7 Steps to Service Recovery

By Nancy Friedman

Almost anyone who’s been in a customer service position has had the opportunity of running into either an irate call or person...or a situation that, shall we say, is not pleasant. And even though it may not even be our fault, we still need to know how to recover the situation. Here are the Telephone Doctor’s 7 Steps to Service Recovery that will help make your day a better one!

1. It IS your responsibility. If you have answered the phone on behalf of the company, you have indeed accepted 100% responsibility. At least that's what the caller/customer believes. So get off the "it's not my fault" syndrome. And get on with the "what can I do for you?" position.
   
   
2. "I'm sorry" DOES work. Every once in a while, a CSR tells me that he doesn't feel he should say, "I'm sorry" when it wasn't his fault. Well, as stated above, in the customer's mind, it is your fault. Saying you're sorry won't fix the problem, but it definitely does help to defuse it immediately. Try it. You'll see.
   
   
3. Empathize immediately. When someone is angry or frustrated with your company, the one thing they need is someone to agree with them, or at least feel they're being understood. Be careful, though: "I know how you feel" is NOT a good thing to say unless you have been through exactly what they have experienced. Try - "That's got to be so frustrating" or "What an unfortunate situation."
   
   
4. IMMEDIATE action is necessary to make a service recovery. Don't make a customer wait for good service. Get whatever it is she needs to her immediately. Overnight service if it's necessary. That's recovery. REMEMBER: Telephone Doctor's motto: IT SHOULD NEVER TAKE 2 PEOPLE TO GIVE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
   
   
5. Ask what would make them happy. In a few rare cases, the customer can be a most difficult one. If you have tried what you considered "everything," simply ask the customer: "What can I do to make you happy, Mr. Jones?" In most cases, it may be something you're able to do. You just may not have thought of it. So go ahead and ask.
   
   
6. Understand the true meaning of Service Recovery. Service Recovery is not just fixing the problem. It's making sure it won't happen again. It's listening to the customer. It's going above and beyond.
   
   
7. FOLLOW UP. After you feel the problem has been fixed, follow up. After you've made the customer happy, make an extra phone call a day or so later. Be sure to ask: "Have we fixed everything for you?" "What else can we do for you?" Be sure they're satisfied. When you hear: "Thanks, you've done a great job. I appreciate it." Then you know you've achieved SERVICE RECOVERY!
   

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, June 2003.

The Myth Of Meeting Client Expectations

By Andrew Sobel

"Identify and then meet or exceed your client's expectations!" This exhortation has become the accepted wisdom about how to excel with clients. It is indeed a useful axiom – that is, if you see your role as that of an expert for hire. If you aspire to be a client advisor who builds long-term loyalty, however, it is a dangerously limiting and even misleading piece of advice. Consider these examples of client relationships gone sour:

***A shipping company retained a major consulting firm and asked it to help improve the efficiency of its operations. The senior partner in charge of the engagement delegated most of the work to a team of bright young associates whose insightful analytic work identified profit improvement opportunities that exceeded the client's stated goals. Halfway through the project, however, the client's CEO called the partner and abruptly cancelled the work for unspecified reasons. Six months later, a friend of the CEO told the consulting firm that the CEO had anticipated a one-on-one counseling relationship with the senior partner, but it had never materialized – "I got this team of young MBAs instead," he complained.

***An advertising agency designed an effective set of commercials that resulted in meaningful sales increases of the client's product. When the campaign was over, the client put the account out to bid, saying that it had a policy of periodically looking at other agencies for good ideas. In fact, the client’s VP of marketing didn't like several key members of the agency's team and felt the overall personal chemistry was poor. He wanted an agency that was more enjoyable to work with.

These are true and not atypical anecdotes about professionals who got canned even though they met and even exceeded clearly stated and formally negotiated client expectations. So what's up here? How do we cross this minefield called 'client expectations"?

Here are four principles that will provide you with the broadest possible palette for adding value to your clients:

1. Clients always have hidden or unarticulated expectations that have nothing to do with quantitative business objectives.
   
   In the first example, the client's CEO thought he was buying a relationship with a highly experienced partner who was going to provide a forum to bounce around big-picture ideas about his business. Yet even a thorough and questioning proposal development process failed to uncover this assumption. In the second example, the client wanted, in addition to good ads, a warm, enjoyable, personal relationship with his agency staff. In neither case would these expectations ever have been stated out loud, and in any event they were ignored until the consulting firm or ad agency was fired.
   
   Client advisors focus as much on the qualitative, personal aspects of the business relationship as they do on meeting stated operational goals, and they have the sensitivity to recognize them even when the client cannot or will not express them. Sometimes, I'm sorry to say, there are client expectations that are simply unknowable. This is why principle 3, below, is so important – you won’t always be able to grasp every one of your client's expectations, and so you have to take a broad focus on improving his business in ways he has asked as well as in ways he hasn't even expressed.
   
   
2. Most professionals define "expectations" and "client" too narrowly.
   
   A CEO I once worked for referred me to a far-flung division within his company, ostensibly to do the same type of strategy development effort that I had successfully completed for him. The division head, indeed, wanted a new approach to the market. The CEO, however, was hoping I would instigate a cultural change – a mindset shift – among the division executives, something I discerned only over a long dinner punctuated by several bottles of French Burgundy (I took a taxi home). Suddenly my task was much more complicated, and meeting my new client’s expectations (a revitalized market strategy for the division) alone would have constituted failure in the mind of the CEO.
   
   Your "client," in the broadest sense, is far more than the executive who hired you. It could include a more senior executive you’ve never even met, a young up-and-coming manager who is part of a team you're working with, or the spouse or grown children of your client if you advise individuals.
   
   
3. Improving your client's condition, not just meeting expectations, is paramount. I have a current client who asked me to design and facilitate a quarterly strategy offsite with his senior management team. I have done that, and the sessions have been extremely successful (I am not advocating that you dodge expected deliverables in favour of something else – I take the client’s explicit goals very seriously). In between these sessions, however, I have added significant value, including: introducing my client to a potential strategic partner; coaching two senior executives on their managerial style; and helping the CEO prepare his year-end evaluation for his board of directors. These value-added activities were not part of the client’s stated – or even hidden – expectations for this assignment. Yet if you asked the CEO about the value of my work, he would cite these latter contributions as being just as important as the workshops we formally contracted for. (Some readers may be wondering if they should be compensated for such extra services. The short answer is "Yes, but it may not always happen." You have three choices here: price them in at the beginning; negotiate them as additions to your contract; or give some of them away, especially the ones that are high value but take up little time).
   
   
4. Tell your client, tactfully, about how you've helped her. If you’ve been married or had a partner for more than a year or so, chances are that individual does things for you that you are already taking for granted. The same thing happens in professional-client relationships. Whereas in a close, romantic relationship it is tacky and even neurotic to recite all of your contributions to the partnership (we rely on each other to reach out and recognize them), it is often appropriate and indeed necessary to do it in business. Some clients are great at recognizing your value, but others are so preoccupied with running their businesses that they don’t really add it all up.
   
   You can elegantly highlight the value you have provided in several ways: First, you can sit down and periodically review your performance with your client, and in that session both give and solicit comments about your contributions as well as about what you could do better. Second, you can encourage others in the organization to give your principal client feedback about your contributions. Remember, third-party endorsements are far more powerful than anything we say about ourselves. So when a manager in your client's organization tells you how much she enjoys working with you or expresses gratitude for your contributions – by all means encourage her to tell that directly to your client. The turning point in the relationship with one of my own clients came when a subordinate told him, "I don't know how much we’re paying Sobel for his work, but whatever it is, he’s worth far more than his fees." (I'd like to tell you that every client of mine says this about me, but that would be a lie. Maybe they think it without saying it out loud...). When an executive hears this from one of his managers, it is very powerful.
   

Rethink what you’re trying to do for your clients. Experts for hire and "steady suppliers" merely try to identify and then meet or exceed their clients' expectations – a level of performance that often keeps them employed. Great advisors, in contrast, look for myriad ways to improve their clients' business condition, and they help the individuals they serve become better managers and better people. This success enables them to become part of their client's inner circle.

Which kind of professional – expert for hire or long-term advisor – do you aspire to become?

Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on client relationships and the skills and strategies required to earn enduring client loyalty. He is the author of Making Rain: The Secrets of Building Lifelong Client Loyalty (John Wiley & Sons) and Clients for Life: Evolving from an Expert for Hire to an Extraordinary Advisor (Simon & Schuster/Fireside). He speaks frequently to corporate groups on building long-term, trusted client and customer relationships. Andrew can be reached at andrew@andrewsobel.com. Additional articles and assessment tools related to building client loyalty can be found on his Web site at www.andrewsobel.com.

Published in Networking Today, April 2003.

Sell Value, Not Time

By Barbara Bartlein

As a young adult, I had my wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon. When I received the bill, I was shocked at the cost – over $400 per tooth. When I returned for the follow-up visit the next week, I mentioned the bill to the surgeon.

“It seems like a lot of money,” I exclaimed. “Why it only took you about 15 minutes per tooth.”

The dentist smiled and said, “That is exactly what you are paying for. If you want me to take an hour or more to remove each tooth, I can do that. In fact, most anyone can do that. But there is value in a 15 minute extraction.”

Good point. I never forgot it.

True value is never based on time or even effort. It is based on intellectual property, ability, and the value of the service to the customer. Each item needs to be carefully evaluated when you are pricing your products, services, or time in the marketplace.

• Evaluate your intellectual property. This is the sum total of education, experience and expertise in your field. Most of us severely underestimate this value mistakenly believing that “everyone” knows this or “anyone” could do that. The accumulated knowledge after years in a discipline has tremendous value and establishes you as an expert. List your areas of expertise and include them in your résumé, marketing, and sales pitch. Make sure you differentiate yourself in a crowed marketplace.
  
  
• Appraise your ability. Are you among some of the best at what you do? Can you accomplish quickly what it may take someone else extra time? One of the consultants I work with can evaluate the efficiency of corporate operations very quickly and make recommendations for money and time saving improvements. Organizations are willing to pay a lot of money for her time because she can accomplish in short order what it would take a team of consultants months to do. People that have high ability make what they do look easy (think of Tiger Wood). But that does not mean that it is. Make sure that you have an accurate appraisal of your abilities for pricing.
  
  
• Know the market value of your services. What is your value in the marketplace? Do you perform a specialty service or one in high demand? Do you provide goods or services that are hard to find? If the market assessment is low, you have to especially be clear about the special value and expertise you bring to the table. Your worth (and pricing) should be based on how much value you can bring to your customers. If you can retool operations so that the company saves two million dollars, your value (and pricing) should reflect this.
  
  
• Resist requests to price your time. There remains a bias to equate pricing with time. Focus discussion on the three elements above and avoid the “piece work” mentality. As you become more comfortable thinking of your contributions in terms of value, others will see them as more valuable. Remember, price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
  

Sign up for Barbara's FREE email newsletter at www.barbbartlein.com.

Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro™. She helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com.

Published in Networking Today, March 2003.

How to Take the Anxiety Out of Public Speaking: Professional Speakers Offer Tricks of the Trade

By Marsha Mardock

Many professionals will go to great lengths to avoid it. Careers can be cut short by it. Practically everybody – from senior managers to entry-level employees –sweats over it.

It may make you jittery too. In fact, according to The Book of Lists, public speaking is among America’s most feared pursuits.

That’s why the findings of a poll conducted by the National Speakers Association on overcoming the fear of public speaking are invaluable for anyone who finds their nerves frayed by a pending public speaking engagement.

Members of the National Speakers Association, who are among the most successful professional speakers in the world, responded to the survey and shed light on the tricks of the professional speaking trade.

“Just thinking about standing before an audience makes some people uncomfortable,” says Jim Rhode, a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and president of the National Speakers Association. “But the thing for novice speakers to remember is that they never look as foolish as they may feel.”

Following are the National Speakers Association’s top 10 strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking:

10. Accept the fear and make it work for you. Most people cannot see or sense a speaker’s nervousness, so be sure not to mention it, which will only draw attention to the fact that you’re not totally calm, cool, and confident. Instead, use your nervousness, which is really just an adrenaline rush, to your advantage. Harness your nervous energy and turn it into enthusiasm.

9. Arrive to the speech location early. If your presentation requires a microphone, overhead projector, or any other technical equipment, make sure you arrive at the venue early enough to test it before the audience arrives. You should also make yourself comfortable with the room. Canvass the stage and check out the vantage point from the audience seating area. Getting familiar with the room will help put you at ease.

8. Do deep breathing exercises. This is the old standby for any tense situation and professional speakers swear by its effectiveness. Take a deep breath, hold it for three or four seconds, and exhale. Repeat four or five times. You’ll feel remarkably more at ease.

7. Speak on something you are passionate about. A passion for your subject will help to dissipate your nerves in the moments before you speak. The audience will sense your passion and focus on your message – not your mistakes.

6. Speak as often as possible. Nothing kills a case of the nerves like experience. The more you speak and the more you stand in front of an audience, the more comfortable you’ll be.

5. Know your topic and material. Being unfamiliar with your topic and material is a sure-fire way to pump up your level of nervousness. People unfamiliar with their material also tend to memorize the text of their speech, which can lead to catastrophe if your stage fight is great enough to impact your memory.

4. Mingle with the audience before the speech. If it’s possible, try to meet people in the audience before you speak. A simple chat with a few people in the audience will increase your familiarity with the audience and improve your comfort level.

3. Know your audience. Members of the National Speakers Association swear by the value of doing your homework. Professional speakers make a substantial effort to research the company or organization hosting their speech. Knowing the sensitivities of your audience will allow you to hit their hot buttons and avoid failed attempts at humor.

2. Forget yourself and focus on the audience. You’re speaking because you have valuable information to share. Recognize that your true goal is to help the audience and make them understand your message.

1. Prepare and rehearse. Nothing beats practicing for a speech. The more you practice, the better you will do. Try practicing in front of family and friends or colleagues. If that isn’t possible, stand in front of a mirror and read your speech aloud. This will also put you in tune with your natural hand gestures and facial expressions.

The National Speakers Association offers a variety of tools and resources for people who want to learn more about professional speaking. Log on to www.nsaspeaker.org to find out more about NSA meetings, chapter meetings open to the public, Professional Speaker magazine, and more.

The National Speakers Association (NSA) is the leading organization for experts who speak professionally. NSA's 4,000 members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, authors, and more. Since 1973, NSA has provided resources and education designed to advance the skills, integrity and value of its members and speaking profession. Visit NSA's Web site at www.nsaspeaker.org. NSA: The Voice of the Speaking Profession.® To contact Marsh Mardock, phone (480) 221-2240 or email Marsha@nsaspeaker.org.

Published in Networking Today, January 2003.

Software Tips & Tricks Revising Mail Rules in Outlook Express

By Laura Noble

Email rules can be revised or deleted. Refer to Colour Coding Inbox in Outlook Express Tip for details on how to set rules.

1. From the Tools menu select Message Rules, Mail.
   
   
2. Select the rule to revise or delete.
   
   
3. Click the Modify button to revise rule or click the Remove button to delete rule.
   
   
   
   
4. The Edit Mail Rule box will open
   
   
   
   
5. Make the necessary changes.
   
   
6. Refer to Colour Coding Inbox in Outlook Express Tip for details on how to set rules. Click OK twice.
   

Stay tuned to Networking Today in the coming months for more Software Tips & Tricks from Noble Software Solutions.

Laura Noble is the owner of Noble Software Solutions. Laura can be contacted at 519-680-2689 or by e-mail at lnoble@noblesoftwaresolutions.com. www.noblesoftwaresolutions.com

Published in Networking Today, January 2003.

Create a Happy New Year

By Barbara Bartlein

The happiest people surround themselves with close friends and family, become engrossed in their work, don’t worry about material things, and forgive easily according to new research in “positive psychology.”

After studying sadness and depression for years, researchers are beginning to focus their efforts on what makes people happy, a movement in psychology that “emphasizes people’s strengths rather than weaknesses,” according to Martin E. P. Seligman, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist and author of the new book Authentic Happiness. The work of Seligman and other researchers in the field is lending insight into the dynamics of happiness. Here is what they have discovered about happy people:

• They spend time with others. The happiest people spent the least amount of time alone. They connect with many groups of friends and are active in the community. They enjoy being a part of a team and seek out opportunities to connect with others.
  
  
• They don’t care what others do or have. They don’t judge themselves by anyone else’s yardstick. They stay focused on their own goals and objectives, not worrying a great deal what anyone else thinks. They avoid comparisons with others recognizing that there will always be people who have more or better.
  
  
• They don’t worry about materialism. Even rich materialists aren’t as happy as those who care less about getting and spending. “Materialism is toxic for happiness,” according to Ed Diener, a University of Illinois psychologist. This “affluensa” leads folks to chase after the new and improved models always having happiness somewhere in the future. Happy people focus on appreciating what they have instead of wanting more.
  
  
• They lead a life of activity and satisfaction. Happy people are very busy and describe themselves as “in the flow.” They are absorbed in activities that reflect their talents and creativity. They approach each day with eager anticipation. Work is viewed as a challenge and an opportunity. They find jobs that reflect their talents and aspirations and constantly advance their education with reading and formal classes.
  
  
• Happy people know their signature strengths. They have a good idea of the special gifts that they bring to their families, their relationships, and the community. They make every effort to share these gifts in an unselfish and thoughtful way. Through career, hobbies, and other activities they are constantly exploring and expanding their areas of interests.
  
  
• They practice a life of gratitude. Life satisfaction is closely aligned with gratitude, according to psychologists researching happiness. Talking and writing about what they are grateful for amplifies these feelings and keeps their lives in focus. Happy people make it a habit to reflect on their blessings and savour the small pleasures that life has to offer.
  

They are experts in forgiveness. Of all the personality characteristics most aligned with happiness, forgiveness was found to be the most important. It is also the most difficult trait to embrace, however. It is found that people have to actively practice forgiveness and make a conscious effort to “let go” of negative feelings and emotion. As C. Leslie Charles, author of Why is Everyone So Cranky? explains, “Your heart can only hold anger or love, not both. You have to decide which one serves you better.”

Sign up for Barbara's FREE email newsletter at www.barbbartlein.com.

Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro™. She helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com.

Published in Networking Today, January 2003.

Turning Goal Setting Into Results

By Janet Christensen

A new year rings in the promise of a fresh start, a clean slate, and the urge to make the coming year different, better and more personally meaningful and satisfactory. This prompts many people to make New Year’s resolutions and set goals for themselves in some or all areas of their lives – personal, career, business, family. There is great satisfaction and a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when we reach our goals. Following these 7 key points when setting and pursuing your goals will improve your odds of achieving what you set out to accomplish.

1. A goal has to be personally meaningful and significant for you to be motivated to work to achieve it. It needs to be in alignment with your values, your priorities, and what is important to you. When a goal is set for us or imposed upon us, we do not feel a sense of ownership for it, and we are less likely to be willing to work toward it. If you are given goals to achieve, for example in the workplace, work with the goal so that you make it meaningful to you and can claim it as your own. Define success on your terms.
   
   
2. When you are setting your goals look at what you don’t want in your life, as well as what you do want. Sometimes things that we don’t want are important clues to what we want to create and have in our lives. For example, if your life is overloaded, hectic, and disorganized you may have goals relating to streamlining your workload, reducing activities and obligations that are not a priority, and taking a time management course. Or you may know someone who has health problems due to poor lifestyle, diet and other choices, and be inspired to set goals aimed at promoting a healthy you.
   
   
3. Set a reasonable number of goals. It is better to achieve a few key goals than to set yourself up for disappointment and failure by having a large number of goals that will overwhelm you and be impossible to achieve. The 4 main areas to look at when choosing your goals are: Physical (e.g. health and fitness) Emotional (e.g. relationships) Mental (e.g. career, education, business, personal development) Spiritual (e.g. volunteer work, charitable focus, making a contribution)
   
   
4. Set SMART goals. Make them:
   

Specific – Be clear about the goal, state it in positive terms and write it down. Measurable – Have a defined end point so you know when you get there. Achievable – It must be achievable and you need to relate to it/”own” it. Realistic – Choose realistic goals.
Time targeted – Establish a time frame in which to achieve your goal.

A common new year’s resolution is to lose weight. Here’s how to make this a SMART goal.

I will weigh (goal weight) pounds by May 31, 2003.

This goal is specific. It is stated in positive terms – I will weigh a set amount. (Avoid saying you will “lose” a set number of pounds, because your mind tends to want to hang onto things that we perceive with a sense of loss.)

This goal is measurable. When I weigh my goal weight I will have achieved it. What is an achievable weight for me? If I am 5’7” and a large frame, a goal weight of 105 pounds is not achievable (or healthy) for me. I need to be able to visualize myself at the goal weight. May 31 is a realistic time frame in which to reach my goal and my goal weight will be realistic.

For example, if I plan to drop 25 pounds in 2 weeks that is not going to happen. Planning to be 25 pounds lighter in 5 months is more realistic and sets me up to achieve my goal. May 31st is the time target that I have set.

5. When you have big goals and/or long term goals, break them down into smaller steps, as increments, to the overall goal. In this way you will have a sense of achievement along the way and build on your successes. How do you eat an elephant?…. one bite at a time.

For example, you have a goal to run a marathon in 2004 and you are not yet a runner. Your incremental goals may be:

• Join a learn to run class by Jan. 15/03
• Buy running gear by Jan. 20/03
• Run for 30 consecutive minutes by Feb. 28/03
• Get a running buddy by Mar. 25/03
• Run 5 km by May 1/03Etc. etc. until you achieve your long term, big goal of running a marathon in 2004.

6. Connect with your goals. Write them down. Get pictures or photos that relate to your achieved goal and put them where you will see them. For example, I have a goal to visit Costa Rica at Christmas 2003. I have a photo of Costa Rica in my office. It keeps me motivated and excited to work toward being there next year.

Visualize your goal being achieved. Create a mental image of already having the goal and connect with how you will feel at that time. This is a crucial step to achieving your goal – when you can see, feel, hear, taste, and smell it you are connected to your goal and you “own” it. Revisit this connection to already having your goal on a regular basis and your intention will be focused on achieving the goal. This will also help you to overcome any negative thoughts and self-doubt that may creep in and divert you from your goal. Attitude is all-important. Focus on achieving your goals, on how great you will feel, and be excited about creating the life you want.

7. Celebrate when you achieve your goals. Decide ahead how you will reward yourself and make it congruent to the goal. For example, if your goal is to achieve a specific weight, make your reward a flattering new outfit or a day to relax rather than a calorie-laden meal. For big and long term goals, build in rewards along the way and connect them to your incremental goals to keep you motivated. Goals are a cause for focus and achievement, not excuses for beating up on yourself. Most of all have fun!

Make 2003 a year of personal fulfillment, achievement, excitement, and fun by putting the pieces in place to create the life you want to live. Remember to celebrate your success along the way!

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence -- that will enable you to attain the success you seek." Mario Andretti (1940-)US auto racer

Also Read: Making "It" Happen

Janet Christensen’s passion is to empower people to live their full potential. Through her company, Unlimiting Potential, she provides personal coaching, experiential workshops, inspirational speaking, and is a Reiki practitioner. To contact Janet, phone: (519) 434-5397 fax: (519) 434-8344 or email info@janetchristensen.com www.janetchristensen.com

Published in Networking Today, January 2003.

The Power of Passion

By Mike Chatelain

Improving this single attitude makes your days fly by. You wake up excited to work. You make the right decisions. You get more done in less time.

Improving this attitude affects everyone around you. They believe in you, trust you, and want to support you.

This one attitude can change your entire life for the better.

A vital attitude for you to constantly improve is YOUR PASSION.

On a scale of 1 to 10, exactly how excited are you right now? Do you really want to succeed? Are you thrilled with your goals for today? If not, you must generate some passion for your day, your week, and your career.

Leadership

To succeed you must be a leader, if only a leader of one person: you.

"In all great leaders there is a purpose and intensity which is unmistakable." — L. Ron Hubbard

Remember how former President Reagan had UNMISTAKABLE seniority when he met with Communist leaders? Have you noticed how the best speeches of politicians, ministers, or actors always include high-volume intensity? The same applies to the most successful people.

Passion is a self-generated tool. You have the ability to motivate yourself, to concentrate on your purpose, to get yourself excited about what you do.

Your attitude sets the mood for everyone around you. They get excited if you are excited. If you are fascinated, so are they. Recommendations you give to others that come from the heart have a greater impact.

You can never be too passionate

Everyone can increase his or her purpose and intensity.

When you organize all of your activities toward one focused goal, you not only feel more joy in what you are doing, you get more accomplished.

Sometimes it helps to find things that make you passionate. For example, for which of these objectives can you generate the most passion and intensity? ·

• Reaching a specific goal
• Accomplishing a certain level of perfection
• Making a great deal of money
• Going back to an original purpose
• Beating a challenge
• Filling your life with as much happiness as possible
• Fulfilling a duty to yourself or your family
• Helping a great number of people
• Creating a superior reputation
• Building a highly-successful business
• Helping others achieve success
• Becoming the best at what you do
• Hitting a specific statistical target
• Earning enough money to buy something you really need or want
• Making a positive impact on society T

There is nothing stronger than a leader with a firm direction and passion to get there.

Mike Chatelain is the director of Tips for Success. Phone: (209) 754-4113 Email: director@tipsforsuccess.org www.TipsForSuccess.org Copyright © 2002 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. Programmed in the United States.

Published in Networking Today, January 2003.

Putting The Human Back in "Human Resource"

By Debora S. Ferraz

Maybe you did not plan on it…maybe you did. But you have ended up in one of the toughest jobs around.

As a Human Resource Person, you are expected to wear many hats. You are working with moods, tempers, expectations, and misunderstandings. You are dealing with personalities…human beings. You are expected to cope with their headaches, hormones, and personal hang-ups. It can be a rough and tumble job and at the same time, a very rewarding one.

If someone were to ask me to go back in time and pick the one person who left an indelible mark on my psyche, I would have to say it was Sarah, a Human Resource Assistant for a large international corporation. It was always my opinion that Sarah was the glue that held the company together.

Sarah's door was always open to all employees. She was willing to listen and to offer a guiding hand whenever needed. Seems like every time I ventured past her office there was always someone there seeking advice or assistance.

I remember asking her once, "How do you do it? How do you cope with the workload and the people load?"

With her usual beaming smile she answered, "I enjoy helping people. That is why I chose Human Resources." I never forgot those words.

A few years later, Sarah was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but insisted on continuing the job she so enjoyed. She never made it public knowledge as she felt it would impede her relationship with her fellow employees. She refused to let anything get in the way of doing her job.

I watched her amble down the long corridor from the front entrance to her office each day, stopping every now and then to rest and exchange a word or two. I could see the pain in her eyes as she struggled and often wondered how she did it…but she always did, with that luminous smile of hers.

Sarah was my first mentor. She taught me the true meaning of Human Resources and set me on a path that truly changed my life.

The “Sarah’s” of Human Resources are rapidly becoming rare. Not because there is a lack of truly caring people out there but because of the overload of paperwork and repetitive tasks.

I asked 100 Human Resource Managers and Assistants from a cross section of businesses the following question: If you could make one change that you feel would greatly improve efficiency and reduce time and paperwork, what would that be? The answer was always the same…an HR system that focuses more on people management.

For the most part, a few of the HR systems I looked at were all payroll driven. That is, the emphasis was on processing payroll, benefits, and time records...in short, an accounting system. While they did have a people-management add-on, they were simply not designed to address the daily time-consuming tasks of an HR department.

However, just as I was beginning to lose hope, the good folks at Willow Software Technology gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in reviewing their HR system. Here is a brief review:

Willow Software Technology is a Canadian software consulting company specializing in the development, marketing, and support of a range of technology-based knowledge systems for People Management. They have just introduced a powerful new suite of software tools designed to help organizations better manage their Human Resource function. The system is called: Associate Resource Development Systems or ARDS.

ARDS takes the “clumsy” out of HR systems and replaces it with “easy, flexible, and all encompassing” solutions to every HR person's nightmare. What impressed me the most, was that I was able to sit at their terminal, set up a new employee, amend this employee's information, report on this employee, and at a glance, view a detailed employee's record. All of this was accomplished in less than 15 minutes. This system is indeed thorough and very simple. I threw every imaginable HR problem or expected task at it and it was covered. ARDS is truly a powerful, easy to use, and intuitive People Management System.

Finally! A system that is easy, secure, reduces paperwork, time-effective, informs at a glance, and totally flexible. What more can any HR Manager ask for? Perhaps now there will be hope for more “Sarah’s” and happier work environments. Would it not be great if we could put the Human back in Human Resource?

Author's Note:
For a more detailed overview of the ARDS Human Resource System, please contact the author at: aimcorporate@sympatico.ca or telephone: 905-808-8664.

Debora Ferraz is a well-known seminar speaker, corporate trainer, and management consultant with AIM Corporate Training Solutions. Debora can be reached at aimcorporate@sympatico.ca.

Published in Networking Today, January 2003.