Companies are facing unprecedented pressure from the financial crisis. As a result, many of their employees may get nervous and start complaining emotionally to their vendors - you! Here are 8 tips you can use to help you and your customer service team control stress and worry in tough situations:
Live in a compartment of the present.
The professional with a commitment to service seals off each interaction with a customer so that negative experiences don't poison future interactions. Don't allow past successes or failures or future anticipated success or difficulties influence your current performance. When it comes to customer service, live in the moment.
Don't fuss about trifles.
A "trifle" is something that is insignificant in comparison to other things in your life. When you focus on trifles, you lose perspective. Keep the bigger picture in mind. Doing so will help you objectively sort out the small stuff from the important issues.
Cooperate with the inevitable.
Realise when your situation is inevitable. If you can learn to recognise situations where you have no control, you can gain some control over the emotional aspects of the situation. By cooperating with the outcome, you are making a conscious choice about how to respond to an inevitable situation.
Decide just how much anxiety a situation is worth and refuse to give it any more of your energy.
Once you make this decision, it is easier to find ways you can improve on the situation or let it go and move on.
Create happiness for others.
This principle appeals to your nobler motives. It is difficult to sustain a negative attitude when you are doing something good or helpful for someone else. Simply put: Doing good for others makes you feel better.
Expect ingratitude.
In your job, you provide many diverse services. When you do so, you probably expect in return some signal of gratitude for your assistance. This expectation is rarely met. If you do receive heartfelt thanks from someone, you should count yourself lucky you are dealing with a grateful person. Most people are simply not accustomed to being grateful, even when you provide them with excellent service. You shouldn't let ingratitude deter you from providing top-quality service.
Put enthusiasm into your work.
Enthusiasm is the positive energy and sustained effort that keeps you driving toward your goals. Making a decision to have a positive outlook can be critical in enjoying your job and working with your internal and external customers.
Do the very best you can.
It can be difficult to deal with criticism, especially if you feel it is undeserved or if it hurts your self-esteem. One way to put criticism in perspective is to ask yourself if you are doing the very best you can with what you know and are able to do. If you are, then you can avoid taking the criticism personally. If there is room for improvement in your performance, you can look at the criticism objectively and take responsibility for improving your performance.
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Friday 21 September 2012
Jack Petchey CBE Honored With The Dale Carnegie Leadership Award
On September 20th 2012, Mr Peter V. Handal, Chairman and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training flew in from the United States of America to present Jack Petchey CBE with the prestigious Dale Carnegie Leadership Award.
The Leadership Award recognises organisations or individuals who have truly demonstrated that the development of their organisation has been achieved through a commitment to the development of people.
In his first years of business Jack Petchey, now aged 87, picked up a copy of the infamous book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. It was a moment that changed his life! He promptly signed up for a Dale Carnegie Course and that decision was one that undoubtedly contributed to him becoming one of London’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Jack’s entrepreneurial ventures have spanned travel, property and investments. He founded companies, such as Petchey Holdings Plc and Petchey Leisure, turning them into multi-million pound empires. But he is perhaps best known by many for his commitment to supporting youth projects, predominantly across his home turf of London and Essex. In the last 12 years he has sought to inspire a generation through The Jack Petchey Foundation, a charitable trust that has invested well over £75 million into raising young people’s aspirations, rewarding their achievements and encouraging them to achieve more in life.
From humble beginnings, Jack was born in 1925 to poor working class parents in Plaistow, East London. Despite leaving school at the age of 14 with no qualifications, he had already begun to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills that would aid his later success. Following his discharge from the Fleet Air Arm in 1947 he invested his whole life savings (nearly £60) in a car to found a car hire business.
His exposure to Dale Carnegie Training gave him the self-belief and skills to build his business and to go on to found many more!
All his life he has carried a commitment to the basic principles of management learnt through Dale Carnegie. His belief in reward as a powerful motivator for change has been implemented in his staff reward schemes and now been developed even further through the Jack Petchey Award Scheme, operating in over 2000 youth clubs and schools across London and Essex. Another saying from Dale Carnegie was “Don’t criticise, condemn or complain” and to this day Jack carries a small cardboard disc in his pocket as a permanent reminder! His aim has always been to encourage staff to give their best.
Now, with a focus on the work of the Foundation, his heart’s desire is to enable young people to access the ‘power’ of positive thinking, to believe in themselves, to learn how to capture their dreams and turn them into reality by setting goals, learning new skills and sheer dogged determination! With this in mind he is currently exploring some new training programmes to be delivered to young people through schools.
It is only the second time that this Award has been approved and awarded by the Board of Directors of Dale Carnegie Training to a businessman in London, “and there is none more deserving than Jack!” says Clive Thompson, of Dale Carnegie, London.
The Dale Carnegie Leadership Award, established in 1985, was given to The Ford Motor Company that same year and in subsequent years to such well known organisations as Coca-Cola, Adidas, Boeing, Four Seasons Hotel, Daimler-Chrysler and SAS Scandinavian Airlines.
Jack Petchey joins a long chain of the world’s greatest businessmen and through his Foundation it is hoped his legacy will be to continue to inspire a generation. Jack said: “I feel really proud to accept this award, Dale Carnegie was such an inspiration for me; I just hope that future generations of young people will be able to see that they can achieve – if they really believe they can, they can!”
The Leadership Award recognises organisations or individuals who have truly demonstrated that the development of their organisation has been achieved through a commitment to the development of people.
In his first years of business Jack Petchey, now aged 87, picked up a copy of the infamous book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. It was a moment that changed his life! He promptly signed up for a Dale Carnegie Course and that decision was one that undoubtedly contributed to him becoming one of London’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Jack’s entrepreneurial ventures have spanned travel, property and investments. He founded companies, such as Petchey Holdings Plc and Petchey Leisure, turning them into multi-million pound empires. But he is perhaps best known by many for his commitment to supporting youth projects, predominantly across his home turf of London and Essex. In the last 12 years he has sought to inspire a generation through The Jack Petchey Foundation, a charitable trust that has invested well over £75 million into raising young people’s aspirations, rewarding their achievements and encouraging them to achieve more in life.
From humble beginnings, Jack was born in 1925 to poor working class parents in Plaistow, East London. Despite leaving school at the age of 14 with no qualifications, he had already begun to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skills that would aid his later success. Following his discharge from the Fleet Air Arm in 1947 he invested his whole life savings (nearly £60) in a car to found a car hire business.
His exposure to Dale Carnegie Training gave him the self-belief and skills to build his business and to go on to found many more!
All his life he has carried a commitment to the basic principles of management learnt through Dale Carnegie. His belief in reward as a powerful motivator for change has been implemented in his staff reward schemes and now been developed even further through the Jack Petchey Award Scheme, operating in over 2000 youth clubs and schools across London and Essex. Another saying from Dale Carnegie was “Don’t criticise, condemn or complain” and to this day Jack carries a small cardboard disc in his pocket as a permanent reminder! His aim has always been to encourage staff to give their best.
Now, with a focus on the work of the Foundation, his heart’s desire is to enable young people to access the ‘power’ of positive thinking, to believe in themselves, to learn how to capture their dreams and turn them into reality by setting goals, learning new skills and sheer dogged determination! With this in mind he is currently exploring some new training programmes to be delivered to young people through schools.
It is only the second time that this Award has been approved and awarded by the Board of Directors of Dale Carnegie Training to a businessman in London, “and there is none more deserving than Jack!” says Clive Thompson, of Dale Carnegie, London.
The Dale Carnegie Leadership Award, established in 1985, was given to The Ford Motor Company that same year and in subsequent years to such well known organisations as Coca-Cola, Adidas, Boeing, Four Seasons Hotel, Daimler-Chrysler and SAS Scandinavian Airlines.
Jack Petchey joins a long chain of the world’s greatest businessmen and through his Foundation it is hoped his legacy will be to continue to inspire a generation. Jack said: “I feel really proud to accept this award, Dale Carnegie was such an inspiration for me; I just hope that future generations of young people will be able to see that they can achieve – if they really believe they can, they can!”
Friday 17 August 2012
London 2012 What an Inspiration
Wow what an eventful 2 weeks! Who would have thought that Team GB would have finished 3rd in the tables? Can you remember where you were on ‘Super Saturday’? I remember shouting at the television with the family as Jessica Ennis, sprinted to the finishing line as she won gold in the Heptathlon, then a few minutes later cheering as the lovely Greg Rutherford took home gold in the long jump, and then moments later, jumping for joy as Mo Farah won the countries first gold in the 10,000 meters in over 100 years.
1 week on and I still get goose bumps thinking about some of these events.
You could write & reminisce for hours over the wonderful achievements that Team GB have achieved, not just in winning medals, but the way the whole country united together and what an inspiration every athlete has been. There are not many people who would get a fractured jaw as a result of getting wacked with a hockey stick, and will be back on the pitch 3 days later like Kate Walsh, then successfully achieve bronze in the tournament.
Working and living in London, I have experienced the other side of the Olympics as well, and the atmosphere around the city has been electric. Just walking around, every street was filled with red, blue & white in all different forms, from flags, to buildings and clothing. Every bar and pub would have an event showing, and you would hear silence as the athletes were about to start their journey to the finish line. That silence would last for spilt of a second, as it was shortly followed by cheering and shouting.
The Olympics has changed the country and lifted our spirits in these difficult times. Children and adults of all ages have been inspired & motivated to take up a sport, or to hold their own family version of the Olympics, and it does make you proud to be British, and is an experience that we will relive forever.
Well done Team GB on everything that you have achieved!
1 week on and I still get goose bumps thinking about some of these events.
You could write & reminisce for hours over the wonderful achievements that Team GB have achieved, not just in winning medals, but the way the whole country united together and what an inspiration every athlete has been. There are not many people who would get a fractured jaw as a result of getting wacked with a hockey stick, and will be back on the pitch 3 days later like Kate Walsh, then successfully achieve bronze in the tournament.
Working and living in London, I have experienced the other side of the Olympics as well, and the atmosphere around the city has been electric. Just walking around, every street was filled with red, blue & white in all different forms, from flags, to buildings and clothing. Every bar and pub would have an event showing, and you would hear silence as the athletes were about to start their journey to the finish line. That silence would last for spilt of a second, as it was shortly followed by cheering and shouting.
The Olympics has changed the country and lifted our spirits in these difficult times. Children and adults of all ages have been inspired & motivated to take up a sport, or to hold their own family version of the Olympics, and it does make you proud to be British, and is an experience that we will relive forever.
Well done Team GB on everything that you have achieved!
Wednesday 18 July 2012
High turnover?
Is your organizational performance not of a high standard?
Talented staff, but not sure how to inspire them?
The charted institute for personnel & development recently stated in their publication ‘Becoming an employee of choice’ that ‘70% of people leave their employer and not their job.’ When employees feel inspired and engaged by their manager they will contribute more, take fewer sick days and focus more on satisfying customers.
Engaged employees make a difference to your organizations performance both today and in the future. With our free seminar you can learn to deliver creative and powerful messages to those individuals who can help your organization the most. Develop inspiring ideas to engage your talent staff and engage those individuals in your business who can make a difference.
The Engaging Talent Seminar on Thursday 2nd August, 8:45am - 10:45am plans to be thee FREE seminar event of the year.
Join today, to guarantee your seat for the most engaging event you have been too. For more information please don’t hesitate to contact us on 02073794323
Employment means winning the hearts as well as the minds of employees.
Is your organizational performance not of a high standard?
Talented staff, but not sure how to inspire them?
The charted institute for personnel & development recently stated in their publication ‘Becoming an employee of choice’ that ‘70% of people leave their employer and not their job.’ When employees feel inspired and engaged by their manager they will contribute more, take fewer sick days and focus more on satisfying customers.
Engaged employees make a difference to your organizations performance both today and in the future. With our free seminar you can learn to deliver creative and powerful messages to those individuals who can help your organization the most. Develop inspiring ideas to engage your talent staff and engage those individuals in your business who can make a difference.
The Engaging Talent Seminar on Thursday 2nd August, 8:45am - 10:45am plans to be thee FREE seminar event of the year.
Join today, to guarantee your seat for the most engaging event you have been too. For more information please don’t hesitate to contact us on 02073794323
Employment means winning the hearts as well as the minds of employees.
Thursday 24 May 2012
Trains run on tracks for a reason
Trains run on tracks for a reason
Take the most reliable train on the UK network, the Parry People Mover, and put it on a Tarmac road. What happens? Well this great piece of simple technology will end up going all over the place, ruin the tarmac, have lots of disgruntled passengers, and become less reliable every minute it runs. In fact in a very short space of time it will be put out of service as it is of no use to anyone.
Such my friends it what we expose ourselves to each any every day. No, this is nothing to do with the train or tube you get to travel on to work each day. What it is to do with is the guidance system we operate within, in order to deliver the results we need for our organisation. It is the tracks the train runs on that makes it efficient and gives it direction. The ease with which it slides over the track makes each journey enjoyable.
So, to our business then. What are your tracks? Is it the strategy, the business plan, project plans, personal developments and career plans? Maybe it's the appraisal process, the performance systems or the CRM. Is it the relationship we have with our boss or our colleagues, our clients and suppliers?
Well, it's all of these and for most of us it is truly ALL of these. If just one goes wrong we are inefficient. When more that one goes wrong we become frustrated, annoyed, perhaps angry and stressed. What about if we workforce an organisation without these 'tracks' to guide and smooth our progress? The answer is as unthinkable as it is unfortunate.
Knowing how to develop these tracks and build our business around sound principles that create efficient organisations takes knowledge, skill and a positive attitude that they will deliver the results.
For evidence that they will, give us a call and we'll show you how.
Friday 18 May 2012
Top Tips For Communicating In The Digital Age
Mark Fitzmaurice of Dale Carnegie, shares his top tips for communicating on social media platforms, in the Bdaily Business Network.
There’s no doubt that technology and social media has transformed the way we communicate, both in a work and home environment. For all the advantages however, there are various pitfalls that have the potential to damage your reputation and do you and your business more harm than good.
To mark its 100-year anniversary, learning and development organisation Dale Carnegie has updated and re-released its classic ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, originally written in the 1930’s, to identify with the scenarios facing businesspeople in an age of increasing technology.
Many of the key principles Dale Carnegie set out all those years ago still apply today and have been adapted to suit the modern age. They include:
1. Take your criticism offline. Little good comes from public humiliation, whether it’s by Tweet or blog post. The rise of anonymous message boards and online comments seems to incubate negativity, but engaging in that kind of back-and-forth does little good.
2. Commit to self-improvement instead. Instead of telling other people what they could do better, save the harshest criticism for yourself.
3. Focus on other people’s interests, not your own. This might be a hard one to follow but social media users must resist the temptation to talk about themselves. Instead, ask about others, comment and inquire about their own updates, and focus on what interests them, not you.
4. Engage with others. Social media, after all, is all about interaction, and people use those platforms with the hope of hearing directly from their favourite author, celebrity, or company. Companies like Zappos take advantage of this fact and use social media to build their brands.
5. Smile. Recent research that analysed Facebook profiles found that people who frown in photos tend to be on the outskirts of social networks instead of in the centre of them. In other words, smiling gets you more friends (and influence).
6. Spread positivity. On that same note, if you can make other people smile, you’ll also grow your own popularity. Tweeting positive thoughts is far more effective than tweeting negative ones. In fact, skip negative Tweets and posts altogether.
7. Don’t argue. Has anyone ever won a back-and-forth over Twitter? Or by leaving snarky comments on an online article? Even if the answer is “yes”, the potential damage to your reputation by such an exchange makes public arguments bad ideas.
8. Engage and be responsive. One of the best way to build your network either personally or in business is to engage with others and be responsive to other people’s needs.
9. Be a good listener. Even on line, listen to what people are saying, look for the message behind the message, sometimes people will say things on line that they won’t say out loud, we just need to listen in a different way
10. Make other people feel valued and important. In any that you can, on line or off line if you make people feel valued and important they will be loyal to you and give you much more in return
For more information on how Dale Carnegie can help you in the digital age, contact us, or purcahse the How To Win Friends and Influence People In The Digital Age which is available in all good retailers.
Stephanie Fletcher
To continue reading this article visit
http://bdaily.co.uk/news/technology/10-05-2012/1336492916-top-tips-for-communicating-in-the-digital-age/
There’s no doubt that technology and social media has transformed the way we communicate, both in a work and home environment. For all the advantages however, there are various pitfalls that have the potential to damage your reputation and do you and your business more harm than good.
To mark its 100-year anniversary, learning and development organisation Dale Carnegie has updated and re-released its classic ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, originally written in the 1930’s, to identify with the scenarios facing businesspeople in an age of increasing technology.
Many of the key principles Dale Carnegie set out all those years ago still apply today and have been adapted to suit the modern age. They include:
1. Take your criticism offline. Little good comes from public humiliation, whether it’s by Tweet or blog post. The rise of anonymous message boards and online comments seems to incubate negativity, but engaging in that kind of back-and-forth does little good.
2. Commit to self-improvement instead. Instead of telling other people what they could do better, save the harshest criticism for yourself.
3. Focus on other people’s interests, not your own. This might be a hard one to follow but social media users must resist the temptation to talk about themselves. Instead, ask about others, comment and inquire about their own updates, and focus on what interests them, not you.
4. Engage with others. Social media, after all, is all about interaction, and people use those platforms with the hope of hearing directly from their favourite author, celebrity, or company. Companies like Zappos take advantage of this fact and use social media to build their brands.
5. Smile. Recent research that analysed Facebook profiles found that people who frown in photos tend to be on the outskirts of social networks instead of in the centre of them. In other words, smiling gets you more friends (and influence).
6. Spread positivity. On that same note, if you can make other people smile, you’ll also grow your own popularity. Tweeting positive thoughts is far more effective than tweeting negative ones. In fact, skip negative Tweets and posts altogether.
7. Don’t argue. Has anyone ever won a back-and-forth over Twitter? Or by leaving snarky comments on an online article? Even if the answer is “yes”, the potential damage to your reputation by such an exchange makes public arguments bad ideas.
8. Engage and be responsive. One of the best way to build your network either personally or in business is to engage with others and be responsive to other people’s needs.
9. Be a good listener. Even on line, listen to what people are saying, look for the message behind the message, sometimes people will say things on line that they won’t say out loud, we just need to listen in a different way
10. Make other people feel valued and important. In any that you can, on line or off line if you make people feel valued and important they will be loyal to you and give you much more in return
For more information on how Dale Carnegie can help you in the digital age, contact us, or purcahse the How To Win Friends and Influence People In The Digital Age which is available in all good retailers.
Stephanie Fletcher
To continue reading this article visit
http://bdaily.co.uk/news/technology/10-05-2012/1336492916-top-tips-for-communicating-in-the-digital-age/
Monday 14 May 2012
The value of Teamwork
There has been a new addition to my household recently. One which has bought uncontained joy into the hearts of my family and myself. It was a long and hard struggle to get their but the delivery eventually took place on Friday 11th May at 12:16pm. Comments from friends have poured in telling how beautiful the pictures I’ve taken are. I’ve wanted one for such a long time and to finally get one for so cheap I am over the moon. I never thought I’d see the day…. but today I can say, with a beaming smile across my face that I have my very own exercise bike.
I’m sure many of you have found yourself in the position I currently face. You’ve purchased an item and it has arrived in bits for you to assemble. You take out the parts and place them in random order on the floor. Taking out the instructions, you attempt to familiarise your self with pages of diagrams, complimented by very little written instruction, as though the pictures accompanied by a frenzy of arrows should be sufficient for you to know how to assemble your newly purchased wonder. Suddenly, my exercise bike wasn’t as glamorous as when first arrived.
It did however get me thinking. Like me, you may have heard numerous quotations about teamwork like;
‘Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.'
‘A unit is only as strong as its weakest link.'
'Teamwork is essential - it allows you to blame someone else.'
Okay maybe scrap the last one but my point is we’ve all at one time been lectured on the importance of teamwork. Putting together my bike however, it was reinforced to me that we all have a part to play in the team / organisation we work for and if we do not work to our fullest capacity, the collective will never be as successful as it could be. Take my bike as an example. If I had no handlebars then I’d have nothing to grip, if I had no pedals then I could not generate any movement and if I had no saddle…well a trip to A+E would be on the horizon.
Keep teamwork at the forefront of your mind. Ensure that not only are you seeking your teams help but make sure you’re available to help others. Encourage those around you and praise them for their achievements. Be accountable to one another and ensure that unity is at the forefront of everything you do but above all else…above all else…if you know anyone who’s constructed an exercise bike before, get them in touch with Dale Carnegie London as that saddle won’t attach itself.
I’m sure many of you have found yourself in the position I currently face. You’ve purchased an item and it has arrived in bits for you to assemble. You take out the parts and place them in random order on the floor. Taking out the instructions, you attempt to familiarise your self with pages of diagrams, complimented by very little written instruction, as though the pictures accompanied by a frenzy of arrows should be sufficient for you to know how to assemble your newly purchased wonder. Suddenly, my exercise bike wasn’t as glamorous as when first arrived.
It did however get me thinking. Like me, you may have heard numerous quotations about teamwork like;
‘Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.'
‘A unit is only as strong as its weakest link.'
'Teamwork is essential - it allows you to blame someone else.'
Okay maybe scrap the last one but my point is we’ve all at one time been lectured on the importance of teamwork. Putting together my bike however, it was reinforced to me that we all have a part to play in the team / organisation we work for and if we do not work to our fullest capacity, the collective will never be as successful as it could be. Take my bike as an example. If I had no handlebars then I’d have nothing to grip, if I had no pedals then I could not generate any movement and if I had no saddle…well a trip to A+E would be on the horizon.
Keep teamwork at the forefront of your mind. Ensure that not only are you seeking your teams help but make sure you’re available to help others. Encourage those around you and praise them for their achievements. Be accountable to one another and ensure that unity is at the forefront of everything you do but above all else…above all else…if you know anyone who’s constructed an exercise bike before, get them in touch with Dale Carnegie London as that saddle won’t attach itself.
Monday 7 May 2012
Power of Presentations
Last week Wednesday I had the enjoyable experience of being part of a judging panel for the Jack Petchy Foundation, Speak Out competition.
This competition provides a platform for young children between the ages of 14 - 16 from previously disadvantaged areas to talk for 3 minutes about a topic which they are passionate about.
I was involved in the Hackney regional final, where the winner of this event stood the chance of presenting in front of 900 guests at the main gala event on the 2nd July.
At the event there were 15 youths who took to the stage with enthusiasm and passion, whereby each took the opportunity to persuade us with their personal ideas. I was extremely impressed with the level of the presenters, conscious that many of these youths mostly likely never had a platform to present to such a large audience.
We had to mark the presenters in three areas namely, content, deliver and structure.
The overall winner was a young lady who talked about gang wars and how youths are killing each other over the simplicity of a entering their territory which is defined by the post code they live in. When she arrived at the stage she went straight into the incident of when she was personally involved in a turf war scuffle, using excellent body language and vocal verity she allowed the audience to get a glimpse of what it's like to be right in the middle of a extremely hostile and dangerous time a place. At the end of the 3 minutes she left us with a defining question of is it really worth dying over a postcode?
But the evenings success was not just one talented young lady but each and every one of the presenters, because it showed me how important it is to empower our youth. The evening also taught me how getting on stage really develops a person's self confidence. I'm sure everyone of those participants are looking to the future with more confidence that they will be able to secure employment and go on to become leaders of the future.
Therefore I encourage you after reading this blog to see where you can get involved to empower the youths of the future.
Mark de Stadler
This competition provides a platform for young children between the ages of 14 - 16 from previously disadvantaged areas to talk for 3 minutes about a topic which they are passionate about.
I was involved in the Hackney regional final, where the winner of this event stood the chance of presenting in front of 900 guests at the main gala event on the 2nd July.
At the event there were 15 youths who took to the stage with enthusiasm and passion, whereby each took the opportunity to persuade us with their personal ideas. I was extremely impressed with the level of the presenters, conscious that many of these youths mostly likely never had a platform to present to such a large audience.
We had to mark the presenters in three areas namely, content, deliver and structure.
The overall winner was a young lady who talked about gang wars and how youths are killing each other over the simplicity of a entering their territory which is defined by the post code they live in. When she arrived at the stage she went straight into the incident of when she was personally involved in a turf war scuffle, using excellent body language and vocal verity she allowed the audience to get a glimpse of what it's like to be right in the middle of a extremely hostile and dangerous time a place. At the end of the 3 minutes she left us with a defining question of is it really worth dying over a postcode?
But the evenings success was not just one talented young lady but each and every one of the presenters, because it showed me how important it is to empower our youth. The evening also taught me how getting on stage really develops a person's self confidence. I'm sure everyone of those participants are looking to the future with more confidence that they will be able to secure employment and go on to become leaders of the future.
Therefore I encourage you after reading this blog to see where you can get involved to empower the youths of the future.
Mark de Stadler
Friday 4 May 2012
Cold Calling Test
Keep in mind that some of these questions could have different correct responses in special cases. So be sure to answer from a general sales perspective rather than from the perspective of a unique selling situation.
FALSE: Referrals tend to have higher closing ratios for appointments.
3. It is not a high priority to qualify prospects when cold calling. The key is to set up as many appointments as possible.
FALSE: Save time for you and your prospects by ensuring you have qualified leads before taking the time to make and attend an appointment with a prospect.
4. You should leave a message for the buyer when you get voicemail instead of the actual person.
TRUE: Never miss an opportunity to leave a positive impression about you and your company. Also, remember that many people use caller ID. They may be wondering why you called and then failed to leave a message.
5. Most salespeople stop cold calling a prospect after four tries.
TRUE: Unfortunately, most salespeople give up after only four tries.
6. After you've made a certain number of cold calls, it becomes less important to keep records of your results.
FALSE: Most salespeople hate paperwork and keeping records, but it is the only way to find out what is working. And just because something works (or doesn't) this year, that doesn't mean it won't change next year...or next week.
7. Always make friends with the gatekeeper.
FALSE: Good relationships with gatekeepers can be a salesperson's best asset. These individuals can give you a positive look into the customer's organisation. So you should always be friendly with the gatekeeper, but you don't need to necessarily befriend the gatekeeper. These individuals may feel that your interest is an intrusion and suspect that you are trying to manipulate them, or they just may never have contact with any decision-makers in the company. Be cautious about feeling that you are making great progress when you could be wasting your time and theirs.
8. If a prospect doesn't want to talk to you, it's probably personal.
FALSE: You have no idea what is going on in a person's world when you cold call. Remember not to take anything personally.
9. Less information is better when leaving a voicemail.
TRUE: Thirty seconds is about as long as you can hold someone's attention with a voice mail.
10. Experienced salespeople don't do prospecting anymore and develop all their business from current clients and referrals.
FALSE: Over time, we all lose customers because they go out of business, relocate, change their business, and for a host of other reasons. Experienced salespeople plan for this loss of clientele and continue to look for new prospects.
11. Experienced professionals use scripts when prospecting on the phone.
TRUE: Scripts help us make sure we are using the words with the maximum impact on prospects. Professionals practice them enough so that they don't sound like scripts.
12. Cold calling doesn't have to be a constant activity. Once your business gets going, you should be able to eliminate it.
FALSE: The majority of your business should eventually come from existing clients and referrals, but if you stop cold calling, you are missing potentially valuable business opportunities
Corina Balaneanu
Thursday 3 May 2012
One in four managers 'don't know how bad they are'
It has been reported in todays Telegraph, that millions of managers fail to realise “how bad they are at managing”, which is undermining company efforts to boost productivity and growth.
One in four of the UK’s line managers – almost 2m people – have an inflated opinion of their ability to lead teams, the study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has claimed.
Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: “Management capability continues to be an Achilles heel for UK plc, despite mounting evidence that these are ‘skills for growth’.
“Too many employees are promoted into people management roles because they have good technical skills, then receive inadequate training and have little idea of how their behaviour impacts on others.”
If you are 1 in 4 managers who spends more time dealing with stressed staff, absence or conflict, rather than providing high-quality feedback to their teams, or if you have been promoted to management, and do not want to become a "bad manager", then come to our free Inspirational Leadership seminar, or contact us for further information on our Leadership Training for Managers, where we can ensure that you become more than a "good leader", but a "great" inspiration.
Stephanie Fletcher
To read more on this article visit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9241249/One-in-four-managers-dont-know-how-bad-they-are.html
One in four of the UK’s line managers – almost 2m people – have an inflated opinion of their ability to lead teams, the study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has claimed.
Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: “Management capability continues to be an Achilles heel for UK plc, despite mounting evidence that these are ‘skills for growth’.
“Too many employees are promoted into people management roles because they have good technical skills, then receive inadequate training and have little idea of how their behaviour impacts on others.”
If you are 1 in 4 managers who spends more time dealing with stressed staff, absence or conflict, rather than providing high-quality feedback to their teams, or if you have been promoted to management, and do not want to become a "bad manager", then come to our free Inspirational Leadership seminar, or contact us for further information on our Leadership Training for Managers, where we can ensure that you become more than a "good leader", but a "great" inspiration.
Stephanie Fletcher
To read more on this article visit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9241249/One-in-four-managers-dont-know-how-bad-they-are.html
Monday 30 April 2012
What's your motivation?
But sometimes we may falter along the way and find that we don’t want to refuse that big piece of chocolate cake at the restaurant, or simply that we have lost our motivation.
So here are some tips to keep on going if you are finding it tough:
Once you’ve set yourself a deadline make a conscious effort to review your progress a third of the way through or sooner if possible. Look at how it’s going and if there is anything you are struggling with.
Look at what isn’t working and why?
Are there any patterns to why it isn’t working?
Make a small change to what you are doing to get yourself back on track. For instance if you aren’t saving up for that holiday as quickly as you would like is there anything else you can cut back on to save money? If your customers are not paying as quickly as they promised, can you get the sales team involved in talking to the client?
Don’t give up! If you want to get into THAT dress, go look at it, imagine yourself in it. If you want to go on holiday, imagine yourself lying on that sunlounger or taking in the city’s delights. And if you have a project at work that isn’t going as smoothly as you would like, talk to your boss and explain your situation. Ask for help and assistance to get back on track. Discuss the deadline and see if it’s realistic.
Once you made some changes, set yourself another review date, preferably half way through, to see if the changes you have made are working. And when you have reached that goal, don’t forget to reward yourself, even if it’s a cup of tea with a slice of cake.
Helen Mills
Friday 27 April 2012
How to Win Clients and Influence Referrals
(MoneyWatch) What's the difference between a customer and a client? A customer might be there for a transaction, but a client is there for a special relationship. The term dates back to ancient Rome when citizens would attach themselves to an aristocratic patron for protection and clout. Patrons took care of their clients and they were rewarded for it.
This column is for all of you out there who make your living selling to clients and want to attract more of them. To attract new clients, the best approach is to prove your expertise by giving away valuable information through writing and speaking. Actually, that isn't technically true. You should sell the information if you want to win clients and influence referrals. Here's how.
1. Follow Dale's lead. Unfortunately, many sales and marketing people who learn this truth find the idea of writing and speaking too daunting and even mysterious. Most feel this is only for a select few, but that is a miscalculated view. First comes the problem, then comes research, and finally presentation. Dale Carnegie is the role model to emulate. He wrote the original self-improvement book and was the first superstar of the self-help genre.
2. Do your homework. Carnegie wrote that he had searched for years to discover a practical, working handbook on human relations. He started by reading every scholarly book and magazine article he could find to ascertain how the great men and women of all ages had dealt with people. Then he interviewed scores of successful people to discover the techniques they used in human relations.
3. Speak up. From all that material, he prepared a short talk. He called it "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and it soon became a 90-minute lecture. Then the teacher learned from the students. Carnegie asked attendees to share their stories of how the principles helped them. First, he put the rules down on a postcard, which grew into a leaflet, then a series of booklets, each one expanding in size and scope. After 15 years of experiment and research came the book by the same title in 1937 as that original short talk. Of course, it has been a best seller ever since (if you haven't read it, you really should). The first edition had a print run of a mere 5,000, but the last time I checked it had sold more than 15 million copies.
4. Be the expert. During those 15 years of research, Dale Carnegie became the go-to guy for human relations. Thousands attended his training each year and he prospered. This also resulted in many consulting contracts. He is long gone, but his training company has continued to this day.
5. Make them pay. Those who sell high end services can fill a pipeline with qualified prospects in as little as 30 days by offering advice to prospects on how to overcome their most pressing problems. But don't do it for free. Charge for your seminars and the information will be valued more by your potential clients. The burden is also on you to research great information.
This strategy also helps those people who know, like and trust you enough to refer business to you. You can make these people a special deal: if they know someone who would value what you have to say, then your referral source can offer comp admission to your events on a space-available basis. Look what this does. You make the referral source feel special because they can hook people up. The prospects who attend still value the information more because there is a charge for it, and they feel even better because they didn't have to pay.
Happy Selling
Stephanie Fletcher
This article was written by Tom Searcy, and you can read more at http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505183_162-57415800-10391735/how-to-win-clients-and-influence-referrals/
Monday 23 April 2012
Public speaking nightmare
You’re preparing to give a presentation to a group of your peers. As the time draws closer you notice your heart is beating twice as fast and your palms are getting sweaty. Your mind is plagued by thoughts of how this is going to go wrong. You tell yourself that your colleagues don’t even care what you're about to say, they’ll be bored of you after the first 30 seconds and all be playing with their phones by the time you reach your conclusion.
A polite round of applause welcomes you to the front of the room. You feel a small bead of sweat trickle down from your brow and you stutter in your first sentence. A polite cough echoes around the eerily silent room. The computer has frozen and isn’t moving onto the next slide. Make a joke about it? Pretend like you don’t need the power point you worked so hard on? People shuffle in their seats, growing impatient as the temperamental soul that is technology brings your whole presentation to a halt.
Panic overwhelms you. You’ve lost sight of where you were and frantically look through your notes that now seem like a language unknown. You start to rush your words, desperate for the ordeal to be over. You care no longer whether your presentation makes sense or conveys the point you intended. You conclude your message half heartedly and the same polite applause accompanies you back to your chair. You sink back, wishing you would fall straight through the chair, the floor and into a place where presentations were not a part of your job.
Any of that sound familiar?
Dale Carnegie work with thousands of individuals who have felt the same worries, anxieties and doubt over their public speaking as you do and seek to develop those skills to ensure they no longer need panic when in front of a crowd. We can work with you to make sure you engage your audience, use positive tone and body language and provide you with confidence that once you’ve finished your presentation, you can sit down knowing the message you wanted to put across, has been received.
We will be running a complimentary preview to one of our Presentations development programmes (High Impact Presentations) on Thursday 10th May. For more information give us a call on 0207 379 4323.
Brett Mills
A polite round of applause welcomes you to the front of the room. You feel a small bead of sweat trickle down from your brow and you stutter in your first sentence. A polite cough echoes around the eerily silent room. The computer has frozen and isn’t moving onto the next slide. Make a joke about it? Pretend like you don’t need the power point you worked so hard on? People shuffle in their seats, growing impatient as the temperamental soul that is technology brings your whole presentation to a halt.
Panic overwhelms you. You’ve lost sight of where you were and frantically look through your notes that now seem like a language unknown. You start to rush your words, desperate for the ordeal to be over. You care no longer whether your presentation makes sense or conveys the point you intended. You conclude your message half heartedly and the same polite applause accompanies you back to your chair. You sink back, wishing you would fall straight through the chair, the floor and into a place where presentations were not a part of your job.
Any of that sound familiar?
Dale Carnegie work with thousands of individuals who have felt the same worries, anxieties and doubt over their public speaking as you do and seek to develop those skills to ensure they no longer need panic when in front of a crowd. We can work with you to make sure you engage your audience, use positive tone and body language and provide you with confidence that once you’ve finished your presentation, you can sit down knowing the message you wanted to put across, has been received.
We will be running a complimentary preview to one of our Presentations development programmes (High Impact Presentations) on Thursday 10th May. For more information give us a call on 0207 379 4323.
Brett Mills
Wednesday 18 April 2012
Stand by your Principles
At the heart of everything we do as an organisation is Dale Carnegie’s thirty human relations principles. These principles have been with the organisation for many years and the Dale Carnegie itself is celebrating its Centenary in October of this year.
Below is a list of the first 9 principles which covers the foundations of becoming a friendlier person.
Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Become genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person's name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interest.
Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
At first glance you may think to yourself that these prinicples are common knowledge. This is true, however they are not common practice.
Look at the list and again and really ask yourself:
How many of these principles am I actually applying?
How often do I apply them?
Which ones do I find really challenging and why?
If these priniciples and questions resonate with you I would encourage you to attend the opening session of our Skills for Success course on the 8th May for free.
You can register for this event by getting in touch with any of our consultants on 0207 379 4323
Amar Garcha
Below is a list of the first 9 principles which covers the foundations of becoming a friendlier person.
Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Arouse in the other person an eager want.
Become genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person's name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interest.
Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
At first glance you may think to yourself that these prinicples are common knowledge. This is true, however they are not common practice.
Look at the list and again and really ask yourself:
How many of these principles am I actually applying?
How often do I apply them?
Which ones do I find really challenging and why?
If these priniciples and questions resonate with you I would encourage you to attend the opening session of our Skills for Success course on the 8th May for free.
You can register for this event by getting in touch with any of our consultants on 0207 379 4323
Amar Garcha
The Natural Networker
It has been said and demonstrated for many years that in life and the context of opportunity ‘It’s not what you know but who you know’ and y
et on many occasions, I myself have often thought ‘but I don’t really know anyone in that area/field/sector’ etc.
In the past this perception has stopped me and others I know from exploring the art of networking to open new doors or source fresh opportunities. When asked their perception of networking success, people have described many varying versions of a common misconception.
Images such as powerful ‘movers and shakers’ at private members-only clubs tend to come to mind. Smokey bar’s filled with Public School ‘bods’ is another common view, albeit exaggerated somewhat. Conversely people have described quite fruitless events filled with empty conversations and prospectors operating only on their own agenda. Shame really as it can be such a powerful skill for you and others when conducted in a genuine way.
Yet what I have come to find is that venue or event is irrelevant to some extent, as networking can become second nature once you decide to truly listen, engage and take a genuine interest in other people. Seems easy? Well it does become so once you have practiced just connecting people’s needs, wishes, desires and expectations with what others have to offer in whichever way. There doesn’t always have to be a fee either.
What does this mean in practice? Each person you feel you know will have at some point discussed a need or want that they have, be that a work requirement, a personal wish or something that has emerged as a need from a change in circumstance.
For some of us, after practice, we simply engage our Network-thought-process and let our neurons do the work, after all connecting things in this way is a favourite activity of the brain already.
The ‘6 degrees of separation’ soon becomes very apparent. You will quickly find that somewhere along the chain of your family, friends, acquaintances and/or contacts lies a direct route to somebody who could influence a beneficial outcome to that requirement, need, want or desire.
I guess the first step is to put more effort into listening and questioning to understand people’s needs, want etc. That way you are more likely to match a contact much more effectively.
Happy connecting,
Angelina Foden
et on many occasions, I myself have often thought ‘but I don’t really know anyone in that area/field/sector’ etc.In the past this perception has stopped me and others I know from exploring the art of networking to open new doors or source fresh opportunities. When asked their perception of networking success, people have described many varying versions of a common misconception.
Images such as powerful ‘movers and shakers’ at private members-only clubs tend to come to mind. Smokey bar’s filled with Public School ‘bods’ is another common view, albeit exaggerated somewhat. Conversely people have described quite fruitless events filled with empty conversations and prospectors operating only on their own agenda. Shame really as it can be such a powerful skill for you and others when conducted in a genuine way.
Yet what I have come to find is that venue or event is irrelevant to some extent, as networking can become second nature once you decide to truly listen, engage and take a genuine interest in other people. Seems easy? Well it does become so once you have practiced just connecting people’s needs, wishes, desires and expectations with what others have to offer in whichever way. There doesn’t always have to be a fee either.
What does this mean in practice? Each person you feel you know will have at some point discussed a need or want that they have, be that a work requirement, a personal wish or something that has emerged as a need from a change in circumstance.
For some of us, after practice, we simply engage our Network-thought-process and let our neurons do the work, after all connecting things in this way is a favourite activity of the brain already.
The ‘6 degrees of separation’ soon becomes very apparent. You will quickly find that somewhere along the chain of your family, friends, acquaintances and/or contacts lies a direct route to somebody who could influence a beneficial outcome to that requirement, need, want or desire.
I guess the first step is to put more effort into listening and questioning to understand people’s needs, want etc. That way you are more likely to match a contact much more effectively.
Happy connecting,
Angelina Foden
Monday 16 April 2012
To trust or not to trust that is the BIG question ?
"Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If I can’t trust you, then I can’t work with you – end of story.”- Leadership Blogger Dan McCarthy
“Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.”- Leadership Guru Warren Bennis
So are you a trustworthy leader? Have a look at the list below of 20 postive traits of a trustworthy leader . Sure, everybody may do a few of these now and then. However, if there’s a consistent pattern of multiple behaviors, then I’d say there’s a serious case for you to be seen as a trustworhy leader.
So the BIG question is, how many of these 20 traits do you think your team members would associate with you and what are you gonna do in the next week to use more of them ?
1. You do what you said you were going to do.
2. You under promise and over deliver.
3. You’re predictable and consistent.
4. You always have no hidden agenda.
5. You rarely agree just to avoid conflict.
6. You make time in your diary to have 1 on 1 monthly catch up sessions with team members
7. 99% of the time you finish anything you start.
8. You have a reputation that says you can be trusted.
9. You’re always willing to take a stand.
10. You always have time to listen to others.
11. You are interested in what’s important to others.
12. You shun gossip about other people.
13. You make decisions but explain how and why you came to that decision.
14. You rarely change your plans or mind but if you do, you explain why.
15. You come across as compassionate and empathetic to others .
16. You admit your mistakes or acknowledge your weaknesses.
17. You represent other’s views.
18. You always strive to achieve your objectives.
19. You rarely sugarcoat the truth.
20. You never see others as a threat when they are successful .
Please reply if you have anything to add to the list?
Mark de Stadler
Dale Carnegie Consultant
Friday 13 April 2012
New Carnegie Success Story
With over 5000 installations throughout the world, Fabric Architecture has been specialising in the design, engineering, manufacture and installation of tensile fabric structures since 1984. They are experienced in both custom design-and-build structures as well as offering a range of pre-designed and pre-engineered Signature Structures. Their main operations are based in the UK and the United States with an office in Abu Dhabi.
“Fabric Architecture is poised for major growth and our partnership with Dale Carnegie will ensure our people have the best skills to deliver the results we need.”
- Debra Drew, Managing Director, Fabric Architecture
Challenge
In order to further grow business Fabric Architecture realised that they needed to change the structure of the organisation.
Solution
Dale Carnegie Training provided a customised solution focusing on leadership, sales and communication.
Results
The sub-contractor work force grew by 70% and the company achieved a 26% sales growth over the previous year. Also, by changing the approach to being customer centric, closing rates on proposals rose by 23%.
“Fabric Architecture is poised for major growth and our partnership with Dale Carnegie will ensure our people have the best skills to deliver the results we need.”
- Debra Drew, Managing Director, Fabric Architecture
Challenge
In order to further grow business Fabric Architecture realised that they needed to change the structure of the organisation.
Solution
Dale Carnegie Training provided a customised solution focusing on leadership, sales and communication.
Results
The sub-contractor work force grew by 70% and the company achieved a 26% sales growth over the previous year. Also, by changing the approach to being customer centric, closing rates on proposals rose by 23%.
Corina Balaneanu
Thursday 12 April 2012
Techniques for Effective Cold Calling
Pre-Approach
The pre-approach gives you the knowledge and power to have informed discussions with prospects. Analyzing prospect data will help you tailor your approach. But don’t let the pre-approach slow you down and become a barrier to making the sale. Sometimes picking up the phone or dropping in on prospect is the best course of action.
Six "must knows" before picking up the phone
1. Key information about the industry, company, and people
2. Specific key issues and needs they are facing
3. Evidence of your past results with similar customers
4. Common ground or contacts
5. Specific call objectives
6. An appropriate call opening
Whether you’re making an appearance or using the telephone, the sales process doesn’t change. But using the phone presents a different set of challenges that you need to be aware of and prepare for. Some of these challenges are:
• It’s easy for customers to avoid you.
• Many people see incoming phone calls as an interruption.
• Attention spans on the phone are dramatically shorter than in face-to-face meetings.
• You can’t see customer reactions.
• Body language, a major communication tool in face-to-face meetings, is eliminated.
• It’s easy for a customer to do something else while talking to you.
• Technology can make getting to the right person challenging.
Develop your cold calling skills and grow your customer base with Dale Carnegie Training's Live Online Training Program.
The pre-approach gives you the knowledge and power to have informed discussions with prospects. Analyzing prospect data will help you tailor your approach. But don’t let the pre-approach slow you down and become a barrier to making the sale. Sometimes picking up the phone or dropping in on prospect is the best course of action.
Six "must knows" before picking up the phone
1. Key information about the industry, company, and people
2. Specific key issues and needs they are facing
3. Evidence of your past results with similar customers
4. Common ground or contacts
5. Specific call objectives
6. An appropriate call opening
Whether you’re making an appearance or using the telephone, the sales process doesn’t change. But using the phone presents a different set of challenges that you need to be aware of and prepare for. Some of these challenges are:
• It’s easy for customers to avoid you.
• Many people see incoming phone calls as an interruption.
• Attention spans on the phone are dramatically shorter than in face-to-face meetings.
• You can’t see customer reactions.
• Body language, a major communication tool in face-to-face meetings, is eliminated.
• It’s easy for a customer to do something else while talking to you.
• Technology can make getting to the right person challenging.
Develop your cold calling skills and grow your customer base with Dale Carnegie Training's Live Online Training Program.
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Taking It in Your Stride
Have you ever wondered why many people take the easy route through life? Let's see if a short story will provide some answers.
Many of you will know that Helvellyn is the second highest mountain in England. Many of you will also have been to its summit. Alfred Wainwright describes many differen
t paths up to the summit from east, west, south and north. The one he reserves as the best is also the most difficult and dangerous.
Julia Bradbury, in the TV series Wainwright Walks, was visibly moved by the exhilaration she felt when having completed the walk by the famous Striding Edge route. The series set about climbing a selection of Wainwrights favourite peaks and to give us, the audience, the best experience possible she chose this, the most difficult and dangerous.
Why, when the objective was the same as if having climbed from Dunmail Raise in the west? The trek up from Thirlemere is quite spectacular for mountain scenery, at least to the novice, but easy. Why, choose that most challenging route? Especially when it was the only one in the series that needed an experienced guide.
There is something about the journey, rather that just the end goal that must appeal. What thrill will we get when we try something difficult and exceptional? Feeling the emotions of fear, trepidation, excitement; the physical exertions, stretching and growing in confidence and capability. How lucky then, knowing that we have a guide on hand to get us through the difficult stuff and developing our skill in negotiating and overcoming challenges.
This then might have stirred your emotions. Perhaps you will be one of the tens of thousands that this year alone will climb Helvellyn or maybe you will be one of the relative few that go via Striding Edge.
Perhaps you will take the more difficult route through your career, take on tough challenges and gain so much more than just getting to the summit.
Whatever you decide you will need a coach and guide to support, encourage, teach and praise very step you take into the unknown and be the first to congratulate your achievement.
I will be on Helvellyn in August, amongst the few crowds, on Striding Edge.
Will you be accompanied by a Dale Carnegie coach on your career path? If so give me a call!
David Pickering
Monday 9 April 2012
In the last two weeks the London office has had a lovely visit from Stephen Holgate who is a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer and currently residing in New York.Steve, or Stevo to his friends, is such an inspiring person that I thought I would write about him for this blog post.
Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Steve headed to London when he was a mere 24 years old after graduating University with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in marketing. Having read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People he approached our office for a job. His easy going attitude and unbound enthusiasm along with an available opening, immediately secured him a sales consultant role with us.
From there he headed on to be not only a great sales person forming fantastic relationships with his clients, but also started his path to become a Dale Carnegie Trainer. Once he started training our flagship programme, The Dale Carnegie Course, his sales took off even more.
He was with our London office for 4 years and became a trainer for many of our programmes when he decided to return to Australia to be with his girlfriend and to work within the Sydney office of Dale Carnegie. Again he was successful in building up a business which at that time wasn’t well established in the area and travelled to Asia and other parts of the world delivering many of the Dale Carnegie programmes. At this point (2007) he became a Master Trainer, which may I say is no mean feat, especially for someone so young. You have to be the best and have excellent trainer results to even be considered for this role, and then undertake rigorous training.
Eventually the lure of travel was too much and Steve fulfilled another one of his ambitions which was to work and live in New York. And this is where he currently lives, two years on, enjoying his life there, taking improv classes and generally living his dream. He is the chap in our Smartphone apps as well as being a personal coach for CEO’s.
So when Stevo came back to the UK last week for business and tagged on some additional time to see his friends and pop back to the office where it all began, I decided to ask him what the key was to his success. Because Steve is one of the most likeable, motivated, friendly and passionate people I know. He has goals which he achieves, dreams he aspires to achieve and does all this living the life he desires.
Steve:
I actually feel the need to define "success" as what success means to me. For me, success is about being able to be happy with your life, and have a positive impact on the world ("the world" might include people, the environment, and/or ethical organisations). I know I've got the happiness thing, and would like to hope that I have had some form of positive impact on others.
So then the question is how have I done that?
* Work out what you want to be doing (how you can be happy)
* Set long term, medium term, and short term goals to achieve that
* Persist; understand that it won't happen instantly, and that you'll have many set backs and that they are all part of the process, not the end
* Take time out for reflection; replicate what you're doing well, change what you're not
* Create happiness for others; then others will help create it for you
Thanks Steve for those tips.....and may I say how lovely it was to see you again.
Helen
Friday 6 April 2012
Run Clown Run!
3 months ago I signed up to take on what seemed like the challenge of a life time, to run 6 miles in aid of Sports Relief. My main aim for doing so was to improve on my health in time for the summer, whilst raising money for a good cause.
The past 3 months have been fall of temptations and procrastinations to do anything but the gym and there have been times when, let’s say, I have let the odd one get the better of me. However with the motivation of helping others, as well as the thought of letting all my sponsors down, I would head down to the gym.
On a gorgeous Sunday 25th March, dressed as a clown and
deprived of an hours sleep thanks to the clocks going forward, I joined the first leg of runners at 10:15 to take the challenge on. It was a great atmosphere, with people of all ages running/walking/hopping/skipping for 1, 3 or 6 miles around The Mall – Buckingham Palace. Now in my leg, there were not many people dressed up and being the only clown it was very easy to spot me, so much so I gained a lot of attention from the supporters including the children, one of which asked for my photo as I run past him. I managed to run most of the way and probably could have completed the run a lot quicker if I wasn’t too busy looking at the celebs; I didn’t even stop to talk to my family or fellow runners. The run its self was the best run I have had, and without all the practice I would not have managed to complete the run within my target of 1 hour, or to be a head of my personal target ready for the summer holidays.
I have learnt a lot the past few months, with the biggest being if you want to achieve a goal which looks unachievable set yourself smaller goals which will help you to go beyond your target.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my supporters for their support and motivation over the past 3 months.
Stephanie Fletcher
The past 3 months have been fall of temptations and procrastinations to do anything but the gym and there have been times when, let’s say, I have let the odd one get the better of me. However with the motivation of helping others, as well as the thought of letting all my sponsors down, I would head down to the gym.
On a gorgeous Sunday 25th March, dressed as a clown and
deprived of an hours sleep thanks to the clocks going forward, I joined the first leg of runners at 10:15 to take the challenge on. It was a great atmosphere, with people of all ages running/walking/hopping/skipping for 1, 3 or 6 miles around The Mall – Buckingham Palace. Now in my leg, there were not many people dressed up and being the only clown it was very easy to spot me, so much so I gained a lot of attention from the supporters including the children, one of which asked for my photo as I run past him. I managed to run most of the way and probably could have completed the run a lot quicker if I wasn’t too busy looking at the celebs; I didn’t even stop to talk to my family or fellow runners. The run its self was the best run I have had, and without all the practice I would not have managed to complete the run within my target of 1 hour, or to be a head of my personal target ready for the summer holidays.I have learnt a lot the past few months, with the biggest being if you want to achieve a goal which looks unachievable set yourself smaller goals which will help you to go beyond your target.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my supporters for their support and motivation over the past 3 months.
Stephanie Fletcher
Monday 2 April 2012
All Change Please
When it comes to dealing with change we are aware certain critical factors need serious consideration as early in the change process as possible, time permitting of course. Two of these critical factors are the communication and people aspects of change.
Change is an ongoing and often a costly affair. Our desire to become ‘best in class’ and achieve or maintain a competitive edge means investing in new technologies, innovating, and striving to deliver world class service through cutting edge products or people.
Where there is call for such investment, having answers to some fundamental questions can help establish how ‘ready’ our organisation is to handle change and even manage it more successfully more of the time. As we know change is a constant.
You may want to consider the following questions to get the ball rolling:
What are the most critical changes we are/will face now and in the near future?
Of these critical changes which are most likely to impact our people?
On what basis have we prioritised the changes?
Which are likely to have a positive impact on our people in the short/medium/long term?
Which are likely to have a negative impact on our people, in the short/medium/long term?
How are we involving our people in change?
How could we involve our people more in change?
Who are my true key players in implementing change?
Who are my key influencers in implementing change?
Of these people who do I need to commit more time to?
Who do I need to give more responsibility to?
What/Who are my key potential "bottle necks" and why?
Who has a clear understanding of what each change is designed to achieve?
To what depth have any current changes been communicated?
What steps are in place to ensure ensuing changes are communicated?
How has is change communication typically cascaded?
How will we know we have succeeded in effectively implementing change?
When it comes to change it is easy to see how the more we understand the more questions will surface. The questions above are by no means a proven structured approach to managing change but are meant to serve as a glimpse at the scale of readiness of a company and its people.
Angelina Foden
Change is an ongoing and often a costly affair. Our desire to become ‘best in class’ and achieve or maintain a competitive edge means investing in new technologies, innovating, and striving to deliver world class service through cutting edge products or people.
Where there is call for such investment, having answers to some fundamental questions can help establish how ‘ready’ our organisation is to handle change and even manage it more successfully more of the time. As we know change is a constant.
You may want to consider the following questions to get the ball rolling:
What are the most critical changes we are/will face now and in the near future?
Of these critical changes which are most likely to impact our people?
On what basis have we prioritised the changes?
Which are likely to have a positive impact on our people in the short/medium/long term?
Which are likely to have a negative impact on our people, in the short/medium/long term?
How are we involving our people in change?
How could we involve our people more in change?
Who are my true key players in implementing change?
Who are my key influencers in implementing change?
Of these people who do I need to commit more time to?
Who do I need to give more responsibility to?
What/Who are my key potential "bottle necks" and why?
Who has a clear understanding of what each change is designed to achieve?
To what depth have any current changes been communicated?
What steps are in place to ensure ensuing changes are communicated?
How has is change communication typically cascaded?
How will we know we have succeeded in effectively implementing change?
When it comes to change it is easy to see how the more we understand the more questions will surface. The questions above are by no means a proven structured approach to managing change but are meant to serve as a glimpse at the scale of readiness of a company and its people.
Angelina Foden
Friday 30 March 2012
What about worry?
I’m a worrier.
I can’t help it. It seems that my natural reaction to having a bit of free time is to start worrying. I worry about my life, my future, other people and I even worry about the fact that I worry so much! I certainly don’t think I’m alone in this preoccupation of all things negative and what’s more I can prove it. Ask yourself the following question.
When you turn the light off at night and you’re lying in your bed, what do you think about?
Is it money? Is it the bills to pay at the end of the month? How do others perceive me? How’s the job going? What’s the update on that family member whose been struggling?
It’s funny how we hide our worry behind a smile. In the environments that often are the cause of our anxiety we let on that nothing is wrong and act as though we haven’t a care in the world. It’s only when there is nothing else to preoccupy our minds and no one else is around that worry truly takes over.
Worry negatively affects our state of mind, our health, our relationships and our performance. Overcoming it does not come around simply by the way we think; it takes discipline and structure. Here is what Dale Carnegie said on this issue.
"If you want to avoid worry… Live in "day-tight compartments." Don't stew about the future. Just live each day until bedtime."
If worry is something that you struggle with then I strongly urge you to do something about it. Don’t accept it as an inevitable burden you must carry for your life. Don’t let it plague your present, ruin your happiness and cloud your future. As an organisation, Dale Carnegie support individuals in overcoming worry and managing stress. It would be great to discuss with you how we can support you to.
Visit our website or call us on 0207 379 4323.
Brett Mills
I can’t help it. It seems that my natural reaction to having a bit of free time is to start worrying. I worry about my life, my future, other people and I even worry about the fact that I worry so much! I certainly don’t think I’m alone in this preoccupation of all things negative and what’s more I can prove it. Ask yourself the following question.
When you turn the light off at night and you’re lying in your bed, what do you think about?
Is it money? Is it the bills to pay at the end of the month? How do others perceive me? How’s the job going? What’s the update on that family member whose been struggling?
It’s funny how we hide our worry behind a smile. In the environments that often are the cause of our anxiety we let on that nothing is wrong and act as though we haven’t a care in the world. It’s only when there is nothing else to preoccupy our minds and no one else is around that worry truly takes over.
Worry negatively affects our state of mind, our health, our relationships and our performance. Overcoming it does not come around simply by the way we think; it takes discipline and structure. Here is what Dale Carnegie said on this issue.
"If you want to avoid worry… Live in "day-tight compartments." Don't stew about the future. Just live each day until bedtime."
If worry is something that you struggle with then I strongly urge you to do something about it. Don’t accept it as an inevitable burden you must carry for your life. Don’t let it plague your present, ruin your happiness and cloud your future. As an organisation, Dale Carnegie support individuals in overcoming worry and managing stress. It would be great to discuss with you how we can support you to.
Visit our website or call us on 0207 379 4323.
Brett Mills
Monday 26 March 2012
Practice makes Permanent
Only three days to go and I am starting to get nervous. I am about to co-host a 2 hour workshop this Thursday and I am finding difficult to focus on anything else. Public speaking played a big part in a previous role and all I can remember is that I loved it. I managed a large sales team and was responsible for motivating them daily. I also had opportunities to speak at large national conferences and lived for it. I actually couldn’t remember what it was like the first time I stood up in front of my team or when I spoke to a large audience. Was I nervous? Was I any good?
Our flagship programme, the Dale Carnegie Course has five key drivers and these are developed over a period of time through, facilitation, practice and coaching. Another medium that is used to develop some of these skills is public speaking. I have spoken to many people over the last 18 months for whom confidence was a fundamental challenge that needed to be overcome. I have assured many people that it is natural to feel nerves when speaking in public. I have advised my clients that everyone gets butterflies, even the most polished presenters. It’s just a matter of turning that into excitement and using it in your favour. I believe there are only two instances where you would not feel nerves before presenting. One is if you don’t care about what you are presenting and the second is if you don’t care about the audience.
I have realized however that it is very easy to fall back into my comfort zone. It has been a while since I last presented and the nerves have kicked in big time. I guess it’s time for me to take my own advice and try to make it work for me. I know the only way for me to become a better presenter is to practice and practice.
If you would like to attend some of our free seminars and course previews and find out how we have supported individual’s, teams and companies to over come challenges and get better results then please follow the link below.
FREE SEMINARS AND PREVIEWS
Hopefully, I’ll be presenting at one of these events.
Have a great week,
Amar
Our flagship programme, the Dale Carnegie Course has five key drivers and these are developed over a period of time through, facilitation, practice and coaching. Another medium that is used to develop some of these skills is public speaking. I have spoken to many people over the last 18 months for whom confidence was a fundamental challenge that needed to be overcome. I have assured many people that it is natural to feel nerves when speaking in public. I have advised my clients that everyone gets butterflies, even the most polished presenters. It’s just a matter of turning that into excitement and using it in your favour. I believe there are only two instances where you would not feel nerves before presenting. One is if you don’t care about what you are presenting and the second is if you don’t care about the audience.
I have realized however that it is very easy to fall back into my comfort zone. It has been a while since I last presented and the nerves have kicked in big time. I guess it’s time for me to take my own advice and try to make it work for me. I know the only way for me to become a better presenter is to practice and practice.
If you would like to attend some of our free seminars and course previews and find out how we have supported individual’s, teams and companies to over come challenges and get better results then please follow the link below.
FREE SEMINARS AND PREVIEWS
Hopefully, I’ll be presenting at one of these events.
Have a great week,
Amar
Friday 23 March 2012
Value of Managing Time Effectively
I recently read a book called Be Excellent at Everything written by a chap called Tony Schwartz.
The book provides great insight on how to increase performance from an individual perspective. The process to achieve improved performance is explained effectively by linking the way elite athletes "work" to achieve their own personal goals.
He explains in detail how to sport performers that consistently win, know how to engage intensely and with razor sharp focus and they also know how to disengage to relax and rebuild. They can do this in seconds. In tennis, the individuals who consistently won their matches were able to control their heart rates during their short rest periods while the ones that ran out of steam had heart rates elevated during the entire match.
It's not just the number of hours we're working, but also the fact that we spend too many continuous hours juggling too many things at the same time. Technology has blurred our personal boundaries and lines beyond recognition. Wherever we go, our work follows us, on our digital devices, ever insistent.
The biggest cost — assuming you don't crash — is to your productivity. In part, that's a simple consequence of splitting your attention, so that you're partially engaged in multiple activities but rarely fully engaged in any one. In part, it's because when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you're increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 per cent.
Recently Tony Schwartz wrote an article for Harvard Business school saying that from his own experience, he gets two to three times as much writing accomplished when he focuses without interruption for a designated period of time and then takes a real break away, from his desk. Therefore the best way for an organization to fuel higher productivity and more innovative thinking is to strongly encourage finite periods of absorbed focus, as well as shorter periods of real renewal.
If you're a manager, here are three policies worth promoting:
1. Maintain meeting discipline. Schedule meetings for 45 minutes, rather than an hour or longer so participants can stay focused. Take time afterward to reflect on what's been discussed, and recover before the next obligation. Start all meetings at a precise time, end at a precise time, and insist that all digital devices be turned off throughout the meeting.
2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day. It forces your people into reactive mode, fractures their attention, and makes it difficult for them to sustain attention on their priorities. Let them turn off their email at certain times. If it's urgent, you can call them — but that won't happen very often.
3. Encourage renewal. Create at least one time during the day when you encourage your people to stop working and take a break. Offer a mid afternoon class in yoga, or meditation, organize a group walk or work-out, or consider creating a renewal room where people can relax or take a nap.
It's also up to individuals to set their own boundaries. Consider these three behaviours for yourself:
1. Do the most important thing first in the morning, preferably without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, with a clear start and stop time. If possible, work in a private space during this period, or with sound-reducing earphones. Finally, resist every impulse to distraction, knowing that you have a designated stopping point. The more absorbed you can get, the more productive you'll be. When you're done, take at least a few minutes to renew.
2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively or strategically. If you don't, you'll constantly succumb to the tyranny of the urgent. Also, find a different environment in which to do this activity — preferably one that's relaxed and conducive to open-ended thinking.
3. Take real and regular vacations. Real means that when you're off, you're truly disconnecting from work. Regular means several times a year if possible, even if some are only two or three days added to a weekend. The research strongly suggests that you'll be far healthier if you take all of your vacation time, and more productive overall.
A single principle lies at the heart of all these suggestions. When you're engaged at work, fully engage, for defined periods of time. When you're renewing, truly renew. Make waves. Stop living your life in the grey zone.
Mark de Stadler
Dale Carnegie Consultant
The book provides great insight on how to increase performance from an individual perspective. The process to achieve improved performance is explained effectively by linking the way elite athletes "work" to achieve their own personal goals.
He explains in detail how to sport performers that consistently win, know how to engage intensely and with razor sharp focus and they also know how to disengage to relax and rebuild. They can do this in seconds. In tennis, the individuals who consistently won their matches were able to control their heart rates during their short rest periods while the ones that ran out of steam had heart rates elevated during the entire match.
It's not just the number of hours we're working, but also the fact that we spend too many continuous hours juggling too many things at the same time. Technology has blurred our personal boundaries and lines beyond recognition. Wherever we go, our work follows us, on our digital devices, ever insistent.
The biggest cost — assuming you don't crash — is to your productivity. In part, that's a simple consequence of splitting your attention, so that you're partially engaged in multiple activities but rarely fully engaged in any one. In part, it's because when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you're increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 per cent.
Recently Tony Schwartz wrote an article for Harvard Business school saying that from his own experience, he gets two to three times as much writing accomplished when he focuses without interruption for a designated period of time and then takes a real break away, from his desk. Therefore the best way for an organization to fuel higher productivity and more innovative thinking is to strongly encourage finite periods of absorbed focus, as well as shorter periods of real renewal.
If you're a manager, here are three policies worth promoting:
1. Maintain meeting discipline. Schedule meetings for 45 minutes, rather than an hour or longer so participants can stay focused. Take time afterward to reflect on what's been discussed, and recover before the next obligation. Start all meetings at a precise time, end at a precise time, and insist that all digital devices be turned off throughout the meeting.
2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day. It forces your people into reactive mode, fractures their attention, and makes it difficult for them to sustain attention on their priorities. Let them turn off their email at certain times. If it's urgent, you can call them — but that won't happen very often.
3. Encourage renewal. Create at least one time during the day when you encourage your people to stop working and take a break. Offer a mid afternoon class in yoga, or meditation, organize a group walk or work-out, or consider creating a renewal room where people can relax or take a nap.
It's also up to individuals to set their own boundaries. Consider these three behaviours for yourself:
1. Do the most important thing first in the morning, preferably without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, with a clear start and stop time. If possible, work in a private space during this period, or with sound-reducing earphones. Finally, resist every impulse to distraction, knowing that you have a designated stopping point. The more absorbed you can get, the more productive you'll be. When you're done, take at least a few minutes to renew.
2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively or strategically. If you don't, you'll constantly succumb to the tyranny of the urgent. Also, find a different environment in which to do this activity — preferably one that's relaxed and conducive to open-ended thinking.
3. Take real and regular vacations. Real means that when you're off, you're truly disconnecting from work. Regular means several times a year if possible, even if some are only two or three days added to a weekend. The research strongly suggests that you'll be far healthier if you take all of your vacation time, and more productive overall.
A single principle lies at the heart of all these suggestions. When you're engaged at work, fully engage, for defined periods of time. When you're renewing, truly renew. Make waves. Stop living your life in the grey zone.
Mark de Stadler
Dale Carnegie Consultant
Wednesday 21 March 2012
A Strong Culture Top to Bottom
Last week I had my first meeting at one of our long standing clients Sports and Recreation Alliance (formerly known as CCPR). Sports and Recreation Alliance
is the umbrella organisation for the governing and representative bodies of sport and recreation in the UK and represents more than 320 members – organisations like the FA, the Rugby Football Union, UK Athletics, the Ramblers, British Rowing and the Royal Academy of Dance.
The reason I decided to mention them here is because I was very impressed with the strong culture the organisation presented. From the moment I walked in, Angela the lovely Administration Officer was very engaging and we had a good conversation before meeting with the HR Manager, Sue and the next delegate for one of our programmes, Mikkel. Both showed great passion for what they do, it comes as no surprise that Sue decided to dedicate the last 20 years working for the organisation. It's great they have such good people in place and they still decide to invest in developing their skills.
Often organisations decide to invest in training & development when things go wrong. That kind of remedial solution is not the most effective way to grow and promote a strong culture. I urge companies to be more like Sports and Recreation Alliance and invest in good people doing well, this will take performance from good to great.
Corina Balaneanu
Monday 19 March 2012
Get Over It
Just having got over a cold that has lasted for 4 weeks had me thinking about other things in life we have to 'get over'.
The failed romance - we are told - "you'll get over it"
Losing a golf competition - we are told - "you'll get over it"
Getting into debt and seeing no way out - "you'll get over it"
Losing a client - "you'll get over it"
Why is it such a popular expression? What is it we have to get over?
Getting over something suggests an obstacle, barrier, or some other frustration which prevents us for carrying on as normal. And it is this carrying on as normal that is the problem.
The world is changing rapidly around us. You've heard the adage 'better, faster, with less'. If we carry on as normal we are surely getting left behind. So what we have to get over is a state of being that does not see the need to change. This applies to our role as leaders almost more than any other situation.
This was amply demonstrated in a module of one of our training programmes when the group finally decided that what they had to 'get over' was thinking about themselves and devote their time and attention to others. Once they let go of their ego's and concentrated entirely upon the needs of others they showed up more powerfully, more assertive, more in control, more caring, more generous.
Leaders need followers - you've heard that before - so what would you follow. The lead that somebody provides that is entirely in your interests or someone whose ego is needing to be fed?
Talk to us about servant leadership!
David Pickering
The failed romance - we are told - "you'll get over it"
Losing a golf competition - we are told - "you'll get over it"
Getting into debt and seeing no way out - "you'll get over it"
Losing a client - "you'll get over it"
Why is it such a popular expression? What is it we have to get over?
Getting over something suggests an obstacle, barrier, or some other frustration which prevents us for carrying on as normal. And it is this carrying on as normal that is the problem.
The world is changing rapidly around us. You've heard the adage 'better, faster, with less'. If we carry on as normal we are surely getting left behind. So what we have to get over is a state of being that does not see the need to change. This applies to our role as leaders almost more than any other situation.
This was amply demonstrated in a module of one of our training programmes when the group finally decided that what they had to 'get over' was thinking about themselves and devote their time and attention to others. Once they let go of their ego's and concentrated entirely upon the needs of others they showed up more powerfully, more assertive, more in control, more caring, more generous.
Leaders need followers - you've heard that before - so what would you follow. The lead that somebody provides that is entirely in your interests or someone whose ego is needing to be fed?
Talk to us about servant leadership!
David Pickering
Friday 16 March 2012
Create change and see what happens
With The Apprentice returning to our screens next week it’s timely that I should discuss an entrepreneur in this blog post. One who had an idea for a product and who followed it through with grit, determination, initiative, passion and trying something different. Here’s some things I learned which I wanted to share.....Sara Blakely came up with an idea of creating underwear which makes you look thinner and solves the VPL which so many women try to avoid. Spanx was born. And now at the age of 41 she is a self made billionaire (1 billion USD, £638 million). I have no idea whether she was in it for the money or if she wanted to create something she was passionate about, but however you measure her success, she is in no doubt successful. So just how did she do it?
Her past jobs certainly helped her. She worked at Disney as a meeter-and-greeter which no doubt gave her a background in Customer Service (as Disney are renowned for excellent customer service). She then worked as a door-to-door salesperson and was used to hearing ‘No’s’ and having knockbacks.....no doubt with the odd door slammed in her face. She also was a stand up comic in her spare time which meant she had no problems presenting to crowds, some of whom I can imagine could be a tad difficult.
She was passionate about her product and invested her life savings to make it happen. And in order to get her product noticed she really had to fall back on to her previous sales role.
Sara also had initiative and in her 10 min slot with a potential buyer she took her to the ladies to show her a before and after demonstration of her product rather than spend the whole precious ten minutes explaining to the buyer why she should stock her product. There certainly wasn’t a confidence issue there. But her big break came six months after that meeting whereby she sent a sample to Oprah Winfrey who was so impressed with her product that she added it to her Favourite Things Show. What better free advertising/PR can you get than an endorsement from a world renowned celebrity on a show which is seen on a global scale? Needless to say Sara never looked back after that.
As a result of her success, she set up the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurial training which also funds scholarships in South Africa, as well as donating $1 million to Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy.....therefore giving back to the community.
Some of us will have an idea which we want to pursue and some of us won’t. Some of us will have most of the tools we need to pursue that goal and some of us won’t. If you would like to know how to present to groups, or build up your confidence, then by all means drop us a line. We are friendly, helpful and above all, really listen to what you require. And we would love to help you achieve your dreams.
I will leave you with a quote from Sara Blakely which I think sums up her success:
‘Now I give speeches and I always ask: If no one showed you how to do your job, how would you be doing it? Take a moment and ask that question. Often your way is better. Maybe it’s a fresh new approach. If you are doing something the way that everyone is doing it, you are not really creating change by doing it that way.’
Helen
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Leadership Development Increases Performance.....FACT!
It has been reported that the Government should make leadership development a key part of its "skills for growth" strategy in order to improve the UK's competitiveness and boost economic growth, a report has recommended.
According to the "Business benefits of management and leadership development" report, produced by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and HR consultancy Penna, 34% of individuals across all levels of management consider their line managers to be ineffective.
The report, which surveyed 4,500 managers, found that companies that invested in the development of leaders saw increases of up to 32% in people performance and 23% in organisational performance.
In addition, organisations that performed well spent, on average, 36% more on leadership development per manager per year than those with low performance levels.
The report's findings suggest that simply spending more on managers' development is not necessarily the answer - employers are, in general, investing in a range of leadership development activities, but the types of training being used are not always the most effective.
Short courses on management and leadership were used by 43% of organisations but were rated as one of the most effective tools to train leaders by only 34% of respondents.
To continue to read this report please visit http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2012/02/28/58366/leadership-development-must-be-part-of-skills-for-growth-strategy-says-report.html
Find out how Dale Carnegie can improve your leadership development and help increase your people and organisational performance visit our web site, or contact us for more information on 0207 379 4323
Stephanie Fletcher
Monday 12 March 2012
Overcoming Self Built Barriers
I am sitting in a room full of professionals, all experienced in their fields and all investing in the development of fundamental interpersonal skills. It is the first session of the Dale Carnegie Course and our coach Charlotte is encouraging us all to mingle, meet and greet. During these few minutes, I ask people what are their expectations of the course and the response is mixed. Some are anticipative, some are rather nervous and of course there are a few skeptics.
Once we had all sat down, Charlotte ran through the introduction of today’s session and out of nowhere, picked on me first! This didn’t surprise me, being the only one sitting on a front row of eight seats. I casually took the few steps needed to stand at the front and face my newly found class mates when tunnel vision set in. This is what happens to me when I am asked to present in front of a group. This is a real bug bearer for me as I am a confident girl and I know that even the worst outcome of this situation is not really one I need worry about, it’s hardly life or death. As it turns out all I had to do was introduce myself to the group and whilst doing so, emphasize both my first and last name. This I did with ease, still feeling a little red faced but already starting to feel more comfortable. I watched everyone else do the same and we were then asked to note down the first and last names of our class mates. When asked to see how many we could remember, I shamefully could only rattle off four names.
After a little more coaching on memory techniques, we were given another challenge. I was now feeling way out of my comfort zone as it was different and definitely unusual challenge.
‘Tell us your name through imagery, using your physical body to create these images, and then present this as expressively as you can to your class mates.’
Ok, let’s throw myself into this I thought, this is a great opportunity, it would be a shame if I played shy and didn’t push myself. The challenge was hilarious; the class was divided into groups of fours so we could help each other and feedback the effectiveness of ideas. When presenting our name, I was first after the lovely Charlotte. Tunnel vision set in once again, but this time the ‘silliness’ of the situation evoked so much laughter from everyone that I instantly felt more comfortable. By the end of my turn, tunnel vision had left me and I was absolutely chuffed with this mini break through. After all had presented their names using that technique, we were asked how many we remembered. I remembered everyone’s.
For the first time ever, I had presented my ideas to a group of people I believed were all more experienced than me, and when finished, I had a smile on my face and my palms were perspiration free.
Session 1- My classmates and I learnt to have an open mind with regards to the effectiveness of less conventional activities, and not to be afraid to be creative.
Michaela Foden
Once we had all sat down, Charlotte ran through the introduction of today’s session and out of nowhere, picked on me first! This didn’t surprise me, being the only one sitting on a front row of eight seats. I casually took the few steps needed to stand at the front and face my newly found class mates when tunnel vision set in. This is what happens to me when I am asked to present in front of a group. This is a real bug bearer for me as I am a confident girl and I know that even the worst outcome of this situation is not really one I need worry about, it’s hardly life or death. As it turns out all I had to do was introduce myself to the group and whilst doing so, emphasize both my first and last name. This I did with ease, still feeling a little red faced but already starting to feel more comfortable. I watched everyone else do the same and we were then asked to note down the first and last names of our class mates. When asked to see how many we could remember, I shamefully could only rattle off four names.
After a little more coaching on memory techniques, we were given another challenge. I was now feeling way out of my comfort zone as it was different and definitely unusual challenge.
‘Tell us your name through imagery, using your physical body to create these images, and then present this as expressively as you can to your class mates.’
Ok, let’s throw myself into this I thought, this is a great opportunity, it would be a shame if I played shy and didn’t push myself. The challenge was hilarious; the class was divided into groups of fours so we could help each other and feedback the effectiveness of ideas. When presenting our name, I was first after the lovely Charlotte. Tunnel vision set in once again, but this time the ‘silliness’ of the situation evoked so much laughter from everyone that I instantly felt more comfortable. By the end of my turn, tunnel vision had left me and I was absolutely chuffed with this mini break through. After all had presented their names using that technique, we were asked how many we remembered. I remembered everyone’s.
For the first time ever, I had presented my ideas to a group of people I believed were all more experienced than me, and when finished, I had a smile on my face and my palms were perspiration free.
Session 1- My classmates and I learnt to have an open mind with regards to the effectiveness of less conventional activities, and not to be afraid to be creative.
Michaela Foden
Friday 9 March 2012
You can't beat this blog - The art of competition.
If I was to compare my current workplace to my old one, a key similarity would be the element of competition. I use to be an extremely competitive person, to the point that winning was so important that it did not matter what the competition was. I remember how much of a sulk I sank into just because my top score of 186 at bowling was beaten by my friend who scored 201. I didn’t speak to him for the whole journey home, which made it quite difficult for him to drop me off when he didn’t know where I lived.
I have since become far more disciplined in the art of competition. I don’t let losing bother me as much as it did and I’m even at a place where I can genuinely congratulate someone who’s bested me without feeling bitter. Such discipline was tested to the limit in my previous job in telesales. As I mentioned earlier, it was an extremely competitive environment and unfortunately, not everybody handled that environment well. There was a lot of backbiting, underhanded sales and even stealing leads from colleagues. Competition was integral to the role, but it was not utilised effectively.
If I compare that to my current job at Dale Carnegie, there is still that sense of competition but the atmosphere it creates is entirely healthy and motivational. Since I’ve been here, I have challenged people to table tennis games, been absolutely annihilated at Scrabble and been verbally abused in a game of Pictionary. As before, the office is full of competitive people, but everyone combines that mentality with one of team work. There is a genuine desire to see those around you succeed. Sure, we each have our individual goals and use the idea of competition to motivate us, but never at the expense of another in the team.
I would encourage you to look at how you deal with the idea of competition. Is it a healthy motivator? Or does it create conflict and negativity with those around you?
Visit our website http://www.london.dalecarnegie.co.uk/ to find various solutions for avoiding such conflict in your workplace.
Brett Mills
Wednesday 7 March 2012
The Beneficial Overspill of Mastering Stress
The beneficial overspill of mastering stress.
Those of you who are blessed enough to have a dream commute each day ought to be hailed genius. Your intuitive decision making on location and mode of transport is to be celebrated.
I still haven’t managed to master my commute. Tube journeys are squashed and uncomfortable, and then I’m to dash from platform to platform if the next driver has decided to take a jolly jaunt on route. My contingency, an hour long bus ride, whilst providing a seat faces multiple diversions and delays. This often means the journey takes 90 minutes and without warning the driver will terminate the journey in order to get back to the depot on time leaving passengers to fend for themselves off the beaten track. Not a great start to the day.
Knowing the likelihood of the ‘rug being pulled from under’ my smooth journey at any point has often meant me being fraught with underlying stress, and when things do go wrong I have reacted in a less than favourable manner, to say the least. This stressed and disgruntled state of mind has stayed with me through to midday on occasion, so I can only guess the words and phrases used by my colleagues to describe my. Not a great impression to create.
I recently completed the Dale Carnegie Skills for Success programme, and on the final session I spoke of the benefits I have gained and they were numerous. However yesterdays commute really demonstrated just how far reaching the benefits of managing my stress and worry are.
At just beyond the half-way point of my journey to work the driver politely announced he would be terminating the journey. “You can just follow this road until you get close to Marble Arch and then ask somebody from there if you don’t know your way around” was his solution for the tourist groups who had deliberately set out early to explore this wonderful city of ours. For the rest of us? “You know this can happen.” Helpful!
Usually at this announcement my knee-jerk reaction would be to openly express my disappointment, frustration and anger vigorously however on this occasion I simply listened, accepted and began my long walk toward the office. Each attempt to catch another bus failed however I kept moving in the direction of Covent Garden and kept my thoughts positive and productive. Not only was I calm when I arrived at work I had also come up with a couple of new ideas I couldn’t wait to test out so I was in fact fairly fired up and raring to go. What a difference! My next goal is to apply this more often when faced with challenges that are beyond my control but can often be costly in terms of my wellbeing.
I look forward to letting you know how it goes. Enjoy your day.
Angelina Foden
Those of you who are blessed enough to have a dream commute each day ought to be hailed genius. Your intuitive decision making on location and mode of transport is to be celebrated.
I still haven’t managed to master my commute. Tube journeys are squashed and uncomfortable, and then I’m to dash from platform to platform if the next driver has decided to take a jolly jaunt on route. My contingency, an hour long bus ride, whilst providing a seat faces multiple diversions and delays. This often means the journey takes 90 minutes and without warning the driver will terminate the journey in order to get back to the depot on time leaving passengers to fend for themselves off the beaten track. Not a great start to the day.
Knowing the likelihood of the ‘rug being pulled from under’ my smooth journey at any point has often meant me being fraught with underlying stress, and when things do go wrong I have reacted in a less than favourable manner, to say the least. This stressed and disgruntled state of mind has stayed with me through to midday on occasion, so I can only guess the words and phrases used by my colleagues to describe my. Not a great impression to create.
I recently completed the Dale Carnegie Skills for Success programme, and on the final session I spoke of the benefits I have gained and they were numerous. However yesterdays commute really demonstrated just how far reaching the benefits of managing my stress and worry are.
At just beyond the half-way point of my journey to work the driver politely announced he would be terminating the journey. “You can just follow this road until you get close to Marble Arch and then ask somebody from there if you don’t know your way around” was his solution for the tourist groups who had deliberately set out early to explore this wonderful city of ours. For the rest of us? “You know this can happen.” Helpful!
Usually at this announcement my knee-jerk reaction would be to openly express my disappointment, frustration and anger vigorously however on this occasion I simply listened, accepted and began my long walk toward the office. Each attempt to catch another bus failed however I kept moving in the direction of Covent Garden and kept my thoughts positive and productive. Not only was I calm when I arrived at work I had also come up with a couple of new ideas I couldn’t wait to test out so I was in fact fairly fired up and raring to go. What a difference! My next goal is to apply this more often when faced with challenges that are beyond my control but can often be costly in terms of my wellbeing.
I look forward to letting you know how it goes. Enjoy your day.
Angelina Foden
Friday 2 March 2012
The story so far……
Having come through the second full day of training in the last month to be a Dale Carnegie Coach I am currently experiencing an array of emotions. I am really fired up and enthusiastic but also nervous at the prospect of another session at the end of March and the crucial assessment event taking place over four consecutive days at the back end of April.
My journey started back in September 2010 and I am getting closer to crunch time. I have realized in the last 30 days that becoming a coach is challenging and becoming an excellent coach requires passion, drive, determination, tenacity and an unbelievable amount of effort.
To have the ability to help people improve in their key development areas, coaching in real-time to redirect from ineffectual habits and provide feedback relevant to the learning objectives and the individual’s goals requires practice, practice and more practice.
Needless to say I have a new found respect for my colleagues that consistently and effectively support others to reach their visions.
I have been in the business for 15 months and despite seeing the results of the coaching, I never realised until now the process and effort involved of getting people from where they are to where they need to be, faster and with less anxiety.
Our seminars and previews are designed to give people at least a couple of new ideas that they can implement in their business or private life to improve the results they are getting.
Please visit our website to see a list of our complimentary events you can attend in the coming weeks.
I look forward to supporting you in the near future to achieve your goals.
Have a great weekend.
Amar
My journey started back in September 2010 and I am getting closer to crunch time. I have realized in the last 30 days that becoming a coach is challenging and becoming an excellent coach requires passion, drive, determination, tenacity and an unbelievable amount of effort.
To have the ability to help people improve in their key development areas, coaching in real-time to redirect from ineffectual habits and provide feedback relevant to the learning objectives and the individual’s goals requires practice, practice and more practice.
Needless to say I have a new found respect for my colleagues that consistently and effectively support others to reach their visions.
I have been in the business for 15 months and despite seeing the results of the coaching, I never realised until now the process and effort involved of getting people from where they are to where they need to be, faster and with less anxiety.
Our seminars and previews are designed to give people at least a couple of new ideas that they can implement in their business or private life to improve the results they are getting.
Please visit our website to see a list of our complimentary events you can attend in the coming weeks.
I look forward to supporting you in the near future to achieve your goals.
Have a great weekend.
Amar
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Creating an Adaptive Workforce
Due to various internal and external pressures, companies today are forced to be more responsive to shifting market needs; more flexible in how they operate; more focused on their core competencies; and more resilient to external threats.
Developing a workforce that is adaptable to change has become essential. According to the Global Human Capital Study , however, only 14 percent of HR executives state their workforce is very capable of adapting to change.
The Study identified three critical success factors to developing an adaptable workforce:
The ability to predict future skills: Successfully anticipating future business scenarios enables organizations to know what key competencies to target in advance of critical market shifts. Only 13 percent of organizations interviewed believe they have a very clear understanding of the skills they will require in the next three to five years.
The ability to locate experts: While predicting future skills is important, so is the ability to apply existing knowledge and skills to new challenges. Expertise location is cited by respondents as critical in identifying and allocating resources to address new opportunities and threats. Only 13 percent believe they are very capable of identifying individuals with specific expertise within the organization. Companies are using a variety of techniques to improve their expertise location capability. More than 50 percent of companies that rate themselves as “very effective" in locating experts use some form of employee directory while only 39 percent of all respondents report using them.
The ability to foster collaboration: Once the experts are located and identified, collaboration is the next step to foster innovation and growth. According to the study, only 8 percent of companies believe they are very effective in fostering collaboration across the enterprise. Surprisingly, technology is not the deterrent to effective collaboration, with only 28 percent of companies indicating this is a significant factor. Instead, organizational silos (42 percent) are the leading barrier of collaboration in an organization, followed by time pressures (40 percent) and misaligned performance measures (39 percent).
Therefore its important that you and your organisation put procedures in place now rather than later to make sure you are able to make the most of the volatile markets we find ourselves doing business in .
Mark De Stadler
Dale Carnegie
Performance Consultant
Monday 27 February 2012
Inspiration is in others
On Friday I met with a very special lady, Lizzie Thomas who happens to be one of our Dale Carnegie trainers. The conversations with Lizzie are always interesting as she's very insightful, leaving you in a better place almost every time....viewing things differently, infected with her enthusiasm.
So I just wanted to take this opportunity to say: Thanks Lizzie, it's an honour to have met you and you'll continue to be an inspiration to me!
"Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be. "
Jose Ortega y Gasset
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Tuesdays with Morrie
Have you ever read a book which has little pearls of wisdom in it that you just love? Well I am currently reading such a book. It's called Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and it is based on a true story of a college student reconnecting with his college Professor when he finds out he is dying. I have heard I will need the tissues as I can only imagine how sad it may get but at the moment it is an inspiring read.
I am about half of the way in but I wanted to share some of the things Morrie has said which I have loved:
‘So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.’
‘The most important thing in life is to give out love, and to let it come in.’
During his discussion about death:
‘Do what Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, ‘Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?’
On material possessions:
'Do the kinds of things that come from the heart. When you do you won’t be dissatisfied, you won’t be envious, you won’t be longing for someone else’s things. On the contrary you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back.’
I love what Morrie says and I truly believe that he has a valid point. Just think...... if everyone gave out love and devoted themselves to the community around them what a wonderful world this would be.
So what can you do today, who can you become to be that small difference in the world?
Helen
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