Article Check - Business

Are You in AWE of Your Employees?
Employers have become so concerned about seeming “unfair” or worse becoming the victims of lawsuits by unhappy ex-employees that they’ve stopped requiring minimum standards of employees. This can only lead to poor individual and eventually poor company performance. Your best employee performers will resent the fact that you use company money to pay people who aren’t up to standard and will reduce their own level of performance or leave.Take back the power in your workplace and set standards of performance. How to fairly assess each of your employees? I use a simple three part measurement tool with the acronym AWE or Able – Willing – Engaged.Is the Employee Able?This is the minimum standard of employment or continued employment. Does the employee have the basic job skills? Does he or she also have the people skills to be able to work effectively? Does the employee have family or personal issues that make it impossible for the employee to work the expected hours? Does the employee have any emotional or physical health issues that make it impossible to do the job effectively? Is he or she lacking any problem attitudes, such as racism or sexism that make them unable to be open to customer or co-worker interactions.If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you should move the employee to a

y be 'done' and ready to move on, having grown out of our relationship. Not anticipate or force, mind you, just wonder...

Or, if I don't sense a feeling of 'completion' forthcoming with a client, I ask what's going on in the coaching that's lending us such a degree of 'comfort.' I don't doubt it's possible to have a coach-client relationship that's alive and awake after 5, 10 or more years, but I feel strongly these are in the minority. For everything there is a season, and all that... so yes, I look forward to witnessing great milestones in my clients'

Your Fundraising Annual Appeal Letters Need A Villian
Anger is one of the best emotions that you can arouse in a donor. Anger is a healthy emotion, particularly when your fundraising letter offers donors a way to assuage their anger. “Individuals are more prone to respond to a genuine feeling of anger than to any other emotion,” says Roland Kiniholm in his book, Maximum Gifts by Return Mail.To make your donors angry, you need a villain. Villains are good. They help you focus your donors’ attention on one problem that needs fixing. That villain can be a person or a problem.My advice is that you never name a particular person as your villain, since doing so is not very charitable, excuse the pun. Plus, you might get sued for defamation of character or slander. Instead, you should attack the catastrophe that the villain has created, or simply make the catastrophe the villain. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has a villain: drunk driving (not drunken drivers) The Coalition Against Gun Violence has a villain: gun violence (not gun owners) Oxfam has a villain: poverty (not the wealthy) Habitat for Humanity has a villain: unaffordable housing (not landlords) Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States last week. The response by the US federal government to the plight of tens of

Coaching Prediction #3: There will be an increase in mainstream criticism of coaching and the self-help industry as a whole.

First - don't get me wrong, I'm not fearmongering here. But experience tells me that with topics such as Law of Attraction gaining so much ground so rapidly, and Oprah taking on 'The Secret' and so on, there will be push-back.

And the criticism will take many forms, some visible and some invisible - the latter even sometimes comes from family and friends.

But here's the thing about criticism: most of the time I believe there's something in it that's of value, that can be 'taken like a vitamin' so as to make us stronger. It gives us 'rigor' as it were.

Which is why I try to listen carefully to critics. Because in all of our idealism and desire for a better world, it still pays to have a discerning eye, yes?

In response to the questions I've received about this prediction, probably the most useful thing I can publish is a list I've made of "8 Things I Personally Try to Live By, as an active practicing coach." As I process questions about the efficacy of coaching, handle push-back, or even take criticism, I like to test myself against what's said and tweak or refine. It's a little like a 'living code of conduct' and one of my most fundamental tools for growth.

In no particular order:

(1) Be responsible. First, last and foremost - do no harm.

As simple a baseline as this is for any coach, it's still one worth noting. I find this one grounds me when I read it as I do from time to time - and helps me take a light touch in sessions.

Have you asked yourself lately, how responsible (or irresponsible) are you being in your coaching? Are you going out on a limb and taking unnecessary risks? Even if they're just words to you, what you say and do, how you 'are,' in your sessions can have a lifelong impact. So these are words to live by - even if you think 'you know.' First, do no harm.

(2) Come to understand all clients will be 'done' one day.

There are short client relationships, and long client relationships. But no client relationship is forever. I like to look into the future a little and 'wonder' when a certain client may be 'done' and ready to move on, having grown out of our relationship. Not anticipate or force, mind you, just wonder...

HR Interview Questions
When conducting HR interviews, it is vital to ask the right questions to get the information needed. This information is the basis for deciding if the candidates being interviewed are a good fit for the job or not. Well-crafted questions are necessary, to know a candidate as much as possible during the allotted interview time. It is important to ask the right questions, but it is equally important to know what not to ask. In other words, the various employment laws specify that certain questions should not be asked. Questions related to age, race, sex, religion, and disability cannot be asked; similarly, questions pertaining to color, nationality, origin, pregnancy, and other protected classifications are considered illegal.As a common thumb rule, all HR interview questions should be directly associated with the job in question and the tasks a candidate would be required to carry out if hired. It is advisable to interview candidates from a list of questions, make good notes, and be objective.HR interview questions have to be structured in such a way that interviewers get an idea of the candidate's past record. This is essential because past behavior is a forecaster of future performance. For instance the questions that can be asked are how candidates have handled something in the past, how have they comp

believe there's something in it that's of value, that can be 'taken like a vitamin' so as to make us stronger. It gives us 'rigor' as it were.

Which is why I try to listen carefully to critics. Because in all of our idealism and desire for a better world, it still pays to have a discerning eye, yes?

In no particular order:

(1) Be responsible. First, last and foremost - do no harm.

As simple a baseline as this is for any coach, it's still one worth noting. I find this one grounds me when I read it as I do from time to time - and helps me take a light touch in sessions.

(2) Come to understand all clients will be 'done' one day.

Why Franchise Your Business?
Can you franchise your business? Is franchising the right route to take for your business? As rents and rates rise in the main shopping areas & supermarkets take a greater share of consumer spending what are the advantages and disadvantages of franchising your business.If a business has managed to find a niche and can maintain a high profit margin through the ups and downs in the business cycle, then it might be possible to franchise. Is the business model easily explained? Can somebody who has no experience in this business be taught the specialised knowledge required to manage and make a profit in their town or city?If the answer is yes, then franchising could be very lucrative. Once the decision has been made to franchise the business, then it is imperative that the right person is found. A big mistake that a lot of franchisors make is to take the first person who comes to them with some money. Finding the right franchisee can be time consuming and very expensive.Once the right franchisees have been acquired, then you can expand your model relatively quickly. Once you achieve critical mass, then recruiting new franchisees become easier as the word gets around that your business model works.Once you have reached critical mass, then the whole group benefits from higher purchasing power. Na

aching, handle push-back, or even take criticism, I like to test myself against what's said and tweak or refine. It's a little like a 'living code of conduct' and one of my most fundamental tools for growth.

In no particular order:

(1) Be responsible. First, last and foremost - do no harm.

As simple a baseline as this is for any coach, it's still one worth noting. I find this one grounds me when I read it as I do from time to time - and helps me take a light touch in sessions.

(2) Come to understand all clients will be 'done' one day.

Why Some Ad Agency Relationships Stand the Test of Time
The pressures that wear on relationships between advertisers and their advertising agencies are increasing. Today’s growing focus on immediate results, instant return on investment, cost-cutting, and purchasing department attitude about advertising creative has changed the character of the advertising industry over the last decade. Many industry insiders worry that agency/client relationships are becoming less strategic as a result. Ad agencies are increasingly seen as providing commodity services best handled by the lowest bidder.For those who take advertising seriously, these trends threaten agencies’ ability to manage client brands long term. In order to do this, agencies must be seen as trusted stewards of companies’ external messages. Relationship longevity between advertiser and agency is important to building unbreakable bonds of trust.Locally there are great examples of advertisers and agencies that have journeyed together for decades. The local poster-child is DDB Seattle and its decades’ long relationships with McDonalds, Holland America, and Jansport. Founded in 1981 as Elgin Syferd, the agency’s first important account win was with McDonalds the same year. This was followed in 1983 with the Holland America account. It was clear at this point that Elgin Syferd was not an ordinary start-up, bu

irresponsible) are you being in your coaching? Are you going out on a limb and taking unnecessary risks? Even if they're just words to you, what you say and do, how you 'are,' in your sessions can have a lifelong impact. So these are words to live by - even if you think 'you know.' First, do no harm.

(2) Come to understand all clients will be 'done' one day.

No Vacancy for Customer Service
When I first started staying at the Neptune Motel, they had a decent continental breakfast with a good selection of donuts, bread for toast, muffins, fresh fruit and more. My favorite items where the orange juice and the little packets of Carnation Hot Chocolate that I would mix with my coffee.The motel rooms were nice and new, the towels fluffy. I even liked the hand lotion. It didn’t dry my hands like some alcohol based lotions and it didn’t make them feel greasy . . . they felt just right after rubbing on the lotion.In the three years or so that I’ve been staying there, a couple times a month or so, things have changed. The carpets are showing stains, the towels seem thinner and so is the hand lotion. The selection for breakfast has dwindled. There are no more donuts. The hot chocolate is gone, and the orange juice has changed to a cheaper brand and now tastes watered down. I never eat the complimentary breakfast anymore.About a hundred yards down the street is another motel where I can stay for about 20% less and yet, I choose to stay at the Neptune.What keeps me coming back is Betty, the morning desk clerk. I like her. She’s friendly and always has a smile. When the Neptune decided to raise their rates, Betty fought for my standing commercial rate. She won. I stay. When Betty goes, I w

y be 'done' and ready to move on, having grown out of our relationship. Not anticipate or force, mind you, just wonder...

Ask yourself "Are you in any way making efforts to keep your clients coming back?"

Do you know how to say goodbye to a client when it *is* time to say goodbye?*

(3) Cultivate self-sufficiency always. Be a no-addiction zone.

There is a huge world of a difference between marketing your services successfully, then securing a client as a result and ....creating an addictive relationship. Yet sometimes the differences can get blurry.

This is one of the reasons why it's critically important that coaches are never desperate for a client...the dynamic is instantly manipulative if that's the case.

I remember a mentor coach who I shadowed at the very beginning of my introduction to coaching. I had a visceral aversion to the way he seemed to revel in his clients' dependency...he would answer emails at all hours, always return phone calls, sometimes within a few minutes, encourage clients to be in touch very frequently...

On the face of it, this may seem like a strange thing to dislike...but I'm a fan of drawing out more self-sufficiency in a client. So I set it up that way - clients know I won't always reply quickly - they get a chance to think over their own questions. My answer comes more as an affirmation or addition to their own thoughts - but this way the key result is: they learn to think more assertively for themselves, and I'm the environment that supports that.

How might you be creating - even in a tiny way - a dependency on you in your clients? How can you embody tough love - the kind of love that creates strong individuals who don't need anything outside their own inner strength to continue on the path they've discovered? How might your financial situation be influencing how you relate to your clients?

(4) Focus on results, not just methodology or process.

Although results don't have to be money, or a promotion, relationship or other tangible thing, do ask yourself what intangible results you are creating. The best way to do this is still (only) to request your clients' self-assess.

Many clients may not realize they have the right to always be assessing your coaching relationship. You can help them by makin

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Branding is more than product recognition or a simple logo. It is the overall intellectual and emotional impression people have when they think of your company and its product. Branding is a combination of everything your company uses to present itself.

While women are still a minority in the corporate realm, many companies are encouraged to adopt Harry Klemfuss’ idea to recognize the importance of women in the office. In recent years, special products have been developed in order to recognize the hard work that women contribute to Corporate America.

The old way of attracting new customers just won't work anymore. It's time to change the way you fish!

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