Leadership comes from the top down

To be a good leader you have to know who you really are and unafraid to share your story.  You need to be authentic.  Authenticity drives your vision through the organization and provides a touch point for the people who implement your organization's objectives.  

Your mindset is emulated by the leadership team and impacts team dynamics and departmental communication.  Organizations, like people, have values and those values form the culture in which people work. 

When the leadership team is reluctant to admit to being human, department heads and team leads are also reluctant to admit to project issues that might have an adverse impact on the bottom line. 

Without a safe environment to be authentic and honest, you create dysfunctional teams. 

Watch the video below as Patrick Lencioni, author of "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" describes what happens in that type of organization.

Practice Self Control

Let this be a word of caution to you if you are a new leader or supervisor.  Get to know your subordinates, spend time with them in social situations.  This presents you as a person, not just a manager.  It also allows you to learn what motivates them.  In today's multi-generational team settings, your employees intrinsic and extrinsic needs are varied. 

If your objective is to dominate them because you're in charge, chances are you will not learn any of the issues with your project until it is almost too late.  If they don't know you and find you authentic, they will be reluctant to bring you the information you need, when you need it. 

Remember You Can't Please Everyone

Yes, I know that's an old saying, but it's true.  As you reveal your authentic self, you will receive myriad responses from those around you.  But remember this, if you have a hundred employees, you will have a hundred reputations.  This is beyond your control because you cannot prevent this behavior.  Everyone sees you through the autobiography of their own experiences.  However, by being authentic, you can reach a place where you don't take it personally. 

With an authentic mindset you can create an environment where the "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" doesn't happen in your organization.

They Come Without Warning.  You're going along minding your own business and out of nowhere... Ping!  You have ANTs in your Brain. 

Sometimes it takes minutes, sometimes, hours, often it's days before they're gone.  You try to shake it, but it lingers nevertheless.  You think of affirmations you have heard and still they persist.  Your brain is on overload, your 24/7 always available lifestyle just caught up with you.

What are they? 

They are Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) that sneak in without warning.

"A man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after." — Marcus Aurelius: Was a Roman emperor and philosopher

Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)

They can happen to anyone, at anytime.    When it happens it negatively impacts your work, your interaction with co-workers, and your productivity.  You find you're not in the mood to do 'one more thing.'  It feels as though the requests are non-stop and you have no choice.  You feel you cannot say NO so you accept that one more thing to do.  But it's breaking your spirit.   

Here are three things you can do to turn it around:

1. Acknowledge their request.  Recognize that yes, the work needs to be done, and you'd be happy to do it.  You need to put it in perspective though.  Ask the question "When do you need this by?"  It could be your manager is just getting it off their desk and delegating it.
   
2. Negotiate for time.  Determine if your manager is now re-prioritizing your work.  Ask the question "Are we changing the priority of my tasks?"  Inform your manager that you have been working on tasks based on priority as it was set at your last meeting.  You can also ask for help, or ask "which of the tasks is now at the bottom of the priority list"  Often when you clarify your circumstances you will find that, like Steven Covey mentioned in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the manager doesn't even remember how many things are already on your plate.
3. Transform your refusal into a positive.  Recommend alternatives or say something to reaffirm your relationship.  "I would love to help, however I have other priorities.  Perhaps some other time."  If it's your manager you could say "I can get this done as long as we begin at the end of task 'X'."
   

Now the ANTs have new meaning.   You have a means of redirecting them.

Change Your Brain

 Thoughts are living things that manifest themselves into your relationships, your behavior, and your health.  When the ANTs take over your brain, your thoughts, lead to beliefs, that impact your behavior, and consequently the results you get. 

The Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) you have, can lead to stress headaches, stomach aches, and at their worst, high blood pressure and hear attacks. 

By taking positive action using the three steps outlined here, you can turn those thoughts around through assertive action.  You will be in control of your response to tense situations, at minimum by making your request, and having a discussion about the work to be done.  

Recognition of the ANTs when they strike, puts you on the alert to take action in a positive manner, by turning them around. 

Learn pattern recognition by taking note of the things that cause these negative feelings.  Then when they occur, you can take control of them, before they control your behavior.  You can then turn around a potential bad situation by transforming it into a learning experience.

"Underneath the beautiful exterior there was an element of ruthlessness and toughness that I had trouble either accepting or forgetting."  Hubert H. Humphrey

As the oil spill in the Gulf reaches it's 85th day, I am reminded of what a business colleague once told me.  She had climbed the corporate ladder and reached a certain level.  As part of her entry to the executive suite she was given a battery of assessments.  Upon conclusion, she excitedly entered the meeting only to be told "You Scored Too Low On the Ruthlessness Quotient."  Naturally, she did not advance to the executive ranks.

Listening to the leaders of the BP organization I realized that they, of course, scored high on the Ruthlessness Quotient (RQ). 

Intelligence Quotient - IQ is a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by a test

Most of us have taken an IQ test in school or at some time in our lives.  It is a standardized test to assess intelligence.   It quantifies how well we will do in certain fields, industries, at college, and beyond. 

Those who score low on the IQ test are considered "not very bright" and are relegated to a special class. 

Those who score high on the IQ test are promoted to a honors class and provided with additional training suitable for their level of intelligence. 

Emotional Quotient - EQ is a model introduced by Daniel Goleman and focuses on EI as an array of competences and skills that drive Leadership Performance

Emotional Intelligence (EI) describes the ability, capacity, skill or in the case of the trait Emotional Intelligence (EI) model, a self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.   Emotional competencies are not innate talents, but rather learned capabilities that must be worked on, and can be developed to achieve outstanding performance.

Goleman's best seller Emotional Intelligence:  Why it Can Matter More Than IQ outlines the skill sets necessary to be a successful leader.

The Goleman model focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance. Goleman's model outlines four main EI constructs:

1. Self-awareness – the ability to read one's emotions and recognize their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
2. Self-management – involves controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
3. Social awareness – the ability to sense, understand, and react to others' emotions while comprehending social networks.
   
4. Relationship Management – the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing conflict.

Thousands of companies, millions of employees worldwide, and myriad articles attest to the value outlined in his model.  A quick visit to Harvard Business Review provides extensive material in this regard.  I dare say that the four requirements of his model clearly matches what Social Media is all about today.

Ruthlessness Quotient is another matter entirely

In today's cult of the leader who has grown up in the "it's not personal, it's just business" mindset, there is a phenomenon where a leader is someone who can "come in and shake things up, to provide bottom line results rapidly, regardless of who gets ground up in the process."   The accepted notion is that a leader who uses ruthlessness to obtain results for the bottom line is all right.  "That's what is needed in these tough times" they say, as they look at the next quarter.  Their performance is judged quarterly, and they cannot look at the long term.

The result of this mindset is Enron, Worldcom, and BP oil company CEO Tony Hayward who proclaims after 11 people are dead that he "just wants his life back."  This man then proceeds to attend a sailing race in the kind of clear water that the Gulf will not see for years to come. 

Conversely, anyone who has seen the movie called "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" will remember the traders shutting down electricity in California while laughingly saying "burn baby, burn."  It mattered not to these sociopathic people with their ongoing disregard for, and ongoing violation of others, that families, businesses, and hospitals were without power.  They reveled in their ability to hold an entire state hostage while trading a utility as their personal commodity to make money.

Leadership Aspirations and the IQ, EQ, and RQ Conundrum

If reading this blog post has caused you to wonder if you have the ruthlessness quotient and the ability to lead, consider this.  There are many leaders in the world who are able to manage their organizations from the heart. 

There are companies that practice Servant Leadership which could never be confused with the Ruthlessness Quotient.  Your job is to determine which type or organizational culture you aspire to work in. 

Admittedly in these times leaders have to make tough decisions in order to ensure the survival of the company.  I agree that often it is not a popular decision.  However, it requires the organization to consider the resultant environment in which the survivors must exist on a day-to-day basis.  The human body responds to stress in negative ways, and your corporate culture will reflect your behavior. 

The totality of all these ruthless corporate cultures ultimately destroys their own environment.  They have to live in this world too.  Destroy the competition, and you will find yourself alone.

Take care, as you make these radical decisions, that you don't end up with a soulless organization that repels the best employees, repels customers, and ends up with a even lower revenue stream as the community backlash strikes you down. 


If you enjoyed this post please click the follow link provided under Networked Blogs (on the right) to be notified of future posts.  Thank you.

"The Object of all life is development; and everything that lives has an inalienable right to all the development it is capable of attaining." Now get out there and Live! - The Science of Success by Wallace D. Wattles

As a speaker I meet many people on my travels.  I love meeting people and learn from my attendees as I teach my topic.  Since I am a lifelong learner, I consider it a job perk.  Sometimes the things I learn leave me challenged to process what I am hearing.  Last week was one of those moments. 

A raised hand got my attention during my program and the question was: "What can you do when the people you work with aren't interested in growing anymore?"

The attendee said the people she works with say things like:
1.  No more learning.
2.  I've spent the bulk of my life learning and there's no need to learn anything else.
3.  This is who I am.
4.  This is the best it's going to get.
5.  I'm not interested in training on any new stuff.

... and they mean it. 

For a moment, I was speechless.

In a world where new innovative products and services are created on a daily basis, these people have stopped their personal growth.  Not only that, they proudly verbalize it for all to hear. 

Does your company have people who think this way?

As a business, your success in the marketplace relies on competitively marketing your products and services.   Innovation, ideas, vision and success comes from the people you employ.  If your people have authentically decided to stop growing, so will you and your company.

Truth is, at a recent event I sat next to an individual who suddenly sighed loudly.  "What's wrong?" I asked her.  "She replied, "I miss carbon paper."  She told me she had 5 - 7 years until retirement and didn't want to learn anything more.  She just wanted her job to stay the same as she finished her time and then retired. 

This is an RIP employee.  She has Retired In Place.  She's just taking up space while collecting a paycheck.  If she worked for me, she'd have to retire NOW!

Today's marketplace

In today's marketplace, there is no place for this impotent thinking.  Employees like these stifle creativity, kill ideas, and shut down other employees who have what you need to succeed in your industry. 

Contrast the above mentioned  employees mindset with Sony Corporation. 

At Sony, you can conceive of the idea in the morning, prototype it that day, and if it is not feasible, discard it at the end of the day.


I believe that organizational model is what brought us the Sony sneaker that wirelessly communicates with your iPod.  Imagine the moment when an employee suggested, that your sneaker could communicate with your iPod while you jog and change the songs to match how slow or fast you are exercising. 

My son, Charles, owns a pair of those sneakers. 

In addition, you can download your running information and share it with other runners worldwide.  Just visit Sony and check out all of the things you can do with that one pair of sneakers.  It's positively amazing.

Can you imagine the environment in which an employee can comfortably share an idea like that? 

It comes from the top down.  The ability to innovate must be encouraged!

At Google, employees are able to take time off to think and be creative. 

Other companies encourage employees to take a creative sabbatical and use the time to think and be innovative.

How about your company?

Can your employees share ideas without fear of ridicule?  Are you open to suggestions?   Would you have laughed off the idea of Wind Technology? 

Do you have employees like the ones mentioned in my seminar?  And if so, what are you doing about it?

"Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming." ~ Jim Rohn

With the economy in its current state people often arrive at work worried that it might be their last day.  Sometimes the fear is so great you can see it in the eyes of the employee.  You can feel the stress in the air as you walk the corridor.  The stench of insecurity is pervasive from conference room to cubicle wall.  People are worried they may not have a place to work tomorrow.

Undercover Boss - There's a new show on the air called "Undercover Boss" where CEOs of major corporations go undercover in their own companies to learn what it's like for their employees and find out what happens on the front lines.  It has been an eye opener, not only for the CEOs, but for the employees, and viewers alike.

Often the CEO finds someone who is doing exceptional work, but they also find people in fear of their jobs.  Sometimes the CEO gets fired by the person they are working for undercover who is unaware the new guy is actually the company CEO.  In almost every instance of the show, people share their fear of job loss.

The program also reveals bad bosses who treat their people with disdain and bully them into doing absolutely awful things.  Case in point, the boss at Hooters. 

This bully had a special way he treated the women in his employ.  He puts out a plate of beans on the table in front of each woman and tells her she has to eat them all up with their hands behind their back. 

You can see the video of the hooters bully at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Z0c2Hxum8&feature=channel

The interesting thing is bully bosses treat people this way because they know they can get away with it.  The CEO, though disgusted, doesn't blow his cover.  Remarkably, at the end of the show, the CEO does not fire this workplace bully boss.  He just has a little talk with him. 

Bullies are in the news quite a lot these days.  From high school students who bully young girls into committing suicide to the Hooters manager, they are everywhere.  I think this is because teen targets don't know who to turn to and adult employees feel they cannot leave because jobs are scarce and they have families to take care of and support.

I have personal experience with workplace bullying.  Many years ago a board member stabbed me in the back and treated me in the most vicious way that to this day I have not forgotten and still find repulsive.  I later learned that she is a bully who does this to people all over the city.  It is her way of feeling better about herself because she has low self esteem.

With the advent of social media we receive invitations to connect with people we have not seen for many years.  I love that feature as it helps you to find people you haven't seen in awhile.  It's usually a joy to reconnect with them.

That's why last week I couldn't believe my eyes when the aforementioned cruel bully board member sent me an invitation to connect with them on LinkedIn.  I swear I couldn't believe that she had the gall to do that.  But I was not surprised. 

Bullies, you see, are often insecure sociopaths, ego maniacs, and narcissists with low self esteem. 

You don't have to put up with this bad treatment.  You don't have to live in fear and stress.  That will only give you high blood pressure, heart attacks and worse, negatively impact your family and friends. 

So to help you, I am providing a seminar to teach you how to deal with bullies in the workplace.  You can learn more about the program at http://www.YvonneFBrown.com/news. 

Save the date May 15th and join us there.  It's time to deal with those bullies, put the fear away, and live a stress free life.

By the way, I IDK'd the bully and sent her on her way. 

Leadership and authenticity are inextricably linked.  If you are imperfect and yet authentic while also exhibiting the leadership characteristics of integrity, honesty, character and self respect, you will still have followers.  As humans, we are imperfect.  Followers know that.  But, with authenticity, at least on a bad day, your followers will bring you something soothing with a ‘she’s having a bad day” and forgiveness, while they ensure that the processes run smoothly and the tactical plan is executed. 

We all remember the scene in Jerry McGuire when the words “you complete me” were uttered.  It silenced protagonists and seized us in its emotional grip.  But what about when we meet an inauthentic jerk, do you experience a moment when you wanted to say “you deplete me!”

Emotional vampires are all around us.  They are easy to identify.  Note when you interact with someone and as they walk away energized, you feel drained.  In that moment, realize that your energy and motivation have been sapped, and you now need to find your own personal energy source and replenish yourself. 

Envision your corporation.  Mentally take a walk around.   What do you see?  Are people energized, excited and motivated?  Do they excitedly communicate about the company’s vision and your dreams for the corporation’s future?  Or are they in a dreamlike state just going through the motions.   If your company is an emotional desert or filled with people just going through the motions, then this should be a wake up call to your leadership.  In today’s market you cannot afford a leadership void.   Get everyone on the bus and moving in the right direction. 

Here are three things you can do right now if you have a “You deplete me” style of management in the organization:

1.  Root out the source of this management style and employ a "you deplete you pay" compensation plan.

2.  Provide a reporting mechanism for those who are being drained of motivation and forced to shut down and bury their ideas.

3.  Reward managers who encourage a collaborative management style that utilizes all the brains in the room.  You're paying for those brains, expertise, and ideas, so utilize them to the best of your capability.  Innovation need room to breathe so it can come to life. 

Here's the thing, Nike has a sneaker that wirelessly connects to the runner's iPod.  The skeaker and iPod work together so that the speed of the runner selects a slow or fast song.  Sound incredible?  Just imagine the conference room the day the employee said "I've got an idea!  What about a sneaker that wirelessly communicates with the runner's iPod?"  What do you think would have happed if the leadership at Nike laughed it off and caused the employee to shut down?

Hmm, I see millions of dollars with little wings flying away.  Don't let tha happen to your company.

"Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it's holy ground. There is no greater investment." - Stephen Covey

The first month is almost over and it got me wondering how many people have taken action to make this year their best year yet.  Living your best year is screamed at us from magazine covers, in movies and on television shows.  When asked ‘who wants to live their best year in 2010?’ All hands go up.  We all mean it at the time, our hearts of full of good intentions at the time, we mean to keep our promise to ourselves at the time.  So what happens?

Life, priorities, that’s what happens.  I mean when you can’t even keep a promise to yourself there’s a bigger problem going on.

I am a professional speaker and a trainer.  That’s what I do.  Knowing how the brain works, I offer resources at the back of the room that help attendees continue to learn and grow long after the program ends.  Often the person purchases the product and that's it.

Shelf Help

There is a term in my industry calls “shelf help.”  It refers to people who are attracted to personal development and invest in themselves during the program.  After the program is over and they return to their jobs and their life, their personal development is pushed off the priority list and they never get around to reading or listening to the material. 

The product sits on the shelf and collects dust.  That’s why we call is Shelf Help.

What to do?

If that happens to you, here are a few tips you can use to fix the problem:

1.     If the product is an audio program, begin listening to it in the car immediately after leaving the program.  Then the next time you are on your computer drag and drop the tracks onto your iPod, Zune or other .mp3 player.  Now you can listen to it anywhere.  Why you can even listen to it while in the supermarket instead of the cheesy music they usually play.

2.    If the product is a book, begin reading it the day you purchase it.  Remember you don’t have to read the entire book in one sitting, you can promise yourself to read five pages a day.  Double sided, that’s ten pages and in ten days you will have read 100 pages.  This number can be even higher as the topic pulls you in and grabs you.

3.    If the product is a DVD, pop it in instead of a Netflix or Blockbuster video.  You’ve seen the commercials of the family around the TV, why not pop in a personal development DVD that everyone can learn from and then discuss it?  Many of the DVDs are very compelling and you might learn more about your children during the discussion of the content.

The Result?

Using these techniques you will find it easy to learn and grow from the materials you purchase for personal development.  You will even find as I always do, that each time you listen to the audio or watch the DVD you notice and learn something you missed last time.  Shelf help then is something others do while you use the tools to live your best life.

It's a new year and a clean slate for your career, your personal life, your business, and your dreams.  So the question is: What do your 2010 dreams look like?

2010 The Beginning

It starts with setting expectations for yourself, followed by taking action on the steps needed to bring your dreams to fruition.  Each new year is a fresh start, but after the balloons deflate, you dispose of the party hats, and the hangover subsides, there's work to do. 

What are your goals?  You can choose to focus on only one area of your life to make execution simple.  You can decide to work on one goal for each area of your life, and attract the people you need to help you bring it to fruition. 

Whatever you decide, (and it's totally up to you) here are three steps to help in your success. 

Use the P.E.P. formula of Possibilities, Expectations, and Persistence.

Step One - Possibilities

Review the Goals you have set.  Those are your 2010 possibilitites. You will need to review them with a "Plan, Do, Review" mindset as that helps you determine what you need in order to achieve your goals, and creates a measurement tool to track progress.  They say "a dream without a plan is only a wish" and "if wishes were horses, beggers would ride" so you need to create a plan which you will execute to ensure your possibilities become your reality.   You will need to arouse and guide your subconscious mind to use its creative power to attract to you the people and support structure you need. 

You have to "ink it to link it" in your brain.  This means you must write it down not simply think about it.  The very act of writing it down creates it in your subconscious mind much like quantum physics.  Writing it down awakens your subconscious mind to be on the alert when oppoprtunity crosses your path.  It sets the law of attraction in motion.

Step Two - Expectations

What expectations have you set for yourself?  The goals help you to define your expectations.  This includes balance for each area of you life - professional, financial, physical, family, spiritual, and lifestyle. 

Alan Dundes said "Future orientation is combined with a notion and expectation of progress, and nothing is impossible."  

Orison Swett Marden said "We advance on our journey only when we face our goal, when we are confident and believe we are going to win out." 

As you set your expectation, you begin that journey to achievement of your destiny in 2010 with high hopes. 

Pope John XXIII said "Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.  Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfilled potential.  Concern yourself not with what you have tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do."

A key component to success in 2010 is to put your goals into action.  By doing so, you ignite your creative power and fine tune your subconscious attraction magnet to draw ideas, resources, and circumstances that align with your possibilities, to accelerate creation.

Step Three - Persistence

Louis Pasteur said "Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal.  My strength lies in my tenacity."  The same is true for you.  Without tenacity many give up often when they are closest to their goal. 

Thomas Huxley said "Patience and tenacity are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness." 

Chin-Ning Chu said "To succeed in life in today's world, you must have the will and tenacity to finish the job."

Plan to finish the job no matter what it takes.  Focus on your 2010 goals and work consistently to bring them to fruition.  A great program that can help you achieve your 2010 goals is at this link: Http://budurl.com/singlepayment - Receive three complimentary special reports valued at $250 immediately when you register.

Whether you're looking to improve your communication skills for business or personal reasons there are a few guidelines to follow.  Employees, employers, family, friends and other individuals have to improve their communication skills in order to efficiently get points across without causing oppositions. 

Authentic communications consist of methods that can be used to resolve conflicts and difficult conversations.  It can help with creating better understanding and greater teamwork.  These methods can be used for giving speeches, talking in front of a group of people at a meeting, or just speaking to another individual.  If you have problems with communication in your corporation, association, or as an individual, you can attend a communications workshop.

First it is important that you use the words "I" and "my" when making statements.  This authenticates that you're talking about yourself to your audience.  Then in order to effectively communicate, you will need to speak on a personal level, instead of abstractly or generally.  For instance, if you're speaking with business partners or someone close to you, you need to communicate what you're trying to say directly.  There shouldn't be any mind games or guessing games.  Be specific about your point - then when you're finished, your audience should be able to answer that you wanted and/or needed without a problem.  If they are unable to, then your request or idea wasn't communicated properly. 

Use the word "you" carefully.  If you don't think before you speak when talking someone, it could cause misunderstandings and could even make them become defensive.  The word "you" is a way to analyze or second guess; don't try to speak for someone else, allow them to take responsibility for themselves.

Communication is a two-way street, it requires listening and speaking.  Pay attention to yourself and when you feel the urge to say something.  Of course, you should wait until the appropriate time to voice your thoughts and opinions to avoid an agrument or misunderstanding.  Overall, you need to stay intact with your intuition.

Show that you're listening.  Respect others by carefully listening to what they are trying to communicate.  In order to comment, you have to know what you're talking about, otherwise there will be a big misunderstanding about what is being said.  Most of all you should think before you speak.  Paraphrasing what you think you heard to clarify helps ensure you received the message correctly.

Everyone has the right to their own opinion.  Your job isn't to change people's minds.  It's to ensure that you get your point across effectively.  Communication doesn't mean conversation only.  It's a way to express yourself.  Diversity of communication is a valuable skill.  If you have having problems in the workplace then one of those workplace seminars will help you.

In order to reach your objectives and goals for your personal and business life, you have to learn how to properly communicate what it is you desire.  Sometimes it takes talking with the right people to bring you a step closer to achievement of your objectives.  Do what you can to make these improvements.  As a coach, trainer and mentor that holds seminars for motivational meetings, management communication skills, and business or personal coaching, I can help. 

What's your communications challenge?  

Use the contact form at http://www.yvonnefbrown.com/contact to send me your question.

The best thing about the New Year is that it represents a fresh start for many. You file your taxes, start a new career, mend a relationship or even look for new love. It’s a time when individuals can start off with a clean slate. As the new year rolls in, it is best to prepare for what you want to do. Make plans, so that you’ll have something to look forward to. Living the same life that you’re unsatisfied with isn’t healthy. A lot of people become depressed and even more unmotivated with life. This can cause a domino affect that can cause complications in your career, friendships, family and love life.

 

The first step you must take is to plan what your goals will be for the new year. The most popular goals involve personal/business relationships and self improvement. Prepare to work towards these goals. It is important that you know what it will take to achieve the plans that you have made for the coming year. Even more important, you should create goals that are realistic. It’s good to want to overachieve, but it could end up stressing you out and may even cause you to quit. So if you’re looking to start a new career or better your current workplace, write a list of things you can do to make those improvements. Having more than one way of achieving your goal can come in handy if one option doesn’t work out.

 

Next, you should remain positive at all times. When the new year rolls in and you start to act on your plans, don’t get bummed because things don’t go as wished. Think of back-up plans if something doesn’t go your way. Be optimistic; this is the best way to keep a smile on your face and life looking bright. If you can look on the bright side of negative and potentially negative situations, you’ll avoid downfalls in your plans. Just rethink things through to get back on the right track.

Pitfall #5 - Tweeting & Texting During Your Presentation

A new occurrence for speakers today is tweeting during your presentation.  I know how you feel when that happens.  That’s why I have resorted to asking attendees to get in their one text before we start and during their breaks.

If you are speaking at a conference, be aware that the tweets and texts might be sent to the people currently  in your audience or on their way to the workshop. 

One conference speaker experienced this pitfall when they had low turnout for a seminar that previously had blowout attendance.  Evidently attendees tweeted “don’t come to this workshop, the speaker is not very good.”  On reading this many attendees decided to attend a different session and the speaker’s credibility was crushed.

Conversely, if you are a good speaker with an engaging style, the tweets would be “hurry up and get to this session.  The speaker is fantastic.”   This could turn a low turnout session into a blowout session and it’s all happening in real time.

Pitfall #4 - Just Because I'm On My iPhone, Don't Assume I've Tuned Out

 

In a recent presentation I recommended a book that would be helpful to the participants.  As I spoke, I noticed a young man who was very focused on his iPhone.  This is a normal occurrence during today’s presentations.  There’s even a term for it “Absent Presence.”

 

As I left the room for the break, he called me over to show me his iPhone.  During the presentation, had downloaded a free Kindle® app for his iPhone, visited Amazon, purchased, and downloaded the book and was already reading it. 

 

What’s the point of this pitfall?  To inform you that just because they’re on their iPhone during your presentation, doesn’t mean they’re tuning you out.  Maybe they’re taking action on the recommendation you just made.

 

This brings us back to Pitfall #2 ‘verifying during your presentation.’  Today’s audiences are used to instant gratification and have the tools to get it.  So it is crucial that your recommendations and suggestions are correct.

Pitfall #3 - I want role play – not to listen you go on and on 

 

Forget about slide decks with 30 - 50 slides.  To really connect with today’s audience you must have fewer slides and more interaction. 

Presentations should be lively so that the audience is energized.  They want to interact and role playing helps them connect the dots and have a more transformational experience.

Many members of today’s audience are Gen X or younger.  They are the highly stimulated generation from gamers to video creators.  Sitting in a chair listening to you drone on through a PowerPoint presentation makes their eyes glaze over.  They used PowerPoint for their school projects and need more.

Here are three ways you can engage them:

a.     After explaining a point, provide them with a case study that they can solve.  Then have them role play the techniques they used to solve the case study.

b.      Create a reality game or play “Jeopardy” with the clues including the tips you are teaching them or speaking about.

c.       Give them an exercise to create something or think outside the box.  They are very inventive and sometimes create something that knocks your socks off.  I once gave a group straws, staples, scotch tape and colored markers.  They could build anything they wanted.  The winning entry was a “Bridge over Troubled Water.”

Time will fly by and you will find yourself in the role of facilitator.  When they want the speaker back they actually request it.  This technique gets them really jazzed up and energized. 

Your job is to research and find fun examples for your role play.

Pitfall #2 - Verifying facts during your presentation 

There was a time when speakers were looked up to as the experts who brought knowledge to the marketplace and helped people to be more successful.  While this is still true the game has changed significantly. 

With the ubiquitous access to the Internet speakers have a new type of heckler to contend with. 

For example, at a recent conference for the medical profession in Las Vegas the speaker referenced an article on the industry and mentioned several items for the audience. 

After the lunch break when the audience returned, an attendee raised his hand.  Thinking there was a question, the speaker acknowledged him. 

The attendee then said, “I thought the speaker’s remarks were incorrect earlier.  So while at lunch I surfed the Web, found the article, and verified what was said.  Sure enough the speaker is wrong.  By the way, here’s the URL to get that article yourself and get the facts right.”

Gone are the days when your audience simply took notes and accepted your expertise without verification.  So today it is critical to not only verify your material, but to also check for the most up to date information prior to stepping on the platform. 

Today the audience not only expects information, they expect the most up-to-date information possible along with where they can learn more if they desire.  So the night before a presentation, be sure to check online to ensure you have the most recent information.  While you’re at it, check article links as they may have been deleted or the website removed.  Google often has a cached version though and that helps.

 

Pitfall #1 - Know your Audience

Today's audience consists of multiple generations each with their unique expectations from the speaker.  For the first time in history there are five generations in your audience.  One generation likes lecture style, another likes to share expertise.  The next generation likes you to ask their opinion & the youngest two generations prefer role play, videos and other media.

How can you tell who is in your audience?  Your best approach is to do an on the spot survey by show of hands.  A quick way is to ask:

1.  How many of you found work in job ads that said help wanted men, help wanted female? (Boomers & Veterans). 

2.  “How many of you were latch key kids or school mates who were latch key kids?” (Gen X).

3.  “How many of you prefer IM/ texting?” (Gen Y & Gen M). 

Now you know who is in the room.

If you are speaking at a conference you can include these questions in your pre-program assessment.  Often the meeting planner can inform you who the audience is.  In the event that is not a viable option, the above on the spot survey should suffice.

Armed with these results you can instantly customize your program to ensure you speak the language of your audience.  By providing information in the manner your attendees desire, you will engage and wow them.

Part two of this five part series “Verifying facts during your presentation.”

Learn about Understanding and Working Effectively with Five Generations in the Workplace http://budurl.com/5Generations

Technology is helping us in many ways today and applications arrive so rapidly it's difficult to keep up.  Some apps are helpful while others consipire to keep you online until sores show up on your rump.  I love technology so I keep up as much as possible with the latest and greatest to determine if they've created a program to keep my calendar booked with speaking engagements at the optimum price point.

Well they're still working on that app for me but there is one new app that is helpful for everyone especially in this economy. 

There's a new Smartphone app that finds the best prices for any item you're purchasing and sends it directly to you.  Picture this:  You're ready to buy an item in the store but are not sure you're getting the best price for the item. 

What to do?  Well, scan the barcode with your Smartphone and it will search the area, find the least expensive price for the item, send it back to your Smartphone, and tell you if it's in stock.  Then it will provide you with a Google map to get you from your current location to the store with the item in stock for that best price. 

I don't know about you, but that sounds really valuable to me as I am always seeking the best price for anything I purchase. 

Watch the video as  KXAS's Kristi Nelson reports on a smartphone application that will look for the lowest price and local availability on purchases.

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/32182174#32182174>

Let me know what you think.

Colleges and universities across the country are taking notice that iPhones have apps for anything. So now they're offering courses in iPhone applications.

They've set a new path of study for many colleges and universities recognizing the longevity of smartphones and social media, college professors say.

Jeanette Der Bedrosian write of an iPhone Developer University Program launched due to the fee to create, test, and distribute (many times at a profit) applications for the iPhone.

Standford University is offering a course to 60 students taught by two Apple employees in app development technology. Students are liking this and its not wonder. I do not have an iPhone but my son does and he loves it. During a drive in his car this weekend I noted that his car radio connects directly to his iPhone and plays tunes from the ipod feature on the phone.

During a recent training program I recommended a book to the attendees. One student downloaded it immediately using the Kindle feature on his iPhone.

Yes, there's an app for that too. Intruiged, I requested a demonstration because as you know, I got a Kindle for Mother's day and love it. The student demo'd the book to me, showed how he can change the font, and can read the page in landscape mode simply by turning the device. "This is how I get my reading done on the flight" he said.

In the article, she mentions that "The first app Auten created was "Kids Be Gone," designed in Robertson's class, which emits a high-frequency sound only kids can hear. The app, as the name suggests, was designed to keep children away from the iPhone user. Auten says he experimentally provided the app at no charge for 24 hours and was shocked to see it downloaded by 2,000 users.

"It blew my mind," he says. "Most classes at NJIT are theory-based, but this one really gives you a way of making money."

Amazing. No wonder colleges are now teaching app development. The $99 fee is minimal and how you can have you app in the hands of millions!

Check the full article at: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20090721/iphoneapps21_st.art.htm

By Bianca Lundien Kennedy

      Mere hours before facing a bilateral mastectomies surgery, while battling breast cancer in late 2001, on the heels of a rigorous six-month course of chemotherapy, with my family at my side, my childhood best friend, Kelly, or “Tigger,” as she remains affectionately called, was right there for me, alongside my parents,  sister and husband.  In her inimitable way, she lifted me up during this difficult time, so much so, that I hardly felt a drop of anxiousness while we visited in my hospital room, prior to my rapidly approaching surgery. How did she manage to so elevate my spirits? Aside from just being her ever-fabulous self, she brought a big “boom box” into my hospital room, quite a funny sight! Yet, it was the sounds from the boom box that buoyed me. It was equipped with assorted favorite tunes from the Jackson Five and from Michael Jackson!

     We gleefully reminisced about how we had spent much of our adolescence together firmly enamored – okay, infatuated - with a young and vibrant Michael Jackson.  We had his posters on our walls and had each declared that we wanted to marry him, at the tender age of 15. Our years in junior high school and high school were filled with our listening to his incomparable music in daily – often hourly - doses. We even went to his concert together in 1981, during the Off the Wall (still my favorite album) tour, with his talented brothers backing him up. The tour was the first to feature Michael’s solo music as an adult artist. The show was billed as “The Jacksons, starring Michael Jackson.”  We both still have our sentimentally cloaked ticket stubs from the show. That once-in-a-lifetime concert was an authentic thrill, inviting us to witness the unveiling of a legend in the making. As we stood laudably cheering at the top of our lungs, letting the resonating dance beats keep us unrestrained on our feet, Michael’s performance was as goosebump-delivered as it gets!

     A year or so before that unforgettable event, it was Tigger, at age 16, who faced an emergency surgery, an appendectomy. When I visited her in the hospital, circa 1980, I brought her a pre-CD-era cassette recorder, with our favorite Michael Jackson tunes on it – a “mixed tape” – made with the purity of friendship.  Panning forward to just over twenty years later, in 2001, both of us then in our mid-thirties, while I waited for the nurses to come and get me to take me to surgery, that morning transcended the experience of the surgery itself, as my nerves gave way to an unexpected joy, causing any anxiety to dissipate, while we passed the time listening to Michael’s music with my family.

     When the nurses finally entered my hospital room, pushing the stretcher ready to take me to the operating room, they heard us reveling in the Michael Jackson music of our youth, and suggested that I ask my surgeon to play the tape in the OR. I was surprised to hear this – happily surprised. So, I did just that! I asked my doctor to do so and he happily obliged, putting on those thoughtfully assembled tunes right there in the OR. I was listening to Michael Jackson, more content and at ease than I could ever have anticipated, as I climbed from the stretcher to the operating table. Believe me, there is nothing quite like the surreal experience of listening to “Don’t Stop til You Get Enough” (oddly appropriate for a bilateral mastectomies surgery!), while drifting under the anesthesia’s influence.  I felt like I was at a party, rather than a life-altering surgery.

     Tigger was and is the best! Michael was and is the best!  Tigger and I touched base last night, after the news of his untimely death came over the ongoing broadcasts. We took comfort in each other’s joyful memories, long associated with that early chapter in our lives, dominated by our love of Michael Jackson and his phenomenal music. As we mourned the loss of this huge talent, we also mourned the loss of a piece of our childhood. We chose to disregard any thoughts of Michael that did not align with our magical memories of the legend, who, in death, will no doubt realize his biggest dream - to be ranked with the ultimate handful of iconic entertainment legends, like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon. I trust that Michael must somehow now be viewing our earthly world from heaven, witnessing the ushering in of infinite affection and the outpouring of love for him from around the globe, from across generations and from diverse ethnicities. Michael Jackson will be dearly regarded and dearly missed.

 

I love my work.  I love teaching others, watching as they connect the dots and surmize how smart they already are about the topic.  So it was a revelation for me at a recent seminar when, while teaching how to tell the truth without fear, I learned that for some employees this is simply not possible.

Telling the truth without fear

I am always interested in the attendees response to the question "can you tell the truth without fear at work?"  Sometimes the response is unanimous that 'of course' I can tell the truth.  More often than not, I get no response but instead receive a look of incredulity, and a smirk of "you're kidding, right?"  Some time ago an attendee said that their CIO always wants the truth and so provided the department with a catch phrase that allows them to do just that.  It's "intellectual honesty" as in, "Bob, in all intellectual honesty..."  This phrase, I was informed, prepared the CIO for bad news while providing employees with a means of presenting even the most unpleasant news.

I like it.  Everyone's on the same page.  it even provides employees with a way of disagreeing with each other.  This is a crucial communication that Patrick Lencioni calls "engaging in good conflict" in his book  "The Five Disfunctions of a Team."  It is evident that being in a position where it is difficult to tell the truth without fear creates many problems.  This leads me to the second question in today's blog post.

What are you communicating to your employees?

A second question that I pose to attendees is "you are a project manager and your boss adds a new project to your plate.  You have neither the resources nor the time available to execute it successfully.  Do you discuss the issues with your manager and explain your reasoning?"

Imagine my surprise when I was told: "We can't do that."  We woud have to be quiet and take on the project.  "Even if you knew it would fail?" As I asked, I feared the response.  "Yes, even if we knew it would fail, we would have to take on the project anyway.  In today's market, if we don't do it, it is easy for them to fire us, find someone who needs a job and is willing to take it on, despite the fact that it would fail.  So, we would just do it, let it fail and continue from there."

WOW!  Is it any wonder then, that the economy is in its current state.  What this says is, given the worst circumstances, an employee will take a project they know will fail, their manager knows will fail, and the company knows will fail, because that's the company's culture.  It makes me wonder how many of today's organizations have this culture of lies vs. truth, and communication that encourages failure then rewards it. 

Do you work in a company that allows you to tell the truth without fear or do those who take on failed projects end up being promoted?  Send me your comments via the comment page at http://www.yvonnefbrown.com/contact

Today is a day to celebrate mothers everywhere.   It's one day that is set aside to thank your mother for all the little things she did to help you become who you are today.  Now I know there are some of you who will say "not my mother" and others who will agree wholeheartedly with me.

Regardless of the group you belong to, on this day our thoughts turn to MOM.

Whether you sent a card, took mom to dinner, or like my son, gave her a gift she will love you for it.  So, if you haven't already, do it now!  There's still some day left and you can fix that.  Remember, even if it is just a phone call, the point is you thought of her and are letting her know you're thinking of her.

If she is  no longer with us, visit her resting place and leave some flowers, if you have not money for flowers, just visit and tell her you love her and miss her.  Taking action is all it costs you today.

As for me, I got the surprize of my life when my son Charles presented me with a Amazon Kindle.   As a knowledge junkie whose latte factor is books, I'm practically being pushed out of my office by my books.  Well No More!  The Kindle holds up to 1,500 books and is thinner than a pencil.   It does everything I need and is so intuitive I started using immediately.  With my travel schedule, I no longer have to select which book I want to bring with me.  I can carry as many as I want   - plus it just fits in my purse and is as light as a feather.

THANKS CHARLES!  You made this the best Mother's day ever!

Check out the Kindle by visiting http://www.amazon.com

Scams and swindles are on the uprise due to the economy.  Everyone's seeking ways to generate income.  Some are willing to practice unethical behaviors in order to stay afloat.   How can you tell what's a swindle and what's real?  This is the question posed recently to Marilyn of "Ask Marilyn."  Her response is the most straightforward and clear explaination.  She said:

"People who lose money to scammers aren't always at fault.  Here's a scheme that would be difficult for someone to spot in advance.

Let's say a financial con artist tells 1000 potential clients that a particular stock will go up on a given day.  He tells 1000 others that the same stock will go down.

Say the stock goes up.  The man focuses on the first 1000 people, as they think he got it right.  He then chooses a different stock and tells 500 of them the stock will go up.  He tells the other 500 it will go down.  No matter what the stock does, 500 possible clients think he got it right again.  So after repeating this a few times, the fellow winds up with a list of people convinced he has predictive powers - and ready to give him their life savings.

While this ruse isn't a pyramid scheme, it does illustrate how easy it is to concoct ways to trick people by preying on their wishful thinking."

A recent "ask Yvonne" question for my newsletter http://www.yvonnefbrown.com was from a woman who was duped into investing in a coaching program at a 'millionaire' seminar.  I also learned from an acquaintance that she was also scammed by a coaching program while attending a separate event.  These two stories are a reminder that we should be careful who we trust because like the financial con artist mentioned above, not everything is as it seems on first glance.

Beware while traveling and renting cars.  Be sure to read the full receipt and check in advance to ensure this does not happen to you.  I noticed some of these charges recently and believe me they're buried.

The following article by By Christopher Elliott cites some of these insidious charges.

Look out for cancellation penalties. Beware of energy surcharges. And watch for facilities fees. 

To get an idea of how absurd it’s becoming, meet Jim Swofford. He found a mysterious $5 fee on his Hertz bill recently, which a representative described as a cancellation fee. Car rental companies typically don’t charge their customers for cancellations, so Swofford, who frequently rents from Hertz, said he didn’t want another car he’d reserved for later.

“That’ll be $25,” the agent told him.

“So I jokingly said I would not cancel but just be a no-show,” he remembers. “She said that would result in a $50 fee.”

Or talk to Eric Hegwer, a photographer from Austin, Texas, who spotted a $1 “energy surcharge” on his Hertz car rental bill recently. “My previous rentals didn’t have one,” he says.

I asked Hertz about the two new surcharges. Company spokeswoman Paula Rivera told me the cancellation fee, which was added in December, applied only to prepaid reservations and is meant to “reimburse Hertz for the paperwork and billing involved with a prepaid reservation.” The fee also covers part of the company’s cost of holding vehicles for prepaid reservations. The energy surcharge, which was added in October, bills all rentals in most states an additional $1 a day “to offset the increasing costs of utilities, bus fuel, oil and grease,” she said.

How to stay ahead of these extras? Knowing is half the battle. Here are five of the newer charges that could sideswipe you on your next trip.

A fee for something you’ve already paid for
This is one of the more creative new ways of separating you from your money: charging you twice for the same thing. “Three times now, with three different companies, they have tried to charge me for gas when I’ve returned the car with a full tank and claimed it was an honest mistake,” says Sid Savara, a software engineer in Oahu, Hawaii. “It leads me to suspect they are just tacking the fee on and most people aren’t noticing or complaining about it.”

Boston-based author John DiPietro brought his own E-ZPass toll transponder when he rented a car in Massachusetts recently, but Budget billed him for the toll roads anyway. “We’re still trying to resolve it,” he told me.

Now more than ever, it’s important to be on the lookout for duplicate charges on your rental bill.

A fee for something that should come with the car
Such as tires. Enterprise recently charged one of Edgar Dworsky’s readers a $2 “tire fee.” 

Surcharge on surcharges
Scott Lerman found a “privilege fee” on his last car rental in Florida, which applied to rentals picked up within 48 hours of flight arrival. “Never seen anything like it,” says the Livingston, N.J.-based freelance publicist. (The fee covers the costs of operating an off-airport location.)

Seth Mendelsohn, the president of a food store in Boulder, Colo., found a $4 “downtown arena” fee on his bill when he visited Kansas City recently. “Apparently the city is trying to pay for part of the Sprint Center through car rental fees,” he told me.

Most of these fees can be avoided by pre-paying for your car through one of the “opaque” travel sites such as Hotwire.com or Priceline.com, or by buying through an online travel agency that guarantees its rates

Read the full story here.    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30033404/

The following article was sent to me by a colleague and after reading it I found it so compelling that I decided to share it with you.  It is an article by Andrew M. Manis, associate professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia who wrote this for an editorial in the Macon Telegraph. 

Andrew M. Manis: When Are WE Going to Get Over It?

For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?

Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham," Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk."

Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.

We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster.

But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we're back in the sixties again. At this point in our history, we should be proud that we've proven what conservatives are always saying -- that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to "assassinate Obama."

Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, "How long?" How long before we white people realize we can't make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can - once and for all - get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get over our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites?

How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations?

I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do?

How long before we starting "living out the true meaning" of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that "red and yellow, black and white" all are precious in God's sight?

Until this past November 4, I didn't believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don't believe I'll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here's my three-point plan: First, everyday that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built, I'm going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people.

Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, "We HAVE overcome."  

It's gonna take a Village to protect our President!!!

-------------------------------

Andrew M. Manis is associate professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia and wrote this for an editorial in the Macon Telegraph.

So tell me, What do YOU think of the article?

According to InformationWeek, Deloitte Consulting has filed a lawsuit against the United States regarding a contract awarded to IBM. The aim of the suit is to get an injunction regarding a 10-year contract, worth $193 million, that IBM has entered into with Housing and Urban Development. As per the contract, IBM would be modernizing HUD's computerized financial systems.

Deloitte, in the court filing, says the firm wasn't treated fairly in the bidding process for the contract in 2006, according to InformationWeek.

In that filing, Deloitte says that "HUD violated law and regulation by failing to follow the stated evaluation criteria, and also by engaging Deloitte in nonmeaningful and misleading discussions," and the firm is looking for government intervention regarding the contract until the matter can be resolved.

Stay tuned.

Source:  Consulting Magaine

With China using the internet mor I found this article of particular interest.  I hope you will too. 

According to the Associated Press, in Beijing "Vigilant Internet users spotted news photos of a housing official and posted heated online discussions about his $15,000 Swiss watch and $22 a pack cigarettes.  Two weeks later Jhau Juigen in Nanjing was fired.  He is under investigation for an apparent "lavish lifestyle" that exceeds his government salary, according to the state run China Daily.  "

It is interesting how different countries use this wonderful technology.  As the AP writes "While ethics on the internet have yet to be established" at least the Chinese are able to utilize this valuable tool. 

You can read the full article at USA Today under the title "China's Net users take aim online"

What do you think?

Change has come to America.  The citizens have spoken not just for change but in a landslide victory for ONE AMERICA!

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer" Obama

Barack Obama represents the best in all of us and displays the temperment that is truly needed in the country today.  As I write this from my hotel room in Columbus, Ohio, I am glad that I stayed up late to witness the historic moment when the people spoke loudly with their votes about their hopes and dreams for the future of America.

When I came to this country from Jamaica, I came seeking the American dream so well known worldwide.  I found it.  I appreciate it.  I am grateful for it.  And tonight I experienced another dream come true.  Barack had my vote from the start when my husband and I donated to his Senate run.  Even then we knew there was something unique about this candidate.  As I watched Barack's historic run for the office of President of the United States, I knew we had made the right decision to support him.

Congratulations to Barack Obama and his family!  We look forward to to your leadership of this our great country, the United States of America.

November 4th is fast approaching and I encourage you to remember to vote.  Know that it will take some time, but it's worth it.

As I am on the road again this week, I realized that I would have to vote early since I would not be in Chicago on November 4th.  The city had early voting places last week and so I went down to the polling place.  I was feeling quite excited as I took the escalator downstairs.  When I arrived there were so many people in line it was impossible to tell where the line began and ended.  Luckily, there were five to six line managers to show us where the end of the line was.  It curled around several times and had many breaks as doors could not be blocked.  We were told that it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to the voting booths and they were right.  That's exactly how long it took.

Interestingly, no one seemed to mind.  Like me, they said "I don't care how long it takes, I'm here now and I'm going to vote!"  I struck up a conversation with some line mates and in no time at all was in the room with the voting booths.  There were over 50 voting booths in the room and countless workers behind the tables verifying our identity, checking our IDs and providing instructions on how the procedure works. 

Once in the booth my voting went smoothly, quickly and easily.  As I departed, I was glad I remembered that I would be in Ohio this week because I would have been broken hearted to miss the opportunity to vote. 

So, now it's your turn.  Get out there on Tuesday and VOTE!

If you (like me) have a 401(k) or equivalent retirement plan, you've probably been watching nervously over the past few weeks as your nest egg has shrunken owing to the current turmoil in the markets. 

I often remind you dear readers that you must be ever vigilant because if you don't you have no one to blame but yourself.  We've seen the $700 billion bailout of the banks and by now you know that it looks like you're going to have to bail yourself out.  So today when my son Charles called me to alert me that some politicians on Capital Hill were eyeing the end of the 401K as we know it I was intrigued.  So I searche dthe web to determine if he was right or not and sure enough I found the above titled article at the Wall Street Journal.  

They are seeking to take your 401K and roll it into Social Security and have at it.  Previous and current events clearly indicate how adept they are are losing our money while protecting theirs.  So I am compelled to direct you to the article so that you can read it for yourself and do what you can to protect your 401K funds.

To be sure they have not yet clearly outlined their plan, but fore-warned is fore-armed so I recommend you keep on top of the information.  Experience shows that once they start talking about it you should get ready for change.

This month's copy of BusinessWeek has a series called Business @ Work - There are many stories of bullies in the workplace.  Below is just one of them.

Here is One Bully Story 

I should have known what kind of boss Jackie Pebble would be from the first moment I had contact with him, and maybe I already did. But the rent was due, my COBRA insurance had run out, and I was sick of interviewing. I needed a job—fast.

When I arrived at the appointed time for my first interview, for a senior editor job at a trade magazine for dermatologists, he kept me waiting in the lobby of the company's Manhattan office for 15 minutes. Then the receptionist handed me her phone receiver and said, "Mr. Pebble would like to speak with you."

"I can't see you today," he announced. "I'm too busy."

Calling HR to Complain

His rudeness left me momentarily speechless. Finally I managed to say, "I came all the way from Connecticut for this interview, so I'd really appreciate it if we could have it today."

"All right," he said. "But you're going to have to wait."

Wait I did, for about 45 minutes. He finally showed up, ushered me in, and gruffly quizzed me about my journalistic background for about 10 minutes, and the interview was over. When I got home that afternoon, I still felt annoyed about the discourteous treatment Jackie had doled out earlier in the day. So annoyed, in fact, that I called HR to complain. What did I have to lose? There was no chance I would get this job, I figured, and I didn't want it anyway.

The Worst Boss I've Ever Had

Gayle, the HR person I spoke with, was very nice. "I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience," she said. "But on the bright side, Jackie was just up here asking if we could raise the salary for the job to meet your requirements."

I was speechless again. Maybe he is a good guy, I thought, and I'd just happened to catch him in a rare disagreeable mood. And money talks, after all. "Well, that does make me feel a little better," I said. I ended up accepting the job and starting work the following Monday.

By Friday, Jackie had established himself as the worst boss I'd ever had—a distinction he still holds. He would give me a project and bark a few directions, never explaining them thoroughly or giving me the info I needed. The first day, he threw a bunch of photos at me that needed to be returned to whoever sent them. But all they had was the person's name—no address, no phone number. This was back in pre-Internet days, long before you could simply type "David Stein" and "dermatologist" in Google and come up with some clues.

A Toxic Corporate Culture

All the experts Business Week consulted said a solid option would simply have been to start job-hunting after two months of her start date, once it became obvious Jackie wasn't going to change.

"She needed to get out of there," one expert said. "'My boss talks to me that way all the time' is a hard line to hear. This person is saying that the culture here is that most people are jerks."

The bad behavior started even before the job started and only got worse. Could anything have been done to change the situation?  What do you think?

*This story is true. The author's name and other names and identifying details in the story have been changed.

I teach people how to deal with these bullies in my Bully Busting Seminars.  To learn more about the seminars send me an email at yvonne at jadcommunications dot com.

Read more about this story at www.businessweek.com

Billionaire Bill Bartmann recently shared some of his knowledge on how to prepare for a business loan.  I learned many valuable techinques for ensuring that you obtain the loan you need to grow your business.  While some of the information is elementary, having the material presented in a way that helps as a checklist will prepare entrepreneurs for success.  

Here are eight things to do in preparation of requesting a business loan

1.      Get an Intellectual Property attorney.  Get some references and vett them.

2.      Know that lenders are specialized like doctors.  Be sure the lender provides the kind of loans that fit your purpose.

3.      Always pre-qualify your lender before you see them.  Ask them:

-   The size loans they are responsible for to ensure they match the amount you are borrowing.

-   Tell them what industry you’re in

-   Tell them what region of the country you’re in 

4.      Understand that you only competing against the other potential borrowers

5.      The person taking your application can’t say yes.  They are screening the borrowers. (they can however say no)

6.      The first meeting with the lender is only the first date (if they like you they’ll want more information).  Don’t bring lots of stuff.

7.      Remember the 4Ps.  Be Punctual, Professional (look the part), Prepared (have the right answers to their questions) and Prompt.  Get in and get out.  No more than five minutes.  Give them the proposal and leave.

8.      What to bring to the meeting: 

more...

Last week I took a few days for personal development.  So I went to the Caribe Royale resort in Orlando, Florida on invitation from Bob Burg.  Bob is someone I really respect and as you know his book “Endless Referrals” is a recommended title on this blog.  I expected the event to be educational but it was much more than I ever imagined when I left Chicago and I am glad I took the time to learn techniques to grow my business.  

Billionaire business man Bill Bartmann www.billbartmann.com was a speaker at the event and he shared the three essentials for success.  First, you need a vehicle to get you from where you are to where you want to be.  Second, you need fuel.  This can be your money or other people’s money.  Third, you need a guidance system, a sense of direction and where you want to go.  One of my favorite quotations from Bill is “If you follow the herd, there won’t be anything else left when you get there.”  Bill charges $10,000 per hour for his coaching program so I was thrilled to learn about business success from him.

Donna Krech  www.donnakrech.com  founder and CEO of Thin and Healthy Total Solution www.thinandhealthy.com shared the seven motivation assassinators.  I loved her “praise brings life more than anything” shout out and especially the “slow motion movie” style of keeping track of how you’re doing.

Stephanie Frank the “accidental millionaire” http://www.stephaniefrank.com/ taught us that the way to "Win in Business Without Losing Your Mind" is to use a system to shortcut your success.

Simon T. Bailey helped us to release our brilliance.  This past Disney executive was high energy, unique and his program was content rich.   Check him out at www.simontbailey.com

Gravitational Marketing gurus Jimmy Vee and Travis Miller were hilarious and had a great tag-team approach to speaking that I have never seen before.  They are all about customer attraction and retention and they're good at it.  Learn more about the science of attracting customers at their small business marketing website by visiting and downloading the free customer attraction starter kit at www.gravitationalmarketing.com.  

Bob Burg spoke of course, as did many other speakers.  Each and every one of them was great.  There was one speaker though who really helped me personally after I sat in the “hot seat” and I’d like to thank him and introduce you to him.

Dave Lakhani is Mr. Persuasion.  He is the founder of www.boldapproach.com and author of “Subliminal Persuasion” teaches people the art of persuasion.   I had an opportunity to have a one-on-one discussion with this millionaire and got some great ideas from him that I will be implementing soon.  One truly inspiring moment was when, after I told Dave some of my personal story that I have kept secret for many years, he crafted it into a powerful story ‘on the fly’ that just blew me away.    

So by taking that trip, I was able to spend time with and learn from a billionaire, meet millionaire women and connect with them and get personal advice from a millionaire who will be featured on “The Big Idea” with Donny Deutsch tomorrow night.  Make sure you tune in, I know I will. 

Next time Bob Burg has his Extreme Business Makeover event, I will send you an invitation so that you too can learn from the expert millionaire how to bring your dreams into fruition and make your million.  Just send me an email indicating your interest.  In the meantime, visit www.burg.com and get a copy of the recording.

Oh yeah, Thanks Dave Lakhani.  Your advice was truly helpful and I’ll keep you posted on the results as I implement them.

Take control of your online reputation.  Who you are online is as important as who you are offline. Naturally, professionals, parents, college applicants, graduate school applicants, job seekers, and employers have raised serious and legitimate concerns about how to deal with this change and with the ever-increasing amount of information about each of us on the Internet. The Reputation Defender has products to search and destroy negative information about you on the internet.  

It’s easy when you’re in college to run with the crowd, go with the flow and think certain things are funny.  After graduation though when your potential employer searches the web as part of your background check what will they find?  Were you a schmuck on You Tube?  Did you feel safe behind your computer screen and say and do things you now regret?   

Are you a parent who wonders why your child cannot get a decent job even after thousands of dollars have been invested in their college education?  Check out the “My Child” version and see what comes up.   

They even have a global “do not call list” called “My Privacy” with a personalized MyPrivacy dashboard, that allows you to control how and where your information appears online.  Check it out today at http://www.reputationdefender.com and then share your thoughts.

Just send me an email at yvonne@jadcommunications.com

I love Gen Y.  I really do.  Their energy is infectious and I enjoy spending time with them.  I thought my secret was safe and I could spend time with them alone.  But now the secret is out and Harvard Business is talking about it. 

Yes, it's true I've made it a point to seek Gen Y out and pick their brains about how their generation's perspective on current events .  Remember, this is the most educated generation in history.  Never before has so many new hires entered the workforce with an MBA in hand.  So I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tamara Erickson's article about Gen Y recently.  In the article Tamara states:

"Y’s, when faced with a new challenge, tend to function like a heat-seeking missile – single-mindedly pursuing the person in the organization with the most relevant experience. In many cases, this person is a Boomer – often in some distant part of the organization, or several hierarchical levels removed. This approach reflects how Y’s like to learn – from an expert, just-in-time, and in response to the specific challenge they need to address. And it reflects their comfort in relating to Boomers on a peer basis, developed over an adolescence of friendly interaction with their parents and parents’ friends."

I have found this to be very true and got a kick out of the executive who shared his love of Gen Y like a guilty pleasure with Tamara.  He said he "found himself spending a high proportion of his time these days with the Y’s several levels down in his organization." 

There's more to Gen Y than meets the eye.  You can read the full article here http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/erickson/2008/04/the_boomery_love_fest.html  Some of the article comments are acutally fun as well.  No wonder Gen X feels so left out.   for them for boomers!  Maybe Gen 'X' could learn from this what I mentioned in my April 11th post.  Boomers and Gen Y are sharing the stage, Gen X just needs to change their attitude and they can take their place on stage too.

Madonna and Justin Timberlake are all over the media with their musical collaboration and video.  That is just another example of how Boomers and Gen Y can work well together successfully for their careers and their companies.  Hey, Wake up Gen 'X', and get with the program.

It's happening more frequently and is so inculcated into society that commercials are using the jargon.  The post Gen Y group of communicators aren't interested in nor adept at writing skills. You've seen the commercial where the mom tries and fails miserably at understanding her daughter's "IM of her BFF Jill" and grandma smiles while also speaking in this new shorthand language.  Yes, it's funny but is becoming less so.

A few weeks ago Eric Zorn, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, wrote an article titled "If kid is not answering e-mail, send txt msg, K?"  In the article, Mr. Zorn tells the story of about his 18 year old son Alex trying to contact the freshman son of a family friend via email, and consistently receiving no response.  When they finally sent a text message, they received a response immediately.  It turns out that Generation 'Z' finds email to be antiquated and Passé so they simply ignore it.

Fast forward to three days ago you will find the volume of articles regarding the lack of writing skills in term papers and resumes.  A recent article in the Tribune's Red Eye reports that a study co-sponsored by the National Commission on Writing at the College Board, the non-profit group that administers the SAT and other placement tests has found that:

• 50% of teens surveyed say they sometimes fail to use proper captialization and punctuation in assignments
• 38% have carried over IM or email shortcuts such as LOL
• 25% of teens have used :) and other emoticons
• 64% have used at least one of the informatil elements in school

An April 24th article on MSNBC titled "Teens use ,  LOL, in school writing" mentions that The Pew Internet and American Life Project, in a study released Thursday, also found that teens who keep blogs or use social-networking sites like Facebook, or News Corp.’s MySpace, have a greater tendency to slip nonstandard elements into assignments. The results may give parents, teachers and others a big :( — a frown to the rest of us — though the study’s authors see hope.

“It’s a teachable moment,” said Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist at Pew. “If you find that in a child’s or student’s writing, that’s an opportunity to address the differences between formal and informal writing. They learn to make the distinction ... just as they learn not to use slang terms in formal writing.”

A recruiter recently voiced her frustration and concern with resumes that are poorly written, and the most painful read in her long career.  The spelling is atrocious and Gen 'Z is unable to even write full sentences.

What this means to you and your organization is the downgrade of communications to a level never before experienced in a professional environment.  So prepare yourself, add some professional writing courses to your corporate training programs.   

And, if you are the parent of a Gen Z, start teaching them at home not only the difference between formal and informal writing, but the impact poor writing skills will have on their careers.  Then check their assignment before they turn it in and have that 'teachable moment' at home.  You might even find yourself LOL while bonding with your children.

Read the MSNBC article here - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24294592/

Well it had to happen sooner or later.  The Generation War has officially begun! 

So I’m at my hotel this week and as usual picked up my copy of USA Today and there it was in black and white.  The headline said “”X” marks its spot in the cultural limelight”  and the subtitle of the article is “Author kicks boomers aside.”

I’ve watched for years as corporate America pushed the boomers aside and hired the younger generation because ‘they’re energetic’ and knew that the time would come when these youngsters would speak out about their feelings.  Truth be told, some seminar attendees have told me from time to time that their younger colleagues have even actually said “why don’t you retire already and get out of my way?’  So I saw it coming.  Did you?

In the article, Jeff Gordinier author of “X Saves the World:  How Generation X Got the Shaft But Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking” claims he wants to make it perfectly clear that he is not whining.  “I’m just weary of hearing about them. Let’s move on.  Who Cares?  Stop!”  He claims “we’ve accomplished more than we get credit for” and cites everything from “green” architects to Pulp Fiction, to YouTube, Google and The Colbert Report.  Well good for you.  If that’s all you have to take credit for then YOU step aside buddy.  While those are fun its not enough to keep the economy or society going.

Gordinier, editor at large at Details magazine says “the boomers have hogged the limelight for so long it’s hard to even get on the stage.”    Speak for yourself buddy.  Lots of Gen “X” and Gen “Y” people are on the stage doing their thing right next to the boomers.  He claims that Gen Xers have been ignored in society’s’ eyes.  I disagree.  We’ve been paying attention from the moment you entered the corporate world declaring that you “wouldn’t choke yourself with a tie” and bringing business casual into the workplace. 

It’s your presentation that needs help.  All Mr. Gordinier has to do to understand what’s going on is to inspect the name of his book.  “Sucking?”  Pathetic.  And he calls himself an editor.  Stop whining, grow up, demonstrate leadership and you will find the credibility and success you seek.

Background checks for new employees is a key component in the hiring process.  It protects employers from poor employee choices and employees from negative forces entering their ranks.  It is critical that this is done and I heartily agree with this aspect of the hiring process.

There is a new twist in the marketplace, however, that you need to be aware of.  According to today's Chicago Tribune, in addition to drug screening some employers are taking the process one step further by requiring genetic testing of new employees.  These tests detect an employee's predisposition to possibly acquiring certain diseases during their lifetime!   Naturally, this has sparked huge legal and ethical debates.   What does this mean?  Do employers now intend to say "your genetic coding reveals a propensity for diabetes or cancer and so we cannot hire you?"  

The law firm Pepper Hamilton recommends that employers stay up to date on federal and state discrimination laws and request written permission from the employee before engaging in such practices.  I recommend that you arm yourself and your loved ones by also staying on top of this controversial new practice and be prepared to protect yourself from this practice.   Remember that it will be on file with the employer into perpetuity.

The potential exists for gross misuse of this type of background check.  What do you think of this new practice?  email me at yvonne@jadcommunication.com and share your thoughts.

Just two days ago I added a blog post "Whos' minding the store and where's my 401K funds" about monies lost by rogue traders.  At the time I ended my post by stating that "it sems the banks have learned nothing since 1995" and posed the question Have YOU?

Today, just 45 minutes ago in fact, the Associated Press Posted the following article: 

NEW YORK - A rogue trader at MF Global Ltd. rang up $141.5 million in losses on the broker's account this week, the company said Thursday, a black eye that cost the company almost a fifth of its market value.

The Bermuda-based broker said on Wednesday morning it discovered Evan Dooley, a trader at the company's Memphis, Tenn., branch, trading wheat contracts in amounts that exceeded how much he was allowed to trade.

MF Global fired Dooley and liquidated the wheat contracts, which led to a $141.5 million loss. An entry-order system that should have blocked the trades failed, the company said.  The story continues that "MF Global brokers options and futures contracts for 130,000 clients at 70 exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade and the New York Mercantile Exchange. The company said the trading loss does not threaten the $19.5 billion clients have in their accounts."

The SEC needs to step in DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.  If the trading companies are held accountable responsible and have to PAY BACK the monies that their rogue traders "lose" perhaps that will make them more vigilant during the ackground checks for employees.  I would also make them execute the checks and balances on their traders on a more timely basis. 

So far this year alone, we have the trader at Societe Generale who rang up more than $7 billion in losses on his company's account by placing unauthorized bets on European stock indexes and now this trader at MF Global Ltd. rang up $141.5 million in losses.  When is it going to stop? 

Here's the thing, when you lose while betting at the casino in Las Vegas, the casino has the money.   In this instance, someone has the money as well.   So I ask you again, do you know where your 401K and retirement funds are?  Do you know where the fund managers are investing those monies?  You'd better check right now.

You can read the rest of today's Associated Press story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23388778/ - I also recommend you read my blog post from February 27th below to get a full story regarding gambling traders.

Don't know if you heard the latest but... There's a new way to get your boarding pass and airport information.  American Airlines has made it easy to get the information you need for your travels regardless of where you are.  Those of you who talk on the phone in the bathroom know what I mean. 

Some of the features that got me excited are:

• Check in for your flight
• View your travel Itinerary
• Confirm your departure gate
• Flight Status and Schedules
• Delayed Baggage Status
• Destination Information: includes weather and airport information
• Admirals Club® Lounges: find locations, purchase one day passes and memberships
• Change your flights
• Book your car

All you have to do is simply type www.aa.com into your cell phone or other Web-enabled mobile device and get connected. I hear they will even scan the flight check-in barcode directly from your mobile phone!  Now how cool is that?  I love technology!

To learn more about this visit http://www.aa.com/index_us.jhtml

Well it happened again and personally I don’t know how a company can lose $7.2 Billion dollars through one employee.  Especially after what we all learned from the Bearings Bank debacle.  I guess of you live long enough you will see companies do really stupid things and not learn from mistakes.

Bearings, a 100 year old British bank, was brought down by rogue trader Nick Leeson.  In 1995 trader Nick made $1.38 billion in unauthorized trades that brought Bearings Bank to its knees.  The bank was ultimately purchased by a Dutch bank for $1.   

This latest $7.2 billion loss by French bank Société Généralé who today find themselves with rogue junior trader Jérôme Kerviel at the helm of a string of bets that at one time had $50 billion of their funds on the table is troubling.  When the dust settled their final loss was $7.2 billion.  I can almost hear their sighs of relief that the loss was smaller than originally thought.  

My question is, where were the internal checks and balances that should have prevented a trader with a gambling habit from running wild?  How does it get so far out of hand?  It is especially of concern to me since I recently watched the movie “Rogue Trader” starring Ewan McGregor.  When Nick Leeson brought down Bearings bank I was a bank officer at what is now J.P. Morgan Chase bank.  As a member of the banking establishment I listened and watched as my bank made decisions and added controls so that it wouldn’t happen to us.

Interestingly, trader Jérôme Kerviel scoffs at the bank for missing the elementary sign that something is wrong.  He only took four days off last year.  “It is one of the first rules of internal controls:  a trader who does not take vacations is a trader who doesn’t want his books to be seen by others” he said.  It seems he considers them responsible for not executing the checks and balances created to prevent just this behavior.

Leeson wrote the best selling book “Rogue Trader: How I brought Down Bearing Bank and Shook the Financial World.”   His life was made into the above mentioned movie, he did his few years in prison and today he is a highly paid public speaker.  He’s now written another book titled “Back From the Brink: Coping with Stress.”  Bringing others to financial ruin apparently has its rewards.

The way I see it, this is a wake up call for us when we decide where to put our 401K or savings.  These people are using our funds to do the trades.  They are responsible and have a fiduciary duty to ensure our life savings are protected and that our pot of gold grows.  We should be ever vigilant about the trustees we put our money with.  

I recommend that you watch the movie “Rogue Trader” then contact your 401K people and make sure your savings are safe.  Banks only create money by using our money.  How well are they watching over yours?  Is someone minding the store are are the checks and balances crumbling as I write this?

It seems the banks have learned nothing since 1995.  Have you?

Well we here go again making history!  N'digo magazine is one of my favorites in Chicago because they cover the news in a unique way for people of color.  I love them so much that I interviewed and included N'Digo publisher Hermene Hartman in my book Self Creation: 10 Powerful Principles for Changing Your Life.  An excellent example of a self creator, Hermene was recently on the O'Reilly Factor sharing her ideas with America.

Hermene's N'Digo magazine cover article extolls the virtues of Alexis Levi-Scott, the world’s first Black woman owner, CEO and general manager of a professional male basketball team –– the Las Vegas Stars of the International Basketball League (IBL) Expansion Teams. “As a child, I’ve always known that I was going to be someone special. I was blessed with the gift of envisioning the future, so I knew something would happen,” recalls Alexis.

Don’t place her on the list of famous immortals yet, because just like many single Black mothers today, Alexis is a hard worker. A registered nurse for 14 years, this dedicated and devoted parent inspired her sons to play basketball and in return they inspired her to become more involved with their activities, which catapulted her greatest achievement thus far. 

Read the story about this incredible woman's journey to achievement of her destiny at  http://www.ndigo.com/coverstory.asp - Be sure to sign up for the N'Digo newsletter while you're there.  Tell them I sent you!

I am happy to share that the TSA has finally given road warriors like me a chance to give them a piece of our minds.  Yes, folks, they've started a blog that says  "This blog is sponsored by the Transportation Security Administration to facilitate an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process." 

Previously we just didn't have a way to get these brainstorms to TSA administrator Kip Hawley and the other decision-makers. 

But last week the TSA added a blog to their website in order to “facilitate an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process.” Titled the “Evolution of Security”  the blog invites us to post comments, questions and complaints about TSA issues.  And we certainly have.  In the first 48 hours, more than 1,000 comments were received. Now you can add yours as well.

A visit to the blog reveals a flood of postings from irritated travelers along with responses from the TSA.   I know you want to give them a piece of your mind.  So here's your chance.  Just visit their blog "Evolution of Security" at http://www.tsa.gov/blog and tell them what you think, ask your questions, and get a few things off your chest.

"No one can stop an idea whose time has come.  Nothing can stop and idea whose time has come."  So said Victor Hugo.

Today the JAD Woman Talking Blog announces our support and endorsement of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.  Please take a moment to visit the link below to learn what happens when creativity and an idea whose time has come fuses together. 

The Yes We Can Song was written by will.i.am and performed by many artists who are also moved to express that YES WE CAN!

Just turn on the sound on your computer and click this link to watch the video of the song Yes We Can -  http://www.dipdive.com/

I am filled with emotion and HOPE.

PEACE  -  Yvonne F. Brown

February 1st is National Go Red Day. Your support is a vital part of the movement.  JAD Communications supports the campaign and encourages you to visit the  Go Red For Women website at http://www.goredforwomen.org/index.aspx and support the cause throughout the month by shopping for Go Red products! 

Remember to sign up and join the movement.

If you're like me and prefer to use a laptop than a Blackberry then at some point or other you will use your laptop in a public place.  Blackberries are useful, but not very productive for certain kinds of work.  

There has been lots of talk for years about how unprotected your information and data is when using WiFi hotspots and in public areas.  If you have ever been on a business trip and had your flight delayed or been stuck at the airport you must admit that you fired up that laptop and got to work.  Consultants are especially suceptible to this open use of computers as every minute of your time is billable.

To help you better understand how easy this is, I refer you to an article by David Pogue who put a note up on his blog seeking a guest who could appear on his show and show him the 'hacky' ropes. He found John Baer, a technical consultant who seemed just right for the part.  

They met in a WiFi coffee shop and David fired up his laptop.  That's all it took. Then John turned his laptop around to reveal the following:

* Every copy of every e-mail message sent *and* received.

* A list of the Web sites David visited.

* Even, incredibly, the graphics that had appeared on the Web sites David had visited.

The most astounding part is that no special software was needed and anyone can do it.  Scary Huh?  So be careful out there.  I recommend you hop on and hop off the WiFi in public areas.  Just download your mail and then disable the WiFi, then fire it back up to send your responses and disable it again.  There is no guarantee that you won't be hijacked, but at least the window of opportunity for a hacker is only open for a very short time.

Read David Pogue's full artice at this link http://tinyurl.com/24zxg8

The first month of 2008 is almost over.  By now you should have written your New Year’s Resolution and began working on them.  Or maybe by now you have decided to change some of them.  Regardless, they are your resolutions and it is your choice to implement or discard them.

2007 was a good year for JAD Communications International but I was restless.  I was ready to move to the next level.  So, one of my New Year Resolutions was to create a new website for my speaking and coaching business.  JAD Communications International will still function as it has always done, bringing you news and views related to advocacy for women.  The new website is a means of providing people and companies who need a speaker for their conference, or a coach for their career, with one source for that information.  The new website is www.yvonnefbrown.com and I would love your feedback regarding ease of use, look and feel, and content.  That said, I am asking you to take a visit and tell me what you think.  

As thank you for the feedback, I will present you with a complimentary membership in the JAD Communications network valued at $79.   I will also give a copy of the book “Proven Ways Women Overcome Obstacles and Succeed” to anyone who responds by February 28th, 2008.   All you have to do is fill out the form on the contact page of www.yvonnefbrown.com with your comments and send it.

“You’ve got to take life by the lapels and say, ‘Baby, I’m with you’!”  - Maya Angelou

Yvonne F. Brown

www.yvonnefbrown.com

www.jadcommunications.com

www.jadcommunications.com/Blog

I am on the road again as always but this time I had an incident that just riled me.  First of all, the charger for my cell phone simply stopped working.   When I plugged it into the outlet there was no juice.  After lots of testing, I determined to purchase a new one as I had a conference call at the end of the day and did not have time to charge the phone in the car.

That's why I went to Circuit City.  It was the closest store that sold my charger and I had less than an hour to get it done.  So I jumped in my car and drove over. 

Behind the counter was a young man who made me wait while he completed his cell phone call.  No problem, perhaps it was important.  During our discussion regarding my purchase, this Verizon salesman picked up his cell phone and started reading an instant message then actually decided to respond to it while I (the customer) waited. 

I not only called him on it, but informed him that I would write about it on my blog.  That's when I suddenly became important again and he begged me not to write about this awful experience.

We all have our priorities and this is mine.  If you're in Oak Brook, avoid the Verizon store in Circuit City.  They don't care about your business unless you IM them.

If you travel often as I do, or even if you travel only occasionally, it is imperative that you view this video that shows what you may be in for. 

Warning, you might not like what you see.

 http://www.bestviral.com/video/6629/dont_ever_drink_from_hotel_glasses

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a prosperous 2008

May you have good health, career success, prosperity, and a year filled with abundance.

Yvonne F. Brown

I travel a lot and I really enjoy it.  I mean really, I've finally got the TSA thing down to a system that works for me.  I understand the need for safety and I am willing to do my part.  But today I learned that they're ready to make another change come January 2008 and I find it ridiculous.

In an article titled, "Baggage Ban on Batteries" they report the following:

To help reduce the risk of fires, air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning Jan. 1, the Transportation Department said Friday.

Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those made by Energizer Holdings Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.'s Duracell brand.

I'm a professional speaker and I bring more than two extra batteries every trip.  Consider this.   The tools of my trade include a wireless microphone and digital camera.  These two devices alone require more than just the two batteries allowed per passenger.

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It's the day after Christmas and I am truly feeling the spirit this year and here's why. 

I spoke with my 87 year old mother on Christmas day!

I know that some of you are saying so what?  But you don't know the whole story.  Whan I arrived in America at 17 years old it was the first time that I was able to live with my mother for any period of time.  She left me with my grandmother in Kingston, Jamaica (West Indies) when I was only 3 months old and the next time I saw her I was in high school.  She came back to Jamaica for a visit, and that was the first time I saw her in person.  So when I got to the United States we didn't know each other very well and like all teenagers I thought I knew everything. 

We didn't get along at all!  So by age 18 I moved out and never returned home.  I was miffed at her and rarely spoke to her for years.

On her 80th birthday I made peace with her and attended her birthday party.  We have had a fair relationship since then.

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Last week I bounced all over the country for my speaking engagements.  On Tuesday I spoke in Tupelo, MS, Wednesday I spoke in Birmingham, AL, Thursday I spoke in Columbus, OH and I closed the week out in Burlington, VT.

As always, I really enjoyed meeting the ladies and teaching them about leadership.  Each location provided me with opportunities to help individuals on a one to one basis and do what I do best which is helping women to achieve their objectives.  One woman in Birmingham, AL wrote on my evaluation "This seminar is the best thing since the creation of Lays Potato Chips.  I just can't have one. I need more of these seminars!"

At the end of my session in Burlington, VT two women came up to me. That's when it happened.

One woman said to me "you were sent here today for a reason.  You are a Miracle!  You've never been to Vermont before have you?  When I arrived today and saw a woman of color at the front of the room I just had to sit in the front row."  As her eyes filled with tears I realized the sincerity of her comment, and that without even realizing it, I was making an important impact on her that would make a positive difference.  We connected and had a good discussion.

It meant a lot to me because that's my mission and purpose in life.  I help women on the Journey to Achievement of their Destiny.  In that moment, her journey and mine had joined together and I will never forget her.

I am grateful that she took the time to share the experience with me.

Now I've heard everything and the world can stop spinning around.  Today on MSNBC I saw a report that K-FED (that's Kevin Federline, Mr Britney Spears) is on the cover of Details Magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Men under 45. 

That's right folks, I'm not kidding.  The man who abandoned his pregnant girlfriend to cavort with Britney Spears, make two other children, and then leave her with her life in shambles is being touted as someone we should look up to.

Mothers, protect your daughters.  Fathers, protect your sons.  This is what the media is foisting upon our children as the role model to aspire to.  It's like picking up a rock, turning it over to the wiggling worms on the bottom and then saying "kids this is what we want you to become."

It's bad enough that they have him on the most influential list, but to put him on the cover is just plain ridiculous.  Get him out of our face already he's scum!

It's always the same.  The onus is on you to check and clarify everything.  You can't take anything at face value, especially today.  Between the media and spin doctors it's difficult to tell what's factual and what they made up.  That's why the recent exposure of fake Enron whistle blower Lynn Brewer was so interesting to me.

Lynn Brewer has delivered 200 speeches at $13,000 per appearance (which equals millions of dollars) by billing herself as the whistle blower.  She even went so far as to create a company called The Integrity institute.  Adding insult to injury, Ms. Brewer is listed with Nobel Peace Center Exhibition  She is considered a star and is a founding member of the Open Compliance and Ethics Group.  She delivered the keynote address at a Sarbanes Oxley conference hosted by the New York Stock Exchange.   She has spoken all over the world and at universities on the importance of Ethics. 

The recent article in USA Today that outed this unethical woman includes interviews with her former co workers who know her only as a back office researcher. 

Sherron Watkins, the REAL whistle blower bears a resemblance to Ms. Brewer and I can see how those who did not do their homework might mistake the two.   As  professional speaker and member of the National Speaker's Association (NSA) I find her behavior unforgiveable.  But those who hired her for speaking engagements should have done their homework better.   One can only wonder how those who heard her speak about Ethics feel today knowing they were listening to a fake and a fraud.

To read the full story on USA today, follow this link http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2007-10-11-enron-lynn-brewer_N.htm?csp=34>

Many new movies were released this weekend.  Michael Clayton starring George Clooney didn't have the expected turn out.  Neither did Cate Blanchett's "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."    We have informed businesses for years about the power of the African American market.  The have not listened.  This weekend Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married" with an ensemble cast that includes Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Jill Scott and writer-director Perry, debuted as the No. 1 weekend movie with $21.5 million, according to studio estimates.

Sadly, rather than recognize the buying power of the African American dollar, they decided to attribute this tremendous success by saying:  “Tyler Perry is a mogul,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. “There is a built-in audience base for Tyler Perry’s movies, no matter what time of year, no matter what the subject matter.”

Michael Clayton the movie came in 3rd with only $11 million and Elizibeth: The Golden Years came in 6th with only $6 Million a far cry from what the critics expected. 

Imagine that!  Was it only last week that Halle Berry told an interviewer how difficult is for Black actresses to get scripts and good movie parts?  Wake up Hollywood, check out the numbers and start courting ths intapped market.

I continue to monitor the news for anything related to workers and overtime pay and just yesterday in USA Today I found another article regarding it.

The article title is Wal-Mart workers win pay ruling - Walmart workers in Pennysylvania who previously won a $78.5 million class-action award for working off the clock will share an additional $62.3 million in damages a judge ruled on Wednesday, October 3rd.   About 125,000 people will receive payment under a state law.

Stay tuned, and stand up for your rights.

As I mentioned in my post on Labor Day, there seems to be more and more people working longer hours and not being paid overtime.   In my opinion, this is an unfair business practice.  So imagine my pleasant surprize while walking through the airport recently upon spotting the October 1st issue of Business Week with the feature story Wage Wars - Billions are at stake as companies are forced to pay up.

I purchased my copy immediately and plunged into the article.  The story on page 50 talks about the many white collar workers who are mounting lawsuits against big business and demanding their overtime pay.   If you are one of those who have not been paid for overtime read on.

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Today is Labor Day and I have mixed thoughts about it.   First of all, how much labor should a company expect from employees?  A recent article on MSNBC discusses a new company policy that orders employees to "use the lunch hour to check and respond to emails and return phone calls."  Whatever happened to the legal lunch hour?  To cap it off this work through lunch is done without compensation.

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I've been traveling a lot lately and thought I had adjusted to the rigors of the work.  Then this last week really took the cake.  It began with me awakening on Monday morning at 4:00 am for a 6:00 am flight to Michigan.   The flight was late departing.

On Tuesday evening I had to take a connecting flight to get to my next engagement.  To make a long story short, I didn't arrive at my hotel until 1:30 am.  Got to bed at 2:00 am and arose at 5:30 am to deliver my Leadership Skills for Women seminar.   I was welcomed by the attendees and received positive feedback from them.  If only that was all for the week.  But no there was more to come.

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The League of Black Women 2007 conference "Strategic Power Plays" started with a wonderful reception and a presentation of the 2007 Black Rose Award to NASA Astronaut Joan Higginbotham. As she shared the story of her journey from her hometown of Chicago, Illinois to the Kennedy Space Center, I realized how far we have come as women of color.

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OK!  Enough is enough.  I know that the times have changed but a valentine that promises to kill me does not make my heart grow fonder.  Who wants to open a card and find a sentiment that reads "It's Valentines Day and I'm so happy we're together.  But if you ever leave me I'll kill you.  Like literally, I'll stab you."

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Cynthia Passmore, CEO of Enesco Group Inc. surprised a group of employees last week with the revelation that she’s having a personal relationship with a consultant she hired to help turn around the struggling knick-knack company.

Ms. Passmore delivered the news at a hastily called meeting with middle managers on Thursday, according to an employee who was there. After revealing that she is going through a divorce and apologizing for being distracted at work, Ms. Passmore disclosed that she has become involved with someone who “makes her happy,” according to the employee who was there.

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I've been watching the next generation with great interest for many years. This especially because my son Charles is one of them. I thought I was the only one who noticed that many young people today are idealistic and confused.

A recent intelligence report indicates that the current 20 somethings don't aspire to a job in finance and a BMW in the driveway. Rather, they quit their jobs to go backpacking, are slow to commit to relationships, and are idealistic but confused. more...

First we had to deal with the U.S. spying on citizens and now this? What the Heck is going on? The Constitution gives Americans the right of free speech and bloggin is just one of the ways that we are able to do that.

In fact, because of bloggers many of us American get the truth behind the 'spin' that goes on in every medium in our society. So when I read the AP article about the government checking up on blogers it got me hopping mad! more...

I just returned from a 18 day tour of the UK speaking at women's conferences from Plymouth to London while I enjoyed the tour some things are very troubling.  My usual antennae for women's news was tingling particularly on my birthday. 

The January 15th Sunday Times News Review section 4 had a cover story called Working Girls.  It chronicled the troubles of six high flying women who are suing their employer for more than $billion and their complaints about treatment as professional woman in the city and Wall Street.

Let me highlight some of the more troubling things I found in the article.

1.  A female employee left a box of sweets on her desk at haloween and boss said loudly in front of her colleagues "You should move that or men will have their hands in your box."

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Another year is over and a new year begins in less than 12 hours.  Last year I wrote a letter to myself listing all of my accomplishments of 2004.  With so much negativity bombarding us in the news on a daily basis, I endeavored to focus on the positive aspects of the year.  I cannot express how surprised I was when I read the letter.  

Was that only a year ago?  It seemed so far away that I took the time to verify and sure enough

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Folks sick of soggy cereal and bland bagels soon may get a morning pie-in-the-face: breakfast pizza. That's right, pizza with your morning coffee.

There's no tomato sauce. Toppings are more typically scrambled eggs and bacon, not pepperoni and mushrooms. But they're baked with pizza dough in pizza ovens.

Papa John's is testing Omelet Pizzas in the morning at downtown locations in five cities. Happy Joe's Pizza, a regional chain in Iowa, is about to move breakfast pizzas out of testing and onto permanent menu boards at some stores.

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Most women are lucky in that we carry a purse that holds all of our gadgets and tech stuff.  Now men are carrying handbags too thanks to Joe Hynek who invented the bag.

He may get some guff for carrying a purse, but he says it's all in the name of science: He has designed a solar handbag that can power small electronic devices like cell phones.

The black purse is covered with laminated solar panels and is designed to power any small device that uses a USB port.

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I am adding this to my blog because it's just another of those insiduous things that are happening today that I think you should know about.  If you're like me you will find this truly disgusting.  The source for the article is listed at the bottom of this post.

You're running on empty, racing around town to get a last minute Christmas gift, and you make a grave but innocent error.  You forget to gas up, and your tank registers "E", and now, you're stuck on the side of the road.

But you thought ahead.  You signed up for roadside assistance with your auto insurance company, so with one phone call, help can be on the way - for free!

Not so fast.  Summoning that "free" help can end up being an expensive mistake.  It could lead to higher insurance premiums or even rejection of insurance coverage.

Huh?

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When my son Charles was still living at home and even through his teens I would always tell him "Be careful out there" just as he left the house.  It became a ritual and he would sound a bit irritated as he responded "I will mom!"  I wish my friend John had been more careful too.

A brilliant man, a split second in time, and a life is forever changed

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As a professional speaker, women's advocate and leadership trainer I travel a lot. One of the reasons I enjoy traveling is the opportunity to meet new people. The downside is that sometimes I return to a major airport on a 'puddle jumper' from a small airport that might close down or cancel flights simply because of the weather. It was on just such a flight that I met Don Gillespie.

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Hey, I'm a Busy Woman & I Could Use a Helping Hand

Are you a busy woman like me who could use a helping hand around the house? Well, this innovation may be just the thing you need.   Meet Valarie.  Valerie is a domestic android.

Valerie will clean your house, change light bulbs, wash the dishes, do the laundry, check the sports scores for you, book plane tickets and call the police if there's an emergency.  She speaks English but more importantly, understands English and hence can be programmed by non-programmers.  Valerie went on sale Christmas of 2004 for US$59,000 with a two year warranty...

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Shirley Gross-Moore says "Stay Focused and Confident"

When Shirley Gross-Moore entered the Chrysler Corporation’s newly instituted minority dealer development program in 1986, she encountered many who believed women, especially African-American women, had no place in auto dealer ownership.

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OK, hold it right there people! Where do you think you're going with that drink in your hand? You're going for a drive? In Sweden? Volvo said it's alright?!!

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Enough with the corporate speak already! Just say what you mean for Pete's sakes. Many years ago while a technology officer at a top 10 U.S. bank I noticed that there were a group of words that were consistently used in conversations by staff members. It got so bad that we devised a game to use during meetings. We called it "Buzzword Bingo."

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CHICAGO (July 12th) - Joe Neglia was a retired government intelligence worker with Parkinson’s disease when he suddenly developed what he calls a gambling habit from hell.

After losing thousands of dollars playing slot machines near his California home several times a day for nearly two years, Neglia stumbled across an Internet report linking a popular Parkinson’s drug he used with compulsive gambling.

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Like almost every woman who saw the movie "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" I fell in love with the romantic notion the plot was built around. The fact that I am a Jamaican woman who came to America at seventeen notwithstanding, the movie at least portrayed a Jamaican family in an upper middle class setting.

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Now I've seen everything. Move over PDiddy, watch out 50 cent, I just saw the "Mideast Hip Hop Faceoff" on the news.

Much like when the Russian communists found and embraced Rock and Roll, the Middle Easterners have found another American means of self expression. They are now creating Hip Hop Rap music in their own language.

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Back to business! Just found this article at Infoworld and thought you would find it as interesting as I did.

Microsoft's Channel 9 gets social with developers

By Joris Evers, IDG News Service April 06, 2004

Microsoft has quietly expanded its Microsoft Developer Network with a Web site that combines a host of social networking technologies in a move to improve communications with outside software developers.

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Well I went to the off-broadway hit called "Menopause the Musical" with my neighbor last night and Oh my Lord it was a hoot!

I laughed for 90 minutes and couldn't believe when it was over that 90 minutes were up because it was so much fun!

If you have the chance to see this play I highly recommend it.

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Finally got the bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth mouse. They are really cool. Love the keyboard the keys feel great. The mouse though is really nice. It sits in its own little cradle and never needs batteries. This mouse is recharged whenever you put it in the cradle.

OK, so now I have a bluetooth phone, Erricsson T68i, and a bluetooth PDA Compaq iPAQ plus this mouse and keyboard.

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Got invited by my neighbor to a musical tomorrow evening called "Menopause the Musical" - Never heard about it before but it sounds like a hoot!

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Entries posted in the linkdump category will appear in this column.