The biggest problem with networking is that some people either don't like it or just blinding go into it and "do it" without knowing how to "do it". 
If you have facebook (and you should) you've seen it. The people that add everyone and yet, do not have a real connection to anyone. No one sees them as important but THEY are networking so they add the person. It's just clutter. 
Networking should have PURPOSE.
Networking should be AUTHENTIC. Don't add people into your life (or Facebook) you would not want to work with or don't trust. Don't portray yourself as someone you are not.
Figure out your GOALS. If your goal is just to belong to a group, event or genre, then you need to know if this is worth your time and energy. Does it hurt you to be a part of a group and NOT participate? Will you be seen as lazy? Figure out your goals and join organizations and even FB groups based upon your goals, not just impulses.
VOLUNTEER. It's a way to keep involved and exposed in your line of work.
BE SPECIFIC: don't just say "we should work together one day" but get specifics for each person you network with. Maybe "Let's join forces on a fundraiser upcoming; can I call you about this?" is more direct and really enables you to really work with the person instead of shelf the network.


Prompt:  
Write your goals for networking.
Write three (at least) authentic characteristics about yourself or your business
Write at least two ways you can present those characteristics to others.
Write two or three things you can OFFER another person or business
These prompts will help you keep genuine, goal oriented and focused in networking, as a start.
 
 
It does not seem to be true that work necessarily needs to be unpleasant. It may always have to be hard, or at least harder than doing nothing at all. But there is ample evidence that work can be enjoyable, and that indeed, it is often the most enjoyable part of life. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

It seems rather silly to have to explain but too often I coach people in careers or jobs that they do not enjoy at all. The only prompt this week is to simply ascertain on paper, what you want to do with yourself. Work takes up a lot of your time, focus and energy. So, do what you love.On a sheet of paper, draw three columns.Label the columns as such: One column is "like" the other is "tolerate" the other is "dislike".Under "like" make a 1, 2 and a 3 in "tolerate" make a 4, 5, and a 6 and in "dislike" make a 7, 8 and a 9.The lower number in each column means "a little bit" the middle number is mediocre, and the top number is "very much".Now, in each row, write your job or job responsibilities. You may have more than one job. You may also add into this other ways you spend your time, such as volunteering and friendships you keep.For each item you write, rate two ways; like, tolerate or dislike and in each one you do choose, it is either a little bit, mediocre or very much.

So it would look something like this....                           

                Like       Tolerate         Dislike 
Researching         3 (I like it very much)
Telephone Calls                                 7 (Dislike it a little bit)
Interviewing people   3 (I like it very much)
Compiling facts       3 (I like it very much)


*This is just a sample to help you decipher your chart. As you can see, thus far, I like most of my job. I'm not keen on telephone calls because they tend to go off course if the other person is not focused.I can create more effectiveness in the calls if I stay hyper focused. If the calls get more focused I will probably move this into "Tolerate" or even "Like".So now, see how you can create your dislikes or tolerates, if you have them, into Likes.
The goal is to have 3's....
 
 
Enacted in 2002, this is the corporate and auditing accountability and responsibility act that both protects both the public and, the trader/investor.
It originally was created as a reaction to shady investor dealings. It's an intensive law and the prompt this month is simple. Get a lawyer or accountant who is well versed in this, and if you are in law or accounting, you still need to find someone to work with to really ensure you are complying.

There are eleven titles under the law but the major ones most businesses need to be aware of is the financial disclosures, corporate responsibility and conflicts of interest... this is important as even though the transparency is more so for nonprofits and charities, it does now carry over to private organizations and publicly traded organizations. It's just become the standard in good business practices and does in fact, help you keep your accounting and day to day financial operations running much more smoothly. 


If you think you are too small or even a one-man show, it's still important to fully understand and abide by this law. Criminal penalties can include fines and twenty years in jail. 


Years ago, I took a course through the American Bar Association, and they may still have this available; so get acclimated by a course, reading up on the internet, purchasing a book on it and do hire a SOX-versed lawyer or accountant to help you bring your business up to speed in compliance. The time period which is the standard grace period has now passed, so you are expected to know this law. Ignorance is not an excuse!

 
 
Almost every time I speak to a group, be it business groups or companies/organizations, the resounding focus is "how to make more money"; then I start to quiz them a bit. I often find out in this back and forth question and answer that the people, at least the ones who seem most vocal, often do not seem to give much respect for their client or patient.
They don't really recall the persons name, they focus more on what the client/patient can do for them (income) and not about caring for the client or patient.
They often want to know how to squeeze the most out of their clients and how to get away with it.
I'm always saddened but never shocked at the mentality; during the lectures or speaking engagements I never really tackle this until it is the focus of the event, because it is just too encompassing and often seen as too assertive or confrontational.


Here is the truth; your client or patient is your lifeblood. It is your client who allows you to take vacations and buy food. You can't remember their name? You can't respect them? Really?


I totally understand; you are concerned about your success. You see clients and patients as numbers more than people, and that is your problem and that is what is stopping you from true success; and that is what is making you behave desperately. 
Yes, it is desperate to think of people as just numbers. 


Perhaps you are in a situation where you could not possibly know all of the suppliers or consumers, but if you offer anything (product or service) you most certainly can treat people with respect. Offer true discounts, a free "something", a newsletter that doesn't sell but helps... know their names if possible, develop relationships, help your local community and global community.


The reality is, there is about a 1-3% group of business owners and managers who work to get to know their client and/or patient. That small group makes an impact on their audience, and, on your audience. 


If you feel desperate, then start with the core. Get to know the people who are at your core, so you can build upon it and grow; but also because people just deserve respect.


In business the focus is always on "getting ahead" and rarely on ethics or appreciation. Appreciation "days" or events are sort of passe' if you can't show your clients that they are appreciated every day.


Coaching Prompt:
Start analyzing your business to see if you really know your client.
If you do not, start to develop at least some relationships each week.
If you do, build upon that and start focusing on appreciation events that are authentic and from the heart.
Give back to the community in a very direct, personal way. 
 
 
Yes. This is your business advice. Do something for free. Give something away. Do more than just satisfy some donations that are gleaned from people who contact you. Start a program, get involved in a nonprofit, do SOMETHING...and I don't mean sitting on a board. I mean actively give to your community. You. Not your employees, not your sales team. YOU. 

I do not care what business you are in, who you think you are, how self-important you think you are, what your skill, product or organization is; you have at least an hour a month to volunteer or give or help someone. If you don't, then make the time.

Aside from the ethical reasons you and others benefit from your generosity, this endeavor can help you demonstrate your expertise. It also helps you market your business passively. It also makes you more human or approachable. People will remember you, get to know you and feel connected to you; and that is what you want.

You can also offer free items on your web site or other areas so that people can help themselves. First, it's just nice. And yes, we all need to make money but being nice "counts" or should. If you are so afraid of making money that you can't give, there is a name for it; greed. Greed often gets in the way of a lot of positive growth. 

The bottom line, is when you give of yourself, even if you help someone else empower themselves, they often will still seek you out professionally sooner or later. 

Don't be afraid to give and, don't be afraid to offer your employees opportunities to give to the clients or patients as well.




 
 
Addressing an issue head on is sometimes uncomfortable. Be it in business or a relationship, we tend to want to soften or even skirt the issue. 
I have heard people actually tell me that in business they have avoided bringing up a major issues just because they do not like confrontation or, when faced with a tough situation, they soften their words so much that it is almost too diplomatic and not taken seriously.


Here is the reality; sooner or later the issue needs to be addressed. Often things "blow up" because the person who needs to address the situation is not, and the people who need to be addressed have no idea of the severity of the issue sometimes. So, it snowballs, and emotions run deeper and higher, coming to a boil at times.


The best way to handle a tough decision you need to address, or a tough address of any sort is to simply realize that you are going to hold others as well as yourself to a high level of professionalism and ethics; even if this is a personal issue.


To Think About:


-Face the issue yourself: How would you like to see it resolve? What are the different degrees of resolution you can satisfy yourself with if your "dream" resolution doesn't commence.
-Once you have the set of resolutions you can be satisfied with, think of the other person; how will you address yourself to them with diplomacy and an air of strength?
- If in a business setting, will you follow up with a non-emotional, respectful overview email?
- If in a personal setting will you follow up with a follow up call in a few days to ensure feelings are not hurt?
- Will you ensure that there is freedom from blame, directness and pure honesty? When people feel that they are being blamed they shut down and it can become emotional (in any setting) so this is an important focus.
- How will you address the situation to ensure that blame is not a part of it (unless it NEEDS to be)?


Prompt:
List: Make a list of the facts.
Make a list of the honest focus that you hope to attain or, resolution.
Ensure that blame is not present in this list or focus.
Think in terms of a "Team"; it is not you against them but you and them against the situation.
Now, address it in a timely manner.


This prompt should help you to become more agile when it comes to addressing uncomfortable situations.



 
 
When people address me to explore how to increase their business, I often start by asking one question, "Who is your client". The responses I get are often very similar whether they are from a CEO or a new sales agent. I get "Everyone is my client" or "any soccer player is my possible client" and so on; often very vague. Some people will be a little more detailed and say "My clients are often upper class professionals" or "My clients are teenagers"... 


What does this tell me? It tells me that they have no idea who their client really is, and thus, have no idea how to gain more clients based upon this information. They probably are doing the same thing over and over and feeling like a hamster on a wheel. 


So, I ask business executives of all levels to explore who their client IS. It should be a snapshot image in verbal display. The individual I work with needs to know as much as possible, including but not limited to: personality types, religion, cultural background, marital status, family status, do they vacation, where do they vacation, etc.. in other words, as much as possible.
When you know who you HAVE you know who you do NOT HAVE. 

The key here is diversity. 

Once you know who you have, you'll see a trend in the types of clients you "own". 

When you have that, you can then look at the gaps in diversity. The people you have are already are the individuals who will do your word of mouth or your growing demographic based upon what you already do.

I'm going to ask you, your prompt if you will, to jot down a few ways to gather people who do not fit your current (after you figure it out, and it should take you some time to fully analyze) client base. After that, I am going to ask you to then jot down ways to attract that new client base. If you found three client bases that you do not already "own" then you should have a list of three client bases and for each one at least three ideas (you may have to get creative), in which to attract them. 

If nothing else, this prompt will open your eyes to diversity in a new way and at best, you will open your business to diversity. 
 
No Title 03/05/2010