With deference to Dr. Covey and his very popular Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (all habits that will make us better consultants!), here are eight skills that all of us as consultants can work on to improve. This article will start with three overarching skills, then describe five more specific skills to consider in your ongoing development.
One way to look at your total skill set as a consultant (internal or external), is to consider your relative strengths in the three major portions of our work: designing "it", delivering "it", and selling "it". These three skills represent the complete package for a consultant, regardless of what your expertise (your "it") is.
The Complete Package:
Designing "It"
This is our technical expertise. This is the "stuff" we learn in classes and through experience and practice. It is the front end of our work in most cases. While we cannot underestimate the importance of these skills (and the need to continue to upgrade them), we also can't be content if these skills are top-notch. They are not enough.
Delivering "It"
This is the other mega-skill that many of us are very comfortable with. Once we've designed our "product", we have to be able to deliver it. This is the skill set that is often most evident to our clients, or is what we tell people we do when they ask us our profession. Again, this skill set is critical, but alone it isn't enough.
Selling "It"
This skill, in my experience, is the one most often in need of improvement. While many books have been written about this skill set, there is one key, which by itself will improve your success in selling your work. If you will always focus on client/customer benefits, rather than product/process features, you will improve your success immediately. Features are components of your product or service. Examples include:
Size
Length
Speed
Number of modules
Your Experience
People don't buy features they buy benefits. All of us know this at some level, but seldom focus on turning the important features of our offerings into true benefits. To assume that your client/customer will figure out the benefit, is to lower your chance of selling your potential product or
idea.
Some Specific Skills to Consider:
Contracting
This is another skill that requires a book to discuss well and which requires planning and practice to improve. Getting clear agreements with clients up front about what the work is, what the desired outcomes are, and what your role is, is what contracting is all about.
Relationship Building
Building relationships are important in all three of the major skill areas. In designing, you need to build relationships in order to gain the organizational information you need to design effectively. In delivering you need to be able to have good relationships with those involved, to lead to a more successful outcome. In selling, it's important to remember that selling is a relationship process. People buy other people and believe in their ability to deliver.
Having a focus on relationships is more than building rapport, which can happen quite rapidly. Building relationships is long term focused and requires considerable commitment.
Warning
Building relationships with individuals is important, but recognize that if your focus is on only one person in an organization, when they are gone (get promoted, get a new job, are downsized out, or whatever) you have lost your leverage to help the organization. So, remember to build a network of relationships within your client organizations.
Separating Process from Content
It is so important to maintain perspective while in the client organization. Clients will focus on the content (of a meeting, the product, the outputs from your study, or whatever), but if the process matters aren't attended to, outcomes can be compromised.
Working on your ability to step back and recognize what is happening at the group dynamics and interpersonal level will improve your success. Clients don't always know that they need this, but they will almost always recognize that you "did something" to make things go better when you can point to, and improve the process, while sharing the content of your work. This skill is often the key to additional work or referrals.
Socratic Questioning
Socrates is immortalized at least in part for his teaching approach of asking a line of questions that leads the student to discover answers for themselves.
When you clients discover answers to their problems, rather than simply hear them from you, they will own the answers. Their ability to hold onto the concepts, apply them, and improve their situation will skyrocket. Improving your ability to help them discover (through the use of Socratic questioning), is a critical, though often overlooked skill.
Using more questions will cause you to lose the feeling of power that you are providing the "right" answer. But the client gains far more than you lose. While you may feel like you are losing emotionally, you win with the client, and probably strengthen your relationship with them too.
Saying "No!"
Most of us need to improve our ability to say this. Of course we can physically say it, (OK, just for practice, say it three times right now - out loud!) but we all know we don't always say it when we wish we had!
Improving your judgment on when to use this word will help you in three important ways, time management, happiness level, and client success.
Time Management
Many of your time management problems stem from trying to do too much. When people (clients, peers, anyone) ask you to do something that you don't feel you are best suited for, or don't really want to do, use your word!
Happiness Level
When we focus our energy on the things we really want to or need to be doing (rather than just the things people ask us to do or we feel we should do), we will be happier! Say it to help you preserve and honor your priorities.
Client Success
There are times that a client may ask you for something ("We just need this [you fill in the blank]") that you know, or strongly believe is the wrong thing. These are the times to step back and be genuine. Help them understand your perspective, and focus them on the outcome, not the suggested solution. In these cases, you might not be saying "no", exactly, but it is what you really mean!
If you feel a team is ready for such a discussion, pull out this list of attributes and have a team discussion on how well people feel their team is doing on each of these dimensions, the discussion can be enlightening and help the team move its performance to even higher levels.
©1999, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin is the President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps their Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/training/training.asp to learn more about customized training and workshops on consulting services offered or contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Executive ESP: A Pathway to Success!
We all have psychic abilities that we use daily, although most of us don't even realize that. The full study of this issue would take many books, and years of experience to grasp all the factors. Since we can't do that here, we can still focus on applying these skills to making informed business decisions. Those of us making constant business choices, effecting staff, ethics , health, and the botton line ,need all the data we can get our hands on. So these tidbits are designed to help you use your natural abitities, and to improve your business situation!
First of all, there are many, many management styles. It is in your best interest to honestly evaluate your personality and your personal approach to making choices and running your business. This gives you a baseline to start from when adding ESP into your operating formula.The ancient Greeks said " Know Thyself".
Some of us are very mental in perspective, some emotional, and others more physical. These basic personality factors often don't change much during our lifetime. We tend to keep processing life from the same angle. When we pick up psychic data from outside this base personality, we tend to ignore it. It's not comming from our comfort zone.
In the business world, what we ignore can create lost potentials or major problems. What we tune out doesn't really go away, it just stays out of our awareness. So our business is effected but we never get to know it, it stays in our blind spots.
When working in a group situation this blindness is compensated by others around us, often with different main personality types. They can pick up what we miss. This works fairly well, but......
Frankly, at the executive level you often must make choices by yourself. This leaves you open to your limitations. Sure you can get data, but still the final choice is usually yours. Remember that both your strong and weak functions tend to stay that way for life. So you will tend to always focus on some things while ignoring others.
Opening your natural ESP abilities can present a personal challange. As you pick up data from your comfort zone, well...no problem. But when you get psychic information from your weaker traits, again you will want to tune it out......you will tend to feel it as a stress.
So, if you want to include data from a broad range of psychic information..even beyond your comfort zone, there are many techniques you can use......
Realize that stress can be a sign that you are aware of something that you would rather ignore.Then use stress busters to help you handle that. Try to meditate each day, in a quiet place... and see what happens. If stress kicks up try to breathe through it, so you can stay focused on what you are processing.
It takes great courage to trust your whole self, and all your awareness. Don't push yourself beyond your limits, but try to broaden your scope, little by little.
The real test is to see if you are willing to apply your ESP gained data into your daily business planning.
Jerry publishes an online magazine dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
First of all, there are many, many management styles. It is in your best interest to honestly evaluate your personality and your personal approach to making choices and running your business. This gives you a baseline to start from when adding ESP into your operating formula.The ancient Greeks said " Know Thyself".
Some of us are very mental in perspective, some emotional, and others more physical. These basic personality factors often don't change much during our lifetime. We tend to keep processing life from the same angle. When we pick up psychic data from outside this base personality, we tend to ignore it. It's not comming from our comfort zone.
In the business world, what we ignore can create lost potentials or major problems. What we tune out doesn't really go away, it just stays out of our awareness. So our business is effected but we never get to know it, it stays in our blind spots.
When working in a group situation this blindness is compensated by others around us, often with different main personality types. They can pick up what we miss. This works fairly well, but......
Frankly, at the executive level you often must make choices by yourself. This leaves you open to your limitations. Sure you can get data, but still the final choice is usually yours. Remember that both your strong and weak functions tend to stay that way for life. So you will tend to always focus on some things while ignoring others.
Opening your natural ESP abilities can present a personal challange. As you pick up data from your comfort zone, well...no problem. But when you get psychic information from your weaker traits, again you will want to tune it out......you will tend to feel it as a stress.
So, if you want to include data from a broad range of psychic information..even beyond your comfort zone, there are many techniques you can use......
Realize that stress can be a sign that you are aware of something that you would rather ignore.Then use stress busters to help you handle that. Try to meditate each day, in a quiet place... and see what happens. If stress kicks up try to breathe through it, so you can stay focused on what you are processing.
It takes great courage to trust your whole self, and all your awareness. Don't push yourself beyond your limits, but try to broaden your scope, little by little.
The real test is to see if you are willing to apply your ESP gained data into your daily business planning.
Jerry publishes an online magazine dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Business Shaman: Exploring the Mystery of Success!
Note: This article was written for a internet business site. It is a promo for my work with the business world. I published it here for anyone who is interested in a shamanic perspective on creating success, in both business and life. If you read between the lines, it will offer you some help when dealing with any challange.
The sound of the drum is strong and steady. It's cold and damp in the large cave, except near the central fire. There are 40 naked, hairy, human-like creatures in deep celebration. Yet there is fear in the air. The clan is preparing for the next hunt.
The shaman enters and speaks to the group of his dreams, explaining all the dangers the tribe will face tomorrow. The hunters begin to prepare themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The shaman leaves, going into his small,sacred cave to begin the magic ceremony. He must do this to help bring about a successful hunt, and to protect the tribe from what he knows lay ahead. He has seen it all in his visions, he's an intuitive.
That was a long time ago, or was it? You still need a place to live in, perhaps a cave, but more likely an apartment or house. You still need food to eat, but most likely from the grocery store. So, things have not really changed but just updated.
Today we don't trade shells for our supplies and services, but money [ and lot of it ]. So we need success in our economic and business life. But like the primal hunter, we need more then just survival, we need a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual approach to help us be fully successful. We also need a good source of intuitive information to guide us through the challanging times.
So things have come full circle as more and more people are living a holistic lifestyle. The health and mental health fields have been shifting towards holism, and for many years I was deeply involved with that. Today, the business world is also changing, you only have to read the newspaper to know that. I have spent the last ten years exploring and testing new, more holistic business approaches that can be applied to day to day operations or towards reaching long term goals. I've hosted television programs on these matters, and publish an online magazine dealing with shamanism and holism as it applies to life and business.
Oh yes, I am a real shaman. I bring to my work a strong male intuitive function and all the trimmings of the ancient shamans but with a modern perspective. I am known as the business shaman. I went on line to offer my services to the global business community. I work with all levels and aspects of business and deal with any issue through training, coaching, consulting and intuitive guidance. Generally I work in a partnership with you and your business to create, reorganize or transform.
Jerry publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
The sound of the drum is strong and steady. It's cold and damp in the large cave, except near the central fire. There are 40 naked, hairy, human-like creatures in deep celebration. Yet there is fear in the air. The clan is preparing for the next hunt.
The shaman enters and speaks to the group of his dreams, explaining all the dangers the tribe will face tomorrow. The hunters begin to prepare themselves mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The shaman leaves, going into his small,sacred cave to begin the magic ceremony. He must do this to help bring about a successful hunt, and to protect the tribe from what he knows lay ahead. He has seen it all in his visions, he's an intuitive.
That was a long time ago, or was it? You still need a place to live in, perhaps a cave, but more likely an apartment or house. You still need food to eat, but most likely from the grocery store. So, things have not really changed but just updated.
Today we don't trade shells for our supplies and services, but money [ and lot of it ]. So we need success in our economic and business life. But like the primal hunter, we need more then just survival, we need a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual approach to help us be fully successful. We also need a good source of intuitive information to guide us through the challanging times.
So things have come full circle as more and more people are living a holistic lifestyle. The health and mental health fields have been shifting towards holism, and for many years I was deeply involved with that. Today, the business world is also changing, you only have to read the newspaper to know that. I have spent the last ten years exploring and testing new, more holistic business approaches that can be applied to day to day operations or towards reaching long term goals. I've hosted television programs on these matters, and publish an online magazine dealing with shamanism and holism as it applies to life and business.
Oh yes, I am a real shaman. I bring to my work a strong male intuitive function and all the trimmings of the ancient shamans but with a modern perspective. I am known as the business shaman. I went on line to offer my services to the global business community. I work with all levels and aspects of business and deal with any issue through training, coaching, consulting and intuitive guidance. Generally I work in a partnership with you and your business to create, reorganize or transform.
Jerry publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
Monday, September 21, 2009
Success: A Wholistic Perspective
The world has always been mixed with the rich, the poor and the middle ground. Should we assume that if you make more and more money, that you are more and more successful? Perhaps not.....looking at ourselves and life that way just keeps us trapped in our animal/primate history. You see in the animal/primate world, the big male controls all the sex and resources, he's the successful one and those around him are less fortunate. This mentality has been the driving force in our political and financial life for all of human history. So, as we continue to evolve, this model seems a bit outdated, and not really a uniquely human definition. So, how can we define and create success from a more evolved position?
When I was growing up...way back in the 50s, a successful business person had an expensive car parked in their driveway, they had the house most could only dream of, and the beautiful wife as well. Things looked real good ... but that was rarely the whole story. They also had an ulcer, drank and smoked to handle all the stress, was often on medication and lived with endless stress symptoms. Yet by the old model, they were successful inspite of the fact that they were in big trouble on the inside. However, this was normal and accepted as the norm at that time.
Then came the 60s, and all hell broke loose! The older model was challanged by a very large population called the baby boomers.....and there were alot of us. We experimented with all kinds of new and radical ideas. We saw that the older path had flaws and were trying to evolve beyond that. Some of our efforts paid off in the growing holistic health and mental health movements. We became aware of an inner life that had been neglected by earlier generations.
However, where we found our inner selves in private, when we went to work in the corporate world, things had not made much shift there. So, we did what we could to change things, but really just got drowned out by the older model being so firmly in place. So it became normal to have a split life, one that was for our personal self and the other for the corporate world. It's like living with a split personality. [ This split model seems to be the current norm..we complain about it...but ]
Then came the clash of cultures that resulted in 911, and all the corporate scandals that rocked the business world. So here we are living beyond the year 2000, yet still trying to evolve. Well, at the rate we make changes, it's most likely that things will not resolve themselves in your whole lifetime. Are we all still trapped in the past or is there a way out? There is a path through the garbage but one that only some will travel. At this point in history that new path must be one taken by personal choice. I don't suggest you wait for everyone to change into a newer, healthier norm.....if you value a quality life.. don't wait for others..you will die before that happens.
The holistic movement is trying to expand into the business world. There are only a few of us at this time working on this...but that's life! Things have to start somewhere. Holism deals with the whole of things. I no longer consider a person or business successful if their inner life is a mess. To be really successful by a wholistic point of view you need to consider the impact of every action on every level of the business, including the health and mental health of you, the staff and your customer base. Taking that even one step further, you need to consider the impact on the global community.
Sounds like too much to handle, but there are tools and techniques that are evolving to help you if you want to operate from this approach. The business world needs to do some tough soul searching, and then help will come along. When you change you inner choices, things will start to happen!
Oh, by the way, going wholistic does not mean going broke. It's part of a package deal, when you clear up alot of business karma.....very often the business becomes more successful financially!!!
Jerry is a former psychotherapist and is currently a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can reach the magazine at this address: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
When I was growing up...way back in the 50s, a successful business person had an expensive car parked in their driveway, they had the house most could only dream of, and the beautiful wife as well. Things looked real good ... but that was rarely the whole story. They also had an ulcer, drank and smoked to handle all the stress, was often on medication and lived with endless stress symptoms. Yet by the old model, they were successful inspite of the fact that they were in big trouble on the inside. However, this was normal and accepted as the norm at that time.
Then came the 60s, and all hell broke loose! The older model was challanged by a very large population called the baby boomers.....and there were alot of us. We experimented with all kinds of new and radical ideas. We saw that the older path had flaws and were trying to evolve beyond that. Some of our efforts paid off in the growing holistic health and mental health movements. We became aware of an inner life that had been neglected by earlier generations.
However, where we found our inner selves in private, when we went to work in the corporate world, things had not made much shift there. So, we did what we could to change things, but really just got drowned out by the older model being so firmly in place. So it became normal to have a split life, one that was for our personal self and the other for the corporate world. It's like living with a split personality. [ This split model seems to be the current norm..we complain about it...but ]
Then came the clash of cultures that resulted in 911, and all the corporate scandals that rocked the business world. So here we are living beyond the year 2000, yet still trying to evolve. Well, at the rate we make changes, it's most likely that things will not resolve themselves in your whole lifetime. Are we all still trapped in the past or is there a way out? There is a path through the garbage but one that only some will travel. At this point in history that new path must be one taken by personal choice. I don't suggest you wait for everyone to change into a newer, healthier norm.....if you value a quality life.. don't wait for others..you will die before that happens.
The holistic movement is trying to expand into the business world. There are only a few of us at this time working on this...but that's life! Things have to start somewhere. Holism deals with the whole of things. I no longer consider a person or business successful if their inner life is a mess. To be really successful by a wholistic point of view you need to consider the impact of every action on every level of the business, including the health and mental health of you, the staff and your customer base. Taking that even one step further, you need to consider the impact on the global community.
Sounds like too much to handle, but there are tools and techniques that are evolving to help you if you want to operate from this approach. The business world needs to do some tough soul searching, and then help will come along. When you change you inner choices, things will start to happen!
Oh, by the way, going wholistic does not mean going broke. It's part of a package deal, when you clear up alot of business karma.....very often the business becomes more successful financially!!!
Jerry is a former psychotherapist and is currently a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can reach the magazine at this address: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Work Environment Tidbits
Color is a big factor effecting all indoor environments. Since most of us spend many hours each day at work, the coloring of the space has a big impact on us. Monotone color schemes can over charge certain personality and behavioral patterns. The color grey can cause depression and frequent change, leading to coping actions like drinking alcohol. Too much grey [ a common business/office main color ] can also lead to unclear thoughts and actions. Sometimes in life and business things need to be simply black and white, clear and simple! The best solution to this problem is to introduce many colors into the work space. Even small items of varied colors can do wonders, so add some to the work-business space and watch the changes.
When getting dressed for work/business each morning wear the colors that are not in the work place......that way your colors become a part of the environment, effecting both you and all those around you........you become a balancer for the colors missing at work....try it.
Stay grounded all day! That means that no matter what is going on around you [ you can't always control that stuff ] you are not so effected. This way you stay stable and help stabilize an often highly charged emotional situation. Staying grounded means to keep both feet on the floor ....no matter what happens! This can be real hard to do since many people around you will try to pull you off balance [ ungrounded ], just keep trying this and you will get better at it.
See your job/business and work place as both mundane and sacred at the same time. That means to do the job and work the space in practical ways while understanding that there is more going on then meets the surface of things. That life and work is all holy and sacred.....not just when you go to church, etc. This helps to bring a higher level of order and purpose to all you do...you tend to get better results in everything. Try it!
Keep the space clean and clear. This sounds too simple to be of real value but this is not true! Try it and watch the results........
Good luck!
The Business Shaman
Jerry is a former psychotherapist and is currently a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can reach the magazine at this address: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
When getting dressed for work/business each morning wear the colors that are not in the work place......that way your colors become a part of the environment, effecting both you and all those around you........you become a balancer for the colors missing at work....try it.
Stay grounded all day! That means that no matter what is going on around you [ you can't always control that stuff ] you are not so effected. This way you stay stable and help stabilize an often highly charged emotional situation. Staying grounded means to keep both feet on the floor ....no matter what happens! This can be real hard to do since many people around you will try to pull you off balance [ ungrounded ], just keep trying this and you will get better at it.
See your job/business and work place as both mundane and sacred at the same time. That means to do the job and work the space in practical ways while understanding that there is more going on then meets the surface of things. That life and work is all holy and sacred.....not just when you go to church, etc. This helps to bring a higher level of order and purpose to all you do...you tend to get better results in everything. Try it!
Keep the space clean and clear. This sounds too simple to be of real value but this is not true! Try it and watch the results........
Good luck!
The Business Shaman
Jerry is a former psychotherapist and is currently a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can reach the magazine at this address: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Using Outlook to Count Responses
Here's a productivity tip that will save you a lot of time and trouble if you need to collate responses from staff for any reason, especially if you work for an organisation with a lot of staff.
Case Study: I worked for a financial institution with 3,000 plus employees and had to identify how many employees needed compulsory training in certain legislation so that we could plan and resource the training.
I emailed everyone within the centre with a request that if they had not completed the training within the last three months, they were to reply to my email without changing the subject line. They were to reply by a certain deadline ... any queries were to be sent via a new email addressed to me and I explained why.
I created a folder called 'Legislation Training' and used Rules Wizard to divert any email received with the subject line: 'Legislation Training Requirement' into the folder. Every time a new email arrived it automatically went into the folder and Outlook incremented and displayed the number of unopened emails in the folder in brackets at the end of the folder name. It looked like this: 'Legislation Training (125)'.
By the deadline all I had to do was look at the end of the Legislation Training folder to see how many people needed the training. No counting ... all done automatically by our productivity tool Outlook 2002.
As the fast talking salesman on the television said, 'And there's more!'
When I was asked for a list of the names of those who had responded, all I had to do was export the Legislation Training folder emails to MS Excel. Excel allows you to choose the fields you export. I chose the 'From' field and finished up with a list of names since all email addresses were in the format WILLIAMS Royston. Once in Excel it was a simple matter to sort them into alphabetical order.
Not only that, I could now email 20 people at a time and advise them when and where they had to attend this mandatory training.
This is an excellent way to deal with large numbers of people and, although Outlook does have options for creating forms with yes/no buttons and so on in them, it is more complex than this option.
I hope this short article has been of interest to you and that it helps you improve your work performance.
Robin Henry is a human resources specialist who provides support to small businesses keen to improve organisation and methods. He operates his home-based business from Central Australia and his site is found here http://www.dwave.com.au
Case Study: I worked for a financial institution with 3,000 plus employees and had to identify how many employees needed compulsory training in certain legislation so that we could plan and resource the training.
I emailed everyone within the centre with a request that if they had not completed the training within the last three months, they were to reply to my email without changing the subject line. They were to reply by a certain deadline ... any queries were to be sent via a new email addressed to me and I explained why.
I created a folder called 'Legislation Training' and used Rules Wizard to divert any email received with the subject line: 'Legislation Training Requirement' into the folder. Every time a new email arrived it automatically went into the folder and Outlook incremented and displayed the number of unopened emails in the folder in brackets at the end of the folder name. It looked like this: 'Legislation Training (125)'.
By the deadline all I had to do was look at the end of the Legislation Training folder to see how many people needed the training. No counting ... all done automatically by our productivity tool Outlook 2002.
As the fast talking salesman on the television said, 'And there's more!'
When I was asked for a list of the names of those who had responded, all I had to do was export the Legislation Training folder emails to MS Excel. Excel allows you to choose the fields you export. I chose the 'From' field and finished up with a list of names since all email addresses were in the format WILLIAMS Royston. Once in Excel it was a simple matter to sort them into alphabetical order.
Not only that, I could now email 20 people at a time and advise them when and where they had to attend this mandatory training.
This is an excellent way to deal with large numbers of people and, although Outlook does have options for creating forms with yes/no buttons and so on in them, it is more complex than this option.
I hope this short article has been of interest to you and that it helps you improve your work performance.
Robin Henry is a human resources specialist who provides support to small businesses keen to improve organisation and methods. He operates his home-based business from Central Australia and his site is found here http://www.dwave.com.au
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Why Your Business Needs an E-Mail Policy
Why is it imperative to have a company E-Mail Policy? It is simply good business, that's why! In addition, having a clear and detailed e-mail policy in place, one that employees sign and date before they are allowed access through your businesss' computers, is critical to you being able to enforce or react to situations that may arise at a later date.
Even assuming you have the best folks working for you, or on your behalf, does not negate the need for this type of policy to be established. Hopefully, you will never need to refer to your policy statement in regard to an employee's actions or behavior while on company time. However, if you do find yourself in that situation down the road, you will be relieved these terms and conditions are in place for your protection.
With technology now in the workplace and e-mail accessible to more employees than ever, connectivity makes it easy for all employees to surf the Web on company time, circulate unnecessary and/or inappropriate messages and illegally copy content. These activities can lead to:
=> Claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. This occurs when e-mail or information is forwarded to an employee who may not have the same sense of humor as the sender. We all have had our e-mail boxes filled by well intending friends with the latest joke or chain letter, some of which could offend the recipient or are not appropriate in a professional environment.
=> Misaddressed messages that lead to intentional or inadvertent release of corporate trade secrets. One typo, dot, dash or space where it shouldn't be (and folks typo e-mail addresses all the time) and your company information can very easily end up being delivered to another e-mail address outside of the company.
=> Network and spam attacks. Those who do not understand the basics of Online Netiquette, many times put themselves in a situation of having e-mail bombs or repetitive e-mail being sent which can cripple your network due to their actions. Employees who do not market your business within established protocols can cause your server and ISP to cancel your accounts due to spam complaints to your hosting and e-mail providers.
=> Copyright infringement issues and the possible legalities that can ensue. Copyright is one of the most misunderstood issues online. Many believe that information, graphics, etc. are online for the taking. Right click and it is yours! To set the record straight, there is nothing further from the truth. All information and graphic images are protected by the person who created them. To take content or images without the creator's/author's written permission is copyright infringement. It is also copyright infringement to forward or quote another person's private e-mail in a public venue such as mailing lists and discussion groups without their written permission to do so.
Abuse of e-mail may also lead to:
=> Waste of computer resources. Large gratuitous downloads can negatively impact your bandwidth allowances and incur additional charges from your provider not to mention lower employee productivity.
=> Drain on limited storage capabilities. Limits in disk storage space can easily be maxed out incurring additional charges.
=> Slower response times for legitimate business activities. Focus is lost on priorities and customer service. Company e-mail activities should be considered one of the highest priorities that many times will fall by the wayside in lieu of employees becoming sidetracked by these other activities.
=> Increased network traffic. Unnecessary network traffic can cause your entire network to come to a grinding halt if acceptable computer and online usage is not clearly defined.
=> E-mail forgery. I could send an e-mail today appearing to be Bill Gates. Only those with an above average technical knowledge would be able to determine it was a hoax and trace it back to me.
All company e-mails should use your dot com/net/org to identify all employees. E-mail settings should not be tampered with or changed for any reason.
=> Create a negative perception of your business image, legitimacy and level of credibility. One cannot underestimate the power of perception as it relates to your businesss' e-mail activities. Each e-mail should be taken as seriously as though it were written on company letterhead. How it is written, the words used, whether proper Netiquette it practiced or lack there of can have a negative impact on those communicating with your company.
Any e-mail policy should start with the following basics. You will want to review each carefully and then jot down and add the specifics unique to your business environment and culture.
1) Specify that the computer and e-mail system belongs to the business for authorized purposes only. While on company time any use of the Company's equipment (computer) is to be used solely for business activities related to the performance of an employee's job responsibilities.
2) Set clear expectations of employee privacy. What will be private and what won't - if anything. Trends indicate that the majority of e-mail policies currently in place state clearly that while on company time, employees should not expect to have any privacy in regard to their use of company owned equipment and resources.
3) Establish monitoring as a "right" of the employer. It should be expected and acknowledged.
4) Make sure employees understand attention should be taken when addressing e-mail and when drafting them to avoid including copyrighted material. Each e-mail an employee sends utilizing an e-mail address with your dot com/org/net reflects on your business and makes you inevitably liable if another author's information is misused without their permission. Not only are there legal ramifications, but again, do not underestimate how your enterprise will be perceived by virtue of the use of a company e-mail address in communications.
5) Outline specific types of content that should be avoided in e-mail messages. The more detail the better here!
6) Have employees sign and date the e-mail policy. Put a copy in their personnel file and give them a copy to have on hand for reference purposes.
It would also be recommended that each employee be sent to my OnlineNetiquette.com site or given a copy of my soon to be released book: "Because Netiquette Matters! Your comprehensive reference guide on e-mail etiquette and proper technology use." This will ensure they are aware of all the issues and practices they need to integrate when e-mailing on behalf of and using your company's resources to communicate online.
For a sample E-mail Policy that you can use and modify, visit my main consulting site @: http://www.theistudio.com/example_epolicy.html
About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has been playing @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her popular Technology Cheat Sheets @ http://www.LearnAndThrive.com
Even assuming you have the best folks working for you, or on your behalf, does not negate the need for this type of policy to be established. Hopefully, you will never need to refer to your policy statement in regard to an employee's actions or behavior while on company time. However, if you do find yourself in that situation down the road, you will be relieved these terms and conditions are in place for your protection.
With technology now in the workplace and e-mail accessible to more employees than ever, connectivity makes it easy for all employees to surf the Web on company time, circulate unnecessary and/or inappropriate messages and illegally copy content. These activities can lead to:
=> Claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. This occurs when e-mail or information is forwarded to an employee who may not have the same sense of humor as the sender. We all have had our e-mail boxes filled by well intending friends with the latest joke or chain letter, some of which could offend the recipient or are not appropriate in a professional environment.
=> Misaddressed messages that lead to intentional or inadvertent release of corporate trade secrets. One typo, dot, dash or space where it shouldn't be (and folks typo e-mail addresses all the time) and your company information can very easily end up being delivered to another e-mail address outside of the company.
=> Network and spam attacks. Those who do not understand the basics of Online Netiquette, many times put themselves in a situation of having e-mail bombs or repetitive e-mail being sent which can cripple your network due to their actions. Employees who do not market your business within established protocols can cause your server and ISP to cancel your accounts due to spam complaints to your hosting and e-mail providers.
=> Copyright infringement issues and the possible legalities that can ensue. Copyright is one of the most misunderstood issues online. Many believe that information, graphics, etc. are online for the taking. Right click and it is yours! To set the record straight, there is nothing further from the truth. All information and graphic images are protected by the person who created them. To take content or images without the creator's/author's written permission is copyright infringement. It is also copyright infringement to forward or quote another person's private e-mail in a public venue such as mailing lists and discussion groups without their written permission to do so.
Abuse of e-mail may also lead to:
=> Waste of computer resources. Large gratuitous downloads can negatively impact your bandwidth allowances and incur additional charges from your provider not to mention lower employee productivity.
=> Drain on limited storage capabilities. Limits in disk storage space can easily be maxed out incurring additional charges.
=> Slower response times for legitimate business activities. Focus is lost on priorities and customer service. Company e-mail activities should be considered one of the highest priorities that many times will fall by the wayside in lieu of employees becoming sidetracked by these other activities.
=> Increased network traffic. Unnecessary network traffic can cause your entire network to come to a grinding halt if acceptable computer and online usage is not clearly defined.
=> E-mail forgery. I could send an e-mail today appearing to be Bill Gates. Only those with an above average technical knowledge would be able to determine it was a hoax and trace it back to me.
All company e-mails should use your dot com/net/org to identify all employees. E-mail settings should not be tampered with or changed for any reason.
=> Create a negative perception of your business image, legitimacy and level of credibility. One cannot underestimate the power of perception as it relates to your businesss' e-mail activities. Each e-mail should be taken as seriously as though it were written on company letterhead. How it is written, the words used, whether proper Netiquette it practiced or lack there of can have a negative impact on those communicating with your company.
Any e-mail policy should start with the following basics. You will want to review each carefully and then jot down and add the specifics unique to your business environment and culture.
1) Specify that the computer and e-mail system belongs to the business for authorized purposes only. While on company time any use of the Company's equipment (computer) is to be used solely for business activities related to the performance of an employee's job responsibilities.
2) Set clear expectations of employee privacy. What will be private and what won't - if anything. Trends indicate that the majority of e-mail policies currently in place state clearly that while on company time, employees should not expect to have any privacy in regard to their use of company owned equipment and resources.
3) Establish monitoring as a "right" of the employer. It should be expected and acknowledged.
4) Make sure employees understand attention should be taken when addressing e-mail and when drafting them to avoid including copyrighted material. Each e-mail an employee sends utilizing an e-mail address with your dot com/org/net reflects on your business and makes you inevitably liable if another author's information is misused without their permission. Not only are there legal ramifications, but again, do not underestimate how your enterprise will be perceived by virtue of the use of a company e-mail address in communications.
5) Outline specific types of content that should be avoided in e-mail messages. The more detail the better here!
6) Have employees sign and date the e-mail policy. Put a copy in their personnel file and give them a copy to have on hand for reference purposes.
It would also be recommended that each employee be sent to my OnlineNetiquette.com site or given a copy of my soon to be released book: "Because Netiquette Matters! Your comprehensive reference guide on e-mail etiquette and proper technology use." This will ensure they are aware of all the issues and practices they need to integrate when e-mailing on behalf of and using your company's resources to communicate online.
For a sample E-mail Policy that you can use and modify, visit my main consulting site @: http://www.theistudio.com/example_epolicy.html
About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has been playing @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her popular Technology Cheat Sheets @ http://www.LearnAndThrive.com
Monday, September 14, 2009
Seeking Help
Where does the time go? Billable time. As a consultant, your practice may be doing reasonably well; you're charging $100-150 an hour. As an independent consultant, you're probably also doing everything from grinding the coffee to editing the umpteenth draft of your brochure.
To understand where you spend your time, list and categorize all your activities into clerical, professional and other suitable groups. Calculate how many hours you're spending on each-daily, weekly, monthly, annually. Some you enjoy, some you're really good at, some are a pain in the neck The point is, no one is paying you to do them. The more time you spend on client work, the more you bill. The more you bill, the more money you have available to pay someone else to take care of the stuff you'd rather not do or should not be doing yourself.
The time you spend on unbillable tasks makes you a very expensive clerical worker. Keeping the cash to yourself sounds good, until you really think about it. You wouldn't pay a secretary $150 an hour, but that's precisely what you're paying yourself. Your time is valuable and should be spent earning money or on activities that grow your business like marketing or product development. The rest is just overhead-costly overhead. Can you afford not to hire someone?
And, it's not just the on-going clerical and administrative stuff you can be helped with. Many of our own clients come only after having spent hundreds of hours trying to create their own marketing materials.
Entrepreneurs strongly resist giving up any responsibility. You know the refrain, "If it's going to be done right, I've got to do it myself." They struggle endlessly with business plans, and similar activities unrelated to their field of expertise.
You may indeed ask, who better? The answer is, your professional colleagues. They may charge the same hourly fee, but the job is done in much less time and they bring objectivity and fresh ideas.
This is not only less expensive in the long run, but these things will also be done better. The repercussions of doing a inadequate job on your business plan, marketing materials, accounting, etc. can be severe.
Certainly, keep an eye on things; but don't spend more time than you must. Leave the grunt work to others. Hiring clerical and professional help is practical, and necessary-if you want to squeeze the most out of your practice.
Keith Thirgood, Creative Director, Editor Thrive-on-Line http://www.capstonecomm.com Capstone Communications Group Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330 Subscribe to Thrive-on-line http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line
To understand where you spend your time, list and categorize all your activities into clerical, professional and other suitable groups. Calculate how many hours you're spending on each-daily, weekly, monthly, annually. Some you enjoy, some you're really good at, some are a pain in the neck The point is, no one is paying you to do them. The more time you spend on client work, the more you bill. The more you bill, the more money you have available to pay someone else to take care of the stuff you'd rather not do or should not be doing yourself.
The time you spend on unbillable tasks makes you a very expensive clerical worker. Keeping the cash to yourself sounds good, until you really think about it. You wouldn't pay a secretary $150 an hour, but that's precisely what you're paying yourself. Your time is valuable and should be spent earning money or on activities that grow your business like marketing or product development. The rest is just overhead-costly overhead. Can you afford not to hire someone?
And, it's not just the on-going clerical and administrative stuff you can be helped with. Many of our own clients come only after having spent hundreds of hours trying to create their own marketing materials.
Entrepreneurs strongly resist giving up any responsibility. You know the refrain, "If it's going to be done right, I've got to do it myself." They struggle endlessly with business plans, and similar activities unrelated to their field of expertise.
You may indeed ask, who better? The answer is, your professional colleagues. They may charge the same hourly fee, but the job is done in much less time and they bring objectivity and fresh ideas.
This is not only less expensive in the long run, but these things will also be done better. The repercussions of doing a inadequate job on your business plan, marketing materials, accounting, etc. can be severe.
Certainly, keep an eye on things; but don't spend more time than you must. Leave the grunt work to others. Hiring clerical and professional help is practical, and necessary-if you want to squeeze the most out of your practice.
Keith Thirgood, Creative Director, Editor Thrive-on-Line http://www.capstonecomm.com Capstone Communications Group Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330 Subscribe to Thrive-on-line http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Spirits in the Corporate Boardroom.......Oh, sure......
There is a growing movement in the spiritual and holistic fields to bring a more metaphysical and human potential approach to the business community. Holism has been intergrating into both the health and mental health professions for many years now. The men's , women's and environmental movements are a part of that holistic shift in awareness. However, business seems locked into an older/ outdated model of operation. I have been exploring, training and researching methods to help business take that 'leap of faith', and try new perspectives and approaches....but it's tough to break into their locked mind set. Even when things are not working out......they can't seem to shift gears. In the last fifteen years or so there have been many large corporate failures.
However, then came the 9/11disasters which shook up the United States and impacted on the whole world. While the world must now face the real issue of terrorism, perhaps something positive can come out of the trauma. I hear, between the lines, that it's not 'business as usual' anymore. There was corporate karma hiding behind 'success stories'. This started to come to light with scandals and more failures. The economy faltered as we all know.
So, before we rebuild the US and World economy perhaps we need to decide just how to rebuild it. Do we simply go back to the old 'business as usual' as soon as possible, or move in a new direction?
Well, for me there is no choice since my spirit guides demanded that I bring them into corporate boardrooms where they will try to help solve many long term problems. So, they have been training me for a decade now..just for this task. I told them, good luck...just leave me out of it ...... that's a place I don't want to go!
Perhaps they knew all along what was going to happen. Perhaps now, with all the shifting going on the Planet we might be more open to [ spirit at work ]. We will have to wait and see.............
Jerry is a former psychotherapist and is currently a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can reach the magazine at this address: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
However, then came the 9/11disasters which shook up the United States and impacted on the whole world. While the world must now face the real issue of terrorism, perhaps something positive can come out of the trauma. I hear, between the lines, that it's not 'business as usual' anymore. There was corporate karma hiding behind 'success stories'. This started to come to light with scandals and more failures. The economy faltered as we all know.
So, before we rebuild the US and World economy perhaps we need to decide just how to rebuild it. Do we simply go back to the old 'business as usual' as soon as possible, or move in a new direction?
Well, for me there is no choice since my spirit guides demanded that I bring them into corporate boardrooms where they will try to help solve many long term problems. So, they have been training me for a decade now..just for this task. I told them, good luck...just leave me out of it ...... that's a place I don't want to go!
Perhaps they knew all along what was going to happen. Perhaps now, with all the shifting going on the Planet we might be more open to [ spirit at work ]. We will have to wait and see.............
Jerry is a former psychotherapist and is currently a professional shaman. He publishes an online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can reach the magazine at this address: http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com
Saturday, September 12, 2009
MANAGING CRISIS; when you're too good at it
When you are acclaimed for excellence during times of crisis you may not feel so good in a non-crisis environment.
You may not shine so bright, perform so well, be quite so acclaimed.
If crisis is how you satisfy your personal need to be needed, to feel accomplished, to be respected, to be heard,
to be noticed, blah blah blah, then you will naturally seek out, create, attract,
be drawn into situations that will allow you to meet this need.
Your environments and relationships will be filled to the brim with one crisis after another.
Perhaps there's a better way to get your need met. Perhaps there's a way to feel needed and still exist in peaceful,
cooperative, and synergistic environments. It's amazing to watch the content and features of a person's life break
apart and rebuild with almost the same irreverent qualities.
People change mates but the essence of the relationship is the same.
People change jobs and the same complaints emerge as before.
People get out of debt, lose weight, move to different cities, and nothing really changes. It's a scary thing.
I've seen the inside view and it's very scary. This dйjа vu type phenomenon has left me baffled and disheartened.
Here's the deal; when we treat the symptoms, the root cause remains unaffected and it emerges again and again.
Our outer lives tell the same story over and over like a broken record until we finally get it. The outer reflects the inner.
The outer is a symptom; the inner is the root cause. The outer is the image in the mirror; the inner is the real object.
You would not stand in the mirror with the intention of washing your face and wash the reflection of your face in the mirror, would you??
I didn't think so. Well that is exactly what we are doing when we focus on treating our symptoms.
A fundamental place to begin transformation is by being responsible for understanding your personal needs and
ensuring that they are met in an appropriate context.
Get your needs met appropriately and permanently and your life will be transformed for sure.
Robin Harris is a DesignerLife Coach whose focus is to empower self-motivated entrepreneurs and individuals to
achieve their greatest potential while discovering and honoring their core values. Contact Robin through her web site
http://www.designerlifecoaching.com or by email at robin@designerlifecoaching.com
You may not shine so bright, perform so well, be quite so acclaimed.
If crisis is how you satisfy your personal need to be needed, to feel accomplished, to be respected, to be heard,
to be noticed, blah blah blah, then you will naturally seek out, create, attract,
be drawn into situations that will allow you to meet this need.
Your environments and relationships will be filled to the brim with one crisis after another.
Perhaps there's a better way to get your need met. Perhaps there's a way to feel needed and still exist in peaceful,
cooperative, and synergistic environments. It's amazing to watch the content and features of a person's life break
apart and rebuild with almost the same irreverent qualities.
People change mates but the essence of the relationship is the same.
People change jobs and the same complaints emerge as before.
People get out of debt, lose weight, move to different cities, and nothing really changes. It's a scary thing.
I've seen the inside view and it's very scary. This dйjа vu type phenomenon has left me baffled and disheartened.
Here's the deal; when we treat the symptoms, the root cause remains unaffected and it emerges again and again.
Our outer lives tell the same story over and over like a broken record until we finally get it. The outer reflects the inner.
The outer is a symptom; the inner is the root cause. The outer is the image in the mirror; the inner is the real object.
You would not stand in the mirror with the intention of washing your face and wash the reflection of your face in the mirror, would you??
I didn't think so. Well that is exactly what we are doing when we focus on treating our symptoms.
A fundamental place to begin transformation is by being responsible for understanding your personal needs and
ensuring that they are met in an appropriate context.
Get your needs met appropriately and permanently and your life will be transformed for sure.
Robin Harris is a DesignerLife Coach whose focus is to empower self-motivated entrepreneurs and individuals to
achieve their greatest potential while discovering and honoring their core values. Contact Robin through her web site
http://www.designerlifecoaching.com or by email at robin@designerlifecoaching.com
Friday, September 11, 2009
14 Ways to De-Stress Employee Vacations.
Employees truly deserve paid vacations. They
struggle through stressful jobs most of the year,
and productivity goes down if they don't get a
break. From a corporate perspective, investment in
good vacation programs reduces workplace stress
absenteeism, health care costs, and accidents.
Many employees, however, come back from vacation
with the half-joking remark about having to return
to work to rest up. Far too many people find
vacations just as stressful as the jobs they do
every day.
Following are fourteen ways company managers can
de-stress vacations, increase productivity, improve
quality, boost profits, and get the most from the
corporate investment.
1. Develop vacation savings plans so employees
will be financially prepared for this big expense
2. Provide continuous counseling for personal
finances, budgeting, and credit issues
3. Double check for payroll errors to make sure
employees are not affected by discrepancies while
they are on vacation
4. Distribute job responsibilities to prevent
employees' returning to overflowing in-boxes
5. Announce job changes after vacations, not
before
6. Provide in-house workshops on vacation
planning
7. Negotiate corporate discounts with travel
agencies
8. Show employees how to research travel plans
on internet
9. On the last day before vacation, give
employees an extra half-day off for last minute
preparations. This strategy brings value to the
company through motivation, esprit, and quality
control.
10. Coach employees to get major projects out of
the way two weeks before vacations to prevent
stressful, sometimes inadequate, last-minute
efforts
12. Ask for destination contact information for
purpose of emergency notification and then use the
info to send a special note or small gift that
will be waiting for them upon arrival.
11. Demonstrate your interest by scheduling time
to visit with employees about their great
adventure - before and after vacation
13. Get employee input on vacation schedules to
make sure dates work out with spouse's schedule
14. Encourage a more restful week-long vacation
instead of a less rewarding one or two day absence
There you have it - fourteen ways to de-stress
vacations. Your company gets its money's worth
out of these vacations when employees are rested
and ready to get back to work.
For more info on controlling workplace stress send
an email to: 3sessionstress@sendfree.com
Dale Collie - professional speaker, former US Army Ranger, CEO, and a Fast Company top 50 innovative leader. Author of "Winning Under Fire." (McGraw-Hill) collie@couragebuilders.com
struggle through stressful jobs most of the year,
and productivity goes down if they don't get a
break. From a corporate perspective, investment in
good vacation programs reduces workplace stress
absenteeism, health care costs, and accidents.
Many employees, however, come back from vacation
with the half-joking remark about having to return
to work to rest up. Far too many people find
vacations just as stressful as the jobs they do
every day.
Following are fourteen ways company managers can
de-stress vacations, increase productivity, improve
quality, boost profits, and get the most from the
corporate investment.
1. Develop vacation savings plans so employees
will be financially prepared for this big expense
2. Provide continuous counseling for personal
finances, budgeting, and credit issues
3. Double check for payroll errors to make sure
employees are not affected by discrepancies while
they are on vacation
4. Distribute job responsibilities to prevent
employees' returning to overflowing in-boxes
5. Announce job changes after vacations, not
before
6. Provide in-house workshops on vacation
planning
7. Negotiate corporate discounts with travel
agencies
8. Show employees how to research travel plans
on internet
9. On the last day before vacation, give
employees an extra half-day off for last minute
preparations. This strategy brings value to the
company through motivation, esprit, and quality
control.
10. Coach employees to get major projects out of
the way two weeks before vacations to prevent
stressful, sometimes inadequate, last-minute
efforts
12. Ask for destination contact information for
purpose of emergency notification and then use the
info to send a special note or small gift that
will be waiting for them upon arrival.
11. Demonstrate your interest by scheduling time
to visit with employees about their great
adventure - before and after vacation
13. Get employee input on vacation schedules to
make sure dates work out with spouse's schedule
14. Encourage a more restful week-long vacation
instead of a less rewarding one or two day absence
There you have it - fourteen ways to de-stress
vacations. Your company gets its money's worth
out of these vacations when employees are rested
and ready to get back to work.
For more info on controlling workplace stress send
an email to: 3sessionstress@sendfree.com
Dale Collie - professional speaker, former US Army Ranger, CEO, and a Fast Company top 50 innovative leader. Author of "Winning Under Fire." (McGraw-Hill) collie@couragebuilders.com
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