Leaders: Your Emotions Are Contagious!

June 12, 2013 8:51 am ⋅

Christina Haxtonby Christina Haxton

Great Bosses & Horrible Bosses

For just a moment, remember your favorite boss. You know, the one you said you would follow anywhere if he or she ever left the company. The boss for whom you came in early and stayed late for to meet a promised project deadline. How would you describe his or her overall mood? How did you feel when you were working for him or her?

Now, remember the boss you would never work for again in a million years. The boss you worked really hard to avoid being in the same room with for longer than necessary. The boss you had when hiding under your desk or in your closet was not beneath you. How would you describe his or her overall mood? How did you feel when you were around him or her? Continue Reading

Posted in: Leadership

Write Emails That Provoke Action

May 26, 2013 9:33 pm ⋅

Julie Millerby Julie Miller

Do you use emails to market, negotiate deals and communicate important business messages? If so, you usually want to provoke an action or result, and get it done in as few words as possible.

Start with a clear and accurate subject line so the recipient knows what you and your email are all about; this is not the time to be clever and cutesy. And don’t ever shout (use all caps) to try to force action. Shouting only turns people off. Continue Reading

Posted in: Writing ⋅ Tagged:

Be More Persuasive

May 12, 2013 8:13 pm ⋅

Tiffany Dahlbergby Tiffany Dahlberg

Did you know you can be 45% more successful in negotiations, increase sales by 33%, and influence people to do something by 400% just by understanding the secrets of persuasion?

Dr. Robert Cialdini, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing, Arizona State University, has outlined six sources of persuasion yielding the above results and more!

Six Sources of Persuasion
1) Reciprocity
2) Scarcity
3) Credibility Continue Reading

Posted in: Sales, Training ⋅ Tagged:

6 Steps to Creating an Innovative Environment

April 29, 2013 8:48 am ⋅

Tara Powersby Tara Powers

The environment you create with your team is a key component of innovation. As a leader, you must commit to practicing innovation and be persistent doing it. It is human nature to take the path of least resistance or stick to doing what we know. Making innovative thinking part of your team culture is the only way to achieve breakthroughs.

Here are 6 Steps To Creating an Environment:

  • Role Model: Ask powerful questions, engage in creative thinking and use tools and exercises to get people “out of the box.” Continue Reading
Posted in: Team Building, Training ⋅ Tagged:

Twelve Things Your Company Needs to be Doing on Social Media

April 14, 2013 6:29 pm ⋅

Don Cooperby Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™

Social media is the most powerful communication tool since the Internet itself. Most companies, though, are barely tapping into its potential.

Want to maximize the power of social media to boost your sales? Here are twelve activities you should be doing regularly.

1. Highlighting promotions
Having a sale? A special offer? An event of any kind? Publicize it on every social media channel. People are paying less and less attention to traditional forms of advertising and more attention to social media. In fact, 29% of people on Twitter follow a brand and 58% of Facebook users have liked a brand. Continue Reading

Posted in: Sales, Training ⋅ Tagged:

Moving Frogs in a Wheelbarrow

March 31, 2013 10:32 am ⋅

dice with 2013by Ashley Andrus

A few years ago EDS (an HP company) released a very clever Super Bowl commercial about cowboys herding cats: “Anybody can herd cattle. Holding together 10,000 half-wild shorthairs, now that’s another matter altogether.” Anyone responsible for managing all the moving parts of an organizational training plan can surely relate to that complexity.

My East Texas grandfather had a similar saying for such an undertaking: “Moving frogs in a wheelbarrow.” Every time you think you’re loaded up and ready to hit the road, one jumps out and forces you to drop everything to pick him up and load him back in. Continue Reading

Posted in: Time Management ⋅ Tagged:

Delegating Effectively

March 17, 2013 10:43 pm ⋅

K.J. McCorryby K.J. McCorry

Most workers need to communicate, track and manage delegated task items. It is particularly important for project managers as well as supervisors who not only have to manage their own tasks but also need to make sure their direct reports get things done, too.

Whoever is responsible and accountable for an action item or project should delegate clear guidelines on completing a task as well as follow-through with others to ensure success of an action or project.

The following are key points to remember for effective delegation that can be used with both small tasks and large projects: Continue Reading

Posted in: Time Management, Training ⋅ Tagged:

Choose Happiness – Managing Stress

March 6, 2013 3:20 pm ⋅

Shari Harleyby Shari Harley

Most of us have heard the ‘motivational’ phrase, “Live every day as if it was your last.” I don’t think that’s a great plan. If I lived every day as if it was my last I’d say things I’d regret and eat so much chocolate, cookies, and ice cream, I’d be the size of a house. I’d prefer to ask this question: “How would I live if this was the best day of my life?”

If every day was going to be the best day of your life, what would you do? Who would you spend time with? What would you give your time and energy to? What would you think about? Our thoughts drive our daily experience more than anything else. Continue Reading

Posted in: Stress Management, Training ⋅ Tagged:

Old vs. Young: The Battle That Shouldn’t Be

February 18, 2013 8:12 am ⋅

D.J. Vanasby D.J. Vanas

After traveling Indian Country for many years in my work, I’ve been chagrined, and at times heartbroken, over the wasted opportunities for the generations to combine forces to create success in communities and tribal organizations.  Through a lack of understanding, bad past experiences, different communication styles, pre-judgment or an unwillingness to accept ideas from others because of pride or ego, we have limited our own success in Indian Country by allowing a deep disconnect between generational knowledge.  At times I’ve seen not only a generational disconnect, but sometimes open hostility, at tribal council meetings, conferences or community events. A reconnection can be made if we realize that there is power across the generations to offer great ideas and solutions to the challenges we face.  Everyone has a contribution to make – that’s tradition 101. Continue Reading

Posted in: Motivational/Inspirational, Speaking ⋅ Tagged:

What Do Frogs Have To Do with Leadership & Goals?

February 4, 2013 3:16 am ⋅

Christina Haxtonby Christina Haxton

Riddle:  “Once upon a time, two frogs were sitting on a log in the middle of a lake, and one frog decided to jump off, how many frogs were left sitting on the log?”

Answer: Two frogs.

Why? The same reason only 3% of the population set and actually achieve their goals or maintain positive, well-intentioned change in the first place. The frog missed three critical steps of Achieving his Goal: Ask, Announce, Act (and Ask again).

The frog understood WHY it was a good idea to jump off, because he was an intelligent, high achieving, upwardly mobile frog.  He understood there were more opportunities and freedom if he left the comfort of the log.  While the frog understood why, and although he did decide … he didn’t take action. Continue Reading

Posted in: Leadership, Training ⋅ Tagged: