Wheres The Motivation?

It was two weeks ago, on a wet and cold Thursday evening (a bit like today), and I had just fought my way through rush hour, and I sat on the sofa, with a cup of tea watching Come Dine With With Me, for what was suppose to be a 5 minute rest, before I went to the gym.



5 minutes slowly turned into 10 then into 20 minutes, and before long I had lost all motivation to go. I sat there an hour later, regretting not going straight from work, as then I would not have had the temptation of saying “I will make up for it tomorrow” or “it’s too cold to go back outside”. My mother didn’t help by convincing me that it is too cold outside, and that I had had a long day either.


We were watching BBC Ones The One Show, when Fern Cotton and Gary Lineker did an advert for run 1 mile for Sports Relief on 25th March. It was then, I got my motivation! Seeing and hearing how my contribution to running a mile would help raise money for charities all over the UK and the World, and how it has bought families, communities the young and the old together has inspired me. I instantly logged on on-line to sign up, where I then had the dilemma of running, 1, 3 or 6 miles. I thought to myself that 1 mile would be a “walk in the park”, 3 miles would be achievable, but 6 miles would be a challenge for someone who was at her peak 10 years ago, and whom needs to reach her target by May.


2 weeks on, I am training 4/5 times a week to complete my first ever charity run, and finish the 6 miles in an hour. So far, it’s going well, I have inspired another fellow “Get Fit” lady, who has seen me on numerous occasions in the gym to enter, as well as the men of Dale Carnegie London, and I have even broken my record by 2 minutes, but it hasn’t been easy. I am a very sociable person, and I can easily be persuaded into activities which are not fit related, but my motivation is at an all time high so I have actually said no, on the odd occasion. I have been inspired to not only reach my own personal goals, but hopefully help to achieve others along my way too. It’s not always about reaching your targets, but how you achieve them, and trying to keep motivated as you do so. To achieve my target, I will be doing a range of events, including one which will be a big test to me……..a day’s silence!! If I can achieve that, then I can achieve anything, and so can you.





Stephanie Fletcher

Who's agenda are you really on?

Ever found yourself in the midst of yet another fruitless cold call from a sales person who professes to be the answer to all of your business problems?

Have you found yourself during the call, internally questioning "just how do you propose to help my business when you haven't asked a single question about us so far, you've simply blurted everything about what your company does and what you want!"?

With some cold callers the more you pull away the more they feel they should push until one of you is cornered or conflict is arrived at. What is it they don't understand about
"I'm not interested"?

In each case I am confident to speculate that only one or two key elements are being missed however the impact is multiplied each time they fail to be applied within the conversation.

In truth who amongst us has the time or indeed the inclination to stop what we are doing on a busy day and listen to somebody who displays little to no genuine interest in what is important to us?

Consider how much more useful it would be if the person calling questioned effectively enough to uncover what makes your business tick, to allow you to share what has made your business successful over the course of its existence? The very fact that you are in business must mean there are any number of things really working well surely?

The true value of a cold call lies in the sales person genuinely seeking to understand the opportunities and challenges your business is facing now and is likely to face in the foreseeable future. They should strive to draw out the ambitions that lie at the core of your strategy for moving forward. Only here both of you really begin to recognise if what they offer will in fact help propel you forward and accelerate the achievement of key objectives.

When a potential supplier applies this approach they begin by demonstrating how they aim to partner you in the accomplishment of your ambitions. They don't waste your time selling you something you don't need to buy.

Angelina Foden

The difference between confidence and nerves.

As I am coming up to the half way point of the Dale Carnegie course I thought I could use this blog to maybe describe one of the key breakthroughs I have made so far. The course is designed to develop a variety of skills and mentalities which in turn will be beneficial in your relationships with others, enable you to project confidence and maintain a positive attitude in all situations.

I have recognised through the presentations I have made on the course and speaking to others partaking that we all get nervous. Whether its presentations or something entirely different, I don’t know anyone who does not get nervous at some point. I use to think that by being constantly nervous I was somebody who suffered from a lack of confidence but would often be given good feedback in the areas I thought I was not confident in.

I have come to realise that nerves are more related to the significance of an event and confidence is linked to our preparation for it. If I have to give a presentation on a particular subject and I’m not prepared, then I will be nervous and have no confidence in myself to carry out the presentation. If I have prepared for the presentation then I have total confidence in my ability to deliver a good presentation but it does not stop me from feeling nerves.

I have learned to welcome the feeling of nerves in any scenario in life as for me it underlines it is something of importance. If I don’t feel confident about my ability to get through it, then I need to find what’s missing in order to rectify it.

I would encourage you to embrace nerves as a means of motivation. Next time you have a presentation and you feel nervous…good, it means that what you are doing is important to you! Next time you have a presentation and you don’t feel confident…work out what is missing, change it and give yourself the confidence that you have all the tools to give the presentation of your life.

Brett Mills

Can a lack of communication be the difference between life and death?

I was shocked about the news this week regarding the Costa Concordia crashing into rocks off Giglio Porto and subsequently sinking. This has resulted in the death of at least 11 people with another 24 still missing. A sad loss of life’s that simply should have been avoided.

In the aftermath, Captain Francesco Schettino has been arrested on suspicion of multiple manslaughter with some reports suggested that he was amongst the first to leave the ship after the crash.

As some of this is unsubstantiated at this moment in time I will refrain from passing my own judgment on the man.

However, recently video footage has been released in which a female crew member is urging passengers to return to their cabins. Passengers were also told that the problem was electrical and confined to the ships generator. Apparently, the footage comes from the period after the ship hit the reef. In another audio tape aired yesterday a crew member is heard describing the situation to a port authority official as a blackout.

Wherever the truth lies regarding what actually happened in the time before and after the crash, I can clearly tell that there was a distinct lack of communication from the crew to the passengers as well as to the port officials.

I work for an organisation that appreciates the importance of communication, whether that is internal to your peers and bosses or external to other stakeholders and clients. We have spent the best part of a century coaching and training people in this area, who are looking to gain credibility, increase team member engagement or simply to develop their own careers.

I love the work I do, so much so that I about to undergo my training to become a trainer / coach for the company and so will be dedicating my life to improving the communication skills (amongst other key soft skill areas) of individuals, teams and companies in the years to come.

I understand that in the current tough economic climate a lack of communication has a massive impact on the ability of an organisation to thrive or survive.

However, after reflecting on the aforementioned events it really saddens me to think that many innocent lives were snatched away under these circumstances.

My thoughts are with everyone that lost their life, the people still missing and all their respective friends and family.

A lack of communication can really be the difference between life and death.

Amar Garcha

Making better use of our own time !

Intelligent leaders make resolutions and set quarterly targets, charting progress against ambitious plans and goals. Wise leaders, however, take a different approach: they root themselves in a noble purpose, align it with a compelling vision, and then take action — not just for that year, but for the rest of their lives.

We have a choice in creating the life that we desire. With our judgment, choices, actions we take, we change the course of our future and steer our destiny, moment by moment. Wisdom is not about focusing on the future, but rather about acting in the present, and having a abilty to priotitize .

Prioritizing requires reflection, reflection takes time, and many of the individuals I meet are so busy racing just to keep up they don't believe they have time to stop and think about much of anything. Therefore saying no, thoughtfully, may be the most undervalued capacity of our times. In a world of relentless demands and infinite options, it behooves us to prioritize the tasks that add the most value. That also means deciding what to do less of, or to stop doing altogether.

Making the correct choices requires that we regularly step back from the madding crowd. It's only when we pause — when we say no to the next urgent demand or seductive source of instant gratification — that we give ourselves the space to reflect on, metabolize, assess, and make sense of what we've just experienced.
Taking time also allows us to collect ourselves, refuel and renew, and make conscious course corrections that ultimately save us time when we plunge back into the fray.

Therefore take 30 minutes out of your diary at the end of each week to reflect on the last 5 days of work . Once you have had to chance to reflect , map out what elements you want to give more focus on for the following week. This simple process will allow you to be in control of each week and it will give you focus to get most of your time at work thereby giving yourself more time to relax when you get home.

Win Business or Win More Business? Both.

As I was sitting in a meeting with a potential client, during those 45 minutes David used about 4 or 5 client examples to establish credibility and demonstrate capability. As soon as we came out of the meeting I suggested we should create a concise document outlining some of the major clients we worked with, solution and results.


Being around for 100 years means we have a lot of case studies and testimonials. It's great to have so many success stories but sometimes, in particular for newer members of the team, is difficult to memorise all the information and probably end up not using it.


In our next weekly team meeting (today) we have kicked off the process and in the space of 10 minutes we came up with 6 examples which have been written and are ready to be used. We will continue to do this every week and in just a few months we'll have lots of client examples everyone can use.


If you are looking to increase conversion ratios take 10-15 minutes every week to think, write, share credibility statements. This will share knowledge within the team and create a stronger impact with prospects and clients.


Corina Balaneanu

So what does it take to be a leader?

Leaders only need one thing ....!

FOLLOWERS

and perhaps the more people that twig onto this simple notion then the more we will accomplish each day - individually, as a society, as a nation and as a world of 7 billion souls.
So what does it take to be a leader? Well, here are a few pointers.

Appearance. This is the first thing that anyone notices and if we do not create a positive first impression then we are out of the running immediately. So as a leader am I ever off stage? The answer is no. This means we do have to be 'smart' within the accepted dress code. We have to smell right, and sound right and our overall body language must be positive.

What we say and how we say it are the next two. It's not the words that people listen too in the first few seconds they listen for tone of voice. They listen for passion, desire, drive, belief and a whole myriad of other words we might use to describe elements of charisma. This is where we demonstrate our congruence. That alignment between our values, actions and outcomes together with how we show up in the world is congruence. It is the exhibition of authenticity and leading an intentional life.

So appearance attracts, what we say and how we say it holds attention.

In fourth place then comes our actions. How do I relate to others? Do we do what we say we are going to do? Is our conversation littered with doubt in the form of ifs, buts and maybes. Do we wait or act? Do we dream hope and wish? Or do we live life as it comes cherishing each and very moment, exploring all opportunities? Do we create solutions to problems and implement without delay?

It is only now, after we maintain the attraction of others through these four elements that anyone will start to take notice of our technical capability, our business or academic competence.
So, would you follow the person who looks, acts and sounds the part, who is congruent and authentic? If the answer is yes then you know who you need to be and how you need to show up in the world for others to follow your lead.

Begin now, as you sign off from this blog. Become conscious of your incompetence as a leader and start working on it right away. Yes, that's it, have a look in the mirror. A good look.
If you need some help - call.


David Pickering

Regaining Sanity

I was fortunate enough to take two weeks off over Christmas and New Year and I returned to work this week. Taking time off is good for the soul . Period. However....... taking time off is great but coming back to two weeks work, plus what you were working on before you went away isn’t good for the soul. It can bring you stress, added pressure and like me yesterday, made me a tad grumpy (thank you for the hug Corina).

So I started to think about what I can do to take some of this away and the first thing that came to mind was something that I learned years ago, in previous employment, where demands were high and my days never seemed long enough. I was given a book to read, I can’t remember who gave it to me and I can’t remember the name of the book (so I apologise now to the author as I duly like to give credit where credit is due). In this book it gave ideas on how to manage your tasks and to do list. And here was what I learnt.

First of all write everything you need to do on a piece of paper, pad or word/excel document – whatever you find easiest to work from. Combine all those post it notes haphazardly stuck on your screen, all those pieces of paper with notes on. Write them all on one document. Then throw the post it notes and bits of paper away. You are left with one list.

Next to each item on your list rate it A, B, C, D.....A being urgent, B being important, C being important but not urgent and D being anything else. If you are working on paper it might be best to do this in pencil.

Now you have all your items with a letter next to them, the next step is to look at all the A’s and number them by way of priority. For example, the most urgent task will be A1, the next urgent task will be A2 and so on. Then do the same to the B’s, C’s and D’s. Again do this in pencil. Eventually you will have a list of tasks with letters and numbers.

Then you start at A1 and work your way through the list. Then when all the A’s are done start with the B’s and so on. The reason I mentioned doing this in pencil is that if you are anything like me, your list won’t get done in a day and eventually you will find that other jobs creep in. So at the end of each day review your list and re-prioritise your workload. That way you can come in the next day knowing exactly where you need to start.

Right I’m off to practice what I’ve just preached.

Helen Mills

One Off Event On A One Off Day

Everyone says it….. “2012 is going to be my year” just like 2011, 2010 and 2009 was their year too. However 2012 really is Dale Carnegie’s year, as we celebrate our 100th Anniversary. We have a range of new seminars and white papers for example, which will be on offer throughout the year, with our first one off seminar, be held on a one off day.

The How To Win Friends And Influence People in the Digital Age, will be held on the one day women can propose to men…..Wednesday 29th February 2012. Mr. Carnegie left a legacy of Human Relations Principles that helps us open our minds to the need for and desire to change. He also developed a system of processes and approaches that make change seem easier to implement for our participants, and these principles are very much valid today, as they were 100 years ago.

The digital age is changing how we work, play, communicate and think. It is an exciting frontier that rewards those who leverage the power that it presents. Competing in the new environment will require higher levels of competence. While it may seem challenging to keep up with the pace of technology the good news is that it is evolving so quickly that it’s easier to learn and use than ever before.

This one off workshop will teach you to realize your personal best, achieve work-life balance, lead effectively, strengthen relationships, enhance communication skills, and most importantly the attitudes of success, necessary to move to new levels of effectiveness in the digital age.

For more information on how this free, 2 hour, one off seminar on a one off day, can help you to juggle the demands of the digital age, visit www.londondalecarnegie.com/events, or call on 0207 379 4323

Stephanie Fletcher

Whats in a name?

'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'

Shakespeare wrote this. He is trying to tell us that our names do not matter and it is only what we do that’s important. It would be foolhardy to argue that our actions are not relevant but to imply that our name means nothing is in my opinion equally so. Let me tell you a story.

A young man travels to rural Africa. He spends three months teaching English in the harsh, poverty stricken area of Kezi, Zimbabwe. He builds up phenomenal relationships that cross the cultural divide and through his teaching, feels he has made a rare connection with the men and women he had the privilege of interacting with. It’s an experience he will never forget.

On his last day, he attends a dinner designed to bid him farewell. All of the people he has met and taught are in attendance. He spends time speaking to all of his students, who when he first arrived were unfamiliar faces but now were dear to his heart. Towards the end of the meal a young man approaches, someone he’s known for three months and who he could spot in a large crowd. The young man asks him something that changes his entire trip…for the worst.

‘Can you remember my name?’

He freezes. His face now a shade of crimson as he is gripped by the embarrassment he has bought upon himself. In his mind, he scrambles and claws for a name that doesn’t come, an excuse fails to present itself and even the most basic words cannot force their way out of his mouth. For what seems like an eternity all he can do is look into the eyes of a young man whom he thought he knew so well, and yet it is in that moment that it dawns on him that without this one simple piece of information, he barely knows him at all. He manages to say three words, three pitiful words, to which the young man walks away dejected.

‘No…I’m sorry’

Since then he has never underestimated the importance of knowing someone’s name. Thankfully for him, he has just started working for Dale Carnegie and is currently doing the ‘Dale Carnegie course.’ The first session made him more passionate in his belief that it is not enough to know people as ‘he’ or ‘she.’ He was provided with fantastic techniques for remembering names and by using those methods he was able to recite the names of all 19 people doing the programme with him.

He walked away encouraged and with a smile on his face, knowing that 19 more people no longer knew him as ‘he.’ They knew him as Brett Mills.


Brett Mills

Happy New Year

Well it’s 2012 and what will the year bring..... What goals and dreams will be achieved?

Promotion within the business
More bonuses
New place to live
New relationships
??????

I was inspired last night to listen to an enthusiastic group of people setting their goals and visions for the year ahead at the first session of the Skills for Success Course at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel.

The group talked about the importance of setting goals and the power of leading an intentional life. As you think about the year ahead, as many of us do at this time, an effective way to make sure we achieve our goals is to write down a vision for 2012. If you choose to take some time out today to do that here are a few simple tips to writing an effective ‘Vision & Goal Statement’
Write in the Present tense – start your vision with the words “It is (Pick a date) and I am ...... By locking in on a set date and writing as though things are already happening it makes it real for us and easier to remember where it is we want to get to.

Write using Powerful language – the words you write should stir your enthusiasm and if when you read it back you’re excited about what you read and looking forward to making it happen you’re on the right track.

Write in Positive language – Talk about things you will be doing rather than things you won’t. For example rather than saying ‘I won’t be stressed and worried at work when something goes wrong’ try something like ..... ‘I’ll be happy and relaxed when problems come up at work and deal with them effectively.’ The reason behind this is our brains are generally more inspired by positives than negatives .... give it a try!

We encourage the clients we work with to set goals for themselves and their businesses and love helping people achieve things that they didn’t think was possible.

We wish you every success in achieving your goals and dreams in 2012. Anything we can do to help give us a call or come along to one of our free sessions.

David Anderson
Managing Director