Profile: Lambeth Gardens Secret Garden Revealed

By Susan Regier

Nestled on the south side of Main Street, Lambeth, Janet Morton, gardener extraordinaire, has created an impressive garden sanctuary where customers can meander through nearly 250 species of plants and envision a plan for their gardens. Complete with pond, Lambeth Gardens is the only Centre in London where one can actually see how the plants would look in their backyard, and then purchase those plants on the spot.

“We’ve created a form and textured artistic approach to gardening,” said Morton. “One supplier commented he hadn’t seen anything like this in Canada. It was reminiscent of European gardens.”

With a passion for gardening, Morton had worked with one of London’s top landscaping and design centres for several years after retiring from an administrative career. Her dream became reality in 2005 when she discovered this property for sale and enlisted the help of friend, Terry Fujdala, a retired nurse with an equal passion for gardening.

“My family has been instrumental in helping me with the business as well,” said Morton. “My daughter, Natalie, has been a great asset and helps five days a week.”

Twenty-five-year-old Natalie is intellectually handicapped and loves to help people. She never tires and is the eyes and ears of the operation. Natalie loves the outdoors and the physical work involved with the Centre. She helps with plant arrangements, pricing, deadheading plants, greeting customers, and carrying purchases to their vehicles.

Lambeth Gardens sells a variety of unusual annuals and perennials, such as the new fibre optic grass, perfect for pots. Morton visits all the growers to ensure the plants are healthy. And they specialize in container gardening, finding untapped suppliers for planters and baskets that are exclusive to their shop.

Morton provides landscaping advice and demonstrates how to make impressive garden planters. She stresses organic gardening and teaches the best way to compost. And they’re competitively priced – their promotional specials consistently beat the Big Box stores.

Lambeth Gardens is located at 2368 Main Street and open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturdays; and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays.

“I enjoy what I am doing and love to help with gardening concerns,” said Morton. “But best of all is being able to work alongside Natalie and watching her blossom.”

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Susan Regier is the publisher/editor of Networking Today and owner of Vantage One Writing, a professional writing service for businesses. (519) 471-8726 Email: regiers@vantageone.ca Web site: www.vantageone.ca

Published in Networking Today, May 2007

More People Aren’t Doing Today What They Won’t Do Tomorrow

By Barbara Bartlein

Procrastination is on the rise according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. The ten years of research, which was only suppose to take five years, was conducted by professor Piers Steel from the University of Calgary. He found that procrastination is on the rise and makes people poorer, fatter, and unhappier.

Dr. Steel has found that procrastination is pervasive and affects individuals, families, communities, and business. “Ninety-five percent of us procrastinate at least occasionally and about 15 to 20% do it consistently and problematically,” according to Steel. “Also, there are historical records of people procrastinating going back at least 3,000 years.” According to this massive study, in 1978, only about 5% of Americans viewed themselves as chronic procrastinators. It is now 26%.

His comprehensive analysis of procrastination research, published in the recent edition of the American Psychological Association’s Psychological Bulletin, presents some surprising conclusions on the subject, such as:

· Most people will not follow through with their New Year’s resolutions.

· Perfectionism is not at the root of procrastination.

“Essentially, procrastinators have less confidence in themselves, less expectancy that they can actually complete a task,” Steel says. “Perfectionism is not the culprit. In fact, perfectionists actually procrastinate less, but they worry about it more.”

Some other behaviors that predict procrastination include: task aversiveness, impulsiveness, distractibility, and how much a person is motivated to achieve. Not all delays can be considered procrastination; the key is that a person must believe it would be better to start working on given tasks immediately, but still not start.

There are many theories on why people procrastinate and Dr. Steel has examined the four most popular ones generally promoted.

• Anxiety: Fear of Failure and Perfectionism

People are thought to procrastinate on tasks that are stressful. Therefore, those who are more susceptible to experiencing stress should procrastinate more. This theory is not supported by research. It may explain why we might avoid tasks entirely, but not why we delay them. In fact, more anxiety is experienced as we near a deadline, so procrastination appears to be a way of increasing anxiety, not reducing it. Research evidence indicates a weak or no relationship between anxiety and irrational beliefs and procrastination. In fact, self-perfectionists actually report less procrastination than other people.

• Self-Handicapping

This refers to the habit of placing obstacles that interfere with their own good performance. The motivation is often to protect self-esteem by giving them an “out” if they fail to do well. While there is some overlap of symptoms with procrastination, it has different causes and treatment.

• Rebelliousness

According to some research, rebelliousness, hostility, and disagreeableness are thought to be major motivations for procrastination. While parents of teenagers may disagree, this theory is not supported. It may explain why we might avoid tasks entirely, but not why we delay them. In fact, we appear more autonomous by just not doing a task. By doing it at the last minute, procrastination may appear to be “caving in” to the demands.

• Temporal Motivation Theory (TMT)

Steel identifies this theory as “cutting edge” based on an equation that evaluates people’s decisions. He has found that people will low levels of self-efficacy or feelings of competence, procrastinate more. Procrastination is also strongly associated with the value of the task. The more unpleasant it is viewed to be, the more likely to be delayed. Steel found that people who are more distractible, impulsive, and have less self-control tend to procrastinate more.

Procrastination is strongly associated with time delay. The closer we are to realizing the goal, the harder we work at it. In fact, work often expands to the time allotted for completion. As Johnny Carson once said, “If you have all week to do a TV show, it will take you all week. If you have a show everyday, you get it done everyday.”

The TMT theory also predicts an intention-action gap, where we intend to work but fail to act on our intentions. Procrastinators often have many intentions but tend to fail to put them into action.

Interested in an evaluation of your procrastination? Log on to www.procrastinus.com to participate in online study. You will receive an evaluation of your procrastination along with suggestions to reduce delaying what you need to get done. Do it today, not tomorrow.

As Mark Twain remarked, “Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow.”

Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro®. She offers keynotes, seminars and consultation to help you build your business. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@thepeoplepro.com or visit her website at www.ThePeoplePro.com.

Published in Networking Today, May 2007

Effective List Making

By Karen Susman

List makers, put down your chalk and slates, pads and pencils, laptops and Blackberries! The Rocky Mountain News filled two pages in the Lifestyle section with an article on lists and list makers. The findings were that 84% of us make lists and 84% of the 84% use pen and paper instead of technology to make lists of errands, shopping, goals, and projects. For 40% of the list makers, list making made them more organized. The other 60% were too busy completing their lists to respond.

Joy Berrenberg, associate professor of psychology at the University of Denver, warned that getting attached to your lists and the completion of your lists can keep you from doing things just for fun, things that add joy to your life.

So, for Professor Berrenberg and all the list makers in the land, why not wedge fun items into your list? Just imagine. You sneak off to the movies in the middle of the day. Instead of guilt, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment when you can check that off your list. While you're at it, put down some things on your list you'll be sure to complete such as turning off the alarm and brushing your teeth. Then you can start the day with a feeling of triumph. Look at you. Barely out of bed and already two items checked off your list.

For many people, having long lists of things to do gives them a sense of value and self-worth. "I must be important," they say to themselves. "Just look at all I have to do." It's the "I have lists therefore I am" philosophy.

It's not enough to have lists, you have to prioritize and organize the lists. Here are some tips that can make your lists more effective.

Prioritize a list of to-do's in two quick ways:

1. Keep your list to ten items. Pick the two items that if you were to complete would bring you the biggest return. Do those items first.
2. Prioritize to-do's by pretending you only have half the time you actually have. Choose or simplify the activities (or delegate tasks) as if you only had half the time.

Lists of errands can be clumped together by location, time, day, or type of task. While it's admirable to drive all over town to save a buck or two, it's not efficient. Gas, time, and the value of your time are often too much to pay for chasing bargains.

Do as much as you can online to save time and money. Bailey The Wonder Dog takes three medications. Two of these I order online late in the evening. It's smart to use my low energy time for a low energy activity. When the third prescription ran out, Bailey had to wait ten days for me to drive to the veterinarian office during my prime time to pick up his meds. Sorry Bailey.

Post-Its are swell, but can get scattered or stuck everywhere. Either slap them in one place or keep a master list of those thoughts that pop up and need to be captured. By the way, there is Post-Its software for keeping digital Post-Its.

List making can reduce stress. Don't burden yourself trying to remember everything. One of my favorite lists is one I keep by my bedside. If something comes to me in the middle of the night like if I don't pay the mortgage tomorrow, the bank will be moving me out. Instead of staying up all night worrying and beating up on myself, I write a quick note and go back to sleep. Releasing a nagging thought works better than counting sheep.

Finally, it can be helpful to review your old lists. Consider which items are never completed. Delegate or delete these items. Notice patterns. What do you do first? When do you get the most done? When do you run out of steam?

Schedule around this information and your lists will serve you well.

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Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com.

Published in Networking Today, May 2007

A.I.M. For Development Setting Personal Development Objectives that Work

By Hugh Murray...Submitted by Nancy Friedman

The key to self development is motivation. You can make people do a lot of things, but self-development isn’t one of them. People will develop if they want to and they won’t if they don’t. Any approach to encouraging self-development that does not start with this reality will fail.

It is widely agreed today that people should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own development and that managers play a key role in making this happen. But that is really as far as it goes. Most managers are then left to flounder around, trying to help identify personal development plans, in a process that could be described as bureaucratic form-filling.

A.I.M. is a new approach to setting development objectives that actually work – that actually lead to self-development and therefore an improvement in performance.

A for Aspiration

Any manager seeking to help an individual develop, must start with a discussion of the individual’s aspirations. What does he or she want to achieve? Only when this is clear will it be possible to identify areas for development that the individual will want to address. The problem is that most people don’t have a clear idea about what they want to achieve. Questions are the most powerful tools you have to help people to think. Statements invite challenge. Questions invite thought.

"Tell me what you want to achieve in this job" rarely works. Occasionally, this will produce a useful answer but most of us simply don’t think like this and you’re likely to meet either stunned silence or the overly simple: "money!" A better question would be: "What aspects of your current job do you particularly enjoy?" Most people can answer this and the reply may give you a clue to their longer-term aspirations. You can guide people into a discussion of their aspirations by asking them how they might do more of what they like, or less of what they don’t. However you do it, you need to help people get clear in their own minds just what it is that they want to achieve. Only then can you move forward to identify self-development that they will want to do.

I for Interests

Development must be in the interests of the organization and compatible with your corporate goals. If there is no motivation, there will be no development. If the organization does not benefit however, there will be no point. So why not start by identifying development that is in the organization’s interests and then look for ways of motivating someone to develop in that way? The answer is because it does not work. People feel they are being manipulated if you try to fit their aspirations into the organization’s goals.

People respond better if you focus on them—on what they want to achieve—and then look for advantages to the organization later. You will end up with a greatly motivated individual if you begin with him or her. Motivation is more important than any other single aspect of development. So start with what motivates the individual and then apply the organization's interests to select which developments to support.

M for Measurement

How will you know if a development objective has be attained if the outcome is not measured? Development is about improving performance so measure development by measuring performance. For example, measure leadership by observing the effect of the leadership on the team. If leadership has improved the team, performance will have improved.

For a self-development objective to be effective, the measurement of success must be clear. There can be no room for argument about whether the objective has been achieved or not. Choose an observable effect of the improved performance and then agree to a clear measure of that effect.

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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, May, 2007

Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

By Barb Smith

A networking contact of mine once gave me a fridge magnet that reads:

It’s your attitude that determines your altitude.

While the notion holds true in many contexts, it is particularly applicable in job search. Whether early on when you may be feeling somewhat directionless, or when you are well into your search and wondering if it’s ever going to end, your attitude will play a key role in the quality of your decision-making, not to mention your resilience.

Early on…

There is nothing quite like losing your job (for whatever reason) to have you questioning your self worth. While emotional reactions to job loss vary, it’s not unusual to experience a loss of confidence and a desire to do little more than sit in front of the TV. And for those few who experience a situational depression, the prospect of getting out of bed in the morning can be equated to climbing Mount Everest.

This is not the time to engage in a job search. Give yourself some time to work through the negative emotions and concentrate your focus on things you CAN control. As time goes by your attitude will improve and you will start to experience more neutral and even positive feelings. This is your signal that you are ready to begin your search.

Along the road to job satisfaction…

Now that you are feeling a little more in control (and a little more energetic), you’ll probably find that your attitude toward your job search has improved as well. This is a good thing.

From this point forward, keeping a positive attitude is a must. To quote author Peter McWilliams, “you can’t afford the luxury of a negative thought.” Negativity will deplete your energy and distort your perception at a time when you need to be your best. A positive outlook on the other hand, will help keep you motivated and moving toward your goal.

Furthermore, we tend to “wear” our attitude; it is evident in our face, voice, and body language. When you consider that most interviewers (many of whom are trained in reading body language) rate confidence and a positive outlook as the number one turn-on in an interview, you start to understand the power of a positive attitude. And given the number of people with whom you will interact during your search, leaving them all with positive impression can only help.

A positive attitude is one of the most compelling qualities a job seeker can bring to bear in every aspect of the search. Don’t leave home without it!

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Barb Smith is a professional Job Search Coach in London, Ontario who applies the employer’s perspective when helping individuals find satisfying jobs with a minimum of stress and frustration. For more information, contact Barb at 519.691.0218 or email barb@barbsmithjobsearchcoach.ca. www.BarbSmithJobSearchCoach.ca

Published in Networking Today, May 2007

Differentiating Yourself

By Andrew Sobel

A client of mine, a senior partner in a large professional firm, recently voiced the following frustration to me:

“We are unique in the way that we work with clients and we offer a clearly superior service. Clients don’t seem to recognize this though. We should have even more than our share of business.”

“Well,” I responded (probably somewhat unsympathetically), “Unfortunately, your clients just don¹t perceive that differentiation. They don’t see you as being particularly different compared to your competitors.” I challenged him to really explore how his firm was different and whether this actually translated into a perceptibly different and more valuable experience for the client.

Most professionals have experienced this dilemma. We believe our firms are unique, different, and better, but clients don't always share that warm feeling. It gets worse when you’re pitching for new business. If you’re one of five major investment banks competing for a major deal, it can feel like a brutal, uphill struggle. How do you demonstrate that you really are different?

Differentiation in service businesses, more often than not, occurs through the cumulative impact of many small actions. Comparatively, a product can have demonstrably superior technology and design features. Think Audi's Quattro four wheel drive system, or Apple's integrated multimedia software. Such a clear advantage is harder to achieve and demonstrate for a law firm or consulting firm that sells services rather than physical products.

So, how can you differentiate yourself and your firm? Clearly, the challenge is a bit different depending on whether you are trying to win a client over for the first time or have already established a working relationship.

When you are first getting to know the client:

1. Communicate a track record of having solved the client’s problem before.

2. Ask thoughtful questions which implicitly demonstrate your knowledge of the issues.

3. Prepare thoroughly. This sounds pretty basic. You’d be surprised how many clients have mentioned how many outside professionals come unprepared.

4. Be quick and responsive by sending a set of thoughtful discussion notes back to the client on the same day as the meeting.

5. Add value in the conversation by:

· Asking questions that really make the client think about the issues.

· Challenging assumptions or problem definitions.

· Sharing best practices and ideas that relate to the client's issue.

· Introducing interesting market and competitive information.

· Suggesting novel or counter-intuitive courses of action and implementation approaches

· Asking unique questions. "Is your organization truly convinced that you need to bring in an outside resource for this?" or "Have you assessed the risks of your approach? In our experience, several factors can typically derail progress..."

6. Clarify the client’s position about the issue at hand.

7. Discuss companies the client respects.

8. Establish rapport (identifying things you have in common, empathizing, discovering shared avocations or interests, using humor, etc.)

9. Project high levels of energy, enthusiasm, and passion. (Do you enjoy people who are low energy, bored by what they do, and lack emotion? I didn't think so).

10. Offer something tangible that other competitors just don't have.

11. Values and culture can be articulated to clients, and most importantly, demonstrated through your behavior and interactions.

Once you have established a relationship:

12. Promote the quality and impact of your work.

13. Indicate the depth of the relationships you build.

14. Contribute to both the institution and the client executives you are working with by adding multiple layers of value (core, personal, surprise).

15. Consider what kind of an experience you create for the client. How much transparency is there? What is the frequency and quality of interactions? Have you used technology to better connect with the client and create ongoing knowledge transfer? Have you reduced the client's cost of doing business?

16. Follow-up and listen to post project completion. (Meet with the client three months after a project is over to discuss the results, etc.).

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Remember, show that you are different through the experience you communicate, the quality of your thinking, and the depth of your personal interactions, not by projecting a PowerPoint slide that says you are the best. If you can give your clients a few good ideas or advance their understanding of their issues in your initial conversations, they will have positive proof that you are different than the competition.

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Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on client relationships and the skills and strategies required to earn enduring client and customer loyalty. He is coauthor of Clients for Life: How Great Professionals Development Breakthrough Relationships (Simon & Schuster). He can be reached at (505) 982-0211 or by e-mail at andrew@andrewsobel.com www.andrewsobel.com

Published in Networking Today, May 2007.

Are You “Cell”ing Yourself Short?

By Susan Friedmann

Cell phones have changed our world. With few exceptions, we can now talk to anyone we like whenever we’d like. The staccato symphony ofring tones accompanies us through our days: from the morning commute to the crowded restaurant at lunchtime, during meetings and even during the quick stop at the grocery store when the day is done. We’re always connected, always reachable. It’s a marvel – that can destroy your tradeshow performance.

Consider the following: You’re at a tradeshow. An attractive exhibit catches your eye. The product on display is exactly what you’ve been searching for. When you approach the booth, a staffer looks up and with a gesture indicates that you should wait, just one minute, while he finishes his call. When he’s done talking to the important people, the message seems to be, he’ll be happy to talk to you. How long are you going to wait? After all, you’ve only a limited amount of time at the show, and there are dozens of other booths on your “must-see” list. When you discover that the display just a little further down the aisle also appears to feature a product that could fill your needs, chances are that’s all the impetus you’ll need to move along. There’s no sense waiting for the staffer to finish his call, not when there are other people who are more than ready to talk to you right now.

Let’s flip the scenario around. You’re on the other side of the aisle when your cell phone rings. Do you take the call? I can hear you now. “But that’s different! My call is important!” Guess what? The salesman in the first example thought his call was important, too. And it was – to him. It was more important than you were, at least.

Talking on your cell phone tells tradeshow attendees three things:

1. Your team’s focus is NOT on the tradeshow.
2. Your attendee is not the most important person in the room – that honor belongs to whoever has your cell phone number.
3. The attendee’s business is not valuable to your company.

Add to this the very real possibility that attendees are listening to at least one side of your staffer’s cell phone conversations. What might they be hearing? Confidential business details, including customer names, order size, and more. What great info for your competitors to have.

Intimate, personal conversations. Nothing’s more off putting than TMI (too much information)

Humor or observations that may be considered offensive. What a PR nightmare! How does this impact your marketing message? How does cell phone use by your staffers affect how that message is received by the show attendees? It’s entirely possible that cell phone use by your staff will eliminate the clear communication of your marketing message. Sad but true: that’s the best you can hope for. Worse, and far more likely, attendees are getting different messages from your company, including:
We’re too busy for you.
We’re too important for you.
We don’t care about you.
You’re not worth our time.
You don’t deserve our attention.

Is that the message you want to send? Emphatically NO! That’s why you need a cell phone policy. This policy will obviously vary by company, but should include the following:

• Cell phones must be shut off when you’re on the floor.
• Give staffers regular breaks so they can check messages and make calls, away from the exhibit.
• Staffers who have personal reasons to be in constant contact (i.e., small children, ailing parents, etc.) should be encouraged to program their phones to signal “high priority” calls with a distinctive ring or vibration pattern. That way, staffers can only answer emergency calls and let voice mail pick up the rest. This offers your team the security of being constantly connected while still keeping the focus on the tradeshow attendees.

Expect some resistance when first introducing this policy. Cell phones have become such a part of our lives that many people feel naked without them. Explain the benefits and reasoning of the policy. Minimize tension by being flexible, providing ample opportunity for staffers to “check in,” and leading by example. You can’t tell your people to turn off their phones and then spend the day chatting on yours!

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows. Author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” and “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market” (May 2007). www.thetradeshowcoach.com

Published in Networking Today, May, 2007

Planning for a Successful Retirement

by Janet Christensen

Your successful retirement is as unique as you are. There is no one size fits all formula to guarantee retirement success. It comes from doing what brings you meaning and fulfillment.

People are living longer; in the last 90 years, the average life expectancy has increased over 30 years. People are retiring earlier; the average age of first retirement in North America is 58. I say first retirement because many people go on to do other things.

The effects of these trends are just becoming known. People are viewing life and life stages in new ways. It is likely that you will be in retirement longer than any other adult career developmental phase. Retirement may not signal the end of your career, and may instead begin another stage of your career.

The old retirement paradigm meant you retired when you couldn't work any longer or when you reached a specified age (usually 65). In 1883, Otto Von Bismark originated the concept of old age pension and retiring at age 65. He wanted to show the other European countries how progressive the new Germany was by initiating an old age pension plan without breaking the bank in the process. His actuaries advised him that only 1.5% of the population reached age 65 in 1883, so age 65 became the affordable pension age. Using the same criteria today, 1.5% of the population reaches the age of 86. In 1883, 65 was old; now, 65 is middle age.

You may focus on retirement preparation through financial planning. This is only one aspect of retirement success. It also requires emotional, behavioural, psychological, attitudinal, and relationship preparation.

There are 15 factors to consider while planning a successful retirement, including:

• work reorientation

• attitude toward retirement

• life meaning; adaptability

• replacement of work functions

• family and personal relationships

When you do this introspective work and plan for retirement, you do well. When you do not do this work, you likely will not adjust well.

Your work provides structure with regular hours and routine. When you retire some of the structure is taken away, which can be stressful. You may move from a defined, full time worker into another definition of yourself. You may also feel an ambiguity about what retirement looks like and wonder what you are really supposed to be doing?

You plan financially and invest in RRSP's years ahead of retiring. It is important to plan ahead in all areas of your life for retirement. You may think that preparing for retirement while still working may adversely affect your motivation, productivity, and effectiveness at work. However, exactly the opposite happens. Just as saving for retirement through RRSP's is motivating, comprehensive planning creates a happier, healthier, more optimistic you (and therefore more productive and motivated on the job). Bottom line: it is never too early to start planning for and designing your successful retirement.

Today, retirees are generally healthy, bright, well traveled, Internet savvy, and ready to start a new life adventure. They are full of vitality, desire, enthusiasm, and seeking retirement with meaning and fulfillment.

What is your dream? What is your passion? Planning wisely in all areas of your life will bring meaning and fulfillment to this wonderful stage of your life.

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Janet Christensen, President of Dynamic Awareness Inc., is a coach, facilitator and speaker with a specialty in retirement coaching, using the Life Options® and Retirement Success Profile® tools to help you discover, plan and live your retirement dream – from the inside out.

Published in Networking Today, May 2007.