Are you looking for a business partner? What are the ideal qualities one should look for in a business partner? I was reflecting on this today and this article is based on my personal business history.
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
What Do You Mean, I'm Not a Team Player?
Look at any number of want ads, particularly for senior employees, and you will see that most of them ask for team players. We all think we are team players, but the problem is we don't all mean the same thing. Noticeably, men and women have different ideas of what the term means, and this comes from our early socialization.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Build a Successful Team - Goal Setting
Take two MLM teams and put them side by side. All things seem to be equal. They both have a great upline leader. They both have effective tools at their disposal. They have both been trained equally as well. And yet Team A is flourishing while Team B is faltering. Now, although these are two ficticious teams and a purely hypothetical example...it is very true of MLM downlines. So what separates the two?
Time and time again it is drilled into those who listen to success tapes or follow the teachings of business experts. It is the one common factor in those who have made millions in any field. It is goal setting.
I am going to leave the hypothetical world behind for a moment and talk about my own life. I have been out of the MLM business for about 15 years and decided to get back into it. I love the industry and think it has a lot to offer. So I signed on with a company who had all the right elements and I went to work. It wasn't long after that I called it quits. I just couldn't get ahead. I drove myself nuts thinking "why?". Why was I not succeeding? Why was I not building a good team? Why was I not more motivated? And the reason why was that there was no "why". I had not defined my reasons for wanting to succeed! I had no goals.
See, success as defined by me is probably very different than success defined by you. You may see success as making $10,000.00 per month and living on a yacht! I might define success as making an extra $1000.00 per month so that I can stay home with my kids. Everyone's "why" is different. So you need to define what that is for YOU. Not for your upline. Not for the guy on the tape who makes 20,000.00 per month. It has to be YOUR why.
What goals do you have for yourself? Sit down and think them through. And, most importantly, write them down. Every one of them. Write as much detail about each one as you possibly can. Then look for pictures! Find a visual for your goal as much as you possibly can. And put them where you can look at them while you work. If one of your goals is to own a brand new Hummer, then find a picture of the one you want and hang it next to your desk. Then, when you get discouraged or you're having a down day, you can look at that picture and remember your "why". If you are a mom and your goal is to be able to stay home with your kids, put a picture of them up so that you can look at those precious faces every time you are tempted to quit. Do you know how powerful that is?
Time and time again it is drilled into those who listen to success tapes or follow the teachings of business experts. It is the one common factor in those who have made millions in any field. It is goal setting.
I am going to leave the hypothetical world behind for a moment and talk about my own life. I have been out of the MLM business for about 15 years and decided to get back into it. I love the industry and think it has a lot to offer. So I signed on with a company who had all the right elements and I went to work. It wasn't long after that I called it quits. I just couldn't get ahead. I drove myself nuts thinking "why?". Why was I not succeeding? Why was I not building a good team? Why was I not more motivated? And the reason why was that there was no "why". I had not defined my reasons for wanting to succeed! I had no goals.
See, success as defined by me is probably very different than success defined by you. You may see success as making $10,000.00 per month and living on a yacht! I might define success as making an extra $1000.00 per month so that I can stay home with my kids. Everyone's "why" is different. So you need to define what that is for YOU. Not for your upline. Not for the guy on the tape who makes 20,000.00 per month. It has to be YOUR why.
What goals do you have for yourself? Sit down and think them through. And, most importantly, write them down. Every one of them. Write as much detail about each one as you possibly can. Then look for pictures! Find a visual for your goal as much as you possibly can. And put them where you can look at them while you work. If one of your goals is to own a brand new Hummer, then find a picture of the one you want and hang it next to your desk. Then, when you get discouraged or you're having a down day, you can look at that picture and remember your "why". If you are a mom and your goal is to be able to stay home with your kids, put a picture of them up so that you can look at those precious faces every time you are tempted to quit. Do you know how powerful that is?
Have Your People Call Our People - This Doesn't Work - If You Want To Help - Do Something About It
Have your people call our people!!
No! It should be YOU call ME!! Or I’ll call YOU.
This doesn’t mean you should always take on a do it yourself attitude. You can still have your people talk to their people but you make the arrangements. Let all concerned know that you are interested. Stay in touch, make sure things are happening the way you want them to or the way you promised.
Businesses don’t do business with businesses. People do business with people. It’s good to refer but don’t just pass on the name. Follow it up later to see if anyone took action on your referral. You can also take credit for the referral.
Sales People are interested in making the sale by learning about the customer and about the requirement and then imparting all the information to the Buyer.
Buyers have a requirement and a budget. They probably even have a preferred supplier but there is a lot more than just the product or service. There is a variety of choices such as colour, size, quantity breaks, shipping / delivery points and there is also packaging to consider. All this and the budget to consider. They really want no surprises once they’ve placed their order. They really want to feel confident that everything will arrive as and when planned. That’s why the incumbent supplier has an edge. The comfort zone.
If you want this order you have to knock out the champion. Your offer has to not only be superior, but the sales person / buyer relationship has to be there.
In my business, I have a slogan ‘your ideas and our experience’. I have always worked to make it easy for the customer to buy from me. Customer service before – and once you get the order – you get the chance to prove the customer service after.
The plan is to become your customers preferred supplier while the customer is becoming a premium customer.
Buyer or Supplier, you have the right to a good deal. This will happen when you have a good relationship. Now that doesn’t mean you have to lunch every day and play golf on the weekends, but it does mean paying attention to details, return calls quickly, quote quickly, help each other with specifications and generally be ‘business’ friends.
No! It should be YOU call ME!! Or I’ll call YOU.
This doesn’t mean you should always take on a do it yourself attitude. You can still have your people talk to their people but you make the arrangements. Let all concerned know that you are interested. Stay in touch, make sure things are happening the way you want them to or the way you promised.
Businesses don’t do business with businesses. People do business with people. It’s good to refer but don’t just pass on the name. Follow it up later to see if anyone took action on your referral. You can also take credit for the referral.
Sales People are interested in making the sale by learning about the customer and about the requirement and then imparting all the information to the Buyer.
Buyers have a requirement and a budget. They probably even have a preferred supplier but there is a lot more than just the product or service. There is a variety of choices such as colour, size, quantity breaks, shipping / delivery points and there is also packaging to consider. All this and the budget to consider. They really want no surprises once they’ve placed their order. They really want to feel confident that everything will arrive as and when planned. That’s why the incumbent supplier has an edge. The comfort zone.
If you want this order you have to knock out the champion. Your offer has to not only be superior, but the sales person / buyer relationship has to be there.
In my business, I have a slogan ‘your ideas and our experience’. I have always worked to make it easy for the customer to buy from me. Customer service before – and once you get the order – you get the chance to prove the customer service after.
The plan is to become your customers preferred supplier while the customer is becoming a premium customer.
Buyer or Supplier, you have the right to a good deal. This will happen when you have a good relationship. Now that doesn’t mean you have to lunch every day and play golf on the weekends, but it does mean paying attention to details, return calls quickly, quote quickly, help each other with specifications and generally be ‘business’ friends.
Drawing the Lines - Setting Your Team's Boundaries
Most team development specialists would agree that defining a set of team rules, or a team charter, is one of the steps in a successful team's development. Step 2 in our 8-Step Model for high team performance is to develop a set of ground rules. I see this as a very important step in the team development process, and it is not merely focused on rules around attendance, dress code, attendance at meetings or production of reports. It is much more than that: defining your ground rules is about establishing the laws, or boundaries, by which your team will live every day.
Boundaries and standards - one and the same?
Boundaries and standards are different. Standards are levels of behaviour that you set with your team and make yourselves honour - in other words, how others experience working with your team. Examples of standards could include quality, punctuality, accuracy, attention to detail, and so on.
Boundaries, on the other hand, are more inwardly focused and describe the lines that you draw in order to be treated as you would wish. These could include such things as courtesy, respect, listening, positivity or honesty - there is no limit and no 'correct' list.
You might refer to these types of behaviours as 'values'. I prefer the concept of boundaries because for me the word conjures an image of lines; lines that I draw around myself and my team; lines that should not be crossed under any circumstances.
Why so important?
We all have our personal boundaries. Think of them as filters by which we allow people into our lives or not. These filters contribute towards defining us and shaping our personal brand. In the same way, the boundaries that we apply within our teams help to define our team brand; that is, how people see and experience us as a team of people.
Once you define your team's boundaries, you must apply them both internally and externally. This means that you make them real, both in terms of how you treat one another within the team and how you allow yourselves to be treated by others.
The former is usually easy: we agree how we will behave towards one another and, if those rules are broken, we openly call it out and deal with it. Applying your boundaries outside the team can test your mettle somewhat more, but the benefits are huge.
Boundaries and standards - one and the same?
Boundaries and standards are different. Standards are levels of behaviour that you set with your team and make yourselves honour - in other words, how others experience working with your team. Examples of standards could include quality, punctuality, accuracy, attention to detail, and so on.
Boundaries, on the other hand, are more inwardly focused and describe the lines that you draw in order to be treated as you would wish. These could include such things as courtesy, respect, listening, positivity or honesty - there is no limit and no 'correct' list.
You might refer to these types of behaviours as 'values'. I prefer the concept of boundaries because for me the word conjures an image of lines; lines that I draw around myself and my team; lines that should not be crossed under any circumstances.
Why so important?
We all have our personal boundaries. Think of them as filters by which we allow people into our lives or not. These filters contribute towards defining us and shaping our personal brand. In the same way, the boundaries that we apply within our teams help to define our team brand; that is, how people see and experience us as a team of people.
Once you define your team's boundaries, you must apply them both internally and externally. This means that you make them real, both in terms of how you treat one another within the team and how you allow yourselves to be treated by others.
The former is usually easy: we agree how we will behave towards one another and, if those rules are broken, we openly call it out and deal with it. Applying your boundaries outside the team can test your mettle somewhat more, but the benefits are huge.
Team Building Tips - Take Your Team from Great to Extraordinary
Whether you are an organization, or a professional responsible for facilitating the team building process of a team or group, the following tips are ensured to give you some new ideas on how to accelerate your team building initiatives:
1. Create a Common Vision
A common vision for all team members is essential for team building and organizational success. Spend time visioning as a team – what you want to create and where you want to go. This visioning time should also enable you to celebrate your current successes!
Ask Yourself: How clear is our vision? Do all team members hold the same vision?
2. Develop Common Goals
Ensure that your organizational/project and program goals are understood and supported by all team members. All team members need to understand how their efforts are feeding into the larger objectives.
Ask Yourself: Do all team members know what role they play in supporting our larger team/organizational goals? Is everyone clear on what those goals are?
3. Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
One of the main challenges for organizations and groups to move ahead to where they really want to be is due to a lack of clarity on individual roles and responsibilities. Clarifying these roles can help in supporting and achieving your common vision and goals.
Ask yourself: “How clear is our staff in understanding their specific roles? Their specific responsibilities? Where do roles and responsibilities overlap between individual team members? Where do roles and responsibilities overlap with other departments.
4. Ensure Management Support
Supervisors and managers play a key role in “keeping the learning alive”. Ensure that supervisors, managers and owners are following up with staff regarding what their needs are, and how team building efforts can be enhanced. Managers also play a key role in ensuring that the learning from team building initiatives is brought back to the office.
Ask yourself: What systems do we currently have in place to ensure that the learning is sustained? Can we discuss this in staff meetings? Do we have a coaching program in place?
5. Use Engaging Exercises
Team building can be fun and challenging, supporting teams to reach their highest potential. Ensure that participants are engaged and challenged through the process. Consider bringing in an experienced external facilitator to support your efforts, and even run a train-the-trainer program with your staff.
Ask Yourself: What types of activities or exercises would work best for our team members? What are the topics of relevance for them?
6. Take it out of the office
Holding team building sessions in the office can be disruptive and distracting. The lure of email, voice mail and urgent items often take precedence to a full team in-office experience. Reduce everyday distractions by holding team building sessions outside of the office.
Ask Yourself: What type of environment would our staff team benefit from? Some organizations prefer a more “corporate” formal team building session, while others embrace nature and the outdoors.
7. Create An Action Plan
Create an action plan to make the team building part of your everyday work or life. Often retreat days or team building programs have few links with everyday business or organizational objectives. Ensure that when designing the program you create links to the organization or to everyday life so that participants can “bring the learning home”. This can be done by building into the program formal action planning time, and having managers follow up during regular staff meetings. Coaching can be leveraged to keep the “learning alive” after team building events. Research whether individual, team or group coaching will work best for your organization.
Ask Yourself: What can we do to support and sustain individual and team action planning? What current systems do we have to revisit the action plans? Some examples may include staff meetings, manager check-ins, internal/external coaching.
8. Spend time learning what your team members need
Creating a group or organizational context where communication is open, and individual team members feel comfortable bringing their needs up, will make teambuilding efforts more focused and productive.
Find out exactly what team members are looking for to enhance their work and efforts before the team building event. This can be done by the facilitator and/or the team building committee, through email questionnaires, focus groups, or individual meetings
One of the most common pitfalls of team building initiatives is that it does not match the needs of the team. Ensure you invest enough time before the event itself to assess what team members really want.
Ask Yourself: What are the top three priorities for our team members? What is the best way to find this out from individual members?
9. Keep it Regular
Once a year team building programs can do a lot for boosting morale on the short-term, but ask yourself, “What would it be like if we did something more often?”. Imagine the results!
Using the same facilitator over successive programs can often give added traction to the event. Trust and understanding of the team is usually higher each successive event, when using the same facilitator.
Ask Yourself: What amount of time can we commit to team building efforts in our organization this year? What will that look like?
10. Have Fun!
Most importantly, team building initiatives should be fun and engaging for all staff members. They should be relevant and meaningful for the team. Design with the facilitator(s) what structure and topics will give your team the most leverage.
Ask Yourself: What would fun look like for us, given our organizational culture and philosophy?
Look to integrate some of these ideas and systems into your next team building initiative, whether it is a retreat, team coaching, or a workshop, to build a more extraordinary, sustained, productive team.
1. Create a Common Vision
A common vision for all team members is essential for team building and organizational success. Spend time visioning as a team – what you want to create and where you want to go. This visioning time should also enable you to celebrate your current successes!
Ask Yourself: How clear is our vision? Do all team members hold the same vision?
2. Develop Common Goals
Ensure that your organizational/project and program goals are understood and supported by all team members. All team members need to understand how their efforts are feeding into the larger objectives.
Ask Yourself: Do all team members know what role they play in supporting our larger team/organizational goals? Is everyone clear on what those goals are?
3. Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
One of the main challenges for organizations and groups to move ahead to where they really want to be is due to a lack of clarity on individual roles and responsibilities. Clarifying these roles can help in supporting and achieving your common vision and goals.
Ask yourself: “How clear is our staff in understanding their specific roles? Their specific responsibilities? Where do roles and responsibilities overlap between individual team members? Where do roles and responsibilities overlap with other departments.
4. Ensure Management Support
Supervisors and managers play a key role in “keeping the learning alive”. Ensure that supervisors, managers and owners are following up with staff regarding what their needs are, and how team building efforts can be enhanced. Managers also play a key role in ensuring that the learning from team building initiatives is brought back to the office.
Ask yourself: What systems do we currently have in place to ensure that the learning is sustained? Can we discuss this in staff meetings? Do we have a coaching program in place?
5. Use Engaging Exercises
Team building can be fun and challenging, supporting teams to reach their highest potential. Ensure that participants are engaged and challenged through the process. Consider bringing in an experienced external facilitator to support your efforts, and even run a train-the-trainer program with your staff.
Ask Yourself: What types of activities or exercises would work best for our team members? What are the topics of relevance for them?
6. Take it out of the office
Holding team building sessions in the office can be disruptive and distracting. The lure of email, voice mail and urgent items often take precedence to a full team in-office experience. Reduce everyday distractions by holding team building sessions outside of the office.
Ask Yourself: What type of environment would our staff team benefit from? Some organizations prefer a more “corporate” formal team building session, while others embrace nature and the outdoors.
7. Create An Action Plan
Create an action plan to make the team building part of your everyday work or life. Often retreat days or team building programs have few links with everyday business or organizational objectives. Ensure that when designing the program you create links to the organization or to everyday life so that participants can “bring the learning home”. This can be done by building into the program formal action planning time, and having managers follow up during regular staff meetings. Coaching can be leveraged to keep the “learning alive” after team building events. Research whether individual, team or group coaching will work best for your organization.
Ask Yourself: What can we do to support and sustain individual and team action planning? What current systems do we have to revisit the action plans? Some examples may include staff meetings, manager check-ins, internal/external coaching.
8. Spend time learning what your team members need
Creating a group or organizational context where communication is open, and individual team members feel comfortable bringing their needs up, will make teambuilding efforts more focused and productive.
Find out exactly what team members are looking for to enhance their work and efforts before the team building event. This can be done by the facilitator and/or the team building committee, through email questionnaires, focus groups, or individual meetings
One of the most common pitfalls of team building initiatives is that it does not match the needs of the team. Ensure you invest enough time before the event itself to assess what team members really want.
Ask Yourself: What are the top three priorities for our team members? What is the best way to find this out from individual members?
9. Keep it Regular
Once a year team building programs can do a lot for boosting morale on the short-term, but ask yourself, “What would it be like if we did something more often?”. Imagine the results!
Using the same facilitator over successive programs can often give added traction to the event. Trust and understanding of the team is usually higher each successive event, when using the same facilitator.
Ask Yourself: What amount of time can we commit to team building efforts in our organization this year? What will that look like?
10. Have Fun!
Most importantly, team building initiatives should be fun and engaging for all staff members. They should be relevant and meaningful for the team. Design with the facilitator(s) what structure and topics will give your team the most leverage.
Ask Yourself: What would fun look like for us, given our organizational culture and philosophy?
Look to integrate some of these ideas and systems into your next team building initiative, whether it is a retreat, team coaching, or a workshop, to build a more extraordinary, sustained, productive team.
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Theory Of Recognition - How Do Promotional Products Help?
WHO GETS IT? - I MEAN, WHO GETS THE RECOGNITION?
Recognition..When promotional products are used to recognize things, people, events, etc., everyone gets it..
The Recipients.The Winner.The Also Rans.The Participants.The Donors & Patients.The Employers & Corporations.The Employees & Families.The Coaches & Trainers.The Buyers & Promoters.The Customers & Prospects.
The plan – give everyone more than they expect.Just be nice to them, Recognize their effort. It’s an investment.
Recognition must not only be done but it must be seen to be done.Have you been recognized lately?Have you recognized anyone lately?The more recognition you give, the more you receive.A little recognition goes a long way.Stand and be recognized.How many ways to recognize??How many ways to get recognition??
I think everyone gets the idea about recognition.Use it wisely but use it. It's a big tool.
Promotional products go hand in hand with recognition.Recognition doesn't have to cost a lot. The payoff is many fold.
More of My 'THEORY OF RECOGNITION' questions & answers thoughts & ideas
Recognize and be recognized. A little recognition goes a long way. The importance of recognition. Pay attention to the recognition process and it will take care of you.
FRIENDLY RIPPLES
Recognition causes friendly ripples in the pond of life.
Recognition of an employee or a friend flows in every direction,
as does the imprinted promotional item.
Forward through the recipient to who ever they meet and talk to,
Sideways to all the peers and fellows,
Back up to you, Friendly ripples.
IMPRINT AND BE RECOGNIZED.
If you put your name on it, you will be recognized.Our promotional product is ‘recognition’..
The Dictionary says about “Recognition”..The act of recognizing , or the state of being recognized..Friendly notice..Salutation..Attention..Acknowledgment and acceptance on the part of one government of the independence of another..Recognitory..Recognitive..Recognizance..An obligation of record, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear and answer..A sum of money deposited as surety for fulfillment of such act or obligation, and foreited by its nonperformance..Recognize..Recognizing..Recognized..To perceive as identical with someone or something previously known..To identify, as by previous experience: I recognize good work when I see it..To perceive as true: To recognize the facts in a case..To acknowledge the independence and validity of, as a newly constituted government..To indicate appreciation or approval of..To regard as valid or genuine: To recognize a claim..To give ( someone ) permission to speak, as in a legislative body..To admit the aquiantance of ; Greet..Recognizable..Recognizably..Recognizer..
Recognition..When promotional products are used to recognize things, people, events, etc., everyone gets it..
The Recipients.The Winner.The Also Rans.The Participants.The Donors & Patients.The Employers & Corporations.The Employees & Families.The Coaches & Trainers.The Buyers & Promoters.The Customers & Prospects.
The plan – give everyone more than they expect.Just be nice to them, Recognize their effort. It’s an investment.
Recognition must not only be done but it must be seen to be done.Have you been recognized lately?Have you recognized anyone lately?The more recognition you give, the more you receive.A little recognition goes a long way.Stand and be recognized.How many ways to recognize??How many ways to get recognition??
I think everyone gets the idea about recognition.Use it wisely but use it. It's a big tool.
Promotional products go hand in hand with recognition.Recognition doesn't have to cost a lot. The payoff is many fold.
More of My 'THEORY OF RECOGNITION' questions & answers thoughts & ideas
Recognize and be recognized. A little recognition goes a long way. The importance of recognition. Pay attention to the recognition process and it will take care of you.
FRIENDLY RIPPLES
Recognition causes friendly ripples in the pond of life.
Recognition of an employee or a friend flows in every direction,
as does the imprinted promotional item.
Forward through the recipient to who ever they meet and talk to,
Sideways to all the peers and fellows,
Back up to you, Friendly ripples.
IMPRINT AND BE RECOGNIZED.
If you put your name on it, you will be recognized.Our promotional product is ‘recognition’..
The Dictionary says about “Recognition”..The act of recognizing , or the state of being recognized..Friendly notice..Salutation..Attention..Acknowledgment and acceptance on the part of one government of the independence of another..Recognitory..Recognitive..Recognizance..An obligation of record, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear and answer..A sum of money deposited as surety for fulfillment of such act or obligation, and foreited by its nonperformance..Recognize..Recognizing..Recognized..To perceive as identical with someone or something previously known..To identify, as by previous experience: I recognize good work when I see it..To perceive as true: To recognize the facts in a case..To acknowledge the independence and validity of, as a newly constituted government..To indicate appreciation or approval of..To regard as valid or genuine: To recognize a claim..To give ( someone ) permission to speak, as in a legislative body..To admit the aquiantance of ; Greet..Recognizable..Recognizably..Recognizer..
Trust and Productivity
When two people trust each other, their relationship is productive. When two organisations have trusting relationships and interactions their relationship is productive. When trust is violated, relationships are unproductive and organisations and individuals suffer.
The definition of trust does not include any element of good or bad. Two criminals may trust each other. It does not have any element of right or wrong. Two people with diametrically opposing views believing each is wrong may trust each other.
Trust is a personal issue. It indicates a willingness to become vulnerable to another person or organisation based on positive expectations of their conduct.
In their article posted on beyondintractibility.org, Lewicki and Tomlinson describe two types of trust; Calculus-Based Trust (CBT) and Identification-Based Trust (IBT).
The former is the style of trust which builds early in a relationship. CBT is the trust calculated as a result of the impact of incentives to stay in or leave the relationship.
IBT is the trust developed later in a relationship. IBT is the trust developed when individuals have a deeper understanding of each other through repeated interactions.
When Identification-based trust is developed, goals and values become shared. Meetings are required less frequently. Audits of processes become a shared and welcome responsibility. Developing and adhering to specifications becomes a less time consuming task. Differences in opinion created by low levels of understanding of corporate philosophy and culture are reduced substantially.
Procurement practises in the better managed auto-manufacturers is an example of building trust and improving productivity.
Calculus-based trust developed between manufacturers and suppliers as manufacturers shared their plans with suppliers and asked suppliers to open their books and accept a declared return on investment or percentage margin in return.
Many suppliers were unwilling to open their books and take advantage of the planning certainty being offered. They did not trust the auto-manufacturer enough to open their books.
Many auto-manufacturers were not willing to commit to their plans, placing the risk on the supplier and therefore losing the trust of the suppliers.
The few manufacturers and suppliers who got past this early calculus-based trust development were able to go further. Suppliers were invited by the auto-manufacturers to be directly involved in research and development, not only in car/parts design, but also in manufacturing processes at the auto-manufacturer and the supplier.
Those suppliers and auto-manufacturers that were able to move through the calculus-based trust on to the identification-based trust were able to increase productivity dramatically by sharing not only common goals but common values.
The resultant integration of supplier's strategies and tactics into the auto-manufacturer's strategies and tactics brought increased productivity, lower costs, improved flexibility and increased profits to those organisations that could establish the required level of trust.
Trust, however, is not static. Trust is destroyed when the positive expectations of conduct which underpin the willingness to open oneself to vulnerability are not forthcoming.
In the early stages of building trust, small deviations from the expected positive conduct can destroy trust. In established identification-based trust, repeated infringements or a severe break in delivery against expectation is required to destroy trust.
Trust is personal. It is between two people. When organisations "trust" each other it is a result of trust between individuals in the organisation. Hence, trust and its benefits in productivity are destroyed when the expectations of an individual in an organisation is not met by an individual in another organisation.
When new individuals enter an established relationship is when the risk of destroying trust is the highest. Unfortunately, not many people recognise the benefits of trust and consequently, do not rate the impact of trust being destroyed as being high.
Therefore, to maintain the benefits of trust between organisations it is incumbent upon the individuals currently involved in the relationship to bring the new person into the fold, building their trust and their belief that trust has economic benefits.
Organisations that recognise the value of trust and actively discourage activities which would destroy trust, whilst actively encouraging activities and a culture which values trust, reap a significant competitive advantage.
The definition of trust does not include any element of good or bad. Two criminals may trust each other. It does not have any element of right or wrong. Two people with diametrically opposing views believing each is wrong may trust each other.
Trust is a personal issue. It indicates a willingness to become vulnerable to another person or organisation based on positive expectations of their conduct.
In their article posted on beyondintractibility.org, Lewicki and Tomlinson describe two types of trust; Calculus-Based Trust (CBT) and Identification-Based Trust (IBT).
The former is the style of trust which builds early in a relationship. CBT is the trust calculated as a result of the impact of incentives to stay in or leave the relationship.
IBT is the trust developed later in a relationship. IBT is the trust developed when individuals have a deeper understanding of each other through repeated interactions.
When Identification-based trust is developed, goals and values become shared. Meetings are required less frequently. Audits of processes become a shared and welcome responsibility. Developing and adhering to specifications becomes a less time consuming task. Differences in opinion created by low levels of understanding of corporate philosophy and culture are reduced substantially.
Procurement practises in the better managed auto-manufacturers is an example of building trust and improving productivity.
Calculus-based trust developed between manufacturers and suppliers as manufacturers shared their plans with suppliers and asked suppliers to open their books and accept a declared return on investment or percentage margin in return.
Many suppliers were unwilling to open their books and take advantage of the planning certainty being offered. They did not trust the auto-manufacturer enough to open their books.
Many auto-manufacturers were not willing to commit to their plans, placing the risk on the supplier and therefore losing the trust of the suppliers.
The few manufacturers and suppliers who got past this early calculus-based trust development were able to go further. Suppliers were invited by the auto-manufacturers to be directly involved in research and development, not only in car/parts design, but also in manufacturing processes at the auto-manufacturer and the supplier.
Those suppliers and auto-manufacturers that were able to move through the calculus-based trust on to the identification-based trust were able to increase productivity dramatically by sharing not only common goals but common values.
The resultant integration of supplier's strategies and tactics into the auto-manufacturer's strategies and tactics brought increased productivity, lower costs, improved flexibility and increased profits to those organisations that could establish the required level of trust.
Trust, however, is not static. Trust is destroyed when the positive expectations of conduct which underpin the willingness to open oneself to vulnerability are not forthcoming.
In the early stages of building trust, small deviations from the expected positive conduct can destroy trust. In established identification-based trust, repeated infringements or a severe break in delivery against expectation is required to destroy trust.
Trust is personal. It is between two people. When organisations "trust" each other it is a result of trust between individuals in the organisation. Hence, trust and its benefits in productivity are destroyed when the expectations of an individual in an organisation is not met by an individual in another organisation.
When new individuals enter an established relationship is when the risk of destroying trust is the highest. Unfortunately, not many people recognise the benefits of trust and consequently, do not rate the impact of trust being destroyed as being high.
Therefore, to maintain the benefits of trust between organisations it is incumbent upon the individuals currently involved in the relationship to bring the new person into the fold, building their trust and their belief that trust has economic benefits.
Organisations that recognise the value of trust and actively discourage activities which would destroy trust, whilst actively encouraging activities and a culture which values trust, reap a significant competitive advantage.
Who Makes the Ideal Business Partner?
Are you looking for a business partner? What are the ideal qualities one should look for in a business partner? I was reflecting on this today and this article is based on my personal business history.
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads.
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads.
What Do You Mean, I'm Not a Team Player?
Look at any number of want ads, particularly for senior employees, and you will see that most of them ask for team players. We all think we are team players, but the problem is we don't all mean the same thing. Noticeably, men and women have different ideas of what the term means, and this comes from our early socialization.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Build a Successful Team - Goal Setting
Take two MLM teams and put them side by side. All things seem to be equal. They both have a great upline leader. They both have effective tools at their disposal. They have both been trained equally as well. And yet Team A is flourishing while Team B is faltering. Now, although these are two ficticious teams and a purely hypothetical example...it is very true of MLM downlines. So what separates the two?
Time and time again it is drilled into those who listen to success tapes or follow the teachings of business experts. It is the one common factor in those who have made millions in any field. It is goal setting.
I am going to leave the hypothetical world behind for a moment and talk about my own life. I have been out of the MLM business for about 15 years and decided to get back into it. I love the industry and think it has a lot to offer. So I signed on with a company who had all the right elements and I went to work. It wasn't long after that I called it quits. I just couldn't get ahead. I drove myself nuts thinking "why?". Why was I not succeeding? Why was I not building a good team? Why was I not more motivated? And the reason why was that there was no "why". I had not defined my reasons for wanting to succeed! I had no goals.
See, success as defined by me is probably very different than success defined by you. You may see success as making $10,000.00 per month and living on a yacht! I might define success as making an extra $1000.00 per month so that I can stay home with my kids. Everyone's "why" is different. So you need to define what that is for YOU. Not for your upline. Not for the guy on the tape who makes 20,000.00 per month. It has to be YOUR why.
What goals do you have for yourself? Sit down and think them through. And, most importantly, write them down. Every one of them. Write as much detail about each one as you possibly can. Then look for pictures! Find a visual for your goal as much as you possibly can. And put them where you can look at them while you work. If one of your goals is to own a brand new Hummer, then find a picture of the one you want and hang it next to your desk. Then, when you get discouraged or you're having a down day, you can look at that picture and remember your "why". If you are a mom and your goal is to be able to stay home with your kids, put a picture of them up so that you can look at those precious faces every time you are tempted to quit. Do you know how powerful that is?
Time and time again it is drilled into those who listen to success tapes or follow the teachings of business experts. It is the one common factor in those who have made millions in any field. It is goal setting.
I am going to leave the hypothetical world behind for a moment and talk about my own life. I have been out of the MLM business for about 15 years and decided to get back into it. I love the industry and think it has a lot to offer. So I signed on with a company who had all the right elements and I went to work. It wasn't long after that I called it quits. I just couldn't get ahead. I drove myself nuts thinking "why?". Why was I not succeeding? Why was I not building a good team? Why was I not more motivated? And the reason why was that there was no "why". I had not defined my reasons for wanting to succeed! I had no goals.
See, success as defined by me is probably very different than success defined by you. You may see success as making $10,000.00 per month and living on a yacht! I might define success as making an extra $1000.00 per month so that I can stay home with my kids. Everyone's "why" is different. So you need to define what that is for YOU. Not for your upline. Not for the guy on the tape who makes 20,000.00 per month. It has to be YOUR why.
What goals do you have for yourself? Sit down and think them through. And, most importantly, write them down. Every one of them. Write as much detail about each one as you possibly can. Then look for pictures! Find a visual for your goal as much as you possibly can. And put them where you can look at them while you work. If one of your goals is to own a brand new Hummer, then find a picture of the one you want and hang it next to your desk. Then, when you get discouraged or you're having a down day, you can look at that picture and remember your "why". If you are a mom and your goal is to be able to stay home with your kids, put a picture of them up so that you can look at those precious faces every time you are tempted to quit. Do you know how powerful that is?
Have Your People Call Our People - This Doesn't Work - If You Want To Help - Do Something About It
Have your people call our people!!
No! It should be YOU call ME!! Or I’ll call YOU.
This doesn’t mean you should always take on a do it yourself attitude. You can still have your people talk to their people but you make the arrangements. Let all concerned know that you are interested. Stay in touch, make sure things are happening the way you want them to or the way you promised.
Businesses don’t do business with businesses. People do business with people. It’s good to refer but don’t just pass on the name. Follow it up later to see if anyone took action on your referral. You can also take credit for the referral.
Sales People are interested in making the sale by learning about the customer and about the requirement and then imparting all the information to the Buyer.
Buyers have a requirement and a budget. They probably even have a preferred supplier but there is a lot more than just the product or service. There is a variety of choices such as colour, size, quantity breaks, shipping / delivery points and there is also packaging to consider. All this and the budget to consider. They really want no surprises once they’ve placed their order. They really want to feel confident that everything will arrive as and when planned. That’s why the incumbent supplier has an edge. The comfort zone.
If you want this order you have to knock out the champion. Your offer has to not only be superior, but the sales person / buyer relationship has to be there.
In my business, I have a slogan ‘your ideas and our experience’. I have always worked to make it easy for the customer to buy from me. Customer service before – and once you get the order – you get the chance to prove the customer service after.
The plan is to become your customers preferred supplier while the customer is becoming a premium customer.
Buyer or Supplier, you have the right to a good deal. This will happen when you have a good relationship. Now that doesn’t mean you have to lunch every day and play golf on the weekends, but it does mean paying attention to details, return calls quickly, quote quickly, help each other with specifications and generally be ‘business’ friends.
No! It should be YOU call ME!! Or I’ll call YOU.
This doesn’t mean you should always take on a do it yourself attitude. You can still have your people talk to their people but you make the arrangements. Let all concerned know that you are interested. Stay in touch, make sure things are happening the way you want them to or the way you promised.
Businesses don’t do business with businesses. People do business with people. It’s good to refer but don’t just pass on the name. Follow it up later to see if anyone took action on your referral. You can also take credit for the referral.
Sales People are interested in making the sale by learning about the customer and about the requirement and then imparting all the information to the Buyer.
Buyers have a requirement and a budget. They probably even have a preferred supplier but there is a lot more than just the product or service. There is a variety of choices such as colour, size, quantity breaks, shipping / delivery points and there is also packaging to consider. All this and the budget to consider. They really want no surprises once they’ve placed their order. They really want to feel confident that everything will arrive as and when planned. That’s why the incumbent supplier has an edge. The comfort zone.
If you want this order you have to knock out the champion. Your offer has to not only be superior, but the sales person / buyer relationship has to be there.
In my business, I have a slogan ‘your ideas and our experience’. I have always worked to make it easy for the customer to buy from me. Customer service before – and once you get the order – you get the chance to prove the customer service after.
The plan is to become your customers preferred supplier while the customer is becoming a premium customer.
Buyer or Supplier, you have the right to a good deal. This will happen when you have a good relationship. Now that doesn’t mean you have to lunch every day and play golf on the weekends, but it does mean paying attention to details, return calls quickly, quote quickly, help each other with specifications and generally be ‘business’ friends.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Developing Your Team - Depends What Kind of Team You've Got
Most organisations today espouse the concept of teams and team working. Many would call themselves ‘team-based’ organisations. It may be, however, that the word ‘team’ is one of the most over-used and ill-defined in corporate language today. Many of the people I encounter tell me that whilst they are officially a member of a team, the group does not behave like a team and they do not experience any sense of teamwork or cohesion in the day-to-day. I believe that this is because many teams have not worked out what kind of team they are and how they need to work together. This in turn means that their development efforts can be unfocused and inappropriate for the type of team.
What is a team?
There are many different definitions of teams to be found in literature and other sources, but all of them refer to the concept of a group of people working together for a shared, or common, purpose. It would seem that the key, therefore, is ‘shared purpose’ – all members of the team being committed to the same goal. A group of people who work together but have no shared purpose in mind is not a team in the true sense of the word. For example, a group of people who report to the same leader but whose work is not in any way related to or dependent on the work of the others does not constitute a team. That is not to say, however, that a group of people whose work is independent of the work of the others cannot share a common purpose.
Interdependent or independent?
In their book entitled ‘Do You Really Need a Team?’ Michael E. Kossler & Kim Kanaga suggest that true teams require an element of interdependence and that where interdependence does not exist they are workgroups rather than teams. Other sources argue that there are different types of teams: those where the members are independent and those where they are interdependent.
Wikipedia uses examples in sport to differentiate the two. A tennis team would be an example of an independent team – each team member plays matches and wins or loses, and the result of each individual match has no direct impact on the performance of the next player. The team has nonetheless a shared purpose of winning the tournament.
In business, sales teams often operate in this way. Each sales manager is responsible for sales in his/her own region and their day-to-day performance does not directly affect that of the other sales managers. The team has, however, a shared purpose, for example achieving an overall sales target of $5million, or increasing market share of product X by 5%. Team members can help one another by sharing information or best practices, but if they do not do so the purpose may still be achieved.
Interdependent teams are ones where the members are dependent on one another for some skills, knowledge, information or other needs. To revert to examples from sport, think of a rugby team where different team members play particular roles and specialise in certain tasks, and it is impossible for any one player to win a match without the others.
Many business teams would operate in a similar way, relying on individual team members to take on certain roles and complete particular tasks in order for the team to achieve its overall objectives. Think of a project team, where members have been appointed for their strengths in particular areas. New team members may join the team for specific phases of the project. If any one team member omits to perform his/her role the project may be at risk of failure.
Whether you support Kossler and Kanaga’s definition of workgroups versus teams, or whether you believe there are just different types of teams, the most important thing is that you understand which type of team you have and hence how best to develop them.
What kind of team do I have?
The first thing to establish is whether you have a team at all, and then to work out how that team needs to operate. Consider the following questions:
Does the group you are thinking about have a clearly defined common purpose? In one or two sentences, what is it?
Is the team required to work together to achieve the purpose – do they rely on one another for specific skills or information?
Can the purpose be achieved without the members working together – in other words, will you get results through the consolidated efforts of the individuals versus a team effort?
Developing Your Team
Teams that are interdependent will benefit from team development initiatives that develop the relationships and build trust between the members. A coaching style of development will probably have the best effect with this type of team, giving team members the opportunity to work out and overcome challenges together using the strengths and skills within the team. The key question in this type of approach is ‘how can we operate better as a team?’
Independent teams are highly likely to see this kind of approach as pointless. The key question for this type of team is ‘how can each of us perform better in our jobs?’ Job-related training is likely to be a much better approach so that all members can develop the same skills needed to contribute to achievement of the team’s goal. Of course, nurturing a culture where independent team members are willing to share tips and knowledge with one another is highly desirable and some team building to develop relationships can be very useful.
What is a team?
There are many different definitions of teams to be found in literature and other sources, but all of them refer to the concept of a group of people working together for a shared, or common, purpose. It would seem that the key, therefore, is ‘shared purpose’ – all members of the team being committed to the same goal. A group of people who work together but have no shared purpose in mind is not a team in the true sense of the word. For example, a group of people who report to the same leader but whose work is not in any way related to or dependent on the work of the others does not constitute a team. That is not to say, however, that a group of people whose work is independent of the work of the others cannot share a common purpose.
Interdependent or independent?
In their book entitled ‘Do You Really Need a Team?’ Michael E. Kossler & Kim Kanaga suggest that true teams require an element of interdependence and that where interdependence does not exist they are workgroups rather than teams. Other sources argue that there are different types of teams: those where the members are independent and those where they are interdependent.
Wikipedia uses examples in sport to differentiate the two. A tennis team would be an example of an independent team – each team member plays matches and wins or loses, and the result of each individual match has no direct impact on the performance of the next player. The team has nonetheless a shared purpose of winning the tournament.
In business, sales teams often operate in this way. Each sales manager is responsible for sales in his/her own region and their day-to-day performance does not directly affect that of the other sales managers. The team has, however, a shared purpose, for example achieving an overall sales target of $5million, or increasing market share of product X by 5%. Team members can help one another by sharing information or best practices, but if they do not do so the purpose may still be achieved.
Interdependent teams are ones where the members are dependent on one another for some skills, knowledge, information or other needs. To revert to examples from sport, think of a rugby team where different team members play particular roles and specialise in certain tasks, and it is impossible for any one player to win a match without the others.
Many business teams would operate in a similar way, relying on individual team members to take on certain roles and complete particular tasks in order for the team to achieve its overall objectives. Think of a project team, where members have been appointed for their strengths in particular areas. New team members may join the team for specific phases of the project. If any one team member omits to perform his/her role the project may be at risk of failure.
Whether you support Kossler and Kanaga’s definition of workgroups versus teams, or whether you believe there are just different types of teams, the most important thing is that you understand which type of team you have and hence how best to develop them.
What kind of team do I have?
The first thing to establish is whether you have a team at all, and then to work out how that team needs to operate. Consider the following questions:
Does the group you are thinking about have a clearly defined common purpose? In one or two sentences, what is it?
Is the team required to work together to achieve the purpose – do they rely on one another for specific skills or information?
Can the purpose be achieved without the members working together – in other words, will you get results through the consolidated efforts of the individuals versus a team effort?
Developing Your Team
Teams that are interdependent will benefit from team development initiatives that develop the relationships and build trust between the members. A coaching style of development will probably have the best effect with this type of team, giving team members the opportunity to work out and overcome challenges together using the strengths and skills within the team. The key question in this type of approach is ‘how can we operate better as a team?’
Independent teams are highly likely to see this kind of approach as pointless. The key question for this type of team is ‘how can each of us perform better in our jobs?’ Job-related training is likely to be a much better approach so that all members can develop the same skills needed to contribute to achievement of the team’s goal. Of course, nurturing a culture where independent team members are willing to share tips and knowledge with one another is highly desirable and some team building to develop relationships can be very useful.
The Theory Of Recognition - How Do Promotional Products Help?
WHO GETS IT? - I MEAN, WHO GETS THE RECOGNITION?
Recognition..When promotional products are used to recognize things, people, events, etc., everyone gets it..
The Recipients.The Winner.The Also Rans.The Participants.The Donors & Patients.The Employers & Corporations.The Employees & Families.The Coaches & Trainers.The Buyers & Promoters.The Customers & Prospects.
The plan – give everyone more than they expect.Just be nice to them, Recognize their effort. It’s an investment.
Recognition must not only be done but it must be seen to be done.Have you been recognized lately?Have you recognized anyone lately?The more recognition you give, the more you receive.A little recognition goes a long way.Stand and be recognized.How many ways to recognize??How many ways to get recognition??
I think everyone gets the idea about recognition.Use it wisely but use it. It's a big tool.
Promotional products go hand in hand with recognition.Recognition doesn't have to cost a lot. The payoff is many fold.
More of My 'THEORY OF RECOGNITION' questions & answers thoughts & ideas
Recognize and be recognized. A little recognition goes a long way. The importance of recognition. Pay attention to the recognition process and it will take care of you.
FRIENDLY RIPPLES
Recognition causes friendly ripples in the pond of life.
Recognition of an employee or a friend flows in every direction,
as does the imprinted promotional item.
Forward through the recipient to who ever they meet and talk to,
Sideways to all the peers and fellows,
Back up to you, Friendly ripples.
IMPRINT AND BE RECOGNIZED.
If you put your name on it, you will be recognized.Our promotional product is ‘recognition’..
The Dictionary says about “Recognition”..The act of recognizing , or the state of being recognized..Friendly notice..Salutation..Attention..Acknowledgment and acceptance on the part of one government of the independence of another..Recognitory..Recognitive..Recognizance..An obligation of record, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear and answer..A sum of money deposited as surety for fulfillment of such act or obligation, and foreited by its nonperformance..Recognize..Recognizing..Recognized..To perceive as identical with someone or something previously known..To identify, as by previous experience: I recognize good work when I see it..To perceive as true: To recognize the facts in a case..To acknowledge the independence and validity of, as a newly constituted government..To indicate appreciation or approval of..To regard as valid or genuine: To recognize a claim..To give ( someone ) permission to speak, as in a legislative body..To admit the aquiantance of ; Greet..Recognizable..Recognizably..Recognizer..
Recognition..When promotional products are used to recognize things, people, events, etc., everyone gets it..
The Recipients.The Winner.The Also Rans.The Participants.The Donors & Patients.The Employers & Corporations.The Employees & Families.The Coaches & Trainers.The Buyers & Promoters.The Customers & Prospects.
The plan – give everyone more than they expect.Just be nice to them, Recognize their effort. It’s an investment.
Recognition must not only be done but it must be seen to be done.Have you been recognized lately?Have you recognized anyone lately?The more recognition you give, the more you receive.A little recognition goes a long way.Stand and be recognized.How many ways to recognize??How many ways to get recognition??
I think everyone gets the idea about recognition.Use it wisely but use it. It's a big tool.
Promotional products go hand in hand with recognition.Recognition doesn't have to cost a lot. The payoff is many fold.
More of My 'THEORY OF RECOGNITION' questions & answers thoughts & ideas
Recognize and be recognized. A little recognition goes a long way. The importance of recognition. Pay attention to the recognition process and it will take care of you.
FRIENDLY RIPPLES
Recognition causes friendly ripples in the pond of life.
Recognition of an employee or a friend flows in every direction,
as does the imprinted promotional item.
Forward through the recipient to who ever they meet and talk to,
Sideways to all the peers and fellows,
Back up to you, Friendly ripples.
IMPRINT AND BE RECOGNIZED.
If you put your name on it, you will be recognized.Our promotional product is ‘recognition’..
The Dictionary says about “Recognition”..The act of recognizing , or the state of being recognized..Friendly notice..Salutation..Attention..Acknowledgment and acceptance on the part of one government of the independence of another..Recognitory..Recognitive..Recognizance..An obligation of record, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear and answer..A sum of money deposited as surety for fulfillment of such act or obligation, and foreited by its nonperformance..Recognize..Recognizing..Recognized..To perceive as identical with someone or something previously known..To identify, as by previous experience: I recognize good work when I see it..To perceive as true: To recognize the facts in a case..To acknowledge the independence and validity of, as a newly constituted government..To indicate appreciation or approval of..To regard as valid or genuine: To recognize a claim..To give ( someone ) permission to speak, as in a legislative body..To admit the aquiantance of ; Greet..Recognizable..Recognizably..Recognizer..
Trust and Productivity
When two people trust each other, their relationship is productive. When two organisations have trusting relationships and interactions their relationship is productive. When trust is violated, relationships are unproductive and organisations and individuals suffer.
The definition of trust does not include any element of good or bad. Two criminals may trust each other. It does not have any element of right or wrong. Two people with diametrically opposing views believing each is wrong may trust each other.
Trust is a personal issue. It indicates a willingness to become vulnerable to another person or organisation based on positive expectations of their conduct.
In their article posted on beyondintractibility.org, Lewicki and Tomlinson describe two types of trust; Calculus-Based Trust (CBT) and Identification-Based Trust (IBT).
The former is the style of trust which builds early in a relationship. CBT is the trust calculated as a result of the impact of incentives to stay in or leave the relationship.
IBT is the trust developed later in a relationship. IBT is the trust developed when individuals have a deeper understanding of each other through repeated interactions.
When Identification-based trust is developed, goals and values become shared. Meetings are required less frequently. Audits of processes become a shared and welcome responsibility. Developing and adhering to specifications becomes a less time consuming task. Differences in opinion created by low levels of understanding of corporate philosophy and culture are reduced substantially.
Procurement practises in the better managed auto-manufacturers is an example of building trust and improving productivity.
Calculus-based trust developed between manufacturers and suppliers as manufacturers shared their plans with suppliers and asked suppliers to open their books and accept a declared return on investment or percentage margin in return.
Many suppliers were unwilling to open their books and take advantage of the planning certainty being offered. They did not trust the auto-manufacturer enough to open their books.
Many auto-manufacturers were not willing to commit to their plans, placing the risk on the supplier and therefore losing the trust of the suppliers.
The few manufacturers and suppliers who got past this early calculus-based trust development were able to go further. Suppliers were invited by the auto-manufacturers to be directly involved in research and development, not only in car/parts design, but also in manufacturing processes at the auto-manufacturer and the supplier.
Those suppliers and auto-manufacturers that were able to move through the calculus-based trust on to the identification-based trust were able to increase productivity dramatically by sharing not only common goals but common values.
The resultant integration of supplier's strategies and tactics into the auto-manufacturer's strategies and tactics brought increased productivity, lower costs, improved flexibility and increased profits to those organisations that could establish the required level of trust.
Trust, however, is not static. Trust is destroyed when the positive expectations of conduct which underpin the willingness to open oneself to vulnerability are not forthcoming.
In the early stages of building trust, small deviations from the expected positive conduct can destroy trust. In established identification-based trust, repeated infringements or a severe break in delivery against expectation is required to destroy trust.
Trust is personal. It is between two people. When organisations "trust" each other it is a result of trust between individuals in the organisation. Hence, trust and its benefits in productivity are destroyed when the expectations of an individual in an organisation is not met by an individual in another organisation.
When new individuals enter an established relationship is when the risk of destroying trust is the highest. Unfortunately, not many people recognise the benefits of trust and consequently, do not rate the impact of trust being destroyed as being high.
Therefore, to maintain the benefits of trust between organisations it is incumbent upon the individuals currently involved in the relationship to bring the new person into the fold, building their trust and their belief that trust has economic benefits.
The definition of trust does not include any element of good or bad. Two criminals may trust each other. It does not have any element of right or wrong. Two people with diametrically opposing views believing each is wrong may trust each other.
Trust is a personal issue. It indicates a willingness to become vulnerable to another person or organisation based on positive expectations of their conduct.
In their article posted on beyondintractibility.org, Lewicki and Tomlinson describe two types of trust; Calculus-Based Trust (CBT) and Identification-Based Trust (IBT).
The former is the style of trust which builds early in a relationship. CBT is the trust calculated as a result of the impact of incentives to stay in or leave the relationship.
IBT is the trust developed later in a relationship. IBT is the trust developed when individuals have a deeper understanding of each other through repeated interactions.
When Identification-based trust is developed, goals and values become shared. Meetings are required less frequently. Audits of processes become a shared and welcome responsibility. Developing and adhering to specifications becomes a less time consuming task. Differences in opinion created by low levels of understanding of corporate philosophy and culture are reduced substantially.
Procurement practises in the better managed auto-manufacturers is an example of building trust and improving productivity.
Calculus-based trust developed between manufacturers and suppliers as manufacturers shared their plans with suppliers and asked suppliers to open their books and accept a declared return on investment or percentage margin in return.
Many suppliers were unwilling to open their books and take advantage of the planning certainty being offered. They did not trust the auto-manufacturer enough to open their books.
Many auto-manufacturers were not willing to commit to their plans, placing the risk on the supplier and therefore losing the trust of the suppliers.
The few manufacturers and suppliers who got past this early calculus-based trust development were able to go further. Suppliers were invited by the auto-manufacturers to be directly involved in research and development, not only in car/parts design, but also in manufacturing processes at the auto-manufacturer and the supplier.
Those suppliers and auto-manufacturers that were able to move through the calculus-based trust on to the identification-based trust were able to increase productivity dramatically by sharing not only common goals but common values.
The resultant integration of supplier's strategies and tactics into the auto-manufacturer's strategies and tactics brought increased productivity, lower costs, improved flexibility and increased profits to those organisations that could establish the required level of trust.
Trust, however, is not static. Trust is destroyed when the positive expectations of conduct which underpin the willingness to open oneself to vulnerability are not forthcoming.
In the early stages of building trust, small deviations from the expected positive conduct can destroy trust. In established identification-based trust, repeated infringements or a severe break in delivery against expectation is required to destroy trust.
Trust is personal. It is between two people. When organisations "trust" each other it is a result of trust between individuals in the organisation. Hence, trust and its benefits in productivity are destroyed when the expectations of an individual in an organisation is not met by an individual in another organisation.
When new individuals enter an established relationship is when the risk of destroying trust is the highest. Unfortunately, not many people recognise the benefits of trust and consequently, do not rate the impact of trust being destroyed as being high.
Therefore, to maintain the benefits of trust between organisations it is incumbent upon the individuals currently involved in the relationship to bring the new person into the fold, building their trust and their belief that trust has economic benefits.
Who Makes the Ideal Business Partner?
Are you looking for a business partner? What are the ideal qualities one should look for in a business partner? I was reflecting on this today and this article is based on my personal business history.
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads.
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads.
What Do You Mean, I'm Not a Team Player?
Look at any number of want ads, particularly for senior employees, and you will see that most of them ask for team players. We all think we are team players, but the problem is we don't all mean the same thing. Noticeably, men and women have different ideas of what the term means, and this comes from our early socialization.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Build a Successful Team - Goal Setting
Take two MLM teams and put them side by side. All things seem to be equal. They both have a great upline leader. They both have effective tools at their disposal. They have both been trained equally as well. And yet Team A is flourishing while Team B is faltering. Now, although these are two ficticious teams and a purely hypothetical example...it is very true of MLM downlines. So what separates the two?
Time and time again it is drilled into those who listen to success tapes or follow the teachings of business experts. It is the one common factor in those who have made millions in any field. It is goal setting.
I am going to leave the hypothetical world behind for a moment and talk about my own life. I have been out of the MLM business for about 15 years and decided to get back into it. I love the industry and think it has a lot to offer. So I signed on with a company who had all the right elements and I went to work. It wasn't long after that I called it quits. I just couldn't get ahead. I drove myself nuts thinking "why?". Why was I not succeeding? Why was I not building a good team? Why was I not more motivated? And the reason why was that there was no "why". I had not defined my reasons for wanting to succeed! I had no goals.
See, success as defined by me is probably very different than success defined by you. You may see success as making $10,000.00 per month and living on a yacht! I might define success as making an extra $1000.00 per month so that I can stay home with my kids. Everyone's "why" is different. So you need to define what that is for YOU. Not for your upline. Not for the guy on the tape who makes 20,000.00 per month. It has to be YOUR why.
What goals do you have for yourself? Sit down and think them through. And, most importantly, write them down. Every one of them. Write as much detail about each one as you possibly can. Then look for pictures! Find a visual for your goal as much as you possibly can. And put them where you can look at them while you work. If one of your goals is to own a brand new Hummer, then find a picture of the one you want and hang it next to your desk. Then, when you get discouraged or you're having a down day, you can look at that picture and remember your "why". If you are a mom and your goal is to be able to stay home with your kids, put a picture of them up so that you can look at those precious faces every time you are tempted to quit. Do you know how powerful that is?
Time and time again it is drilled into those who listen to success tapes or follow the teachings of business experts. It is the one common factor in those who have made millions in any field. It is goal setting.
I am going to leave the hypothetical world behind for a moment and talk about my own life. I have been out of the MLM business for about 15 years and decided to get back into it. I love the industry and think it has a lot to offer. So I signed on with a company who had all the right elements and I went to work. It wasn't long after that I called it quits. I just couldn't get ahead. I drove myself nuts thinking "why?". Why was I not succeeding? Why was I not building a good team? Why was I not more motivated? And the reason why was that there was no "why". I had not defined my reasons for wanting to succeed! I had no goals.
See, success as defined by me is probably very different than success defined by you. You may see success as making $10,000.00 per month and living on a yacht! I might define success as making an extra $1000.00 per month so that I can stay home with my kids. Everyone's "why" is different. So you need to define what that is for YOU. Not for your upline. Not for the guy on the tape who makes 20,000.00 per month. It has to be YOUR why.
What goals do you have for yourself? Sit down and think them through. And, most importantly, write them down. Every one of them. Write as much detail about each one as you possibly can. Then look for pictures! Find a visual for your goal as much as you possibly can. And put them where you can look at them while you work. If one of your goals is to own a brand new Hummer, then find a picture of the one you want and hang it next to your desk. Then, when you get discouraged or you're having a down day, you can look at that picture and remember your "why". If you are a mom and your goal is to be able to stay home with your kids, put a picture of them up so that you can look at those precious faces every time you are tempted to quit. Do you know how powerful that is?
Monday, May 21, 2007
Team Building
Team building is essentially a process involving participation, collaboration and nurturing of team spirit amongst the team members. This sense of team spirit is inculcated amongst participants in the team through interactive team exercises and group discussions. Team building is required in most of the organized group activity, even as the modern work sphere is increasingly getting specialized with division of labor and the global market is powered by communication revolution.
A successful team building requires a number of steps, which include the following:
The first and foremost requirement for team building is the recruitment or selection of the participants. Since participants ensure the success of a project, a team leader looks for certain specific traits in them. They must have confidence and the ability to generate trust amongst the fellow members. A participant must possess leadership qualities and must be positively oriented at all times.
Next to selection of participants, it is imperative in team building to have well defined team goals and the same must be communicated to the participating members. The participants in a team must be aware of the reason for their participation so as to remain motivated and to develop inter-group trust. Defining the goal in advance makes the participants feel worthy and competent, while at the same time giving the team a direction to work. Otherwise, the team members become disoriented, directionless and demotivated
Team building must be considered in context of the team goal. It requires multiple and balanced skill sets to achieve the goal. A right combination of theoretical and practical skill sets ensures the successful goal achievement. Individuals with technical and theoretical expertise as team members go a long way in coming up with a solution that benefits every one. Each member must be allocated a role appropriate to his or her skill or personality. The task assigned to each of them must be flexible enough to take on new assignments or relinquish the previous one, if required. The members must be willing enough to help team -mates and cooperate with them in ensuring success of the project.
A team leader has a great role to play in team’s overall performance. The leader must have leadership skills to command respect from his or her team. Team building is likely to suffer in absence of positive and effective personality of the team leader, who must be able to positively influence the working environment.
Apart from what has been discussed above, successful team building requires training the team in group dynamics, communication skills, conflict management and resolution, goal setting, listening skills and other skills to turn the members into effective participants in a team.
A successful team building requires a number of steps, which include the following:
The first and foremost requirement for team building is the recruitment or selection of the participants. Since participants ensure the success of a project, a team leader looks for certain specific traits in them. They must have confidence and the ability to generate trust amongst the fellow members. A participant must possess leadership qualities and must be positively oriented at all times.
Next to selection of participants, it is imperative in team building to have well defined team goals and the same must be communicated to the participating members. The participants in a team must be aware of the reason for their participation so as to remain motivated and to develop inter-group trust. Defining the goal in advance makes the participants feel worthy and competent, while at the same time giving the team a direction to work. Otherwise, the team members become disoriented, directionless and demotivated
Team building must be considered in context of the team goal. It requires multiple and balanced skill sets to achieve the goal. A right combination of theoretical and practical skill sets ensures the successful goal achievement. Individuals with technical and theoretical expertise as team members go a long way in coming up with a solution that benefits every one. Each member must be allocated a role appropriate to his or her skill or personality. The task assigned to each of them must be flexible enough to take on new assignments or relinquish the previous one, if required. The members must be willing enough to help team -mates and cooperate with them in ensuring success of the project.
A team leader has a great role to play in team’s overall performance. The leader must have leadership skills to command respect from his or her team. Team building is likely to suffer in absence of positive and effective personality of the team leader, who must be able to positively influence the working environment.
Apart from what has been discussed above, successful team building requires training the team in group dynamics, communication skills, conflict management and resolution, goal setting, listening skills and other skills to turn the members into effective participants in a team.
Developing Your Team - Depends What Kind of Team You've Got
Most organisations today espouse the concept of teams and team working. Many would call themselves ‘team-based’ organisations. It may be, however, that the word ‘team’ is one of the most over-used and ill-defined in corporate language today. Many of the people I encounter tell me that whilst they are officially a member of a team, the group does not behave like a team and they do not experience any sense of teamwork or cohesion in the day-to-day. I believe that this is because many teams have not worked out what kind of team they are and how they need to work together. This in turn means that their development efforts can be unfocused and inappropriate for the type of team.
What is a team?
There are many different definitions of teams to be found in literature and other sources, but all of them refer to the concept of a group of people working together for a shared, or common, purpose. It would seem that the key, therefore, is ‘shared purpose’ – all members of the team being committed to the same goal. A group of people who work together but have no shared purpose in mind is not a team in the true sense of the word. For example, a group of people who report to the same leader but whose work is not in any way related to or dependent on the work of the others does not constitute a team. That is not to say, however, that a group of people whose work is independent of the work of the others cannot share a common purpose.
Interdependent or independent?
In their book entitled ‘Do You Really Need a Team?’ Michael E. Kossler & Kim Kanaga suggest that true teams require an element of interdependence and that where interdependence does not exist they are workgroups rather than teams. Other sources argue that there are different types of teams: those where the members are independent and those where they are interdependent.
Wikipedia uses examples in sport to differentiate the two. A tennis team would be an example of an independent team – each team member plays matches and wins or loses, and the result of each individual match has no direct impact on the performance of the next player. The team has nonetheless a shared purpose of winning the tournament.
In business, sales teams often operate in this way. Each sales manager is responsible for sales in his/her own region and their day-to-day performance does not directly affect that of the other sales managers. The team has, however, a shared purpose, for example achieving an overall sales target of $5million, or increasing market share of product X by 5%. Team members can help one another by sharing information or best practices, but if they do not do so the purpose may still be achieved.
Interdependent teams are ones where the members are dependent on one another for some skills, knowledge, information or other needs. To revert to examples from sport, think of a rugby team where different team members play particular roles and specialise in certain tasks, and it is impossible for any one player to win a match without the others.
Many business teams would operate in a similar way, relying on individual team members to take on certain roles and complete particular tasks in order for the team to achieve its overall objectives. Think of a project team, where members have been appointed for their strengths in particular areas. New team members may join the team for specific phases of the project. If any one team member omits to perform his/her role the project may be at risk of failure.
Whether you support Kossler and Kanaga’s definition of workgroups versus teams, or whether you believe there are just different types of teams, the most important thing is that you understand which type of team you have and hence how best to develop them.
What kind of team do I have?
The first thing to establish is whether you have a team at all, and then to work out how that team needs to operate. Consider the following questions:
Does the group you are thinking about have a clearly defined common purpose? In one or two sentences, what is it?
Is the team required to work together to achieve the purpose – do they rely on one another for specific skills or information?
Can the purpose be achieved without the members working together – in other words, will you get results through the consolidated efforts of the individuals versus a team effort?
Developing Your Team
Teams that are interdependent will benefit from team development initiatives that develop the relationships and build trust between the members. A coaching style of development will probably have the best effect with this type of team, giving team members the opportunity to work out and overcome challenges together using the strengths and skills within the team. The key question in this type of approach is ‘how can we operate better as a team?’
Independent teams are highly likely to see this kind of approach as pointless. The key question for this type of team is ‘how can each of us perform better in our jobs?’ Job-related training is likely to be a much better approach so that all members can develop the same skills needed to contribute to achievement of the team’s goal. Of course, nurturing a culture where independent team members are willing to share tips and knowledge with one another is highly desirable and some team building to develop relationships can be very useful.
What is a team?
There are many different definitions of teams to be found in literature and other sources, but all of them refer to the concept of a group of people working together for a shared, or common, purpose. It would seem that the key, therefore, is ‘shared purpose’ – all members of the team being committed to the same goal. A group of people who work together but have no shared purpose in mind is not a team in the true sense of the word. For example, a group of people who report to the same leader but whose work is not in any way related to or dependent on the work of the others does not constitute a team. That is not to say, however, that a group of people whose work is independent of the work of the others cannot share a common purpose.
Interdependent or independent?
In their book entitled ‘Do You Really Need a Team?’ Michael E. Kossler & Kim Kanaga suggest that true teams require an element of interdependence and that where interdependence does not exist they are workgroups rather than teams. Other sources argue that there are different types of teams: those where the members are independent and those where they are interdependent.
Wikipedia uses examples in sport to differentiate the two. A tennis team would be an example of an independent team – each team member plays matches and wins or loses, and the result of each individual match has no direct impact on the performance of the next player. The team has nonetheless a shared purpose of winning the tournament.
In business, sales teams often operate in this way. Each sales manager is responsible for sales in his/her own region and their day-to-day performance does not directly affect that of the other sales managers. The team has, however, a shared purpose, for example achieving an overall sales target of $5million, or increasing market share of product X by 5%. Team members can help one another by sharing information or best practices, but if they do not do so the purpose may still be achieved.
Interdependent teams are ones where the members are dependent on one another for some skills, knowledge, information or other needs. To revert to examples from sport, think of a rugby team where different team members play particular roles and specialise in certain tasks, and it is impossible for any one player to win a match without the others.
Many business teams would operate in a similar way, relying on individual team members to take on certain roles and complete particular tasks in order for the team to achieve its overall objectives. Think of a project team, where members have been appointed for their strengths in particular areas. New team members may join the team for specific phases of the project. If any one team member omits to perform his/her role the project may be at risk of failure.
Whether you support Kossler and Kanaga’s definition of workgroups versus teams, or whether you believe there are just different types of teams, the most important thing is that you understand which type of team you have and hence how best to develop them.
What kind of team do I have?
The first thing to establish is whether you have a team at all, and then to work out how that team needs to operate. Consider the following questions:
Does the group you are thinking about have a clearly defined common purpose? In one or two sentences, what is it?
Is the team required to work together to achieve the purpose – do they rely on one another for specific skills or information?
Can the purpose be achieved without the members working together – in other words, will you get results through the consolidated efforts of the individuals versus a team effort?
Developing Your Team
Teams that are interdependent will benefit from team development initiatives that develop the relationships and build trust between the members. A coaching style of development will probably have the best effect with this type of team, giving team members the opportunity to work out and overcome challenges together using the strengths and skills within the team. The key question in this type of approach is ‘how can we operate better as a team?’
Independent teams are highly likely to see this kind of approach as pointless. The key question for this type of team is ‘how can each of us perform better in our jobs?’ Job-related training is likely to be a much better approach so that all members can develop the same skills needed to contribute to achievement of the team’s goal. Of course, nurturing a culture where independent team members are willing to share tips and knowledge with one another is highly desirable and some team building to develop relationships can be very useful.
The Theory Of Recognition - How Do Promotional Products Help?
WHO GETS IT? - I MEAN, WHO GETS THE RECOGNITION?
Recognition..When promotional products are used to recognize things, people, events, etc., everyone gets it..
The Recipients.The Winner.The Also Rans.The Participants.The Donors & Patients.The Employers & Corporations.The Employees & Families.The Coaches & Trainers.The Buyers & Promoters.The Customers & Prospects.
The plan – give everyone more than they expect.Just be nice to them, Recognize their effort. It’s an investment.
Recognition must not only be done but it must be seen to be done.Have you been recognized lately?Have you recognized anyone lately?The more recognition you give, the more you receive.A little recognition goes a long way.Stand and be recognized.How many ways to recognize??How many ways to get recognition??
I think everyone gets the idea about recognition.Use it wisely but use it. It's a big tool.
Promotional products go hand in hand with recognition.Recognition doesn't have to cost a lot. The payoff is many fold.
More of My 'THEORY OF RECOGNITION' questions & answers thoughts & ideas
Recognize and be recognized. A little recognition goes a long way. The importance of recognition. Pay attention to the recognition process and it will take care of you.
FRIENDLY RIPPLES
Recognition causes friendly ripples in the pond of life.
Recognition of an employee or a friend flows in every direction,
as does the imprinted promotional item.
Forward through the recipient to who ever they meet and talk to,
Sideways to all the peers and fellows,
Back up to you, Friendly ripples.
IMPRINT AND BE RECOGNIZED.
If you put your name on it, you will be recognized.Our promotional product is ‘recognition’..
The Dictionary says about “Recognition”..The act of recognizing , or the state of being recognized..Friendly notice..Salutation..Attention..Acknowledgment and acceptance on the part of one government of the independence of another..Recognitory..Recognitive..Recognizance..An obligation of record, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear and answer..A sum of money deposited as surety for fulfillment of such act or obligation, and foreited by its nonperformance..Recognize..Recognizing..Recognized..To perceive as identical with someone or something previously known..To identify, as by previous experience: I recognize good work when I see it..To perceive as true: To recognize the facts in a case..To acknowledge the independence and validity of, as a newly constituted government..To indicate appreciation or approval of..To regard as valid or genuine: To recognize a claim..To give ( someone ) permission to speak, as in a legislative body..To admit the aquiantance of ; Greet..Recognizable..Recognizably..Recognizer..
Roget’s..Gratitude (907 Roget’s)..Reward (962 Roget’s)..Discovery, Invention, Sensitive, Thoughtful, Take cognizance of, distinguishable, intelligibility.
Well that's a lot about recognition.
Put your name on any item, send it out and be recognized.
Promotional Products are all about recognition. Rod Winning
Recognition..When promotional products are used to recognize things, people, events, etc., everyone gets it..
The Recipients.The Winner.The Also Rans.The Participants.The Donors & Patients.The Employers & Corporations.The Employees & Families.The Coaches & Trainers.The Buyers & Promoters.The Customers & Prospects.
The plan – give everyone more than they expect.Just be nice to them, Recognize their effort. It’s an investment.
Recognition must not only be done but it must be seen to be done.Have you been recognized lately?Have you recognized anyone lately?The more recognition you give, the more you receive.A little recognition goes a long way.Stand and be recognized.How many ways to recognize??How many ways to get recognition??
I think everyone gets the idea about recognition.Use it wisely but use it. It's a big tool.
Promotional products go hand in hand with recognition.Recognition doesn't have to cost a lot. The payoff is many fold.
More of My 'THEORY OF RECOGNITION' questions & answers thoughts & ideas
Recognize and be recognized. A little recognition goes a long way. The importance of recognition. Pay attention to the recognition process and it will take care of you.
FRIENDLY RIPPLES
Recognition causes friendly ripples in the pond of life.
Recognition of an employee or a friend flows in every direction,
as does the imprinted promotional item.
Forward through the recipient to who ever they meet and talk to,
Sideways to all the peers and fellows,
Back up to you, Friendly ripples.
IMPRINT AND BE RECOGNIZED.
If you put your name on it, you will be recognized.Our promotional product is ‘recognition’..
The Dictionary says about “Recognition”..The act of recognizing , or the state of being recognized..Friendly notice..Salutation..Attention..Acknowledgment and acceptance on the part of one government of the independence of another..Recognitory..Recognitive..Recognizance..An obligation of record, with condition to do some particular act, as to appear and answer..A sum of money deposited as surety for fulfillment of such act or obligation, and foreited by its nonperformance..Recognize..Recognizing..Recognized..To perceive as identical with someone or something previously known..To identify, as by previous experience: I recognize good work when I see it..To perceive as true: To recognize the facts in a case..To acknowledge the independence and validity of, as a newly constituted government..To indicate appreciation or approval of..To regard as valid or genuine: To recognize a claim..To give ( someone ) permission to speak, as in a legislative body..To admit the aquiantance of ; Greet..Recognizable..Recognizably..Recognizer..
Roget’s..Gratitude (907 Roget’s)..Reward (962 Roget’s)..Discovery, Invention, Sensitive, Thoughtful, Take cognizance of, distinguishable, intelligibility.
Well that's a lot about recognition.
Put your name on any item, send it out and be recognized.
Promotional Products are all about recognition. Rod Winning
Trust and Productivity
When two people trust each other, their relationship is productive. When two organisations have trusting relationships and interactions their relationship is productive. When trust is violated, relationships are unproductive and organisations and individuals suffer.
The definition of trust does not include any element of good or bad. Two criminals may trust each other. It does not have any element of right or wrong. Two people with diametrically opposing views believing each is wrong may trust each other.
Trust is a personal issue. It indicates a willingness to become vulnerable to another person or organisation based on positive expectations of their conduct.
In their article posted on beyondintractibility.org, Lewicki and Tomlinson describe two types of trust; Calculus-Based Trust (CBT) and Identification-Based Trust (IBT).
The former is the style of trust which builds early in a relationship. CBT is the trust calculated as a result of the impact of incentives to stay in or leave the relationship.
IBT is the trust developed later in a relationship. IBT is the trust developed when individuals have a deeper understanding of each other through repeated interactions.
When Identification-based trust is developed, goals and values become shared. Meetings are required less frequently. Audits of processes become a shared and welcome responsibility. Developing and adhering to specifications becomes a less time consuming task. Differences in opinion created by low levels of understanding of corporate philosophy and culture are reduced substantially.
Procurement practises in the better managed auto-manufacturers is an example of building trust and improving productivity.
Calculus-based trust developed between manufacturers and suppliers as manufacturers shared their plans with suppliers and asked suppliers to open their books and accept a declared return on investment or percentage margin in return.
Many suppliers were unwilling to open their books and take advantage of the planning certainty being offered. They did not trust the auto-manufacturer enough to open their books.
Many auto-manufacturers were not willing to commit to their plans, placing the risk on the supplier and therefore losing the trust of the suppliers.
The few manufacturers and suppliers who got past this early calculus-based trust development were able to go further. Suppliers were invited by the auto-manufacturers to be directly involved in research and development, not only in car/parts design, but also in manufacturing processes at the auto-manufacturer and the supplier.
Those suppliers and auto-manufacturers that were able to move through the calculus-based trust on to the identification-based trust were able to increase productivity dramatically by sharing not only common goals but common values.
The resultant integration of supplier's strategies and tactics into the auto-manufacturer's strategies and tactics brought increased productivity, lower costs, improved flexibility and increased profits to those organisations that could establish the required level of trust.
Trust, however, is not static. Trust is destroyed when the positive expectations of conduct which underpin the willingness to open oneself to vulnerability are not forthcoming.
In the early stages of building trust, small deviations from the expected positive conduct can destroy trust. In established identification-based trust, repeated infringements or a severe break in delivery against expectation is required to destroy trust.
Trust is personal. It is between two people. When organisations "trust" each other it is a result of trust between individuals in the organisation. Hence, trust and its benefits in productivity are destroyed when the expectations of an individual in an organisation is not met by an individual in another organisation.
When new individuals enter an established relationship is when the risk of destroying trust is the highest. Unfortunately, not many people recognise the benefits of trust and consequently, do not rate the impact of trust being destroyed as being high.
Therefore, to maintain the benefits of trust between organisations it is incumbent upon the individuals currently involved in the relationship to bring the new person into the fold, building their trust and their belief that trust has economic benefits.
Organisations that recognise the value of trust and actively discourage activities which would destroy trust, whilst actively encouraging activities and a culture which values trust, reap a significant competitive advantage.
The definition of trust does not include any element of good or bad. Two criminals may trust each other. It does not have any element of right or wrong. Two people with diametrically opposing views believing each is wrong may trust each other.
Trust is a personal issue. It indicates a willingness to become vulnerable to another person or organisation based on positive expectations of their conduct.
In their article posted on beyondintractibility.org, Lewicki and Tomlinson describe two types of trust; Calculus-Based Trust (CBT) and Identification-Based Trust (IBT).
The former is the style of trust which builds early in a relationship. CBT is the trust calculated as a result of the impact of incentives to stay in or leave the relationship.
IBT is the trust developed later in a relationship. IBT is the trust developed when individuals have a deeper understanding of each other through repeated interactions.
When Identification-based trust is developed, goals and values become shared. Meetings are required less frequently. Audits of processes become a shared and welcome responsibility. Developing and adhering to specifications becomes a less time consuming task. Differences in opinion created by low levels of understanding of corporate philosophy and culture are reduced substantially.
Procurement practises in the better managed auto-manufacturers is an example of building trust and improving productivity.
Calculus-based trust developed between manufacturers and suppliers as manufacturers shared their plans with suppliers and asked suppliers to open their books and accept a declared return on investment or percentage margin in return.
Many suppliers were unwilling to open their books and take advantage of the planning certainty being offered. They did not trust the auto-manufacturer enough to open their books.
Many auto-manufacturers were not willing to commit to their plans, placing the risk on the supplier and therefore losing the trust of the suppliers.
The few manufacturers and suppliers who got past this early calculus-based trust development were able to go further. Suppliers were invited by the auto-manufacturers to be directly involved in research and development, not only in car/parts design, but also in manufacturing processes at the auto-manufacturer and the supplier.
Those suppliers and auto-manufacturers that were able to move through the calculus-based trust on to the identification-based trust were able to increase productivity dramatically by sharing not only common goals but common values.
The resultant integration of supplier's strategies and tactics into the auto-manufacturer's strategies and tactics brought increased productivity, lower costs, improved flexibility and increased profits to those organisations that could establish the required level of trust.
Trust, however, is not static. Trust is destroyed when the positive expectations of conduct which underpin the willingness to open oneself to vulnerability are not forthcoming.
In the early stages of building trust, small deviations from the expected positive conduct can destroy trust. In established identification-based trust, repeated infringements or a severe break in delivery against expectation is required to destroy trust.
Trust is personal. It is between two people. When organisations "trust" each other it is a result of trust between individuals in the organisation. Hence, trust and its benefits in productivity are destroyed when the expectations of an individual in an organisation is not met by an individual in another organisation.
When new individuals enter an established relationship is when the risk of destroying trust is the highest. Unfortunately, not many people recognise the benefits of trust and consequently, do not rate the impact of trust being destroyed as being high.
Therefore, to maintain the benefits of trust between organisations it is incumbent upon the individuals currently involved in the relationship to bring the new person into the fold, building their trust and their belief that trust has economic benefits.
Organisations that recognise the value of trust and actively discourage activities which would destroy trust, whilst actively encouraging activities and a culture which values trust, reap a significant competitive advantage.
Who Makes the Ideal Business Partner?
Are you looking for a business partner? What are the ideal qualities one should look for in a business partner? I was reflecting on this today and this article is based on my personal business history.
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads
In my business experience I have learnt that the qualities I look for in a friend are not the same as the qualities I would look for in a business partner. In many cases your friends could possibly make the worst partners!
The ideal business partner is someone who possesses skills that you do not have. This makes the business stronger by enhancing the qualities you can bring to the table in any discussion, negotiation and meeting. It also helps greatly if they are financially very strong and can bring further resources to the table if required.
In my previous business my brother was one of my partners. He was exceptionally good at art and design. He created our first brochure and our website. He helped to create the brand image for our company. I was good at creating and holding together the team so that the business could grow. Together we created a highly profitable company employing over 45 people.
I believe that the type of partner one should look for is someone who is highly enthusiastic about life. Enthusiasm is infectious and can help you to stay motivated when times are tough. I also like people who are full of ideas and can see opportunity where others can not.
I admire people who refuse to take no for an answer. Persistence is a great quality and often it can be successful. In my previous packaging company my partner called the largest company in Dundee - NCR (National Cash registrars) every three months for over four years only to be told to go away. "Do not call us, we will call you" was the standard response.
In the fifth year they did call us and asked us to quote for over a million dollars of business. The whole process from initial quotation, trialling our products to securing the business took a further three months. They only gave us a chance to quote because of his persistence.
The ideal business partner should also have the same commitment to business as you. In one of my previous businesses I had a partner (also a friend) who was very lazy. This created a lot of friction in the business and almost broke our friendship.
Whatever you do, do not go into business with a person who has a short fuse. People who lose their tempers quickly are much harder to get on with in the long term. One business I was closely associated with had two partners who both had bad tempers. Even though their business had great potential it ended up failing due to their aggressive behaviour towards each other.
If you are going into a business relationship with somebody you do not really know then it is a great idea to carry out a credit check on the individual. If the person has a high credit score this says a lot about their values.
Their hobbies and the organisations they belong to can also help you to understand the person's true character. Speak to other members of these organisations to find out more about the person you are considering. It might be a good idea if somebody else carried out this research on your behalf.
If you do end up with an ideal business partner who agrees with your plans, goals and ethos of the company it should accelerate your growth. Working with a business partner will provide you with more business opportunities as opposed to working by yourself. Together, you can come up with twice the business ideas and trade leads
What Do You Mean, I'm Not a Team Player?
Look at any number of want ads, particularly for senior employees, and you will see that most of them ask for team players. We all think we are team players, but the problem is we don't all mean the same thing. Noticeably, men and women have different ideas of what the term means, and this comes from our early socialization.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
Generally speaking, little boys' games are often based on sports. As soon as they can walk, they seem to start throwing or kicking a ball, tossing it into a hoop or hitting it with a bat. Groups of boys automatically begin choosing sides and playing competitive games, even before entering organized games. Adults, both male and female, encourage them to play to win.
Girls, on the other hand, usually play games that are an imitation of life. They have dolls, which in their minds sleep and cry just as real babies do. They walk and talk with other little girls, who are also nursing dolls. They make up stories about their fantasy lives, and they are encouraged by adults to "play nicely with the other children". Aggression, or bossiness, is frowned upon.
Fast forward, then, to a time when these same men and women are leading teams or departments in the business world. Doesn't it make sense that this early training would lead to different management styles?
To women, good team players work together well. They tend to consider other team members' feelings, and listen to their ideas. They work to attain consensus in the group and strive for decisions that will be for the good of the group as a whole. To this end, the female manager will often ask her people for their views and discuss her own ideas with them before making decisions. She may also explain the reasons for her decisions.
To most men, however, a good team player is one who does what the coach says. Team sports depend on players following instructions, and there is no room for discussion. In the business world, therefore, the male manager IS the coach, and he expects his instructions to be followed. He usually pronounces his decision, and sees no need to explain his reasons.
Neither of these styles is better or worse than the other, but they are different. Women need to realize that their male managers are not being arrogant, but simply following a style. If you want to put your views forward to your male manager, you will need to make an opportunity to do so, because you are unlikely to be asked in advance. Men need to recognize that a female manager's tendency to ask for other people's views is not weakness, but simply a different management style.
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