A fairly well known concept in the training industry is that of self training, specific for employees. The process involves the fact that the employee must conduct specific training, at his or her own pace, in order to remain abreast of company and marketplace developments. Unfortunately at times a measure of checking up is required specifically on those employees who are not fully committed to the organization. This in turn helps management identify who has committed fully and wholly to the company, as well as their respective careers.

The design of the self training curriculum should be well thought out with the measurement goals and objectives in mind, this implies that whilst designing a self training program, for the employees, relevant issues in terms of the measurement of their progress with this type of training must be easy to apply from managerial level. The most effective way to do that is by the design or purchase of training software that can be accessed by the employee for their self training activities. The system should automatically generate reports as to who completed their training, as well as time frames and other relevant issues, which may include test results from tests that are built in to the software or training package.

The self training curriculum should also be adaptable, so that management or the training department can easily access, change and or update any relevant portion of the courses, so as to remain up to date with industry developments and any possible legal policies that may affect that specific industry.

One of the main benefits of the self training concept is that the staff complement is not completely held back in terms of having to attend classes all at the same time, and during operational hours. This means that although the process might appear to be gradual, there will be less productivity hours affected by this type of training. This is specifically relevant to the sales person, as they will most likely prefer to do this sort of training after hours or before they go out on the road for their sales calls. Essentially their income is directly affected by the time they spend with their clients and will therefore prefer to conduct their normal routines and attend to their training at alternative times. The opposite is probably true for the administrative staff, who prefer to conduct their training activities during working hours. Although this may not be true for all organizations and staff members this is a generalization based upon many years of research and experience.

The methodology of training at any business, organization or company must be tailored according to the specific entity's needs and objectives. The concept of self training is one of the many options that are available for consideration by the management and leadership of each respective entity.

Author: Chris Kennelly

About the author:
Many training issues face management, such as Trainer Selection as well as providing Training courses to employees. Consult Training Lynk for all your training requirements.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

Wire decking is mainly used in large warehouses where the company does not have the time to spend on repairing wooden decks. They need a stable base because they need decking material capable of sustaining heavy loads. Decking made from mesh wire is easy to install because it just falls into place. It is self-cleaning, which means it is basically maintenance free. Although you can have wire decking for a residential deck, as a rule this material is basically used in commercial settings.

For cheaper decking, used wire is also a possibility. Since the wire mesh is made from galvanized steel, you won't have to bother with rust and corrosion. You can pick up the used wire decking at sales and realize tremendous savings in the cost of buying the wire you need for your decking. For decking, wire mesh is made in the sizes that you need. The custom deck rack is made to fit a specific depth and usually two pieces of wire mesh are set side to side to complete the decking.

In the case of wire decking, the word deck means something completely different that it does when talking about other kinds of decking. For commercial uses in decking, wire mesh refers to large racks where businesses store large containers or heavy objects. The wire mesh is white and makes the whole area bright. With the holes in the mesh it is quite easy to see where everything is stored when you are looking for a specific product. The properties of the wire make it very long lasting and durable. For many homeowners who want to have this type of decking, used wire is a cost saving solution to having racks on the wall of the shed or garage.

Wire decking is galvanized after it is welded to provide the customer with a lifetime of resistance to rust. Some manufacturers of this type of decking use a gray colored paint as the finish. You have to be wary of this type of decking. Wire mesh with this finish added to it often tends to chip and peel after years of heavy use and provides a used look to your warehouse. When you buy decking, wire that has been treated with an electro-galvanized finish will retain its new look for a lifetime. For cheap decking, used wire with this finish will look brand new.

When you have wire decking in your warehouse or even your shed, the light will absorb through the wire mesh giving you a clear view of what you have stored on the decking. Because of the fire retardant properties of wire decking, you may also save money on your fire insurance costs.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

People who live next door to each other seldom take the time to get to know each other. Or worst yet, co-workers go into the same building daily, and may even ride the same elevator, without even saying a word to each other. And this story goes on daily all across the land - different locations, same scenario! How much more rewarding life would be if people would only take a moment to greet each other and start to develop positive relationships!

It is my belief that we are, at times, our own worst enemy. Despite our kind and helpful intentions, we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to developing and maintaining positive relationships.

There tends to be problems among people whenever they ignore each other or demonstrate a lack of respect. I drew this conclusion after studying this counterproductive behavior while in college and again while in the US Air Force. Consequently, I venture to say that ninety to ninety-five percent of the cases I counseled stemmed from lack of mutual respect and/or communication.

'Developing a relationship takes time, but applying the ingredients begins immediately.'

The way we learned to develop and maintain our relationships with others usually started in our homes when we were young. If our parents showed love and respect for each other, we tended to do the same for our family members. Having had positive interactions there, we took it to school and eventually to the work place. However, if we never witnessed or learned mutual respect at home, we developed an indifference for our fellow-human being. It is no wonder that we never knew how to show it.

Mutual Respect Goes a Long Way

Respect, whenever demanded, always results in 'defiant compliance' (doing it because we have to, usually under pressure, not because we want to for the pure pleasure) that may lead to counterproductive behaviors. When respect is earned, on the other hand, positive things begin to happen on both sides of the fence. The only effective way to earn respect is to give it away. Then, not only will it return, but it will do so a hundredfold. The good thing about developing positive relationships is that it is never too late to do so, despite how blight the situation might seem.

Hint: To create an atmosphere of mutual respect, start by demonstrating in your words and actions respect for others, starting with your spouse and children. A good way to begin is to minimize the negative talk, in yourself and in others. Speak when the atmosphere is friendly. Your family member will be more apt to listen and respond in a friendly manner. Take what you have learned to the workplace and spread respect in similar manner there.

Putting a Little Fun into Your Life

Because we are so busy with the demands of work, home, community events, and church activities, it becomes easy to overlook an all-important aspect for building positive relationships. The good news is that it does not take as much time as we might think. The benefits come in the quality, not the quantity, of time we spend with the other person.

Hint: Spend time on a regular basis, once a week, or two or three times a week, with the other person doing something that you both enjoy. Avoid getting into the routine of making it a forced activity or schedule.

Encouragement Creates Cooperation.

If we expect others to respond to our wishes and requests, we must first believe in ourselves and in the other person as capable and productive persons. This belief, when expressed in positive and supportive words and actions, sends a strong message of encouragement. The other person quickly picks up and responds positively and cooperatively.

Hint: Minimize your mentioning of the mistakes (except in hazardous or other dangerous situations) or the weaknesses of others. Instead, recognize and acknowledge their assets and strengths. Turn their lemons into lemonade.

Show a Little Love in All You Do and Say

I often heard in counseling situations that 'He says he loves me, but he never shows it.' What this person was actually saying was that she heard it in words but was not convinced by his actions (usually it a lack of action). Remember the old adage: 'Action speaks louder than words'? It could not be truer here. Love is both an emotion and an action. Saying it alone is not enough. Neither is showing it by itself. For the other person to feel secure in the relationship, regardless of the level of intimacy, they need to know, see, feel, and perceive that they are on the receiving end, that the other person truly cares for them.

Hint: Expressing our love, care, and concern for the other person is both a feeling and an action that needs to be expressed in words and action. Often such expressions are most powerful whenever they are expressed at a time or occasion when the other person is least anticipating such comments and actions.

Avoid praising; it may seem artificial. Instead give encouragement; it comes across more genuine and caring.

Although mutual respect, love, and funtimes together are all important ingredients in creating positive relationships, it is the encouragement ingredient that is the most important of all. For it is through encouragement that we focus on the strengths and assets of the others. Consequently, it is this encouragement that helps them to believe in themselves and their abilities, that helps them to accept and learn from their mistakes, and that helps them to develop the courage to be themselves, imperfections and all. (This just might be the first step they needed in helping them learn how to maximize their potential.)

There you have it: The four ingredients in developing and maintaining positive relationships, mutual respect, love, having fun together, and encouragement. Now put this recipe into practice with your employees, your customers, your colleagues, and others, and watch the positive results of your behavioral investments grow beyond all leaps and bounds.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

Businesses change often and quickly and because of this they need to be prepared for almost anything. One example of a being prepared is going to be employee retention and succession. With all of the different jobs that are out there and all of the different companies that are doing similar, if not the same, work that you do, why would your employees want to stay with you? There are of course, many reasons for this including loyalty, money and security, but intertwined in each is the hope for advancement. People want to know that they are going to have the opportunity to move up in the company, that they aren't going to be stuck doing the same thing year after year. There are exceptions of course, but most people will leave a place after a while if they aren't given more responsibility, more power or at least more money. The question at this point is, how do you set that up, how do you decide who should be moved up? And of course, how do you train that person fast enough? Your answer is automated succession planning.

Succession planning is a pretty simple concept. The idea is that you will plan out which person will replace each person above them. That way, if you have a manager that quits, you already have a person selected to take that person's position. The great things about having a succession plan is you won't have to worry about training someone completely new to do a job at a completely different job than they used to work. This means less time training new managers or supervisors.

Speaking of training, the succession plan isn't all that needs to be done. What will be done is the person that you selected to promote should begin receiving training now. They should work with the person they will eventually replace and should learn from them. This will allow for a smooth transition into the job for them. They will understand how the person before them did things and how they will do it. This allows for less complications and issues and it also give that person a reason to stay at the company. It really is a win, win.

The difference between succession planning and automated succession planning is the manner in which it is done. In automated succession planning you will fill in questions about different people. You will talk about their qualities, desires, seniority, and almost everything else that determines their abilities. This will nearly take the guess work out of things. This will assist you in determining which of your employees should be given what job. It will also track their progress so you know what they are learning, and what they are not learning. And if they aren't learning it, then they should be trained again. This keeps an open line between the employee and the employer of what the plans for the employee are and what the employee's progress is.

With this type of program you can save yourself a lot of time, especially if you have a large business already. In the end, succession planning is an amazing tool. After a while you will be impressed at how much harder they will be working because they suddenly have direction for their work, a reason to continue and hopes for advancement are becoming more realistic to them.

Author: Success Galore

About the author:
Use Winner Business Planning Software to develop your business strategy. For details visit http://www.successgalore.com

Article source: Free Management Articles.

London - Tuesday, 8th July 2008. In common with many businesses, Cheyne Capital had no formal means of managing team absence, resulting in individual teams creating wall planners or spreadsheets of their own. Tracking and approval of holidays was carried out informally via email, with no reliable way for managers to avoid holiday clashes between individuals, check holiday entitlement or monitor the number of days spent on activities such as client networking.

All too often, managers would find themselves stranded, with several key staff out of the office at the same time, meaning staff either had to cancel business trips and holidays, or work unnecessary overtime. 'What did it for me was the point where all our credit analysts were planning to be out three days straight,' said John Weiss Manager of Cheyne Capital's Credit Team. If we could have clearly seen what everyone was up to, we'd have avoided the whole issue'.

Cheyne Capital looked for a solution that was simple to use and capable of showing, at-a-glance, whether clashes in schedules were likely to cause problems. Simply installed and configured, TeamSeer now provides Cheyne Capital's managers and staff with a definitive grasp on day-to-day absences, strengthens team management and clarifies internal communication.

TeamSeer integrates with Microsoft Outlook Calendar to provide a collaborative environment with 'at a glance' visibility of team availability. 'With TeamSeer, each member of staff can now see planned absence for the whole team. As such, the number of potential clashes is reduced in the first place,' commented Jonathan Griffin, Business Manager at Cheyne Capital. But most importantly for team managers, any clashes that do occur are made evident before approval is given. They know who is where and when, at their fingertips. 'This new perspective is a big boost. TeamSeer has become central to our ability to plan', added Griffin.

Author: Cheyne Capital

About the author:
Cheyne Capital is one of Europe's leading alternative asset managers. Cheyne Capital Management (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the UK FSA and, along with other parts of the group, is a registered investment adviser with the US SEC.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

Do you know that you get 80% of your results from just 20% of your time and effort and consequently 80% of your time is virtually wasted on non productive activities?. Once you realize this it is easy to take advantage and either reduce the hours you work or significantly improve your productivity.

The 80-20 rule was first discovered by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto a hundred years ago. Using this knowledge is incredibly powerful in combating the 'not enough hours in the day' mentality of today's society.

The 80-20 rule means that in any area of our lives, literally 80 percent of our fruits are derived from only 20 percent of doing 'what matters'. In other words, there is only a very small portion of all that we do each day, regardless of the situation, that brings us the 'higher return'.

How can you benefit from being aware of this principle? Implementing a strategy based on the 80-20 rule can result in greater wealth and greater leisure time? Just imagine how productive you will be if 80% of your time could be spent on productive activities. You have to realise that the things that matters most should never be at the mercy of activities that matter least.

Here are 5 Steps to maximumise your productivity:

1) Keep a work log for at least a week

Write down all of your activities and the time spent doing them. I appreciate this is time consuming initially but it is essential you get a true picture of your working week.

2) Analyse your activities

Separate your activities into high priority - those that produce a return or where only you have the skills to do the work - and low priority - activities others can do where the activity can be delegated to support staff. You will almost certainly find that you are spending most of your time on low-priority activities rather than activities directly providing a return. In almost all businesses these non productive activities tend to absorb time at a far greater rate than they should.

3) Delegate non productive activities

Once you can identify the low priority activities delegate as many as possible to support staff providing training where required. If necessary employ an additional member of staff to take responsibilities - the cost will be more than offset by your improved productivity. There may be a number of low priority activities you are tempted to keep. Unless it is absolutely unavoidable don't be tempted and don't get involved in non productive activities or your productivity will fall.

4) Calculate the time required for any remaining low priority activities

Once you have delegated all that you can, your next step is to calculate how much time you should be spending on the remaining low priority activities to make maximum use of your productive time. Do not work disproportionately hard at these low priority activities and set aside specific time each day or week to complete them.

5) Prioritise your remaining activities

Once you have cleared out the activities that do not bring you any return, it is time to turn your attention to the activities in your life that are bringing the most reward. Prioritise your activities and concentrate most of your time just on a few high-priority activities.

The objective throughout is to maximize your results from the areas of high return and to delegate those activities that have a low return. Having to spend a disproportionate amount of time on non productive activities is a major source of stress for many businessmen. Delegating these activities will therefore have the added benefit of reducing the stress you are under. It is all about doing less work for greater return.

For more success in life, whether that is more money, more time with your family or just making time for golf you should start implementing the 80-20 rule immediately. It will help your career as well as your personal life and, as a bonus, following the 80-20 rule day in and day out can make you very wealthy over the long term.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

After the absence - managing attendance in the workplace

The transitional period of returning to work after a prolonged period of sickness absence can be daunting for the employee AND their line manager - especially where the ill health revolved around a 'stress at work' issue. Coming to terms with changes that have taken place during the employee's absence and re-establishing team working practices will take effort and commitment from the manager and employee alike. Supportive and proactive interventions must be implemented to ensure a smooth transition back to the workplace.

The employee's perspective

Returning to work following a long period of absence is daunting in itself, but with stress-related absence this is often so threatening that some individuals never make the transition back to full time employment. If the illness was brought about by stress at work or there are unresolved bullying or harassment issues, it's likely that fear of a relapse, along with lack of confidence and low self-esteem, will inhibit rehabilitation. When work pressures only partially contributed to the illness, there may be a feeling of guilt on the part of the employee that he or she had let their fellow workers down and put unnecessary pressure on others in the run-up to their illness. Such anxieties may be groundless, but individuals feel very fragile following stress-related illnesses - with anxiety, depression and panic attacks being common symptoms of breakdown or burnout. A considerable amount of support and encouragement is required if a full recovery is to be both achieved and sustained.

The employer's perspective

The long-term absence of an employee naturally puts pressure on an organisation, both in terms of the costs of covering the absence and also in maintaining the morale of team workers. Achieving the smooth return to work of an employee who has been absent for some time requires early steps to be taken to establish a non-threatening rapport with the individual, and this should be undertaken with care and sensitivity. It should be the responsibility of the line manager or personnel officer to keep in contact with the employee - as it's important that the absent employee feels valued but not pressured into returning to work before they are completely recovered.

Once it has been established that an employee is well enough to return to work, it's imperative that a phased return is planned. This should involve the employee's GP, counsellor/coach, personnel officer or line manager, together with an external mediator if there are unresolved workplace issues that still need to be addressed. The phased return should include a short induction programme and any necessary retraining. Workloads at this stage should be carefully monitored - as too much too soon could result in a crisis of confidence and a relapse; while too small a workload can have the effect of making the employee feel superfluous.

Guidelines for rehabilitation back to work

Each case has to be judged on its merits, and in cases of return to work after several months of illness it will be important to work in conjunction with an occupational physician. The importance of this process cannot be overstated. Once an employee has highlighted that they have had a stress-related illness, positive action must be taken to remove the stressors and/or give adequate training and support to the individual to enable them to cope with the demands of their job

The normal work-related pressures should be removed, as far as is possible, for the initial return to work, and then gradually reapplied as the individual becomes fit enough to accommodate them as part of their normal everyday work. In some cases retraining may be appropriate, and this will depend on discussions with the individual, the job evaluation and skills analysis.

Ongoing appraisal needs to be a guided conversation, with the manager helping to review aspects of the job that may be difficult, and identifying areas where the individual is happy to initially return to begin work.

Key questions for consideration in ensuring successful rehabilitation of an employee back to work include:

• Has the individual been off work for the optimum recovery period? Individuals may return to work too soon and without having had enough time to rest and recover and to rebuild their self-esteem and confidence.


• What are the factors that caused the original problem, and who needs to assume responsibility?


• Is it appropriate that the individual returns to exactly the same role?


• Where the individual's role needs to be changed, has this been communicated clearly, i.e. are the manager and individual clear about roles, responsibilities and expectations?


• What working practices need to be in place to support the returned worker and what can management do to facilitate this?


• Has the individual been given any advice on burnout prevention? The value of this cannot be overstated, particularly in relation to key areas including sleep, hygiene, energy management (through nutrition), and graded physical exercise programmes.


• Have procedures been established for the regular review of the situation? Progress should be continually monitored with regular communication between the Occupational Health department, manager and the individual.


• Motivation - is the individual suited to the job? What do they want from their job?

Serious stress-related illness, and in particular 'burnout', are conditions from which it is difficult to make a complete recovery. There is, unfortunately, a high risk of relapse should either the employer or the employee not have learnt the necessary lessons. It is for this reason that the employer must monitor the employee's return to work and be alert to the early warning signs of reoccurring personal stress or any inability to cope with given tasks. Regular appraisal will identify further training needs, and provide a discussion forum to enable both parties to raise issues that may be inhibiting a full return to work. But having said this, it is only reasonable to accept that whilst the employer can provide the structure and support mechanism for an employee to return to work, they cannot guarantee that the employee will necessarily slot back successfully into the original position that they formerly occupied.

Author: Carole Spiers

About the author:
World-Class Motivational Speaker
Carole's inspirational style and range of topics are equally suitable for curtain-raiser, closing speech or a major keynote. She can carry a full-day event with confidence, either as a speaker or conference chair.
Phone: +44 (0) 20 8954 1593
Email: st@carolespiersgroup.co.uk
Website: http://www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk


Article source: Free Management Articles.

Managing Performance is the procedure of measurement of progression, of an organization, towards a preferable goal. It is the measurement, analysis and optimization of resources to render a service to a level that has been agreed upon It focuses on the delivery of service.

The initial idea behind performance management is a operation over which the management merges the individuals, schemes and strategies, to increase both effectiveness and efficiency to be able to render the desired effects. Plainly put, the affirmation implies, doing the precise things and doing the things right. That is, an industrious establishment should admit one system that comprises leadership, and the other that insists on accomplishing excellent.

An efficient performance management in an organization can achieve leadership skills that can be enhanced alongside attitudes, interpersonal skills and behaviors. This is a fundamental prospect of managing performance as it aids in keeping on and holding individuals who embody the underlying human capital of the organizations. as they are the ones accountable for the execution of the principal plans of the business concerns.

It is exceedingly fundamental for a company to have a secure, performance management. It should be able to engage the systems, individuals and strategies actively, for the productive execution. This would also result in an addition in the gross sales and a bigger profitableness that would in all likelihood not be reachable, if the operation was not put through.

With an impressive performance management, business will thrive like never before. It is an highly important procedure of business management, that is employed by directors of people, as an efficient instrument, that is utilized by them to meet the objectives of the organisation.

Performance Management should be able to accomplish the next business concerns objectives: The missing link between Aspirations and outcomes: Thesedays, businesses are increasingly conscious that it is ordinarily not their scheme but the integrated effort and abilities of their employees to implement the strategy that makes all the difference to their thriving business enterprise. So, it becomes the responsibility of top level managers to fill in the gap between the missing links of aspirations and outcomes, by motivating their employees, over management of their performance.

To grow the potential of an establishment, in order to accomplish its scheme, it is principal that the organization grows and produces the capabilities of its employees. Efficient individuals management is the only key to better the businesses operation.

The most critical purpose of Performance Management is to increase the effectiveness of the employees. This should be complete, in order to better the operation of the commercial enterprise.

Managing Performance is associated with paperwork, difficult conversations and bureaucracy, and is hence ofttimes put aside as a chore no one wishes to do. Even So, Performance Management is a procedure that affects people and managers, that use the process on a regular basis, to increase their potency towards the employer's organization.

Author: Paul Abbey

About the author:
P Abbey owns and runs http://www.managementperformanceadvice.com management performance

Article source: Free Management Articles.

Stop a moment and ask yourself this: has a new employee ever passed you up for a promotion? How can it be, you query yourself, that the new upstart was promoted when everyone else in the company tells you that you deserved the promotion? The new employee did not have your track record for success, did not have the necessary credentials, and wasn't even close to matching your company loyalty!

Frustrated with the lack of answers, you attempt to obtain answers from management, which only ignites more frustration because they cannot explain it logically. Perturbed and discouraged you resort back to your old patterns of long work hours and hard work, in the hopes that one day all your hard work will be noticed, while you watch the new employee move up the company ladder with tremendous ease.

What do these 'fast-tracking' employees have that lands them promotions, allows them to negotiate obstacles with ease, and charms the boss into giving them whatever they want? Do these employees hypnotize their supervisors by waving a watch in front of his or her eyes? Well, in a way...yes! A few employees have learned subtle communication methods that cause their supervisors to be instantly suggestible and receptive to covet influence.

The subtle communication skills that fast-tracking employees use don't influence their supervisors on the conscious level as much as on the unconscious level. Need proof that fast-tracking employees can influence their supervisors on the unconscious level? Here's how to do it. When the opportunity arises, simply ask a supervisor who has just given an employee a promotion, a raise, or special role within the company his rationale for the decision. If the supervisor can give you three good reasons for his decision, he probably has not been influenced at the unconscious level; this boss did his homework truly evaluated the various candidates for the job. However, if he cannot give you bona fide reasons for his decision or if he gets mad at you for questioning his judgment-it is likely that he had been unconsciously influenced by the charisma of the lucky person he had just promoted.

Now ask yourself: do you already want to learn what these fast-tracking employees know about unconscious communication? Are you desirous to learn the secrets of charm and charisma that can get you that job or promotion? Then check into Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), developed by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. They combined different theories of language and neurology to form methods that have the potential to influence people at the unconscious level. I have summarized a few of the many amazing techniques that NLP has developed.

1.) Weaving Rapport by Mirroring: Building rapport with your supervisor is more than talking about the same movie you saw over the weekend. Rapport building includes matching all your supervisor's body posture, facial expressions, energy levels, humor, styles, words, and gestures. It can also include matching breathing, inflection voice tone, and language patterns. At the advanced levels it also includes matching values, beliefs, and objectives. Matching is not mimicking your supervisor's behavior, matching involves adopting similar patterns into your own style so that they appear natural versus mimicked.

One of NLP's theories is that the mind and body are all part of the same system; therefore, if you match your supervisor's verbal and non-verbal communication patterns, you are matching his or her thinking patterns-the highest form of rapport that you can establish.

Rapport is extremely important in business because business decisions are rarely reached on the value of technical merit alone; more often than not, favorable business decisions are developed between those who have developed a great deal of rapport.

Remember this overriding rule: we like those who are like ourselves. We trust those who exude similarity with ourselves. The cliche 'opposite's attract' has never been farther than the truth. Let me prove it to you. Think of your best friend. Call to mind his many qualities. Examine them well. Give yourself a minute to do this.

Done? What have you observed? Of course!!! Your best friend shares many of your habits, mannerisms, dreams, ambitions...! Now you have the secret of getting along with anybody (not just your best friend!) Build rapport, now, by creating an apparent similarity between you and the other person. It's the secret called Mirroring.

2.) Advanced Rapport: Want to take that charisma the extra mile? Let's talk about the arcane art of ANCHORING.

Anchoring involves placing a positive feeling into your supervisor's memory about you. By definition anchoring is the association of something seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted, with a specific memory or sensation. When you hear an old love song you and your 1st girlfriend shared, strong emotions come rushing back... even though a decade may have elapsed. This is anchoring: you anchored that specific melody with fond old memories of love.

Now let's bring this to the business environment.

We all have people in our workplaces that cause us to cringe each time we see them or come into contact with them in meetings. People who cause us to wince have created a negative emotion anchored in our unconscious memory. As a fast-tracking employee, you cannot afford to create a negative emotion in your supervisor's memory. It is your goal to anchor positive emotions of yourself in their minds. In other words, you want your supervisor to associate you with favorable emotions.

In order to anchor, you simply use two very special gestures when you converse with people: gesturing away from yourself, and gesturing towards yourself. Gesture away from yourself whenever you mention something negative. Examples would be a death in the family, a salary cut, losing a job. On the other hand, whenever you discuss something positive, gesture towards your chest. For instance, you may be discussing a recent golfing victory of your supervisor, and as you praise his achievement, you subtly gesture towards your chest. In both cases of gesturing away and towards yourself, ensure that every movement is natural and spontaneous.

Here's how it works. On the subconscious level, the mind hears something positive and sees the subtle self-pointing gestures. It then creates an association of positive emotion with you. Over time the positive emotions associated with you will be anchored into your supervisor's unconscious memory. Your supervisor will think you're such a swell guy to be with and won't even know why. Try this with strangers and observe how quickly you draw them in!

The aforementioned methods should help you to hypnotize your supervisor without using a watch on a string. If you would like to know more about NLP and unconscious communication, I recommend joining our forum (it's free) and reading up on all the articles!

Article source: Free Management Articles.

What do you do when an employee disagrees with something you've written on their performance review? How can you prepare for this and deal with it effectively?

Start by listening to figure out the source of the disagreement. Is it an issue of fact (you wrote that the employee received a customer satisfaction score of 79 but the employee says that his score was actually 83), or is a matter of judgment (you wrote that the employee's customer service skills were unsatisfactory; she feels that her skills are terrific)? If the disagreement involves an issue of fact, get the facts and make any corrections necessary. If it's a matter of judgment, ask the employee for additional evidence. Then determine whether that evidence is weighty enough to cause you to change your mind, revise your judgment, and amend the rating that you assigned on the employee's performance review.

Most of the time, you have a reasonably good understanding of the areas where disagreements are likely to pop up in the course of the performance review discussion. Before beginning the discussion, re-read the review you wrote and try to spot the areas where you and the individual may not seem eye-to-eye. Then ask yourself, 'What am I going to say when George disagrees with my assessment that his performance on the Thompson project just barely met expectations?' If you've taken to time to review the appraisal you've written for potential hot spots, and given some thought to how you'll respond, you're much less likely to be caught off guard.

During the employee performance review discussion, start with your higher ratings and move toward the lower ones. Be prepared to give additional examples besides the ones you've included on the formal written appraisal. Refer back to the informal conversations you have had with the individual over the course of the year.

Of course, if you haven't had on-going, informal performance review discussions with the individual over the course of the appraisal period, then it's much more likely that disagreements will surface during the review. That's one more reason for scheduling periodic, 'How's it going?' discussions with each person on your team.

As soon as a disagreement pops up, switch into active listening mode. 'Active listening' involves allowing the other person to clarify both the facts and feelings about an issue so there's nothing left under the surface. For example, using phrases as simple as, 'Tell me more . . .' or, 'What else can you share with me about that . . . ?' or, 'Really . . . ?' can encourage people to talk more about their perceptions. Simply nodding without saying anything encourages people to expand on what they have said. It's not at all unlikely that the employee, allowed a sufficient chance to think aloud about what you have written, will end up saying, 'Yeah, I guess I see what you mean.'

In dealing effectively with employee performance review disagreements, remember what your objective in the discussion is - and what it isn't. Your objective in a performance review discussion is not to gain agreement. It is to gain understanding. If the employee agrees with you, that's great. But particularly if your appraisal is a tough-minded assessment of the fact the Charlie's contribution toward achieving your department's objectives was only mediocre, you'll probably never get him to agree. That's OK. What you want is for him to understand why you evaluated his performance the way you did, even if his personal opinion is different.

Finally, if you have several employee performance reviews to deliver, don't start with the individual whose performance was the worst and where disagreements are the most likely to arise. Start with the easiest - your best performer - and move toward the more difficult. In this way, you'll build your skills and become more comfortable with the performance review process. Remember the advice that John Dillinger, the 1930's public-enemy #1, once provided: 'Before you rob your first bank, knock off a couple of gas stations.'

Article source: Free Management Articles.

Let's talk about how to keep your postage costs down.

So far you have been following my advice and mailing to the same list more
than once. At some point you find lists that will produce returns continually, but you notice that you are receiving more returns than when you started mailing to those lists.

You may see things like 'Undeliverable as Addressed' or 'Forwarding Order Expired.' Every time you mail to an address and that prospect has moved or cannot be found for any reason, you have just paid for the postage with no possibility of getting a response.

Obviously it is a pretty big waste of money to continue to mail to this address, but what do you do about it? You could simply go into the list of names that you have purchased and delete the returns. No more bad addresses, no more wasted postage, right? That is one option but there is a better way to handle the situation.

The US Postal Service has an NCOA (National Change of Address) System that a limited number of companies are licensed to access. These companies are able to take the list that you have purchased, or compiled yourself, and check it against the USPS system. You will receive a report that will let you know if anyone on your list has moved, gone out of business, or even if the zip code that contact was in was changed by the Post Office itself. Along with the report you will receive a new copy of your list that has been cleaned and updated.

The cost for having your list checked is very economical (about $5.00 per thousand records) and will allow you to keep getting your message out to as many people in your list as possible.

At times you can see up to a 10% undeliverable rate, and it can even be higher on older lists that you have been using for a while. Average is more like 5% undeliverable so let's take a look at the numbers at that rate.

If you mail 10,000 and get 5% back for bad addresses: 10,000 x .05 = 500 pieces.

You will have paid postage on 500 pieces that did not reach their destination.

So if you mail to your list again without cleaning it you have just wasted: 500 x $0.23 = $115.00.

If you were to NCOA that list at a rate of $5.00 per thousand you would have spent: 10 x $5.00 = $50.00.

So you have three choices when faced with a list that needs cleaning:

1. Spend hours deleting every return that you receive from your list.

2. Waste $115.00 or more in postage every time you mail to that list.

or

3. Have the list checked by an NCOA service and get back in touch with customers that may have moved, for around one tenth the cost.

The NCOA service is the easiest and most effective way to keep your postage costs down.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

The footage of the US Airways jet that crash landed in the Hudson River recently made for incredible television viewing, but not just in terms of the aircraft bobbing up and down in the icy waters. It was also striking to see the immediate reactions of the organisations involved and, from a professional perspective, see how quickly crisis communications plans can be put into action.

Almost within an hour of the news breaking the US Airways corporate communications chief was able to introduce his CEO to the world's media, and give an informed and prepared statement that demonstrated a corporation reacting swiftly and competently to the unfolding incident thousands of miles from the airline's Arizona base.

This reaction was no accident. Airlines, like many other organisations across every sector, regularly practise responding to emergency situations. They never know when an incident is going to happen, what form it will take and how bad the crisis might be (imagine if the US Airways plane had crashed into buildings in Manhattan) - but they do know they will need to respond quickly, calmly and effectively demonstrating that they on top of the situation and responding appropriately. And they need to focus on communicating as much inside their organisation as they do externally.

Crises can come in any shape or form, usually when you least expect them. And they can hit any organisation, whatever the sector. Whilst
airline disasters will be very public and high profile events, professional services firms can also be impacted by events that can quickly turn into a crisis.

Indeed, the crisis may not even come from an isolated situation but perhaps from a sudden change in business conditions - witness the number of well known retail brands going into administration right now - or other adverse trading conditions. Any firm that operates in the property sector will be considering all eventualities at present, with increasingly large scale redundancies being announced almost every week. For many no doubt their situation can be described as a crisis.

How the firm deals with a crisis will say a great deal about them - particularly to their employees. Recent years have seen a long period of business growth and relative prosperity. Many internal communications messages will have been bullish about the outlook, excited about the potential of the business and challenging employees to achieve great things in the future.

When we at Gatehouse talk to our clients we now advise that the messages need a different tone, a dose of realism, sensitivity, empathy and an appreciation that many employees will be most concerned about whether they will retain their jobs. In these times the firm needs more than ever to be open and honest with its people and live up to the values it espouses - the danger for not doing so is that trust will be lost and take years to build back up.

Effective internal communications has as important a role to play in protecting your business - and your reputation. But how do you make sure that you are ready to address such a crisis? Outlined below are some of the 'dos' and 'don'ts' of communicating internally during a crisis.

Dos:

1.agree key messages - and stick to them :Agree what your business stands for, what it believes and what it wants others to know about it. A clear articulation of your key messages will help your leaders stay focused and consistent - whether they are talking internally or externally, and will support your front line staff who will need to fend off client enquiries. Your brand and your reputation depends on it.

2.be sure you know how to get in touch with your people quickly :
It is one thing agreeing what messages to send out but can you be confident that your distribution channels are sufficiently robust? If most of your communications are currently sent via email or intranet but a crisis meant people couldn't get to the office and won't have access to blackberries or laptops do you know how you will contact them? Ensure that channels such as telephone cascades and emergency hotline numbers are regularly updated and can work at a moments notice.

3.make sure internal and external channels are aligned :You only want one articulation of what is happening and what you are doing about it. The credibility of your internal channels will soon be lost if the firm is saying something else in the media.

4.be creative and use the best channel for the situation:Consider every scenario, however unlikely and ask yourself whether your existing channels are sufficient. A crisis can actually provide an opportunity to use new channels, especially social media, as you might find you need to keep people aware of what is happening more frequently than the daily intranet news headline that you are used to posting. You might think about starting a blog that can be updated quickly and easily or creating a message board to encourage colleagues to share their feelings, ask questions or offer support.

5.keep communicating:Once people know their firm is going through a crisis they will want to know what is happening - constantly, until the crisis is resolved. And they will, before long, want to know the longer term implications.

6.offer a place to go for answers:Offer people a place to go for answers or reassurance and then listen to what they tell you. You will need to be able to respond quickly your people will thank you for it.

7.ensure your leaders are leading: Leaders set the tone - without their buy-in your communications can only go so far. Leaders have a prominent role to play internally as well as externally. Involve them in your plans as they need to know in advance what will be expected of them and how they need to react at such moments.

Don't:

1.think it won't happen to you :Crises can come in any shape or size without warning. They can happen to anyone. I worked for a large financial services organisation in the 1990s whose head office was blown up by a terrorist bomb - it could have been any bank or any building.

2.leave it till tomorrow :There will always be something more pressing, something needed yesterday. Unfortunately the crisis won't wait quietly in line. Your people won't thank you if you were too busy to be ready.

3.'sugar coat' the message :There will always be a temptation to tell everyone things are under control even when they are not. Honesty normally pays. Remember people may see events unfold on television or through the newspapers. If you are giving a different, more positive perspective of what is happening then make sure your messages are rooted in reality.

4.restrict communication to those directly affected:In these days of global firms, your colleagues in other offices across the world will know you are suffering a crisis. So will their clients. Don't forget them - they will be concerned about people they know, people they are working with and want to help.

5.assume people know what to do;Most crises are one-offs that will suddenly strike. Employees will look to the organisation for guidance - that means you. Never assume the solution is obvious, particularly during times of stress.

6.panic :You need to be calm even in the eye of the storm. Be like the vice-president of corporate communications at US Airways, take responsibility, be in control of the situation. If you can do that, when the crisis passes your senior management will thank you and the reputation of the communications department will be greatly enhanced.

Author: Howard Krais

About the author:
Howard Krais is an experienced internal communications specialist who has spent many years working in and advising the professional services sector. He now works with leading internal communications consultants Gatehouse group.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

What are Articles of Incorporation?

Articles of incorporation are needed when a business decides to incorporate. Articles of incorporation are a set of rules that determines how a corporation should be managed and they are filed with the government in your area. In order for a business to become a corporation, the Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the appropriate agency. It is important to know that in, they may not be called Articles of incorporation in your area. They may also be referred to as Certificate of Organization, Certificate of Formation or Certificate of Organization.

Where do I file the Articles of Incorporation?

Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the government in the area in which you intend to incorporate. Typically the forms are filed with the Secretary of State. However, if approved you may use another regulatory agency or company. There will be a fee associated with filing Articles of Incorporation and this will vary depending on where you live.

The forms needed to file the Articles of Incorporation should be readily available to you from a variety of venues. You can obtain them by printing them on your computer from the web site of the Secretary of State. You can also obtain the forms needed by writing to or calling your Secretary of State and asking them to mail the form.

What information is contained on the Articles of Incorporation?

There is a variety of information that is required when you file the Articles of Incorporation. These are the basics in all areas. However, your local government may require additional information. It is important that you conduct full research on what your area may require.

The first piece of information to be listed on the Articles of Incorporation includes the name of the corporation. This will be the legal business name under which the corporation will conduct business. This should include any designators at the end such as Inc. or Corp.

You will also be required to determine the purpose of your corporation as stated by the government in your area. The name and address of the person responsible for accepting any legal notices in regards to the business named, such as an attorney.

Another piece of information that is required on the Articles of Incorporation includes the number of shares the business is allowed to issue. The type of business the corporation is conducting will determine the amount of shares issued and how many people can hold them.

The final requirement for the Articles of Incorporation are the signatures. This should be of the incorporator or any directors along with the addresses of all signatories.

Other requirements that may be required in your specific area could include the duration of the corporation, if the corporation will have preemptive right or cumulative voting and if the business will offer various classes of their stock shares. It is important that you research all areas of the Articles of Incorporation and understand what is required and what additional items may be added to your filing.

Article source: Free Management Articles.

It's not just how much money you make as a mortgage loan officer, its how you make your money

Do you own your career or does your career own you?

For most Loan officers, the business is boss. Working on evenings and weekends is common. And when they do get home, they can't sleep because they have a hundred things to do the next day to make sure no loan falls out.

We talk a lot about different marketing concepts and techniques to increase revenue, and make more money. But how we make money is just as important if not more important.

Remember a business, any business, is there for only one reason - to make you money. That's why you got in the business isn't it? To make money? And why did you want more money? To spend more time with your family, or to be able to take vacations? But guess what? The way we structure our businesses doesn't let us do any of these things.

We need to take a lesson from the banks- they are closed on the weekends. Why are you as a loan officer, open? Because the realtor might call from an open house wanting a pre-qual Sunday morning. Or a client wants to meet you but he only wants to come on Saturday so he doesn't miss work.

It all goes back to how you set up your loan officer business. If any of this seems familiar to you, get your copy of the E-Myth Revisited and read it again. But this time DO what it says. Don't just run a business, build the business you want to run.

Lester Nathan, a consultant to the pharmacy business, defines financial freedom as, 'the freedom to come and go from your business as you please, and participate in it in whatever manner you desire, while the cash keeps flowing into your pockets.'

What stage of production are you at right now?

Survival - where you barely make enough and are fighting for rent and grocery money.

Subsistence - where you make enough for basic needs and not much else

Comfort - where you have enough coming in to be middle class

Prosperous- where you are doing well

Abundance - where you have more than you need

If you are still in Survival mode, then do what you need to eat. If you are at any other level, you need to set up your business in a way that it supports you - your wants and desires.

Making a million dollars doesn't do you any good if it takes you 70-80 hours a week, and takes a toll on your health.

There's a wise saying that comes to mind - Youth is spent making money and sacrificing health. Old age is spent trying to buy your health back.

Setting boundaries is the only way to be truly successful in all areas of your life. There must be a balance. Work vs. Home. Secular vs. Religious.

So how do we keep a balance? How do we train our customers to let us have a life?

1. By being desirable instead of desperate. By playing hard to get. When you can make someone go through hoops to work with you, they will want to do it more. If you were to choose a financial planner, which one would you want to work with, the guy who will take anyone as a client, or the one who has a requirement that you have at least 1 million in assets before he will even talk to you? Now ask this question to your clients. Who would you rather work with as a loan officer, the one who answers his own calls and jumps every time you call, or the one who is always with a client when you can, but takes the time to give you special treatment?

It's all about their perception. The customer's perception of you. There are so many loan officers out there now that have no care about the way they come off to people. They dress sloppy, they act sloppy, and their work is sloppy. We need to differentiate ourselves from these bums.

2. By being the expert. If you are 'the' person to talk to about loans, people will come to you. Everyone wants to work with the best. And there are enough people out there willing to pay for it.


3. By being unique. By offering something no one else does, you stand out. The more you stand out, the more you will be remembered. Your Unique Selling Proposition is critical here. Develop a good one, and make sure to use it.


4. Work by appointment. Make it seem you are busy even if you are not. It goes back to being desirable. People want to do business with successful people. Act successful and you soon will be.


When people apply for a loan at their bank, they get dressed up a bit. They bring their financial documents with them. They come when the bank is open. You are the bank. You lend money just like the bank does. Don't let realtors and customers push you around. Set your boundaries and stick to them. If people do not respect them, replace them. There will be others to take their place.

Article source: Free Management Articles.