There is a 5-step process that we have found to be very
effective in building effective teams.

Before we start, it’s important to remember that teams
exist for one reason:  to achieve results!  However, it’s
also important to remember that teams must be sustainable
in order to continue producing those results, so that’s why
we look at the inter-relationships among the team members
– to ensure that those relationships are working at the
level needed for the team to continue producing results
without getting burned out.  Let’s look at this process of
building a successful team so that your team can get to the
next level and be not only effective, but sustainable, in
achieving its desired results.

1.  Measure the current effectiveness of your team

In order to help your team be more successful, it’s
important to first look at how successful the team is
currently.  Measuring your team can serve as a benchmark
for team development, as it gives you a current evaluation
of your team as it exists today.  The best way to do this
is to measure your team’s effectiveness, which can be done
in several different ways:

- Personal interviews:  Asking each team member a specific
set of questions designed to measure their effectiveness is
a great way to learn about what’s really going on within
your team.  The disadvantage of this method is that some
team members will not be forthcoming with information
during face-to-face interviews because they are not
anonymous.  Results are best yielded when the interviews
are done by an external facilitator who will maintain
individual confidentiality.

- Simple measurement:  A very simple method to use is to
ask your team members “on a scale of 1 to 10, how effective
is this team”?  And see what their responses are so that
you can ask some follow up questions to learn more about
their perceptions.

- Assessment tool:  In our opinion, this is the best method
to measure the current state of your team because it is
anonymous, unbiased and team members are generally very
candid and open in their responses.  The assessment results
are then shared with your team in a specially-designed team
development process that includes exercises to help the
team improve in areas needed.

2.  Create your vision of a highly successful team

This is where you can use the “begin with the end in mind”
concept that Stephen Covey and others have used for years.
This step is about using your imagination to create the
most successful, productive, cohesive team that you desire!
The vision of your team can include the following
components:

- Team’s values, priorities and desired results

- Organization’s values, priorities and desired results for
this team

- Your own values, priorities and desired results for this
team

- Productivity factors:  these are factors defined by Team
Diagnostic International as the factors that support the
team in achieving results, accomplishing tasks, staying on
course to reach goals and objectives.  They include
strengths such as accountability, decision making, goal
setting, etc.

- Positivity factors:  these are factors defined by Team
Diagnostic International as the factors that focus on the
inter-relationships between team members and the spirit or
tone of the team as a system.  They include strengths such
as trust, respect, clear communication, handling conflict,
camaraderie, etc.

I encourage you to create your “desired team” vision with
your team.  Schedule a time to meet with them to allow for
everyone to participate in this creative process!  And,
remember to think out of the box — what would it look like
to have a team that was achieving results beyond what you
think is possible today?

3.  Communicate effectively

This is a huge topic that I will only be able to scratch
the surface in this article!  However, here are the most
important tips to remember in my experience of working with
teams:

- Everyone receives information differently.  Some people
have to see it, others have to hear it, etc.  How do you
like to receive information?  Remember that just because
one way works for you, that same way doesn’t work for all
of your team members.

- Find out how each person needs to receive information in
order to process it.  Ask your team members “how do you
like to receive information?”  so that they can tell you
whether they are visual learners, auditory learners, etc.

- Remember to communicate important information using
several different methods so that all of your team members
will receive the information you are trying to convey.

- Check in with your team regarding your communications and
ask them how you can improve.

4.  Develop a plan to turn your team vision into reality

Now that you’ve measure your team’s current effectiveness,
you’ve created a vision of your desired team and you’ve
determined how to best communicate with them, it’s time to
create an action plan!

This step is about creating goals that support you in
growing your team to the next level.  We do complete
workshops on effective goal setting and don’t have space
here to go into all of the details, but here are the basics:

Remember to set goals that are

- Specific

- Measurable

- Attainable

- Realistic

- Time oriented (make sure each goal has a deadline!)

5.  Take a stand for your team!

Whether you see yourself as “the leader” of your team or “a
leader” of your team or “a member” of your team, you are in
a position to influence your team.  Take a stand for the
improvement of your team!  Here are a couple of ways that
you can do that:

- Remind your team members of the vision you see for your
team and what you see as being possible for your team.
Remind them that it IS possible to grow to the next level!
And, ask them what they need to grow to the next possible.

- Look for ways to build and develop your team.  When was
the last time your team had a meeting that was dedicated to
enhancing your team’s relationships?   When was the last
time that your team went out to lunch together, or did
another fun activity?  If you aren’t familiar with the
types of team development that be effective for your team,
or if you don’t have the time or expertise to develop a
program, call in an expert to help you create a program for
your team.

Investing time, energy and financial resources in your team
can be simple — it doesn’t have to be complicated or time
consuming.  The important thing is that you do something on
a regular basis to keep your team motivated, engaged and
productive so that they can produce the results that you
and your organization desire!

—————————————————-
Are you a business leader struggling to get the results you
need from your team?  Despite the many challenges facing
organizations today, it IS possible to take your team to
the next level and get the results that you and your
organization desire!  Want to learn how? Visit us:
http://www.goalsinsight.com

Nearly every day we are called upon to present ourselves.
It might be in a business setting, where we need to
convince customers to purchase a product or it might be in
a social setting where we need to convince a person we meet
that we are interesting and fun to be with.

How can you improve your communication and presentation
skills? Your entire body – not just your voice – is part of
the “machinery” that can make or break your presentation.
If your voice, your message, and your body all work
together in harmony, you’ll get your point across and
increase the likelihood of success. However, if your voice,
message, and body don’t work together, your point could be
muddled or lost. Fueling the machine is part of the process
of bringing harmony to your presentation.

A balanced diet is an important part in fueling the
machine. Make sure you eat meals that are approved by the
food guide of your country (since many countries have their
own food guides due to local differences in food
availability).

If you have a very important presentation that requires
your full voice and attention in front of others, avoid
mixing proteins and starches in the same meal. As well,
avoid eating fruit unless it’s on an empty stomach.

(more…)

Stop wasting time looking for papers lost on your desk,
running down to the office supply store for last minute
printer ribbons, or working 24-7. Use these tips to get
more organized, streamline your repetitive activities and
plan ahead to prevent office crises and uproar.

Tip #1  -  Find special places for special papers…and then
put them there. One colleague lost a full fee check
somewhere on her desk and was too embarrassed to ask her
client for another one. Now she has an old fashioned “clamp
on a stick” to hold every check that comes in until they
can be deposited. Use color-coding to distinguish types of
work, the importance of the project, and increase the
likelihood of finding the file when you need it.
Color-coding cuts down considerably on

Tip #2  -  Use color-coding to distinguish types of work,
the importance of the project, and increase the likelihood
of finding the file when you need it. Color-coding cuts
down considerably on hunting through similar files to find
just the one that’s needed.

Tip #3  -  Meet with yourself once a week to work on your
business. Review your marketing activities, sales
activities, client needs and financial status to save hours
of clean up time for missing a commitment, or big bucks
from passing on a lurking opportunity.

Tip #4  -  Clean off your desk before finishing work for
the week. Transfer all the little notes, phone numbers,
ideas and dates into your calendar, database or project
files…and set out your files and papers for Monday morning
appointments.

Tip #5  -  Work only five days a week. By putting
boundaries on your work, you’ll increase the quality of the
time you do work, and nurture yourself and your
relationships. (If you are one of the 24-7 types, you may
need to go into this gradually.) Take three to four months
by cutting back gradually until you are down to no more
than a 40-50 hour week.

Tip #6  -  Lay in a reserve of supplies to avoid last
minute trips for cartridges and long lines at the post
office. Extend this to your personal life: buy a month’s
supply of underwear, a six month’s supply of paper
products, laundry soap, and toiletries.

Tip #7  -  Use the Internet to do research, order supplies,
pay bills, purchase commodities and books, and movie
tickets. The money you’ll save by not taking time out for a
trip to the office supply store, as well as all the impulse
buys you’ll avoid, will more than cover the delivery
charges.

Tip #8  -  Guard the precious prime geography on your desk.
Leave a space to work, and a space for special papers that
are “must do today” will go a long way in helping you feel
more organized and be more productive.

Tip #9  -  Throw it out, pass it on. Pass on left over, no
longer needed office supplies, file folders, and binders to
a local not-for profit agency or favorite school teacher.

Tip #10  -  Finish Fully. This from Dru Scott, author of
How to Put More Time in Your Life. Stop wandering from
project to project, task to task, being distracted by
have-to’s or half-finished chores along the way. If you’re
not careful, you’ll end the day with even more
half-finished projects that clutter both your mind and your
office. Prepare the invoice, put it into an envelope,
address it, put a stamp on it, and then onto the out pile.
Closure, even with small tasks, helps engender a feeling of
accomplishment and satisfaction, relieving stress, and
releasing energy for the next thing that needs to be done.

—————————————————-
Need to get your small business more strategic, organized,
automated? Click here => http://www.1PersonBusiness.com for
Pat Wiklund’s complimentary introductory course on How to
Run a One-Person Business Without It Running You.

Winning your new job takes more than just arriving on time
– after all, that’s obviously expected.  But, what else are
employers expecting from you when you arrive for your
interview?  Here are four tips you’ll want to keep in mind
for interview success:

Tip 1:  Employers will assume that you have done a good
amount of research on their company.  When they ask you
what you know about them, you’ll get off to a good start by
being able to discuss several pertinent points about the
Company.  To do this you must be sure your research
includes:

* What the company’s mission is
* Sales and revenue (if public)
* What their growth rate has been
* Major products and services
* Who their competitors are
* Key management team
* Latest news on the company
* Clients, suppliers
* Company structure & culture

Employers want to know that you are interested in working
for them and that you have the curiosity and energy to plan
ahead for your meetings.  This research technique will also
help you come up with smart questions to ask your
interviewer when they offer to answer any questions you may
have.  P.S. Always have questions!

(more…)

Wise experienced leaders from all walks of life tell me
that personal reflection is one their most valuable tools
for remaining effective and ahead of the game.

When I seek to pass this advice on to my clients, I often
get this question “How does one effectively reflect?”

Reflection is the point of maximum learning from one’s
experiences.  Whilst experience is learning, reflection
about the experience provides even more learning.

To maximise the learning opportunity from reflection,
create a simple process that enables you to think clearly
and record your reflections.

Here are some tips you can adapt to suit yourself.

1. Choose a regular time to reflect, say 20 minutes early
in the morning or at a quiet time in the evening.

2. Choose a quiet place with no disturbances such as phones
or TV.

3. Keep a reflection journal to record insights, thoughts
or decisions you make.

4. Play soft music - 60 beat per minute works well, or
baroque music.

5. Choose a specific experience; event; time block; or
relationship for reflection.

(more…)

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks building a shed in my
back garden. Already I hear you ask, what does that have to
do with business? As I was building the shed, I realized
how similar it was to building a business. Wait, and I’ll
explain more.

Metaphorically speaking, building a shed is very similar to
building a business. There are many ingredients that you
need, and missing any one of them out will mean the results
will range from achieving nothing to the disastrous. But
one ingredient stands head and shoulders above the rest.

It’s a simple four letter word…

… P-L-A-N.

With a clear focused plan, and the right amount of
knowledge and experience, you know exactly what materials
and tools you need. With enough focus, hard work and
persistence, you simply follow the plan to achieve the end
result.

Let’s go back to the example of building a shed, and
examine what might happen if you had no plan, or just say a
quick sketch on a scrap of paper to rely on:

- You would struggle to know what materials you needed, and
have to make repeated trips to the hardware store, greatly
reducing the efficient use of your time and needlessly
wasting your energy.

(more…)

One of the certain aspects of working life is that
unexpectedly you can be assigned a project to do. In fact
if you are building a business of your own you will have
long-term projects that are essential to its profitable
development.

But in order to ensure the smooth and successful running of
your business it’s vital to have efficient systems in place
to deal with these projects. Most of them will have
deadlines for completion at some point in the future. But
it is how you deal with these deadlines that will determine
how efficient you are at managing your business.

The simple thing to do is to schedule the project in your
diary for perhaps a few days before the completion date,
even if it is several weeks away. This is a big mistake!

In order to effectively control your time you should be in
the habit of using lists to plan your working days. Each
day you should have a daily task list of the things that
must be done. Anything new that comes in during the day
should normally be put onto your list for the following
day. Only the genuine things that can’t wait until tomorrow
should be added to the list to do the same day.

So as soon as you are given a project to deal with you must
put an item to start it on your must do list for the next
day. That item will be to simply write a checklist for the
project. You must do this or else you will find that as the
deadline approaches you have to put off other important
tasks in order to get the project completed. Then all of
the good habits you have developed in using lists to manage
your time will be to no avail.

(more…)

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with your to-do list at work.
You’re probably managing several tasks or projects at once.
Work keeps piling up.  You feel as if you don’t have
enough time to get it all done.  You’re stressed and
there’s no end in sight.

A recent survey published by the Center for Disease Control
reported that more than 80% of professionals experience
high levels of job stress.  A lot of it has to do with the
overwhelm they feel with their amount of responsibilities
and tasks.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it affects the quality and
output of your work and, at least to a certain degree,
determines how successful you are. Here are three key
shifts you can make to reduce overwhelm and start working
with ease:

1.  Shift from “pushing” to “flowing”

When you experience overwhelm at work, your tendency may be
to keep pushing, believing you can get through it using the
“no pain, no gain” mantra.  When you’re “pushing” to get as
much done as possible during the day, it usually leads to
more stress and can be counterproductive.

The physical signs of “pushing” include leaning forward,
tensing, shallow breathing and clenching your jaw.  When
you notice these signs, simply pause and step away from
work for a bit.  Get a glass of water, take a few deep
breaths, stand up and stretch.  Take a moment to notice why
you are pushing (”I’m unclear,” “I am angry,” or “I need
more time”) then see if you can get to the root of the
problem so you can move back into the “flow” (you know that
feeling like everything is lined up and work becomes
easier).

(more…)

The logo and graphic elements that you include on your
business card are quite important, but having the right
text and contact information on the card is equally
important. Here are my tips about the elements to include:

Your name - Consider whether you want to include your
middle name or initial, degrees or professional credentials
that are unique to your field.

Title - Including a title on your card will help your
potential clients to identify your position within your
company. Including a title can also make your company seem
larger. A reason to not include a title would be if you’re
a consultant, and want to market your solo nature as a
benefit to your clients.

Address - Always include an address on your business card,
even if you are operating a business out of your home.
Including your address greatly increases your credibility
and makes your business appear established. If you’re
concerned about privacy, a post office box is a great way
to go. When signing up for a post office box, consider
using a commercial mailbox vendor (such as the UPS Store)
instead of a box at the United States Post Office. At a
mailbox store, you are given a street address instead of
the typical “P.O. Box”. The store also accepts shipped
packages from UPS, FedEx, and other carriers, so you won’t
need to give out your home address as a shipping address.

Phone number (and toll-free number) - Include your phone
number and, if you do business long distance, consider
including an 800 or toll-free number as well, as an amenity
for your clients.

(more…)

Your Visual Vocabulary consists of the secondary design
elements that are used in conjunction with your logo to
form your brand identity. Your Visual Vocabulary is
composed of the graphics, font styles, colors, and even the
type of paper you choose.

Once you have determined the elements to use in your Visual
Vocabulary, it is important to use those elements
consistently throughout all of your marketing materials.
This consistency will make your entire set of materials
look like a family. Having a consistent set of marketing
materials makes you look more organized and professional.
It also makes your business more memorable, because the
repetition of the consistent elements creates repeated
impressions on your audience. The more you repeat your
marketing images and messages consistently, the easier it
will be for your clients to associate them with your
business.

The four ways to create consistency in your Visual
Vocabulary are:

1. Using the same or similar visuals and graphics
throughout your marketing materials makes them instantly
recognizable, which is becoming more important as marketing
media messages become more prevalent and people become more
inundated with them. The graphical elements that you can
work with in your Visual Vocabulary include the
backgrounds, text treatments (such as tagline styles),
shapes, layout conventions, and the photo library you use.

(more…)