The ABC's of Negotiation According to Al Walsh

Negotiating – The ABC’s

In order to progress, most corporate managers have to develop negotiating skills at some point in their career. Negotiation is a learned skill. You’re not born with it. Here’s some thoughts that I’ve learned.

In case you didn’t realize it, you negotiate all the time;

at work, at home, and in public.

My wife can hardly wait to get down to Mexico and dicker with the shopkeepers. It’s in the blood for many of us. Even if it’s not “in your blood”, you might have more skill than you know. As you read through the following tips, think about it.

Many urban myths revolve around this topic – the most prevalent being that you have to be one of the “chatty beautiful people” to be a success. We’ve all known them, the “Ken” or Barbie” people who have the flawless looks and the glib communications style. We’re a “beauty-oriented” society, so these traits can help speed careers or open doors. But often these traits can be distractions in a negotiation – especially if they’re talking too much and not listening.

Some of the most effective negotiators I’ve known are quiet, earnest people who seldom speak unless they have something meaningful to say. These people share an almost universal trait; they’re good listeners, while being circumspect in their speech.

A basic rule of effective negotiation is to keep your position “close to the vest”. Don’t blab your intentions, or your goals, or your “power cards’ to the other side. Let them make their own assumptions, and then play to those assumptions. Let them tell you what they think they know about you, and then use their mistaken perceptions to advantage.

Listen! Listen! Listen!

If you’re talking, you’re divulging information to the other side that you probably shouldn’t.

Let the other side do that. You listen & learn. If you must speak, try to draw them out – and then shut up. You’d be amazed what some people will divulge if you just go quiet and give them enough rope to “hang” themselves. This is especially true if they’re an inexperienced, nervous negotiator; which covers a lot of folks.

Don’t get emotionally involved. As soon as you do, the other guy has an advantage.

Try to convey the aura that you’re a concerned person who cares about creating a “win-win’ situation – but privately, don’t care that much. If you get emotionally involved, you won’t be very effective. If you don’t, negotiating will be a lot more fun; with a better outcome.

Don’t go into the negotiation with a high-brow attitude. If anything, let them assume you’re a little insecure and/or incompetent. Your posed posture will encourage them to draw incorrect conclusions, bluster, and let their guard down. Let them be impressed afterward when they realize the outcome of the negotiation. If they don’t figure it out, and think they won, all the better for next time.

Never let yourself be intimidated. You may want to give the impression that you are intimidated to throw the other guy off, but inside you should remain unruffled. It’s tried all the time, and it will work if you let it. Big companies like to intimidate small ones, powerful people intimidate the weak, etc. Just remember that we’re all naked under our clothes. If someone tries a “take it or leave it” stance with you, immediately throw out a counter-proposal. There’s something in human nature that virtually guarantees a counter-proposal in return, and off you go! Never take No! or “Take-it-or-leave it!” as a final answer. Counter-propose them to death.

Never reveal your worst-case acceptable negotiating stance. If you must let the negotiation get to that point, let the other party say it. Always start with your best possible stance, or higher, and make them work you down. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Never take it for granted what the other party knows, or wants, or is willing to live with. Let them tell you; while you keep your knowledge & stance as private as possible.

Negotiation is as much about the people as the facts, and almost everything is negotiable.

You probably already know most of the facts going in, so concentrate on the people during the negotiation process. Humans are funny creatures, and a little attention to them can reap big rewards. Watch and listen to the other party. If they’re impatient, drag out time and use it to your advantage. Most parties enter into negotiations with flawed assumptions and overblown goals. Use time to bring matters down to the realm of reality.

Keep in mind that the other party probably won’t shift toward a more desirable posture until the last second. Be patient. If you see a situation developing that will inevitably end up in negotiation, don’t wait – strike while the “iron is hot”.

Gather you facts, and act. By taking the initiative, you may well catch the other party off-guard and gain advantage. Watch the other party, wait for signs of what makes them “tick” and play to it. You’d be amazed how shallow some people can be; especially people who are obsessed with their own importance. Let them be important. Help them be important. You concentrate on the negotiation itself.

Many so-called experts will tell you that the goal of all negotiations should be “win-win”, whatever that is. I say the objective is to come away with the best possible outcome. If the other party wants to “give the store away”, let them. Obviously I’m not promoting the Simon LeGree posture of shafting the disadvantaged. I’m talking about business negotiations, and in that arena: “all’s fair in love & war”.

Learn from the other party. If you sense that they’re playing you, protect yourself and then learn from them. Just being aware that you’re being played is the best protection.

My final bit of advice – have fun. Negotiation is a creative process that affords you the opportunity to utilize a wide variety of talents in a fluid situation. Don’t just go for the status quo – reach for the sky.

These are just a few thoughts on the subject, but they cover a lot of ground and should provide the basic platform for anyone to become an effective negotiator.

Good Luck. Enjoy Yourself. Grow and Prosper with It.

Al Walsh, Owner/Founder
Walsh Enterprises, Business Advisors

Dianne Gubin on Getting a Full Time Job

Tip of the Week
by Dianne Gubin



How Much Time Does It Take to Get a Job?

The job boards are showing fewer positions; however, the ones that are posted are generally true needs for a firm.

Want to get the call? Tailor your résumé to every job. One way to do this is to paste the job description directly into your résumé and make sure that your skills set and key words match the position.

Applying for a position online is an exercise in patience.
For the most part, your résumé will go into a Human
Resources database.

Unless your résumé contains the key words and skills required for the position, your résumé will probably end up in the abyss.

Here are tips to get a phone call:

• Call into the company and learn the name of the person who is staffing for the position
• Leave a message when appropriate for the recruiter or hiring manager
• Email your résumé directly to the staffing manager, if you can establish a contact
• Consider mailing your résumé to stand out from the crowd

It's not unusual to spend an hour applying to a position that matches your skill set and interests. You may consider writing a brief cover letter, making it easy for the recruiter by explicitly detailing why you are a perfect match for the position.

Your time spend job hunting should include online database searches, resume submissions, and personal networking in your industry.

Looking for a job is a full-time job.

Phil Johnson Asks a Challenging Question to Organizational Leaders & Entrepreneurs

Often people refer to attracting the “right people” to their company as the key to better results. Let’s assume there are no “right people” out there or if there are that they are not interested in joining your firm. Further, you must obtain DRAMATICALLY better results, in the next 12 months, with the people you already have in your organization.

Additional considerations … giving up, firing yourself or closing the company are not options. Is it possible that there may be a vast, untapped potential within your current organization that needs to be addressed and developed?


Phil Johnson, Leadership Lecturer and Coach
Skype: MBLCoach
MBL University http://www.MasterofBusinessLeadership.com/University

Carlos Gil's Pink Slip Party

Carlos invited you to join the Facebook group "Pink Slip Party".

Carlos says,

"Do you know of someone who has been laid-off? How about looking for a job? Tell them to join the PARTY!

Pink Slip Partying online, the next big social networking phenomenon is here!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51460579658
".

To see more details and confirm this group invitation, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?group.php&gid=51460579658&aref=19122583

Thanks,
Pink Slip Party

Al Walsh.... Buckle Your Seatbelts We're In for a Bumpy Ride

A Survival Guide for Strange Times


Every day brings more grim economic news.

Layoffs are rampant, and many more are coming.

I’m a business advisor, and I track economics & finance as part of my routine, so I feel confident in stating that I’m farther ahead than most in understanding what’s going on. I wish I had good news about what to expect going forward, but I think we’re in for many more nasty surprises to come and it’s going to take a long time to dig out.

Surprises are coming from strange places.

Just yesterday I wrote an article about a Forex derivatives problem in Eastern Europe that’s threatening to spill over into the Western European banks. They’re already talking about a $ Multi-Billion bailout from the U.S.

So where does all of this leave you?

• If you have a job, hang onto it for dear life. Do everything you can to make yourself useful and build your image. It’s never too late.

• If you lost your job, look for whatever you can get. This is not a time to be proud. A paycheck’s a paycheck.

• Conserve your wealth, move it out of anything that could be considered risky, and cut your spending to a minimum. Save if possible.

• If you have the wherewithal to eliminate or reduce debt – do it.

• Don’t just sit there – be active on the internet. Network. Read & Learn. Look for niche opportunities. There’s a wealth of information and resources out there if you take the time to look for it. Most of it is free.

• Don’t sit in a corner and sulk. This is not the time. You’re not unique; you’ve got lots of company out there.

• Don’t be shy about seeking someone to talk to. Being able to talk through your problems will help unburden you and keep you focused on the positive. The right attitude is going to see a lot of people through.

• Get a full night’s sleep. Don’t pace through the house. You need your energy and a clear mind.

• Don’t look for “big brother’ to bail you out. Ain’t gonna’ happen. Big brother’s got enough problems of his own.

These are strange times we’re living in, and you have to assume the worst so that you’re not caught flat-footed.

If you’re snickering at me right now because you think I’m overreacting – wake up and look around you.

If you’re thinking that the sky is falling, it’s not that bad; but it’s certainly not one of the mild little recessions we’ve been accustomed to. There are real dangers out there.

Keep your options open, stay alert, be creative, be productive, conserve, and you’ll get through this.

Good Luck, Al Walsh, Owner/Founder
Walsh Enterprises, Business Advisors

Huntington Beach, California

Al Walsh is a valued advisor to this site. He welcomes your questions and comments and will answer personally and privately if you wish. His financial and business experience span over two decades in executive and leadership positions in the USA. He has a sense of generosity and shares his thoughts with us often. I am grateful to Mr. Walsh as a special advisor to The NEW New World of Work. Patty De

Mario Luis Tavares Ferreira on Why Strategic Planning is Important

The Importance and Opportunities in Strategic Planning





When we talk about strategic planning sometimes we associate with paperwork,
theories, old school works, a boring and endless task, and so on.

But actually planning is a natural and embedded activity that we practice everyday.
We plan the best route to go to the office. We plan when we go shopping.
We plan our vacations. And so we do with other diverse actions of our daily activities (professional and personal).

With strategic planning we have a scope enlarged, a little more of variables, an expanded timeline, defined methodologies (tools) and usually we need to write it. But it continues to be an extension, or an improvement, of what we are accustomed to do.

Talking with focus on Start-ups and SMBs (small and medium businesses), the strategic planning is a fundamental tool to avoid “lose the path in the middle of the running”.

It is like a “compass” and a “user manual”, to help entrepreneurs to surpass initial stages of start-ups and to help the SMB to go to the second level and increase business and results.

As a strategic plan is not a static document, it should be revised periodically and updated.
We are in an extremely fast and mutable business environment; it would be a utopia if we want to define a business scenario for the next five years (or even three) and expect to be 100% correct.

When you define (write) a strategic plan, you are organizing your ideas, defining the business scope, vision, mission, values, targets, products, analysis of the competitors, marketing and sales strategy, key figures, resources, points of control, feasibility, costs, cash flow, financial needs, break-even point of the business, and so on.

Finishing the plan, you will be in control of the situation; it will have a pleasant feeling.
You will have a reference and a document to share with your partners and collaborators to develop synergy, motivation and synchronicity. You will have a document, if needed, to present to your bank account manager, in the “bad times”.

You will have a set of “tools” already developed, to correct quickly any deviation of your original thoughts and plans.

You will sleep better with everything planned, organized and controlled!

Given below is a simple structure to write a basic business plan or strategic plan.

Executive summary
Depending on the objective of the plan and its audience, the executive summary can have different approaches and content. If it is to sell the company, get venture capital, implement an internal expansion, enter in new markets or make a turnaround.

The business

Description of the business, products/services, strategy, the mission, vision, values.


Market analysis
Here we discuss about the target market, competitors, and SWOT analysis – analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We also analyse macro-environment factors which are the political, economical, social and technological factors, and this analysis is called the PEST analysis. We can also analyse the marketing mix (the four Ps: product, price, place, promotion), key success factors, and so on. The detail will depend on how deep we want to go with the analysis.


The strategy
Now we clearly define the objectives, the strategy and the operational plan involving administration, human resources, production, marketing and sales and financial analysis. An important point is to define timings and key performance indicators, which we will use to control the plan implementation.


Conclusion
Here we present the final thoughts and reinforce key points that we identify as unique or differential aspects that make the plan attractive.

About the document
Usually the overall document should have around 20 pages.
Its content and number of pages will depend on your target readers and application,
and obviously on what kind of business we are talking about. Our focus, here, is on
SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) and Start-ups.

Final Thought:
So, organise your work, have more productivity, control it better and have more time to be tickled by life.
–
Mario is a seasoned manager and entrepreneur with a broad technical background, coupled with multi-cultural experience and multi-lingual skills, co-founded two high tech start-ups, and now is developing a non-profit project to leverage globally the business development of small entrepreneurs. Reprinted from Tickled by Life

Stephen Deas on Giving Back.... Leveraging Your Gifts

Giving Back-A Volunteer Opportunity for Engineers

Engineers are wonderful creatures.

They are blessed with incredible skills

but do most of their work in the background.

Lawyers run for office and dominate the political landscape.

Television shows bring us into the world of hospitals and doctors.

We don't see many prime time shows on the lives of engineers.

I don't hear many engineers interviewed on the radio. But certainly we matter.

Watch Apollo 13 and quickly realize the importance of engineers.

We just don't crave the limelight. I equate us to offensive linemen who

plow the way for running backs and quarterbacks to make big plays.

Well, I have a wonderful opportunity for engineers to step out and

support an incredibly worthy cause. First, a description of the cause.

Water Missions International (WMI) is a non-profit ministry,

located in Charleston, SC, that implements a variety of safe water

solutions in disaster response and community development projects.

The ministry was started by engineers, men and women using their

God given technical skills to support others. I could write at length

about them but I'll get to my main point. When you visit WMI, you

quickly realize that at the wonderful core lies a manufacturing plant.

They receive raw material and run the material through a series of assembly

steps to create the final product, a Living Water (TM) Treatment System. (LWTS)

Along the way, they have the same issues as you do at work. Quality must improve.

Processes must become lean. They are well aware of the need for continuous improvement

but there is one small detail I must mention-they totally rely on volunteers to do the assembly work.

With the scope of the ministry growing and the need for the product expanding,

the organization realizes it now needs a different type of volunteer. They need "engineer types" to come observe their processes and recommend ideas for improvement. As a first step, they are currently developing work standards. (this is being managed by a volunteer group of 24 Industrial Engineers) Once the standards are in place and the process released, there must be continuous improvement in quality, cost, and delivery. So, we are asking for engineers to come and visit. Take a plant tour, pray about what you observe and if you feel led, volunteer your engineering skill and talent to help Water Missions International continuously improve the wonderful output it provides to the world.

To learn more about WMI, please visit: http://www.watermissions.org/

Stephen Deas
http://www.qualitymindsinc.com/
http://developu.blogspot.com/
http://www.cpionlinecourses.com/

Human Capital Development~Business Process Improvement

Can YOU Sleep when the Wind Blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land

along the Atlantic seacoast.

He constantly advertised for hired

hands. Most people were
reluctant to work on farms

along the Atlantic. They dreaded the
awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received A steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached
the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help,
Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from
dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.

Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed
next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters.

He shook the
little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming!
Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly,

"No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on
the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.

To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had
been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens
were in the coops, and the doors were barred.

The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.
Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his
hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while
the wind blew.

When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically,
you have nothing to fear.

Can you sleep when the
wind blows through your life?

The hired hand in the story was able to sleep

because he had secured the farm against the storm.

We secure ourselves against the storms of life by
grounding ourselves in our faith.

We don't need to understand, we just need to hold
His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

A friend of mine sent this to me today,
and I enjoyed it so much, that I wanted to send it to you.

I hope you enjoy your day and you sleep well.

Patty De

Dianne Gubin...on When to Leave

Should You Stay? Or Should You Go?

Internal changes…. Should you stay or should you go? When is the right time to leave a job?

When you’re settled in a job, there’s a familiarity with the commute, the team, the projects and the overall environment. You may very much enjoy the work that you’re doing and see the potential of long-term growth.

What happens when there is a new management team? With shifts in the economy, we see key players downsized and new players are brought into the firm. What does this mean to you personally?

Research by the Washington, DC-based Employee Benefit Research Institute found that the average length of time for workers 25 and older to stay in one job is about 5 years.

With new management come new opportunities. Take the initiative to get to know the new players with an attitude that you are there to help make them successful.

You know it’s the right time to leave the job when you feel that attitudes are changing. Your body will often tell you before you mentally acknowledge that you need a shift. Headaches, a burning stomach, or other health-related issues tell you when it’s time to go.

Be proactive. When it’s time to leave, take the necessary steps to leave on good terms and find a new situation.

With the current economy, if you can stay where you are as long as possible, this is the time to hold tight.

There are people who thrive in both the best and worst of times. Attitude is everything. Although your world may be in transition, focus on the positive aspects of the change and trust that you will be fine.

Dianne Gubin is the face of all workplace and employment concerns. She speaks for job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs and stay-at-home moms. She talks about where the jobs are, where they are not, and how to transition and find a new path with the best training and education available. Whether communicating on TV, radio, the internet, at national job fairs, or to recent college graduates, Dianne Gubin shines a light on how we are working, why we are not, and the road we need to take together to keep America Working!

Dianne Gubin Talks Business, an Internet radio show, engages industry leaders on hot-button business issues and offers expert insight into what matters most in careers and professional development. She also hosts a series of video blogs discussing hiring and the job hunting process. www.DianneGubin.com

Anne Doyle's Blog Full of Great Leadership Info

From Anne Doyle's site,

Photo is of the Honorable Harriett Weider (left), one of the original BreadWinners and Ann Doyle (right)

Friday, February 13, 2009

More Women Than Men Now Primary Breadwinner

The economic downward spiral that we are all struggling with has brought women to another historic milestone: for the first time, there are now more women than men employed in the U.S. workforce. As of November, American women were 49.1% of the workforce. With the latest round of job losses -- 80% of which have impacted men, primarily in manufacturing and construction work -- there are no more women carrying the responsibilities of "primary breadwinner" than men. This isn't about women's progress. It's about men's slippage. It's also leading to new conversations -- in millions of homes across the country -- about the "second shift" work related to home and children, of which women are still doing the lion's share.

Here's more perspective from Boston Globe syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman writing on what she calls, The Curse of an Equal Workforce."

To listen: click here. http://www.annedoyleleadership.com/Please come and visit my site http://www.annedoyleleadership.com/.

Patty took the photo in Pittsburgh at the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame Awards event. Anne Doyle has a new book which we highly recommend. please visit her site.

Share Your Gifts, Apply Your Skill by Stephen Deas at DevelopU

Applying Your Skill

If you work in manufacturing,
you know that problem solving is a daily event.

The heart of any problem solving activity is the root cause.

You have not solved a problem until the root is eliminated.
Easier said than done for the root is often hard to find.
God bestows gifts on each of us. It is our job to apply these gifts in life.

If they sit stagnant no one will benefit from them.
By trying to use them every day, you will be a better person because your time will be spent on things that make you happy.

Some of the best problem solvers in the world are engineers.
In fact, if you could summarize what engineers do in a few sentences,
it would be that they solve problems. Whether you work for NASA or Nissan,
most of what you do (as an engineer) is solve problems.

You should never leave your skill at work. You are obligated to share your gift with others.
Use it to make society better. For example, the following was an insert in my church's bulletin: "What do you do if the jobs that feed your family are poisoning the water they drink?
For the women of Huanuni, Bolivia, the question is pointed.

Every morning when you look at your sleeping children,
you know that the toughest part of your job is not the cold air deep in the gold mines or the back-breaking work of gathering chunks of ore by hand. What makes it hard to leave them is knowing that what puts their beans and potatoes on the table-basically the only work to be found in your community-is also poisoning them."

The article continues to talk about how the Presbyterian church has joined with an organization called UMAVIDA to study root causes of hunger and poverty and strategize how to address them. Does this sound familiar? Finding root causes. Strategizing for solutions.

These people are not engineers but couldn't such an endeavor use a professional problem solver?Always try to find ways to apply your skill(s).For results of this project go to www.pcusa.org/hunger/jhah/lesothu.htm




Stephen Deas http://www.developu.com/
President of Quality Minds, Inc., Certified Six Sigma Black Belt with twenty plus years experience in production, engineering, purchasing, and quality.
Certified as a Quality Engineer with a Bachelors of Industrial Engineering (Georgia Tech) and a Masters of Industrial Statistics (University of South Carolina).

Press Clippings of the New Millenium.... Google Alerts

Alerts

In February of 2003, Google engineer Naga Sridhar got tired of regularly visiting Google News to check for developments in the imminent US war with Iraq. So he put together an application that would email him when a news story broke that matched a specified query. Naga demonstrated his prototype to co-founder Sergey Brin, who set up a news alert for “google.”

With encouragement from both Sergey and Marissa Mayer (Google’s Director of Consumer Products), Naga began working full-time on what has become News Alerts. Six months later, links to News Alerts were added to Google Labs’ home page and to Google News.

Google then added Web Alerts to track changes to web pages. Now both News Alerts and Web Alerts have been merged into a single service: Google Alerts. An Alert can watch the news, the web, or both. It can also watch Google Groups.

How does an Alert work? You specify the query or queries you’d like Google to monitor. As Google searches the Internet, if it finds a change that you’ve asked to be notified about — that is, one of your Alerts — you’ll get an email message. Google will tell you about new results once a week, once a day, or as soon as they’re found. (You won’t necessarily get a message every day or week. Google only sends email if there’s something new to report.)


Google Alerts are useful to:
monitor a developing news story
keep current on a competitor or industry
learn where you or your company is cited or quoted
get the latest on a celebrity or event
keep tabs on your favorite sports teams
find when people link to your site
discover new websites on a certain topic
and more.

Note: Google Alerts is just one of several different services that will email you Google search results. Google Alert, a similarly-named third-party service available at http://www.googlealert.com/, is one of those services.

To set up Google Alerts, go to www.google.com/alerts.
What happens next will depend on whether you have a Google Account or not:
If you have a Google Account, you’ll be working with the Manage Your Alerts page.
Here you can create, edit, and delete alerts.

If you don’t have a Google Account, you’ll use the Google Alerts home page. You’ll create your alerts from this page and manage them via email. This isn’t as convenient as the Manage Your Alerts page, but it’s useful if you don’t want a Google Account.

Sam Kass On Powerful Tools for Your Job Search

Beat the Job Boards!

We’re in challenging times - many say we’re in a crisis. Layoffs occur and employment opportunities shrink daily. The times require proactive, persistent, resourceful thought & action.

You must set yourself apart by using job-search techniques that others don’t.

The majority of job-seekers only use popular job boards such as Monster, Career Builder, and The Ladders. Competition is intense; dramatically reducing your chance of securing interviews.

Your resume only receives about 15 seconds of attention. It might not have sufficient keywords for employers who use software to identify candidates. It may not demonstrate skills & achievements to best-effect. You need to beef-up and focus your resume, but…

The most effective technique for secure interviews and getting a job is:
NETWORKING

Career-networking is an essential daily activity. Your network should include ANYONE who might assist you with introductions to decision-makers. It can include past & present co-workers, bosses, friends, relatives, fellow school alumni, association members, or even strangers. I know a person who struck up a conversation with a stranger on the elevator after an interview. It turned out that he was a Managing Director. Two hours later a job offer was extended.

Get the picture??

Another powerful & effective career-networking technique involves using sites, such as Linkedin, Ning, Plaxo, Twitter, etc. Online career-networking has become increasingly popular; and most importantly, can produce results.

Look for profiles of individuals in your industry who have similar roles. These individuals might know a person or firm that’s hiring. Be brief, be specific, and use professional etiquette when contacting the target-individual. After connecting, send a thank you note. Remember, too, that networking is a two-way street; so reciprocate with others.
Networking contacts can and do provide both referrals and job-leads. Often these contacts know & provide inside info that’s not public; putting you first in line.

“You Must Circulate to Percolate”
Be Positive & Enthusiastic
Be Creative
Make it Fun!!

***NETWORKING WORKS***

Cheers! Sam Kass
Human Resources Executive and Consultant
Life and Career Counselor
With a passion to help people realize their dreams Mr. Kass utilizes his role as an executive recruiter to make a difference.

Michael McGrath on the Butterfly Effect

Have you ever heard of “the butterfly effect”?
It states that if a butterfly flaps its wings in New York it could cause a hurricane in Tokyo.

The butterfly effect is a law of causality and chaos.

It basically means that one small change in one place can have a dramatic effect somewhere else at a later time. This is a law that you can put to good use in your life and when applied to your own personal development can help you reach all your desires!

If you have ever watched the film “A Wonderful Life”, with Jimmy Stewart, you will see how the butterfly effect works. The film by the same name, “The Butterfly Effect”, is also a great example of this powerful law.

In the first film a man is down on his luck and tries to commit suicide. When an angel appears and rescues him, the man makes a wish that he had never been born or existed. The angel grants him his wish. The man then views and interacts with the world as though he had never been born and sees how people, places, events and outcomes have changed because he was not there to change them through his interaction with them. Even small things he had done made big changes because in this reality he had not done them!

The second film shows how one man can time travel to his own past. Merely by looking at a picture from his past he can enter that time and the body of his former self while retaining all his knowledge about the present. He then uses this ability to make small changes that have a dramatic effect on his world when he returns to his own time.

Both these films show how small events can dramatically change future events.

Using the same principle you can make small, minor and almost insignificant changes in your life now that will have a dramatic effect on your future through the butterfly effect. A stone thrown into a pond will create small ripples that travel far!

How many times have we heard of a person who buys a lottery ticket on a whim and wins a fortune? This small act had a dramatic and huge impact on all areas of their life! Although this may be an extreme example, that is not common, ordinary small changes can have just as much of an impact over time.

Paul Burrell, butler to the Queen and princess Diana, had the chance to join a cruise ship or Buckingham Palace. His mother hid the cruise acceptance letter and gave him the acceptance letter from Buckingham Palace. This one small event changed a man’s life forever!

Paul Burrell went from an almost enviable life of eventually working down the mines in his home town, with poverty and hardship all around him, to working directly for the Queen, then Prince Charles, then Princess Diana. Now he is a multi-millionaire television celebrity!

From little acorns grow mighty oaks!
Likewise, how many small events, decisions and actions that you have taken have shaped the life you are currently living?

Make your mind up now to set small personal development goals and take action.

The small actions you take now will have huge impact on your future.
Imagine what huge actions could do for your personal development and your future life?

Thank you....this was reprinted from Tickled for Life.

Derek Cheshire on Creativity

Creativity is a Top Skill

for the NEW New World of Work.

The Old ways just won't work the same!

Gather some aids to give yourself
more personal productivity in the

Creativity Department.






Have you ever wondered where you can get a simple starter guide to using Creativity without all the confusing terminology?

Look no further.

Derek Cheshire of Creative Business Solutions has written a four part eBook series that sets the scene and introduces some basic concepts and creative techniques before going on to fill your Creative Toolbox. These are useful whether working on your own or in a group.

The first volume ‘YES you can’ provides some rules, 12 useful techniques and a guide to getting started in the workplace. ‘Top up your toolbox’ provides another 12 techniques with a step by step guide and ‘Leave no stone unturned’ will take your total to 36.

The final part of the series ‘Creative Fireworks’ completes your toolbox, covering topics such as using imagery and dream analysis.

Whether you wish to refresh your memory or learn about ‘Working With Aliens’, ‘Walking With Moccasins’ or ‘Storytelling’ then these eBooks are for you. They can be purchase separately or as a bundle from http://www.makeuscreative.com/ along with other creative workshop resources.


Here are some tidbits from MakeUSCreative.com

Some people spend a lifetime gathering techniques or just stick to the ones that they know best. The alternative is to find someone who has compiled a collection of some of the best, tried and tested material. Reading ebooks is a good way of cutting out the legwork and getting straight to the valuable material.

Exploring And Defining - Techniques that help you explore or reframe your initial problem so that you can view it in a new way.

Idea Generation - The most widely known (and fun) part of creative problem solving. Be able to create original and fresh ideas that will help you get noticed and stay ahead of the game.

Screening - Sometimes we have to control ourselves. To be useful we have to focus on one particular course of action or else we would go around in circles.

Prioritising And Planning - Once you have had all the fun you need to create a plan of sorts. We have tried to make that fun too!

New Techniques - Working With Aliens, Time Traveler and Bunch Of Bananas may not be familiar to you, but you will soon see how valuable they can be.
Adds To Your Toolbox - All of the tools complement those you have already discovered in Volumes 1 and 2. You will now have thirty six valuable techniques in your repertoire.




Note:
Derek Cheshire is an accomplished speaker and has compiled a long list of blog articles including Innovation – How long is a piece of string?, Taking the In out of Innovation and How To Generate 20 New Business Ideas Over Coffee. He has had articles and papers published by such diverse organisations as the ICFAI University Press in India, the Change This organization, the Asia Pacific Tech Monitor (a United Nations online journal) and the Hindustan Times. He is a member of the mastermind group for the Design Interaction course at the Royal College of Art and Design in The Hague, and recently took part in the CNBC programme The Business of Innovation.

Dr. Michele Wright's New Book Dear Success Seeker

Patty DeDominic featured in Michele Wright's New

Book for Success Seekers

"Dear Success Seeker"

I want Dear Success Seeker to inspire readers toward their own personal and career success. I am confident that wisdom and passionate spirit the women in the book have shared will not only prepare readers to maximize their opportunities, but will equip them for achieving success in all aspects of life.

After using this as a tool to be successful, I hope that one day they will go out and invest in the lives of others to help them to also become successful. For as tennis great Billie Jean King so eloquently stated, “Use your talents to win, not only for yourself, but for generations to come!”

Michele Wright Ph.D.

For information about purchasing or reviewing Dr. Wrights book, please contact her at

careerwisdom@sbcglobal.net

Key Words and Their Importance in Your Search

KEY WORDS

By Dianne Grubin

A vice president at a major bank (not affected by the mortgage market) said that the bank is receiving over 2000 résumés for every open position.

If you’re actively looking for a job, then you know that it takes over an hour to drill through the job boards and set up an online account. Only then can you submit your cover letter and résumé.

How can you get noticed when submitting your résumé on-line?

Key words are the answer.

Formula for On-Line Submission Success
Find the job to which you’d like to apply.
Paste the job write-up directly onto your résumé between your summary and your first position description.
Look at the description; then add to the summary, when appropriate, skills you have that directly apply to the job.
Tailor your résumé to match the key qualifications of the position.
Check to make sure your technical skills and education are up-to-date.
Use “power verbs” such as “responsible for,” instituted, integrated, validated, etc.
Be sure to delete the job description you pasted into the text.
Save your résumé with your name so the reader sees your name in the attachment. For example: John Doe Résumé.doc
Consider how an internal recruiter or hiring manager searches for your résumé in a database. What key words do you need to stand out? The closer your résumé seems to the job, the more likely you are to gain an interview.

You may consider adding a section called "Key Words" to the bottom of your résumé so that you are more likely to appear at the top of the skill set search.
A tailored résumé will get you called in for the interview.

As president of Tech Exec Partners, a national staffing agency, Gubin is a recognized leader in providing contract and direct-hire search services. Gubin has accelerated thousands of career successes by opening doorways to life changing opportunities within Fortune 500 corporations, government, and fast-growth companies.

Gubin’s board and business related volunteer activities include founding director of the Los Angeles chapter of Women in Technology International. Gubin led the most successful chapter in the WITI professional association, with quarterly meetings routinely attracting 250 or more attendees. For WITI, she started committees for education, mentoring, and entrepreneurs. Gubin chaired the Digital Coast Roundtable, Industry Relations Committee. Currently she is active in the National Speakers Association and Valley Industry Commerce Association (VICA).

Dianne Gubin Talks Business, an Internet radio show, engages industry leaders on hot-button business issues and offers expert insight into what matters most in careers and professional development. She also hosts a series of video blogs discussing hiring and the job hunting process. http://www.diannegubin.com/

She is the co-author of PowerLadder, a book on networking and professional development.

Al Walsh, Find and Shape YOUR Place.........

Thoughts on Achieving
One’s Desired Place in the World



Al Walsh








Our lives are filled with sometimes-subtle,
sometimes-tempestuous currents which can
move us against our will & control;
so much so that it can be difficult to
see the proverbial “forest for the trees”.


But we all have the seeds within us to shape our destiny down a path that can be meaningful and rewarding. In the end, it primarily comes down to individual vision and will.

No large goal is achieved unless we shape it in our own unique way
and adopt it as part of our persona.

It has to become so powerful a force in driving our actions that we “live and breathe” it.

It has to be residing in the background of our mind at all times and impacting all of our thoughts & actions.

This is not to say that we are alone, and that outside factors can’t serve as a positive force.


By all means we should engage those around us, and foster their assistance.



We should also keep our minds open to new possibilities.


More than once my career & life have been shaped by forces beyond me.
Others have seen assets in me, and directed my energies in new directions
that I wouldn’t have considered alone; enriching my life.

Ignore the nay-sayers. Their motives are questionable, and their “advice” is destructive.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t benefit from constructive criticisms.


Take all input offered, digest it,
and make your own conclusions;

then act on them.

If you’re not satisfied with your life as it exists

– select where you want to be,
shape your grand vision,

reduce it down into digestible bites,

and start chipping away at them one-at-a-time.

There will undoubtedly be sacrifices required;

as is nearly always the case in accomplishing a worthy goal.


You might have to reduce your life-style to go to school,
or get off the couch to go do productive things, or some other self-sacrificial act.
Just keep the goal in mind and remind yourself of the rewards waiting down the line.

If you want it badly enough, you’ll “move mountains” to get there;
and then you’ll look back and realize that the effort was a reward in-and-of-itself.

Get out of your “comfort zone”.

It’s a dangerous place to be if you want to accomplish anything meaningful.
Look for opportunities to expand your knowledge & experience; and grab them.
Basically we all have to take individual responsibility for driving and shaping our lives.

If you’re looking for some “grand entity’ to take care of you and shape your destiny, you’re going to be greatly disappointed. Many will care, and help, but they can’t do it for you.

Don’t be afraid to seek help. It can come in many forms, from a variety of sources.
Sometimes an outside entity can provide insight that we might not otherwise gain.
Just make sure that you are the ultimate decision-maker once all the “facts are in”.

You will find that “success breeds success”.

Accomplishments, large and small, attract attention and often draw opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise present themselves. Everyone loves a winner, and wants to associate with them. An unsatisfactory existence can rapidly transform as you chip away at short-term goals and others observe your personal growth.

You might also find that as you make progress you see opportunities that were previously invisible.

The human will can be an unstoppable force. Use your life force and vision to your best advantage. The world can be your “oyster”.
Cheers, and good luck! Al Walsh

Al sent apologies for using some "old phrases" but we agree with him when he says they have their place in this world. He has been a generous contributor of wisdom to our site. P.D.

Al Walsh is a Los Angeles area "Unrepentant Capitalist". CEO - V.P. - CFO - COO - Entrepreneur~ Executive Committee & Board Member, Partner and Advisor to CEO's, COO's & Boards~ Multi-Disciplined Consultant

Mary Jo Diemer, of Rosebud Marketing sends her humor on Persistence!

PERSISTENCE ……………..don’t ever give up!

Two young little frogs from inland bogs had spent the night a drinking.
When morning broke they both awoke with eyes blood shot and blinking.
For time had come to gather senses and say a prayer for past offenses.

Now a farmer’s trail came to the swale and caught them quick a winking.
The farmer was a guileless man and put the frogs in a big milk can.
The frogs went in and the lid came down, both frogs and milk were shipped to town.

Our friends began to quiver and quake and sober up on a cold milk shake
……….for now they had to kick and swim until their bleary eyes grew weak and dim.
Alas one frog cried out in dread, “we’re going to drown, we’re good as dead”,
“For shame for shame” the other replied, “a frog’s not dead until he’s died,
keep on kickin’ that’s my plan, we may yet see outside this can”.
“No use no use“, the first replied, and with a groan he quickly died.

But the other frog undaunted still kept kicking with a firmer will,
until a joy too great to utter, had found he’d churned a lump of butter.

The moral of the story is:

When things are tough all over town, don’t give up and don’t go down.
Just keep on kickin’ don’t cry or mutter, for one more kick may bring the butter.

~unknown

Sent to you with warm wishes for Persistence and Success in 2009!

Mary Jo Diemer ROSEBUD MARKETING GROUP

We've gone GREEN...........your complete source for recycled and organic products! www.rosebudmarketing.com

The Only Thing Constant is Change in Real Estate

‘The only thing constant is change.’

This concept formulated by Heraclitus around 500 BC couldn’t describe the cyclical nature of the real estate industry any better. And where there is change, there is opportunity. 2009 will be a difficult year for the commercial real estate business with major industry players feeling the pinch as they try to reposition themselves for the new playing field unfolding.

Many predict the commercial real estate market will

not stabilize till around 2011.

In this time of uncertainty, there will be a need for eager and tenacious real estate professionals to chart the path of change. Areas of growth in the near future will include: taking over and managing distressed portfolios; public-private partnerships focusing on rehabilitating the nations infrastructure system; senior housing; and green building, which in the near term is likely to focus on rehabbing aging buildings with insufficient energy standards.

With the onset of a new administration taking office, and a feeling that the government will need to lead the Country out of the recession, public infrastructure projects will likely be the most prominent activity in the real estate sector. President Obama has announced that he is ready to fund “shovel ready” infrastructure projects which will lead to the creation of new jobs.

In general, the opportunities will be with the companies that work with lenders and government agencies. This is a time to “follow the government money”, because job expansion will be tied to public sector investment and funding.

In addition to being cyclical, real estate is an industry based on connections. With that in mind, there is no better in time to get involved with real estate industry groups like ULI and ICSC. These organizations provide great insight on industry trends as well as offering networking events creating the opportunity to meet leading professionals in your area.

Larry Kosmont, Founder and CEO of the Kosmont Companies.

Patty DeDominic shared a leadership class with Larry about 20 years ago and we are both committed community volunteers.

Kosmont Companies is a development services firm offering a full range of real estate and economic advisory, brokerage, project finance, investment, and planning services for both the public and private sectors. Founded in 1986, Kosmont Companies is a nationally recognized expert in economic development and real estate development projects involving government and private sector partnerships.

Mary Elizabeth Bradford is Starting a New Mastermind Group

It's Mary Elizabeth and I'm just headed out the door to take my daughter Anna for a walk...it's a beautiful day here in central Texas...

But before I go, I had to let you know that I've just opened the doors to my BRAND NEW "Career Artisan Mastermind Coaching Group!"

And a special CHARTER MEMBER invitation ... but ONLY for the first 50 members.

So this is something you're going to want to jump on fast!

Patty, this is an opportunity for your readers to get my PERSONAL coaching and all my job search secrets twice each month, *LIVE*, plus guaranteed personal email days, instant access to pre-recorded coaching audios, *5* hand-picked bonuses valued at hundreds of dollars and so much more, all at a phenomenal value!


So, are YOU ready to step into a place of leadership and control in your job search and get my simple-to-implement secrets, marketing templates, resources and step by step how-to information on how to focus on, find and WIN your dream job?

Honestly, once you learn how simple it is to transform your job search, you are going to be so glad you decided to join! But please, don't take my word for it! Get the details and read testimonials from people just like you, (who have been coached by me before) at the link below:

http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com/mastermind.php

What Does an Executive Director DO?

If You are an extraordinary leader committed to
education, perhaps this is your calling!







DIRECTOR


Job Description


The Santa Barbara Education Foundation
(SBEF) is seeking an Executive Director
with significant management, strategic
planning and fundraising experience to
help expand SBEF to its next phase of
growth.

The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of fundraising, marketing, financial management, program development and implementation, based on general direction from the Board of Directors. The Executive Director is responsible for identifying sources of funding and the successful leadership and management of the organization according to the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors.

Organization Description and Priorities:

The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) was established in 1985 and is a broadly based, non-profit community organization with the purpose of improving the education of students through the mobilization of private financial support for the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts.

SBEF receives, administers, and dispenses funds, properties, and gifts of any kind to educational areas of need within the Santa Barbara School Districts.SBEF is focused on enhancing the educational experience for all students in our districts.SBEF seeks to secure a healthy endowment, enabling the foundation to grow in perpetuity.SBEF seeks to raise awareness of Santa Barbara Education Foundation and educational issues.
Provide the community with information regarding Santa Barbara Education Foundation purpose and activities
Provide educators with information regarding fundraising resources and opportunities



Responsibilities:

v Raise awareness about SBEF in the community
v Maintain relationships with existing donors; cultivate new donors
v Serve as liaison with staff in the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts
v Oversee assessment project for local non-profit arts community
v Coordinate with local school based foundations and other education organizations (such as Partners in Education)
v Prepare grant applications; manage grant funded projects
v Oversee the foundation’s budget, accounting and audit
v Work with board members to plan and execute fundraising events

Requirements:

The following are requirements of the position:
A Master’s degree or equivalent in a related field (Education, Administration, Social Development, or other related discipline)
Four or more years of progressive management experience. Nonprofit experience a plus
Thorough knowledge and proven experience in fundraising, capital campaigns, finance and program management
Successful track record in writing and receiving grants
Ability to work with diverse board of directors
Effective marketing skills
Strong written and oral communication skills, including public speaking
Exemplary interpersonal and organizational skills
Vision and creativity
Existing strong connections in the community and a strong commitment to being an active and visible participant in the community
Knowledge of local schools and/or general educational experience is a plus
Compensation:

The Executive Director compensation will be commensurate with experience.

To Apply:

Please e-mail cover letter and resume to SBEF Selection Committee at sbefoundation@gmail.com.

If necessary, hard copy cover letters and resumes may be sent to
the SBEF, c/o Santa Barbara School Districts
720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Please direct questions to the e-mail address above.

Deadline to Apply: Tuesday, February 28, 2009

Sam Kass, Pondering Raising the Bar

Raise the Bar


I was researching information about how to improve relationships with people in society and by serendipity came across this by an unknown author.

*If you open it, close it
*If you turn it on, turn it off
*If you unlock it, lock it up
*If you break it, admit you broke it
*If you cannot fix it, call in the person who can
*If you borrow it, return it
*If you value it, take care of it
*If you make a mess, clean it up
*If you move it, put it back
*If it belongs to someone else, get permission to use it
*If you do not know how to operate it, leave it alone
*If its none of your business, don’t ask question’s.

This unknown author was pragmatic and had a positive spin on living life well.

Think About it.



Sam Kass
Human Resources Executive and Consultant
Life and Career Counselor,

With a passion to help people realize their dreams Mr. Kass utilizes his role as an executive recruiter to make a difference.

Jay Rao on Balancing Your Professional, Family and Personal Lives

Balance, An Impossible Dream?


Or a Goal for High Achievers?






JOBS2.0 The NEW New World of Work.com
asked noted business advisor Jay Rao
about balance in his life and ours......






Achieving proper balance in our Professional, Family, and Personal lives is one to the most difficult tasks we face on a day-to-day basis.

Throughout our professional lives, many of us take on increased job related responsibilities that cause us to compromise the time we spend with personal and family activities. This kind of imbalance causes us to lose track of what is important to us and can result in broken relationships, poor health, and an unfulfilled life.

I have a lot of experience in counseling others on how to achieve a better balance in their lives.

I use a simple model I call the “Three Circles Diagram” to illustrate and provide a guideline for achieving balance in our lives.















Each circle above represents our Professional, Family, and Personal lives.

Within each circle, every one of us has many roles we play, goals we strive to achieve, and priorities we must determine. There are also outside pressures that place expectations on us for how we prioritize and behave. We must manage and align our expectations with our goals. Problems typically occur when there are disconnects between our goals and the expectations placed upon us.

In the Professional circle, typical roles include manager, supervisor, mentor, advisor, presenter, instructor, learner, salesperson, peer, etc. Goals might include achieving company performance measures, getting a promotion, or getting a salary increase. Expectations from your boss or from direct reports may vary from your goals, thus keeping you from achieving balance. I have witnessed many professionals that have allowed their Professional circle to get larger and larger with the addition of responsibilities and promotions, which have in turn, caused their Family and Personal circles shrink.

In the Family circle roles include father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, son, daughter, etc. Typical goals might include being home for dinner each night, having a family vacation each year, attending our children’s performances, sporting events, and recitals, and having periodic “date nights” with our spouses.

As we age, our Personal circle is the one that shrinks the fastest. Each of us has certain passions outside of our professional and family lives. Some roles include friend, volunteer, runner, tennis player, weight lifter, photographer, animal lover, musician, traveler, etc. We should define or goals for each of these areas including a time commitment to each and / or performance measures for certain activities. This circle ensures we stay in good physical health.

In order to achieve proper balance and fulfillment in our lives, each circle must be the same size as the others over time.

To maximize our success within each circle, we must effectively focus all our energies on our prioritized activities on a daily basis. For instance, we should not be thinking about our family or personal tasks when we are in a company board meeting, just as we should not be engrossed with our jobs or personal activities when we are on a family outing.

With today’s technology, attaining balance is now easier than ever.

The Internet, email, video conferencing, and cell phones have enabled us to work more efficiently thus allowing many of us to work from home.

I use a worksheet to help individuals identify their roles, goals, priorities, and expectations for each circle. Taking the time to develop a “Three Circles” worksheet or prioritized plan like this will help you better attain balance and fulfillment.

Rediscovering YOU in a Job Market Crisis

Rediscovering YOU

in a Job Market Crisis

By
Dr. Ellie Corigliano

Using your creative nature to establish a line of work that can be financially sound, can be quite challenging in a culture that promotes “stay within the lines”.

When we go to school, elementary through to graduate school, we are told what to do, what to learn, how to apply it and when we are allowed, or not allowed to use it.

In today’s job crisis, “staying within the lines” is no longer a viable behavior.

Americans are losing jobs that they have been trained to do, that they are comfortable doing, and that promised them a secure future. And let’s face it, most jobs were designed for a behavior of “do what you are told to do and get compensated for it”. The majority of Americans are trained to follow, not to lead. Which I want to express is OKAY, leading is not for everyone, and they too are losing their jobs, but knowing yourself and your abilities is something we can all do.

It is time for laid off Americans, and those "not- laid- off" Americans, to acknowledge themselves in a new light.

I don’t want to pretend to be an expert on this topic, rather I would simply like to share some thoughts on how to uncover your creativity within your network of established skills and use them to discover a world of new possibilities that empower you for success.

When you go through school, or work at a job for a long period of time, your brain creates a neural network of behaviors, memories, skills, responses, and so forth that become very complex and intertwined, and quite difficult to alter once established…..the whole “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” cliché. To disengage from this network will take some effort but the outcome will provide growth, motivation, self-confidence and possibilities.

Begin by finding a quiet space, a pen and paper, or your computer, clear your mind and start listing your work skills. These skills can range from anything that seems trivial like answering phones, to sophisticated skills like computer programming. For example;

Internet Researching

Map making

Typing
Data entry
Microsoft office- Word, Powerpoint, Excel….
Networking
Organizing

Following through
Initiating ideas
Public speaking
Working with numbers
Etc….

Once you have done this, and make it long, list everything you may normally take for granted, make a list of your closest friends and family and list their skills as best you can. Remember, it takes a team to make a better you (prior article). Knowing what your friends/family are able to do can help you create a larger world of possibilities for yourself. The third thing, make a list of the things you enjoy doing, your hobbies, your aspirations, your “time off” activities. Ask for help in making these lists. Others who know you best can see things in you that you may not consider, like being a listener.

Now try to think about a concept I call “Circular Living”, where your daily living is a converging experience of thoughts and actions, where your hobbies, your interests and your visual image of yourself guide your career path so that your income is generated by your life work, and not just a job.

This job crisis in America is an opportunity that can unveil a side of you that has been lost in the fast pace of keeping up.

Take all the listed information and piece together as many scenic puzzles as you can. The more you play with the information, the more you will find you can add to the lists. Have fun with this. This is your time to grow and expand and re-define yourself.

Remember the way of progress is neither swift nor easy, but perseverance, dedication, patience, compassion, courage and confidence will lead you to prosperity.

Ellie Corigliano, Ph.D.

Dr. Corigliano is the founder of Bionysis (Biological Nutritional Systems), which is designed to integrate scientific research with clinical application for targeted nutritional intervention. She works with patients and their medical practitioner in diagnostics through suggested testing complimented with lifestyle consultation for complete health. Dr. Corigliano is also a lecturer at UCSB where she received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Additionally, she is a mentor for Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) where she mentors on women’s issues concerning career pursuits in science. She also mentors on issues of establishing a family and raising children while pursuing a career.

You can meet Dr. C in person at the International Women's Festival in Santa Barbara, California on March 8, 2009 where she is presenting on a panel "So You Want to Live to be 100?"

http://www.womensfestivals.org/

Leadership Secrets of the World's Most Successful CEOs

Stephanie
Sonnabend,
CEO
Sonesta International Hotels










Stephanie Sonnabend, CEO Sonesta International Hotels, Lead people the way they want to be led.












I was honored to be among a number of extraordinary CEOs who were profiled
a few years ago in Eric Yaverbaum's great book, Leadership Secrets of the Worlds Most Successful CEOs.





He interviewed hundreds of business leaders and wrote stories on 100 top executives as they revealed some of the management strategies that made their companies great. I want to write a little about an awesome business leader who operates hotels world wide, Stephanie Sonnabend.





In Eric's book Stephanie is quoted as saying that she leads people the way that they want to be led. She lays out the vision and then works with her people on developing strategies for implementing the vision. Some people can easily translate vision into strategy; others need to be led down the path to make the connection.





According to the author a number of years ago the company lives it's Core Values. A recent check of the firms annual reports shows that their performance is still strong and we hope their success continues.



Stephanie Sonnabend is quoted as saying:


"My vision is always closely connected to Sonesta's core values:

• Practice high standards of integrity and ethics


• Value employees as individuals


• Exceed Customers expectations


• Service with passion

For Sonesta Resorts, we wished to turn a hotel stay into a memorable experience"

DeDominic: When times are tough it helps to remind yourself of your own mission, and as a corporate leader to revisit the company's core values and mission.

Ask yourself, "Why am I here and what are we really all about?"

It will answer a lot of anxiety and debate and serve as your true north star when things get tough. Over the years as we built my own staffing firm, PDQCAREERS, into one of California's largest employers, we needed to revisit our mission and vision regularly. We usually did this at an annual Retreat, or Advance as PDQ team used to call them.

Reviewing not only your strategic objectives but the real reasons why you exist can help to galvanize your team. It can help reduce the noise of the difficulties and refocus people's attention on the priorities. It certainly reinforced our commitment to remain as a staffing partner to America's finest employers. This was a high goal but it also helped our sales and service staff remain focused and keep up our own high standards.

Carlos Gil, "Saving America One Job at a Time", a man takes the bull by the horns.

Carlos Gil

Once laid off by AIG, now devoted to “Saving America One Job at a Time”

How a 25-year old CEO plans to become a “voice of reason” for those laid-off and provide a resource to millions of unemployed Americans through his website JobsDirectUSA.com

By: Carlos Gil, Founder of JobsDirectUSA.com

Eight years ago I was a high school dropout, with a GED, working part-time as a shoe salesman with limited career options and a ton of initiative. Since then I have gone on to work for Fortune 500 corporations such as Citigroup, Regions Financial and AIG where I have succeeded in various Branch and Client Management roles. In fact at my last employer, AIG, I was a Regional Sales Manager covering a three state territory, over 50 offices, and even had a company vehicle. Through the fundamentals that I call “The 5 P’s of Success” (Persistence, Passion, Persuasion, Perseverance and Personality) I’ve been able to overcome many obstacles along the way to become a successful young executive and entrepreneur. Today I run my own corporation and I am proud to call myself a CEO, rather than unemployed.

On November 6th 2008, just 6 weeks after AIG was given $150 billion, in a “bailout” loan, by the government, my position at American General Finance was terminated. With an 8-month pregnant wife and a 2 year old son, I was now, like millions of other Americans, out of a job and unemployed. However, on November 6th as one door closed in my career another quickly opened as I was now determined to jump into a role for which I had dreamed of over the last eight years, to become a CEO of my own company. For those who know me or even speak to me for 5 minutes, you will know that I am one of the most determined and driven individuals whom you will ever meet. In this case, I was not going to let AIG, the economy, or recession ruin my aspirations for my career and my family’s future including financial well being.

For me, becoming 1 of millions of Americans to be laid off last year was only the beginning of my quest to help our country, economy and every single American nationwide. As a result I created JobsDirectUSA.com to serve as a resource, not just for unemployed Americans, but to every American citizen and corporation nationwide. Today as an entrepreneur ,and only three months since being laid off, I am proud and honored to be in a position where I have a resource that is bringing together companies, which having hiring needs, with Americans who have been affected by unemployment.

Together, with JobsDirectUSA.com, I also created a slogan and initiative called “Saving America One Job at a Time”, it is my firm belief that the end-all to our economic meltdown in the United States begins and ends with employment. Every job that can be saved or created is a step forward towards the economic stability and improvement of our country. At the moment I am actively speaking out to major corporations to end mass layoffs and to find suitable alternatives that will avoid employment casualties. Through JobsDirectUSA.com I don’t plan on only offering an employment recruitment resource but also a cost-efficient solution to employers that will provide immediate aide in reducing costly expenses associated with employment recruiting. By employers registering and effectively utilizing JobsDirectUSA.com they will not only be reducing expenses but will be giving back to America by featuring valuable job opportunities and joining me in “Saving America One Job at a Time”.

Although recent years have proven to be challenging for most Americans, I am confident and enthusiastic, that through collaboration and support from major corporations, the media and our political administration that JobsDirectUSA.com will become a revolutionary and useful employment resource for every single American in generations to follow. I am also proud to promote to the growing body of unemployed Americans that there is life after a layoff, simply focus on what you can control now which is the present and the future, not the past. For myself, I’ve engaged in social, yet professional, networking resources such as LinkedIn. I encourage anyone and everyone to connect with me through LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosgilonline) and join my exclusive network of business professionals. I am only one person however I am someone who is here to help, I welcome anyone who has been displaced in their careers to reach out and contact me for support at carlos.gil@cxggroup.com, in addition please register at http://www.jobsdirectusa.com/ today.

Together, we can and will save America…one job at a time.

Executive Summary: JobsDirectUSA.com , est. 2008, is an emerging employment classified ad job board which strives to provide a useful resource to every American nationwide. Our goal is to help millions of unemployed Americans return to the workforce while also redefining the entire employment recruiting industry. Through innovative technology, currently in development, our business model consists of providing the most cost efficient recruiting solution in the country and employ a sales force which will create 100+ new jobs within the next 12 months. We are confident and enthusiastic that JobsDirectUSA.com , as a platform to future sites, will revolutionize the market and create an opportunity to provide employment worldwide for generations to follow. Our mission is as follows, “Saving America One Job at a Time”. Our goal, above all, is help distressed Americans and offer a cost-effective product which caters to every company and American nationwide. Through JobsDirectUSA.com there is no risk, only reward.