Blogs

It’s Your Performance Evaluation – Own it!

Creating effective performance evaluations is factual, not the place for “fluff”. For you and your boss to be pleased with the results takes work and time. The advantage is that you both benefit from the results. They have selected positive information to include in their report to upper management and you have submitted data specifically tied to monetary compensation and/or negotiated benefits for the coming year. Let’s look at your bosses’ role and the part you play: Do you have an annual or quarterly performance evaluation? Is it written or oral or a combination? Does your boss write it and send it to you for comment before the formal evaluation?  If your answer to some or all of these is “no”, then what? The Role of the Boss Your employer generally is paid to solve problems, creating an efficient and effective work environment. Many larger organizations have specific forms relating.

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Your Productivity Unleashed – What a Gen X and Baby Boomer Have Discovered

Your Productivity Unleashed – What a Gen X and Baby Boomer Have Discovered I have been in business many years and have used a variety of methods to set and achieve goals for every area of my life each year. I found over the past few years, that the traditional methods I had used no longer worked. Then, in December 2016, I found a program developed by Michael Hyatt (Baby Boomer), whose program is titled “5 Days to Your Best Year Ever”. His passion, he says, is creating a step by step guide for anyone with something to say or sell. Michael’s program goes far beyond the SMART goal concept (specific, measurable, actionable, risky and time-keyed). After reviewing the product, which covers every area of life, I purchased it and spent five full days working on plans for the next year. I set my goals up in a format easily.

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Growth In Life Is A Choice

  “Life is change.  Growth is Optional.  Choose Wisely.” says Karen Kaiser Clark, world-renowned lecturer, consultant, educator and author.  For those who struggle, at least occasionally, with change, Karen’s advice may have a bit of a sting in it.  Yet, when you reflect on the difficult circumstances in your life, some provoking life-altering change, you begin to see when, where and how you changed as the result.  What lessons did you learn and how did you choose to share the wisdom you gained? If you are in corporate America and have been there over ten years, you have seen tumultuous changes, affecting you, your team mates and most importantly your family.  You may have been laid off, perhaps multiple times, due simply to corporate reorganizations.  You may have been placed in situations where you had to make decisions you disagreed with, simply to keep your job.  Are you sleeping poorly,.

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Facing Trouble

In Lewis Timberlake’s book, First Thing Every Morning, he talks about trouble and how to deal with it effectively. He quotes Michael Jordan: “If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say that I was afraid to try; failure makes me work even harder”. This quote reminds me of ‘mental muscle’, where what you think over time can determine how you act. So, if your first instinct is negative (and I have been guilty), your actions will usually follow the same pattern. How do you change it? From my perspective, it takes a deliberate decision to change, daily practice with the goal of positive reaction to trouble, patience, and taking a few deep breaths to calm the mind down. Try repetition of positive thoughts –

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Solutions for the Challenge of Clearing Clutter

              After years of attempting large clutter clearing projects and completing very few, I have developed a system of tackling bite-sized clutter-clearing projects that result in success, saving time, effort and giving a real sense of accomplishment. Let’s look at a room in your home. Think of one room, one area of the room, then one small space to de-clutter. Let me give you an example. I have a utility drawer in my kitchen which I open daily at least once. I had become irritated every time I opened this drawer Why? Because I had to dig to find what I needed. My first decision was that I had to change this drawer. I then decided tools I would need (scissors, ruler, shelf paper etc.) and set a timer for 30 minutes. I totally emptied the drawer, put aside things for Goodwill that I.

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Will Rogers’ Formula for Success

“In order to succeed, you must know what you are doing, like what you are doing and believe in what you are doing.” – Will Rogers.  For those who may not know him, Will Rogers was an American cowboy, newspaper columnist, stage and motion picture actor, and humorist.  He certainly was not afraid to try new things and gave us his wisdom in simple, direct terms. His advice on success is no exception.  Knowing what you are doing says you have a specific goal in mind – at this point, you don’t have to know how you are going to get there.  If you decide, for example, that being an industrial engineer serving large companies does not feel like what you were meant to do, you look at options and see that small business coaching looks like a better fit. How to get there – you have a friend who.

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SETTING GOALS AND ACHIEVING SUCCESS

I have been a member of Michael Hyatt’s Platform University for several years now.  For those who do not know about Michael, today he styles himself as a virtual mentor, whose mission is to help high achievers win at work and succeed at life.  In his previous life, he was the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the 7th largest trade book publishing company in the U.S.  He is the author of a number of books, several of which landed on the New York Times bestseller list. Among his other talents, his blogging expertise and willingness to share puts him at the top of my “go to” list. In early January I began reading about another program of his titled 5 DAYS TO YOUR BEST YEAR EVER.  His approach to goal setting incorporates the most reliable methods, including the SMART formula (specific, measurable, actionable, risky, and time-keyed).  Then he.

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Consistency in Today’s World?

Consistency can be defined as adherence to the same principles, course, etc. Why is this concept so hard for us to grasp, much less maintain?  From my perspective, it involves a number of factors – age, attitude, persistence, self-discipline, responsibility, and lifestyle, to name a few. As with other things, it can lead to boredom – when practiced in the extreme. But, for now, let’s just assume we need more of it – not less. We are told it is a key tool in training children and animals – so they know what to expect, each and every time. That can lead to a sense of security, setting boundaries, and creating stability. Ok, I will say that in the 1950’s, consistency was practiced and approved generally in society, especially in America. Vector forward to 2016 and our life today – the changes in technology alone have created massive distractions and.

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Perfection – A Two-Edged Sword!

Perfection – friend or enemy? On one hand, striving for improvement, to make something better, more skilled, more accurate, is worthwhile. On the other hand, striving for perfection can be crippling and defeating. For example, if you are in a profession that uses Malcolm Baldridge as the pinnacle of achievement, and you use it as a guideline to mark improvements in your work patterns and results, your striving for perfection can be the right course of action. If, however, you say that, after trying, you cannot achieve perfect results, and give up, you have allowed perfection to block constructive action. If you find yourself stuck and unable to move forward, try the following: Pick one thing that you find easy to improve. List three things you can do to move it forward, set a time to complete it, and move forward. This should improve your confidence in the ability to.

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How to Maximize 24 Hours – The Paris Love Way

Paris Love, Amazon’s best-selling author, coach, speaker, and entrepreneur, has written a book that should be in your home library – dog-eared and highlighted! This 192-page book can easily be read in a few hours – the first time. She clearly understands the need for – and resistance to – our taking control of our time and organization. Using humor and insight, she guides us through five key areas of resistance, with simple, practical solutions to move us forward. What sets this book apart from many others on this topic (and I have read many!) is her ability to see the issues through our eyes, anticipating our fears with gentle humor. I have personally tested many of her practical suggestions and they quite simply WORK. Paris shows the reader that the desire for a rewarding life is truly achievable; we simply have to begin. Let me know what you think.

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