUR MESSAGE: In person, by phone, letter, memo or a combination of methods… (Ever received a long set of instructions on your voice mail?)

WHY NOT GIVE YOURSELF A REALITY CHECK AND ASK YOUR COLLEAGUES HOW WELL YOU LISTEN ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN?

www.orglearn.org try the free blank online resume form

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

2008-07-06T15:40:00.003+08:00

The shared understanding of what has been transmitted…about what has been meant… successfully received… as confirmed by appropriate feedback… The key word is: UNDERSTANDING. Communication is not just telling someone something!

Communication is also… a series of ‘symbols’ translated into language and gestures by the sender, which are then deciphered as a new series of ‘symbols’ by the receiver! … HUH! Example – It’s 3pm on your first day at work whilst hammering a nail into a piece wood your boss says to you, “you work like lightening”, aha you think the boss is happy I’m quick at this job, “thank you boss for the compliment” (you say), “compliment” says the boss “I’m telling you your hopeless, like lightning you never strike in the same place twice”

So what’s the problem? The most commonly used 2000 words in the English language can produce 14,000 possible interpretations. Because those with whom we speak constantly interpret rather than truly listen… our real meaning is often lost.

To be a good communicator we need to test to see if our message has been understood as we intended by asking the ‘receiver’ to explain what we have said or what we have asked for… in their own words.

TALK IS CHEAP, SOUND COMMUNICATION IS A KEY TO SUCCESS.

www.orglearn.org has more mangament and leadership articles

PRE-NEGOTIATION TIPS – MEMORY JOGGERS 2

2008-06-29T16:27:00.003+08:00

Once we analyse and decide where each party stands before a negotiation starts we should document each party’s goals, attitudes, limitations and the known or likely opening stance of each side… i.e. the current state of play.

This done, we need to develop a negotiation strategy by: -

Listing possible solutions for the ‘other side’, their repercussions for both parties and define possible areas of agreement plus the underlying mutual needs or common ground.

Preparing a list of fair operating procedures defining ‘how we deal with each other’ i.e. values, ethics, acceptable expertise and from whom, legal practices, standards etc.

Determining the impact of limitations, what ‘THEY’ may realistically be able to accept, deadlines, the power of the negotiating team to make decisions and any political situation. Try define their perspective on the negotiation i.e. what is their real problem and how do they view our position and attitude. List alternative actions that may provide some basis for continuation or a partial agreement or an, ‘if all else fails option’, (sometimes referred to as a lifeboat).

Planning ways to neutralise negatives or bias to the situation or negotiating parties such as, this customer is greedy, unionists are troublemakers or management is anti-worker that will hinder the process or willingness to listen.

Lastly we should practice, perhaps by role-playing both sides to find weaknesses in our arguments or approach.

TELLING RATHER THAN SELLING… CAN END UP IN YELLING!

www.orglearn.org free blank resume template

PRE-NEGOTIATION TIPS – MEMORY JOGGERS

2008-06-22T11:57:00.003+08:00

We all negotiate, all of the time, so best understand how it all works! A good start is to realise that negotiations move in stages and then know what to do at each stage.

Before we negotiate we should as a minimum decide what are: -

Both parties desired outcomes or ‘real’ goals. I say ‘real’ goals as often ‘demands’ can be used to hide true desires. Obviously understanding both parties’ goals is essential if win-win’s are sought. As part of our analysis we should also document the minimum outcome we believe each party is likely to accept and these ‘minimums’ consequences.

Define and write down our opening stance and we should gather all we can on theirs. If we can’t fully understand where both parties are commencing it will be difficult to get started and much time (and goodwill) can be lost.

Our and their limitations on what can be offered or given away. It is no good arguing over the sun if they (or you) only have only the moon the offer. Also time limits can be critical, if you have six weeks to invest and they have a number of months, pressure can be applied or resisted. Clinton pushed harder for a mid east peace settlement the closer he got to the end of his term, the Israelis seem to have limitless time and Arafat, well he is getting on. So best you know your and their deadlines.

Prepare for negative attitudes. We enter negotiations with preconceived ideas about the other ‘side’, as do they, about us. We need to analyse what each parties’ negative attitudes may be, remove ours and prepare for theirs.

ARE WE BEGINNING THE WAY WE MEAN TO CONTINUE… OR IS IT USUALLY… NAH JUST DIVE IN AND HOPE FOR THE BEST…

www.orglearn.org mangement, teamwork and leadership

POLARITIES OR DO WE NEED TWO HEADS - PART TWO

2008-06-16T14:41:00.003+08:00

To continue with the two headed dilemma…!

MANAGEMENT is about: ORDER & CONSISTANCY… protecting the existing structure, systems, traditions and ‘the status quo’ V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: CREATING CHANGE… vision, direction, values and destruction of ‘the way we’ve always done it’

MANAGEMENT IS ABOUT: COMPETING… seeking the winning edge, overcoming those in the way & up the ‘ladder’ V.’s LEADERSHIP, WHICH IS ABOUT: COLLABORATING… showing love and respect for individuals and seeking win-win solutions

MANAGEMENT is about: DOING THINGS RIGHT… organising, setting the rules and seeing rules are followed, the inspector V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: DOING THE RIGHT THINGS by… developing trust and taking risks to ensure we meet our full potential

MANAGEMENT is about: INPUTS… amount, type & quality of resources, effective plant, staff & raw materials V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: OUTPUTS… the level and volume of satisfied customers we can create, the market

MANAGEMENT is about: MANAGING THINGS… operations focused, technical expertise & people as production inputs V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: LEADING PEOPLE… our charisma, socialised power, human relations, communication skills, inspiration & motivation

With the conflicting nature of these requirements how do we prepare managers/leaders to deal with these apparently opposing roles? If we send our managers off for leadership training we best be prepared to adjust our culture, abandon our hierarchy and flatten our organisational structure… or disaster approaches.

CONTROL FREAKS… PREPARE TO FAIL!

www.orglearn.org resume resources free online template

WANT SUCCESS… BEST GRAB THE POWER…

2008-06-08T18:49:00.005+08:00

WHAT IS IT?

Power can be defined as the ability of a person or group to influence the thoughts or behaviour of another person or group, so that he/she or they do something they would not otherwise do, assuming that the recipients of the power have some personal discretion over what they do’.

WHAT’S CRITICAL – MAINTAINING DEPENDENCY

The receiver’s relationship or dependency on the holder of power is only effective when the holder posses something that the receiver wants. The more dependant the receiver is the greater the power of the holder. Critical to dependency are; the importance of what is controlled, the scarcity of the resource and the potential for substitutes or alternatives. (i.e. jobs, chance of promotion, salary increase budget, staff resources, purchasing budgets and funds for R & D).

POINT - POWER CAN BE PERCEIVED AS PERSONALISED OR SOCIALISED.

Personalised power infers that only the POWER USER will benefit and if used a negative impact on the receivers will occur. Socialised use of power is when the receiver perceives both the power user AND THE RECEIVER will benefit and is more likely to gain acceptance and a positive outcome. IMPORTANT POINT - the recipient of power will always be the one who decides if the power user is using socialised or personalised power.

A POWERFUL LOT TO THINK ABOUT!

www.orglearn.org articles on management help your career

FIVE TYPES OF POWER TO BE IN CONTROL AT WORK

2008-06-01T07:51:00.004+08:00

POWER TYPE 1 - Legitimate, Authority, Position, Access to Formal Communication (THE BOSS IN ALL OF HIS OR HER VARIOUS POSITIONS OR FORMS)

POWER TYPE 2 - Expert, Knowledge, Technical Superiority, Communication Skill, Task or Job (THE M.I.S. MANAGER & THE HEAD OF ENGINEERING)

POWER TYPE 3 - Coercive, Fear, Take Away, Negative Control of Resources or Information (PURCHASING STAFF, FINANCIAL CONTROL & THE HR DIRECTOR)

POWER TYPE 4 - Referent, Personal Attractiveness, Relationship, Groups, Charisma, Sex (THE BOSS’S SECRETARY, THE TOP SALESPERSON, THE LOVELY YOUNG THING FROM PR AND THE OFFICE STUD)

POWER TYPE 5 - Reward, Positive Control of Resources or Information, Money, Benefits (THE BOSS, THE SUPERVISOR, PROJECT MANAGERS & MOST OF THE ABOVE)

To be truly ‘powerful’ all five groups should be used, reliance on one group will ultimately lead to loss of power i.e. authority can be withdrawn, knowledge becomes outdated, fear creates subversion, we all get old (and ugly) and our ability to reward can be hampered by the vagaries of the business climate and company edicts.

A LOT TO THINK ABOUT (AND DO) TO BE TRULY POWERFUL

www.orglearn.org powerful resumes, free blank form

POLARITIES IN ORGANISATIONAL LIFE (DO WE NEED TWO HEADS)

2008-05-26T17:22:00.004+08:00

Traditional management concerned itself with supervision; checking, delegating, controlling, inputs and ensuring staff did what they are told. Managers where seen as fitting along a style line between laissez-faire and autocratic, with the ideal supposedly near the middle as a democrat.

Today the issue is more complex and with an empowered workforce our style is less relevant and as managers need to become ‘more things’ to a more demanding workforce. The concept of managers needing to fulfil a leader role is prevalent. Some even argue managers are no longer required and it’s only leaders that will drive the companies of the future. This is fine in theory however corporate culture can take a long time to change and most managers are expected to fulfil the duel role. This creates inner conflict as the ideals of the two disciplines are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

MANAGEMENT is about: CONTROLLING…don’t leave the department, check what they’re up to, define competence requirements and ‘title and position give authority’ V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: FREEDOM…finding ways to encourage new ideas, creativity and initiative by letting ‘followers’ participate in a flexible situation where authority is shared.

MANAGEMENT is about: SURVIVING…dealing with short-term operational needs and processes whilst strictly controlling costs and watching the budget V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: GROWTH… to be achieved through identifying new (and possibly risky) ventures that could be the basis for future income (and perhaps losses)

MANAGEMENT is about: MANAGING… instructing, allocating, delegating, following up, organizing and directing V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: LEADING… inspiring, helping, encouraging teamwork, coaching, supporting and aligning

MANAGEMENT is about: ADMINISTRATING… overseeing activities, processes & individual tasks, control & supervision V.’s LEADERSHIP, which is about: PLANNING…seeking process improvement, implementing change, agreeing goals and empowering followers

DO YOU NEED LEADERS, MANAGERS… OR BOTH, TWO HEADS… ONE BODY?

www.orglearn.org has a free blank resume form

MOTIVATION PRINCIPLES AND WHY WE CAN’T MOTIVATE OTHERS

2008-05-18T11:03:00.004+08:00

Points to consider:

All human motivation is basically selfish, i.e. people do things for their reasons not ours.

All people are motivated and they will continually move either towards or away from all propositions.

You cannot motivate other people because all motivation comes from within.

People’s motivation is constantly changing in response to their ever-changing personal priorities.

To utilize others motivation, find out what they want and why they want it and then convince them that you are their best chance of getting it.

MONEY IS NOT A MOTIVATOR, HOWEVER LACK OF MONEY IS A BIG DE-MOTIVATOR!

Worth a thought, MR HERZBERG?

www.orglearn.org has more articles and tips on leadership

FOUR MORE HABITS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGERS

2008-05-11T16:54:00.006+08:00

HABIT 7: The 20/80 principle, 20% of our staff will produce 80% of our results... we should try to avoid the natural tendency to spend the bulk of our time ‘fixing’ our poor producers. Time is better spent supporting the top producers, who, because of their competence, are often left to their own devices (and can then feel unnoticed and unappreciated).

HABIT 8: View traditional company procedures as ‘a guide for the wise and as rules for fools’ In the current complex and fluid climate being flexible and adaptable, rather than rigidly following 'the system', means we may well benefit if we are prepared to modify ‘the rules’ and take a different course to the norm, (easily said but hard to do).

HABIT 9: When delegating agree (rather than set) deadlines… if we don’t agree a deadline we run the risk of getting a, ‘I haven’t had time yet’. By agreeing a deadline the other party has to be up front about their current workload and will have little or no excuse for not performing the task allotted.

HABIT 10: Check progress... confirm progress on tasks delegated to staff or assigned to colleagues. A good formula is to seek a report at ‘half time’ and in the ‘final quarter’.

HMMM… NOW WHERE DID I LEAVE THAT COMPANY PROCEDURES MANUAL…

Worth a thought, some practice and immediate adoption!

orglearn - Management Thought for the Week

orglearn Quick Selection of Latest Tweets

The Secret to Dealing With Difficult People: It's About You - HBR

Problem Solving and the Value of Crowd Sourcing

Dealing With Change 6 Tips - 'RULES'

orglearn rictownsend seventy thousend followers on Twitter

Career Success Blog

Scientific Proof: You can Change Yourself and Become More Successful

Is Your Company Watching Your Social Media Activities

The Six elements of a Good Decision

Effective No Cost and Low Cost Advertising

Traffic Python Revealed!

Managing innovative projects: Don't mistake the map for the journey...

Successful Managers Don't Manage

Know Yourself - Free Resource - Online Personality Test

Hate Your Job and the People at Work

The "obituary résumé." Résumé mistakes!

Mentoring 101 Article from HRlink.in

Job Search and Career Advice Quick Tip Tweets

More readers to your blog for free!

HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE - 3

The 4-Hour Workweek

How to Fix Business Schools

Need a Job? How Social Networking can Help

SEE VALUE IN TWITTER AND DON'T HAVE TIME TO TWEET!

Robert Iger C.E.O. of Disney Interview Leadership Lessons

Mastering Resume Cover Letter Format Basics

HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE - PART 2

How to Counter Resistance to Change

Leadership Video Free Six Minutes Learn a Lot

HOW TO DEAL WITH CHANGE

Time Management is Key to Business Success

Leading Change

Success Winston Style

Career Help/Tips/Advice and Experience

Job Searching in a Recession - Great Advice

How do I Stay Motivated During a Takeover?

A Letter from Pakistan - What Career Step Next?

SALES - 3 MORE QUICK TIPS - FOR SALES MANAGERS

In Management, Keep it Simple (from BNET)

"What's the balance of your Trust Bank?"

Getting Squeezed by Your Employer

'It's time for an assessment of career goals'

Five Ways Managers Breed Incompetence.

CAREER ADVICE - how to write a resume

THREE MORE QUICK SALES TIPS

SALES - 2 MORE QUICK TIPS

SALES - 3 QUICK TIPS

MORE STEPS FOR SETTING UP A LEARNING ORGANIZATION - TWO

STEPS FOR SETTING UP A LEARNING ORGANIZATION - ONE

REINFORCEMENT THEORY – ‘THE CARROT & THE STICK’

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY THREE

"Elearning" is a Misnomer - Eteaching it Maybe!

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY TWO

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY

Leaders in Tough Times - Remember Maslow?

Self–actualization

Self Esteem

Social

***Safety

***Physiological

MOTIVATION… THE LAST EXPECTANCY LINK!

FREE BLANK RESUME FORM

MOTIVATION… THE LAST EXPECTANCY LINK!

STAFF MOTIVATION… ANOTHER LINKAGE PROBLEM!

DIFFICULTY WITH STAFF MOTIVATION… IT COULD BE A LINKAGE PROBLEM!

LOOKING FOR LEADERS - TWO

LOOKING FOR LEADERS - ONE

If entrepreneurial organisations need to be learning organizations (and they do)… WHAT DO LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS LOOK LIKE?

A MAJOR KEY TO BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL - HOW WE LEARN

ENTREPENEURS ARE ACTIVE CONTINUOUS LEARNERS

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS

SO WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR?

THE NEED TO BE MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL

PEOPLE BUY BENEFITS NOT PRODUCTS!

PEOPLE BUY FOR THEIR REASONS NOT OURS

ANOTHER SALES QUESTIONING TIP…

OKAY RICHARD LAST POST YOU SAID ASK QUESTIONS… HOW DO I DO THAT!

THEY DON’T WANT TO BUY, SO THEY TELL A WHITE LIE!

PEOPLE BUY WHAT THEY WANT, NOT WHAT THEY NEED!