Career Articles & Advice

Goal Attainment: What Would You Have to Give Up? by Kim Olver

As 2008 draws to a close, some of you are already looking ahead to what you want to do in 2009. It’s the time of year we begin to self-reflect and adjust our course for the upcoming year.

In my work coaching people, I find it interesting that many of my clients set very clear intentions for what they want to accomplish. They are passionate about it. They put in the required work for a period of time. And then something happens. Self-sabotage.

Does this sound familiar? Have you ever vowed to lose 10 pounds, speak nicer to your children, stop smoking, save money, pay off credit card debt, or maybe make a weekly date with your life partner? You mean it. You want to do it. You actually do it. And then you slack off?

Do you know why? There is actually evidence in neuroscience that explains why we drift back into old behaviors. Our brain actually wires itself to perform repetitive tasks without conscious effort. If you do something in the same sequence enough times, the neurons that are required to perform this task will automatically fire together in the familiar sequence whenever you are confronted with a similar situation and you aren’t vigilantly aware of what your mind subconsciously is programmed to do.

If you are accustomed to eating potato chips whenever you feel stress, then when you aren’t paying attention, at the first sign of stress, you may find yourself halfway through a bag of Ruffles before you even realize you’re eating.

Our brain is invested in maintaining the status quo. You weigh a certain amount. You aspire to a certain degree of happiness. You make a particular amount of money. Scientists have come to understand that our brains have particular set points, much like the thermostat in your home regulates the heat. Therefore, your brain, your subconscious, can work against you in accomplishing the conscious goals you set.

How is it some people are successful in pushing past their set points? There are several ways to do it. One is to maintain a constant vigil of consciousness to your every move. This is extremely exhausting but it can be done with great determination. Other ways include hypnosis or various energy psychology techniques, such as EMDR or EFT.

Another way is to bring whatever is subconsciously sabotaging you out into the light where you can consciously deal with it. In my work with coaching clients, I have found this to be a very effective question at getting to the root of the unconscious sabotage. Ask your client, “What would you have to give up to get what you want”? I’m not talking about the obvious, e.g. in order to lose weight, a person would have to give up chocolate and free time to exercise. I’m talking about really digging deep.

I asked a woman once what she would have to give up to lose the weight she wants and she looks at me dumbfounded and said, “My husband.” Upon further exploration, she subconsciously believed that if she got healthy enough emotionally to lose the weight she carried, then she would move beyond where her husband was and they would no longer be compatible.

Another woman I was working with was having difficulty breaking through her income barrier. She had her own business and just couldn’t move past the $50,000 mark. When I asked her what she would have to give up to be the successful business woman she truly wanted to be, she said she would lose her father’s love and approval. Her subconscious belief was that her father would love and approve of her as long as she wasn’t any more successful than he had been.

A final example was a man I was working with to develop his own coaching business. He had the skills, abilities and resources but just wasn’t making progress. When I asked him the question, what would he have to give up to leave his job and go out on his own, his answer was his dream. He was worried that if his dream wasn’t successful, then he would have nothing left. Better to have the dream intact than fail at the one thing he truly wanted.

So, this year, ask yourself this tough question. When you get the deepest answer you can find, examine it closely in the light of day. Is it valid? Is it important? Is it worth sacrificing your goal for? Only you can answer these questions but you’ll never even get to these questions unless you do some digging and get to that subconscious sabotage that often lurks in the background waiting to derail your forward progress. Don’t let it happen again this year. Take control and make conscious, intentional decisions.

Kim Olver, LPC is an executive coach, staff development specialist, public speaker and consultant. She has been a certified trainer for the William Glasser Institute since 1993 and has taught his ideas to thousands of people all over the world. She is also the author of, Leveraging Diversity at Work. Find out more about her Goal Attainment System or visit her website.

Article Source: Fun Personality

Is Network Marketing (aka Multi Level Marketing or MLM) the Right Business For You? by Daniel Herzner

Look folks, you don’t need me to tell you how bad the general economy is today. My heart breaks for anyone who faces uncertain times as a result of our crumbling corporate structure. I really believe this is a pivotal time in our history. A time where many people will turn to the home based business industry as a means of taking control of their own financial future. You may be wondering if starting a business of your own is the right move to make. This article is the third in a series which addresses network marketing as a home based business option.

Before we dig into whether or not a network marketing business is right for you, the broader and far more important question that needs to be answered first is this: is entrepreneurialism right for you? Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Building a business from the ground up requires a skill set not typically found in the average employee. You have to ask yourself if you’re ready to rely upon yourself for all of life’s necessities. Do you NEED the security of a paycheck? Are you ready to take on the responsibility of providing healthcare for yourself and family? Are you stuck on having your two weeks of paid vacation a year plus a fistful of paid sick days? If answering these questions made you at all uncomfortable then chances are good that the “risks” inherent in entrepreneurialism are probably more than you can bear.

You have to be living under a rock today to not see the horrid state our economy is in. So many companies are going out of business, thousands of people are losing their jobs and entire retirement nest eggs are being wiped out. A true entrepreneur recognizes that the real risk is in working for someone else and being beholden to a paycheck. They understand that the potential rewards far outweigh putting their financial wellbeing into somebody else’s hands.

So, where do you fall? Do you need that monkey trap known as a J.O.B. or do you have a bigger vision and a bigger goal for yourself? I really think that there are many people today who are going through a fundamental shift in their thinking. These folks are realizing that this is a new world we live in; one that requires self-reliance to achieve the good life. Most people will resist this new shift in thinking and will keep themselves stuck on a paycheck. You see, most people are wired to just survive whereas a true entrepreneur wants to thrive. And, I really believe that today’s economic fallout will result in a wave of new, home based business owners who understand the shift we’re going through.

The remainder of this article will make the assumption that you have the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive, not the employee mentality to merely survive. So let’s then answer the question of whether or not network marketing is the right business for you.

First of all, network marketing will afford you the opportunity of building a leveraged income business. What this means is that you’ll be building a business that will pay you whether or not you’re actively involved in the day to day operations. For example, a typical employee trades their time doing a J.O.B. in exchange for a paycheck. Once they stop producing for their boss, the paycheck stops. A network marketing entrepreneur works towards leveraged income so even when they stop producing, the checks continue to roll in because they’ve built a business organization. The great John Paul Getty said it like this: I would rather get paid 1% each on the effort of 100 people rather than get paid for 100% of my own effort.

There are many attractive aspects of operating a network marketing business. I’ll touch on only a few of them here. Firstly, you can get into business for a pretty modest initial investment. Yes, this is a business and yes, all businesses require an initial investment of some kind.

This is a business that can easily be operated from a home office. No fancy overhead or high profile location is required.

One of the scariest things an entrepreneur will face is having to go something alone. In network marketing, you’ll receive a tremendous amount of support to help you succeed. Your network marketing colleagues are ready, willing and able to assist your efforts. This is a pure “people helping people” business.

And of course there’s the freedom which having leveraged income can provide. Just think about how sweet life would be if you had the time and money you need to do the things you want to do when you want to do them.

There is much more I’d like to give you as food for thought in deciding on whether or not a network marketing business is right for you but will have to save it for the next article.

This is the third in a series of articles on the MLM / social marketing / network marketing industry. In the next article I’ll give you some additional self examination steps to go through to help you determine if multi level marketing is right for you. If you’d like to ensure that you don’t miss out on any installments in this series, I’d be happy to send past and future articles directly to you. Just shoot me an email and I’ll include you on my direct distribution list.

dan@danielherzner.com 914-525-2487 http://www.LetsGetBackToBusiness.com Daniel Herzner is Founder and President of Lets Get Back To Business dot com, located in White Plains, NY. Dan has been a serial entrepreneur for the better part of his adult life and has worked tirelessly at building businesses. His latest endeavor is a web site centered around providing resources to help others in buisness.

Article Source: Fun Personality

Who is the True Entrepreneur and the Three Qualities That Separates Them From the Rest by Max Griffith

In a world in which there are many misconceptions about what it is to be an entrepreneur, there is one truth that remains unchanged. This unchangeable truth is the fact that entrepreneurialism is more the spirit of a man than anything else he may possess.

It is a trait that not all men are privileged with and for whatever reason, those that do possess this spirit of entrepreneurialism cannot help but become the pioneers of the business world in which they inhabit.
It is the trait of a Bill Gates, Donald Trump and Steven Jobs. And Reguardless of public opinion, these are men who have reached their level of success due to the entrepreneural spirit they possess.

Many men dream big dreams and can reach the height of expectation, but very few ever truly live them out. They may fall short just inches away from the execution of their dream becoming a reality, or mere seconds prior to the implementation of “the plan” that is to be the catapult to their success.

The spirit of the entrepreneur is cloaked to the eyes of the wanting in the apparel of outward successes, with most never understanding that the true achievements of the entrepreneur were first born within.

This begs the question then of how a man or a woman is deemed an entrepreneur and how the pre-requisites of becoming an entrepreneur can be attained.

There are many traits of the “true entrepreneur” (to many to list here) but there are three that stand out in all who possess the “spirit” that is of an entrepreneur.

1. Desire is the first characteristic that all entrepreneurs own. Without this quality of desire no man or woman will achieve the level of success attained by great leaders.
When desire in you to create something to call your own burns like a wildfire unquenchable, there is nothing that can prevent you from achieving that which you have set your heart, mind and soul to accomplish.

2. A “Plan For Success” is the attribute necessary for the implementation of the ones undertaking. The entrepreneur is a well thought out individual who methodically maps and charts his course, then allows it to be scrutinized as a part of his preparation. A man without a plan is like a ship without a rudder, only to be taken in whichever direction the wind may be blowing. A “plan” is the rudder of success, bringing direction and purpose to the entrepreneur.

3. Persistence is perhaps the quality that eludes most would be entrepreneurs but is without doubt the trait that brings to life the dreams of a man or woman. For along the way of their journey are many road blocks, detours and set-backs. So those that do not own the quality trait of persistence are easily distracted from their goal when faced with such obstacles. Persistence is the “finish it” to all the tasks life.

No one is born an entrepreneur, but all who plan and persist at becoming one will not be denied their desire that is to become a “true entrepreneur.

Did you find this article helpful? If you did then take a look at the FREE step by step video tutorials of a true entrepreneur. http://www.CashYourBank.com

Article Source: Fun Personality

In Hard Financial Times the Soft Skills of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Matter Even More by Shaun Killian

In these times, whether you are trying to save your company or your career, the soft skills of emotional intelligence pay hard dividends. There is ample evidence linking emotional intelligence to effective leadership. Emotional intelligence is arguably the hottest topic in leadership development. There is also research conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership that shows how a lack of emotional intelligence underpins the most common reasons for career derailment. Clearly emotional intelligence matters. Yet, despite this well established fact, there is little practical guidance on how to actually become a more emotionally intelligent leadership. This article, written by the Australian Leadership Development Centre team, will give you the guidance you need.

To become a more emotionally intelligent leader you need to:

1. Accept the role of emotions in the workplace
2. Understand how emotions work
3. Become more aware of how you feel
4. Develop your ability to master your own feelings
5. Become better at reading how other people feel
6. Start using the universal language of emotions to talk those you lead

ACCEPT THE ROLE OF EMOTIONS IN THE WORKPLACE

People are emotionally driven creatures. As a leader, emotions affect your own personal actions and the actions of those you lead. Emotions underpin many of our choices and they affect the quality of thinking. Any attempts to relegate the place of emotions in the workplace behind the more acceptable roles of logic and reason are grounded in a delusional view of reality. The first step in becoming a more emotionally intelligent leader is to accept, and even welcome, the fact that emotions are a central aspect of organisational life that can work to help or hinder performance.

UNDERSTAND HOW EMOTIONS WORK

Trying to become a more emotionally intelligent manager without first understanding how emotions work is like trying to diagnose a patient without ever having attended medical school. Many people think that emotions are nothing more than irrational forces that should be subdued. In fact, emotions are both logical and predictable. You feel an emotion in response to something that has happened. When you lose something of value you feel sad. When someone has done you wrong, you feel angry. When you are threatened by the possibility of something bad happening in to you in the future, you feel worried or scared. In fact, all primary emotions (i.e. happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust, belonging and interest), have universal and logical causes. We also know that different emotions promote different forms of thinking and prime us to react in ways that are good for our survival. For a better understanding of emotions, visit my free hot list on emotional intelligence for managers. http://www.squidoo.com/emotional-intelligence-1

BECOME MORE AWARE OF HOW YOU FEEL

This does not mean obsessing about your feelings. Rather, it means being able to put a precise label on your feelings at given point in time, and to be conscious about the impact of that feeling on yourself and others. You can start to build your emotional awareness by getting in the habit of asking yourself how you feel several times each day. This may sound simple, but with the many competing demands on your time, it not likely to be easy. To help you decide upon the best label for your current feelings try these 3 steps. First, decide which of the eight primary emotions (listed in pint 1) best describe how you feel right now. Then, think about which words accurately describe the intensity of your feelings (e.g. annoyed and enraged reflect different levels of intensity within the primary emotion of anger). Finally, think about the impact that emotion has on you and others. What is the emotion prompting you to do (e.g. to stand up for yourself, to act now in order to stop something bad from happening, to pay closer attention or to reach out to others for support)? How is this feeling impacting on your thinking? Generally, happy moods facilitate creative, big-picture thinking, while more sombre and apprehensive moods help us to critique whatever is before us. What impact does your mood have on those around you? Anger sparks fear. Other emotions, especially when expressed by a manager, trigger mirror neurons in the brain. Like sparks like, happy managers induce happiness in others, sad managers induce sadness in others etc.

DEVELOP YOUR ABILITY TO MASTER YOUR OWN FEELINGS

While you should always acknowledge emotions, and consider their value, there will be times when you decide that your feelings are hindering rather than helping your leadership. Suppressing emotions does not work and the mental effort involved actually hinders your performance. To manage emotions, you actually need to change the way that you feel – not just slap on a happy face. There are two ways to do this. The first involves harnessing the power of memory. When we remember an emotionally charged experience from our past we re-experience the feelings we felt at that time. If you want to feel more confident, think of time in your life when you felt incredibly proud of what you had achieved. If you want to feel happy, think of time when you felt on top of the world. Actors use this method to help them get into role. To be truly effective, you need to step back into the experience and recall as much vivid detail as you can. The second way that you can change how you feel involves reframing the experience that has led you to feel the way you do right now. Quite often, when we feel strong disruptive emotions, we have skewed perspective of the situation at hand. Our skewed perspective feeds disruptive feelings and it becomes a vicious cycle. Reframing involves seeing the situation from a more accurate or a more helpful perspective. Threats become opportunities to be seized, weaknesses in one context become strengths in another and catastrophes become temporary setback on the eventual toad to success. One proven way to help you reframe your experience is to write about it for 20 minutes non-stop. While writing, use lots of cause and effect words (e.g. because, as a result, therefore) and ask yourself questions about the validity and usefulness of your views. Then, at the end of such an exercise, use the memory technique to replace the ill feeling with a more helpful emotion.

BECOME BETTER AT READING HOW OTHER PEOPLE FEEL

Armed with your enhanced understanding of what causes different emotions, you can predict how they feel by listening carefully to their perception of the situation at hand. This ability to read between the lines works both ways. If you are able to identify how they feel, you already know a great deal about what happened (or leats their perception of it). You can complement this ability to read between the lines with increased attentiveness to non-verbal cues – particularly tone and facial expression. Slow, monotone speech is indicative of sadness and boredom, while happy people speak in more lively tones. A terse and abrupt manner is indicative of anger, while ascending tones are associated with surprise. Facial expression is even more reliable, especially the involuntary micro-expressions that cross a person’s face before they have time to consciously mask how they feel. Paul Ekman is the authority on these micro-expressions and you can undertake some simple online training called METT online. Just Google Paul Ekman METT. Empathy.

START USING THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF EMOTIONS TO TALK THOSE YOU LEAD

It is actually easier than you may think. First, talk from the heart and put some expression in your voice. When we truly feel the words we speak, that feeling comes through. It also follows that you should not say anything that you do not really mean or feel. This is why emotional mastery is so important. As well as talking from the heart, you must learn to capture the hearts of those you are talking to. People like to feel appreciated and valued. They like a challenge and to know how well they are doing. Further, they like to feel in control of a future that they are creating for themselves. By stepping into the emotional shoes of those you lead, you can shape your words in a way that resonates with those you are talking to. This can be as simple as ‘thank-you’, or far-reaching as a vision communicated as a solution to their challenges.

In these hard financial times, developing soft emotional skills of leadership is more important than ever.

Shaun Killian (MLead, MEd) is an experienced educator and author. In 2007, Shaun chaired the National Summit on Leadership & People Development. Shaun is also guest columnist for The Australian, a partner with the Australian Leadership Development Centre

Article Source: Fun Personality

THG Worldwide CEO Jon Stromberg: New Ipswich Coach Puts Team in Position for Premier League by Jon Stromberg

THG Worldwide, Inc. CEO Jon Stromberg says the appointment of Roy Keane to head the Ipswich Town Football Club is part of an effort by THG’s parent company, marcus evans, to bring the team back to the top level of competitive football play, the Premier League.

“We’re excited about the prospects for the team under this new leadership,” Stromberg says. “This change is a win-win for everyone, particularly Ipswich fans.”

Keane’s recent appointment to head the Ipswich club follows his work as head of the Sunderland football club, which he left last December. With his two-year contract, Keane replaces Ipswich coach Jim Magilton. For the past eight years, the Ipswich Tractor Boys have played in England’s second-highest league, the Coca-Cola Football League Championship. This past season, the club failed to make the playoffs.

In a release, Marcus Evans, the founder of the eponymous hospitality company that includes the THG Worldwide division, says Keane “is a proven winner who encourages his team to play the attractive football that Ipswich Town fans have come to expect. I believe he is the right man to take this club where we want to be-the Premier League.”

“The team under our new coach is already off to an impressive start with this past weekend’s 3-0 win over Cardiff,” says Stromberg, whose company provides hospitality offerings through its association with the Ipswich club. “It bodes well for the future.”
For information about THG Worldwide’s hospitality offerings with the Ipswich team and other events, visit the company’s Web site (http://www.thgworldwide.com) or its official blog, (http://www.thgworldwideblog.com).

About THG Worldwide CEO Jon Stromberg Bio: Jon began his career at THG as a sales manager in 1991 and became CEO in October 2008. He attended DePauw University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in economics and communications.

Article Source: Fun Personality