July 22, 2013

Confidentiality in the Workplace

Issue #290

A merger.  A game-changing deal.  A new product launch.  A major policy shift.  New cutting-edge technology.   An acquisition.  A change in leadership.   In today’s world of big business and even bigger transactions, confidentiality is of paramount importance.  Yet, with today’s high tech, lightning-fast communication tools – such as social media, text messages, flash drives, email, cell phones, and the cloud – hot news can spread faster than a California forest fire.   In small businesses, where employees feel more like family than coworkers, private information can spread rapidly through a company and beyond.  In big businesses, employees may feel even more disconnected from their employer and ignore their fiduciary responsibility to safeguard company or client information.  Indeed, it may even seem at times that the fastest way to disseminate information is to tell employees that information is confidential. Continue reading →

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July 15, 2013

To Get Satisfied Customers, Start By Controlling Expectations

Issue #289

No matter the business or industry and no matter if they are referred to as clients or customers, the key to their satisfaction often starts long before the product or service being provided is received.  Customer satisfaction actually begins with expectations… and those expectations are often set by salespeople who are trying to make the sale.  But if a customer’s expectations far exceed or outstrip the level and quality of the good or service to be provided, it is inevitable that the client will be disappointed or worse.  If high expectations can result in disappointment, then the logical conclusion would be to lower customer expectations.  The problem is that if a customer starts out with low expectations about the product or service they are purchasing, there is a good chance they won’t patronize that business much longer.  What is a company to do? Continue reading →

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July 8, 2013

The Best Time To Work: Early Birds, Night Owls and Intermediates

Issue #288

Virtually every organism on the planet — from bacteria to humans — has a circadian clock, a biological timing mechanism that oscillates with a period of about 24 hours and is coordinated with the cycle of day and night. And while it runs independent of external cues, it is influenced by sunlight, temperature and food availability. This internal ‘body clock’ guides the best time for many activities.  The observation of this process in humans was mentioned in Chinese medical texts dating back to around the 13th century.  Referred to as the circadian rhythm – from the Latin ‘circa’ meaning “around” and diem meaning ‘day’, this timekeeper guides activities of the body including the best times to eat and sleep. Continue reading →

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July 1, 2013

Managing Employee Requests for Time Off

Issue #287

Vacations are necessary for employees (and employers) to rejuvenate and recharge their batteries.  For most, a summer vacation is a care-free time away from the non-stop grind of ‘work, work, work.’  But for business leaders and division or department managers, the summer means an influx of requests for time off.  The same is true during holiday seasons such as Passover/Easter, High Holy Days, and Thanksgiving.  While vacations and holidays may be a happy-go-lucky time for some, it increases the workload and stress level for others.  Multiple requests for leave may arrive at the same time.  Vacation requests may coincide with other requests for time off such as maternity leave, family reunions, jury duty, and/or sick leave for medical issues.  Conflicts are inevitable.  What is a boss to do? Continue reading →

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June 24, 2013

Business Travel Tips

Issue #286

A half century ago, the average employee or manager at a company could go his or her entire life and never take a ‘business trip.’  Business travel was really just for top executives and traveling salesmen.  That is no longer the case.  Today, thanks to the Internet as well as and greater transportation options, companies have expanded their geographic reach.  Local companies can provide their products or services regionally, nationally or even internationally, with the only restrictions typically from government rules and regulations.  With such massive market opportunities has come a greater need for employees to visit clients and potential clients that are farther and farther away.  Employees are also traveling more to conferences and trade shows to gain knowledge and hone skills.  And, thanks to the expansion of travel choices – such as airlines that provide regular, non-stop flights to more cities and the expansion of fast rail travel — it has never been easier and more affordable for companies to send employees to far-away destinations for business.   Likewise, companies are increasingly able to hire top talent in remote locations and have them commute to corporate headquarters as needed for meetings or training. Continue reading →

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June 17, 2013

Mind Matters – Part 2

Issue #285

Sleep:  The Ultimate Memory Enhancer

Everyone wants to have a good memory.  It is essential for career success.  But there are a multitude of factors that impede memory.  Common memory reducers include things like lack of sleep, stress, vitamin deficiency and trauma.  Less common memory cripplers include such factors as illness, diseases such as Alzheimers, poor blood flow to the brain, brain hemorrhages or injuries, and tumors.  Beyond all these, there are a multitude of additional variables – such as ways that the brain works — that impact memory.  Often memory is affected in ways that neurologists haven’t even begun to understand.  Indeed, scientists agree that memory is one of the functions of brain that is still not well understood. Continue reading →

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June 10, 2013

Mind Matters – Part 1

Issue #284

Part 1:  Memory Reducers and Memory Killers

Professionals are always looking to have an edge over their competitors.  Most people want to be successful, and bring their “A Game” to every endeavor.   A big part of performance in any career is mental capacity, acuity, and agility.  Memory plays a big part in that.  However, until the last few decades, scientists and doctors understood very little about how memory works, where memories are stored, and what might improve or harm memory.  But in the last 50 years, science has made great strides in understanding memory and the human brain. Continue reading →

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June 3, 2013

Time to Prepare

Issue #283

It seems that warnings to “be prepared” are everywhere. Across the central U.S., residents are being warned to prepare for possible tornados. Although tornado season had been relatively quiet this year — with only 72 tornadoes nationwide in April which was 70 percent below the 10 year average, — May brought a swath of tornados from Texas to Minnesota that included 16 twisters in a single day in North Texas and one that devastated the town of Moore, OK. Out west, California is already contending with forest fires in the Santa Barbara area and residents in fire-prone states are being warned to prepare for possible forest fires. States all along the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines just marked the beginning of this year’s Hurricane Season on June 1st. Last week was Hurricane Preparedness Week. Natural disasters lurk around every corner. Continue reading →

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May 27, 2013

It’s Showtime – Part 2

Issue #282

Making the Most of the Show

Once again, you or your company is sending a team to attend the biggest trade show or conference of the year.  The top salespeople have been approved to attend.  A lot of pre-planning was done to ensure that the company’s investment in sending a team to the show will generate a great return.  After all, management will want to know after the show if the money spent was worthwhile. It is important to ensure that attendance at any trade show generates a solid return. Continue reading →

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May 20, 2013

It’s Showtime… Almost!

Issue #281

Part 1 Preparing to Go to the Show

Every serious profession in the world has a multitude of trade shows and conferences catering to the sales, marketing, networking and professional development of its members.  While there are always local, regional and state shows, each national trade association has one monster annual show that is not to be missed.  For mortgage bankers, the big show to attend each year is the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Annual Convention, which this year will be held in late October in DC celebrating their 100th Conference.  For homebuilders, the go-to show each year is the enormous National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders Show, which is held in Las Vegas in January or February each year.  For CPAs, the American Institute of CPAs offers national accounting conferences for each industry, including the AICPA’s National Real Estate Show.  And, for shopping center owners and retailers, there are few shows bigger than the International Council of Shopping Centers’ RECON Show, currently under way in Las Vegas. Continue reading →

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