Business articles
Showing page 33 of 90 - There are 2700 Business articles
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - You can?t spell networking without serendipity
- "Fear not to entertain strangers for by so doing some have entertained angels unaware."This quotation is from the book of Hebrews, which means it probably has nothing to do with networking.Or does it?Networking is the process of sharing knowledge, helping others, and developing mutually beneficial relationships. Serendipity is the lucky tendency to find interesting o...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - 8 ways to develop confidence in new situations
- Do you enjoy one-on-one networking, however, the thought of walking into room full of people you don't know horrifies you? You're not alone. Yes, even a social butterfly, President of the Social Committee in High School and avid networker knows how you feel. Here are some of my tricks. And they have all worked!~A great way to network at a conference is to volunteer at the registration desk....
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Networking - how to do it
- Networking is probably the oldest, easiest, most effective and least expensive way to get more business. It doesn't necessarily involve selling your product or service but it does mean selling yourself. However, that doesn't involve a lot of talking - it does involve a lot of listening.Networking is about making connections with people and building a network of meaningful relationships....
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Communication is a 2-way street (the networking factor)
- The Personal Touch 1There is a simple art to networking and the good news is, should you choose to put forth a conscience effort to improve the way you communicate, networking can and will become second nature to you, it is really just that simple. A personal touch big or small makes a big difference in how others perceive you professionally and personally as well.I have a friend, Sh...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Powerful networking: focus on building connections, not closing sales
- You can find numerous references in the business literature about the importance of a company's mission. These sources emphasize that the mission is not to make a profit; that a profit is the outcome of and reward for fulfilling the mission. In the same sense, the mission of networking is not to gain business and close sales. The mission of your networking activities is to make connections, develo...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - 7 step plan to get going with networking
- Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, feel like you have the gift of gab or just don't know how to make small talk, networking know-how is very important for your business success. There is a notion in business that I believe most of us subscribe to that says "all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those they know, like and trust." And th...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - How to find the right virtual assistant for you
- If you search on Google for "virtual assistant", you'll find a ton of listings. You can search through those, check out their services and do some interviews. I'd take a shorter route.Find some other people you trust and ask them who they use and recommend. Then go from there. You'll do a lot better seeking out recommendations. If you don't know anyone personally?ask people in you...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Parenting your employees to better performance
- Have you ever worked for someone who was such a micro-manager that it drove you crazy? And have you ever worked for someone who was so hands-off that you felt like a lone warrior on the battlefield? These are examples of you working for leaders who did not adapt their style based on the employee's needs. I would venture to guess that you were not entirely motivated to put out your very best effort...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Create your methodology based on a standard framework - part one
- OK. So you have decided that your organization has to improve the way in which it works. You have chosen to implement a methodology as the best way to achieve this goal. And now you ask yourself, where do I start? Whatever the discipline you are trying to model (from software development to supply chain management), it is highly probable that a standard framework exists, that can serve as the basi...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Out of control?
- There are papers on the floor, across the desk and resting on the keyboard. Piles of files are all around. Magazines, newspapers?you name it. Just about anything can be found in this office. You've seen it in your own organization. You know what I am talking about.Several years ago an employee called me because her performance review included items relating to the disorganized state of her ...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - A checklist for organized executives
- I could begin this article by providing a checklist of organizing techniques for you to incorporate into your daily work routine. The goal would be to become and remain organized, improve your time management and reduce your stress while increasing your productivity. This checklist could include items such as managing incoming information, keeping the desktop free of clutter, creating a user-frien...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Managing your expectations
- I sit on the board of an organization and at the last meeting found myself speaking with another board member named Standolyn Robertson. Standolyn is also a business owner and our conversation was about managing expectations ? both ours and our clients. She said something that is very true--'It is about using our knowledge and expertise to foresee and side-step roadblocks, revise unrealistic timel...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Think time... its now or never
- I recently read an article published in the June, 2005 issue of Fast Co. magazine. Linda Tischler wrote an essay entitled "Death to the Cubicle!" In it, she says 'Collaboration is great, but sometimes I'd kill for a door.'With the advent of open offices and shared arenas for team communication, the issue of privacy and focus in an employee's workspace has become more than just pri...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - The compliance officers killer application
- It used to be that only the largest multi-nationals needed a Compliance Officer. Today most practices, regardless of size, would be wise to charge someone within their organisation with the responsibility of keeping abreast and managing the compliance process.Take as an example European employment law that has been introduced over the last few years that has changed the face of European bu...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Create your dashboard for success
- Driving down the road our eyes frequently scan the vital instruments on the dashboard that monitor speed, fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The modern vehicle also has many more devices that constantly monitor various systems for fuel mixture, exhaust gasses, timing adjustment and others. If there is something amiss, sensors trigger the "check-engine" light. As long as t...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Ceos are great, top ceos are greater
- People in leading positions are often in a dilemma: on one hand they are supposed to give great performances, make the right decisions and so forth; on the other hand, they have to fill the role of a very confident and self-assured manager. This may be considered a dilemma because CEOs are expected to be almost supernatural, and asking for assistance in what is supposed to be their core competence...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Behavioral interview questions you can use monday morning
- If past behavior is the best way to determine future behavior then behavioral interviewing is a requirement for anyone serious about hiring top talent. This skill isn't something that should be taken lightly, but everyone's got to start somewhere. Keep in mind that you're looking for specific examples rather than vague descriptions. A good communicator can dance around the question and sound very ...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Ojt - on the job training
- IntroductionManagers have two powerful ways of improving the performance and productivity of their subordinates, which are counseling and on the job training.Counseling is the process of helping a subordinate define and resolve personal problems that effect performance or in order to develop a good attitude to work.On the job training is the process of explaining, demon...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Lawyers with 2 hands and everything else
- I heard this back a few years ago. The boss yelled, "Get me a good lawyer but not the one with two hands!""Huh?" secretary was puzzled.Boss continued "...I mean don't give me a lawyer that says 'on one hand, we should do....and this. On the other hand..we do..'".It is not difficult to fathom what's good professional service (and bad service of course). Just switch roles....
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Squeezing the blood out of that old turnip
- I suspect all of you out there have someone that you rely on for insight and perspective ? that wise old mentor that seems to have an unlimited depth of experience to draw from in helping you navigate life's little challenges. You know, those little parables and anecdotal tales that always relate perfectly that very problem you're trying to solve. Today, I go to that well of experience in respondi...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - The rise of corporate chair massages
- Employers have rapidly begun to understand the importance of stress relief in the workplace. Stress free employees have a higher retention rate and higher rates of productivity. It is no wonder, given these facts, that many corporations have been encouraging chair massages in the workplace.Corporate chair massages involve the visit of a licensed massage therapist for on-site massage session...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Why employees are the best source of cost-cutting ideas
- Cost cutting has become a necessary and important reality in the modern corporate world. Yet many executives do not realize that their people are actually the best source of cost reduction ideas.There are several reasons for this.For starters a highly motivated workforce that understands the bottom-line and its significance to the future of a business and by extension their own futur...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Compensation and six sigma black belts
- One of the more ambiguous elements of a Six Sigma project is the level and type of compensation the organization should give to its Six Sigma leaders and team members. On the one hand, setting compensation is not an integral part of any stage of a Six Sigma project; on the other hand, compensation is an important instrument to build loyalty and a sense of accomplishment that is a crucial element t...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Problem-solving success tip: dont leave your key stakeholders guessing
- Communicate! Don't leave you key stakeholders guessing.We are generally not very good about keeping others informed about the progress we're making, especially if there isn't much. You're more likely to get support and understanding if you get the word out honestly about what is and isn't happening. As you start your problem-solving project, establish a communication plan and follow ...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Four ways to make the case for outsourcing
- How do you convert outsourcing leads into clients? You may need to make the case for outsourcing."Businesses today are kicking into survival mode," says Bill Allison, managing director for the Pacific Southwest Management Solutions & Services Group at Deloitte & Touche. "With a sluggish economy and increased competition, shrewd executives turn to outsourcing as the most cost-effective strat...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - I am not a number - why too many change projects fail
- Many of you will recognise this quote from the 1960s TV show, "The Prisoner". Patrick McGoohan used the phrase to describe his frustration at not being treated as an individual, and being kept in the dark about what his superiors were up to in a very confusing environment. This experience is not dissimilar to what employees face in most change projects.A cog in the machine...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Don?t forget where you came from - why the past is important in implementing business change
- Much of the literature and advice on implementing business change focuses on knowing where you are going and making sure that you understand and communicate a consistent vision of the future. Indeed, I have looked at the importance of this in an earlier article in this series. This month's article, however, looks at the past and its often under-estimated importance in implementing change....
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - Before you head off, make sure you know where you are going - the importance of clear objectives.
- The title of this article sounds like simple advice, but so often we undertake activities and projects without really understanding how they are going to help us to achieve our aims. I have outlined below some of the causes of this cavalier (and costly) approach to business improvement along with how we might approach things differently.The latest thing!In business we are ofte...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - How to set up a conference call
- The methods in which you set up a conference call vary between the different services you use, and what type of conference calling you are using. There are three main types of conference calls, all with different methods of set up.The most common conference call is reservationless conference calls. There is not much to set up with this type of call. You simply get a number and access code, ...
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- 2007-11-13 22:16:19 - The death spiral
- Sometimes things just happen. Maybe we lose focus and take our eyes off the ball. Maybe we don't recognize the signs. Sometimes it happens quickly due to a loss of a major customer or loss of a major product line. Sometimes it is a slow, gradual process. Market share seems to evaporate; gross margin exhibits an extended period of decline. Morale suffers, employee turnover increases, net profit dec...