Three Interviewing Mistakes – And How To Avoid Them By Mike Brooks
As the economy slowly recovers, companies are beginning to expand and hire sales reps again. If you’re looking for a job, or looking to change jobs, no doubt you will be sending your resume out, talking to hiring managers, and, if you’re lucky enough to get picked, even going on interviews.
Over the years, I’ve looked at thousands of resumes and interviewed thousands of sales reps. In fact, right now, I’m recruiting for several companies, and I’m amazed by how sales reps keep making basic, horrible mistakes that often times immediately disqualify them for any chance at landing a position. Often times, these mistakes even prevent them from getting an interview!
Here are the 3 worst interviewing mistakes sales reps are making, and what you can do to avoid them:
#1) Filling your resume with every job you’ve worked at for the last 10 years. The first mistake sales reps make – and that hiring managers look for first – is listing five to seven jobs (or more!) on their resume within an eight to ten year time frame.
Nothing will disqualify you faster than a history of job hopping, or a history of staying at jobs for less than a year. (One resume I saw last week listed 3 jobs this year alone!)
Obviously, the reason this is a red flag for companies is that they see themselves investing thousands of dollars hiring and training you only to think that their company will be the next one on your resume.
The Solution: Omit jobs you’ve stayed at less than a year, and never list more than four jobs in a ten year period (it’s better to have only three).
You can disclose other positions once you move forward during the interview process – in person – after you’ve earned a change to wow them with your personality, experience, and obvious qualifications for the job.
#2) Talking for too long when asked a question. Whenever a hiring manager calls you and begins asking questions, make sure your answers are direct and short. You’d be amazed at how so many sales reps will go on and on and on…..
What the hiring manager is thinking is that you are a sales rep who will talk past the close, never listen to your prospects, and never close any business. “No wonder they’re looking for a job,” frequently goes through my mind…
The Solution: Listen carefully to what you’re being asked, think about how to answer it directly, then answer it and shut up! This one technique will separate you from 80% of the sales reps interviewing for the same position.
#3) Don’t interview or interrogate the hiring manager. I know that you have questions about the job, and you should ask a few, but don’t interrogate the hiring manager! Nothing makes us more irritated than being grilled about every aspect of the job, especially about the pay and comp plan. You’re the one being interviewed, not the other way around.
The Solution: Ask some basic questions but save the majority of them for the END of the in person interview. Believe me, the hiring manager will appreciate it and be much more likely to bring you in.
If you’re serious about getting a new position or moving up in your sales career, then avoid these 3 interviewing mistakes. Your chance of getting the new job will increase 100% if you do!
Good luck and happy job hunting!
If you found this article helpful, then you will love Mike’s bestselling book on Inside Sales and his Complete Book of Telephone Scripts
Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, works with business owners and inside sales reps throughout the US teaching them the skills, strategies and techniques of top 20% performance. He offers a FREE audio program designed to help you double your income selling over the phone, as well as an internationally acclaimed FREE ezine. If you’re looking to catapult your sales, or create a sales team that actually makes their monthly revenues, then learn how by
visiting: http://www.mrinsidesales.com/
Showing posts with label self development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self development. Show all posts
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Monday, 26 October 2009
Understanding Unconscious Bias
By Carolyn Sheppard
At a seminar I attended a short while ago (on the subject of Leadership During Challenging Times), all of the four speakers, from very different backgrounds, mentioned the issue of unconscious bias and the effects it has on leadership, followership and the organisation. Unconscious bias is the underlying, subconscious prejudices that every single person has, due to nature, nurture and experience.
As an illustration of this, one of the speakers (an eloquent and impressive French IT Director), recounted a particularly relevant story regarding her employment at a company in the US. She said that no matter how good her performance and results, she could never succeed because of the culture of the organisation. She struggled in the company for three years. The company talked a good ‘diversity and inclusion policy’, but the behaviour of the employees (right down to the woman who assumed that any other female in the organisation must also be a PA), set the culture based on their own unconscious biases. Changing the entire culture of a huge, Texas-based heavy industry company was not a task she desired to take on (and probably not an achievable one) so, with no sense of failure but a great deal more understanding, she moved on.
That’s the negative side of unconscious bias – acting out a bias that is discriminatory or prejudiced. But the positive side of unconscious bias is that it is a basic survival instinct. Our brains recognise situations or scenarios that get right down to the ‘flight or fight’ principle. However in these times, for most of us, there is much less need for these responses – there is not the physical danger that required us to develop these instincts. We can transfer them from physical to verbal or even intellectual responses – but your brain is still crying out for a reaction of some kind. Our biases are there for a reason, your brain has learned to react in a certain way because of an experience or learned behaviour (eg prejudice demonstrated by parents, culture or other external influences).
Your experience may include, for example, knowing an extremely argumentative red headed person (whatever example I use, it will demonstrate a bias!). You automatically, therefore, are on your guard when you talk to any red head, no matter what their personality.
Unfortunately instinct is not discriminatory – and it takes a lot of training to overcome those gut reactions (take for example being a fire-fighter – deliberately moving towards a threat that you would naturally wish to flee).
Can you train the bias out of an individual? The answer is probably no, you can’t easily ‘undo’ the conditioning or personal preferences of an individual, but you can educate them to recognise unconscious bias in themselves and in others, and to consider the consequences of their actions and reactions in the context of their bias. By making individuals and teams aware of the biases that operate personally and in their culture or organisation, they can make a tangible difference in changing behaviour (if not beliefs) and increasing the opportunities for diversity and inclusion. As a result the organisation can tap into the broad range of talent that may be within their reach that they otherwise may have ignored.
A good example of this is the ‘selling more toothpaste’ story. Instead of just sitting in the boardroom wondering how they could sell more toothpaste, the MD asked everyone in the factory what ideas they had. One shop floor worker put his hand up and said ‘make the hole bigger’. There was the answer they needed – and it wasn’t in the marketing team or in product research. It was right there on the shop floor. This story is many years old, from a time when there were far more class distinctions in society and in the workplace. By disregarding their bias (which was perhaps not so unconscious then, admittedly), the owners of that toothpaste factory achieved a very positive result and sold more.
When you are next in a training room – look around at the people you are with. What unconscious biases have you already applied just in looking at those people? What assumptions have you made about the place you are in, the behaviour of others, the likely outcome of the day? Whether you are a delegate or a trainer – consider those unconscious biases you hold that will be positive or negative be aware how they could affect your behaviour and the results you will get.
Resources:
On-line Implicit Association Testing: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Training on unconscious bias: www.angela-peacock.com/unconsciousbias.html
At a seminar I attended a short while ago (on the subject of Leadership During Challenging Times), all of the four speakers, from very different backgrounds, mentioned the issue of unconscious bias and the effects it has on leadership, followership and the organisation. Unconscious bias is the underlying, subconscious prejudices that every single person has, due to nature, nurture and experience.
As an illustration of this, one of the speakers (an eloquent and impressive French IT Director), recounted a particularly relevant story regarding her employment at a company in the US. She said that no matter how good her performance and results, she could never succeed because of the culture of the organisation. She struggled in the company for three years. The company talked a good ‘diversity and inclusion policy’, but the behaviour of the employees (right down to the woman who assumed that any other female in the organisation must also be a PA), set the culture based on their own unconscious biases. Changing the entire culture of a huge, Texas-based heavy industry company was not a task she desired to take on (and probably not an achievable one) so, with no sense of failure but a great deal more understanding, she moved on.
That’s the negative side of unconscious bias – acting out a bias that is discriminatory or prejudiced. But the positive side of unconscious bias is that it is a basic survival instinct. Our brains recognise situations or scenarios that get right down to the ‘flight or fight’ principle. However in these times, for most of us, there is much less need for these responses – there is not the physical danger that required us to develop these instincts. We can transfer them from physical to verbal or even intellectual responses – but your brain is still crying out for a reaction of some kind. Our biases are there for a reason, your brain has learned to react in a certain way because of an experience or learned behaviour (eg prejudice demonstrated by parents, culture or other external influences).
Your experience may include, for example, knowing an extremely argumentative red headed person (whatever example I use, it will demonstrate a bias!). You automatically, therefore, are on your guard when you talk to any red head, no matter what their personality.
Unfortunately instinct is not discriminatory – and it takes a lot of training to overcome those gut reactions (take for example being a fire-fighter – deliberately moving towards a threat that you would naturally wish to flee).
Can you train the bias out of an individual? The answer is probably no, you can’t easily ‘undo’ the conditioning or personal preferences of an individual, but you can educate them to recognise unconscious bias in themselves and in others, and to consider the consequences of their actions and reactions in the context of their bias. By making individuals and teams aware of the biases that operate personally and in their culture or organisation, they can make a tangible difference in changing behaviour (if not beliefs) and increasing the opportunities for diversity and inclusion. As a result the organisation can tap into the broad range of talent that may be within their reach that they otherwise may have ignored.
A good example of this is the ‘selling more toothpaste’ story. Instead of just sitting in the boardroom wondering how they could sell more toothpaste, the MD asked everyone in the factory what ideas they had. One shop floor worker put his hand up and said ‘make the hole bigger’. There was the answer they needed – and it wasn’t in the marketing team or in product research. It was right there on the shop floor. This story is many years old, from a time when there were far more class distinctions in society and in the workplace. By disregarding their bias (which was perhaps not so unconscious then, admittedly), the owners of that toothpaste factory achieved a very positive result and sold more.
When you are next in a training room – look around at the people you are with. What unconscious biases have you already applied just in looking at those people? What assumptions have you made about the place you are in, the behaviour of others, the likely outcome of the day? Whether you are a delegate or a trainer – consider those unconscious biases you hold that will be positive or negative be aware how they could affect your behaviour and the results you will get.
Resources:
On-line Implicit Association Testing: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Training on unconscious bias: www.angela-peacock.com/unconsciousbias.html
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Behavioural Analysis
Trainingzone have published Carolyn's article on Behavioural profiling. Visit or you can read more here:
For the last four years I have regularly used DISC profiles which give you a snapshot of your ‘behaviours’ in a work environment. DISC is an acronym:
D = Dominance-Challenge: How you respond to problems or challenges.
I = Influence-Contacts – How you influence others to your point of view.
S = Steadiness-Consistency – How you respond to the pace of the environment.
C = Compliance-Constraints – How you respond to rules and procedures set by others.
The concept of DISC profiling is based on the work of Dr. William Moulton Marston who, in 1928, published ‘The Emotions of Normal People’. This book described the theory which is applied to nearly all the versions of DISC profiling available today. The profile is a behavioral assessment designed to accurately measure the four dimensions of normal behavior.
A few years back I completed a Level 3 ILM management qualification and I chose Communications as my main project. For this I mapped all the preferences for the office staff using their DISC profiles and created a ‘how best to communicate with xx’ chart. It was used for many years, indicating communication preferences and styles. It was a very simple and effective way to implement the results of our profiles and use them practically. Nothing more personal than communication preference was shared.
DISC profiles were used for recruitment and appraisal and with clients. The reports, which are created by answering very simple ‘most like’ and ‘least like’ questions, give a comprehensive summary of behavioural preferences. They are used by line managers, trainers, HR, recruitment and outplacement consultants.
The value of using these profiling tools is not just in ‘input and output’ – you put in your answers and get your report – but what happens next. Many people will be open minded enough to accept the validity of the report, feel happy to internally challenge areas which they do not feel accurately match their perceptions, and even perhaps accept the areas which may indicate a need for self-improvement.
I recently took a different profile from the one I’d done for the last four years – this one was from The Trusted Adviser and followed a similar DISC format so it was not unfamiliar. The resulting report, however, was superior to those I’d taken before. The depth of information was far greater – the profile included more aspects and gave a greater analysis of my behaviours and preferences. Though every assessment is affected by variables (hence taking them annually), this one was definitely the most accurate I had ever taken.
Most importantly the language it used was more accessible – though probably still generated by an American English language programme, the terms and language used were easier to understand and I found much less to challenge than in previous reports. My next stage, importantly, is to go through the report with my coach.
The real power and value of behavioural assessments is how they are used to develop individual performance. The ideal scenario is that the report is not just given directly to the respondent but is reviewed by an appropriately qualified coach or manager who can then spend time going through the report with the individual and build a positive action plan.
There are many ways in which assessments can be applied:
Recruitment: does the report reflect the right personality for the role they are being considered for?
Job hunting: the report may produce some excellent wording and highlight skills and strengths that the respondent can use in their CV or job applications
Appraisal: the line manager and respondent can work together (both may have their profiles completed) and improve working process and performance
Team building: pick members of a team who have the right mix of skills or who you know will work best together
In fact behaviour assessments can be used in many ways, for leadership development, trouble shooting, team development, sales skills, benchmarking; with the right training and understanding of the psychology behind how these reports are generated, they can become an extremely powerful tool for trainers, managers and the individual respondents.
Finally, the most important question - do they work? From personal experience, yes; impartially, one assessor I know performs over one million assessments per year – that’s just one provider! I think the proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Carolyn Sheppard is director of The Complete Trainer, a training resources ecommerce company. She has been in marketing for over 30 years and directly in learning and development for over five years.
For the last four years I have regularly used DISC profiles which give you a snapshot of your ‘behaviours’ in a work environment. DISC is an acronym:
D = Dominance-Challenge: How you respond to problems or challenges.
I = Influence-Contacts – How you influence others to your point of view.
S = Steadiness-Consistency – How you respond to the pace of the environment.
C = Compliance-Constraints – How you respond to rules and procedures set by others.
The concept of DISC profiling is based on the work of Dr. William Moulton Marston who, in 1928, published ‘The Emotions of Normal People’. This book described the theory which is applied to nearly all the versions of DISC profiling available today. The profile is a behavioral assessment designed to accurately measure the four dimensions of normal behavior.
A few years back I completed a Level 3 ILM management qualification and I chose Communications as my main project. For this I mapped all the preferences for the office staff using their DISC profiles and created a ‘how best to communicate with xx’ chart. It was used for many years, indicating communication preferences and styles. It was a very simple and effective way to implement the results of our profiles and use them practically. Nothing more personal than communication preference was shared.
DISC profiles were used for recruitment and appraisal and with clients. The reports, which are created by answering very simple ‘most like’ and ‘least like’ questions, give a comprehensive summary of behavioural preferences. They are used by line managers, trainers, HR, recruitment and outplacement consultants.
The value of using these profiling tools is not just in ‘input and output’ – you put in your answers and get your report – but what happens next. Many people will be open minded enough to accept the validity of the report, feel happy to internally challenge areas which they do not feel accurately match their perceptions, and even perhaps accept the areas which may indicate a need for self-improvement.
I recently took a different profile from the one I’d done for the last four years – this one was from The Trusted Adviser and followed a similar DISC format so it was not unfamiliar. The resulting report, however, was superior to those I’d taken before. The depth of information was far greater – the profile included more aspects and gave a greater analysis of my behaviours and preferences. Though every assessment is affected by variables (hence taking them annually), this one was definitely the most accurate I had ever taken.
Most importantly the language it used was more accessible – though probably still generated by an American English language programme, the terms and language used were easier to understand and I found much less to challenge than in previous reports. My next stage, importantly, is to go through the report with my coach.
The real power and value of behavioural assessments is how they are used to develop individual performance. The ideal scenario is that the report is not just given directly to the respondent but is reviewed by an appropriately qualified coach or manager who can then spend time going through the report with the individual and build a positive action plan.
There are many ways in which assessments can be applied:
Recruitment: does the report reflect the right personality for the role they are being considered for?
Job hunting: the report may produce some excellent wording and highlight skills and strengths that the respondent can use in their CV or job applications
Appraisal: the line manager and respondent can work together (both may have their profiles completed) and improve working process and performance
Team building: pick members of a team who have the right mix of skills or who you know will work best together
In fact behaviour assessments can be used in many ways, for leadership development, trouble shooting, team development, sales skills, benchmarking; with the right training and understanding of the psychology behind how these reports are generated, they can become an extremely powerful tool for trainers, managers and the individual respondents.
Finally, the most important question - do they work? From personal experience, yes; impartially, one assessor I know performs over one million assessments per year – that’s just one provider! I think the proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Carolyn Sheppard is director of The Complete Trainer, a training resources ecommerce company. She has been in marketing for over 30 years and directly in learning and development for over five years.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Speed Reading
Learn how to speed read
… and read faster, understand and remember more of what you read
The aim of speed reading is to help you read faster with good comprehension. By practising these skills you will be able to deal with the deluge of journals, books, research papers and reports which have been pouring onto your desk in recent years. And with emails and other material flowing out of the internet, the flood has reached almost unmanageable proportions.
These days, we can’t succeed without knowledge, not only of our special field of interest, but also of a broad range of other subjects. The problem is that, while technological progress has made the production and distribution of information an effortless and instant process, our strategies for coping with this flood have hardly changed since the early 20th century. Some of us are experiencing stress because, although we’re doing our best to deal with the torrent of information, it’s hard to keep our heads above water.
So how does it work?
It’s simple mathematics really. If you can read two or three times faster, you can get through more material in the time available. The end result is that you’ll become better-informed than ever. But it’s not just about knowing a great deal about a large number of subjects: reading faster will also help to harness the huge reserve capacity of your mind. Your memory will improve, you’ll be able to communicate better and you’ll feel much more confident.
The way you read at the moment is just a habit acquired over several years. Some of your approaches may be useful, but many more will be counter-productive. Developing and embedding new, more useful reading habits will take a bit of time. But it will be well worth the small amount of effort involved.
How can speed reading make a difference?
The average person reads at between 200 and 240 words per minute. So a typical 250 page book, with about 500 words per page, might take you nearly ten and a half hours to complete. You can expect to double your reading speed while you are learning how to speed read. And if you practice regularly, you may eventually attain 1,000 or more words per minute with good comprehension. This would mean that you could read your 250 page book in two hours.
Most people enjoy learning how to increase their reading speed and they gain a lot of long-term benefits as well. In fact, a wealth of new possibilities opens up. It is possible to conquer those stacks of unread books, reports, manuals, papers and journals. You rapidly have all kinds of information at your fingertips, instead of having to search for it. The idea of further professional training or education suddenly seems to make sense. And there is finally time to read the newspapers or relax with a novel.
How can you learn how to speed read?
You can learn how to speed read quickly and effectively with Jane Smith’s popular audio book ‘Speed Reading for Success’.
If you are interested in finding out more about how to improve your memory, choose Jane’s highly praised audio book Memory and Learning for Success.
Together, these self development packages offer some steps you can take to increase your reading efficiency and improve your memory of what you read. Most people are surprised at what they achieve – I’m sure you will be too.
Jane Smith, Word Smiths
http://www.word-smiths.co.uk/
… and read faster, understand and remember more of what you read
The aim of speed reading is to help you read faster with good comprehension. By practising these skills you will be able to deal with the deluge of journals, books, research papers and reports which have been pouring onto your desk in recent years. And with emails and other material flowing out of the internet, the flood has reached almost unmanageable proportions.
These days, we can’t succeed without knowledge, not only of our special field of interest, but also of a broad range of other subjects. The problem is that, while technological progress has made the production and distribution of information an effortless and instant process, our strategies for coping with this flood have hardly changed since the early 20th century. Some of us are experiencing stress because, although we’re doing our best to deal with the torrent of information, it’s hard to keep our heads above water.
So how does it work?
It’s simple mathematics really. If you can read two or three times faster, you can get through more material in the time available. The end result is that you’ll become better-informed than ever. But it’s not just about knowing a great deal about a large number of subjects: reading faster will also help to harness the huge reserve capacity of your mind. Your memory will improve, you’ll be able to communicate better and you’ll feel much more confident.
The way you read at the moment is just a habit acquired over several years. Some of your approaches may be useful, but many more will be counter-productive. Developing and embedding new, more useful reading habits will take a bit of time. But it will be well worth the small amount of effort involved.
How can speed reading make a difference?
The average person reads at between 200 and 240 words per minute. So a typical 250 page book, with about 500 words per page, might take you nearly ten and a half hours to complete. You can expect to double your reading speed while you are learning how to speed read. And if you practice regularly, you may eventually attain 1,000 or more words per minute with good comprehension. This would mean that you could read your 250 page book in two hours.
Most people enjoy learning how to increase their reading speed and they gain a lot of long-term benefits as well. In fact, a wealth of new possibilities opens up. It is possible to conquer those stacks of unread books, reports, manuals, papers and journals. You rapidly have all kinds of information at your fingertips, instead of having to search for it. The idea of further professional training or education suddenly seems to make sense. And there is finally time to read the newspapers or relax with a novel.
How can you learn how to speed read?
You can learn how to speed read quickly and effectively with Jane Smith’s popular audio book ‘Speed Reading for Success’.
If you are interested in finding out more about how to improve your memory, choose Jane’s highly praised audio book Memory and Learning for Success.
Together, these self development packages offer some steps you can take to increase your reading efficiency and improve your memory of what you read. Most people are surprised at what they achieve – I’m sure you will be too.
Jane Smith, Word Smiths
http://www.word-smiths.co.uk/
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Five tips for precision thinking
Last night I attended a workshop by speaker and presenter Kate Atkin. It was held in the Borders Bookshop in Cambridge and the only cost was a donation to the local charity, the Papworth Trust.
Kate presented a workshop on Precision Thinking for Confident Outcomes. She got the group to relax very quickly and took us through some very simple and easy to assimilate tips. I won't go into great detail (that's Kate's job), but I can share with you the main outline.
Firstly, and this is not at all unlike the comment I had from a trainer friend who said 'stop playing the failure film', she said we have to control what we think and run 'positive programmes'. Cut out negative messages and thoughts.
Secondly she talked about the language used. We looked at language and split an example into three categories, negative, neutral and positive. Instead of cutting out the negatives, she said cut out the neutrals. Be honest, if you are in a negative, don't mask it with neutrality, but do aspire to convert it to the positive. Using positive language as well as positive programmes will help boost your inner confidence.
Strangely enough I called a friend in the US immediately after the seminar. How are you? I asked. 'OK' she said. Netural answer! The truth was she wasn't feeling well.
Thirdly and very importantly, Kate said we must stay focused. It's too easy to revert to negative thinking and messages so keep that focus.
The next exercise/tip was about posture. She got us all to stand up and think of something good, then something bad (and the posture change was evident). She then asked us to maintain a positive posture and smile broadly whilst thinking of the bad thing. It made it a lot harder to think negatively, so posture (and a smile) do help affect not just how you appear to others, but your own mental processing.
Lastly we discussed breathing, and this I am very familiar with. In fact, I believe it's something we all do! Seriously, breathing deeply and regularly can help calm and relax you - important elements in feeling confident - and provide oxygen to the brain. It's hard to think without enough oxygen.
One very simple tool that Kate gave us was the Confidence Wall. I'll ask her if I can share it with you.
It was a very positive session, and Kate only briefly mentioned her book The Confident Manager and the evening ended with the group chatting and swapping business cards and engaging Kate in further discussion until the shop closed.
Kate presented a workshop on Precision Thinking for Confident Outcomes. She got the group to relax very quickly and took us through some very simple and easy to assimilate tips. I won't go into great detail (that's Kate's job), but I can share with you the main outline.
Firstly, and this is not at all unlike the comment I had from a trainer friend who said 'stop playing the failure film', she said we have to control what we think and run 'positive programmes'. Cut out negative messages and thoughts.
Secondly she talked about the language used. We looked at language and split an example into three categories, negative, neutral and positive. Instead of cutting out the negatives, she said cut out the neutrals. Be honest, if you are in a negative, don't mask it with neutrality, but do aspire to convert it to the positive. Using positive language as well as positive programmes will help boost your inner confidence.
Strangely enough I called a friend in the US immediately after the seminar. How are you? I asked. 'OK' she said. Netural answer! The truth was she wasn't feeling well.
Thirdly and very importantly, Kate said we must stay focused. It's too easy to revert to negative thinking and messages so keep that focus.
The next exercise/tip was about posture. She got us all to stand up and think of something good, then something bad (and the posture change was evident). She then asked us to maintain a positive posture and smile broadly whilst thinking of the bad thing. It made it a lot harder to think negatively, so posture (and a smile) do help affect not just how you appear to others, but your own mental processing.
Lastly we discussed breathing, and this I am very familiar with. In fact, I believe it's something we all do! Seriously, breathing deeply and regularly can help calm and relax you - important elements in feeling confident - and provide oxygen to the brain. It's hard to think without enough oxygen.
One very simple tool that Kate gave us was the Confidence Wall. I'll ask her if I can share it with you.
It was a very positive session, and Kate only briefly mentioned her book The Confident Manager and the evening ended with the group chatting and swapping business cards and engaging Kate in further discussion until the shop closed.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Kairology
Got a superb little self-development book on the site. Kairology. Very simple, easy to read, easy to assimilate too.
It's written by an Englishman who now lives in New Zealand, and he's arranged the book into four clear sections (suits) and each page has helpful comments, useful questions and an opposing page with an inspirational quote.
Great to read on the train, in the bath, whenever! I recommend it personally, I'm reading it now.
There's an ebook version too. Take a look:
http://www.completetrainer.co.uk/Self_Development/Kairology_ebook
It's written by an Englishman who now lives in New Zealand, and he's arranged the book into four clear sections (suits) and each page has helpful comments, useful questions and an opposing page with an inspirational quote.
Great to read on the train, in the bath, whenever! I recommend it personally, I'm reading it now.
There's an ebook version too. Take a look:
http://www.completetrainer.co.uk/Self_Development/Kairology_ebook
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
One for the girls?
I recently came across coach and author Lynette Allen. She has written three books:
Behind with the marking and plagued by nits(for teachers)
Behind with the mortgage and living off plastic (for women)
Behind with the laundry and living off chocolate (for women)
What brilliant titles! And she is running a great site that focuses on women and their skills too (http://www.pinkexpertise.co.uk She has identified a niche market and gone for it, full swing!
I have, of course, a vested interest in mentioning Lynette. I sell her books on Complete Trainer and she has been kind enough to feature me on her site.
But it brings me back to this concept of approaching business/training/development for women differently to men. There was a hugely active thread on the UKBusinessForum about whether women should have separate business initiatives with varying reponses from 'Yes, we have different needs', to 'no, I don't want to be treated any differently to men' right up to 'why should women get all the breaks?'.
And it is a question worth examination. Should we have separate training for women? For people of a particular religion, or sexual orientation, or taste in music?
There are boundaries, and these boundaries are being set not by society but by behaviour. There are certainly examples where training or interaction with people should be separated out. I am sure a room full of men would rather not be taught how to examine for testicular cancer by a woman, likewise a room full of women not be taught self-examination for breast cancer by a man. OK, obvious choices, but very clear examples.
We embrace diversity! It is what makes this planet so hugely successful. Keith Patching, formerly a Director at Cranfield School of Management, says:
"Even though we recognise that people who are different from ourselves can be hard to understand or value, we have made great strides in learning tolerance and understanding. Attitudes to ethnicity, religion, gender, age and sexual orientation have changed, supported by legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate against people on these grounds. Many enlightened organisations devote a significant amount of attention to inclusion – the means of ensuring that each individual can feel and be included irrespective of whether he or she is a member of any kind of minority.
There is still more to be done to deal with conflicts that may emerge as a result of diversity, but progress is being made."
Back to the issue of training just for women. Should we have it? Yes, it has a place, just as books aimed at women and clothes designed for women have their place too.
What brilliant titles! And she is running a great site that focuses on women and their skills too (http://www.pinkexpertise.co.uk She has identified a niche market and gone for it, full swing!
I have, of course, a vested interest in mentioning Lynette. I sell her books on Complete Trainer and she has been kind enough to feature me on her site.
But it brings me back to this concept of approaching business/training/development for women differently to men. There was a hugely active thread on the UKBusinessForum about whether women should have separate business initiatives with varying reponses from 'Yes, we have different needs', to 'no, I don't want to be treated any differently to men' right up to 'why should women get all the breaks?'.
And it is a question worth examination. Should we have separate training for women? For people of a particular religion, or sexual orientation, or taste in music?
There are boundaries, and these boundaries are being set not by society but by behaviour. There are certainly examples where training or interaction with people should be separated out. I am sure a room full of men would rather not be taught how to examine for testicular cancer by a woman, likewise a room full of women not be taught self-examination for breast cancer by a man. OK, obvious choices, but very clear examples.
We embrace diversity! It is what makes this planet so hugely successful. Keith Patching, formerly a Director at Cranfield School of Management, says:
"Even though we recognise that people who are different from ourselves can be hard to understand or value, we have made great strides in learning tolerance and understanding. Attitudes to ethnicity, religion, gender, age and sexual orientation have changed, supported by legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate against people on these grounds. Many enlightened organisations devote a significant amount of attention to inclusion – the means of ensuring that each individual can feel and be included irrespective of whether he or she is a member of any kind of minority.
There is still more to be done to deal with conflicts that may emerge as a result of diversity, but progress is being made."
Back to the issue of training just for women. Should we have it? Yes, it has a place, just as books aimed at women and clothes designed for women have their place too.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Thought Pattern management
HOW TO PASS EXAMS USING TPM
By Graham Morris
TPM, Thought Pattern Management, started out as an educational intervention. Very many TPM techniques are as much about teaching the mind, especially the unconscious mind, new and different ways of doing things rather than as therapeutic techniques.
In our current diseducation system we enable pupils and students to concentrate on the dread NLP word:
FAILURE
We have a situation where the teacher goes through the pupils’ work, correcting all the errors and then encouraging the same pupils to practise those errors.
How familiar is this to you from your school/college days?
You are facing an exam.
Interesting word – ‘exam’. One of those words (semantically dense) that requires little or no processing ; a word packed with meaning and sometimes just the sight or the sound of the word ‘exam’ produces an immediate, and often unpleasant, state change.
So you walk into the exam room and sit there for 45 minutes – 180 minutes trying to remember all the information that you spent so much time revising.
Then the exam ends and a curious thing happens. As you walk out of the exam room you suddenly remember all the information you revised, but it’s too late! The exam is over.
Put simply, this is what happens. The learning, the revision tends to occupy the left brain. Walking into the exam room occupies the right brain. There tends to be a shift over a period of 90 minutes – which is why the 45 minute exams are most disrupted.
I worked with someone recently who was about to take his ‘AS’ Level exams (exams taken at the age of 17).
After explaining the above I implanted a posthypnotic suggestion that allowed the thumb and middle finger to slowly move down a pen held in a vertical position and that action would facilitate the switch from right to left to occur in 30 seconds.
The exam result was an ‘A’ grade.
Here is the full story of how to pass exams using TPM.
First of all a clear and well-formed outcome.
Do a memory cleanse of all earlier school testing. The easiest way to do this is via the TPM Brainwash technique (see INLPTA News Number 6 pp 41-44, December 2003).
Now all negative/unresourceful memories about school testing and exams has been reframed.
Take the pupil/student through The Circle of Excellence.
Make sure that the ‘circle state’ is in the form of a ring or a bracelet that the person can actually wear as they will need to take it into the exam room with them.
If you can find a Circle of Excellence experience that has a connection with previous exams/tests, so much the better.
When you get to future pace the experience get the pupil/student to imagine, while wearing the ring or bracelet, that they can scan the next test, going down the list of questions knowing the full and correct answer to every question.
Anchor this
Take your subject into the TPM Wide Awake Trance (for reference, see above) and:
“I would like to borrow your arm and I’m going to ask your unconscious mind (you are unconscious, mind/obey!) to keep it relaxed and comfortable.
I am going to talk to the Education Specialist (metaphoric part) and I’m going to ask the Education Specialist to take all the information that’s been (phonological ambiguity) studied and package it in such a way that it will be easily and fully accessible during the test/exam.
I’m going to ask you unconscious mind to allow your arm to lower only as rapidly as your unconscious mind completes the process.”
Tell your subject to walk into the exam room and put the Excellence bracelet or ring on the chair and then sit on it.
How to Pass an Exam with No Revision
Working with the same 17 year old mentioned above, we got to talking about revising his least favourite subject, which in this case was French (apologies to our French readers – it was the teaching not the language).
I was a bit surprised when he told me he was going to do no revision at all when it came to French.
He was unconcerned about maybe getting a low grade or not even a pass.
After using the Iceberg Metaphor for the mind – the bit that’s sticking out of the water is the conscious mind, the much, much bigger bit below the water is the unconscious mind – I explained that everything his French teacher had said to him, everything he had read and spoken in French was stored in his unconscious mind. All of that French information.
So he decided to do no revision whatsoever when it came to French.
Using the sliding thumb/finger/pen technique (see above) at the start of the French exam with the added instruction to access the Education Specialist, all went well.
He got an A in French.
© Graham Morris
Contact Graham at
Training Changes
7 Spenser Avenue
Cheltenham GL51 7DX
Tel: 01242 580640
Mble: 07711 370980
e-mail: mailto:graham@trainingchanges.co.uk
web: www.trainingchanges.co.uk
By Graham Morris
TPM, Thought Pattern Management, started out as an educational intervention. Very many TPM techniques are as much about teaching the mind, especially the unconscious mind, new and different ways of doing things rather than as therapeutic techniques.
In our current diseducation system we enable pupils and students to concentrate on the dread NLP word:
FAILURE
We have a situation where the teacher goes through the pupils’ work, correcting all the errors and then encouraging the same pupils to practise those errors.
How familiar is this to you from your school/college days?
You are facing an exam.
Interesting word – ‘exam’. One of those words (semantically dense) that requires little or no processing ; a word packed with meaning and sometimes just the sight or the sound of the word ‘exam’ produces an immediate, and often unpleasant, state change.
So you walk into the exam room and sit there for 45 minutes – 180 minutes trying to remember all the information that you spent so much time revising.
Then the exam ends and a curious thing happens. As you walk out of the exam room you suddenly remember all the information you revised, but it’s too late! The exam is over.
Put simply, this is what happens. The learning, the revision tends to occupy the left brain. Walking into the exam room occupies the right brain. There tends to be a shift over a period of 90 minutes – which is why the 45 minute exams are most disrupted.
I worked with someone recently who was about to take his ‘AS’ Level exams (exams taken at the age of 17).
After explaining the above I implanted a posthypnotic suggestion that allowed the thumb and middle finger to slowly move down a pen held in a vertical position and that action would facilitate the switch from right to left to occur in 30 seconds.
The exam result was an ‘A’ grade.
Here is the full story of how to pass exams using TPM.
First of all a clear and well-formed outcome.
Do a memory cleanse of all earlier school testing. The easiest way to do this is via the TPM Brainwash technique (see INLPTA News Number 6 pp 41-44, December 2003).
Now all negative/unresourceful memories about school testing and exams has been reframed.
Take the pupil/student through The Circle of Excellence.
Make sure that the ‘circle state’ is in the form of a ring or a bracelet that the person can actually wear as they will need to take it into the exam room with them.
If you can find a Circle of Excellence experience that has a connection with previous exams/tests, so much the better.
When you get to future pace the experience get the pupil/student to imagine, while wearing the ring or bracelet, that they can scan the next test, going down the list of questions knowing the full and correct answer to every question.
Anchor this
Take your subject into the TPM Wide Awake Trance (for reference, see above) and:
“I would like to borrow your arm and I’m going to ask your unconscious mind (you are unconscious, mind/obey!) to keep it relaxed and comfortable.
I am going to talk to the Education Specialist (metaphoric part) and I’m going to ask the Education Specialist to take all the information that’s been (phonological ambiguity) studied and package it in such a way that it will be easily and fully accessible during the test/exam.
I’m going to ask you unconscious mind to allow your arm to lower only as rapidly as your unconscious mind completes the process.”
Tell your subject to walk into the exam room and put the Excellence bracelet or ring on the chair and then sit on it.
How to Pass an Exam with No Revision
Working with the same 17 year old mentioned above, we got to talking about revising his least favourite subject, which in this case was French (apologies to our French readers – it was the teaching not the language).
I was a bit surprised when he told me he was going to do no revision at all when it came to French.
He was unconcerned about maybe getting a low grade or not even a pass.
After using the Iceberg Metaphor for the mind – the bit that’s sticking out of the water is the conscious mind, the much, much bigger bit below the water is the unconscious mind – I explained that everything his French teacher had said to him, everything he had read and spoken in French was stored in his unconscious mind. All of that French information.
So he decided to do no revision whatsoever when it came to French.
Using the sliding thumb/finger/pen technique (see above) at the start of the French exam with the added instruction to access the Education Specialist, all went well.
He got an A in French.
© Graham Morris
Contact Graham at
Training Changes
7 Spenser Avenue
Cheltenham GL51 7DX
Tel: 01242 580640
Mble: 07711 370980
e-mail: mailto:graham@trainingchanges.co.uk
web: www.trainingchanges.co.uk
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Affiliate Marketing
I've been looking in to how to improve my Google Adwords results, and finding pay per click gurus everywhere!
There seems to be this incredible amount of software programmes for improving your results, for making '$30,000 a month using this incredible system' and the like. My favourite so far has been the site that has the following client endorsement:
'just two words for this programme: simple and incredibly powerful'.
Darn, I hope he can market better than he can count! I have now looked at quite a few of these 'get rich quick' programmes and their promises of instant top ranking on Google, of improved click through (but what about conversion?) and the fortune to be had by letting that left mouse button take decisive action over that attractive and much repeated 'Buy Now!' graphic.
I think I have worked out how it does make money. You sign up, and realise that the main product you can actually sell and make money on is the one you just bought. 'Hell, I just paid $40 dollars for this heap of... if I bought it, there must be lots of others out there just the same.'
Now that isn't to say there aren't some really powerful and helpful tools out there, but how do you choose the right one?
I don't trust the testimonials, nine times out of ten you click through and find they are an affiliate marketer too - it's not as if you end up on an ecommerce site which sells consumer goods or business services. Hence my extreme suspicion.
I've looked at affiliate marketing for other programmes too - not just internet based tools. One that I have actually signed up to sells a range of self-help and self-improvement tools and, having purchased some myself, I have to say they are pretty good.
That was where I first came across the 'affiliate format'. The letter-like layout, the little box that appears offering you a free sample or course and the use of mixed text sizes, unlikely graphics (such as one Google genius having a photo of himself which was a rather hunky young blond chap without his shirt on!) and customer voice overs and videos, letters of commendation and reporting 'fantastic results', 'I don't have to do a full time job any more'...
The internet is an incredible place. But I can't help but feel wary of the affiliate marketing world - it's almost like some weird cult that, once it has drawn you in, compels you to draw others in too. Yes yes... I know that's what 'affiliate marketing' is about - but I've yet to see any proof of the cash benefits that these Google-related* programmes promise.
The only person I know who does seem to have reaped the benefits of an effective affiliate marketing platform is Karl Moore. I will ask him for his comment on this post and see what he says.
Am I cynical? Perhaps, but there's only so many emails/websites/banner ads that you can read that promise you 'life changing results' before the natural caution gene converts to cynicism.
* None of the affiliate marketing programmes I have looked at are from Google themselves. Google and Adwords are Trademarks of Google.
There seems to be this incredible amount of software programmes for improving your results, for making '$30,000 a month using this incredible system' and the like. My favourite so far has been the site that has the following client endorsement:
'just two words for this programme: simple and incredibly powerful'.
Darn, I hope he can market better than he can count! I have now looked at quite a few of these 'get rich quick' programmes and their promises of instant top ranking on Google, of improved click through (but what about conversion?) and the fortune to be had by letting that left mouse button take decisive action over that attractive and much repeated 'Buy Now!' graphic.
I think I have worked out how it does make money. You sign up, and realise that the main product you can actually sell and make money on is the one you just bought. 'Hell, I just paid $40 dollars for this heap of... if I bought it, there must be lots of others out there just the same.'
Now that isn't to say there aren't some really powerful and helpful tools out there, but how do you choose the right one?
I don't trust the testimonials, nine times out of ten you click through and find they are an affiliate marketer too - it's not as if you end up on an ecommerce site which sells consumer goods or business services. Hence my extreme suspicion.
I've looked at affiliate marketing for other programmes too - not just internet based tools. One that I have actually signed up to sells a range of self-help and self-improvement tools and, having purchased some myself, I have to say they are pretty good.
That was where I first came across the 'affiliate format'. The letter-like layout, the little box that appears offering you a free sample or course and the use of mixed text sizes, unlikely graphics (such as one Google genius having a photo of himself which was a rather hunky young blond chap without his shirt on!) and customer voice overs and videos, letters of commendation and reporting 'fantastic results', 'I don't have to do a full time job any more'...
The internet is an incredible place. But I can't help but feel wary of the affiliate marketing world - it's almost like some weird cult that, once it has drawn you in, compels you to draw others in too. Yes yes... I know that's what 'affiliate marketing' is about - but I've yet to see any proof of the cash benefits that these Google-related* programmes promise.
The only person I know who does seem to have reaped the benefits of an effective affiliate marketing platform is Karl Moore. I will ask him for his comment on this post and see what he says.
Am I cynical? Perhaps, but there's only so many emails/websites/banner ads that you can read that promise you 'life changing results' before the natural caution gene converts to cynicism.
* None of the affiliate marketing programmes I have looked at are from Google themselves. Google and Adwords are Trademarks of Google.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Work / Life Balance
On a training programme some months ago I met a life coach called Amanda Joseph. She kindly wrote me a short article on work life balance:
Be a Better Professional by Finding the Right Work/Life Balance
Creating a successful work/life balance can be difficult, but most people would agree—today's global economy has increased the pressure to succeed! Thanks to the internet and the global market, clients can be located anywhere on the planet, and therefore in many time zones too. This lure of potentially untapped profits can cause many professionals to let their personal lives slide under the guise of "earn now, spend later." Unfortunately, this only creates more stress which can lead to burn out- both at home and at work.
The pressure to be perfect in the roles you have at home is another reason so many people have trouble establishing a successful work/life balance. Many people feel guilty about the number of hours they work. Most people have been taught that home life should come first and that work should come second. In today's economy however, with the financial pressures on everyone increasing almost daily, this cannot always be the case. This might be understood intellectually - but not emotionally.
Many articles talk about the need to find a good work/life balance so that personal relationships (family, friends, etc) don't suffer. What these articles often fail to mention is that finding a proper work/life balance is also important for their professional life as well. When work and home life are unbalanced, people tend to burn out more quickly which damages their careers. When the career suffers, home life suffers and this self perpetuating spiral can quickly get out of control.
So how do you, the average Joe/Joanne, create the perfect work/life balance? One of the first ways is to reduce stress.
Here are a few tips to help you reduce your stress so that you can be a productive member of your professional team:
1. Figuring out which aspects of your life are the most important as well as which things are the most enjoyable will help ease the guilt you might feel when you take time away from one activity to complete another. Be honest with yourself and devote the majority of your time to the things that are most important to you.
2. "You time" is not the same as "Down time." It is important that everyone takes some time for themselves each day, whether it be going for a walk or scheduling a meeting later in the afternoon so that you can relax at lunch. Taking care of yourself will reduce stress, which makes it easier to focus on your work.
3. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Asking for help shows that you are willing to learn and to work as part of a team. This will build esteem with your colleagues as well as with
your friends and family.
In addition to reducing stress, it’s a good idea to ‘take stock’ and see where you are spending your time and energy.
Write a list of things you like to do, a list of things you have to do, and then see how you can balance them.
Maintaining the perfect work/life balance is difficult, but should not be neglected. In short, good balance between home and work will actually make you more productive, successful and happy in all areas of your life.
Ends
You can visit Amanda's website at: www.AJCoaching.com. Amanda works mostly in London and the South East.
Be a Better Professional by Finding the Right Work/Life Balance
Creating a successful work/life balance can be difficult, but most people would agree—today's global economy has increased the pressure to succeed! Thanks to the internet and the global market, clients can be located anywhere on the planet, and therefore in many time zones too. This lure of potentially untapped profits can cause many professionals to let their personal lives slide under the guise of "earn now, spend later." Unfortunately, this only creates more stress which can lead to burn out- both at home and at work.
The pressure to be perfect in the roles you have at home is another reason so many people have trouble establishing a successful work/life balance. Many people feel guilty about the number of hours they work. Most people have been taught that home life should come first and that work should come second. In today's economy however, with the financial pressures on everyone increasing almost daily, this cannot always be the case. This might be understood intellectually - but not emotionally.
Many articles talk about the need to find a good work/life balance so that personal relationships (family, friends, etc) don't suffer. What these articles often fail to mention is that finding a proper work/life balance is also important for their professional life as well. When work and home life are unbalanced, people tend to burn out more quickly which damages their careers. When the career suffers, home life suffers and this self perpetuating spiral can quickly get out of control.
So how do you, the average Joe/Joanne, create the perfect work/life balance? One of the first ways is to reduce stress.
Here are a few tips to help you reduce your stress so that you can be a productive member of your professional team:
1. Figuring out which aspects of your life are the most important as well as which things are the most enjoyable will help ease the guilt you might feel when you take time away from one activity to complete another. Be honest with yourself and devote the majority of your time to the things that are most important to you.
2. "You time" is not the same as "Down time." It is important that everyone takes some time for themselves each day, whether it be going for a walk or scheduling a meeting later in the afternoon so that you can relax at lunch. Taking care of yourself will reduce stress, which makes it easier to focus on your work.
3. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Asking for help shows that you are willing to learn and to work as part of a team. This will build esteem with your colleagues as well as with
your friends and family.
In addition to reducing stress, it’s a good idea to ‘take stock’ and see where you are spending your time and energy.
Write a list of things you like to do, a list of things you have to do, and then see how you can balance them.
Maintaining the perfect work/life balance is difficult, but should not be neglected. In short, good balance between home and work will actually make you more productive, successful and happy in all areas of your life.
Ends
You can visit Amanda's website at: www.AJCoaching.com. Amanda works mostly in London and the South East.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Being Positive
Training Pages send out a newsletter and the latest edition features a little piece on being positive by their editor, Liggy Webb. Reproduced by kind permission:
Top Ten Tips for Positivity
1. Refuse the Snooze – Get up as soon as your alarm goes off as a positive kick start to the day
2. Wake up with an Attitude of Gratitude – Focus on 3 things
3. Smile at your reflection in the bathroom mirror
4. Tell yourself that you are going to have a great day
5. Challenge any negative thoughts you have and turn them into a positive
6. S.U.M.O – Don’t dwell on negatives so Shut Up and Move On!
7. If someone asks you ‘how you are you?’ tell them that you are very well
8. Smile – It promotes endorphins
9. Send a positive text or email to someone you care about
10. Write down something to do, something to love and something to hope for
You can find out more about Training Pages on their website: www.trainingpages.co.uk.
I like the idea of sending out a positive message, we seem to be so bogged down by the credit crunch and world financial crises that it has to affect our own mental positivity. Now, if you are someone who has lost their job or is suffering because of it I'm not saying 'forget about it and smile', but I do believe that a more positive attitude all round is a good thing.
So, start today with a smile if you can, and if you have five minutes, visit http://www.karlblog.com/. There's a man who knows what being positive is all about!
Top Ten Tips for Positivity
1. Refuse the Snooze – Get up as soon as your alarm goes off as a positive kick start to the day
2. Wake up with an Attitude of Gratitude – Focus on 3 things
3. Smile at your reflection in the bathroom mirror
4. Tell yourself that you are going to have a great day
5. Challenge any negative thoughts you have and turn them into a positive
6. S.U.M.O – Don’t dwell on negatives so Shut Up and Move On!
7. If someone asks you ‘how you are you?’ tell them that you are very well
8. Smile – It promotes endorphins
9. Send a positive text or email to someone you care about
10. Write down something to do, something to love and something to hope for
You can find out more about Training Pages on their website: www.trainingpages.co.uk.
I like the idea of sending out a positive message, we seem to be so bogged down by the credit crunch and world financial crises that it has to affect our own mental positivity. Now, if you are someone who has lost their job or is suffering because of it I'm not saying 'forget about it and smile', but I do believe that a more positive attitude all round is a good thing.
So, start today with a smile if you can, and if you have five minutes, visit http://www.karlblog.com/. There's a man who knows what being positive is all about!
Monday, 27 October 2008
Stress!!
It's coming up to Christmas again - and it's pretty high on the old 'stress register'. So what can we do to reduce stress? Well, lots of things, and the rules that apply for stress at work pretty much apply for stress at home too. Here's a few tips on reducing stress:
Healthy eating
There is a close link between mental and physical health. Eat sensibly, at regular periods.
Physical exercise
Set aside some time to exercise in the way you want, excercise has many benefits including the release of those wonderful positive endorphins.
Time management
Manage your time - delegate, think about your peak performance times and when you get tired. Manage your time more effectively.
Relaxation
Whatever it is that relaxes you, make sure you schedule some time for it - TV, birdwatching, blogging even! Make time.
Controlled breathing
It's worth learning some simple breathing exercises, a great way to refresh yourself.
Deskercise
Do some simple sitting down exercises at your desk - there's lots of ideas on the web (here's some from Birkbeck University and Web MD)
Self-analysis
Take the time to identify your stress triggers and work on changing the situation, not just treating the symptoms
Having friends
Friends are a great therapy - and you can help them at the same time. Don't be shy on asking for help.
Professional guidance
You may find it hard to talk to friends, colleagues and family about some issues. If these issues are causing you distress, then you should seek professional help.
Anonymous helplines
Prolonged or extreme stress can cause ‘burnout’. Anonymous helplines such as the Samaritans are invaluable if you get to that situation.
Assertiveness training
Saying no can be very difficult for many people. But saying yes all the time can increase stress and increase workload and responsibility to an unmanageable level. Assertiveness isn’t just about saying no – it’s about listening and answering appropriately and ensuring that you are listened to as well.
Improved communications systems
Much of the stress we experience at work is due to the imperfections of the communication systems in most organisations. Try and improve communications at work.
There's a far more detailed version of this available on our website as a free download, but if you think about stress, and actually face up to the fact that you need to manage it, then it has to be beneficial.
Many of us work well under pressure, but when pressure transforms into stress, performance is affected.
Be good to yourself! Don't let your stress be the last on your list to get sorted. Your family will thank you too, if you do.
PS: I just found this article on a 'Relaxation room' from the University of Hertfordshire.
Healthy eating
There is a close link between mental and physical health. Eat sensibly, at regular periods.
Physical exercise
Set aside some time to exercise in the way you want, excercise has many benefits including the release of those wonderful positive endorphins.
Time management
Manage your time - delegate, think about your peak performance times and when you get tired. Manage your time more effectively.
Relaxation
Whatever it is that relaxes you, make sure you schedule some time for it - TV, birdwatching, blogging even! Make time.
Controlled breathing
It's worth learning some simple breathing exercises, a great way to refresh yourself.
Deskercise
Do some simple sitting down exercises at your desk - there's lots of ideas on the web (here's some from Birkbeck University and Web MD)
Self-analysis
Take the time to identify your stress triggers and work on changing the situation, not just treating the symptoms
Having friends
Friends are a great therapy - and you can help them at the same time. Don't be shy on asking for help.
Professional guidance
You may find it hard to talk to friends, colleagues and family about some issues. If these issues are causing you distress, then you should seek professional help.
Anonymous helplines
Prolonged or extreme stress can cause ‘burnout’. Anonymous helplines such as the Samaritans are invaluable if you get to that situation.
Assertiveness training
Saying no can be very difficult for many people. But saying yes all the time can increase stress and increase workload and responsibility to an unmanageable level. Assertiveness isn’t just about saying no – it’s about listening and answering appropriately and ensuring that you are listened to as well.
Improved communications systems
Much of the stress we experience at work is due to the imperfections of the communication systems in most organisations. Try and improve communications at work.
There's a far more detailed version of this available on our website as a free download, but if you think about stress, and actually face up to the fact that you need to manage it, then it has to be beneficial.
Many of us work well under pressure, but when pressure transforms into stress, performance is affected.
Be good to yourself! Don't let your stress be the last on your list to get sorted. Your family will thank you too, if you do.
PS: I just found this article on a 'Relaxation room' from the University of Hertfordshire.
Monday, 13 October 2008
People Make the Difference
PEOPLE make the difference!
Increasing your profits - the aim of every business!
In an age of ever-improving technology in which the worldwide web is king the need to get the best from your people is probably more important than it has ever been.
Why? I hear you ask:
Well, as running a business and the market place you can reach evens out due to technology and the power of the Internet YOUR PEOPLE and the SERVICE they give your customers truly is the point of difference.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Recruitment
Whatever the role you are recruiting for remember in some way it will impact on your customers. Therefore recruit the BEST that you can. Set your standards and stick to these rigidly as once you let them slip the impact will affect your customers and thus your PROFIT. Recruiting the right people is crucial so give it the time and focus it
deserves.
Make your recruitment process:
• Different (Do it at a football stadium!)
• Enjoyable (great welcome, refreshments, fun)
• Memorable (the difference factor, a gift to take away)
This will ensure your new employees feel good and that they are joining a different company where it’s important to make people feel special and unique.
Exactly the way you want your customers to feel. Even the unsuccessful will have had a good experience and the word will get around. Good PR!
Ensure the whole process runs well, professionally and to time. This will really give your new people a feel and will say loud and clearly what your company stands for and is all about.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting this right. If you do - and you can -it will pay massive dividends.
A CLEAR COMPANY DEVELOPMENT/ CAREER STRUCTURE:
- THE KEY TO MOTIVATING & REWARDING SUCCESS
It is imperative you have a clear company career structure with how to progress linked to it and a transparent development process in place.
This covers two key areas:
1. It shows the avenues to progress in your company and what you need to do to achieve this.
2. It shows how can you can develop and enhance your skills (there is nothing worse than keeping this a mystery)
The number of times I have seen negative responses in employee surveys on promotions, training and development because the opposite is being done to points 1 & 2…...
It is essential for your people to know and trust in this process - and it really does increase performance and satisfaction of your people.
As with all the elements I will cover it addresses the highly important WIIFM factor (What’s in it for me?)
EMPOWERMENT
Create a culture where your PEOPLE have freedom to express themselves and have the space to make decisions about how they work and the environment they work in.
Examples of this are work times, rotas, holiday picks etc. Also décor, furniture, dress code. It is worth working up some type of code of practice so each person and each team know the parameters they work in and where their boundaries are.
It is also about creating a culture where there is always the opportunity for your people to give constructive feedback and where everyone is equal and approachable. The best way to do this in my view is No Demarcation! Examples of this are: make dress code the same for Managers and Colleagues; no grade perks what-so-ever e.g.
preferential parking; all staff take equal breaks……. the list is endless.
INVOLVEMENT
Set up working groups with representatives from all areas. The sole purpose of the groups should be to improve the areas they cover. Examples could be: Quality, Productivity, and Health & Safety.
Also it’s important that one group covers social activities and FUN! These forums must produce results so they can be seen as worthwhile and that they do make a difference.
Encourage participation and always recognise those involved. Publicise any great ideas and actions and improvements that are forthcoming and link these to performance service and profit.
COMMUNICATION
In every poor performing workplace that I have gone into over the years without exception communication has been either dire or completely missing.
In my experience people are crying out for good communication and need it to perform their roles. Think about it … If you don’t communicate to your PEOPLE how do you think they will act with your CUSTOMERS?
It is imperative that people know what is happening and to achieve this you need a structured communication process.
This is a formal agreement on how information is communicated within your company and should be clear and easy to follow.
It should be developed in consultation with your people to find the model that works best for your workplace.
And to show you mean business monitor the process, encourage robust feedback, and make improvements where needed.
Communication can take many forms but in my view the most important is Face to Face briefings.
These should be:
• Regular (at least monthly)
• Should cover all your people
• Given by the Leader of the workplace (shows how important it is)
• Must happen religiously.
• For those who can't attend (holidays etc) a version should be available on their return.
• For any of your people on long term absence a version should be sent to them. (Keeps them involved and up to date with key events and shows you care)
And briefings should cover the following:
• How you’re doing - with results against the key performance indicators.
• Customer service / News
• Success stories .... Good results, celebrate team / individual performance
• People News.... Training information, long service , promotions
• Rewards....... Bonus information, benefits, opportunities
• Areas to concentrate on......Actions that need to happen.
• Feedback session ....... Questions and answers (chance for all to hear from the horses mouth)
Make these sessions entertaining and something your people look forward to. Be creative and most importantly get feedback on what is good in the sessions and what is not good, then act on this feedback.
Don’t underestimate the power of great communication and how important it is to people. How do you feel if you think you’re being kept in the dark and no one is telling you anything?
Always use the 3 C’s:
COMMUNICATE * COMMUNICATE * COMMUNICATE
COMMUNICATE - Tell everyone everything!
COMMUNICATE - Tell everyone again!
COMMUNICATE - Once everyone knows everything tell them again!
COMMUNICATION - part 2
Communication is another area in which process can be as valuable to your business as end result. Not only WHAT we do but the STYLE in which we do it says a lot about our company and presents a message to our people and our customers.
Let’s make sure that message is one of quality, consistency and professionalism!
• Develop a house style - fonts, colours, logos, layout designs.
• Use what’s effective for your people (ask them) and your work environment.
• Get your people involved in the design process - seek ideas and offer them a choice between styles developed by professional designers.
• Develop style templates for all formats of written communication - stationery, reports, posters, slides and presentations - any and all media you use.
COMMUNICATION - part 3
Be aware of just how many ways there are to communicate effectively - and be imaginative in finding ways to do this.
Newsletters (written or electronic) * Letters * Briefing documents
Emails * Posters * Communication areas for displays
Suggestion box * Leaflets * DVD’s
Supervision * Team events * Team meetings
Feedback session * Training events…….
now add your own!
FUN
How long in time do we spend at work? A LONG TIME! Six times as long as time spent with a partner over any given period (Frightening isn’t it?)
So if we are spending that much time at work let me ask you the question. Why wouldn’t you want to make your workplace fun? Think about how you can make the work experience for your PEOPLE different and FUN!
Some ideas and things that I have seen work:
• Fun days for all your People and their families.
• Competitions. Eating. . Arm wrestling….. Table football etc.
• Teach your People how to juggle.
• Theme days
• Fancy Dress days
As with everything I’ve covered it’s worth finding out what your PEOPLE consider fun and adapt to whatever that is. This is where your FUN forum will come into it’s own.
REWARD
It is important to remember that MONEY is important and it enables all of us to live to a certain standard. With this in mind always aim to pay your PEOPLE in the top quartile for the jobs they’re doing. This along with all the other areas I cover should ensure a stable workforce.
Look to be different -what else can you offer that your competitors can’t? Examples could be free transport, flexible work patterns, use of company car / vehicles available, subsidised canteen.
Take time to work up a reward scheme outside of pay and benefits: to reward suggestions, for helping others, work in the community. This is a big subject but if you get it right it will make a massive difference.
RECOGNITION
How do you feel when your boss say’s thanks for what you’ve done? Or “well done you did a great job”? If you’re the same as me your answer will be “Great”! It makes you feel worthwhile, valued and that you are appreciated. “Thanks” and “well done” go a really long way and in most of the employee surveys I have seen PEOPLE report that they don’t get thanked and their contribution is not recognised.
How many times have you “caught someone doing something wrong”?
Try this next time you’re out and about - “catch one of your people doing something right” ………. Take the time to tell them and watch for their reaction and how they perform in the future. We are all the same: we like being valued and by recognising someone it will enthuse that person.
The Common Sense Factor - CSF!
These ideas, along with everything I’ve written are what I call the CSF (The common sense factor). It is just common sense to treat your PEOPLE the way you would want to be treated!
SUMMARY
I have taken you through proven areas that when consistently followed will enthuse your PEOPLE and transform your business. You will be rewarded with PEOPLE giving their best and results that speak for themselves. This is not pie in the sky for every company that has got this right has immensely improved its results and profits.
It works and you will know it’s working when your key performance indicators improve in every area, your retention of employees is above industry standard, people are asking to work with you, your customers are delighted and keep coming back.
Best of all -PROFITS ARE UP!
Darren Beaven DBH Consultancy
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