2nd Quarter: “When Big Dreams Meet Grownup Reality” – Episode 1: All Sex Aint Good Sex

For some reason I think the most while I am traveling, so I definitely needed a good book on hand. I was reading Mark Faust’s “Growth or Bust” while traveling on the plane back to NYC and loved the way he capitalizes on providing his readers on proven turnaround strategies that can be used to strengthen the growth of their businesses. The section called, 7 Rules for a Productive Informative Session, really stuck out to me.

Here he broke down all key essentials that can create the ideal brainstorming session with our team members. I immediately folded the corner of the page to return to so I would be able to share this information with you. I’m going to layout the rules as I interpreted them, but be sure to go to your local library or bookstore to read the book for yourself.

Embrace Change

Change is good! That must be emphasized to your team, as a company grows try not to be in stuck in your ways.

Understand That There Are No Bad Ideas

This is an important rule that should be mentioned prior to every brainstorming session you hold. Accept everyone’s contribution to the team’s ideas and avoid harsh judgments against any idea.

Set Aside Status, Titles and Positions

Ensure that all employees feel equal when holding a brainstorming meeting.

Postpone Discernment

As the facilitator you must postpone any judgment of any ideas that are brought to the table. Avoid participants to have immediate responses when a new idea is discussed until after everything has been proposed.

Kill Idea Killers

Don’t allow Idea Killers to ruin your creative thought process. If you know there is a person that normally bashes ideas, don’t hesitate to call them out. This can take place in private or aloud without actually addressing that specific person.

Require Participation

Be sure to welcome everyone’s input. Often the most quiet person in the room is the one that has the brightest ideas or has a unique perspective.

Say “Yes” and…

Get your team in the habit of not saying “no” or any harsh comments when an idea is proposed. Instead replace it with a “yes and” so that they can further describe their idea or someone else can comment on it.

Should you decide to utilize these tools at your next brainstorming session, I am pretty sure that it will go a whole lot smoother than the way you have done it before.  Rule #2 will definitely eliminate the small debates or bickering that usually prolongs the meeting.

Some things that you might consider…  turn your hobby into an interest or possibly a paying job, utilized your resources, network or move to another city. Here are some cities that you might want to check out:

No. 1: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas

2010 rank: 1 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 6 Nonfarm employment change: 1.5%

No. 2: New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.

2010 rank: 46 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 7 Nonfarm employment change: 0.8%

No. 3: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas

2010 rank: 3 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 14 Nonfarm employment change: 1.9%

No. 4: San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas

2010 rank: 2 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 17 Nonfarm employment change: 0.8%

No. 5: Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas

2010 rank: 5 Overall rank (for big, mid-sized and small cities): 18 Nonfarm employment change: 2.3%

 

Being a successful business owner requires investing your own money in addition to a ton of time and effort. Despite the appeal of being your own boss, the reality is that not everyone is cut out to be a successful business owner.

Here are five quick personality assessments to evaluate before taking the entrepreneurial plunge:

Are you Santa or an elf?
Entrepreneurship requires managing a wide variety of tasks as part of the business, from marketing and accounting to training, customer service and more. Can you wear multiple hats, as Santa does with Christmas, or do you prefer to be the elf that loves to execute specific tasks? Do you take initiative or do you want clear instructions? Santas make better entrepreneurs than elves do.

What’s your relationship with money?
Starting a business requires money to start, to operate and for you to live on while it scales. If you are a big spender and aren’t great at managing money, those bad habits are likely to follow you into a business. And if you are usually unable to make worthwhile investments in the future of your business for fear of ending up living in a cardboard box if things go wrong then you may end up penny wise and pound foolish, as they say. Having a solid, non-emotional money relationship will help you make wise business decisions.

Are you comfortable flying blind?
The only thing that is certain in business is that nothing is certain. Are you comfortable with being uncomfortable? Can you handle taking educated risks and surviving the constant ups and downs of owning a business? If you are looking for the certainty or a drama-free zone, you may find yourself terrified of the entrepreneurial roller coaster.

Are you ready to commit?
Running a successful business is not just about having great ideas. It’s more about strong execution. So, if you have a hard time staying focused, you are lousy with commitments and you’re averse to the idea of working day in and day out on the same thing, then entrepreneurship may just be a passing fancy for you.

Were you born for business?
Were you interested in business as a child? Did you seek out entrepreneurial roles in school, in social organizations or even in your previous job? A natural inclination of past interest in entrepreneurship seems to be a good potential indicator of future success.

Think you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur? Or are you still unsure? Take this informal quiz to see how your answers compare with the popular profile of today’s successful entrepreneurs.

Click here for the quiz.

Being able to determine whether or not you can trust your boss’ competency and ethics will most likely take time to observe how he handles various situations, but something that you can be on is that even if he say’s he has your best interests in mind, you shouldn’t trust him 100%

Just like any individual, you boss will make decisions based on what he or she believes to be important and when it really comes down to it, you boss is thinking of himself first, just like how you are thinking about yourself first as well. If your boss has to make a decision that could be detrimental to him, it’s much more likely that he’ll do his best to protect himself first, which may not be as horrible as you might think.

Even though your boss is thinking of himself, his reputation within a company is something he knows will affect how his boss and/or customers view him. Your success and happiness as an employee truly is a reflection upon him and makes him look good. But remember when he tell you he wants to see you succeed that he really means he want you to succeed as long as it isn’t too costly to him or the company.

Originally posted here

While a more advanced user might be able to create macros and implement new systems that improve the efficiency of their common tasks, even the less geeky of us out there can really improve our performance by making a few small adjustments to how we think about using our computer.

Often times my co-workers are surprised at how fast I am able to complete assignments that take some people nearly twice as long to complete, and the reality is I didn’t cut corners and I’m definitely not a genius, but rather I used keyboard short-cuts to help speed up my work. Short-cuts such as holding Ctrl + C to copy text is essentially common knowledge, but when watching people work I have been surprised to see how many people continue to fall back to what they simply feel comfortable doing… they right click to bring up the menu where they can click on “copy”.

It may seem like only a difference of a few seconds at most, but I guarantee that if you learn just a handful of keyboard shortcuts and make them second nature for you, you will start saving minutes and even hours so you can get more done in the day, or at least get home a little earlier.

Below are some of the most common keyboard shortcuts that can really save you time. Select a couple and make a conscious effort to use the shortcuts instead of using your old methods. When you feel like you automatically use your new shortcuts regularly, select another 2 and continue the process of improving your speed. All of these shortcuts are meant for a Windows machine, but if you are running OSX or Linux just do a quick Google search to find their equivalent shortcuts (They are typically very similar).

Cut, Copy and Paste (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V) – Probably the most famous bunch of them all, but also some of the biggest time savers as well. Don’t waste time retyping the same words over and over again. Ctrl+C once and go crazy with the Ctrl+Vs.

Save (Ctrl+S) – Whether you are working in Word, Excel, Photoshop or Outlook it is always good habit to hit save every so often just incase your computer freezes or you accidentally close your window. Using Ctrl+S, you can quickly save without having to take your hands away from the keyboard.

Select All (Ctrl+A) – Need to select evenything? Don’t waste time clicking across all that text or right clicking to select all, just use this shortcut to highlight all the text or images you want to select.

Switching between windows (Alt+Tab) – Another famous shortcut and an excellent one to use as well. Especially if you have to switch between the same two windows repeatedly, this shortcut will allow your work to flow much smoother without the interruption of having to click your way back and forth.

Print (Ctrl+P) – If you’re like me, I still have to print quite a bit of my work and depending on what you are doing the print button isn’t even always in the same place. Ctrl+P can be used with most programs that let you print.

Show your desktop (Windows+D) – If you are like many multi-taskers out there you may have a lot of windows open at once but might need to grab or open something that is on your desktop. Instead of navigating your way to the desktop using Explorer or minimizing all of your windows, you can just hit the key the Windows key (between the Ctrl and Alt keys) and the D key in order to see your desktop. Press the shortcut again and all your windows will reappear right where they were.

Undo (Ctrl+Z) – We all make mistakes, and unfortunately not all programs even have an undo button, but with this shortcut you’ll be able to undo things you didn’t even know you could undo!

Lock your Workstation (Windows+L) – If you work in a field where confidentiality is important, you are probably used to locking your screen every time you step away from the computer. Instead of wasting time opening windows and click everywhere, just use this shortcut to immediately get to your lock screen, allowing you to get up and leave your computer in a jiffy.

Any of us can adopt them to unleash our “inner Steve Jobs.”

1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, “I’d get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about.” That’s how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.

2. Put a dent in the universe. Jobs believed in the power of vision. He once asked then-Pepsi President, John Sculley, “Do you want to spend your life selling sugar water or do you want to change the world?” Don’t lose sight of the big vision.

3. Make connections. Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. He took calligraphy classes that didn’t have any practical use in his life — until he built the Macintosh. Jobs traveled to India and Asia. He studied design and hospitality. Don’t live in a bubble. Connect ideas from different fields.

4. Say no to 1,000 things. Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the “A-Team” on each product. What are you saying “no” to?

5. Create insanely different experiences. Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?

Related: 10 Things to Thank Steve Jobs For

6. Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can’t communicate your ideas, it doesn’t matter. Jobs was the world’s greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.

7. Sell dreams, not products. Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It’s so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don’t care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you’ll win them over.

There’s one story that I think sums up Jobs’ career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that’s the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.

Originally posted here 

Businesses are pushing to get more work done with fewer people and while you don’t want to fall behind with your work, keeping boundaries between work and personal life is still very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Would you rather live to work, or work to live?

Determine and write down your priorities – Sit down and think about what you really value in your life. Your job may be important, but how does that stack against your family, your friends, giving back to your community, etc. In order to keep a healthy balance, it can often help to talk with your boss to determine what his work priorities are for you as well. Understand what he or she absolutely needs you to get done immediately and what can wait.

Schedule personal time – Put all your family and personal commitments in your work calendar so you remember when you simply cannot answer emails, phone calls or have meetings. Even if you don’t have anything planned it can be a good habit to set aside certain times every week that are considered work free times. Setting aside time for both your work and personal time will allow you to be less distracted at work by personal things and vice versa. Those small interruptions from work when spending time with your family may seem insignificant to you, but they often mean a lot to your family.

Reevaluate your productivity and time management skills – Do your best to make use of your time when you are working. Schedule your meetings in blocks so that the rest of the time you will be able to focus more on your work without as many interruptions. Learn when you are most productive during the day and make sure you don’t waste that time of day letting yourself get distracted with small talk or Facebook.

Don’t bring your work home mentally either – It’s okay to come home and talk about your day and maybe sometimes vent to your family, but say what you need to say and move on. Dwelling on your work is just as bad as physically bringing it home.  Also, don’t forget you are not the only one that has stressful or busy days, ask your family members how their days went as well.

What is often forgotten (or ignored) is that most people who enjoy self-confidence were once plagued by fears born of imagined or actual inadequacies. The truly confident manage to flush much of that self-doubt from their systems.

Here’s a 10-step plan. What follows isn’t easy, but the struggle is worth the reward.

Phase #1: Eliminating Self-doubt

Step 1. Understand Its Origins

Self-doubt crept into your system as a baby. As toddlers, we all looked at the power our folks had and thought: “Gotta be like them.” This wish isn’t the problem; putting our parents on pedestals is. It’s complex, but from the moment we crave power akin to what we feel our parents have, we continually contrast our sense of self with our ego ideal—an imagined, perfect self, derived from our image of our “super-powerful” parents. Since no one can live up to the standards set by ego ideals, we spend the rest of our lives (to greater or lesser degrees), plagued by doubt. This is irrational, of course, but true.

Step 2. Accept It

There’s a school of psychotherapy—called “acceptance therapy”—based on the insight that admitting you suffer from a problem reduces the distress it can cause. (Conversely, denying the existence of a problem, or beating yourself up for having a flaw, is always debilitating.) Everyone, even superstars, feels like a fake or failure at times. We all have imperfections. Recognizing that those whom you admire most have them, too, is the trick.

Step 3. Fess Up

You’re probably not done with Step 2 yet. Chances are that real acceptance won’t kick in without sharing your anxiety with someone you trust. Think you’ll flub a presentation? Give one to friends. Doubt you command respect? Ask someone you admire (but don’t report to) if all is okay. Worst case is that whomever you confide in will give you negative feedback that you can use to improve. Admitting what plagues you (and then learning that others feel the same way) will help you realize that while self-doubt is vexing, no one dies from it.

Step 4. Look At The Facts

If a claustrophobic person gets stuck in an elevator, it’s hard for them to focus on the certainty that, any minute now, it will be moving again. Fear and panic simply take over. The same tendency is true with self-doubt, but unlike with claustrophobia, a few hard facts can help. Example: If you’ve been promoted somewhat recently, remind yourself why you were tapped. Make a list of all your valuable skills and accomplishments. Read them aloud if you have to. But–and this important–don’t lean on a prepackaged pep talk, a la the old Stuart Smalley character on “Saturday Night Live.” False self-praise will do more damage than self-doubt.

Read full article here

Generation Y values independence and mandating work at specific times might not be the most efficient way to get things done. Think about it, if those of you who aren’t morning people could go into work later than 9am in a fantastic mood, how much more productive would you be?  Previously, hours were used to determine productivity. However, with a computer and wireless internet, work can be done from anywhere. Location and time restrictions do not determine the quality of work.

Now is the time to embrace workshifting (also known as telecommuting or teleworking). According to Workshifiting.com, workshifiting is “using the web to get work done anytime, anywhere – outside the traditional office space. In a Telework Research Network study, 40 percent of U.S. workers have jobs that could be done from home at least part-time. Workshifting increases productivity by 27% and employees are 55% more engaged than those who are confined to the office. It capitalizes on money, time and energy.  Companies like Google and Best Buy have been reaping the benefits, so should you and your company.