Invest Time In Learning

Have you ever felt frustrated about wasting time, scrolling up and down documents, looking for features or functions in the software you use on your computer? I know I have. This summer why don't you invest some of your time to learn the tools of your trade better? I am thinking about software packages, including Outlook or your e-mail, calendar of choice and other important applications, your PDA, mobile phone and multi-function printer etc.

Stress - Lack Of Recovery?

Ever increasing flow of information and lack of time make us sometimes feel overloaded and without control over our lives. Maybe we can define stress as lack of recovery. Learn (or become better) to set boundaries and learn to say "no". Make sure you create time for recreation in your life on a daily, weekly and annual basis. Also make it a habit to deal with your problems instead of using work or other activities to try to subdue them.

Defining Performance

Legendary management expert Peter Drucker suggests we need to define performance as a “batting average”, with a steady performance over time. Create an atmosphere where people are permitted to make mistakes. Hitting Bull's eye all the time is a circus act! Evaluate a person’s performance as the consistent ability to produce results over a relatively long period of time. First define performance and then focus and reinforce the long term view through your compensation schemes.

Advice From The Deaf On Listening

I read an article the other day about what the deaf can teach us about listening — and making ourselves heard. It was based on observation, discussions with deaf friends and the fact that they need to compensate for not hearing with better means of communication. Here are their guidelines:

1. Look people in the eye. If you don't, you break the communication.
2. Don’t interrupt. That is considered rude!
3. Say what you mean, as simply as possible. Be clear!
4. When you don’t understand something, ask.
5. Stay focused. Concentration is a prerequisite for good communication.

Deliver Customer Satisfaction

If you can consistently deliver "superior customer satisfaction" your business and your profit margin will flourish. Motivational speaker Michael Heppnell says; "Brilliance is a standard, not a skill", and I kind of like that mindset. Going the extra mile, "super-pleasing" your customers, by exceeding their expectations is easy when you put a higher expectation on yourself than what they do.

Knowledge Is Becoming A Commodity

The last two decades have been called the Information Age with its focus on the knowledge industry. What is happening now is that knowledge quickly is becoming a commodity with the event of Wikipedia, databases and search engines. The key for the next twenty years will be creativity and flexibility; the ability to use information and knowledge in new innovative ways and learning to deal with ambiguity.

Emotions of Our Self Image

I listened to a French political scientist on the radio the other day. In his French way to approach the subject he talked about three Geo-political emotions governing global politics and economy. The dominant emotion in the Muslim world is humiliation, in Asia a strong belief in the future and in the western world, including Europe and North America fear. He may well be right but it occurred to me that you and I can choose how we view ourselves and our prospects in the world regardless of our geographical residence. How would you choose?