You Need More Weight
by Ron White

How do you build muscle?
If you answered, 'Exercise' then you are partially right. For the most part exercise is not what builds muscle. Exercise maintains the muscle you have already built, yet it only actually builds muscle when that exercise goes into uncharted territory.

"You need more weight."That is one of my best friend's favorite things to say when we work out. If I am throwing up 225 pounds on the bench press and there is no struggle, he is the first to either add more weight or demand reps. I used to say, "No man, I want to control this weight first. I want to do 8 solid reps of 225 before I move on to something else." His reply would be, "Are you here to build muscle or maintain what you have?"

My particular goal at the time was to build muscle, so I would (knowing he was right) reluctantly say, "Build muscle." His matter of fact retort was, "Okay, then you need more weight or more reps – maybe both."You see, when lifting weights your muscle is built when it goes beyond its comfort zone or literally stretches beyond what you have done before. If I had lifted six reps and I was spent – I also knew that there was no way my set was over. Just as I am about to give up, I hear the voice spotting me blurt out, "One more… come on… it is all you… one more… you got it… push it up." My friend, Brian, will consistently push me to do one more than I would if he wasn't there, and that is why when I work out with Brian my muscles are consistently in the growth zone.

If you are doing a set of 10 reps and are spent – you will get 90% of your growth if you do an 11th or 12th rep. The first 10 are maintaining what you have. The final two are the growth reps - these are the reps where you stretch yourself.I have found that success in life is very similar to building muscle in the gym. If you are doing what you are comfortable with or can do easily you never will grow. You will never expand to reach your full potential.

Growth only occurs in life when you are pushing yourself to something new. This could mean learning a foreign language, learning to play an instrument, conquering your fears or pursuing your life long dream of building a business, writing a play, authoring a book or talking to people that you normally would shy away from.

Growth in life is going to come when you are pushing yourself to lift the weights of life that you can only lift with a spotter. This means that you should not be afraid to team up with others and rely on them in your effort to grow.

If you are going to build muscle in the gym you are going to need to do two things:

#1 Lift more weight;
#2 Have a Spotter.

The answers for success in life are very similar. Sometimes a spotter in life could be a personal life coach. There is absolutely no doubt that they will push you to lift more weight and be there to spot you when you feel that you can't get the weight off your chest.Go for more weight this week and get yourself a spotter!

Effective Communication
by Dave Sharpe


Effective communication is crucial for working successfully with others. It enables us to maintain relationships and accomplish tasks with both individuals and groups. Communication is an interactive process in which meaning is stimulated through sending and receiving verbal and non-verbal messages. If all goes well, we transmit the meaning in our minds so that a similar meaning is stimulated in the minds of others. The effectiveness of any communication is judged by how closely the receiver's understanding matches the sender's intent. In the final analysis, the only message that matters is the one the other person receives.

A Communication Model

Figure 1 presents a model of how interpersonal communication takes place. It represents the communication process of a single message between two people. Understanding this process can help us communicate more effectively with others as individuals and with others in groups. The same basic process occurs in groups, though several individuals may be sending and receiving messages almost simultaneously.
The parties in the process are identified as communicators rather than sender and receiver because both parties are sending and receiving messages. While the first party is sending his message, he is also receiving non-verbal feedback signals from the second that indicate how the second is reacting to the message.

The Sender's Message
Before the sender speaks, he or she has an idea of what to send to the receiver. The idea could be a thought, a feeling or a fact. The sender's goal is to transmit that idea so clearly that the second person understands it just as the sender does. The sender expresses his or her idea by transmitting the message verbally and non-verbally to the receiver. It is, for better or worse, this encoded form of the sender's idea that the receiver listens to, sees, interprets and responds to. En route, the message may become distorted by the sender's lack of ability to express himself through verbal and non-verbal signals and by the filters of both the sender and receiver.
Some messages are easier to transmit than others. Factual messages are generally easier to transmit clearly then abstract thoughts or emotions. But all can be misinterpreted if the sender has not considered the best way to send the message.

In considering any message, keep in mind that meanings do not exist in the words that are sent. Rather, meanings are assigned to the words by the people who use them. Different people assign different meanings at different times to the same word.

Messages have both a content and a relational dimension. The content is the idea being communicated; the relational dimension conveys how the sender feels about himself, the message and the receiver. The content is primarily sent with verbal signals. The relational dimension is sent non-verbally. Even written messages display a relational level. The feelings communicated in a hand-written memo may be quite different from those of a formal letter, even though the content is identical.

Communication is irreversible. Once a message is sent, it cannot be retrieved. Once sent, it is completely out of the sender's control and firmly in control of the receiver to make of it what he or she chooses.

Filters

Media philosopher Marshall McLuhan claims we go through life observing it through our own set of goggles. The images of reality we perceive are colored, changed and filtered through these goggles. These images pass through and are distorted by a number of filters including our experiences, our education and our attitudes. Consequently, no two people attach the same meaning to a shared event.

In the communication process, the sender's filter consists of several individual factors that affect the sender as he or she composes the message. The sender's opinions, experiences, education, values and stereotypes (about the message or the receiver) tend to be fairly constant filters. Others, such as the sender's mood at the time the message is conveyed, may vary considerably from time to time. The sender's filters influence how he or she expresses the message - which words, gestures and voice tones to use.

The message must also pass through a similar set of filters belonging to the receiver. The receiver's filters color how he or she understands the message. The two sets of filters in communication double the chance for misunderstanding. Being aware of your filters and your ability to adjust to them, both as a sender and a receiver is important for reducing the chances for misunderstanding. An effective communicator also takes into account the receiver's filters and attempts to encode the message so the receiver can interpret it with the least distortion.

Channels
We send our messages through both verbal and non-verbal channels.

The verbal signals are the words of the message, the content. The words we choose are determined by our vocabulary, our filters and our assessment of the receiver's ability to understand them. The non-verbal signals transmit the relational dimension of the message. Our postures, body movements, touches, tone of voice, eye contact, pauses, rate of speech and volume all indicate how we feel about the message, how we feel about ourselves and how we feel about the receiver.

Non-verbal behavior has stronger impact on impressions than the accompanying verbal message. Estimates of the amount of meaning conveyed through nonverbal messages run from 60 percent to 90 percent. The more emotional the message, the more meaning assigned to the non-verbal component. When the verbal message and the non-verbal message are not congruent, we usually believe the non-verbal message.

Receiver's Understanding
The receiver's understanding is the meaning the receiver gets from the sender's message. The meaning may be exactly as the sender intended, or it may be distorted to some variation of the intention as it passes through the filters and channels. The effectiveness of the communication is a measure of how closely the receiver's understanding matches the sender's intention.

Feedback
Feedback is the receiver's acknowledgment that the message has been received. It may be verbal, non-verbal or both. The best feedback goes beyond acknowledging that the message has been received. It tells the sender how it has been received and what meaning the receiver made of it. Feedback also passes through the two sets of filters. So, like the original message, it is subject to distortion.
This feedback makes effective communication a two-way process. Two-way communication takes more effort than one-way, but it reduces the chances for misunderstanding between individuals.

Barriers to Effective Communication
Barriers can arise during the communication process that prevent accurate message reception. The barriers may be caused by either the psychological characteristics of the communicators or factors in the environment. The effective communicator considers both sets of factors.

Semantics
Semantics are the meanings people attach to words. The different meanings people attach to the same word create one barrier to effective communication. It has been suggested that words are only symbols that refer to something in reality. Since we perceive reality through our own set of filters, the meanings we assign to these symbols of reality may differ from the meanings others assign to them. Words may also evoke emotional responses that lead to misunderstanding. "Love mother dog," "wilderness," "water rights profit" may conjure up quite different images for different people and different interest groups.

We choose words for our messages that reflect reality as we perceive it through our filters. Depending on how we perceive another, we might describe him or her as "cautious," "cowardly," "kind" or "soft." The same person may be described as "generous" by those who approve of him and a "spendthrift" by those who do not.
When communicators assign different meanings to the same words, meanings become distorted and the message misunderstood.
You cannot "tell it like it is." You can only tell it the way you perceive it.

Selective Perception
"A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."- Simon and Garfunkel
Selective perception is a psychological barrier to communication. Our brains constantly receive many messages. But we are able to handle only one at a time. So, we select the important messages and screen out the rest. For example, we don't need to be aware of the feeling of our left shoe unless there is a problem with it. So, most of the time we screen it out. Similarly, we screen out unimportant noises.

But we may also screen out messages or portions of messages that don't fit our perception of reality. We block out unacceptable information. We select only those items or facts that fit our notion of what ought to be. Try reading aloud the phrase in the triangle.
Did you pronounce "the" twice?
We also screen out messages according to our needs, pressures and priorities at a particular time. We select the message we find most pertinent at that moment. If too many message are coming in, communication overload results and none of the messages may get through. By selecting only certain elements from a message, we distort the message's meaning.

Listening
Poor listening skills form another barrier to effective communication.
A study by Dr. Paul Ranklin at Ohio State University found that 9 percent of communication time is devoted to writing, 16 percent to reading, 30 percent to speaking and 45 percent to listening. We spend more time listening than we do in any other phase of communication. Yet, most of us pay little attention to it.
Research indicates that normal listening results in a 50 percent retention immediately after a I 0-minute presentation, then declines to only about 2 5 percent after 48 hours. Extension Specialist Bob Lind says the average person will hear 71/2 minutes of a one-hour presentation and will forget half of that. One reason we listen so poorly is that our minds work much faster than our mouths. The average person thinks 600-700 words per minute but speaks at a rate of about 125. His listeners' minds are occupied with hearing only one-fifth of the time he is speaking. The listener may consider and react to what is being said during the other four-fifths of the time, or become absorbed with fashioning his response, or think other thoughts and miss the rest of what is being said.

If we really listen, we may be forced to accept a different perspective of reality. Most of us have a firmly developed view of reality that we do not want to change. Carl Rogers, the psychiatrist, points out that if you are really willing to listen to another, to enter his private world and see reality as he sees it, you run the risk of being changed yourself. "This risk of being changed is one of the most frightening prospects most of us can face." (Rogers 1952)

Inaccurate Non-verbal Behavior Interpretation
While estimates of the amount of information communicated non-verbally range as high as 90 percent, research studies show that we are not very good at reading non-verbal signals. DePaulo and Rosenthal conducted a review of non-verbal communication experiments and concluded people's lay theories regarding non-verbal clues are not particularly accurate. In an experiment they conducted at the University of Houston, oil company negotiators viewed video tape recordings of 30 speakers.

The negotiators then rated the speakers as honest, evasive or deceptive. The results: the negotiators' accuracy ranged from a low of 27 percent correct to a high of only 43 percent correct.
Further, the negotiators were just as confident of the accuracy of their incorrect judgments as they were of their correct judgments. The negotiators felt relatively few of their judgments were even slightly doubtful.
If negotiators - people supposedly expert at interpreting others' intentions - performed so poorly, imagine how frequently most of us misinterpret non-verbal signals.

Climate and Attitudes
The emotional climate during the interaction may create still another psychological barrier to effective communication. Anger, hostility or distrust can distort both the sending and receiving of meanings. Such emotions may cause us to mask or overstate our true feelings. our concern becomes winning rather than communicating. The stronger such feelings are, the less likely a mutual exchange of understanding will occur.
Likewise, preoccupation with other matters can foster negative feelings that form a communication barrier. Body language may indicate feelings of indifference, impatience, unimportance or inattention to the other's message, adding to the barrier. Our attitudes can be a major barrier to effective communication. How we feel about the message, the receiver or even ourselves affects the accuracy of the message. If we are closed-minded, have an "it-can't-work" or "know-it-all" approach, attempts at communication may amount to nothing more than merely going through the motions. If we assume that all politicians, salespeople or members of an ethnic group are alike, any message we receive from them will be affected.

Typically, as a relationship progresses, there is an increased tendency to share information, attitudes and opinions. But, concealment of information through evasiveness, compliancy or aggressiveness occurs when there is a relationship of distrust. Communication is less complete and accurate when the sender cannot be sure whether the receiver will use the information to harm him. If experience has shown the receiver used openly communicated information to harm the sender, the sender will be much less open in the future.

Overcoming Barriers
Obviously, barrier-free communication is not likely to occur. Nevertheless, we can reduce or overcome most barriers.

Leonard Sayles and George Strauss emphasize two approaches.

First, we must continually strive to improve the message we send.
Second, we must continually strive to improve our understanding of the messages we receive. We must strive, not only to be understood, but also to understand. The following recommendations will help accomplish these tasks.

Attitude
Assume that others have valuable contributions to offer and encourage them to speak. This fosters a climate of openness and sharing that promotes effective communication. Active listening and check-back responses indicate that you want to find out exactly what others mean and how their ideas can be important to you.
As a sender, develop a receiver orientation. This is an important step toward becoming a more effective communicator. As you send a message, consciously put yourself in the place of the receiver and adapt the material you are communicating so that the receiver can interpret it with a minimum of distortion.
Choose words and expressions that are familiar to the receiver. Avoid expressions that are likely to be misunderstood.
Before saying anything, check your emotions, your attitude, your timing and your feelings about the message. Will your emotional state make it likely that you will convey your present mood into an unrelated message? What is your attitude toward the receiver? Is this someone who always puts you on the defensive? How did your last interaction go? Watch especially for any negative stereotypes you may have toward this person or the group he or she represents.

This assessment of yourself, the receiver and the situation takes only a few moments. With time, it becomes part of your communicator style and makes you a more effective communicator.

Listening
Active listening is more than just keeping quiet and paying attention. It requires sending and receiving verbal and non-verbal signals to fully understand what others are saying. Active listening occurs when the receiver tries to understand exactly what the sender is feeling or what his message means. The receiver then puts the message into his or her own words and feeds back to the sender what he feels the message means. The process continues back and forth until both have a similar understanding of the message.

Management consultant Keith Davis developed 10 commandments for good listening:
1. Stop talking. You can't listen if you are talking.
2. Put the talker at ease. Help the person feel it's okay to talk.
3. Show people that you want to listen. Look and act interested.
4. Remove distractions. Will it be quieter to shut the door or go elsewhere?
5. Empathize with people. Try to put yourself in their shoes.
6. Be patient. Allow plenty of time. Don't interrupt.
7. Hold your temper. Anger hinders communication.
8. Go easy on arguments and criticism. Don't argue, even if you win you lose.
9. Ask questions. It helps to further develop points.
10. Stop talking. You can't listen if you are talking.

Bob Lind's MontGuide 8303, "Talk about Listening," provides more techniques for improving your listening ability.

Sending Your Message
Begin your message with a "door opener." The first words you say should set the stage for the interchange to follow. They give the receiver a chance to prepare for the interaction and give you a chance to determine the receiver's readiness for the message.
Examples of door openers:
"I need to touch base with you about-"
"I would like your thoughts on-" "About next month's meeting-"
"I can see that you're busy, but I need to interrupt for a moment-"

Follow your door opener with your message. In giving your message, remember:
Use clear, simple language (eschew obfuscation).
Is your body language congruent?
Maintain eye contact with the receiver.
Speak slowly and distinctly.
Use "I" messages.
Don't overload the receiver.
Check back to assure understanding.
Place important information in positions of emphasis.
There is a tendency to distort the middle of a message.
The elements at the start and the end are mostly likely to be clearly received.

Giving Feedback
Feedback helps the sender know how his words or actions affect others.
accepted behavior. It is communication to a person. It gives the person information on how his words or actions affect others.
Feedback may be:
Evaluative: "You are a very cold person."
Interpretive: "You are acting very cold toward others, and I think it is because you are uptight about your new position."
Descriptive: "Sometimes it is difficult for me to interpret your comments because you look so stern and angry and speak so abruptly, which gives me the impression you are angry."

Descriptive feedback is most useful because it allows the recipient to understand which specific behaviors are causing a reaction.
"I" messages provide descriptive feedback without blaming others or putting them on the defensive. Instead, "I" messages honestly express your reaction to a problem and your concern with finding a solution.

The opposite of an "I" message is a "you" message.
Examples:
"You" Message - "Mary, you're late again, holding up the whole meeting."
"I" Message - "Mary, when you are late, I get frustrated because I have to go over all the material again."

There are three parts to an "I" message.
It begins with a statement of the behavior.
It follows with a clear expression of your feelings.
It ends with a "because" to explain the consequences of the behavior.

"I" messages are also useful in reinforcing positive behavior. For example,
"I was quite impressed with your efforts as committee chairman, Ellen. They made the whole project a success."

Checking Back
Checking back completes the loop in our communication model. Checking back helps the sender confirm that the receiver understands the message just as the sender intended. Checking back also helps the receiver clarify the meaning of the message.
As the sender, you can ask the receiver to state his or her understanding of the message. Use open-ended questions that encourage the receiver to provide his complete understanding of your message.
As examples,
"What do you get from this?"
"What's your reaction to that?"
"What can I clarify" rather than,
"Do you understand?"

As the receiver, you can use either check-back questions or check-back statements. Use questions when the message is unclear and statements when the message seems clear. Check-back questions ask for more information:
"I'm not sure I understand completely. Can you tell me more?"

Check-back statements restate, in the receiver's words, his understanding of the message, serving as a confirmation to the sender:
"In other words-",
"It sounds like-."

Avoid, "What I hear you saying is-." This has been overused and is likely to turn people off.

Remember, the only message that matters is the one the other person perceives. Communication is effective to the extent that the perceived message matches the intended message.

References
Chandler, Michael R. Leadership in Groups and Organizations, Virginia Cooperative Extension Service Publication 301-005, 1984.

Communication Research Associates. A Workbook for Interpersonal Communications, Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa, 1983.

Druckman, Daniel, Richard Rozelle, James Baxter. Non-verbal Communications, Survey, Theory and Research, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, 1983.

Hawkins, Brian L. and Paul Preston. Managerial Communication, Goodyear Publishing Co., Santa Monica, CA, 1981.

Lewis, Carl. "Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation" in Northwestern University Information, 1952.

Lind, Robert. "Talk about Listening," MontGuide 8303, Montana State University, Cooperative Extension Service, 1983.

Martel, Myles. "Before You Say a Word" in The Executive Guide to Effective Communication, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1984.

Rogers, Carl. "Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation," Nortbwestern University Information, 1952.

Sorter, Bruce, and Gene Whaples. Learning to Give Feedback More Effectively, Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.

Tortorcillo, Thomas R., Stephen Blatt and Sue DeWine. Communication in the Organization, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1978.

http://www.montana.edu/~wwwcommd/neweffectivecommunication.htm

Communicating Effectively

Communication might be thought of as an "idea transplant." We send 300 to 1,000 messages a day. We probably receive that many messages too.

Communication consists of two basic skills: listening and feedback.

There are messages we intend to send, messages we actually send, messages the listener thinks he/she heard, responses from the listener due to what he/she heard, and our reaction to the exchange of messages. Is it any wonder things may get garbled along the way?

Good listening takes a lot of practice. It requires concentration. Our minds think four times faster than a person can speak so our minds tend to wander. As we listen we need to focus on a speaker's words, body language, intended message and even unintended message. We need to listen without judging what we hear. A leader learns to listen at least as much as he/she speaks.
When we speak, we give feedback that includes expressing feelings, sharing information and ideas, understanding others and making observations. There are many ways to give feedback.

"I" messages are one type.

The art of conversation is as much the art of listening as it is the ability to express one's self.Bits & Pieces, October 1991

"I" Messages
An "I" message allows us to tell people what impact their behavior has on us without judging them. At the same time, it lets them decide whether or not to change that behavior. Using "I" messages, we describe our responses and do not evaluate behavior or suggest changes. We are not forcing them to accept our ideas.

An "I" message has three parts:
identify the specific behavior
describe the feeling we experience because of that behavior
tell the effect of the feeling.

"When I am interrupted, I feel upset because I lose my concentration."

"I am frustrated because not everyone in the group has had a chance to talk. We may be missing some great solutions to this problem."

Other Types of Feedback Include:
1. Active Listening
This is feedback that lets the speaker know we are concentrating on her/his message.
"I see...Hmmm" (nodding)

2. Asking for More Information
This enables others to expand on initial information.It tells the speaker we are interested in her/his thoughts
"That sounds interesting." "Tell us more."

3. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is saying what we think the speaker said. This gives the speaker a chance to confirm our interpretation or to clarify what was meant.
"Did I hear you say that although the plan isn't finished, we should start marketing the workshop while the committee works on the details?"

4. Sharing Information
Everyone's input is important. Group leaders need to be as open and honest as other members.
"I believe we need to move slowly and consider all possible options before we make a decision."

5. Checking Feelings
It's best to check to see if the emotion we think we see is the correct interpretation.
"Are you are frustrated? Would you like to talk about it?"

6. Reporting Feelings
Tell others what your emotional state is at a given time.
"It's been a long day. I'm not productive any more. Could we talk about this at the next meeting?"

7. Offering or Requesting More Options
Even good ideas can be made better when more people are involved. Suggesting other options is helpful.

These are some great ideas here. Could we expand any of these ideas now?"

Leaders practice skills that enhance communication within a group.
Effective communication helps a group function successfully and helps individuals develop, too. Positive communication helps members feel valuable and welcome to share their talents.
When all members practice effective communication, trust, cooperation and productivity in the group will be enhanced.

The following hints ensure effective communication:
Group members listen and pay attention to one another
One topic is discussed at a time
Members work through conflict rather than avoiding it
Everyone has a chance to state their views
Decisions are clearly stated so all members understand
Regular feedback helps the group to stay focused on goals.

Body Language -- Check the Message

Nonverbal communication is called body language.
Facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and body posture are parts of body language. Even when we are speaking, we need to observe body language. Body language can tell us if listeners are interested, bored, confused or disagreeing with us.

Don't jump to conclusions about what we think we see in body language. It is important to observe nonverbal communication and use it as a check point to see if we understand the message.

"I see some frowns. Does anyone have a concern about this option?" "There has been very little reaction to this proposal. How does the group feel right now?"

Our culture teaches us what is acceptable nonverbal communication. Some cultures find certain types of body language (Ex. eye contact, standing too close) inappropriate or even offensive. Effective communication includes being sensitive to those differences. Observe body language and then check the message.

It's all right to hold a conversation as long as you let go of it once in a while.
Bits & Pieces, June 1991

Helping All Members Participate
A group is most effective when all members contribute. Some members may be very quiet during a meeting or a few members may dominate. Here are techniques that encourage and enable everyone to participate.

Round Robin
The round robin may be used at the beginning of a discussion if it's likely that everyone already has an opinion about a topic or at the end of a discussion when everyone has been informed about a subject. Then:

a. Ask the group one question.
"If we had unlimited funds, how would you solve this problem?" "What is your opinion about this proposal?"

b. Allow several minutes for members to think.

c. Ask each person to write his/her comments on paper.

d. Each person takes a turn telling the group her/his response. (Individuals have the option to PASS without commenting.)

e. Every person in the group must have the opportunity to share his/her response BEFORE any person can speak a second time.

Small Group Discussion
A small group discussion is helpful when a topic is complicated or there are many factors to consider. Some individuals are more comfortable speaking in a small group than among many people. Communication in small groups can be more direct and productive than in a larger group.

To facilitate a small group discussion:

a. Ask a discussion question. Make sure everyone understands the question and purpose of the discussion.

b. Announce the amount of time groups will have to discuss the question. A minimum of seven minutes should be allowed.

c. Then divide membership into small groups. A group of 4 to 6 members is comfortable.

Discussion becomes more difficult with more than 10 people.

Encourage new combinations of ideas by inviting members to vary the individuals they talk with in the group.

Ways to divide members into small groups include:
-- Members select their own group"Find someone you haven't spoken with recently."
-- Members with same birthday month become a group
-- Groups form around a favorite color: blue, red, yellow
-- Individuals with colored name tags meet together

d. Ask one person from each small group to record comments, summarize and report back to the large group. Reports may be written on newsprint and taped to a wall for the group to consider during discussion.

I'd rather know some of the questions than all of the answers.James Thurber

Brainstorming
Brainstorming is the process of collecting as many ideas as possible in a short time. People should be encouraged to list a quantity of ideas rather than sorting out the quality ideas. "Free wheeling" is encouraged. Ideas don't have to be practical. This can be done with a large group.

a. Ask for a volunteer to write all ideas on a blackboard or flip chart where members can see and hear ideas.

b. Review the rules of brainstorming with the group. They are:
-- List as many ideas as possible.
-- Feel welcome to add ideas quickly.
-- A key word from every idea will be noted.
-- No judgment can be made about an idea.
-- Wild ideas are welcome. Creativity is good.
-- It's O.K. to expand an idea that's already been mentioned.
-- Brainstorming will continue until no new ideas are added.

c. The leader's role is to help capture key words from every idea that is mentioned and invite comments from members who have not spoken.

d. When no more ideas are being added, the leader should stop the brainstorming session.

e. It is helpful to take a break after brainstorming to allow members to look at the list and discuss some of the ideas.

f. Then the group should establish criteria for selecting the best ideas. Narrow the list of ideas that meet criteria. The final solution may be a combination of ideas.

Nominal Group
This technique involves individual brainstorming and small group discussion. It provides the group with a priority list of ideas or solutions to consider. It can be done with a large or small group. If there are more than 8 people in the group, begin by dividing into small groups of four to six members each.

Distribute a notecard to each person.

State an open-ended question. EXAMPLE "What are some ways to encourage shopping on our main street?"

Ask everyone to spend several minutes writing down as many ideas as they can generate on their own notecard.

In small groups, ask each individual to share each item on his/her list to be written on a flip chart. Questions can be asked for clarification, but no judgment is made about an idea.

When all ideas have been listed, each individual selects five ideas from the total list and ranks the top five ideas on his/her notecard. (The highest ranking idea receives 5 points. The lowest ranking idea receives 1 point.)

Then each person identifies his/her five top ideas and reports the point ranking assigned to each. A facilitator places the number of points assigned to the ideas selected.

Add the points for each idea listed to identify which ideas rated highest among the group.

Parliamentary Procedure or Consensus?
Parliamentary procedure can be very helpful during meetings. It is the formal way to implement majority rule decision making in a group.

Majority rule decision making is not comfortable to all people, especially in some cultures.

Consensus is another way to make group decisions that may be more comfortable.
Consensus occurs when everyone in the group chooses to agree without taking a vote.

The advantages to consensus are that it:
Encourages open communication
Requires members to identify the issue and understand it
Involves all members in a cooperative team effort
Allows people time to "buy into" a decision so everyone wins
Can set the stage for a clear action plan.

The disadvantages to consensus decision making are that it:
Takes time. The larger the group, the more time it takes.
May not work if members of the group do not trust one another enough to speak out.
Requires a leader to facilitate the discussion, time for input and encouragement for every person to speak.
Requires a to leader help keep the discussion focused.

Consensus decision making is similar to problem solving. The steps are:
1. Define the problem
2. Brainstorm all alternatives
3. Evaluate the alternatives
a. Explore as many views as possibleb. Give everyone a chance to be heardc. Listend. Disagreements should be viewed as ways to clarify ideas or as sources of new information
4. Select alternatives that will provide win/win solutions without deadlock for the group.
5. Implement the decision.
6. Evaluate what has been accomplished.

As a leader, you should have confidence in yourself, be flexible, and be able to listen to people. The reason you want to listen to people is so you can understand what they want. By finding out what they want, you can [help them] meet their needs.Don Alexander

Keep It Simple
Communication is most effective when it is simple. Most people can only absorb 80 percent of what they hear. Information should be offered to a group in small bits and pieces. More information can be provided as group members learn and understand a basic idea.

Group leaders know effective communication should:

Refresh people's memories periodically to help recall basic information
NOT offer more information than is needed
Be as creative and simple as possible
Offer a message in more than one method, such as verbal, written and demonstration.
Complex information should be:
Offered to the group in written form with a verbal report
Given in step-by-step, logical order
Checked for understand by asking, "Would someone please give the group their interpretation of this information."

If you don't understand a problem, then explain it to an audience and listen to yourself.Roger von Oech, President, Creative Think

I can...
Learning is more complete when you experience and apply information you have just thought about. Consider the following questions on your own or with a friend to learn more about communicating effectively within a group.

What are common communication problems you have observed in an organization or club?

How do you feel when you are asked to talk or you choose to talk in a group?

Are you confident? Nervous? Enthusiastic? Shy? Why do you feel that way?
Which communication skills would you like to improve?

If one member of an organization tends to dominate a meeting or discussion, what could you do to change that situation?

The next time you are in a group and members do not participate in a discussion, what could you suggest? Can you think of three different options?

Imagine a conversation with someone. Practice "I" messages:
When __________. (behavior)
I feel __________. (feeling experienced)
because ____________. (impact of the behavior)

Images
Stand up straight so they will see you. Speak loudly so they will hear you. And sit down quickly so they will like you.Galion

Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you,
But of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will say, `We did this ourselves.'
Lao Tzu

We hear and apprehend only what we already know. Roger von Oech

Applause is the only appreciated interruption.Arnold Glasgow

Sources
Bateman, Arnold. (1990). Team building: Organizing a Team. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, Cooperative Extension.

Bits & Pieces. Fairfield, NJ: The Economics Press, Inc.
Family Community Leadership. Oregon Cooperative Extension.
Lesmeister, Marilyn. (1989). Up front with groups: Volunteer learning series. Madison: University of Wisconsin.
New Jersey Leadership Training and Development Committee. (1990). Be a better leader. New Jersey: Rutgers Cooperative Extension, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
Walters, Dottie. (Ed.). (1988). Leadership strategists. Glendora, CA: Royal.
Working with Our Publics. Module 5. Learners' Packet.

Prepared by:
Marilyn LesmeisterLeadership and Volunteer Development Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Make a good first impression!Your resume is your introduction to prospective employers and recruiters. Presenting yourself correctly opens more doors and improves your chances of landing the job you want.

Join us to learn the...

Seven Steps to a Great Executive Resume
Thursday, May 25, 20061:00 - 2:30 PM ET


Hosted by ExecuNet founder Dave Opton and featuring noted executive resume expert Louise Kursmark, you'll learn how to:

Utilize 7 easy steps to create an effective resume
Use Dynamic Phrases to Generate Excitement
Power Up Your Achievements
Transform Your Job Descriptions
Format Your Resume the Right Way
Get the Solutions You Need Now - ask questions live

And much, much moreWe are limiting attendance to a small group so that you'll be able to ask Louise questions at any time. Plus you'll have the opportunity to network with and learn from your colleagues.

FREE Bonus

When you attend this program, you'll also receive a free copy of the book Executive Job Search for $100,000 to $1 Million+ Jobs by Louise Kursmard and Wendy S. Enelow (a $24.95 value).

No Travel Necessary!
Enjoy this webinar from the comfort of your home or office. Louise has distilled her 20+ years of experience into a concise 90-minute seminar designed to help you make a great first impression.

Sincerely,
Pam Brown
800-637-3126
pbrown@execunet.com

The Habits of Entrepreneurial Work
Written by: Michael Lloyd

Many business owners are not very skilled at thinking and acting like an entrepreneur. Your Primary Aim, the words you use to describe the essence of your life, and your Strategic Objective, your vision for your ideal business, may be your first experience setting priorities and identifying what is really important to you. Once you have them articulated, it's time to practice strategic thinking so that you can build your business and your life intentionally and in accordance with the goals and objectives you've set for yourself. (For more information about your Primary Aim and your Strategic Objective, read Chapters 12 and 13 of The E-Myth Revisited.)
Most business owners spend far too much time working IN their business, doing what we call Technician-type work that could be done by any employee with the necessary skills. The E-Myth Point of View says you need to go to work ON your business. (See Chapters 1 and 2 of The E-Myth Revisited for more about the Technician and the Entrepreneur). Doing more Technician or "hands-on" work will not help you move your business closer to your Strategic Objective. Only when you work ON your business (strategic work) will you change the way the business performs. So it's important to make time for strategic work. If the business owner uses time management tools to do nothing but more Technician work, they'll turn this tool into a shiny new fire hose. Putting out the fires is not your objective! Your objective is to trim back the undergrowth and build some new fire-resistant structures so the fire doesn't start in the first place.
Here are some ways to keep you focused on the strategic work. Business owners who achieve the results they want will develop similar habits and attitudes. Two of the most important attitudes you need to develop are:
· Strategic work is the most important work you can do. Make it an absolute priority every day no matter what else happens.
· You need to make decisions and then take action on those decisions, even though you don't have all of the information about the situation. In other words, cultivate a willingness to step into the unknown.
Many, if not most of our clients, come to E-Myth lacking in one or both of those attitudes. To effect change, you need to develop the following habits:
· First and most importantly, spend at least ONE HOUR A DAY devoted to strategic work. Strategic work is any work related to planning, tracking, or managing the operation of the business. You need to make this a daily practice and it must take priority over everything else. If you develop this habit, you'll begin to change the way you see their business. If you don't, you probably won't change, or it will take a lot longer to make the shift.
· Try doing something different at least once a week. Whether it's a new way of training employees, a new way of interacting with customers, a new way of producing the product or service, a new way of answering the phone, or even something as simple as a new way of dealing with incoming mail, trying something new helps you exercise your entrepreneurial "muscles." You need to take a stab at it even if you don't have all of the answers or aren't sure how it will work. It does not have to be perfect. Waiting for perfection is just an excuse to not try anything new! Just try it, and observe it closely to see what works and what doesn't work. You can make adjustments as you go based on what you learn.
· As soon as possible, start looking for ways to delegate technical work to others. Make a list of what kind of technical work you want to delegate, decide which position (not person!) is most appropriate to delegate to, and create a timeline and a plan to hand it over.
· Take away employees', customers', and family's permission to interrupt whenever they feel like it. Few strategies will have a greater impact on your productivity! Have employees get in the habit of prioritizing their "crisis" and develop a proposed solution to the issue before they come to you. Only events that require immediate attention are worth an interruption. If the situation does not require immediate attention, the employees must find another way of communicating with you. E-mail, voicemail, adding it to the agenda of the next scheduled meeting, or putting it in a report are all preferable to interrupting you. Make someone else in the business the point of contact for your customers. Change your cell phone number and don't give the new one to your customers. Instruct your employees not to give out the new number to ANYONE. Instruct your family to limit calls to you during the workday. Let your voicemail pick up the calls that do come in. You can listen to your messages and return them in batches a couple of times a day, instead of dealing with every perceived "crisis" in the moment.
· Once a week, review your Strategic Objective and create a plan to do some work to generate observable, quantifiable progress toward that Strategic Objective. Making these habits a daily practice takes time and effort, but they will have significant benefits for you and your business. These habits allow you the space you need to think about how to do business differently. And doing business differently than you've been doing it is absolutely essential to you getting what you want from your business and from your life!

The Brand Called You

Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Here's what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc.
From: Issue 10 August/September 1997 Page 83 By: Tom Peters Illustrations by: Alison Seiffer

It's a new brand world.
That cross-trainer you're wearing -- one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded. That coffee travel mug you're carrying -- ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end ...
You're branded, branded, branded, branded.
It's time for me -- and you -- to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.
Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding.
We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.
It's that simple -- and that hard. And that inescapable.
Behemoth companies may take turns buying each other or acquiring every hot startup that catches their eye -- mergers in 1996 set records. Hollywood may be interested in only blockbusters and book publishers may want to put out only guaranteed best-sellers. But don't be fooled by all the frenzy at the humongous end of the size spectrum.
The real action is at the other end: the main chance is becoming a free agent in an economy of free agents, looking to have the best season you can imagine in your field, looking to do your best work and chalk up a remarkable track record, and looking to establish your own micro equivalent of the Nike swoosh. Because if you do, you'll not only reach out toward every opportunity within arm's (or laptop's) length, you'll not only make a noteworthy contribution to your team's success -- you'll also put yourself in a great bargaining position for next season's free-agency market.
The good news -- and it is largely good news -- is that everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark.
Who understands this fundamental principle? The big companies do. They've come a long way in a short time: it was just over four years ago, April 2, 1993 to be precise, when Philip Morris cut the price of Marlboro cigarettes by 40 cents a pack. That was on a Friday. On Monday, the stock market value of packaged goods companies fell by $25 billion. Everybody agreed: brands were doomed.
Today brands are everything, and all kinds of products and services -- from accounting firms to sneaker makers to restaurants -- are figuring out how to transcend the narrow boundaries of their categories and become a brand surrounded by a Tommy Hilfiger-like buzz.
Who else understands it? Every single Web site sponsor. In fact, the Web makes the case for branding more directly than any packaged good or consumer product ever could. Here's what the Web says: Anyone can have a Web site. And today, because anyone can ... anyone does! So how do you know which sites are worth visiting, which sites to bookmark, which sites are worth going to more than once? The answer: branding. The sites you go back to are the sites you trust. They're the sites where the brand name tells you that the visit will be worth your time -- again and again. The brand is a promise of the value you'll receive.
The same holds true for that other killer app of the Net -- email. When everybody has email and anybody can send you email, how do you decide whose messages you're going to read and respond to first -- and whose you're going to send to the trash unread? The answer: personal branding. The name of the email sender is every bit as important a brand -- is a brand -- as the name of the Web site you visit. It's a promise of the value you'll receive for the time you spend reading the message.
Nobody understands branding better than professional services firms. Look at McKinsey or Arthur Andersen for a model of the new rules of branding at the company and personal level. Almost every professional services firm works with the same business model. They have almost no hard assets -- my guess is that most probably go so far as to rent or lease every tangible item they possibly can to keep from having to own anything. They have lots of soft assets -- more conventionally known as people, preferably smart, motivated, talented people. And they have huge revenues -- and astounding profits.
They also have a very clear culture of work and life. You're hired, you report to work, you join a team -- and you immediately start figuring out how to deliver value to the customer. Along the way, you learn stuff, develop your skills, hone your abilities, move from project to project. And if you're really smart, you figure out how to distinguish yourself from all the other very smart people walking around with $1,500 suits, high-powered laptops, and well-polished resumes. Along the way, if you're really smart, you figure out what it takes to create a distinctive role for yourself -- you create a message and a strategy to promote the brand called You.
What makes You different?
Start right now: as of this moment you're going to think of yourself differently! You're not an "employee" of General Motors, you're not a "staffer" at General Mills, you're not a "worker" at General Electric or a "human resource" at General Dynamics (ooops, it's gone!). Forget the Generals! You don't "belong to" any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn't to any particular "function." You're not defined by your job title and you're not confined by your job description.
Starting today you are a brand.
You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times.
If your answer wouldn't light up the eyes of a prospective client or command a vote of confidence from a satisfied past client, or -- worst of all -- if it doesn't grab you, then you've got a big problem. It's time to give some serious thought and even more serious effort to imagining and developing yourself as a brand.
Start by identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from your competitors -- or your colleagues. What have you done lately -- this week -- to make yourself stand out? What would your colleagues or your customers say is your greatest and clearest strength? Your most noteworthy (as in, worthy of note) personal trait?
Go back to the comparison between brand You and brand X -- the approach the corporate biggies take to creating a brand. The standard model they use is feature-benefit: every feature they offer in their product or service yields an identifiable and distinguishable benefit for their customer or client. A dominant feature of Nordstrom department stores is the personalized service it lavishes on each and every customer. The customer benefit: a feeling of being accorded individualized attention -- along with all of the choice of a large department store.
So what is the "feature-benefit model" that the brand called You offers? Do you deliver your work on time, every time? Your internal or external customer gets dependable, reliable service that meets its strategic needs. Do you anticipate and solve problems before they become crises? Your client saves money and headaches just by having you on the team. Do you always complete your projects within the allotted budget? I can't name a single client of a professional services firm who doesn't go ballistic at cost overruns.
Your next step is to cast aside all the usual descriptors that employees and workers depend on to locate themselves in the company structure. Forget your job title. Ask yourself: What do I do that adds remarkable, measurable, distinguished, distinctive value? Forget your job description. Ask yourself: What do I do that I am most proud of? Most of all, forget about the standard rungs of progression you've climbed in your career up to now. Burn that damnable "ladder" and ask yourself: What have I accomplished that I can unabashedly brag about? If you're going to be a brand, you've got to become relentlessly focused on what you do that adds value, that you're proud of, and most important, that you can shamelessly take credit for.
When you've done that, sit down and ask yourself one more question to define your brand: What do I want to be famous for? That's right -- famous for!
What's the pitch for You?
So it's a cliché: don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle. it's also a principle that every corporate brand understands implicitly, from Omaha Steaks's through-the-mail sales program to Wendy's "we're just regular folks" ad campaign. No matter how beefy your set of skills, no matter how tasty you've made that feature-benefit proposition, you still have to market the bejesus out of your brand -- to customers, colleagues, and your virtual network of associates.
For most branding campaigns, the first step is visibility. If you're General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler, that usually means a full flight of TV and print ads designed to get billions of "impressions" of your brand in front of the consuming public. If you're brand You, you've got the same need for visibility -- but no budget to buy it.
So how do you market brand You?
There's literally no limit to the ways you can go about enhancing your profile. Try moonlighting! Sign up for an extra project inside your organization, just to introduce yourself to new colleagues and showcase your skills -- or work on new ones. Or, if you can carve out the time, take on a freelance project that gets you in touch with a totally novel group of people. If you can get them singing your praises, they'll help spread the word about what a remarkable contributor you are.
If those ideas don't appeal, try teaching a class at a community college, in an adult education program, or in your own company. You get credit for being an expert, you increase your standing as a professional, and you increase the likelihood that people will come back to you with more requests and more opportunities to stand out from the crowd.
If you're a better writer than you are a teacher, try contributing a column or an opinion piece to your local newspaper. And when I say local, I mean local. You don't have to make the op-ed page of the New York Times to make the grade. Community newspapers, professional newsletters, even inhouse company publications have white space they need to fill. Once you get started, you've got a track record -- and clips that you can use to snatch more chances.
And if you're a better talker than you are teacher or writer, try to get yourself on a panel discussion at a conference or sign up to make a presentation at a workshop. Visibility has a funny way of multiplying; the hardest part is getting started. But a couple of good panel presentations can earn you a chance to give a "little" solo speech -- and from there it's just a few jumps to a major address at your industry's annual convention.
The second important thing to remember about your personal visibility campaign is: it all matters. When you're promoting brand You, everything you do -- and everything you choose not to do -- communicates the value and character of the brand. Everything from the way you handle phone conversations to the email messages you send to the way you conduct business in a meeting is part of the larger message you're sending about your brand.
Partly it's a matter of substance: what you have to say and how well you get it said. But it's also a matter of style. On the Net, do your communications demonstrate a command of the technology? In meetings, do you keep your contributions short and to the point? It even gets down to the level of your brand You business card: Have you designed a cool-looking logo for your own card? Are you demonstrating an appreciation for design that shows you understand that packaging counts -- a lot -- in a crowded world?
The key to any personal branding campaign is "word-of-mouth marketing." Your network of friends, colleagues, clients, and customers is the most important marketing vehicle you've got; what they say about you and your contributions is what the market will ultimately gauge as the value of your brand. So the big trick to building your brand is to find ways to nurture your network of colleagues -- consciously.
What's the real power of You?
If you want to grow your brand, you've got to come to terms with power -- your own. The key lesson: power is not a dirty word!
In fact, power for the most part is a badly misunderstood term and a badly misused capability. I'm talking about a different kind of power than we usually refer to. It's not ladder power, as in who's best at climbing over the adjacent bods. It's not who's-got-the-biggest-office-by-six-square-inches power or who's-got-the-fanciest-title power.
It's influence power.
It's being known for making the most significant contribution in your particular area. It's reputational power. If you were a scholar, you'd measure it by the number of times your publications get cited by other people. If you were a consultant, you'd measure it by the number of CEOs who've got your business card in their Rolodexes. (And better yet, the number who know your beeper number by heart.)
Getting and using power -- intelligently, responsibly, and yes, powerfully -- are essential skills for growing your brand. One of the things that attracts us to certain brands is the power they project. As a consumer, you want to associate with brands whose powerful presence creates a halo effect that rubs off on you.
It's the same in the workplace. There are power trips that are worth taking -- and that you can take without appearing to be a self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing megalomaniacal jerk. You can do it in small, slow, and subtle ways. Is your team having a hard time organizing productive meetings? Volunteer to write the agenda for the next meeting. You're contributing to the team, and you get to decide what's on and off the agenda. When it's time to write a post-project report, does everyone on your team head for the door? Beg for the chance to write the report -- because the hand that holds the pen (or taps the keyboard) gets to write or at least shape the organization's history.
Most important, remember that power is largely a matter of perception. If you want people to see you as a powerful brand, act like a credible leader. When you're thinking like brand You, you don't need org-chart authority to be a leader. The fact is you are a leader. You're leading You!
One key to growing your power is to recognize the simple fact that we now live in a project world. Almost all work today is organized into bite-sized packets called projects. A project-based world is ideal for growing your brand: projects exist around deliverables, they create measurables, and they leave you with braggables. If you're not spending at least 70% of your time working on projects, creating projects, or organizing your (apparently mundane) tasks into projects, you are sadly living in the past. Today you have to think, breathe, act, and work in projects.
Project World makes it easier for you to assess -- and advertise -- the strength of brand You. Once again, think like the giants do. Imagine yourself a brand manager at Procter & Gamble: When you look at your brand's assets, what can you add to boost your power and felt presence? Would you be better off with a simple line extension -- taking on a project that adds incrementally to your existing base of skills and accomplishments? Or would you be better off with a whole new product line? Is it time to move overseas for a couple of years, venturing outside your comfort zone (even taking a lateral move -- damn the ladders), tackling something new and completely different?
Whatever you decide, you should look at your brand's power as an exercise in new-look résumé; management -- an exercise that you start by doing away once and for all with the word "résumé." You don't have an old-fashioned résumé anymore! You've got a marketing brochure for brand You. Instead of a static list of titles held and positions occupied, your marketing brochure brings to life the skills you've mastered, the projects you've delivered, the braggables you can take credit for. And like any good marketing brochure, yours needs constant updating to reflect the growth -- breadth and depth -- of brand You.
What's loyalty to You?
Everyone is saying that loyalty is gone; loyalty is dead; loyalty is over. I think that's a bunch of crap.
I think loyalty is much more important than it ever was in the past. A 40-year career with the same company once may have been called loyalty; from here it looks a lot like a work life with very few options, very few opportunities, and very little individual power. That's what we used to call indentured servitude.
Today loyalty is the only thing that matters. But it isn't blind loyalty to the company. It's loyalty to your colleagues, loyalty to your team, loyalty to your project, loyalty to your customers, and loyalty to yourself. I see it as a much deeper sense of loyalty than mindless loyalty to the Company Z logo.
I know this may sound like selfishness. But being CEO of Me Inc. requires you to act selfishly -- to grow yourself, to promote yourself, to get the market to reward yourself. Of course, the other side of the selfish coin is that any company you work for ought to applaud every single one of the efforts you make to develop yourself. After all, everything you do to grow Me Inc. is gravy for them: the projects you lead, the networks you develop, the customers you delight, the braggables you create generate credit for the firm. As long as you're learning, growing, building relationships, and delivering great results, it's good for you and it's great for the company.
That win-win logic holds for as long as you happen to be at that particular company. Which is precisely where the age of free agency comes into play. If you're treating your résumé as if it's a marketing brochure, you've learned the first lesson of free agency. The second lesson is one that today's professional athletes have all learned: you've got to check with the market on a regular basis to have a reliable read on your brand's value. You don't have to be looking for a job to go on a job interview. For that matter, you don't even have to go on an actual job interview to get useful, important feedback.
The real question is: How is brand You doing? Put together your own "user's group" -- the personal brand You equivalent of a software review group. Ask for -- insist on -- honest, helpful feedback on your performance, your growth, your value. It's the only way to know what you would be worth on the open market. It's the only way to make sure that, when you declare your free agency, you'll be in a strong bargaining position. It's not disloyalty to "them"; it's responsible brand management for brand You -- which also generates credit for them.
What's the future of You?
It's over. No more vertical. No more ladder. That's not the way careers work anymore. Linearity is out. A career is now a checkerboard. Or even a maze. It's full of moves that go sideways, forward, slide on the diagonal, even go backward when that makes sense. (It often does.) A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.
As you scope out the path your "career" will take, remember: the last thing you want to do is become a manager. Like "résumé," "manager" is an obsolete term. It's practically synonymous with "dead end job." What you want is a steady diet of more interesting, more challenging, more provocative projects. When you look at the progression of a career constructed out of projects, directionality is not only hard to track -- Which way is up? -- but it's also totally irrelevant.
Instead of making yourself a slave to the concept of a career ladder, reinvent yourself on a semiregular basis. Start by writing your own mission statement, to guide you as CEO of Me Inc. What turns you on? Learning something new? Gaining recognition for your skills as a technical wizard? Shepherding new ideas from concept to market? What's your personal definition of success? Money? Power? Fame? Or doing what you love? However you answer these questions, search relentlessly for job or project opportunities that fit your mission statement. And review that mission statement every six months to make sure you still believe what you wrote.
No matter what you're doing today, there are four things you've got to measure yourself against. First, you've got to be a great teammate and a supportive colleague. Second, you've got to be an exceptional expert at something that has real value. Third, you've got to be a broad-gauged visionary -- a leader, a teacher, a farsighted "imagineer." Fourth, you've got to be a businessperson -- you've got to be obsessed with pragmatic outcomes.
It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else.
Tom Peters (TJPET@aol.com) is the world's leading brand when it comes to writing, speaking, or thinking about the new economy. He has just released a CD-ROM, "Tom Peters' Career Survival Guide" (Houghton Mifflin interactive). Rob Walker contributed the brand profile sidebars.

FREEDOM
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -- The Declaration of Independence

"The arms we have been compelled by our enemies to assume we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverance, employ for the preservation of our liberties being with one mind resolved to die free rather than live slaves." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Whatever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America’s heart, her benedictions and her prayers." -- John Quincy Adams

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." -- Thomas Paine


SERVICE/CUSTOMER SERVICE
"Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness -- great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy." -- Jim Rohn

"How friendly are your companies’ first words? Just try this…start all conversations with customers using one of the following words or phrases: 'great!' 'no problem', 'you're in luck', 'that's my favorite problem'." -- Jeffrey Gitomer"

Always give more in service, than you receive in payment, and customers will beat a path to your door." -- Denis Waitley

"Proper business planning demands that you focus on the self-interest of the customer at all times." -- Brian Tracy

SKILLS
"Don't wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." -- Jim Rohn

"The more you know, the less you need to say." -- Denis Waitley

"Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty." -- William J. Bennett

"You can't solve a problem on the same level that it was created. You have to rise above it to the next level." -- Albert Einstein

"You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life.'" Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

"To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then 'act out' the new behavior."
Dr. Maxwell Maltz

Top 12 Future HR Competencies
How strong are you in these areas? By Linda Davidson

According to "The Official End-of-the-Millennium State-of-HR Survey," the following are competencies that HR professionals believe they'll need most in the next few years.

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Leadership

Recruiting/Staffing

Employment Law

Training and Development

Technology

Forecasting

Compensation Design

Benefits Design/Administration

Accounting/Finance

Record Keeping

Workforce, August 1999, Vol. 78, No. 2, p. 73.
Linda Davidson is former executive editor for Workforce.

Essentials For Building A High Performance Team

Teams represent a very powerful mechanism for getting significant results in organizations today. Much has been learned about the development and implementation of teams over the past few years. We have seen what works, what doesn’t and the best approach for developing and nurturing teams. A new class of teams are evolving that have the potential of replacing traditional hierarchical organization structures with a flat, self directed, cross functional, process oriented structure. High Performance Teams are a special class of team that has the ability to easily adapt in a rapidly changing environment and is an essential element for highly successful organizations. The first step for building a high performance team is understanding the essential team ingredients that create a recipe for success.

By Dennis Sommer, PMP


Meeting organization goals is a top priority for leaders today. These goals include increasing business efficiency, creating competitive advantage, improving internal customer satisfaction, controlling costs and leveraging intellectual assets.

The first question asked is “How” can this be accomplished. Many organizations have struggled with this answer and very few have found an answer that is successful.

For those organizations that have been successful, it all started from the bottom up, developing a strong team to develop and implement a solution that will meet the organizations goals. These unique, highly productive teams are now commonly referred to as “High Performance Teams” and are essential for meeting critical organization goals.

Therefore, building high performance teams is a top priority for many leaders. The benefits and value produced by these teams are very clear and being viewed as essential tools in their business strategy.

High Performance Teams produce the following benefits.

1. Increased productivity

2. Improved customer service

3. Ability to do more with less

4. Increased innovation

5. Ability to quickly adapt to change

6. Ability to solve difficult, critical problems

Team Essentials – The Ingredients

So where do we begin? Like a great chef making the perfect souffle, we must follow a recipe that will deliver the best possible outcome. This recipe includes the ingredients, preparation and the process for making the perfect souffle If you forget an ingredient, add too much, eliminate preparation steps, or change the process you will not end up with the results you are expecting. For leaders, this translates into ineffective teams that can not meet critical business goals.For today, lets look at the ingredients necessary for building a high performance team.

Trust

Trust in your team, their trust in you and the trust between the team members is the core ingredient that holds everything together. You develop trust by setting guidelines for team behavior and decision making, where the people have certain freedoms to make decisions, take risks and speak their minds. They will also have certain obligations to always speak the truth, work with other teams, be accountable for decisions and actions and to learn from the their mistakes.
Leaders who have rules and policies for everything create an environment of bureaucracy and stifle team performance. The environment is orderly and structured, but leaves little room for team members to use their own judgment, take ownership or be motivated to complete tasks quickly. On the other hand, leaders who have no guidelines for the team run the risk of leading a team in chaos. Neither of these work.Implementing guidelines where people are trusted, promotes an environment where team members will give their best, produce more and with improved quality.

Vision
High performance teams share and support a “Vision” of what the team will accomplish. Team members are highly focused on meeting their goals and objectives. Leaders work with the team to develop a vision that brings real meaning to the work that is being performed. The vision defines the future state and is clear, defined and concrete. The team needs a winning, inspirational vision that will motivate them to go above and beyond when the effort is required. Lets look at a few great vision statements: Rid the world of AIDS, Triple the productivity of every manufacturing plant, or Increase customer satisfaction to 100%.

Optimism
The next key ingredient is “Optimism”. High performance team members have dreams for achievement. These dreams are fueled by the leaders optimism. It is true that team members will flourish when they have hope and they will give up when they don’t. High performing team members thrive on accomplishment and recognition they get when working through difficult problems and persevering. This perseverance requires optimism.
The responsibility of a leader in an optimistic environment is to be realistic and optimistic at the same time. Realism is important because it acknowledges the facts of the situation no matter how unpleasant they are. An optimistic environment dictates that given the facts of the situation, the team will continue to work toward their goals. When teams lose optimism, it is the responsibility of the leader to coach the team to get them back on track. Together the team acknowledges the situation and begins to generate ideas for solving the current problem.

Enjoyment
A leader must make the environment enjoyable to work in. Team members perform at their peak when they enjoy what they do and with whom they do it with. Enjoyment doesn’t mean you play cards all day long.
Real enjoyment comes when the leader and team are deeply involved in working a critical problem and they persevere together as a complete unit. The leader sets the tone for the team.

Setting the tone for an enjoyable work environment is accomplished by showing that you enjoy your job, that you like the people you work with and that you appreciate their hard work.

Thank team members for working through the weekend. Let them take a long lunch if they worked 12 hours the previous day.

Praise them for new ideas.

Never blame team members for mistakes, laugh and learn from the mistakes.

Keep the team focused on winning instead of failing.

Empowerment
High performance team members are self directed. When empowered to accomplish a goal, these team members take ownership of their responsibilities and are committed to succeed. Leaders of high performance teams work to focus the “Team” on “What” needs to be achieved.

The “What” is defined as the vision, goals, objectives and milestones for the team.
The “How” work is to be accomplished must remain the sole responsibility of the team.
When leaders start telling teams how the work is to be done, the team becomes de-motivated and performance drops dramatically.

Opportunity

The final ingredient for a high performance team is developing an environment where team members can grow. Top performers need to learn new skills and be permitted to develop and implement new ideas to work at their peak. Creating an environment where team members can experience different roles, cross train, work with diverse teams and learn new specialties will develop team members who are more self assured, who listen, and are more open to new ideas. This strategy of continuous learning will keep the team energized and motivated to perform at the highest levels.

A Final Word

As a leader, you have the power to influence the people and performance of the team. If you truly believe in creating an environment where Trust, Vision, Optimism, Enjoyment, Empowerment and Opportunity are encouraged, then you will build a solid, sustainable and high performing team.

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10 Manager Skills To Improve
Want to be a better manager?
We have a list of 10 important management practices and skills that you can start improving today.
By Dennis Sommer, PMP


Make clear cut decisions when needed.

Get to the heart of problems instead of dealing with less important issues.

Follow up on important issues and actions.

Level with individuals and say what you think about their performance.

Be open and candid rather than reserved and cautious.

Venture beyond your circle of friends.

Visit one or two of your peers in other departments every week and think about what information you might obtain on each visit.

Plan a manager’s forum. Once or twice a year, this allows time for discussion about common areas of interest.

Do favors. Offer the services of your department to other managers when they are in a crunch. When you need help, they will gladly reciprocate.

Identify communication glitches. Are you receiving information from other departments on a timely basis? Discuss these issues with your peers in other departments.

Involve senior management. Although you normally do not need approval to meet informally with other managers, let senior management know about your plans so your actions are not misinterpreted.

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Why Do System Implementations Fail?
Despite several decades of experience in implementing software packages, in general, companies still are seeing less than satisfactory results. Project failure rates still remain extraordinarily high. Based on a survey of 417 IT executives and managers, we have compiled a list of 36 risk factors to avoid or mitigate during a system implementation.

By Dennis Sommer, PMP



There are so many things that can go wrong, as illustrated by the long list below. But awareness of these pitfalls can be one of the first steps towards a successful implementation.
What can go wrong ?

The following is a list of 36 common reasons why computerized system implementations fail - in no particular order.

1. Poor quality vendor assistance.
2. Not enough vendor assistance.
3. Inadequate reference checks.
4. Inexperienced project manager.
5. No depth of expertise on project team.
6. Insufficient size of project team.
7. Unclear roles and responsibilities for implementation.
8. Lack of top management support.
9. No buy-in from Operations.
10. Lack of commitment of workers
11. No buy-in from other stakeholders such as Information Systems or Accounting.
12. Inadequate training.
13. Unrealistic timeline.
14. Big bang implementation.
15. Unrealistic business case.
16. Inadequate budget for implementation.
17. Poor communication to stakeholders throughout implementation.
18. Poorly articulated goals and objectives.
19. Unclear performance measures and targets.
20. No personal incentives for smooth implementation.
21. Poorly understood consequences if implementation fails.
22. Poor fit of the computerized system to business needs.
23. Lack of seamless integration with other business applications.
24. No formal process for issue resolution.
25. No risk management process.
26. Poor system design and architecture.
27. Inadequate process design pre-work.
28. Unforeseen job design changes resulting from new processes or system.
29. Excessive package customization
30. Poorly planned and executed data conversion from old system.
31. Poorly understood policies and procedures.
32. Inadequate testing.
33. Lack of proper pilot implementation.
34. Inadequate facilities for system hardware.
35. Insufficient resources to operate the system.
36. Excessive start-up effort, setting parameters, preferences, etc.

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BTRC is a performance improvement company providing the most comprehensive list of products and services to improve project team, department, and business unit performance with less effort. The right tools can help today's professional become tomorrow's top executive leader. Top performing project teams, consultants, managers, and executives use BTRC strategy and execution products to improve their performance and advance their careers. http://www.btrconline.com/index.html

http://www.btrconline.com/whitepapers/Why%20Do%20System%20Implementations%20Fail.htm

Recruiting and Your Reputation
By Bill Catlette and Richard HaddenMay 2006

It would be hard to have missed last year's steady drumbeat of reports describing the difficulty experienced by military recruiters in filling quotas for new recruits, primarily for the "ground services." Reports released by the Army's Public Affairs Office showed persistent (and growing) recruiting deficits throughout much of 2005, culminating in a 7,000+ shortage of new US Army recruits for the '05 recruiting year.

In a May 13, 2005 USA Today article, ("Army Offers 1 1/4 year Hitch"), Maj. Gen. Michael Rochelle, (now former) head of the Army's Recruiting Command suggested that, despite the addition of hundreds of new recruiters, a plethora of new enlistment deals, and substantial signing bonuses, the problem may not be short lived, owing to "the toughest recruiting climate ever faced by the all-volunteer Army."

Many have suggested that the problem stems from an enhanced "danger factor" over the past four years, during which both active and reserve troops have been steadily engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though there is likely some truth to that, we don't believe it's the sole cause - not by a long shot.

For as long as there have been armies, soldiers and their families have understood that they are engaged in difficult, dangerous duty. The pay is low, separations can be long, conditions are harsh, and the soldier may not come back in one piece, or at all.
Whether in civilian life or the military, an organization's ability to recruit is driven in large part by its reputation. Organizations that become known for indifferent or unfriendly employment practices find it difficult (and more expensive) to attract and retain talented people. To a great degree, the same things that impinge on private industry also impact the military. There are a host of factors that contribute to one's reputation as a place to work, including the following:

Clear sense of purpose & mission People want to be involved in work that is meaningful to them. In order to really engage with the organization, they require a clear and compelling sense of purpose and direction. Translation - they want to read mysteries, not live them. Evidence suggests that many - clearly not all - but many patriotic, pro-military soldiers are unclear about the mission in Iraq. If that's true, they can't possibly be as engaged as if they were certain of their reason for being there.

Interestingly, recent reports indicate that while attracting new recruits remains the challenge it was a year ago, the Army is ahead of its re-enlistment goals for the year. In describing the possible reason behind the re-enlistment success, Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman, said in an April 9, 2006 USA Today article, "Our people want to be part of something greater than themselves, and they're willing to put up with a lot." He could have been talking about your people, too.

Could it be that the mission has been clearly articulated for some already on duty, but not for the masses on the outside, the source of new recruits?

Civilian employers are subject to the same phenomenon. Most, it seems cannot get beyond the wordsmithing associated with assembling a Mission Statement, to the far more important task of ensuring that all hands on deck have a clear sense of why the organization exists and where it's headed. Consequently, our people are forced to operate amidst a fog of banners, buzzwords, and catch phrases... 'mission flatulence' if you will. We would do well to burn off that fog and make sure (really sure) that our folks have an ultra clear sense of purpose and direction.

Enabled to Perform Like the rest of us, soldiers want a better than even chance of succeeding. Consistent with that aim, they want the tools, resources, and the chance to do their best work. Justified or not, Operation Iraqi Freedom has experienced enough well publicized complaints about the lack of armor, food, manpower, and equipment to erode confidence, and in turn, the military's reputation as an employer. (Gen. Bernard Trainor's recent book, Cobra II provides compelling documentation.) When private citizens feel obligated to hold bake sales to raise funds to purchase personal body armor and food for the troops, something is clearly wrong in the planning and provisioning process.

One area where the military excels is in training. It has been said that armies do two things: They prepare (train), and they fight. Lest there be any doubt, they are serious as a heart attack about that training, too. It is neither optional nor easy. Those of us in private industry or civilian public organizations would do well to study the example of the military here. At a minimum, we would come away with pointers about using your best and brightest, coupled with 'graybeards' to do the training; the benefits of 'live fire exercises', the effect of competence on confidence, and the need to maintain the training effort in good times and bad, to name but a few.

Deal Breaker After the Vietnam War, when the military faced recruiting difficulties, Congress enacted legislation giving the Department of Defense the option of involuntarily extending a soldier's commitment period. Though this "stop loss" authority was granted, the Pentagon didn't use it until 1990, in the build-up for the first Gulf War. Since then, in the face of a shrinking military footprint and increased deployment, stop loss authority has been routinely used to extend the tours of active troops in all branches, as well as those in the Reserve and National Guard. It's legal, but there's a price. Soldiers in the "all volunteer army" who had been taught since grade school that "a deal is a deal" suddenly learned otherwise.

Not unlike the current travails at United Airlines and the broken promises to employees and retirees over pensions, invoking 'King's X' authority for anything less than matters of clear and vital interest leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and a reputation sullied. When those considering being recruited (who, after all, don't have to join in the first place) learn that their four year commitment is, in fact, more open- ended than that, many are simply exercising their options to be civilians before the choice is snatched away from them. If we as corporate employers want to keep our reputations intact, we must do what it takes to ensure that our word is good. No one wants to go to work for a known deal breaker.

Re-Recruiting When the above-mentioned stop loss isn't invoked, soldiers normally have the opportunity to either exit the military or 're-up' every few years at the conclusion of their enlistment period. One important factor that is apparently helping the military reduce the demand for new soldiers, and taking some pressure off the recruiting effort, is increased emphasis on retaining the ones they've already got. In the weeks and months preceding the reenlistment period, the soldier is usually visited one or more times by their reporting senior for purposes of 're-recruiting' them to the military.

Their civilian counterparts, on the other hand, generally have an opportunity to quit or 're-up' at the end of each shift (sooner if you work in retail or fast food.) Wise leaders realize the fragile nature of the relationship and make it a point to continue the courtship long after the person has joined their organization. They meet frequently with their people, take an interest in them, and wonder in the back of their mind what their people are thinking and feeling when they go home each day.

Having watched a young, worried, pregnant military wife lie sleepless on the couch for four days waiting to hear from or about her husband when his unit had been hit by a suicide bomber, and then later deliver her baby without so much as a call, note, or email from anybody in the Department of Defense, one of us quickly realized that an important path to re- recruitment goes thru the employee's family. Here again, wise leaders take care to maintain appropriate sensitivity to, and dialogue with their teammates' family members. (For a free article on Re-Recruiting, click here.)

With a talent pool that appears poised to continue tightening, we would all do well to work at preserving (and enhancing) our reputation as a place to work. Those that do will compete handily for the hearts and minds of the workforce; those that choose not to may have to invent some stop loss measures of their own.