SomeNotes

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Notes from Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus

  1. What would you and others say are five of your personality pluses?
  2. What are the ten most interesting things you have done or that have happened to you?
  3. What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?
  4. What do you like/love about your current job/career?
  5. How does your job/career use your skills and talents, and what projects are you working on right now that best showcase them?
  6. What career successes are you most proud of having accomplished (from current position and past jobs)?
  7. What new skills have you learned in the last year?
  8. What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today, both professionally and personally, and what essential lessons have you learned from some of your mistakes?
  9. What training/education have you completed and what did you gain from those experiences?
  10. What professional organizations are you associated with and in what ways_member, board, treasurer, or the like?
  11. How do you spend your time outside of work, including hobbies, interests, sports, family, and volunteer activities?
  12. In what ways are you making a difference in people's lives?

Notes on Breakout Principle by Herbert Benson and William Proctor

  1. a breakout begins with your natural power to maximize health, mental ability, and physical performance
  2. the same mind/body mechanism operates in every breakout trigger
  3. as a breakout begins, your body and mind move through a series of distinct, identifiable stages
    1. a hard mental or physical struggle
      1. death of a spouse
      2. divorce
      3. marital separation
      4. jail term
      5. death of a close family member
    2. pulling the breakout trigger (must completely sever prior thought and emotional patterns)
    3. breakout proper (coupled with a peak experience)
    4. return to a new normal state (including ongoing improved performance and mind/body patterns)
  4. activating the trigger appears to cause your body to release puffs of nitrous oxide (a response that counters stress hormones that can impede a breakout)

test

  1. practice a repetative mental or physical activity

Fish! by Stephen C. Lundin (3.5 stars out of 5)

  1. Choose your attitude
    1. Call a meeting and speak from the heart
    2. Find a message that communicates the notion of choosing your attitude in a way that everyone will understand and personalize
    3. Provide motivation
    4. Persist with faith
  2. Play
  3. Make their day
  4. Be Present?

Notes on How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Ph. D.

  1. prevent bucket dipping
  2. shine a light on what is right
  3. make best friends
  4. give unexpectedly
    • the vast majority of people prefer gifts that are unexpected
  5. reverse the golden rule
    • Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.
      1. By what name do you like to be called?
      2. What are your "hot buttons" -- hobbies or interests you like to talk about a lot?
      3. What increases your positive emotion or "fills your bucket" the most?
      4. From whom do you most like to receive recognition or praise?
      5. What type of recognition or praise do you like best? Do you like public, private, written, verbal, or other kinds of recognition?
      6. What form of recognition motivates you the most? Do you like gift certificates, a title for winning a competition, a menaingful note or em-mail, or something else?
      7. What is the geratest recognition you have ever received?
  • interesting story about the devistating negative psychological effects on Korean prisoners of war
  • How Full Is Your Bucket? -- official website for the book

Notes on How to Delegate Work and Ensure It's Done Right by Dick Lohr

ISBN: 0943066654

Why Delegate?

  1. so you can get promoted / build depth behind us
  2. avoid creating indespensible people
  3. challenge high performers
  4. a better return on personnel dollars
  5. physical limitations

Kinds of Things to Delegate

  1. recurring matters
  2. minor decisions
  3. time consuming details
  4. what others are better qualified to do

Specific Examples

  1. open, sort, & route mail
  2. pass along information to callers
  3. draft responses to routine correspondence
  4. screen telephone calls and visitors
  5. maintain a file of due dates for reports, activites, and projects delegated to others
  6. make reminder calls
  7. take care of charitable contributions (up to a certain amount)
  8. review sales figures & other information and report only exception information
  9. attend & hold meetings on your behalf
  10. subsitute for you on business trips
  11. draw up budgets, devise marketing campaings, work out schedules, or evaluate new product proposals
  12. represent you at trade shows
  13. manage the disposition of company assets (???)
  14. approve salaries and manage overtime pay and related records
  15. handle personnel recruiting and selection
  16. design a profit sharing plan
  17. oversee the completion of a project that you initiated
  18. let others authorize travel and manage expense accounts
  19. take care of personnel transfers and take care of routine staffing decisioins
  20. prepare bid specifications or check figures on bid submissions
  21. recommending tasks and projects which they believe they can handle for you completely for partially

How to Delegate (the Delegator's Dozen)

  1. set a clear objective
  2. select the delgatee
  3. if necessary, train the delegatee on all or part of what they will be doing
  4. get input from the deligatee
  5. assign the project or task and a deadline
  6. provide necessary guidance (often done poorly)
    1. is there any critical information that this person needs to know in order to complete the task
    2. suggest approaches (being careful not to dictate)
    3. describe results required or set standards
  7. make a delegation contract (levels below)
    1. take action (no need to report back)
    2. take action, but stay in touch
    3. get approval before moving on
    4. do only what I tell you to do
  8. establish controls
  9. maintain controls
  10. provide feedback
  11. identify lessons learned
  12. evaluate performance

Responsibility, Authority, & Accountability

  1. responsibility: assigning to others full ownership of the results to be achieved
  2. authority: the granting of power, freedom, and the right to act within establish guidelines or parameters
  3. accountability: ???

Personality Types

  1. driver (autocratic)
  2. analytic (hate to be wrong)
    1. to speed up, periodically ask "Given the data I have right now, what is the decision I would make?"
    2. AND "If I were to expend effort to collect more data, give what I know, would it change my mind?", YES=get the information; NO=make the decision and move on
  3. amiable
  4. expressive

Easy Way To Find The The Right Person To Do The Task

  1. ask for volunteers
  2. look at the nature of the task and find someone whose personality style match the nature of the work

Motivators of People

  1. assigning responsibility to them (allowing them to take ownership of the results desired)
  2. being given more meaningful and significant work
  3. recognition (most common concern or complaint: not receiving recognition)
  4. growth
  5. freedom to make mistakes

What To Ask Anyone Trying To Pass Delegation Back
(follow up questions with an appointment to discuss their answers)

  1. What's a clear definition or statement of the problem?
  2. What are the alternatives? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative?
  3. What is your recommendation and why?

How to set expectations

  1. Suggest compliance
  2. Persuaded compliance
  3. Demand compliance and announce expectations
  4. Issue an ultimatum

Reasons to Intervene

  1. when the dollar risk is high
  2. when not necessarily dealing with an isolated incident
  3. if setting a precident
  4. dramatic effect on other employees
  5. employee's past record of getting or staying off track
  6. quality of feedback from individual
  7. consider impact on the employees reputation or motivations

Core Convictions

  1. people tend to live up to or down to our expectations
  2. ordinary people can perform in extraordinary ways, if given the chance to do so
  3. your success is directly dependent on the success of those for whom you are responsible

Addendum by Lou Heckler

  1. ask for a personal commitment
  2. set a very specific deadline
  3. make the deadline unusual (people are more likely to remember it)
  4. get it in writing ("Would you mind sending me a brief written confirmation of your understanding of what we just agreed to?")

Dealing With Problems Brought Up By Delegatees

  1. ask them for ideas
  2. ask them to find someone else with the same problem

See Also:

Notes on Making it Happen by Mackenzie Kyle

Structure of an Assignment

  1. GENESIS
  2. DESIGN (describes the final product in enough detail so that you could produce it)
    1. preliminary design: problem solving, generation of options, feasbility analysis, proposed "best" solution
    2. preliminary design sign-off by sponsor
    3. produce detailed design schedule and cost estimate
    4. detailed design schedule and cost approved by sponsor
    5. detailed design
    6. sponsor approves detailed design
  3. EXECUTION PLAN (Project)
  4. EXECUTION
  5. REVIEW
    1. (Review of Design)
    2. (Review of Execution Plan and Execution)
    3. (Review of Genesis)

When asked to do an Assignment

  1. Identify the sponsor. He or she is the person who can spend the money.
  2. Make sure the sponsor knows who the sponsor is. The sponsor must understand his/her responsibilities. This should be part of the culture, but never assume.
  3. Write the first objective statement. Make sure you answer all of these questions:
    • What is wrong with the existing situation?
    • How will things be better when we are done?
    • What are the performance criteria for the deliverables?
    • What is the scope of the assignment (i.e., what is in the assignment and what is not in the assignment)?
    • What are the specific constraints regarding cost, time, quality, and so on?
    • Who is the sponsor?
    • Who is the project manager?
    • What authority is being given?
  4. Have the sponsor sign the objective statement. Always get a signature on the document.
  5. Collect the best project team that you can. Remember, the same responsibilities must be fulfilled on every assignment, but team members may double up on some roles depending on the assignment. Roles include
    1. sponsor
    2. project manager
    3. feasability analyst
    4. designer
    5. user's rep
    6. project administrator
    7. implementer
    8. reviewers
  6. Create the conceptual design.
  7. Get the sponsor's signed approval of both the conceptual design and the funding to complete the detailed design.
  8. Detail the design. You'll know it's complete if you can do an execution plan.
  9. Get the sponsor's signature on the detailed design.
  10. Create the execution plan with the project team. Use the logic of the interrelation of the activities to create a dependency chart, which will be the basis for determining things like costs, schedule, and resource requirements.
  11. Get the sponsor's signature on the execution plan.
  12. Execute the plan.
  13. Review the assignment. Complete all three review steps.

A Plan

  • Helps structure your thinking
  • Communicates your intentions

project = execution plan

Dependency Chart

Elements to include:

  1. Description
  2. Duration
  3. Resource(s)
  4. Interdependency

As much as possible, you want the float to come afte the particular task or activity with which it is associated.

The critical path is simply the path with the least amount of float.

To "crash" a project (i.e., make the project shorter), focus on the critical activities, the ones that determine the length of the project. Shorten them by adding resources, reducing the scope of the task, not do it as well, or change the resource to a more productive one. Remember, changes you make in each task can affect all the others. And as you shorten tasks, the critical path may change. Check the critical path each time you crash a task.

 Cost 
   
ScopeXQuality
   
 Schedule 

Notes on Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham

STRENGTHS

  1. talents - naturally recurring patterns of thaught, feeling, or behavior
  2. knowledge - facts and lesson learned
  3. skills - the steps of an activity
  • talents are innate
  • skills and knowledge can be acquired through learning and practice
  • damage control vs. real development

Notes from Now Habit by Neil A. Fiore, Ph.D.

Creating Safety: The First Major Step Out of Procrastination" (Excellent Analogy)

  1. walking along a 30-foot board (task)
  2. board is suspended between two buildings, 100 feet above the ground (task determines your worth)
  3. you are frozen until you realize the building you are on is on fire (perfectionism/procrastination raise the stakes & time pressure forces you to act)
  4. board 100 feet above the ground with a safety net (indisputable sense of worth acts as a safety net)

Five Self-Statements that Distinguish Procrastinators from Producers

  1. I have to.
    1. replace w/I choose to.
  2. I must finish.
    1. replace w/When can I start?
  3. This is so big.
    1. replace w/I can take one small step.
  4. I must be perfect.
    1. I can be human.
  5. I don't have time to play.
    1. I must take time to play.

Combined: I choose to start one small imperfect step knowing I am human and I must take time to play.

Use Pull-Method Motivation

push methodpull method
peel the potatoes or you'll lose your weekend passearn another day of leave for each basket
increase the number of clients called per day or find another joblearn how to communicate effectively with clients and you'll be able to see more clients
read this entire shelf of books by the end of the semesterimagine that, as you read a chapter, you are placing it on this empty shelf

Tools

  1. three-dimensional thinking
    1. consider any of the places to start, don't limit yourself to one right place
    2. permit yourself time along the way to learn, build confidence, and ask for help
    3. don't be critical that you're only starting when you "should be finished."
  2. reverse calendar
    1. think backwords from the goal & deadline to the present
  3. work of worrying (don't stop with just worrying, develop an action plan)
    1. What is the worst that could happen?
    2. What would I do if the worst really happened?
    3. How would I lessen the pain and get on with as much happiness as possible if the worse did occur?
    4. What alternatives would I have?
    5. What can I do now to lessen the probability of this dreaded event occuring?
    6. Is there anything I can do now to increase my chances of achieving my goal?
  4. persistent starting

The Unschedule

  • Do not work more than twenty hours a week on this project.
  • Do not work more than five hours a day on this project.
  • You must exercise, play, dance at least one hour a day.
  • You must take at least one day a week off from any work.
  • Aim for only thirty minutes of quality work.
  • Work for an imperfect, perfectly human first effort.
  • Start small.
  1. Schedule only
    • previously committed time such as meals, sleep, meetings
    • free time, recreation, leisure reading
    • socializing
    • health activites such as swimming, running, tennis
    • routine structured events such as commuting time, classes, medical appointments
  2. fill unschedule with work on projects only after you have completed at least one-half hour
  3. take credit only for periods of work that represent at least thirty minutes of uninterrupted work
  4. reward yourself with a break or a change to a more enjoyable task after each period worked
  5. keep track of the number of quality hours worked each day and each week
  6. always leave at least one full day a week for recreation and any necessary small chores
  7. before deciding to play, take time out for just thirty minutes of work on your project
  8. focus on starting
  9. think small
  10. keep starting
  11. never end down

Managing People Who Procrastinate Commitment to a task sparks much more creativity and motivation than compliance.

ComplianceCommitment
You'd better finish by noon.What can you get me by noon?
You have to get here on time, or else.I've placed you in a responsible position and I'm depending on you to be here at nine o'clock.
Do it exactly as I showed you.We need to be able to trust each other's work, so I need you to follow the guidelines precisely. Let me know if you have any problems with them.

Focus On Starting vs. Finishing

See Also:

Notes on Purple Cow by Seth Godin

  • "It is useless to advertise to anyone (except interested sneezers with influence)." - p. 36
  • "Differentiate your customers. Fine the group that's most profitable. Find the group that's most likely to sneeze. Figure out how to develop/advertise/reward either group. Ignore the rest. Your ads (and your products!) shouldn't cater to the masses. Your ads (and products) should cater to the customers you'd choose if you could choose your customers." - p. 41
  • "What tactics does your firm use that involve following the leader? What if you abandoned them and did something very different instead? If you acknowledge that you'll never catch up by being the same, make a list of ways you can catch up by being different." - p. 52
  • "Do you have the email addresses of the 20 percent of your customer base that loves what you do? If not, start getting them. If you do, what could you make for these customers that would be super-special? Visit www.sethgodin.com and you can sign up for my list and see what happens." - p. 73
  • "If you're in an intangibles business, your business card is a big part of what you sell. What if everyone in your company had to carry a second business card? Something that actually sold them (and you). Something remarkable." - p. 89
  • "All of a sudden, it's obvious why you need a permission asset. If your company doesn't have one yet, you can start, today, for free, by using Outlook on your PC. Give people an email address to write to. Write back. You're on your way." - p. 95
  • "Remarkable isn't always about changing the biggest machine in your factory. It can be the way you answer the phone, launch a new brand, or price a revision to your softwware. Getting in the habit of doing the "unsafe" thing every time you have the opportunity is the best way to learn to project—you get practice at seeing what's working and what's not." - p. 105
  • "Explore the limits. What if you're the cheapest, the fastest, the slowest, the hottest, the coldest, the easiest, the most efficient, the loudest, the most hated, the copycat, the outsider, the hardest, the oldest, the newest, the. . . most! If there's a limit, you should (must) test it." - p. 135
  • "Think small. One vestige of the TV-industrial complex is a need to think mass. If it doesn't appeal to everyon, the thinking goes, it's not worth it. No longer. Think of the smallest conceivable market, and describe a product that overwhelms it with its remarkability. Go from there." - p. 136
  • clip-'n'-save slogans: (p. 140)
    • "Don't Be Boring"
    • "Safe is Risky"
    • "Design Rules Now"
    • "Very Good"

See Also:

Notes from QBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller

  1. landing the plane with the stopped engine "differently"
  2. solutions to procrastination
    1. stop asking externally focused questions that begin with "when"
    2. instead, ask QBQs, like. . .
      1. What solution can I provide?
      2. How can I more creatively reach the customer?
      3. What can I do to find the information to make a decision?
  3. personal accountability
    1. comes from questions that begin with the words "What" or "How" and contain the word "I"
    2. to make a qbq action-focused, add verbs such as "do", "make", "achieve", and "build"
    3. add "can" or "will" and "now" or "today"
    4. results in
      1. "What can I do right now?"
      2. "How can I make a difference today?"
  4. managers don't change people
    1. change only comes from the inside as a result of decisions made by the individual
  5. integrity
    1. being what I say I am by acting in accordance with my words
  6. serenity prayer
    1. old: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
    2. qbq: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me."
  7. QBQs
    1. All QBQs begin with "What" or "How", not "Why", "When", or "Who."
    2. All QBQs contain the personal pronoun "I", not "They", "Them", "We", or "You".
    3. All QBQs focus on action.
    4. The spirit is personal accountability. No more victim thinking, procrastination, or blame. I can only change me. I will take action.
      1. Not "What can I do to make you change?"
      2. Not "How can I avoid responsibility?"
      3. Not "What action can I take right now to do the wrong thing?"
      4. Not "Who can I blame today?"

Notes from Quantum Memory Power by Dominic O'Brien

  • Association
    • link method - connect the words together using a story
  • Location
  • Imagination
    • color, humor, sex, etcetera

REVIEWS

  1. immediately
  2. 24 hours later
  3. 1 week later
  4. 1 month later
  5. 3-6 months later

FACES ("Always give a face a place.")

  1. you remind me of someone
    1. face (like aunt's), place (aunt's house), key image
  2. what's my line
    1. what sort of work the persons does
  3. feature link
    1. person, feature, scene
  4. first name places
    1. use an association with the person's first name to transport that person to a location

THE LANGUAGE OF NUMBERS Dominic system Number Shape

0. football
  1. candle
  2. swan
  3. hand cuffs
  4. sailboat
  5. curtain hook
  6. elephant's trunk
  7. boomerang
  8. snowman
  9. balloon and string
  10. stick and hoop

Number Rhyming

0
  1. gun
  2. shoe
  3. tree
  4. door
  5. hive
  6. sticks
  7. heaven
  8. gate
  9. wine
  10. pen

Dominic System character, prop, & action

0 'O'
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. S
  7. G
  8. H
  9. N
  10. to memorize a speech
    1. condense the contents into key points
    2. create symbols for each point, by using imaginitive, colorful, and meaningful key image
    3. place each key image on various stages along a familiar mental journey

Other Miscellaneous Memory Techniques

CREATING MEMORABLE MNEMONIC IMAGES

  • Synesthesia / Sensuality - sound, sight, taste, touch, smell
  • Movement - shaking, flying, kicking,...
  • Association - associate with stable memories
  • Sexuality - you can imagine anything having sex
  • Humour - silly, connected with jokes
  • Imagination - anything at all
  • Number(s) - details like sequence and/or order
  • Symbolism - associate abstract pattern with meaningful items
  • Colour - use more than one color, too
  • Order / Sequence - use things like PegSystems or MemoryPalaces to your advantage
  • Positivity - people like to remember positive things
  • Exaggeration - very big, very small, very small, extremely numerous

"NOOK AND CRANNY" METHOD

  1. near left corner
  2. left wall
  3. far left corner
  4. far wall
  5. far right corner
  6. right wall
  7. near right corner
  8. near wall
  9. floor
  10. ceiling

MAP POINTS North - polar bears East - Asian hat South - penguins West - covered wagon

"EJOTY" is a nonsense word coined by magician Stewart James. It is simply a mnemonic consisting of the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th letters of the alphabet. From here, it's easy to work out the location for any given letter, or the letter for any given location.

Notes on Stand Up For Your Life by Cheryl Richardson

Values

  • abundance
  • acquire
  • alert
  • articulate
  • assemble
  • attain
  • be awake
  • be joyful
  • be present
  • be spritual
  • bliss
  • calm
  • community
  • courage
  • design
  • drama
  • educate
  • encourage
  • enjoy
  • entertain
  • fascilitate
  • freedom
  • govern
  • gratitude
  • honest
  • imagination
  • influence
  • instruct
  • learn
  • magnifiscese
  • patience
  • people
  • plan
  • radiance
  • relate to god
  • risk
  • security
  • sense
  • serenity
  • sex
  • sincere
  • sports
  • synthisize
  • thoughtful
  • to catelize
  • to create
  • to experience
  • to lead
  • to relate
  • to unite
  • transform
  • trustworthy
  • uncover
  • wealth

Notes on The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn

Life Lessons ("Life and business are like the changing seasons." & "You cannot change the seasons, but you can change yourself")

  1. learn how to handle the winters (downturns)
  2. learn how to take advantage of the spring (opportunities)
  3. learn how to nourish and protect your crops all summer
    1. all good will be attacked
    2. all values must be defended
  4. learn how to reap in the fall without complain

Leave Behind

  • pictures
  • library
  • journals

"We get paid for bringing value to the marketplace."

"It's not what happens, it's what you do that makes the difference."

Notes on "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson

  • Change happens
  • Anticipate change
  • Monitor change
  • Adapt to change quickly
  • Change
  • Enjoy change
  • Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again

Notes on Hire With Your Head: Using POWER Hiring to Build Great Teams by Lou Adler

These notes are incomplete (I didn't finish the book)

  • Create 6-8 SMARTe performance objectives
    • Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Results-driven, Time-bound, and include a description of the environment
  • 4 Main Interview Questions
    • Please think of your most significant accomplishment in your career. Now could you tell me all about it?
    • If you were to get this job, how would you go about solving this typical problem (describe the problem)?
    • Give me a quick overview of your current (prior) position and describe the biggest impace (or change) you made.
    • NON-SUPERVISORY: Please draw an organization chart and tell me about a team project you were involved in, and describe your role.
    • SUPERVISORY: Please draw an organization chart and tell me how you built and developed this team, and describe the group's biggest accomplishment.
  • Other Questions
    • Think about your favorite work experience, something you feel was exciting, energizing, and personally fulfilling. Please describe it and tell me why it was personally satisfying.
    • You've indicated to me that you're a real problem solver. Can you give me three examples of the types of problems you like to solve?
    • This job requires a real self-starter. Can you please give me three examples of initiative in one of your more reecent positions? This would be something you did over and above the requirements of the job.

Rate Candidates On:

  1. Engery, Drive, Initiative
  2. Trend of Performance over time
  3. Comparability of Past Accomplishments (Anchor SMARTe Objectives)
  4. Experience, Education, and Industry Background
  5. Problem-Solving and Thinking Skills
  6. Overall Talent, Technical Competency and Potential
  7. Management and Organization
  8. Team Leadership: The Ability to Persuade and Motivate Others
  9. Character: Values, Commitment, Goals
  10. Personality and Cultural Fit

See Also:

Notes on 45 Effective Ways for Hiring Smart!

(How to Predict Winners and Losers in the Incredibly Expensive People) by Dr. Mornell Pierre, et al

  1. Pre-Interview Strategies
    1. Make Phone Contact with the Candidate
    2. Ask for a Letter and Resume
    3. Give an Assignment Before the Interview
      1. visit store, plant, campus, office, or web page and ask for observations
    4. Walk Around the Office When the Candidate Arrives
      1. to lower anxieties
      2. observe behavior
      3. does the candidate asks questions?
    5. Read Resumes in Teams If Possible
      1. 3-5 people
    6. Cast the Widest Net Possible
      1. inform friends, colleagues, consultants, professional associates, board members, ex-employees, family members, search firms, trade groups, previous candidates who went elsewhere of opening
    7. Use Caution Around Any Big Changes
      1. use caution with candidates from significantly different environments (corporate to small business, structured to entrepreneurial, etc)
    8. Rethink the Position Before the Interview
    9. Use Pre-Interview Tips in Combinations
    10. Conduct a Brief Pre-Interview Interview
  2. Strategies During the Interview
    1. Trust Your Instincts-Chemistry Is Crucial
    2. Look for the Passionate Candidate
    3. Ask All Your Questions at Once
    4. Have Fun During the Interview
      1. ask "Columbo-type" questions; Are you lucky?; Are you curious?
    5. Assign a Mini-Project to Finalists
    6. Seek Closure by Announcing the Five-Minute Warning
    7. the look for important statements preceeded by "Oh, one more thing. . ." or "I almost forgot. . ."
    8. Watch for Inappropriate Behavior
    9. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
    10. Pick a Subject Where You Are the Expert
    11. Take Notes During the Interview
      1. line down the middle, notes on what canidate says on one side, your thoughts on the other side
    12. Interview in Teams for Top Candidates
    13. Ask for a Legal Release
    14. Throw a Few Curveballs at the End of the Interview
      1. for instance, walk to candidate to their car
  3. Strategies After the Interview
    1. Ask for a Return Call from the Candidate
    2. Assign a Take-Home Project
      1. give a current project you're evaluating and ask for an analysis
    3. Travel with Finalists for Executive Positions
    4. Meet the Spouse or Significant Other
    5. Put Potential Problems on the Table
    6. Use an Intuitive Person in the Selection Process
    7. Consider What Psychological Tests Have to Offer
      1. Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, etc
    8. Experiment with Handwriting Analysis
  4. Checking References
    1. Ask the References to Call You Back
      1. call during lunchtime, "X is a candidate for (the position) in our company. Your name has been given as a reference. Please call me back if the candidate was outstanding.
    2. Network Up the Chain of Command
      1. be persistent about moving up the chain of command
    3. Use the Internet as a Resource
    4. Perform Due Diligence for All Finalists
    5. Ask the Candidate, "What Will I Hear?"
      1. . . . from references
    6. Devise a Phone Reference Checklist
      1. Technical competence
      2. Intelligence: "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the candidate's intelligence?"
      3. People skills
      4. Motivation: "What motivates the candidate?"
      5. Everything else: "Is there anything that I haven't asked?"
    7. Meet References for the Finalists
      1. . . . in person, if possible
  5. Final Strategies
    1. Invest in People, Not Ideas
    2. Find Someone You Trust
    3. Follow These Three Cardinal Rules
      1. Do you trust the candidate?
      2. Clean record on crime and alcohol?
      3. Physical health?
    4. Ask Yourself These Ten Questions
      1. Do you agree with Shakespeare's "Let's kill all the lawyers?"
      2. Do clothes make the man or woman?
      3. Are drug-free employees important?
      4. Does responsiveness count?
      5. Should you create a model for future hires?
      6. Do people like working for your candidate?
      7. Can your current employees help you?
      8. Is documentation important?
      9. Do you also evaluate search firms, suppliers, and vendors?
      10. When you add one new idea from this book, should you discard one old habit?
    5. Use Yourself as a Test Case with Experts
      1. run the same background checks on yourself as you run on the candidates
    6. Suggest a Trial Run When Possible
    7. Design Your Own Hiring System
  • interviews in which you induce stress seldom work

Reference Questions:

  • Did you like the person?
  • What did they fail at doing?
  • Reputation in the compnay?
  • How did they communicate?
  • Reputation in the industry?
  • How did they react to authority?
  • Reason for leaving?
  • Level of energy, drive?
  • What did they accomplish?
  • What would you change about the person if you could?

Steps:

  1. resume & application screen
  2. telephone interview
  3. face-to-face interview and testing
  4. reference checks
  5. executive/final interview
  6. selection of top candidates, contingent offer, drug/security test, and acceptance of offer

Ten-Step Interview

  1. make small talk
  2. go over the job briefly
  3. ask questions in sequence
    1. education
    2. job history
    3. outside interests
    4. strengths
    5. shortcomings
    6. goals, personal and professional
  4. take notes
  5. probe, probe, probe--always in your areas of expertise
  6. announce "we have about five more minutes", then listen carefully
  7. tell the candidate what to expect next in the selection process
  8. let the candidate ask questions
  9. thank the candidate
  10. compare notes with other interviewers

Locked/InterviewQuestions

Notes on How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci by Michael J. Gelb

  • Curiosita: An insatiably curious approach to life.
  • Dimonstratzione: A commitment to test knowledge through experience.
  • Sensazione: The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to clarify experience.
  • Sfumato: A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.
  • Arte/Scienza: The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination ("whole-brain thinking").
  • Corporalita: The cultivation of ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.
  • Connessione: A recognition and appreciation for the connectedness of all things and phenomena; "systems thinking."

SMART goals

  • specific
  • measurable
  • accountability
  • realistic & relevant
  • timeline

Notes from Beyond Words: A Guide to Drawing Out Ideas by Milly R. Sonneman

Notes on Coping With Difficult People by Robert M. Bramson

  1. Hostile Agressive Trio
    1. sherman tanks (bully and verbally assault)
      1. don't get in a fight with them (you're likely to lose; they must escalate the fight due to their style; even if you win, they will become a sniper)
      2. stand up to them
        1. call them by name
        2. "I disagree with you. . ."
        3. "In my judgment. . .", "In my opinion. . .", "It's a good idea. . ."
        4. ". . . but tell me what's on your mind."
        5. if interrupted, look them in the eye and say "<Name>, you interrupted me. . ." (don't say you lose your train of though, it makes you look weak in their eyes)
    2. snipers (take pot shots from under cover; use sarcasm and subtle jokes)
      1. try to get them alone
      2. explain how you perceived the situation and ask "Did you mean it that way?"
        1. behind the back snipes
          1. ask to quote the person telling you about the snipe, as a friend
          2. ask, "Did X hear you correctly?"
            1. if they say "No", say "Thanks, I will let X know."
            2. if they say "Yes", say "It sounds like a dig, did you mean it that way?"
            3. and "From now on, here's what I expect of you, if you have anything negative to say to me, you will say it directly to me first."
    3. exploders (calm to tantrum in no time)
      1. look them in the eye, listen, and wait for them to run down (or interrupt, if there are no pauses)
      2. once they stop, say "<Name>, I want to hear what you have to say, but not this way." (stand up, if necessary to get their attention; convey that you take them seriously)
      3. if possible, request a break
      4. try to get the facts about what happened; what is the perception; what occurred?
      5. if possible, offer some concrete help you can right away
      6. work out a plan of action and tell the person what you are going to do
        1. set action dates
        2. follow through
  2. Indecisives
    1. analytical
      1. give a deadline and a concrete reason for it
      2. be helpful; give them any background information that might help them make the decision
    2. "be nice"
      1. help them tell you what's really on their mind (there's always a reason that has stopped them from making a decision)
      2. give them information to help them make the decision (and/or offer a solution)
      3. make a personal statement of support
      4. watch for signs that they are getting irritated or angry and withdrawing from the situation (if they do, leave quickly)
      5. get out of there (to avoid impulsive, emotional decisions)
  3. Complainers
    1. listen
    2. when you can get a word in, acknowledge what they are saying to you and complaining about
    3. listen actively (reflect the specific concrete facts)
    4. don't agree that the complaints are correct, even if you think that they are right (that makes them complain more & continues the cycle)
    5. try to get them into a problem solving mode
      1. ask problem solving questions: When did it first happen? When did you notice it? Is it better or worse some days? What have you tried to do to fix it?
      2. give limited tasks to the complainer: ask for the complaints in writing (with a deadline); ask for their ideas on solutions
    6. after they have complained, give them a deadline and ask "Where do you want us to be when this discussion ends?"
  4. Negativist
    1. be prepared that you may be dragged into the negativity (but that awareness will help you avoid it)
    2. come back with a positive statement of your own (don't argue because their negativity stems from long before)
    3. acknowledge what they say, but add a positive realistic statement (and avoid being dragged down)
    4. don't offer solutions too soon (or you will get reason why not to)
    5. ask "What should we do?" (to the negativist and the rest of the group, if present)
    6. give them a simple assignment
    7. ask "What is the worst that can happen?" continually, to expose their barriers
    8. be ready to take action on your own
  5. Clams(won't talk)
    1. say something yourself, especially something to put them at ease
    2. throw out an open ended question
      1. what is your reaction to what I just said?
      2. What is on your mind about that?
    3. go into the friendly silent stare (look expectant, as long as possible or necessary)
    4. set a time limit for the conversation
    5. ignore questions like: Can I go now? Are you through?
    6. let the talk and hear them out
    7. let them know what will happen if they continue to be silent
    8. be prepared to follow up
  6. Expert Know-It-Alls
    1. bulldozers (superior; arrogant; hostile)
      1. be prepared, know the facts and make sure they're accurate
      2. paraphrase back what you hear from them
      3. frame objections as questions (& avoid dogmatic statements)
        1. baby blue eyes question - "Would you explain how what you did fits with the plans we have?"
        2. extentional question - "Would you explain to me exactly what the steps are that will be taken over the course of X?"
      4. as a last resort, purposefully subordinate yourself, to avoid tension and build a manageable relationship
    2. ballons (full of hot air; don't know what they're talking about)
      1. if you blow their cover, they'll get defensive and resentful
      2. try to cope with them alone
      3. state your own perception of the facts (or alternative opinions)
        1. give them an out (ie, "I wonder if you didn't confuse the numbers with some others?")
      4. fill the silence with a statement of your own
      5. move quickly onto the next topic
  7. Super Agreeables (super nice, but super unreliable; strong need to be liked)
    1. help them tell you what's really on their mind
    2. reassure them that they are an okay person
    3. ask them for "even inconsequential" problems
    4. help them be honest
    5. if a conflict is near, try to state a compromise right off the bat that you're willing to accept
    6. pay attention to their humor (it may be serious)
      1. go back in another time and ask them if there is really a problem associated with that "humor"
  • adapt the techniques or combination of techniques as necessary

confidence building

  1. acknowledge that coping with difficult people is no fun
  2. having a vision of success is useful
  3. take the pains of writing out a plan or script
  4. find a low risk situation in which you can do a little rehearsing

Basic Strategy: do not fight a battle

Behavior Blindness

  1. try honesty
    1. make an appointment with the person, so that it is important
    2. state your ambivalence (explain that you are concerned how they will react)
    3. state the assumption that the person truly doesn't know what they're doing or how much it affects you (you may not feel this)
    4. tell them what they're doing and how it affects you and/or others
    5. offer any help that you can (for instance, to signal to them when the behavior surfaces)

Negative Interaction Cycles

  1. How to Identify
    1. Did the interactions only recently turn negative?
    2. Does this person have similar interactions with other people or just me?
    3. Can I think of something that happened that may have threatened either one of us?
    4. Was the change abrupt?
    5. Is my emotionality way out of whack?
  2. How to Untangle
    1. make an appointment
    2. tell the person your version of how things seem to you
    3. end with a question to draw out their version (ie, How do you see it?)
    4. be ready to be dumped on (expect to be accused, your intentions questioned, etc.)
      1. DON'T
        1. don't explain everything away
        2. don't apologize
      2. Do
        1. active listening
        2. state your intentions (ie, tell them what you want); separate your behaviour from your intentions
        3. look for some way to prevent the problems from happening again
    5. powerless
    6. perscriptive
    7. perfect

See Also:

Notes on Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

  • skilled people find a way to get all relavant information from themselves and others out in to the open (dialog)
    • How does this free flow of meaning lead to success?
    • What can you do to encourage meaning to flow freely?

dialog smart traits

  1. stick with goals
    1. start by examining your motives
      1. ask yourself "What am I doing?" and "If I had to guess, what does it say about my underlying motive?"
      2. What do I really want for myself?
      3. What do I really want for others?
      4. What do I really want for the relationship?
      5. How would I behave if I really wanted these results?
    2. pay attention to what is happening to your objectives
  2. don't make either/or choices
  3. how to break away from sucker's choices
    1. clarify what you really want
    2. clarify what you really don't want
    3. present your brain with a more complex problem
    4. combine the two into an and question that forces you to search for more creative and productive options than silence and violence

explore the tools people use to help create the conditions of dialog

how we think about problem situations

See also:

Notes on How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends by Don Gabor

  1. Body Language
    1. Smile
    2. Open Posture
    3. Forward Lean
    4. Touch
    5. Eye Contact
    6. Nod
  2. Starting
    1. Risk Versus Rejection
      1. Change from passive to active
      2. Look for receptivity
    2. Ask easy-to-answer ritual questions
      1. Break the ice - a compliment followed by a ritual question
      2. Make questions open ended
      3. Use free information revealed
      4. Reveal free information of your own
    3. Know what to say by listening (active listening)
      1. Don't think - listen
      2. Don't parrot back what is said
      3. Merge old knowledge with new information
      4. Ask for and think of examples relevant to what is being said
      5. Anticipate
      6. Summarize
      7. Listen for more under the surface and use questions to get to it
      8. Good listening requires practice and concentration
    4. Seek more based on free information
      1. Allow the other person the option of not answering personal questions
      2. Avoid taboos
    5. Disclose free information
      1. Exercise discretion
      2. Consider what you really have to lose
      3. Four levels of self-disclosure
        1. Cliché
        2. Basic personal facts
        3. Personal opinions and preferences
        4. Personal feelings
      4. Reveal a little at a time and in context
      5. Be realistic and be yourself
      6. Reveal your goals
      7. Let someone get to know you
  3. Keeping the conversation going
    1. Focus on the situation at hand
      1. Look outward - not inward
      2. Situation is a series of concentric circles (immediate environment > neighborhood)
    2. Find the person's big life events
      1. Hot buttons
      2. Share your hot buttons
      3. Seek common interests
    3. Balance two-way exchange
      1. Balance talking and listening
      2. Balance information exchange
    4. Discuss topics that are important to you
    5. Change topics using free information
      1. Refer to free information ("I heard you mention earlier. . .")
      2. When necessary, change the subject
      3. Listen for key words, facts, and details and remember them
  4. Opening Channels
    1. Tell others the purpose of the conversation
    2. Develop respect for others
    3. Consider other people's feelings
    4. Accept the other person's sense of relevancy
  5. Closing Conversations
    1. Briefly summarize main ideas discussed
    2. Consider planning a specific future meeting
    3. Use person's name when saying goodbye
    4. Problem conversations
      1. Use directed questions to avoid a complainers problem areas
      2. Use repetitive "not interested" response with manipulative salespeople
  6. Remembering names
    1. Concentrate at the introduction & repeat the name outloud
    2. Take a mental picture of the moment of introduction
    3. Associate the name with an outstanding feature
    4. Associate the new name with a known person of the same name
    5. Make a letter chain of the first letters of each name
  7. Improving Conversations
    1. Silence is okay
    2. Use encouragement and positive feedback - don't criticize
    3. Look for the lesson in criticisms
    4. Ask for what you want directly
  8. Overcoming Hangups
    1. Arguing - don't assume everything you know is absolutely true
    2. Stereotyping - separate isolated behaviour from total personality
    3. Being non-assertive - ask for what you want (you have the right to say no and not feel guilty about it)
    4. False modesty - it's okay to say you don't know & ask to be filled in
    5. Copping out - don't put yourself down
  9. Making friends
    1. Develop trust
    2. To meet people, go to where you have fun
    3. Meet people with common interests
    4. Keep it friendly and light at first
    5. Keep an inventory of facts and details about the person
    6. Plan an activity around a common interest
    7. Maintain contact with people you like
    8. Make the other person feel important
    9. Be open to new experiences
    10. Share activities with friends
    11. Friendships grow over time
    12. "The only way to have a friend is to be one." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

50 ways to improve your conversation

  1. Be the first to say hello.
  2. Introduce yourself to others.
  3. Take risks. Don't anticipate rejection.
  4. Display your sense of humor.
  5. Be receptive to new ideas.
  6. Make an extra effort to remember people's names.
  7. Ask a person's name if you have forgotten it.
  8. Show curiosity and interest in others.
  9. Tell other people about the important events in your life.
  10. Tell others about yourself, and what your likes are.
  11. Show others that you are a good listener by restating their comments in another manner.
  12. Communicate enthusiasm and excitement about things and life in general to those you meet.
  13. Go out of your way to meet new people.
  14. Accept a person's right to be an individual.
  15. Let the natural you come out when talking to others.
  16. Be able to tell others what you do in a few short sentences.
  17. Reintroduce yourself to someone who has forgotten your name.
  18. Be able to tell others something interesting or challenging about what you do.
  19. Be aware of open and closed body language.
  20. Use eye contact and smiling as your first contact with people.
  21. Greet people you see regularly.
  22. Seek common interests, goals, and experiences in the people you meet.
  23. Make an effort to help people if you can.
  24. Let others play the expert.
  25. Be open to answering common ritual questions.
  26. Get enthusiastic about other people's interests.
  27. Balance the giving and receiving of information.
  28. Be able to speak about a variety of topics and subjects.
  29. Keep abreast of current events and the issues that affect all of our lives.
  30. Be open to other people's opinions and feelings.
  31. Express your feelings, opinions, and emotions to others.
  32. Use "I" and speak of your feelings when you talk about personal things.
  33. Don't use the word "you" when you mean "I."
  34. Show others that you are enjoying your conversations with them.
  35. Invite people to join you for dinner, social events, or other activities for companionship.
  36. Keep in touch with friends and acquaintances.
  37. Ask other people their opinions.
  38. Look for the positive in those you meet.
  39. Start and end your conversation with a person's name and a handshake or warm greeting.
  40. Take time to be cordial with your neighbors and co-workers.
  41. Let others know that you want to get to know them better.
  42. Ask others about things they have told you in previous conversations.
  43. Listen carefully for free information.
  44. Be tolerant of other people's beliefs if they differ from yours.
  45. Change the topic of conversation when it has run its course.
  46. Always search for another person's "hot button."
  47. Compliment others about what they are wearing, doing, or saying.
  48. Encourage others to talk with you by sending out receptivity signals.
  49. Make an effort to see and talk to people you enjoy and have fun with.
  50. When you tell a story, present the main point first, and then add the supporting details afterward.

Notes on How to Work a Room by Susan RoAne

1.

  • Be aware of negative selftalk and change it to positive self-talk.
  • Extending yourself to people feels risky, but the benefits are well worth the discomfort.

2.

  • Redefine the term "stranger." You have common ground with most people.
  • Practice a seven to nine second self-introduction.
  • Move from "guest" behavior to "host" behavior. "Good things come to those who initiate."
  • Eject the rejector and move on.
  • Unmix the mixed messages. Prevent your actions from being perceived as improper. Watch you words, dress, and body language.

3.

  • Learn to appoach any event with purpose and enthusiasm.
  • Identify the potential benefits of an event before you go.
  • Being a resource to others, not just focus on your agenda, is preferable.
  • We all have something to contribute.

4.

  • Chutzpah and charm are the dynamic duo at the heart of working a room successfully. We all have thesee qualities.
  • Practice makes them stronger. They let us work a room with style and grace--and ultimately, are what atrract people to us.
  • Identify who is charming and why. What do they do and say? Don't do and don't say?
  • Emulate them.

If you want to give your card to someone but they have not asked for it, ask for theirs first.

5. "I really enjoy hearing from you, but I don't read FWDed online jokes, especially if there is more than one screen of names. I would much prefer just hearing from you and how you are, and am so glad you stay in touch. DO

  • Proofread for punctuation, spelling and flow (but grammar- and spell-check are not sufficient).
  • Check your e-mail regularly, and if you do so more than eight times a day, take the Addiction Quiz (see page 49).
  • Remember the "magic" words and pleasantries.
  • Assess the situations that require real time communication, even if e-mail is easier.

DON'T

  • Use obscenities. They read worse than they sound.
  • Send more than one screen of information without permission.
  • Fire, dump or reprimand.
  • Use all uppercase letters ... it is shouting.
  • Send any mail you would not want to be read by others, in public or in court!
  • Use your office computer for relaying jokes/messages that could cost you your job.
  • Forward screens of e-mail sayings, jokes, warnings. o Waste people's e-time.
  • Send an e-mail written in anger (wait a day, reread, reassess).

6. Sleazes come in a variety of disguises and tend to o make others uncomfortable

  • be self-absorbed
  • look past you to see who else is in the room
  • try to push their agenda, products or services o drink too much
  • tell off-color, inappropriate jokes
  • have no interest in those who can't help them
  • try to make their contract quota
  • make fun of others as a "conversation ploy"
  • size up people based on "titles"

If you have met a sleaze, the voice in your stomach will signal you clearly. Pay attention and MOVE ON!

7. Take the time to "be prepared." Remember the seven steps for planning your presence:

  1. Adopt a positive attitude.
  2. Focus on the benefits of the event.
  3. Plan your self-introduction.
  4. Check your business cards.
  5. Prepare your small talk. Bring your O.A.R. (Observe, Ask, Reveal).
  6. Remember to make eye contact and smile.
  7. Practice your handshake.

Advisories:

  • Kiss off the kissing.
  • Be conscious of body language.
  • Avoid garlic and onions.
  • Have fun and the room will "work" you!

8. The following seven strategies will help you work any room.

  1. Enter the room with confidence, orient yourself and look for people you either know or want to know. And be nice to everyone!
  2. Go alone or use the Buddy System. Go with a friend or a colleague or a significant other and work the room separately. Most people will not intrude on a conversational pas de deux.
  3. Seek out other shy people who will appreciate your interest and conversation.
  4. Make the most of name tags. Use the information as a conversation starter, and place the name tag on your right-hand side.
  5. Great opening lines come in a million forms. Just about anything will work if it's delivered with a smile and honest interest. Try "Hi!" or "Hello."
  6. Don't be afraid to move in and join conversations already in progress, and include those people who want to join your conversation.
  7. Moving out of conversations is part of circulating through the room and meeting a variety of new people. Thank the host before you leave.

Advisories:

  • Beware of the Consumption Assumption. Just because there is an open bar, and we can drink freely, does not mean that we should freely drink! It's still business!
  • Treat everyone nicely: You never know!
  • Always introduce yourself by your full name to those whose names you can't retrieve.

9. Remeber the Seven Keys to Lively Conversation:

  1. Read one local newspaper a day and a national paper online or on paper. Location, national, international conversation starters fill the pages.
  2. Clip and collect cartoons, announcements or articles of interest to you and your network. Send them!
  3. Read newsletters, professional journals and minutes for up-to-the-minute topics of conversation.
  4. Take note and take notes when you hear something interesting or observe the odd or absurd.
  5. Use humor (surely you jest) carefully. Be light-hearted and don't take yourself so seriously. No "dissing" of others.
  6. Listen actively-with ears, eyes and heart. Truly pay attention.
  7. Just say yes to new opportunities. Doing, seeing, visiting something new and out of our everyday interests ... gives us something to talk about.

10.

  • Hone your public-speaking skills.
  • "Work" your audience by greeting, meeting and conversing with them prior to your program.
  • Introduce yourself. Use name tags for conversation; move into and around each section of the audience.
  • Prepare for your presentation.
  • Start with an attention-getting observation, vignette or statistic.
  • Collect the "stories" daily. Fun, interesting, odd and ironic occurrences happen all the time.
  • Customize your presentation for the audience.
  • Listen to other speakers and the great orators.
  • Observe entertainers to see how they engage the audience.
  • Practice your presentation so that it flows like a conversation.
  • Join Toastmasters.
  • Work with an experienced, qualified speech coach.

11.

  • Good manners equals good business.
  • We are never too busy to bypass common courtesywhich is having a regard for the feelings and dignity of others.
  • Don't save nanoseconds. Invest time in the "niceties."
  • Know the Rules of Etiquette:
    • table manners
    • introductions
    • guest and host behavior
    • cyberspace
  • R.S.V.P. ... don't show up without having done it, forget to attend or wait for better offers.
  • Don't presume informality: Wait until it is offered.
  • Thank-you notes are a sign of acknowledgement, appreciation and manners.
  • Send thank-yous for the tangibles-gifts, checks, meals-and the intangibles-ideas, leads, referrals, advice and listening.
  • Never shorten someone's name unless told to do so. ("Please call me Dave" is the invitation to do so.)

12. The cocktail party-social, business or fund-raiser-is a perfect opportunity to meet new friends and new contacts, to reconnect with familiar faces and to have a good time.

Bring:

  • your business cards
  • your smile
  • your focus
  • your sense of humor
  • your wit, wisdom and interest in others
  • conversation starters: lapel pins, ties, jewelry, hats (when appropriate)
  • appropriate manners fit for the occasion

Observe:

  • the layout of the room
  • gifts of gab (and say something)
  • the people, the groups, the flow

Lose:

  • prejudgments
  • snobbery
  • self-focus

13.

  • Go to your reunion.
  • Reunions are a chance to reunite with old friends and reestablish longtime connections.
  • People have grown up, changed and are interesting. o Have fun.
  • Build your personal and business network.
  • Connections with classmates can blossom into renewed friendship, romances and/or business.
  • Prepare ahead of time as you would for other parties/events.
  • Do your homework.
  • Relax and enjoy yourself while you are there. o Follow up.
  • Connect with people as they are today.
  • Start the diet and workout plan way ahead of time!
  • Remember, anything can happen.

14. The trade show or convention is a unique opportunity to increase your base of contacts, to buy and sell products and services and to have fun. Where else could you find so many rooms to work in one place at one time? This is the big time, the marathon, the ultimate challenge to those of us who value the ability to work a room. To get the most out of it and keep from being overwhelmed, plan the following in advance:

  • the smooth running of the office while you are away,
  • your work at the convention itself,
  • your follow-up.

Working a booth or an entire trade show is just like working a room-only more so! Rise to the challenge, seize the golden opportunity and have fun! More trade-show tips:

  • Read the brochure.
  • Devise a plan.
  • Arrange for appointments ahead of time.
  • Invite clients and potential clients to visit your booth.
  • Stick to your eating and exercise regimen.
  • Attend sessions (it's a great way to get conversational tidbits).

15.

  • Be nice to everyone!
  • We can be diverse in many ways.
  • Celebrate our differences.
  • Lose the judgments based on physical appearances or disabilities.
  • Look for commonality.
  • Talk to those who are different as you would to those who are the same.
  • It is good business and good behavior to be open to all people.
  • Lose the "some of my best friends" line. It is insulting, patronizing and not endearing.
  • Focus on the event, which is the common factor.

We never know from where or when, the next job, client, tickets to the play-offs or friend will come!

16.

  • The world is a cornucopia of contacts.
  • How we speak to people in public can be overheard.
  • Four walls no longer define a room; it can be anyplace.
  • Casual conversation can contribute to our base of contacts and business ... and pleasure.
  • Chance encounters can change our lives.
  • Smile ... say something!

Notes from The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout

Law of. . .

  1. Leadership: It is better to be first than it is to be better.
    • "The basic issue in marketing is creating a category you can be first in. It's better to be first than it is to be better."
  2. the Category: If you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.
    • Lindbergh was the first to fly solo over the Atlantic. Hinkler was the second. Earhart the third, but the first woman.
  3. the Mind: It's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
    • "It is better to be first in the prospect's mind than first into the marketplace. . . Being first in the mind is everything in marketing. Being first into the marketplace is important only to the extent that it allows you to get into the mind first."
  4. Perception: Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions.
  5. Focus: The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind. (ie, copier = Xerox, chocolate bar = Hershey's, etc.)
    • benefit related (cavity prevention)
    • service related (home deliver)
    • audience related (younger people)
    • sales related (preferred brand)
  6. Exclusivity: Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind.
    • "When a competitor owns a word or position in the prospect's mind, it is futile to attempt to own the same word."
  7. the Ladder: The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.
    • "There's a relationship between market share and your position on the ladder in the prospect's mind. You tend to have twice the market share of the brand below you and half the makret share of the brand above you."
    • "What's the maximum number of rugns on a ladder? There seems to be a rule of seven in the prospect's mind."
  8. Duality: In the long run, every market becomes a two-horse race. (ie, #1 = Coke, #2 = Pepsi, #3 = Royal who?)
  9. the Opposite: If you're shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the market leader.
    • "You must discover the essence of the leader and then present the prospect with the opposite. (In other words, don't try to be better, try to be different."
  10. Division: Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.
  11. Perspective: Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time.
  12. Line Extension: There's an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand
    • "One day a company is tightly focused on a single product that is highly profitable. The next day the same company is spread thin over many products and is losing money."
  13. Sacrifice: You have to give up something in order to get something.
    • "The law of sacrifice is the opposite of the law of line extension. If you want to be successful today, you should give something up. There are three things to sacrifice: product line, target market, and constant change."
  14. Attributes: For every attribute, there is an opposite effective attribute.
    • "Marketing is a battle of ideas. So if you are to succeed, you must have an idea or attribute of your own to focus your efforts around. Without one, you had better have a low price. A very low price."
  15. Candor: When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive.
    • "...it may come as a surprise to you that one of the most effective ways to get into a prospect's mind is to first admit a negative and then twist it into a positive."
    • "Avis is only No. 2 in rent-a-cars."
    • "With a name like smucker's it has to be good."
    • "The 1970 VW will stay ugly longer."
    • Listerine: "The taste you hate twice a day.
  16. Singularity: In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.
    • "Most often there is only one place where a competitor is vulnerable. And that place should be the focus of the entire invading force."
  17. Unpredictability: Unless you write your competitor's plans, you can't predict the future.
    • "Implicit in most marketing plans is an assumption about the future. Yet marketing plans based on what will happen in the future are usually wrong."
  18. Success: Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.
    • "Ego is the enemy of successful marketing. Objectivity is what's needed."
  19. Failure: Failure is to be expected and accepted.
    • "Admitting a mistake and not doing anything about it is bad for your career. A better strategy is to recognize failure early and cut your losses."
  20. Hype: The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.
    • "When things are going well, a company doesn't need the hype. When you need the hype, it usually means you're in trouble."
  21. Acceleration: Successful programs are not built on fads, they're built on trends.
    • "If you were faced with a rapidly rising business, with all the characteristics of a fad, the best thing you could do would be to dampen the fad. By dampening the fad, you stretch the fad out and it becomes more like a trend."
  22. Resources: Without adequate funding, an idea won't get off the ground.
    • "Marketing is a game fought in the mind of the prospect. You need money to get into a mind. And you need money to stay in the mind once you get there."

See also: Book Summary: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

Notes from Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Componenents of NVC

  1. observation
  2. feeling
  3. needs
  4. request

Two parts of NVC

  1. expression honestly through the four components
  2. receiving empathically through the four components

Communication that Blocks Compassion

  • Analyses of others are actually expressions of our own needs and values
  • Classifying and judging pople promote violence
  • Comparisions area a form of judgement
  • Our language obscures awareness of personal responsibility
  • We can replace language that implies lack of choice with language that acknowledges choice
  • We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel
  • We can never make people do anything
  • Thinking based on "who deserves what" blocks compassionate communication
  • Life-alienating communication has deep philosophical and political roots

Observing Without Evaluating

  • When we combine observation with evaluation, people are apt to hear criticism

Notes from A Writer's Guide to Getting Published in Magazines by J. J. Despain

Sidebars

  • "Offer at least two for a 1500-word article, more if you have the ideas. Their word count can be anywhere from 50 to 300 words." - p. 74

Titles (p. 113)

  • Consider using some of the following devices for your article titles:
    • Rhyme: "A Claim to Fame"
    • Alliteration: "Plums, Persimmons, and Pears: Three Recipes for Nature's Perfect Puddings"
    • Challenge: "Do You Really Know What's in Your Multivitamins?"
    • Statement: "Baby's First Christmas Can Be Memorable for Everyone"
    • Shocker: "I Watched My Sister Die!"
    • Drama: "Trapped in a Cave!"
    • Statistic: "17 Teens Killed in Driving Accidents Every Da"
    • Emotion: "Look over Your Should--Are You Being Watched?"
    • Clever Saying: "A Stitch in Time Saves More Than Nine"

Subheadings (pp. 113-114)

"On average, feature articles range from 1,500 to 2,500 words. The opening and closing should each contain about 5 to 10 percent of the total word count, leaving 80 to 90 percent of the entire word count devoted to the body of the article, with approximately 20 percent of the total word count included under each subheading. Here is how a 2,000-word article would be structed."

Opening = 200 words, leaving 1,600 words for the article body
Subheading 1 = 400 words (20 percent)
Subheading 2 = 400 words (20 percent)
Subheading 3 = 400 words (20 percent)
Subheading 4 = 400 words (20 percent)
Closing = 200 words
Total = 2,000 words

". . . make sure to include one of the following in each subheading:

  • An expert's quote
  • Information attributed to an expert
  • An anecdote
  • A combination of a quote, information, and anecdote

The Article Ending (pp. 128-129)

  • "Consider the folowing approaches to endings:"
    • Full-circle endings loop back to the lead, drawing a conclusion that ties into the lead. In essence, they are transitions from the end back to the beginning.
    • Summary endings are useful in list article and how-to's, as well as in other teaching article that set forth detailed facts. They pull out the most relevant points and rewrite them.
    • Quotation endings leave you with the opinion of someone who can sum up what you've said. They agree with the overall viewpoint of the article, add one more touch of expert information or advice, or pose a question that challenges the reader to do more thinking on the subject.
    • Finish-the-story endings complete a story that was started as part of the lead, and offer hope when the lead is a disturbing fact or statistic. The goal of finishing the story is to not leave the reader dangling.
    • Straight statement endings allow the writer to use a few sentences to reiterate the point of the article and draw conclusions. In a sense, a straight statement can be short editorial comment from the writer.
    • Advice endings, like straight stements, allow the writer to end by giving his own advice on the subject.
    • Shocker endings complete the story in a way that the reader did not expect. Maybe there is not a happy ending to the anecdote used in the lead, or perhaps the statistics are becoming more alarming. This ending leaves the reader with a disquieting feeling.

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