Thanks for coming back to visit me today. I care about what you think so please leave your comments and opinions. _____________________________________________________________________

Here is a piece of an article that I copied and pasted from Fortune Magazine for you. For the entire article, I have included the link at the bottom.

Keep investing in the core.

Recessions end, and much of the art of recession management involves remembering that fact. When this lousy stretch is over, will your business be more competitive or less? The most successful companies never stop funding their most critical competencies - product innovation, customer service, or anything else.

Kohl’s, the big retailer, actually spent more on marketing this past holiday season than it did last year. Intuit’s Smith says, “We’re not going to cut innovation. This company for 25 years has been fueled by new-product innovation. We’re protecting the innovation pipeline so we come out of this strong.” For virtually all companies, a critical part of the core is the continual development of employees. Yet it’s remarkable how many businesses cut training and development in a downturn. The best never do.

Today I heard a comment that shocked me! I was speaking with a corporate business leader about the effect that the current economic climate is having on her company and the morale of her people.

Now before I go on with my story you have to know,  as many of you do, in Quebec it is the law that if a company has a payroll of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) or more, then the company has to reinvest 1% of that sum into transferable skills training. If the company does not provide the training then they have to write a cheque to the government for the amount that they should have spent . Yes, they have to hand the money over, with nothing in return for it. Just kiss that cash goodbye never to be seen again.

Ok, back to my story. I asked the executive how they were investing their 1% training money to help support their people and she told me that they are not. They have decided to hand the cash over to the government instead.

I had to pick myself up off the floor. If you or someone you know is doing this, please stop! There are many great trainers out there who can make a significant contribution to your organization and that 1% can go a long way in making things better. To sweeten the deal even more, there are government subsidies out there for small and medium size businesses that will cover up to 50% of the trainers fees! With the 1% investment, the 50% subsidy and the expertise that a trainer will bring, it is a wonderful way to invest in your company.

Also, this is the time to be thinking about how you and your company can keep the economy going. Hiring trainers is one step in the right direction.

If you have any questions about the 1% law or the 50% subsidies, please post a comment here! I will be more than happy to talk to you.

There are three types of leaders in this world. Have a look at these descriptions and give some thought to where you fit in, and if that is where you want to be.

Keep in mind that most people will not fall squarely into one single category but will exhibit behavioural tendencies. What I really want to do here is to get you thinking about where you are strong, what to keep, what to build and what does not serve you or your people.

The Enhancer: These leaders are self confident, strong, they walk their talk and so have earned the respect of those around them. They lead from a place of personal power ( see below for power vs authority). These are the men and women whom others want to work for because they are known to show a positive attitude, they know how to foster cooperation among others and they are dedicated to spotting the best in others.  People produce results for enhancers because they want to and not because they feel they have no choice. Enhancers love to share the credit with their team members and will always protect others from the fall out of things gone wrong.

The Neutralizer: This person will often fall back on authority rather than personal power to get those things done. The neutralizer is generally looked upon with the respect of some, some of the time and the disdain of others, some of the time. Although a neutralizer is capable of expressing emotions, they often don’t so they come across as being impersonal or gaurded. Those who report to a neutralizer will do what they have to do to get things done but not a spark of energy more than that.

The Diminisher: Oh my, you don’t want to be this one, thats for sure! These poor souls are the ones with no self confidence and have no clue when it comes to personal power. Falling back on the authority of their title is key for them, plus they will intimidate others. Diminishers are looking out for number one and will not hesitate to hog credit or shift blame. We call them diminishers because they will diminish the organization.

Like I said at the beginning, these are broad stereotypes; however the descriptions do make the point about the direction we should all be heading in. Give some thought to what you can do to develop your own style so that you can land squarely in the Enhancer catagory. Once you have some ideas about how you can improve, then set your goals, plan your actions and make it happen! Yes you can!

Below you will find a quote that was allegedy said by John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia. I am sharing it with you because I am really curious what people think about the point of view that he is expressing.

I support a couple of the leadership values that are coming through here. For one, that he is being very clear in his point of view. I also support that his is patriotic and pround of the traditional Australian way of life and he wants to protect it. 

 

To me, the tone comes across as though he is angry and fed up with a certain segment of the population which I would like him to polish up because the tone is muting the message of harmony and unity that Howard is trying to deliver. Have a look at post a comment with your opinion.

 

Prime Minister John Howard - Australia 

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. 

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques. Quote:

‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on  Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.’ 

‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom’ 

‘We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!’ 

‘Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’ 

‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’ 

‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.’ 

People are goal seekers by nature so we are happiest when we are working towards the accomplishment of a goal. The more connected you are to your goal, the more you will feel alive and energized when you are working towards it.

In coaching we use the term ’stretch goal’ which means that you should be pushing yourself slightly outside of your comfort zone…..you know, you have to stretch a bit to grasp it, without falling flat on your face.

You have probably read it a thousand times before; behavioral scientists agree that few people ever utilize more than a fraction of their potential. The exiting news is that you possess more internal ability than you will ever use. The biggest obstacle you will ever face is your own, self imposed limiting beliefs. What the heck is a limiting belief? It is fancy speak for BAD ATTITUDE!!

Success is the continual achievement of your own predetermined goals, stabilized by balance and purifed by a positive attitude.

Here is another message that you have heard before; success is not a destination, it is a journey which is not related to your wealth, position in life or fame. Success is your state of being and your way of life.

Listen to and learn from others but recognize that to serve yourself you must not compare yourself to others, but choose your own path. Pursue goals that you believe in, based in your values.

 

Good Morning! Thanks for visiting. Recently I turned 40 and hosted a big party to celebrate. The seeds for this event were planted a year ago when I made a deal with my husband that I would save a small amount of my business profits with each new contract and what ever I could save, would be what I could spend on the party. As the months went on, my event became not only a celebration of my milestone birthday and my wonderful life, but also a triumph in business success. My savings went from being able to buy a new cd and having a few friends over to listent to it, to a full scale event complete with 70 guests, a live - 5 piece band, a caterer, a fully stocked bar, 3 serving staff, hired glasses, decor and fresh flowers!! The triumph of this success was sweet, for sure. But what made this event really, really meaningful was the fact that I turned it into a fundraiser. I asked that my guests make a donation to a local foundation in lieu of gifts for me. I also drove around to local shops and boutiques to request items for raffle and silent auction. We raised just over $3000.00 but what struck me the most was how easy it was to do something meaningful. As I try to express this new awareness I struggle because it is still coming into focus for me. For now, my lesson in leadership is that to live a meaningful life, one must do meaningful things…..and a little goes a long way.