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Alvah Parker Articles
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10 Ways To Develop a Free Agent Attitude - Click To Read Article Dovid Grossman, a coach and father of nine, recently told me that his father and he had fought constantly through his growing up years. Through it all his mother was the referee. Finally when Dovid was 17 years old he sat down with his father and said, “I want to have a close relationship with you.” He was flabbergasted when his father said, “I’ve tried to do that my whole life but I don’t know how.” Top Ten Reasons to Partner with Someone - Click To Read Article Partnerships come in many forms. There are legal ones such as in business or marriage and there are loose ones when two people come together to work or share ideas but then go on to work or share ideas with others too. With a really good partnership the total can be more than just the sum of its parts. Here are some ideas about what you can gain from a partnership Persistence Pays - Click To Read Article How do you market yourself or your business? Do you give up too quickly? What activities do you do and are they working? Marketing is something you must do continuously. Why is it important to be persistent and how can you make yourself stick to it? Read this article to find out. Feedback Say it Somehow - Click To Read Article It’s January and I can’t help remembering it as a time of angst when I worked in Corporate America. This was the time that people were spending hours writing up their accomplishments for the previous year. Managers it seemed only remembered what happened in the last month or two. Evaluations were done on a year’s worth of work. If you wanted your manager to remember the many good things you did earlier in the year, he/she needed to be reminded! Can Pain Be A Motivator - Click To Read Article Carol was a new client. She had been looking for a job for several weeks and wasn't having much success. As with most of my clients I asked her to envision herself working in the job she really wanted. As we talked she was really excited about the possibilities. I really caught her short though when I asked her what did she see happening if she couldn't find this job. A World of Possibility - Click To Read Article When I started my sales career over 25 years ago, I worked for a small company selling telephone answering equipment. Hard to believe it but in those days I had to explain to prospects what the equipment was for and why they might want to use it. 60 Hour Work Weeks Can You and Your Career Survive Them - Click To Read Article In the 80s while I was an account executive for AT&T most people in my organization worked normal (for then) business hours. By that I mean they arrived close to 8 or 8:30AM and left between 5 and 5:30PM. By 6 PM the office was empty. No one seemed to notice or care how many hours people worked. I had a boss nicknamed "Dry Cleaner Sam" because they joked he was "in by 10, out by 4". How To Insure Job Security - Click To Read Article The attorneys I coach have one common problem. They don’t have enough hours in the day to do everything they need to do. Most are working long hours and that "To do" list keeps growing not shrinking. So it is no wonder that when I suggest that they find time to market their practice they think I am just plain daffy! Who is Your Perfect Client - Click To Read Article When I started my coaching practice I believed that I could coach anyone. My marketing wasn’t targeted. Taking a few clients that were “wrong” for me cured me of that. I began to define my “perfect client” and then started to notice flags that told me that someone didn’t fit my definition. Do You Over Promise and Under Deliver - Click To Read Article A new client recently admitted to me sheepishly that she often didn’t get to complete a client’s work until the client called to see if it was ready. I admired her honesty if not her time management skills. Planning for the Unthinkable - Click To Read Article As a child I can remember going through the tunnel that connects East Boston with Boston holding my breath. Absurd behavior? Sure, but in my mind I was preparing for the time when the tunnel would run out of air. Take Back Your Time Day - Click To Read Article The work ethic in the US today seems to push us all into working harder and faster than we have ever worked before. The technology that was supposed to make life easier has just added to our work load. With email, instant messaging, Blackberries, and mobile phones we are all very accessible. There is almost no place that we can go where we won’t be disturbed! Building Relationships A Lifetime Skill - Click To Read Article Friends are always passing my name along to people who are doing a job search or building a practice. They usually tell the person about my coaching practice and recommend that the person call me. (I love referrals!!) Enjoying the Moment - Click To Read Article Many years ago my family and I used to go to my then husband’s parent’s home for holiday meals. His mother was an excellent cook and enjoyed preparing meals for us. She spent days preparing all the season’s delights and we came to the table eager to begin the festivities. Invariably when 20 minutes later we were happily full she would lament, "It took me 3 days to prepare and 20 minutes for you to eat it!" Values The Foundation of Your Business - Click To Read Article A recent Boston Globe Magazine article (1/11/04) entitled Ballistic to Holistic written by Elaine McArdle describes a lawyer who initially envisioned herself in “a noble profession that would improve people’s lives.” While this lawyer wanted to practice a kind of law that sought justice and reasonable resolutions to conflict what she saw was a profession with lawyers intent on destroying their opponents by any means-hardly a way to improve anyone’s life and certainly not hers. Making Conversation - Click To Read Article Years ago when I was just starting my career in sales at AT&T, another new account executive in my group found it absolutely amazing that I had gone to lunch with a customer. She said to me, “What did you talk about? Wasn’t there a lot of dead air space?” A similar question about finding topics to talk about with clients came up recently at a program that I attended on Rainmaking for Women Lawyers presented by the Women’s Bar Association. What about passion - Click To Read Article What about passion?” said a woman in the back of the room after I had given a presentation called The 5 Secrets of Business Success. Obviously ‘passion’ was not one of the secrets and she thought it should have been. Mistakes and Weaknesses - Click To Read Article First Paragraph Of Article“What mistakes have you made since 9/11?” the press asked the President of the US. “What is your greatest weakness?” the interviewer asked Amy on The Apprentice, a TV reality show. Both had difficulty answering. Frequently in an interview situation the interviewer asks some variation of these two questions. What would your answer be? Creating Your Vision - Click To Read Article As a youngster I often pretended I was the teacher and my friends were students in my class. When my friends didn't want to play I just used my dolls and stuffed animals. In later years I would daydream in class about how I could make the topic easier to understand or the class more fun than the teacher up front. I didn’t know it then but I was creating a vision. Controlling Your Inner Critic - Click To Read Article “I’ve hit a wall,” Sally said to me. “I just can’t move forward.” If you are a sales person, business owner or job seeker, chances are you have had days when no one wants what you are offering. Some people are able to continue making their pitch enthusiastically and others find it really difficult to continue. A born salesperson - Click To Read Article For seven years I sold equipment and network services for AT&T. I even won several awards and twice was selected to the Council of Leaders, an honor given to the top 3% of the sales force. I am however not a typical sales type. Employers who use the DISC behavioral assessment would screen me out as a candidate for a sales position. The Push and Pull of a Vision - Click To Read Article As a child I had this wonderful vision of myself standing in front of a class teaching. I even remember “seeing” myself surrounded by young students eagerly asking questions and then being energized by my answers -the students were so excited in fact that they went on to become great scientists, writers and statesmen or women. Yes, I dream in Technicolor!! Living With Fear - Click To Read Article “I’ve never been afraid to ask for money before, why am I so worried now?” Kate asked me. Kate and Mary were writing a business plan for a new elegant furniture store they planned to open. They had had a failed attempt to run a similar store in another state with several other partners. They told me they had learned a great deal from their failure. (“We got an MBA in retail in 6 months!”) Rest Relaxation and Recreation - Click To Read Article During a vacation this past year I came up with an exciting new coaching program (Value Program) for my business. I wasn’t planning to do this on my vacation. I hadn’t set aside some work time at my computer. I hadn’t even brought a notebook to jot down ideas. I really didn’t expect to have any notable thoughts! It just happened as I took my regular morning walk each day. The ideas just flowed in. Be Prepared For A Job Change - Click To Read Article My client, John, had recently lost his job. What was most puzzling to him was that up until he got his notice his manager had given him very positive feedback about his performance. The truth was the company had eliminated the budget for his job function. His work was good but they decided they did not need that work done any more. Can You Make Your Hobby Into A Business - Click To Read Article My client, Jenny, showed me a small selection of knitted wool hats that she had made. She said she had dozens of them in her house. She wondered about the possibility of going into business selling these hats. Up to now she had sold a few to friends without any effort. Wouldn’t it be nice to sell them to others! Maybe-on a website. Successful Marketing Requires Perseverance - Click To Read Article My client, BJ, (not client’s name or initials) had a small website design business that he had started 3 years ago and worked at part time. He also worked for a large company in their IT department. In September of 2002 he was laid off. Looking at the job market in his area he knew it would take him many months to find another job. He thought that this was the right time to focus his energy on his website design business What about a Franchise - Click To Read Article I recently had an opportunity to chat with Michael Harrington, owner of The Entrepreneur’s Source in Beverly. He is in the business of helping people to identify and research franchise business opportunities that match their goals and needs. Accomplishing Goals - Click To Read Article Last year my client Phil (not his real name), a partner in a money management firm, realized that he was going to have to refocus his attention on sales even though his responsibilities had been defined initially as operations. Phil and his partner began their business just as the financial markets did a nosedive. Growing the business had been a real challenge and now it was clear it needed to be a priority for both partners Perfectionism Can it be a good thing - Click To Read Article Last month I wrote an article on accomplishing goals. As most of you know I think it is very important to have goals and to work toward them. The article inspired one reader to write the following: Knowing Your Unique Gifts - Click To Read Article When Bill became my client he had a very successful recruiting business but he could see the business environment was changing. He felt that he was not using his natural gifts effectively in his business and he wanted some help in identifying what he could do with those talents that would provide him with more fulfilling work. Believing The Plan - Click To Read Article Mary had a delivery service business. Her idea was to market to senior citizens who couldn’t get out every day. She came to me as a SCORE counselor because her business was struggling and she thought she needed marketing help. She had been marketing to seniors for more than a year and was frustrated by her results. She hoped I would have the silver bullet that would change everything Setting limits - Click To Read Article Have you ever found yourself doing something you didn't want to do just because you couldn’t say no? I certainly have had the experience and so have my clients. Here are a few examples of what I mean. Working To Live - Click To Read Article Over coffee a friend told me that her brother who is an attorney had given up his job in a large NY law firm to practice in a smaller firm. When I asked her his reasons for doing that she said he wanted to “work to live not live to work.” Getting in Shape - Click To Read Article Why Lawyers Should Eat Bananas by Simon Tupman is a book that caught my eye both because of its unusual title and because I coach lawyers who are starting or growing their practices. The book cover says it gives “Inspirational Ideas for Lawyers Wanting More Out of Life” Accomplishments in 2003 - Click To Read Article I’m so tired of reinventing myself,” my client told me. She had worked in a law firm, in a government agency, then in a corporate setting as a writer, and now she wanted to open her own law practice. With every change she had to try to uncover new skills that she had and it seemed exhausting to her. She told me each time she spent hours looking for new ways she might fit into a particular job. She felt like a pretzel being twisted into someone else’s job description. Ten Ideas to Help You Keep Your Resolutions Or Goals - Click To Read Article If you have some resolutions for the New Year or if you set some goals for yourself or your business for the next year, here are some ways to keep yourself on track and focused. The Top Ten Reasons to Hire a Coach - Click To Read Article You have a big goal and you want someone to support you. A coach has no other agenda except to help you succeed. He/she can help you to brainstorm ideas, act as a sounding board, help you overcome your fears, and hold you accountable for moving forward on your plans. Ten of My Favorite Quotes About Goals - Click To Read Article Duke (Edward Kennedy) Ellington (1899-1974) American Composer Bandleader and Pianist "A goal is a dream that has an ending." Top Ten Ways to Market Your Business By Doing What You Love To Do - Click To Read Article Most business owners get so involved in the work of the business that there never seems to be enough time to do the necessary marketing. Even when business is good the owner must continue marketing because if he/she stops, the business eventually will stop too. Marketing your business simply means to nurture good relationships with your customers and potential customers so that they will buy from you again or they will refer you to others. Think about the kinds of things you enjoy doing and then use those activities in your marketing efforts. It is a great way to leverage your time. Ten Quick Marketing Actions - Click To Read Article It is often difficult to manage to do marketing tasks when you have a busy business or professional practice. Here are 10 ideas each of which take 5 or 10 minutes and can be done between appointments or when you take a break from working on a large project. Top Ten Tips for Improving Your Cash Flow - Click To Read Article Cash is king-so they say. If you work for yourself or someone else, you need to be aware of ways to improve the cash flow. Budgeting and collecting are not glamorous but they are both key to having a successful business. Working in a successful business is much more fun than working for a struggling one! Ten Tips on Delegating - Click To Read Article One way to manage your time more effectively is to delegate work to others on your staff or to contract workers you hire for specific projects. How often I hear such comments as, "It takes too much time to delegate." "If I delegate the work there is no guarantee that the work will be done properly. It is just easier to do it myself." "No one can do this as well as I can." If others who have a lower hourly rate can do the work while you focus on the work only you can do, your cash flow will be better because you can do more of the work that only you can do. Top Ten Ways to Manage Interruptions - Click To Read Article So many people I worked with said they got more work done at home than in the office. That was because there were so many interruptions in the office. In fact lots of people come in early or stay late just to have quiet time to work. One way to have that same quiet time during the day is to manage interruptions. Look for ways to create a “Power hour” of work time. Maybe this will allow you to get home earlier! 10 Ways to Handle a Client Complaint - Click To Read Article Most professionals take pride in the work they do. Dealing with complaints is often challenging and upsetting. It is very natural to try to explain or justify what was done. The suggestions I have made in this list are not easy to do in the heat of a situation. So when you hear a complaint about you or your business/practice perhaps the best strategy is to count to ten and then do some of the following: Ten Ways to Build Client Trust - Click To Read Article Clients work with professionals whom they trust. Building trust is an ongoing process. Here are 10 ways to build trust with both old and new clients. Ten Ways to Avoid Burnout - Click To Read Article Business Week October 3, 2005 recently ran an article entitled The Overworked Networked Family. In the article was a list of 7 tips to avoid burnout. I’ve modified their list a bit and added some of my own to make 10 tips. The focus of the article was how professionals and knowledge workers can use technology to balance work and family life. The Top Ten Client Feedback Questions - Click To Read Article As program chairperson of my SCORE** chapter I am always looking for new presenters to address the group. I frequently ask my fellow business counselors to give me some ideas for topics of interest to them Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves - Click To Read Article 1. Do I have the persistence and patience necessary to be a business owner? It would be nice if once you wrote your business plan all you needed to do would be to execute flawlessly and everything would fall into place. Maybe it happens to a few businesses but usually in some part of the plan you get different results than you expected. It takes patience to wait for the result in the first place. It takes persistence to keep updating your plan and then trying something else until you find how to make it work. Ten Methods and Resources to Obtain Market Research Information - Click To Read Article The objective of market research whether you are starting a business or growing an existing one is to find out if there are enough potential customers for your product or service and if enough of them will be eager to pay your price for the product/service you have to offer. In writing a business plan you want to convince the reader and yourself that there are enough members of your target market to warrant your forecasted sales results. You also must convince the reader that that target market will pay your price for the product. Here are some ideas about how to do the research. 10 Tips for Reluctant Networkers - Click To Read Article These tips are from The Networking Survival Guide by Diane Darling and were in the Boston Globe on April 1, 2004 Ten Tips for Staying Connected - Click To Read Article Many of my business clients tell me that what they missed most when they started their businesses was the camaraderie of an office setting. Small businesses often start with the owner as the only employee. To combat this sense of isolation here are some suggestions that allow you to connect and market at the same time 10 Ways To Leverage Your Time When Running A Business - Click To Read Article When I use the word leverage I mean that you expend a certain amount of energy to accomplish multiple tasks or you conserve your own energy for other parts of the business. The objective is to save energy so the owner can focus on the most important parts of the business. Top 10 Ways to Avoid Identity Theft - Click To Read Article As a business owner you have a responsibility to safe guard your customers/clients personal information. Here are some tips for you to do that. 10 Ways To Make Your Business Unique - Click To Read Article Largest Selection One way that you can make your product or service stand out is to offer the largest selection of products, services or programs. Example: Home Depot, E-Bay, Staples, Amazon.com Ten Ways to Cope with Stress - Click To Read Article Diane Darling who wrote the book The Networking Survival Guide shared a list of 99 ways to cope with stress with folks on her email list. You can find the whole list at images.exacttarget.com Here is a list of my favorite 10 10 Ways to Build a Strong Spiritual Life - Click To Read Article This list comes from an article I read several years ago (March 2001) that appeared in Prevention magazine written by Rev. Natalia Vonnegut Beck. This month I am departing from my career and business tips for a different sort of list. In this holiday season I think it is appropriate. Hope you do too. 10 Questions to find a business idea that is a perfect fit for you - Click To Read Article What are your values? What are you committed to? What must you do in order for you to be you? What do you do that you have endless energy (passion) for? If all your life, you have loved to explore and you remember exploring even when you were 6 or 7 years old, then that is a value for you. Use the free truvalues tool to help you find your values. 10 Ways To Fund Your Business - Click To Read Article 1. Self-funding - You provide the capital necessary to start your business with your own savings and assets. 10 Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Business and or Yourself - Click To Read Article Have a compelling response to the question “What do you do?” or "Tell me about yourself" Make it brief and interesting. If you only have 30 seconds, give them enough of an idea about what you do so that they seek you out to hear more later. Even in a situation where you have more time, be brief but to the point and then allow them to ask questions. Their questions will give you an idea of their particular interest. Six Characteristics of Leaders - Click To Read Article A friend invited me to hear Rudolph Guiliani, the former mayor of New York City, speak at a local college. The list below captures what he spoke about. Guiliani told us that after September 11th he had to make many decisions very quickly. He would make 4 or 5 and then close his eyes and pray, "Please make this right." The first characteristic "Strong Beliefs" speaks to that as does my song title above. 10 Ideas To Help You Create A Vision Of Your Ideal Work life - Click To Read Article If you use all these ideas you may find you come out with two visions. One would be a big vision of what you want for the world and one would be a vision of the work you want for yourself. Ideally they fit together. At first they may not. Some people will prefer to omit 2 and 3 for now and start with 4 or 5. In all cases you need to do step 1. Finding a vision takes a lot of quiet time! 10 Lessons Learned During A Weak Economy - Click To Read Article Quiet times allow us the time to grow and to be creative. A lull in the economy provides the opportunity to regroup and rethink plans. Farmers allow a field to lay fallow for a year before planting again. The soil produces more after the rest. New ideas often come when a person is not so busy. 10 Tips For More Effective Networking - Click To Read Article Decide on the networking groups that make sense for you. Does the group attract your potential customers? Does it put you in contact with your strategic partners? Does it help you stay current in your field? Could you learn new skills that will help you find work or business? Meetings that involve potential customers or strategic partners get you in touch with your target market. Meetings that teach you new skills or keep you up to date can get you in touch with mentors and peers. Ten Ways to Manage a Rapidly Growing Business - Click To Read Article While some new business owners face the issue of not enough customers, others face the issue of too many customers/clients. Both are serious issues and must be dealt with carefully. There are many lists on how to find new customers/clients. Here is a list of 10 ways to deal with a rapid influx of new customers. The goal is a steady flow of just the right customers/clients. Ten Ways To Help You Recover From A Bad Mood - Click To Read Article A bad mood can ruin your whole day! What techniques do you have to get over one? I recommend to clients that they create a list of ideas that they can draw on in difficult times. Here is an example of my list. What would be on your list? Ten Tips For Starting A New Job - Click To Read Article Get to know people. First meet those people in your department and then those in departments you interface with. Listen more than you talk. Ask lots of questions and get clarification if necessary so you truly understand how the office/department/business works. 10 Ways to Refresh Yourself During The Holiday Rush - Click To Read Article We get so busy during the holidays sometimes we don't have time for ourselves. I notice that when that happens to me I get cranky and resentful. Here is a list of what I do to refresh myself during the day as I rush to complete all my work and preholiday tasks. Go to the Head of the Class How to use the Internet for learning and fun - Click To Read Article Several years ago when I was preparing to start my own business I decided to take an accounting class. I took the course at a local college. Each week I set out for the school which was in a nearby city after working a full day. The Top Ten Hiring Mistakes - Click To Read Article Hiring a new employee is something that professionals often postpone as long as possible. It takes time. They do not do it often so it is an uncomfortable process. Here is a list of the mistakes often made and some suggestions on how to do it better. Ten Characteristics of Leadership - Click To Read Article These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic. Motivation One Size Does Not Fit All - Click To Read Article Managers continually try to find ways to motivate their employees. The most common way is to use bonuses and pay raises. What other ways work? Who else is responsible for finding what really motivates a person? Pricing Predicament - Click To Read Article How can I figure out how much to charge for my product or service? What is the highest salary (raise) I can ask for? Talking about money is a thorny issue. What do you need to think about when you set the price for your service? 10 Leadership Tips for Lawyers - Click To Read Article Even if you don’t have your own firm or if you are not a partner, you can be a leader of your team or even yourself. All lawyers need a vision, mission, goals and business plan/marketing plan to be successful.Not a lawyer? These statements are applicable to anyone in the business world. The Cost of Being a Perfectionist or a Workaholic for Attorneys - Click To Read Article Are you a perfectionist or a workaholic? Many law firms and other businesses encourage this. Lawyers and other professionals often brag about it. What is it costing the business and the individual. Ten Tips for Being a Productive Team Member for Attorneys - Click To Read Article You have probably been asked to serve on a committee or team. When possible it is important to choose those teams wisely. (There are times when your manager appoints you to a team and you are not given a choice.) Being a team player can give you visibility and credibility but if you choose the wrong team or work with a less than productive group you will lose the benefits. How do you decide which committee to serve on and then how do you make sure that team is very successful? Here are some ideas to help you. Ten Ways a Professional Can Take a Quick Break at work - Click To Read Article According to the RealAge website “Researchers have found a strong link between chronic work stress and a nasty cluster of factors known as syndrome X (or metabolic syndrome). They increase your blood pressure, your belt size, and your odds of developing diabetes.” Programming a little relaxation time into your week is one way to guard against daily stress affecting your health. Here are a few ideas of ways to do this. You don’t need to do all of them. Choose the one or ones that resonate with you. Relationship Building for Professionals - Click To Read Article Building relationships is the first step to building a successful practice. How do you begin to build a list of referral sources? Where do you start? This article presents some ideas to create your own referral source list. Expect to Win - How To Use A Strong Vision to Win Business - Click To Read Article Running your own business is a great laboratory for self discovery. I told many people when I first started my practice that I learned more about myself in 2 years of running the practice than I did in the preceding 50+ years. Many people say that to be successful in business you need lots and lots of training and knowledge. Others will tell you need to be really gifted. Do you ever look around and see “less qualified” people who are very successful? How does that happen? What are they doing that you are missing? Ten Tips to Help You in Your Pursuit of Happiness - Click To Read Article What makes you happy? Each of us is responsible for our own happiness. Here are ten tips on keeping yourself in a happy and positive frame of mind. Improve Your Life How to Hire A Coach - Click To Read Article A reader writes, “I read your "Ten reasons to hire a coach" and, believe it or not, all the ten reasons apply to me. I am really interested in having more information about it. I do not know how or where to contact a coach here. What kind of background should a good coach have?” What is Your Competitive Edge - Click To Read Article Carol had been out of work for 6 months and was frustrated by her inability to land a new job. She had had a few interviews but nothing had come through for her and her money situation was getting tight. Like many unemployed people Carol decided to seek work through a temporary agency Making Active Choices – The Key to Success - Click To Read Article “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Benjamin Franklin said this originally. Sometimes we are aware that the results are not what we want but are unaware that we are stuck in a pattern of unchanging behavior. The first step to making a change is to first become aware of what we are doing. The Power of Questions to Attract Ideal Clients - Click To Read Article Business owners realize that some clients are easier to work with than others. It is possible to have a practice or business full of clients or customers that are perfect for you. Asking the right questions before you ask for the business will help you do that. Top Ten Business Systems Necessary to Run a Business Profitably - Click To Read Article Good systems support the business owner by helping him/her to make good decisions. Every business has several key systems that when run properly will help the business to be profitable. Monitoring the systems and watching key measurements in the system will help the owner to know when to make changes and when to keep doing the same things. Having an operations manual for your business will allow you to have one place to go when you want to redefine a process or update a key measure. The operations manual is also helpful to new employees as they begin to learn how your business works. An Example of Consciously Staying Upbeat Through Adversity - Click To Read Article Wouldn’t you know it? While I had just written a list of 10 ways to stay upbeat and happy (Top Ten Tips To Help You in Your Pursuit of Happiness) when I had a challenge of my own. The Dreaded Elevator Speech – Important for Job Seekers and Attorneys - Click To Read Article Life today is hectic and so is business. Everyone is in search of ways to make quick decisions on minimum information. Whether you have a business, work in a business or are looking for work you need to have a quick way to introduce yourself and grab someone’s attention. Hence – the elevator speech or the 30 second introduction. 10 Tips To Make Your Networking More Rewarding - Click To Read Article Good relationships are essential to any career. It doesn’t matter if you have your own business or work for someone else that network is critical. Lawyers, solo professionals freelancers, and sales professionals must constantly network and generate new business. Your network will be invaluable when you want to find a new job. The Importance of Listening in Communication - Click To Read Article At first glance communication with another person seems relatively easy. This month I had two different experiences that showed me how tricky it is to understand what a person does or doesn't say. Taking the time to listen to others is important whether you are lawyer, a manager or an employee. How to Motivate Yourself to Plan With Enthusiasm - Click To Read Article Business plans are important for starting and growing a business but often people are resistant to preparing them. Entrepreneurs need to envision the business they wish to build and then let their enthusiasm and excitement drive the planning process. Putting the plan on paper is the only way the entrepreneur can be sure the business will work. 10 Tips for Sending Email - Click To Read Article This week I was working with another coach on a presentation by phone. She wanted to see the description I had written of my presentation so I quickly sent it off to her in email or so I thought. When she didn’t receive it I checked my “Sent” file. Whoops! I clicked on the wrong person in my Outlook address book. Same first name but different last name! How embarrassing! Here are some tips for writing email. Remember your email could end up in the wrong hands so be careful! Why is it so critical and yet so difficult for solos to ask for - Click To Read Article Support can come in many forms. It is the people you hire, the software you use, the equipment you choose, the systems you put in place and/or the colleagues and vendors you refer to. All these resources are necessary in any business. For solos they are critical. Top Ten Answers to Prove You Are Never Too Old to Try Something New - Click To Read Article Of all the beliefs that people have that limit them, the one I hear most often is “I am too old to do that now.” Here are 10 examples of people who had interesting achievements late in their lives. If you are truly motivated to do something, you can achieve it no matter what your age is. Happiness comes from doing what you love to do no matter what your age. 10 Marketing Actions to Reconnect with Potential Clients or Referrers - Click To Read Article Is everyone you meet a potential client or referrer? It starts with the conversation you have when you first meet the person. Focus on those in your target market and/or those people who know lots of people in your target market (influencers and strategic partners). It is with those two categories of people that you want to begin building relationships. To build the relationship you will want to stay connected with them. (You don't want them to forget you!) Here is a list of ways to help you stay connected. Working Too Many Hours Is Counter Productive - Click To Read Article Employees are working longer and longer hours. Companies need to begin to advocate some down time during the day, the week and the year. It is in the company’s best interest to do so. The stress of all this work leads to health issues both physical and emotional for employees. Companies need to reward their employees for taking all their vacation time annually. With health insurance costs so high perhaps this alone might inspire companies to pay more than lip service to allowing time to relax, regenerate and reflect. Ten Questions for Career Changers - Click To Read Article Are you planning to change jobs or careers? For some the move is to find work that is more fulfilling so that you will be happier. For others it may a step toward taking more of a leadership role. Whatever your reasons for the career change, you’ll want to do some self discovery work. These ten questions will help you to sort out what kind of work you are looking for and what you offer to a potential employer. Behavioral Styles and Communication patterns - Click To Read Article Each of us has a different way of communicating to others. It isn’t just your words that deliver your message. In fact the words may be least important. Your tone of voice and body language are a big part of communicating. It is your behavioral style that others interpret and make decisions on. How do you find out about your style? Asking For Marketing and Networking Help - Click To Read Article Whether you are looking for a new job or in business for yourself, being comfortable asking for help is essential. Job seekers and career changers need to ask friends, relatives, co-workers and anyone else who can help if they know people to help them with their search. Business owners, career changers and solo professionals must be comfortable asking family, friends and colleagues for networking and marketing help. The Importance of Marketing - Click To Read Article Some people believe that just by being in business they will get clients or customer. They ascribe to the theory that “if they build it they will come.” It rarely happens that way. If you don’t let people know about your business, not only do you lose but so do they. Every business owner and solo professional needs to take marketing action steps. Ten Locations for Quiet Reflection for Busy Professionals - Click To Read Article Increasingly we are all busy with our lives and we work at a hectic pace. Finding ways and times to just be quiet and contemplative is difficult. I know that I have to consciously carve out some time in my day for reflection and rest. When I do it, I have to resist the guilty feeling that tells me I “ought” to be doing something more “productive”. Here are 10 suggested places for quiet contemplation. 10 Reasons Everyone Needs a Vacation - Click To Read Article Off and on over the years I have taken vacation time. It is only recently that I have been conscious of its value. There have been times when I felt too busy to leave work. Other times I thought my work was at a crucial juncture and it wouldn't get accomplished without me. All solo professionals know that the revenue generation stops while the owner is away. For me that is yet another reason not to vacation. I know I am not alone in making excuses not to take a vacation. According to the Take Back Your Time organization (www.timeday.org ) "43% of American workers didn't even take a solid week off." What are the benefits of taking a vacation? Can You Be Yourself At Work? - Click To Read Article Who do you get to be every day at work? Not only is it important to do meaningful work but you must do it in a way that allows you to be your best self. Can you be your authentic self or do you need to change your behavior to fit the expectations of your environment? To get the most satisfaction out of your work you need to work in an environment where you are valued and allowed to be the person you are. If you are required to change your behavior too much you will be under a great deal of stress and a candidate for burnout. Relieving Stress by Getting The Work Done - Click To Read Article Knowing that there are tasks on your “To Do” list that you are avoiding is very stressful. How do you get those tedious jobs done at work or at home that you keep putting off? This article has some tips others have used to get the work done. 10 Tips for Managing Your Career - Click To Read Article Here are some tips for those just beginning a new career and career changers. If you have been in a job for a while, these tips may be helpful in revitalizing your career or in focusing your attention on the need to make a change. Structure Builds Confidence - Click To Read Article You have probably had some sort of structure to your day ever since first grade. Even having breakfast in the morning, lunch at noon and dinner in the evening gives form to your day. Why is this useful? How will having a structure help the business owner and/or the career changer? 10 Ideas about Life Purpose - Click To Read Article What is your life purpose? Is it helpful to know what it is? This list provides some ideas about life purpose that may be helpful to you if you have ever wondered about yours. Accountability for your Career - Click To Read Article Being accountable to someone else is constraining. You can't just do anything you want. You must do it the manager's way and in the manager's time frame. After you’ve left a job being accountable to only yourself does feel freeing. But eventually reality sets in and you will need to figure out how to motivate yourself to take some steps forward. Building a Solid Network - Click To Read Article A client who has a fine arts degree wanted to move out of his successful career in advertising and into the real estate development business. He had already enrolled in a top notch MBA program to learn more about the field. In addition he had found work with a bank doing real estate appraisals 10 Lessons I Learned From My Mother - Click To Read Article 1. Establish and stay connected to a supportive community. My mother is genuinely interested in the welfare of her family and friends. She visits with them as frequently as she can and when visits aren’t possible she calls or writes them. She is a good friend, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and cousin! She cares for others and they care for her. Ten Tips For Becoming More Self Assertive - Click To Read Article This month I had the pleasure of hearing Johanna Skouras speak at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. Self-Assertion is something I have struggled with myself. Johanna says that to learn to be self assertive we need to learn how to serve our own needs without hurting others. As an only child I had no need to be assertive in my family. My needs were always acknowledged and usually served. The difficulty came for me when I was with other people. I smiled when I picked up Johanna's book at the library and the librarian, a friend, said, "Oh Alvah, you don't need that book!" I'm still working on many of these tips. What about you? Ten Beliefs that Must Be Overcome to Find A New Meaningful Career - Click To Read Article Making a career change takes courage. Most people hesitate to do it because of deep seated beliefs that they have. Some beliefs are empowering but the ones that hold you back are disempowering. The only way to move forward is to identify the belief and either overcome or change it. Here is a list of 10 common beliefs about career change that can derail your desire for change. Top Ten Listening Techniques - Click To Read Article Listening seems like a simple process and yet so many of us are more eager to talk than to listen. Someone once said we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. What better gift could you give to your family, friends, peers and bosses than to listen to them so that they feel really heard? Here are some tips to enhance your communication skills. 10 Tips for Resume Writers - Click To Read Article Whether you are happily entrenched in a job, engaged in an active job search or thinking about a career change everyone who is working today needs a current updated resume even if the job you are at is your first! It is worth the time and effort to update your resume at least once or twice a year. Those who have a ready resume can immediately respond when that perfect opportunity presents itself. Here are 10 ideas to remember as you write or update yours What Makes You Happy? 10 Habits - Click To Read Article What makes you happy? Since we are responsible for our own happiness, I want to insure that I do whatever is necessary to keep me happy and healthy. This is my list of ideas. Which of these happiness ideas go on your list? A Vision Energizes and Motivates - Click To Read Article A vision guides you in your career. It gives your life and work meaning. If you are working 8+ hours a day and feel stuck, thinking about your dream may be just the catalyst you need to feel inspired to move forward or to make a career change. Time Management – Time for Quiet Reflection - Click To Read Article Have you ever been so busy that there was no time to think? If you pack your days with activity so that at the end of the day you have a long list of accomplishments, read this article to learn how and why you need to take a break. Ten Ways to Reduce Stress at Work - Click To Read Article Stress free living is probably impossible. It is wise however to manage the stress so that we can work more effectively. Need help reducing stress? Use this list! Finding Your Voice - Click To Read Article Finding your voice" means finding a way to express your ideas with passion so that you connect with others. We all have ideas and thoughts that we feel strongly about. Learn how important finding your voice is and how it relates to career and job fulfillment. Vision for Career and Life - 10 Powerful Questions - Click To Read Article Having a clear vision of where you are headed is really important. If you have no vision then any direction will be acceptable even going round in circles! Use these 10 questions to open some amazing possibilities for you. 10 Ways to Ask the Client To Do Business With You - Click To Read Article It is difficult to know when to ask a potential client or customer if he/she is ready to do business with you. More than that, it is frequently difficult to find the right words. Here are some suggestions of ways to ask for the business. Let your intuition guide you as to the timing of the question. Like this article? Share it with your friends
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