Committing To Success With Company Culture

Committing To Success With Company CultureCommitting To Success With Company CultureCommitting To Success With Company Culture Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource CenterWhat does it take for small businesses - and larger companies - to generate business success in todays competitive world? John Janstch, well-known blogger (Duct Tape Marketing) says its all about commitment.We spoke with John about the insights in his latest book, THE COMMITMENT ENGINE Making Work Worth It, which will be published by Portfolio/Penguin on October 11, 2012.Monster What inspired you to write a book about commitment and how does it relate to marketing?Jantsch I think the main thing I started out to do with this topic was try to redefine the concept of commitment with regard to business.Ive seen seemingly successful business owners who felt like their commitment to their business was sucking the life out of them. I wanted to frame commitment in terms of commitment to a higher purpose the business servic es.The marketing connection flows from the fact that when businesses promote why they do what they do, the natural outcome is a customer.Monster What significance does the idea of commitment have for businesses that are looking to gain an edge in what is often a very competitive marketplace?Jantsch The principles I use to illustrate how to build a Commitment Engine - hunger for extreme clarity, culture of shared commitment and a ridiculous passion for community are powerful tools in the right hands.Monster The books preface begins with a quote from Albert Camus about how the detours of art can open the heart. Where does the bottom line of business intersect with these ideas for you?Jantsch So often people try to find the bottom line in ideas that dont seem very business like and thats really a significant theme of this book.Art, passion, purpose, inspiration all produce incredibly practical outcomes when applied with clear intent. For me what that quote illustrates is the notion o f extreme clarity - those one or two moments in life when you knew. The most important concept of this book is that of clarity - personal, professional, brand and purpose.Monster The book includes some terms that are Buddhist or Eastern in nature - such as the idea of learning to be present, taking time for self-reflection and creating a passion mantra. Were you concerned that these ideas might alienate some readers?Jantsch No, I am not worried that my point of view might turn a few people off, thats actually my intent and its a central idea of the book.Authenticity is a very attractive quality in business and the only way to keep it and communicate it is to present a clear and consistent point of view and stick to it, knowing that there will be many for whom this point of view will resonates.Monster What exactly is a passion mantra? And why should someone do it?Jantsch The idea of a passion mantra is a little like a core message might be in marketing, but its your internal life message.When you create a phrase or concept that you can return to daily it can snap you back a bit and remind you why you do what you do, particularly when you find yourself in the midst of chaos.Monster You devote a chapter to Staff as Customer. Is the concept of a trusted commitment between employer and employee mucksmuschenstill feasible, given the impact of layoffs and attrition - particularly in the last few years? Does it still make sense for businesses to invest in their employees?Jantsch The concept is not only feasible its more important than ever. Your staff is treating your customers exactly as you are treating them. So, does it make sense for a business to invest in employees, well, I guess only if it makes sense to have customers.Where so many businesses get tripped up with the concept of investing in company cultureis that they think that means buying an espresso machine.The best investment a business owner can make in culture is to understand and communicate the hig her purpose or why the business exists and find ways to amplify that in every action that impacts the staff.Monster Theres also a section called, Staff as Owner, which advocates for creating a culture of shared ownership. Can that idea work in businesses that, by their very nature, employ a rotating door of people on a seasonal or cyclical basis?Jantsch Part of this has to do with mindset as well as physical ownership. Any business, particularly those that hire seasonal help, competes for the best people available and attracting people based on a higher purpose ensures youll attract a greater of number of people that fit.Monster The first part of the book advocates that business owners do some soul searching about their level of commitment to their business. Is this a necessary step, before you can expect others (namely employees) to follow suit?Jantsch Actually I believe its a necessary step if you ever hope to establish a guiding vision for your business, strategy that allows your business to stand out and differentiate and focus on the priorities that will keep you on track.Its pretty tough to give something to someone else until you possess it yourself.Monster Has social media - and the openness of communication that its generated - changed the language of business?JantschI think its changed a few things. Yes, I think the way we talk about business, the way we share and perhaps what we share has changed dramatically. For years Ive been advocating the use of personal stories in marketing and widespread social media usage has certainly helped break down resistance to this notion as a leadership style.Monster You say theres a big difference between the term plans - as in a business plan - and planning. Can you explain why theyre so different?Jantsch So many people approach planning as though the end document is the goal.To me its the process of figuring out what not to do or what to leave out of the plan that is the greatest outcome of the planning proces s. Thats why I also believe that its essential to keep your plan alive through continual revisiting and pruning.Monster The book includes a Committed Handbook for training employees with seven marketing tactics. Does this document serve a similar function as a social media policyfor employees?JantschI look at it a something more essential than what typically rests as a section of an employee handbook. This is clarity training and includes why we do what we do, core beliefs, marketing proposition, key stories and even updates on numbers and current state of the business.Monster What three ideas from the book would you want a reader to consider and contemplate?Jantsch1. Clarity is strategy.2. Culture is clarity amplified.3. Community is a natural outcome of clarity.Read an excerpt from The Commitment Engine Seven Marketing Tactics for geschftlicher umgang SuccessJohn Janstch is the author of THE COMMITMENT ENGINE Making Work Worth It, which will be published by Portfolio/Penguin on Oc tober 11, 2012.

Stocking Up on Recession Collectibles

Stocking Up on Recession CollectiblesStocking Up on Recession CollectiblesPosted by Stephanie Miles, RecessionWire.com Downturnaround Deals Recession Briefing 10.22 Alligator Demand Sinks Screwed 5,000 at Mahindra Satyam

What#8217;s So Bad About Bowing to Customers, Clients, Guests and the Boss A Cross-Cultural Analysis

What8217s So Bad About Bowing to Customers, Clients, Guests and the Boss A Cross-Cultural Analysis What8217s So Bad About Bowing to Customers, Clients, Guests and the Boss - A Cross-Cultural Analysis Instead of being commended for displaying cultural sensitivity and adaptability by bowing to Middle Eastern oil sheiks former President of China, Hu Jin Tao the Emperor of Japan, and, most recently, for bowing to a Japanese robot that was trundled over to meet him in Tokyo, he is peppered with flak for bowing too deeply or for bowing at all. True, bows can be tricky Bow too deeply and youll be seen as groveling, fawning, obsequious or generically weak offer a nod instead of a bow and youll come across as arrogant, rude, insensitive or generically crass- that is, if you play the bow game at all. Opt out of the game and extend a hand instead? Very risky, depending on what culture you try that in. In the wrong one, you may end up watching your hand gingerly dangled from your squeamish counterparts fingertips like a soiled diaper.Time to Man Up as an Opinion LeaderI always hope that presidents and prime ministers will play a more prominent role as what is called an opinion leader some respected public figure who generates as well as well as expresses wise public opinion. For example, it would be nice to have a vigorous suggestion and appeal to Americans to abandon gang-banger gangsta and bank-gangster lifestyles for a more civil, civic persona that insists on being aware of and acting on ones obligations as much as on ones rights, in virtue of their in fact being morally, although evidently not psychologically, inseparable.OK. That may be asking for too much. But how about publicly recommending bowing- even if not as deep as the Nagasaki gas station attendants bow to a guy on a scooter in the photo I took there recently or his colleagues musketeer curtsy and sweeping obere extremitt flourish guiding a gas-filled one box car (cute boxy cars, as they are called in Japan) out the driveway onto the street.(By the way, the courtesy and friendliness of that attendant and his workmates were as deep as that bow. They never failed to greet me whenever I walked past- no matter how many times a day, which was a lot, given that my hotel was right next to their pumps. Ditto for whenever I asked for directions to some place or other.)To even consider importing the bow from Japan along with our electronics and seaweed, we would have to get over and end the monopoly of our handshake, which, of course is the quintessential, sacred embodiment of our anti-hierarchy, anti-subservient equalitarianism. Despite any disinclination to incline our spines, this may not be as hard to accomplish as one might imagine after all, we are all expected to gush effusively over every stranger or neighbors baby, irrespective of our (lack of ) interest in or enthusiasm for it or babies in general.So, if we expect presidents to kiss strange babies, why berate them for bowing? The latter, as a display of respect, is, in general, no less deserved than the average toddler snog.Respect vs. TrustA useful first step is to distinguish the bow as a display of respect from displays of trust- which, fundamentally, is what a handshake is and has been since its adoption as proof neither party is armed or in a position to strangle the other. Perhaps this is why retail clerks and customers dont shake hands, viz., they dont really trust each other, what with shoplifting, crafty upselling and bait-and-switch pricing. Notice that a customer-merchant handshake typically signals the sealing of a deal- i.e., an offer and acceptance of trust and faith that what has been promised will be delivered by both parties. So, currently, what with the retail and office bow being too obsequious and the handshake being largely irrelevant (apart from sealing big deals or as an opening ritual to convey mostly trust or at best dilute respect), customers and those who serve them part with pres cribed smiles. The Smile as an Alternative to a Bow or HandshakeAs for the evolution of the smile, sociobiologists and ethologists claim it evolved as a tame display of teeth to communicate that although the hardware for a hard bite is clearly visible, there is no matching intent to use it. It is important to note that in unterstellung comments, hochschulprofessor Guthrie clearly provides confirmation of the interpretation of handshake as trust (as opposed to the respect function of a bow). As R.D. Guthrie, sociobiologist/ethologist and author of one of my favorite books, Body Hot Spots the Anatomy of Human Social Organs and Behavior, (extensively cited in my recent article about why beards are back), explained it in that analytical overview, Many mammals have what is known as a wide-mouthed greeting-face where the corners of the mouth are pulled backward and upward to reveal all the teeth a gesture much different from a snarl. Ethologists have interpreted this as See, here are my weapons, but they wont be used against you (as in presenting ones hand to be shaken in a gesture of friendship)- I could hurt you with this, but instead it is being presented in a non-offensive way. We have ritualized this in the military presentation of arms and the discharge of weapons as salutes. (Boldface for emphasis is mine.)It is important to note that in these comments, Professor Guthrie clearly provides confirmation of the interpretation of handshake as trust (as opposed to the respect function of a bow). An infants toothless grin and adult closed-mouth smiles, on the other hand, can be interpreted as even less threatening, since the teeth, like a saber in its sheath, are not revealed or, in the former case, the sheath is empty. Again, like the handshake, it seems that the principle purpose of the greeting or parting smile and its primeval primate antecedents is to communicate a no threat message, rather than one of respect or submission. Demanding the Most, But Supplying the Least RespectAs an observational aside, I cant resist noting that It seems very odd, to say the least, that a culture- ours- in which everyone wants respect from strangers is also one in which too many of us offer it grudgingly, if at all. The extreme icon of this is the thug in the hood who will shoot strangers for seemingly dissin him, yet will never show them or anyone respect or courtesy, unless they are clearly more powerful. Once again, a terrible imbalance of rights against obligations rears its unbowed head. Bogus Resistance to BowingPredictable resistance to the diffusion of bowing in Western culture will include the argument that unless bows are perfectly calibrated to be equal in angle and duration, the inferiority or submission of one participant to the other will be communicated and therefore established. To this is added the expectation that such perfect synchronization of bows is unlikely and that somebody is going to, in effect, lord it over or otherwise seem sup erior to someone else when bows are exchanged. Sorry, but I cant bow to that logic. The reason is that a parallel argument could have been offered at the inception of the handshake But if we shake hands and one of us squeezes harder than the other, or pumps more vigorously or holds the others hand longer or more briefly than desired- well, that could create interpersonal havoc for example, as a communicated attempt to confirm or create dominance To these maneuvers and misfires should be added the alpha-male trick of having yourself, as president, photographed on the right of Putin or whomever you are shaking hands with.In that position, your hand will be visible as being above and atop the palm of your counterpart, thereby subliminally suggesting that you are primus inter pares- first among equals and more dominant. Apparently, U.S. presidents have been very adept at this. The point is that although these mishaps, miscommunications and gambits are possible, they are generally and ea sily avoided, because everybody knows the rules and the etiquette.So why not simply standardize the bow in the same way we standardize the handshake, while shaking our heads at the rule-breakers?We dont attend charm school to learn how to shake hands we simply learn it through cultural osmosis. Hence, we could do the same with the bow Standardize it to no more, no less than the Japanese-prescribed 15 degrees (for standard, decorous respect) and 3 seconds- thereby saving the baby of equalitarianism without throwing out the bath water of respect. As for trust, that can be assured by adding one more rule to the protocols of bowing.Stand far enough apart to ensure your heads dont collide. _______________Note This is another in a series of articles to be published about Japan and Taiwan while Michael is on the road.Photo Nagasaki, Japan gas station/Michael Moffa (2014)

5 Tricks for Running Effective Meetings

5 Tricks for Running Effective Meetings5 Tricks for Running Effective MeetingsMake each minute count during your next business meeting by applying these simple rules.Weve all heard the adage, time is money. In todays workplace, every minute counts. Unfortunately for many professionals, too many of those minutes are spent sitting in long, drawn-out meetings where little is accomplished. In fact, in its annual Wasting Time at Work Survey, Salary.com reported that 26 percent of respondents said the biggest overall time-wasting activity was having too many meetings and conference calls.Yet Patrick Lencioni, author of the best-seller Death by Meeting, believes that meetings arent inherently schwimmbad. Lencioni argues that when meetings are given the proper context and purpose, they can become meaningful, engaging and relevant activities in the workplace.Below are a few tips to turn your fruchtwein painful meetings into productive gatheringsEstablish clear goals Its important that everyo ne invited to the meeting understands its purpose. Include a one-sentence blurb in your invitation that clarifies what the meeting is about and what will be discussed so everyone is on the same page. When appropriate, create an agenda and stick to it. When you set clear expectations, its easier to keep the conversation on track and within the allotted time.Keep your attendee list leanTake a page from some of the most successful organizations and keep your meetings small. For instance, Larry Page implemented a 10-person limit to Googles meetings. Every person should contribute to the conversation otherwise they shouldnt attend the meeting. Similarly, Amazons CEO Jeff Bezos uses a two pizza rule to ensure the right people attended his meetings. He believes that groups should be small enough that it only takes two pizzas to feed every person involved. Reassess your list of attendees before sending out your next meeting invitation.Stick to 30 minutes or lessGranted, not all meetings ar e created equally. Some, like a strategic planning session, will require more space on your calendar. However, when it comes to those frequent staff meetings and daily check-ins, your best bet is to limit the meetings length to 30 minutes or less (many reports suggest 15 minutes is the ideal meeting length). Research shows most peoples attention spans range between 10-18 minutes. Anything longer than that and your audience checks out of the conversation. In addition, these time restraints will force the attendees to organize their thoughts. If youre having difficulty ending your meetings on time, try using a free online stopwatch like this one or opt for the device Google Ventures Jake Knapp relies upon, the Time Timer.Limit distractions from technologyIn quick, efficient business meetings, you shouldnt have time to check your phone for text messages or emails. Not only does this take away from the focus of the meeting, but its considered poor etiquette by many professionals. A stud y from the University of Southern Californias Marshall School of Business found that 75 percent of respondents believe its inappropriate to read texts or emails during formal meetings. Consider creating a policy where attendees silence their phones and stow them away during meetings.Assign responsibility for tasks and decisionsAt the end of the meeting, assign every action item to what Steve Jobs and Apple call a DRI or Directly Responsible Individual. This simple concept makes accountability clear and directs people with questions to the right individual, ensuring each project runs more smoothly. This process is also a great way to recap the important takeaways from the meeting.In the end, productive meetings require some careful thought and planning. Once you determine the purpose behind your meetings, it will be easier to apply these rules and transform your bad meetings into productive and actionable conversations.

The Appeal of What Size Font Should a Resume Be

The Appeal of What Size Font Should a Resume Be For that reason, its wise to use common software and formatting alternatives. In the united kingdom, the conventional A4 size is used. There is a whole lot of cool fonts you may be tempted to utilize for your resume since they look both appealing and professional, but should you want to make sure your document will translate well on Windows and Mac PCs, it is recommended to choose one which is available on both operating systems. Type of Resume The exact first step to consider prior to building a resume is to pick the sort of the resume. A Secret Weapon for What Size Font Should a Resume Be In addition, if youre employing a single spacing, a huge font size will appear weirdly, so everything should stick to some proportions. If youre looking for an old-style font, you should think about using Garamond for your resume. Selecting the most suitable font, the appropriate format, and the right font size is equally as critical as the set of skills youre going to pitch to your prospective employer. Apart from your name, which ought to be a bit bigger, the font size throughout your resume should be the exact size to guarantee readability. On these days, there are several fonts to pick from that it can get confusing as to which ought to be used for a resume. The very best font pairs agree with one another. Whichever your choice, be certain to stick to one to keep it presentable versus employing a number of distinct fonts that could crowd the webpage and force you to appear disorganized. You have many alternatives when it comes to selecting a font size and fashion. Besides font types, the typical font size also needs to be carefully considered when writing an executive resume. You shouldnt risk your job for the interest of an incorrect font choice You would like your words and message to be noticed, not your font choice. With so many choices readily available, determining the very best font for a resume ca n occasionally be a complicated decision. But although it is highly readable and safe, bear in mind that, like Arial, utilizing the TNR might be construed as unimaginative and boring, thus theres a chance that it wouldnt stand out in a pool of resumes. Bear in mind that you will pattern your actual resumes employing these samples so be wary in deciding on the perfect one. Naturally, there are dozens and dozens of distinct fonts to select from, but not all them are befitting to use on a resume, so picking one is extremely important to be in a position to land work. The crucial concept to keep in mind while selecting one is simplicity. In the end, make certain that you continue to keep your resume concise. Use templates to produce the letters and create a new resume (which might be accurate or fictitious). Review these formatting tips to make sure your letter is likely to make the very best impression. The info above applies primarily to instances where youre sending a convent ional cover letter by snail mail or whenever youre sending an official cover letter for a Word or PDF attachment to an schmelzglas message. If you have sufficient room on your resume, you ought to go with a size 12. Be consistent with stylization, and just select one or two to make sure your resume appears professional and simple to read. Use bold sparingly for optimum impact. The hiring manager only looks at a resume for a couple seconds so that youre going to want to make sure your chief points and qualifications are simple for a hiring manager to spot. In much the same manner, a poorly presented CV can ruin your odds of being shortlisted for interview even if youre the ideal candidate for the job. Adhere to the Job Profile It is essential that your resume must be in compliance with the job. When you wish to land that ideal job then you ought to have a stellar resume. The Death of What Size Font Should a Resume Be One other important issue is that the amount of your res ume actually gives an employer a comprehension of how good youre at conveying essential information quickly and how can you know whats crucial. It may also impact the method by which the man looking at your resume perceives the info available. If youre person that has a masters degree, then you need to examine an illustration of a covering letter for a professional with degrees. Forget the notion of resume length. Spaces between headings and text has to be the exact same everywhere. You should choose which fonts and formatting qualities would be appropriate for your project (resume, in this instance, but nevertheless, it will get the job done for any other sort of documents). Sans-serif fonts dont have the lines at the conclusion of each stroke. As a rule of thumb, the font you ought to use for an executive resume ought to be clear, scalable and legible.

The New Angle On Resume Writing Services Enterprise Al Just Released

The New Angle On Resume Writing Services Enterprise Al Just Released The Argument About Resume Writing Services Enterprise Al Dont forget, your resume is an immediate advertising sales-letter. Scannable resumes need specific page designs because computer scanners cannot read certain products. To begin with, you become more confident of your abilities and abilities. All you will need is basic computer abilities and the ability to talk somewhat clearly on the telephone. Life After Resume Writing Services Enterprise Al As soon as an enterprise provider hits tough times, it could have layoffs, it could have cutbacks. If there isnt going to be a facility of direct communication between the customer and writer, the author will certainly miss a few important details about the customer in the resume and ultimately, client need to request the changes repeatedly. If youre open to several forms of jobs, let us know. Hiring skilled CV service or expert CV writers would surely end up be ing fruitful in accordance with the career prospects. Resume Writing Services Enterprise Al - the Story A functional resume format might be better for you. The resume prepared by the candidate should remain appealing and ought to consist of necessary details. Promote your skills through your resume to make sure your resume is actually reaching the real decision maker and boost your odds of landing that interview Your resume should clearly demonstrate your capacity to accomplish your goals, in addition to your capacity to generate an impact on others. Your professional resume writer will probably maintain a duplicate of your resume on hand. Your resume writer might be able to steer you toward job openings before the remainder of the pack. The very best part was I landed a new job in only a month or two The majority of the resumes writing services dont offer you the chance of direct contact by making use of their writers. The Chronicles of Resume Writing Services Enterpris e Al Assuming your enterprise account is happy with your goods, they can get very powerful references for future organization. Youre a personal services business. The enterprise is a good market to target if you wish to grow fast. It is filled with multi-billion dollar companies. Resume Writing Services Enterprise Al Can Be Fun for Everyone While the resume writer should earn a living, her or his prices ought to be such that you could afford the services rendered. At the moment job market is extremely competitive with the arrival of internet its actually general to witness numerous resumes for the exact same post. By keeping the above mentioned demand in view, plenty of inexpensive resumes andonline resume writing services are obtainable for the ease of candidates, but its not easy for all of the jobless candidates to bear the excessive professional resume writing rates. Every oben liegend business should be managed by good people and the healthcare industry is not any diff erent.