Merry Christmas

Hello everybody,

I just thought we'd take the opportunity to wish you and all your colleagues and family members a very merry Christmas and a fantastic new year.

It is the perfect time to reflect back on year that went by and remember all those people, who made it special. Our world revolves around our friends and family, who have a special importance during the festive season. However, often we forget our co-workers, with whom we spend a large amount of our time. This Christmas, let your co-workers and friends know how special they are to you.

Christmas wishes are the best way to make your co-workers and friends realise how important their support is to you.

May the holiday season open the gate of new opportunity and success for you! Merry Christmas!

All the very best and safe journeys where ever you might find yourself travelling to and we look forward to continuing the success of 2010!

Best Wishes

Dale Carnegie London Team !

You're Fired!

At least one contestant on The Apprentice hears these words each week as over 7 million of us view in to watch the challenges and triumphs they endure.

Last week the teams were split into boys verses girls and were given a list of ten items, a budget and a day to hunt them all down for the best price.

Those of us who love watching human behaviour will have noticed that the boys more or less hit the streets straight away with their Project Managers words of ‘offer them at least 70% less than what they want’ ringing in their ears, whilst the girls sat down with the telephone directories and located the majority of the items before hitting the streets some two hours later.

The outcome was that the boys managed to buy 7/10 items and the girls located and bought all 10. However, even with the hefty fines the boys were given for not getting everything on the list, they still won! Why? Because they negotiated better and some may say harder than the girls!

Negotiation is the most important part of the sales role and can be the hardest, and here are four tips to help you with that process:

There should be three stages of every negotiation.
Learning the other person’s goals and establishing what you want will direct the flow of the discussion. Gather information on the other person and his or her needs by doing your homework. The goal should be to reach a compromise. And both parties should leave the negotiation satisfied.

Work with, not against, others in determining neutrally beneficial solutions.
Try to create a win-win situation. Your customer should feel good about the transaction and you should walk away happy about your sale. Never attempt an offer too quickly; you don’t want to think you could have done better twenty minutes later, nor would you want to leave anything out.

Finalize all agreements.
Don’t depend on working out all the details later. Time pressures cause us to be vulnerable to compromise and human errors as well as the customer backing out later claiming certain points were not discussed. Offer to write up the agreement, if possible. There are always small points that are unclear. When you write the agreement, you define those points.

Follow through.
Do what you said you would do and do it when you said you would do it. Make sure the customer follows through on their end of the agreement.

If you would like further tips then why not come along to our free Sales Advantage session on 6th January. A perfect time to kick start your New Year.

Helen Mills
Financial Controller
http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

Attitude

As I sit here in my study the light snow is steadily adding to the 350 cm we have had in the last 48 hours. With daytime temperatures no where near approaching zero I wonder when we will return to some normality.

I could be sitting here raging about the 5 hours delay I had Tuesday evening on a 45 minutes train journey, the postponement of training that is my responsibility with some people travelling the length of the country to attend. Getting frustrated about the new business winning meetings that are scheduled for today and missing my mother's 89th birthday tomorrow will only make me feel worse. Cooperating with the inevitable is essential, not a cop out, its common sense.

Dr Charles R. Swindoll, pastor, writer of over 70 books and regarded as the 25th most influential preacher in the world today, decided that:

“The longer I live, the more I realise the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, or say or do. It is more important than appearance, than giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company.......... a church......... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 per cent what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.”

A vital aspect of Dale Carnegie’s training programmes is that we actively work on shifting attitude to the positive, a can do outlook. Next time you are considering development for yourself or your team make sure you choose the one that has a positive approach to life and not just remedies for taking away the pain.

David Pickering
Sales Consultant and Trainer

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Team Spirit

‘Wickets, runs, bowlers, overs, stumps, the Gabba, the Barmy Army...’

This week saw the start of the Ashes and a month of cricket played between England and Australia. The anticipation has been building for weeks and the rivalry between the teams and the fans is strong. Both teams really want to win, England want to hold on to the Ashes crown and the Australians want to take it back. Both teams have been training hard for the test matches ahead and their fans are depending on them to perform at the best.

In order to have any chance of winning each side needs to work together as an effective team, this is the same for any group of people in any business, unless they work collectively to produce their desired outcome they will not achieve the best results possible.

Here are some tips to help your team to be effective and keep on track –

Have frequent and open communication - Most teams dysfuntion is rooted in coommunication breakdowns, such as poor listening, interrupting, rambling, an inibility to get to the point and simply not communicating enough to create team cohesions.

Build Cooperation – In a strong team, individuals rely on each other to make processes and interactions function as planned.

Recognize strengths – Take time to give honest and sincere appreciation to team members.

Manage results, not tasks – Ultimately, what matters is each team member’s contribution to the team’s goals and mission. Strong teams, with diverse peronalities, learn to focus on the results each team member achieves, rather than trying to make indivduals achieve results in a certain way.

Leverage competitive spirit to create communication – Friendly competition generates results. Keep the competition between the team and it’s own past results, not between individual team members.

For more tips and articles on how you and your team can achieve your maximum potential click here to visit the Dale Carnegie Knowledge Centre .

Sophie Whittall
Marketing Co-ordinator

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Unleash Your Full Potential

What would be the impact on your organisation if the employees were able to increase their level of performance?

Dale Carnegie helps improve the performance of organisations by improving the performances of their people.

At the recent graduation ceremony of our flagship programme “Effective Communications and Human Relations” participants presented one of the results they have achieved over the twelve weeks. Regardless of their position or industry everyone got one step closer to their goals.

Here are some of their achievements:

Senior Technician (Architecture Design) - improved relationships with clients by being more approachable and turned cynicism into a consistent positive mindset

Service Manager (Insurance) - raised profile within the organisation by getting the confidence to speak in meetings, engaging with his team as well as the senior management

PHD student - increased confidence to deliver presentations and sell an idea to the audience, managed high levels of pressures and stress

Project Manager (Banking) - learnt the art of listening which helped increase efficiencies by getting the correct information to the customer within deadlines

Lead Researcher (Digital Agency) - learnt to coach the team to improve results, empowered others to take initiative, delegated responsibilities which enabled the department to take on more projects

Assistant Manager (Hotel) - became more positive and approachable, inspired the team to do better, and received an award for collecting the most 'Thank You' notes from the team

Is there anything you can do differently/ more of/ better to increase your level of performance?

To find out more about how Dale Carnegie supports individuals, teams and organisations or to arrange a free skills assessment call us on 0207 379 4323.

Corina

Performance Consultant

Be Exponential

There is something to be said about being on a roll. Just look at sporting teams, winning two or three games in a row and all of a sudden the confidence and belief is up within the group and they begin to get better and better. Reality is this isn’t just sports teams, it works with business as companies getting better and better, just look at Apple who have grown year on year and zoomed through the recession. Interestingly both teams and companies like Apple have one thing in common – they are driven by people and people are driven by confidence and self belief.

Over the past 11 weeks our Effective Communications and Human Relations Course has been running for one night per week. The class comes every Wednesday and shares their ‘business good news’ at the start of the evening, before cracking into the course content. If there was a graph which measured the results shared by the group over the period it truly would be an exponential curve, much like getting on a roll!












Beginning week 1 session 1 we cant expect all our goals to be achieved straight away, its much more like the age old saying:

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.



Angus Firth

The Secret to Motivation

A question that we as trainers at Dale Carnegie are often asked is what is the secret to motivating oneself. Whether it’s the motivation to make some extra calls to get new clients; the motivation to start that difficult project; the motivation to have that difficult conversation with a member of staff or perhaps even the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and go to work.

So what is the secret? Based on my own experiences and those I’ve heard from clients over the years the question should actually be in the plural what are the secrets? ..... There are many ways to motivate yourself to action the trick is finding what works for you.

Our founder Dale Carnegie writes in the book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ that ‘Enthusiasm’ is the secret of success and the key to motivating yourself. I’ve seen this work for many clients over the years as they’ve found a way to get excited about the task in hand. Focusing first on shifting our attitude towards a particular task before we start it can be the key. Like all techniques though it doesn’t work every time..... so what else can help us achieve what we don’t initially think is possible.

During a recent time management seminar we held a discussion on this topic of motivation and the question of tackling difficult or large tasks came up..... We were talking at the time about writing business plans and strategy. Everyone agreed that at some time or other they had been in the situation where they had to do a certain project and found themselves procrastinating as they didn’t even know where to start. Experiences discussed went all the way back to school and university days of writing essays. Through our conversation we came up with a few ideas of how to get started:

1.Breaking down the task into manageable pieces: This is a common technique but we added one refinement which was make your first task simply to decide how you’re going to tackle the project. By taking away the pressure of actually starting the task and just focusing on working out the ‘How’ we can often stop procrastinating and get started.

2. Make a small commitment: We discussed that it can make sense to set a time limit deciding that you’re going to work on a task for only one hour and no more can again help us to get started. Sometimes even taking this down to a ten minute commitment can be enough to get things moving. You might say ten minutes isn’t enough but give it a try and see how it impacts your attitude.

3. The burning platform: The idea is simple set the platform that you’re standing on alight and you’ll have to find the motivation to jump off it before it burns away. In business terms this can be committing to a colleague or perhaps a client that you’ll have something with them by a certain time. Our advice would be think carefully about this one before you try it but again it can really help you get moving.

If you haven’t tried these techniques before then give one a try today and see what difference it makes. If you’re looking to unlock your potential and are struggling to find the answer then come and join us this week at the preview of our flagship programme the Dale Carnegie Course in Effective Communications and Human Relations and find out how to motivate yourself to action.
Click here to book a place.

As always I hope you find the tips useful and hope you can join us for a training session soon.

David Anderson

Managing Director

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch

What a week in the world of football. As a Manchester United fan and like many of the Red Devils, I was shell shocked by the revelations made by the club regarding the imminent departure of Wayne Rooney. There have been many stories plastered in the papers, uploaded on to websites as well as the extensive coverage on television and radio whilst this saga unfolds.

However, I would like to shift focus altogether on to Sir Alex Ferguson. Arguably the greatest manager in English football history. I believe he has achieved his success not only because of his managerial and coaching ability but also through the use of key principles.

Many players have left United in the past, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and countless others and not once in all of Sir Alex's reign has he criticized, condemned or complained. Even when the Glazers took over the club and placed a huge debt over its head, he simply got on with his job. Sir Alex has also developed raw potential into world class talent and achieved this through honest and sincere appreciation of his players. Many of his players have talked of his continual support and how they see him as a father figure. He has the ability to create a winning team, but more importantly has been able to keep them hungry for more by arousing an eager want for success within his team. He always makes other people (namely his players) feel important.

With Rooney, Sir Alex has shared that he is a special player and the door is always open to him. Rooney has since closed the door and thankfully for United fans he will stay at the Theatre of Dreams after agreeing a new contract with the club.

These are just some of the fundamentals Sir Alex has applied in order to become and then remain successful. These principles are inherent in highly successful people. Just take a moment and think about what has been achieved by Richard Branson and Warren Buffet. Now, consider other high achievers you know; friends, a teacher, colleagues or your local businessmen and women, who have gained phenomenal success and you will see they also apply these simple and effective principles. These qualities are not reserved for the gifted few. Anyone can gain the same success, by applying the proven techniques described by Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

If you aspire to the successes of people such as Warren Buffet then follow his lead and enrol on the Effective Communications and Human Relations programme which is based on the aforementioned book.

Not convinced?

Then come along to the free preview of the programme on November 4th and see for yourself. Click here to register

Amar Garcha
Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

A happy ending

None of us could have missed the amazing news this week that all 33 miners who had been trapped under ground for weeks on end, had been rescued and brought safely to the surface.

They had spent ten weeks, trapped 2,041 feet under the desert in Chile. When the mine collapsed on August 5th they had no idea whether they could be saved. Living off meagre rations until they had been found alive seventeen days later, they faced and conquered something incomprehensible to most of us.

Whilst the country worked out a rescue plan, they coped and survived underground. No one can imagine what that could be like, whether arguments happened, or how they worked together to get through such a horrible event. As their stories come out in the following weeks, I am sure we will learn a lot more.

The leader of the miners, Luis Urzua carried his duty through to the end and was the last man to leave the mine, making sure all his men were safely rescued before allowing himself to be winched up. Chile’s President, Sebastian Pinera hailed Urzua for seeing off all his men before ‘leaving last like the ship’s captain’.

The rescue operation took weeks and the drilling to free the men veered off course twice, before a successful third time. I can only imagine what the leader(s) of the rescue workers must have been going through each time the drilling failed. Leading such a team on a life and death rescue attempt would have been challenging and stressful to say the least, so when the third drill was triumphant, euphoria must have followed.

This event was extraordinary and one which has captured the world. We all face stress, although hopefully nothing as awful as what the miners have been through. It can affect us in the workplace and our personal life. Stress has no boundaries and all of us at some point in our life, have it thrust upon us. But what can we do. Here are a few tips on taking charge of stress:

~ Get all the facts
~ Weigh all the facts then come to a decision
~ Once a decision is reached, act!
~ Answer these questions:
What is the problem?
What are the courses of the problem?
What are the possible solutions?
What is the best possible solution?

~ How to face trouble – ask yourself:
What is the worst that can possibly happen?
Prepare to accept the worse
Try to improve the worse

Dale Carnegie wrote the book ‘How to stop worrying and start living’ and if you are interested in finding out more, why not come along to our preview on 4th November.

In the meantime, it's nice to see a happy ending......

Helen Mills
Financial Controller
www.london.dalecarnegie.com

Inspiration to make dreams become a reality

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of meeting a man who has completed some extraordinary feats in his life, in actual fact he has finished two epic journey’s that no person in the history of mankind had ever been able to complete before him.

Leaving Cape Town in July 2003 and returning 2 years 2 months later, Riaan Manser became the first person to circumnavigate the African continent by bicycle unaided - 37,000 km through 34 countries. He travelled north along the western coast of Africa, and hugged the coastline as closely as possible. The journey was not easy by any means as he was held captive by Rebels on two seperate occasions in Liberia and the Ivory coast and had to overcome a range of different problems that one would expect with a mammoth journey like this.

Incredibly that journey was not enough to quench his hunger for adventure and 3 years later he became the first person to kayak around Madagascar, alone and unaided. Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island with a coastal perimeter of 5000 kilometres. The journey took around ten months and much of it on grade five to seven sea levels [severe to impossible] making the completion that much greater.

What made meeting this extremely humble man so special was being able to experience his burning desire to inspire others to make their own dreams come true. His achievements already rank against some of the greatest feats of endurance seen by man, like reaching the South Pole, climbing Mount Everest and sailing alone around the world.

When I asked him what gave him the will to complete his trips, he answered with only one word “Attitude”. He said he never ever at any time during his two epic journeys wanted to give up, as his desire to complete his trips kept him going during the good and the bad times.

Therefore it goes to show, if we want to complete any task or goal in life we need to start at the source which is our own attitude, because without it our dreams will never become reality !

We at Dale Carnegie understand the fundamental importance of having the right attitude and we have been developing people's attitudes for almost 100 years. So come and join us for our next Effective Communications and Human Relations seminar in central London on the 4th November 2010 at 6pm. Click here for more details .

Mark De Stadler
Sales Consultant

www.london.dalecarnegie.co.uk

You've got to 'be' before you can 'do'

Six months ago I was convinced by a friend to run a half marathon, previous to this my longest run had been 10kms or half the distance required on the day. Once signed up I scoured the internet for training plans, tips and advice, immediately I was overwhelmed at the task at hand and the commitment it would take on my part.

“You've got to 'be' before you can 'do', and you've got to 'do' before you can 'have’.– Zig Ziglar. This famous quote from sales guru Zig Ziglar epitomizes the “Be > Do > Get” model which I used to get a roadmap for my training plan, which can also be used in a business context when looking at a goal you want to achieve.

Looking at the ‘GET’ I had to set myself a goal, in this case it is a finishing time, however in a business case it may be a target, promotion, result or milestone. Once assigning the ‘GET’ or goal, to finish injury free in under 2 hours, I moved to the ‘DO’ part of the equation.

The ‘DO’ or doing is the actions required to get the result, in my half marathon the harsh reality is I need to do upwards of 4 runs per week over a 3 to 4 month period and gradually increase the distance weekly. Once I had listed this I also looked at other things such as how much time I needed to commit, how to juggle this around other work commitments, even as far as - do I need new shoes? Yes, so that’s an action which I put on my list – literally listing everything that needs to be done to get the result. Now looking at my plan I have the actions and the result in mind, but still I need to look at what will drive me there, this is in the being, or ‘BE’.

In order to run 4 times a week, take on a project at work or get the promotion, you need to ask yourself, who do I have to be to do these actions, which in turn drives the result? Coming back to the half marathon example, I have to be motivated, without the motivation I will struggle in the ‘DO’ column and if I don’t do the actions (ie training) I cant expect the result in the ‘GET’ column.

A simple, yet effective tool for creating a plan of action when you are faced with a large or overwhelming task. it has helped me take my training one week at a time, knowing if I control the 'BE' and the 'DO' columns I am on track for the 'GET' - which is next weekend!

Try it for yourself, having three columns on a sheet of paper write out your goal in the 'GET', then work it back through the 'DO' and 'BE' until you have a clear plan of what needs to happen and who you need to be to achieve it!

Angus Firth
Performance Consultant

www.London.Dalecarnegie.com

Leaders don't Bully

‘The Secret to being a great leader isn’t to bully or harrass your underlings – it’s to be a sensitive listener.’ (David Derbyshire – Daily Mail – 15th September 2010)

The above quote is from an article published in the Daily Mail this week which talks about two pyschologists research into 85 self-help books and biographies. Their findings show that most leaders secrets of success are ‘touchy feely’* and that the leaders themselves are ‘positive and inspirational.’* Doctor Peters one of the Psychologists who carried out the study says that their findings from the research go against the belief that ‘the best leaders were driven individuals with domineering personalities’* She said ‘Actually, it’s someone who is always looking to their followers and who is concerned about their relationship with them.’

Dale Carnegie is one such leader who’s principles and ideas agree with this research and have been used for nearly a hundred years. When it comes to listening he has unearthed that there are 5 levels – Ignore, pretend, selectively, attentively, empathetically. Here are some of Dale Carnegie’s principles for being a leader –

- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
- Talk about your own mistakes before criticising others.
- Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
- Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
-Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

So the key to being a good leader is not to dominate but to build and sustain good relationships with your team. Leaders who dictate will eventually lose their position as leader.

If you would like to learn more about becoming a successful leader then why not join us at a preview of our Leadership Training for Managers Programme on 23rd September. Click here for more details.

To read the full article in the Daily Mail - Click here

* David Derbyshire – Daily Mail – 15th September 2010

Sophie Whittall
Marketing & Admin Co-ordinator

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Essential Looks

There I was, thirty minutes before the show and the choreographer said: 'Models, lets rehearse once or twice before the show!' I thought to myself 'Rehearse what? I wasn't told anything about this!'

I do modelling in my spare time and this event took place at a Hair Showcase in Manchester yesterday. Basically myself and a few other models were completely unaware of this choreography. The organisers just assumed we could pick up the steps just like that, and also the delay in getting there due to the M6 closure didn't help.

I was feeling quite nervous and in a way frustrated that I wasn't told about this sooner so I could have practiced. Then I thought of the Dale Carnegie principles:

• What's the worst that can happen? -I can forget the steps and the audience will know it.
  
• Prepare to accept the worst - This happens to a lot of models and they still got offered work.
  
• Try to improve on the worst -Because there wasn't any more time to practice I got a piece of paper, sketched the choreography and ran though it in my head a few times until I was confident I knew what I was doing.

This situation is often found in business, the boss changes the strategy and you have to drive the business in the opposite direction, the client suddenly demands additional details to be added to the project at the last minute or a colleague asks you to do a presentation for them in the afternoon.

So when you find yourself in a challenging situation...Do the best you can!

Or you can come along to the Dale Carnegie Course and learn to think on your feet, handle and adapt to rapid change, control your attitude and be confident in any situation! Click here for more details

Corina Balaneanu
Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Why do we have two masks?

At the end of 2004 I met the person who changed my entire life and was my Coach for 9 months, his name is Juan Luis and he was the Worldwide HR Director in a multinational company in the automobile industry. He managed more than 39.000 employees around the world, travelling on more than 152 flights a year in the company private Jet, Juan Luis was living in hotels in triplex rooms and he had his own chauffeur.

Juan Luis is a physically normal person, but the expressions on his face and the feelings that are thrown along his body every second make the difference. When he greets you, greetings are done with his whole body and he is physically with you. He is not just shaking hands, he is telling you “I am here with you because I really appreciate you and I want to stay with you”.

In the book “Blink” it explains that our subconcious mind can evaluate situations and characters much faster than our rational mind. I really believe that when I met Juan Luis I knew he was to have a crucial influence on my professional life from the first moment I met him.

And my question is, Why? Why has a so “singular” a person had all the success in life that he wished to have without giving across the image of a weirdo?

Before answering this question, have you met those people who you cannot find out what they are like after 24 hours of living with them? I refer to those people who are changing all the time, not clearly-defined people because they behave in completely different ways depending on the situation they are in, such as personal, professional, social, lifetime,... Of course, it is important to know how to adapt yourself to each situation, but it is different when we talk about changing your individuality; your personality.

Therefore, Juan Luis has success, because he knew how to sell his individuality. Why do we try to change and try to look like others, when being ourselves 100%, is the best way forward. Why did your company hire you and not another person? Why did your partner choose you? Because we offered something different, as Dale Carnegie said in principle number 9: “Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely” with all your body.

For this reason I tell you, Be yourself! Feel proud of who you are! Give away all your energy and you will definitely find the success you wish for.

Because there is just one way to prompt others to action and make a difference; by being a “human being” with your good and bad traits, by being a person who has something different to offer; people pay extra money for the different ones.

Jose Bort
Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Out of the Blue

You know what it's like. One of those days when you wonder what it's all about. One of those when you thought 'I know a better place to be right now'. And then - wham!! Out of the blue comes something so unexpected, against the run of play that you ponder what divinity inspired intervention chose you, at that very moment, to bless.

Such was the moment ten days ago. As happens these days its likely to be on the golf course. Standing on the 8th hole of the day, a down hill par 3 of some 217 yards distance. In the previous seven holes I had lost three balls and was playing like an absolute beginner - no, worse than that - as if I had never made the acquaintance of a golf club and could not imagine what a golf ball was.

And then it happened - the ball flew off the 5 iron with no discernable impact, was right on line with the flag, hit the front edge of the green and then rolled purposefully to the centre of the cup. A hole in one.

So what happened, a moment of balance, of talent, bordering on genious, conjured something out of nothing. A moment when all the dreams, wishes, hopes, aspirations come together in one fleeting moment of brilliance.

I was reminded in that moment to say thank you, not only to those applauding and offering their congratulations but also to that divinity at work and in such an unsuspecting moment.

Such is the joy and peace that has come so often over the many years as a Dale Carnegie coach. It comes in that moment when someone has a breakthrough. The moment they get it and realise that because of the commitment they made to change their life - it has changed, irrevocably.

Yes, they struggle, question what they are doing here, thinking they'd rather have been somewhere else, practising stuff as beginners ... and then their perseverance pays off. They have practiced and become skilled, still prone to mistakes, but then have moments of brilliance.

Until one is committed, plays the game and dares to try, such moments are absent. It is our responsibility to try to give ourselves the chance of an out of the blue experience.

So take that action you have been putting off - it may not work perfectly every time, experience the ecstasy when it does.

David Pickering
Trainer and Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Goals?

How often are you asked what your goals are and you cant give a clear, concise answer?

This poses a very interesting point, as in this day and age, no one in the world is as important to us as ourselves, yet a large proportion of us are unclear as to the direction we are headed!
A Japanese Proverb states “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”

Ok, so I need to set some goals, whats the best way to do it?

When setting a goal, no matter what for, check it meets the SMART criteria:

S - Specific – the more details the better!

M - Measurable – Put a measurement in place, without this how will you know when you have reached your goal or if you are on track.

A - Achievable – Whilst making them challenging, we must make sure our goals are achievable!

R - Results driven – this goes without saying, all goals should be results driven!

T - Timeline – having a deadline helps to measure expectations as well as celebrate milestones along the way.

As our next wave of Leadership and Communications courses begin next week and our participants outline their goals for their course, I ask you too, what are your goals for the remainder of the year?

Angus Firth

Performance Consultant
Dale Carnegie Training London
www.London.dalecarnegie.com

The New Social Movement Of Our Times

The word Philanthropy in recent times has been getting some much needed front page headline exposure, through former Dale Carnegie graduate Warren E Buffet and billionaire friend Bill Gates. They have been able to get forty of the richest people in the US, including themselves to pledge at least half their fortunes to charities of their choice as part of a philanthropic campaign called 'The Giving Pledge Campaign' ( www.givingpledge.org ). The pair are also hoping to expand the concept to some of the wealthiest people around the world to follow the example of those affiliated to The Giving Pledge Campaign.

If we start to look at the numbers we find that the combined fortunes of Gates and Buffet alone comes to an estimated $100 billion fortune, therefore charities are likely to see some unprecedented amounts of money being distributed to them. With that said it is interesting to note the results of one of the largest studies of wealth distribution completed in 2006 that 1% of adults in the world own 40% of the planets wealth. Therefore the success of this campaign could have a real lasting impact on bridging the divide between the ultra rich and poor around the world.

But with that in mind, the reason behind me writing today about the subject of philanthropy stems from researching the original meaning of the word which dates back to Ancient Greek times, 2500 years ago. Philanthropy itself is a combination of two words: philos, meaning 'loving' in the sense of benefitting and caring for and nourishing and anthropos meaning 'human being' in the sense of 'humankind', 'humanity' or 'human-ness'.

This original meaning of the word really resonates with one of the Dale Carnegie principles in effective communication and human relations: Become genuinely interested in other people.

Stop thinking about yourself and what you need, take a minute to think about the people closest to you, be it your family, friends, your work colleagues or that man on the street that you walk past everyday; see how you can help them. By doing this you will be surprised what a positive impact you can have in that person's life. So lets create our own campaign of caring today and look to help others.

Mark de Stadler
Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

What's Your Name?

You might think what's in a name? It doesn't determine who you are or how you act, but for as long as people can remember, a person's name has been important to them. A recent article on the BBC website - 1066 and all those baby names - talked about how we still use names from the time when the Normans invaded; after the invasion many babies were named after William the Conqueror as the name was assosciated with success and this name is still popular today.

When someone hears their name spoken it makes them feel special and important, but many of us don't take the time to remember people's names or even to use people's proper names. Often we bump into people we have met before and then can't remember their name, not only is this embarrassing for us but it also makes the other person feel insignificant and unimportant. By not remembering somone's names we immediately alienate ourselves from that person.

Dale Carnegie's third principle from the book 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' says -

Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language

It's simple, people that remember people's names and use them are well liked and achieve more. A manager who has a team of over thirty and remembers the name of every member of his team will have earned the respect and attention of that team.

Here are some simple techniques that can help you to remember people's names -

1. 
   
   When you are introduced to someone, listen when they say their name and ask them to repeat it if you don't catch it the first time.


2. 
   
   When you first hear the name, repeat it several times in your head.


3. 
   
   Associate the name in your mind with the features, expression and appearance of that person.
   

When it comes to dealing with people, just by remembering and using their names you will be well on the way to building good relationships.

For more useful tips like this attend a complimentary preview of the Dale Carnegie Course on 17th August. Click here for more information

Sophie Whittall
Admin & Marketing Co-ordinator
www.London.Dalecarnegie.com

Employee Retention

Recently HR Review reported about a survey on Employee Engagement. According to the Gallup Engagement Survey only 24% of employees are engaged with their job. That is quite an alarming figure and something that employers need to tackle, especially in this current climate.

In a different survey by ACCOR, 90% of leaders say engagement impacts success, but 75% have no engagement plan.

So why are employee’s struggling to be engaged in their workplace? Is it poor leadership? Are there trust issues? Are the company’s values different to the employees? And what happens if employees are not engaged. Will they produce poor work, not want to involve themselves in projects, or leave and go and work for a competitor?

So how can you raise employee retention? Here are a few ideas:

Relationship with Manager – A recent Gallup poll revealed that a key indicator of employee satisfaction and productivity is employees’ belief that their boss cares about them and can be trusted.

Recognition and Appreciation – Some people are more driven by incentives other than money. Celebrate achievements both individually and as a team; write a note of thanks or recognition with honest, sincere appreciation.

Stimulating, Fulfilling Work – Include employees at the beginning of projects. Employees will be more enthusiastic and you will be surprised to see the creative results and different opinions that bubble up.

Clear Career Path and Opportunities – Providing training opportunities with respect to new skills and career development is an indication that a manager or company is willing to invest on behalf of employees. Encourage employees to join professional organizations by paying membership fees and giving the time off to attend lunches and conferences that foster professional growth.

Respect a Balanced Life – Acknowledging and respecting the importance of family and personal life of employees prevents burnout and fosters loyalty.

At Dale Carnegie we understand the need to engage with employees and gain their commitment. If you would like further tips then why not come along to our Inspirational Leadership Seminar on 24th August and 22nd September.

Helen Mills
Financial Controller
www.london.dalecarnegie.com

Team Work

Henry Ford said:
“Coming together is the beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”

He was talking about Team Work: When looking at the sporting arena, working with other organisations and also within our own business at Dale Carnegie I never cease to be impressed by the power of a team.

As I’m sure many other people did on Sunday, I watched Spain stand together for 2 hours against a strong and assertive Dutch team and come through with a fantastic goal in the dying minutes of the game to become World Champions. Football is a game that idolises and often rewards individual superstars, there is undeniably great individual talent in that Spanish team ..... but for those who understand the game it is no great surprise that the team with almost 50% more completed passes than any other team won the World Cup. Spain epitomised good team work across the tournament and went on to win.

Perhaps it’s a cliché but I feel that Football like business is a team game. When we start working with new organisations one of the first questions we ask is ‘What do you like about your business?’ In most successful organisations one of the first answers back is always ‘The people I work with.’

Looking to our own business, Dale Carnegie London business has grown by two new business consultants in the past few weeks and already I’m delighted with the energy that a larger team brings to the office. Building a strong team creates an energised work environment, people share ideas and best practice and we achieve far more than we would through working as individuals.

So if you’re looking to grow your business and your team remember these key principles:

1. Think about the people you bring into your existing team .... do the personalities fit.

2. Seek to create a positive fun working environment where people can share ideas and work together.

3. Trust your team to do a good job and give them the responsibility to achieve results.

4. Invest the time to coach and support your team and reward the right activities and results.

If you’d like to find out more about building the kind of team that will drive your business forward join us on the 3rd of August for the next preview of Leadership Training for Managers. Click here for more information

David Anderson
Managing Director

www.london.dalecarnegie.com

Tips for Staying Flexible

Think of yourself as stretchable, expandable and able to adapt to anything new. Who wants to view themselves as static, inflexible and unable to adapt? Periods of change are unpredictable, and we may be asked to adapt to changes that we never anticipated. In order to stay flexible, follow these guidelines:

1. Set short-term goals
It is best during changing times to think ahead, but not too far ahead. Focus on goals and tasks that can be achieved in the immediate future. That way we can achieve measurable and motivating results, even if the change plan is altered in some way. Instead of abandoning our efforts because of changing priorities, we complete our short-terms goals and move on.

2. Work in intense bursts of activity
Some people call this the “blitz mentality.” Complete tasks with intense periods of creative output that produce concrete results. That way we have measureable outcomes that motivate and inspire us to continue our work and, in the process, better engage change.

3. Focus on team efforts
Teams are in a constant state of changing responsibilities and deadline. By aligning ourselves with others who are aiming at similar goals, we create the opportunity for flexibility in achieving results. We become more focused on others and less likely to retreat into our own comfort zone. We gain motivation and inspiration from the other members of the team, making us more likely to successfully play a leadership role.

4. Plan for possible change scenarios
The most important strategy for staying flexible during change is to prepare for various change scenarios. If we create a plan for each possible set of change circumstances, we are prepared to engage change in any way that affects us in the workplace. This gives us more flexibility, greater confidence and makes us more likely to be successful in leading change without authority.

Click here to attend a free preview of our Leadership Training for Managers Programme

Engaging Employees during Times of Uncertainty

As a manager, turbulent times can be unsettling. Employees want to be upbeat, positive and encouraged about the future, but news about the economy, conversations with some customers and input from others in the organisation can often leave them feeling uncomfortable and unsure. So how do you balance these conflicting ideas, maintain a positive environment and keep employees focused on a positive future?

• Focus on Vision and Mission
  
  
• Develop Connections



• Create Ongoing Dialogue



• Encourage Empowerment
  

While there is rarely an easy answer to the unique issues that arise during times of turbulence, managers cannot retreat to the office and hope the situation will simply cure itself. Difficult times call for consistent leadership. Helping your team stay focused on the organisation's direction, their individual role in achieving that direction and encouraging them to develop new approaches for helping the organisation succeed are just a couple of ways that managers can help create an environment that continues to engage employees in uncertain times.

Join us for a complimentary session of the Engage & Inspire Your People seminar on 27th July from 8.45am - 10.45am! Click here to register

Corina Balaneanu
Sales Consultant

http://www.london.dalecarnegie.com/

Inspirational Leadership

Leadership is about the ability to motivate and inspire people from a variety of backgrounds to a higher level of performance.

One of the main reasons people are promoted into management and leadership positions is because they were effective at what they did in their job. Now, as a manager, the job is to get others to be able to do things as well as or better than we did them. These require a totally different skill set. Our success requires making the transition from doing to leading in order to leverage our skills and our time.

Without motivation nothing gets done but as soon as we try to hold people accountable they get demotivated, right? Not necessarily! There are tools to hold people accountable for their goals, objectives, and commitments and stay motivated at the same time. With this balance, the more control we have over results for ourselves and our team.

Today, more than ever, a manager’s job is to build people. When we can create an environment where people get results, develop new skills, and become successful, we are fulfilling our highest calling as a manager and leader of people. Communicating with strength and sensitivity, being a coach, and building people are a leader’s highest priority.

No matter what we do there will always be the challenges with negative people and performance management. Our results, and the results of our team, depend on how those situations are handled. Fairness, consistency and strength are required in the right places, at the right times and in the right way. Without this, morale can grind to a halt for everyone, effecting productivity, customer loyalty, and employee engagement-all mandatory in today’s highly competitive work force.

Leadership Development Quotes from Dale Carnegie
“If we want to find happiness, let’s stop thinking about gratitude or ingratitude and give for the inner joy of giving.” -Dale Carnegie

“Remember that the other man may be totally wrong. But he doesn’t think so. Don’t condemn him. Any fool can do that, try to understand him. Only wise, tolerant, exceptional men even try to do that. There is a reason why the other man thinks and acts as he does. Ferret out that hidden reason-and you have the key to his actions, perhaps to his personality. Try honestly to put yourself in his place.” -Dale Carnegie

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people, than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Which is just another way of saying that the way to make a friend is to be one.” -Dale Carnegie

“One of the surest ways of making a friend and influencing the opinion of another is to give consideration to his opinion, to let him sustain his feeling of importance.” -Dale Carnegie

“This is a hurried age we’re living in. If you’ve got anything to say, say it quickly, get to the point and stop, and give the other man a chance to talk.” -Dale Carnegie

“Make a man laugh a good hearty laugh, and you’ve paved the way for friendship. When a man laughs with you, he, to some extent, likes you.” -Dale Carnegie

“Do you know the most important trait a man can have? It is not executive ability; it is not a great mentality; it is not kindliness, nor courage, nor a sense of humour, though each of these is of tremendous importance. In my opinion, it is the ability to make friends, which, boiled down, means the ability to see the best in man.” -Dale Carnegie

“We ought to be modest, for neither you nor I amount to much. Both of us will pass on and be completely forgotten a century from now. Life is too short to bore other people with talk of our petty accomplishments. Let’s encourage them to talk instead.” -Dale Carnegie

“Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, “I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.” That is why dogs make such a hit. They are so glad to see us that they almost jump out of their skins. So, naturally, we are glad to see them. An insincere grin? No. that doesn’t fool anybody. We know it is mechanical and we resent it. I am talking about a real smile, a heartwarming smile, a smile that comes from within, the kind of smile that will bring a good price in the market place.” -Dale Carnegie

For more tips like this attend our Engage & Inspire Seminar on 27th July.

Click here to register

Handling Stress and Worry on the Big Stage

The 18th Fifa world cup, the biggest sporting event in the world, is now in full flight, the South African economy is enjoying an estimated boost of $2.85 Billion (US) thanks to healthy sponsorship and fresh stamps in the passports of some 330,000 football fans who will be curtailed by some 41000 police officers deployed specifically to deal with them.

Impressive stats to a spectator, but to a player they mean pressure, stress and worry. The media scrutinizes the every move of the players, so much could of, should have, would have.
Much is written about the players who find the pressure too much, having the physical ability to deliver but not the psychological ability to do so in the big game. The media is then so damming that it is a downward confidence spiral for the player, at the end of the day they are only human and doing their job.

Whilst researching for this blog I was looking at pressure and stress on sports professionals and who of the top performers embody the Dale Carnegie principles. Kelly Slater, the 9 times surfing world champion, who has had 22 years in the worlds top 44 and boasts a higher winning average than any other sportsman. He wins on average 76% of the time he enters in the water at the highest level of competition, the ASP world tour, where at age 38 he is currently ranked #1. To put this in perspective, the more well known winning machine, Tiger Woods, has a PGA record of 29.3% win rate which is the highest ever on the PGA.

Kelly Slater states the majority of his preparation is mental. Before a heat he prepares himself to win and what that will feel like for him, interestingly, he also prepares himself to loose, thinking what that will feel like, how he will react and how his opponent will react. He goes on to explain in his latest documentary ‘Letting Go’ that he only focuses on one heat at a time and if he focuses on the overall competition win, he gets stressed and increases his chances of bowing out in the early rounds.

What does this have to do with Dale Carnegie’s fundamental principles for overcoming worry?

1. Live in “day tight compartments” in this example each heat of competition is a compartment for Kelly, as is each game for the world cup favorites, who cant afford to be focusing energy on the final before they get there.
2. Ask yourself, A) “what is the worst that can possibly happen?” Kelly does this as his pre heat preparation every time, lets hope English goal keeper Robert Green used this principle before the USA match!
B) Prepare to accept the worst, again Kelly routinely does this.
C) Try to improve from the worst, it must work for the 9 time world champion, as 76% of the time he does!

Overcoming the worry and stress allows athletes like Kelly to perform at their very best – consistently. Whilst we cant all be elite athletes, we can apply these simple, yet extremely effective principles to any area of our life which is causing worry and stress.

Angus Firth

Performance Consultant
Dale Carnegie Training London

Actions and values

So there we were in a taxi, when Darrell happened to say down the phone those immediately recognised words "Dale Carnegie". Up to this point our taxi driver was a very chatty and knowledgeable individual who just loved to share everything about the day and the fair city of Dublin. On hearing the words "Dale Carnegie" our cabbie immediately said "one - run, two - zoo..." and quoted ebulliently other snatches from the Dale Carnegie Course. His hitherto animated manner shot into overdrive as he regaled us with stories of his experience on the course in 1982. As always he remembered his trainer, who was the local franchisee.

Well now Darrell and I have a friend in Dublin and Martin Shaughnessy will always be remembered. Not just for his ravings about what the Dale Carnegie Course had done for him and how he has consistently followed the principles and aimed to enthuse others as well. No, not just that, but for something rather more profound. Please forgive the possibility of offence but allow this reportage. Firstly, he said about stress and referring to the trappings and possessions of life - "what does it all matter, we only have the lend of it". How very true! And then, and this one operates only at the deeper level of meaning, "Every cripple has their own way of walking".

This is what he is suggesting - that we all have our own way of getting through life - it does not make any of us the owner of the right way AND it also suggests that we all malfunction in some way and get unconsciously lost in that being the only way.

Allow our actions be a true reflection of our values.

David Pickering
Trainer and Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Motivation is What You Need!

‘To succeed......you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.’ Tony Dorsett

The difference between achieving a goal and not achieving a goal depends on the motivation and inspiration you have driving you forward.

This week the England football team have travelled to South Africa in preparation for the start of the World Cup. They are fully motivated and hungry to win, they will have envisioned themselves lifting the trophy to a huge cheer from the crowd and then returning home to receive a winners welcome from the English fans. When you set yourself a goal imagine what life will be like when you have achieved this goal, picture it in your mind – set yourself a vision for the future.

Create a Vision

Nothing is more personally motivating than creating a compelling vision. Visualize yourself succeeding as a result of the goals you set and achieve. Imagine the benefits of growing as a result of the changes you make -- creating new opportunities, building a more exciting and dynamic future and opening up new opportunities for success.

Inspiration is also an important factor when it comes to succeeding. We are usually motivated to work at achieving something when we have seen someone we respect achieve something similar; someone whose values and beliefs we admire. We can also be inspired by the way someone motivates us to achieve our goals, they can appeal to us in such a way as to make us think and act differently.

The England squad will take their inspiration from the 1966 England football team who achieved their ultimate goal by winning the World Cup and were able to lift the trophy and receive the respect and reward that comes from succeeding. They will also be inspired by their manager Fabio Capello who will give them pep talks before each game and keep reminding them that they can win the matches

Be Inspired

Think of someone who you admire and who really inspires you and whenever you are struggling and feeling de-motivated picture that person in you mind and remember what you admire in them and this will help you to get back on track and succeed. Surround yourself with positive people that will be enthusiastic and help to drive you towards success.

Good luck with your goals and visions for the future and good luck to the England team next week!

If you would like to find out more about setting your vision for the future then please attend our preview of Strictly Business: The Dale Carnegie Immersion Seminar on 10th June – Click here to register.

Sophie Whittall
Marketing & Admin Co-ordinator

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Communicate to Persuade

One of the most common types of business communication is communicating to persuade. From sales representatives persuading customers to mid-level managers persuading workers and upper management, we spend almost every business day involved in some form of persuasive communication. No matter our role, improving our ability to persuade others is vital to our career growth. Effectively communicating to persuade requires us to be adequately prepared, clear on the action we want our listener to take, and able to provide a compelling reason to take the action we desire. Dale Carnegie recommended a simple three-step structure that can significantly improve our ability to persuade a listener. The formula provides the structure to capture attention, build credibility, eliminate nervousness and call others to action, and it increases the likelihood that we will get results with others. The formula is as follows:

Incident: Relive a vivid, personal experience relevant to the point. Aristotle said, "The speaker's character is one of his most effective agents of persuasion." We must be credible in our example and evidence. We must have earned the right to share our example or give direction. A personal incident is a sure-fire way to grab favourable attention: It pulls people in, opens them up to persuasion and provides evidence as to why our idea is worth considering. In persuasive communication, we spend most of our time providing the situation and evidence before asking the listener to do something.

Action: Call on the listener to take a single, specific action. Too often we assume our listeners will know what to do once we have presented them with evidence to change their thinking or direction. We fail to persuade them if we don't clearly explain what we want them to do. Other times, we may give a clear action but may ask them to do several things -- leaving them unsure about which action should be the priority. Effective persuasion requires us to simplify the message and recommend one clear action for listeners to take.

Benefit: Clearly emphasize how the listener will benefit from taking the recommended action. Again, this portion of the communication must be clear, specific and direct. It must also be based in reality. If the benefit we provide sounds too good to be true, the listener will doubt us. If what we are recommending benefits us more than the listener, the persuasion will seem manipulative and self-serving. So consider the listener's point of view to be sure the recommendation is truly in his or her best interest. This balanced approach will be appreciated and will allow the listener to be more open to what we suggest.

Communicating to persuade is a critical skill to master in our daily business interaction. Dale Carnegie Training's three-step process -- Incident, Action and Benefit -- provides an opportunity to gain the results we desire from others.

By demonstrating that we have earned the right to give direction and are communicating from a position of solid character, not only will we be persuasive, but we also will be compelling. These two factors are a winning combination in our ability to communicate to persuade.

To learn more about how to use Dale Carnegie's three part process and to practice it in a classroom environment sign up for the Dale Carnegie Course: Effective Communications and Human Relations.

To find out more Click here.

Dedicating Time to Time Management

An interesting thought in our busy day to day grind, actually dedicating time to time management, it sounds like the age old question, what came first, the chicken or the egg?
Taking the time to evaluate, then focus on what’s really important can be the best 15 minutes of your day.

We all know the modern working world can be a very distracting place, for example last year globally there were 90 Trillion emails sent, 360 billion photos uploaded to facebook, along with an overall 18% rise in internet usage. The stats keep going, but it can be hard to keep up just thinking about it, making it very easy to waste time!

Before we get pulled away into cyberspace, consider these 2 simple techniques for time management.

1) Do your to do list the night before so you can hit the ground running when you arrive the next day.

2) Create time logs. For a 3 day period, record every little thing you do, update it every 15 minutes and analyze where you are currently spending your time. Once this is done, focus on the import tasks which bring you results! Review after 2/3 months again for a 3 day period to note improvements.

Haven't been making time for time management? Want to know more techniques? Join us on the 15th of June for a free interactive session focused on Time Management, one thing I can guarantee is it will be an effective use of your time!!

Angus Firth
Performance Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Always look on the bright side of life!

The volcanic ash fallout obliterated many people’s hopes of travel, either for business or for a well earned holiday. Suffice to say I was affected by this. My dream trip to the Bahama’s was suddenly pie in the sky as the air space closed and passengers were stuck in foreign countries looking for ingenious ways to get home.

To say I was disappointed was an understatement but there was nothing I could really do about it, other than be grateful that I wasn’t waiting hours at an airport desperately trying to get home. The key to this was acceptance. Accepting what had happened and then trying to make the best out of a bad situation. After some calls to hotels, I was all geared up for a holiday in Cornwall where I would still be able to take some time out and relax.

So what do you do when things just don’t go to plan? Here are five tips that may help.:

• Acceptance – this really is the key to most things in life...once you have accepted the situation then your mind is free to move on to look at your options


• Avoid dwelling on the situation – by churning the disappointment over and over I wouldn’t gain anything other than the continued feeling of disappointment


• Be willing to compromise – a trip in the UK wasn’t what I had looked forward to, but it was still a holiday


• Focus on the positive – the fact that I wasn’t stranded in a country without somewhere to stay and little money was a relief


• Keep your sense of humour – a little light-heartedness goes along way and really helps your body fight stress and anxiety

Needless to say the break was wonderful and although it wasn’t the Bahama’s I was grateful I could still get away.

Helen Mills
Financial Controller

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Certainty in Uncertain Times

It’s certainly been an interesting 24 hours on the political stage but what are we to make of a potential hung parliament and how it will affect us at home and our businesses?

If you’re interest in politics is the same as mine then perhaps you were also sitting watching the results come in at 4am this morning. Having followed the polls over the past few weeks, I set my alarm for 3.30 am in the expectation of seeing David Cameron taking the stage and forming a government with a small majority. However, as 4am became 5 am there was still no result! So what are we to read into this leadership battle and how can we draw from that experience into our own businesses.

It seems that the big surprise of the night was the lack of gains from the Liberal Democrats. There was talk of gains to perhaps 100 Liberal Democrat ministers and as the night drew on it looks like the party despite good coverage in the press has not moved from its 2005 position. Without question Nick Clegg had the common touch as it came to the leadership debates. He talked to the audience and used questioner’s names in a sincere fashion, he often drew the others back to the question asked and sought to answer it directly. He also did a great job of driving his point home to camera ... the debate around our office was who had trained him in presentation skills.

All that done but no real gains when the votes were cast! So what can we learn?

As has happened in many past elections the word ‘Change’ has been bandied around by most of the parties. Certainly it has been the theme of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat campaigns. Based on the results in so far it would seem that as a nation we have more trust in David Cameron than Nick Clegg to bring change to our country. As leaders in business we are often called upon to lead our teams through change so what can we learn from the experience of the past 24 hours.

I can only speculate what was in peoples’ minds as they cast their votes .... Therefore the points below are my own thoughts and how they might relate to us in business.

1.Perhaps in times of uncertainty people value experience higher than new ideas .... Therefore when leading a team through change make sure we take the time to demonstrate our competence as well as our passion.

2.Did Nick Clegg miss the mark on matters of immigration and national security? We should perhaps remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs when it comes to winning people to our way of thinking. Maslow talked about ‘Security’ as one of the base drivers. Remember how important security is to people when leading change.

3.Think about the importance of Charisma when you think about leading your team or business. Labour it seems were the biggest loser on the night. Was that based on track record of the party in power or lack of Charisma from their top man? Who knows?

It’s certainly going to be an interesting few days and hopefully through democracy we’ll find some certainty as we head into next week. From my experience of helping teams and businesses deal with change it’s the uncertainty not the change itself that scares us and stops us making decisions.

Therefore set a clear direction and move your team towards it..... Hopefully our government will do the same!

David Anderson
Managing Director

www.London.dalecarnegie.com