Did you know that IQ and entrance exams at Harvard in the fields of law, medicine, teaching and business showed ZERO or negative correlation with eventual career success?

What we are finding is that emotional intelligence is a much greater predictor of success in the workplace and in life than IQ. What makes a great boss and great employees? Come learn from Daniel Goleman’s research in his book EQ in Business.

GREAT EMPLOYEES

When you are hired, it is a given that you have the necessary academic/skill requirements. If you want to separate yourself from the pack then develop the following strengths and be a standout in your organization.

*Listening and Oral Communication

*Adaptability and creative responses to setbacks & obstacles

*Personal management, confidence, motivation to work toward goals, a sense of wanting to develop one’s career and take pride in accomplishments

*Group and interpersonal effectiveness, cooperation and teamwork, skills at negotiating disagreements
Effectiveness in the organization, wanting to make a contribution, leadership potential.

LEADERSHIP AND BOSSES

When EQ skills of your boss are strong productivity increases, turnover decreases and thus less money is lost because of retraining and getting staff up to par.

COMMON TRAITS OF GREAT BOSSES

*Self Control-composed under stress, remains calm & confident, dependable

*Conscientiousness-takes responsibility, takes action to fix problems, moves on

*Trustworthy-high integrity, with concern for needs of others

*Social Skills-empathic, sensitive, show tact for subordinates & superiors

*Building Bonds and Leveraging Diversity-cooperative, appreciates diversity

TOP TWO TRAITS OF FAILED

*Rigidity-unable to adapt their style to change in organizational culture, unable to respond to feedback about traits they need to change or improve. Couldn’t listen or learn.

*Poor Relationships-Single most frequently mentioned factor: being too harshly critical, insensitive, or demanding so that they alienated those they work with.

Our Work Life is about half to two thirds of our waking life. Life is meant to be joyful and fulfilling. When your work life and inner life match, time flies and you’re more than willing to work to your highest level.

Copyright 2007, Iris Fanning. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. www.irisfanning.com

Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way and give author name credit.

Please visit our website and sign up for your FREE weekly newsletter. Simply click to opt in or out. Visit: http://www.irisfanning.com

Imagine a world where everyone spoke their truth.

If that stirs up an, “Oh my Gosh, I couldn’t do that!” feeling or a belief that the world would be full of rude people, read on. It’s because of repressed words that need to be said that there is so much confusion and resentment in our world. Even with the short term gains and society’s applause, many people would like to give up pretending in exchange for the freedom that comes with being real. People’s honesty allows them to enjoy deeper relationships and contribute more to society. Most of us know that, but after years of conditioning, how do we break free of old patterns?

I spent the first thirty-five years of my life holding back my true thoughts. I developed a jaw disorder, wrinkles and a lot of pent up frustration until I finally found a way out. A whole new world opened up for me. I felt so much joy I decided to share the process with others. I began facilitating seminars and found a common theme; the majority of participants had struggles with expressing their true thoughts in the moment.

Many of them confessed that they responded with what they thought others wanted to hear just to keep the peace, be accepted or gain an edge in some way. But, saying one thing and meaning another left them feeling unaligned. For example, when someone asked them to lunch, they’d respond with an automatic “Sure!” only later to be frustrated because they really didn’t want to go. We’ve been brought up to say the right things in order to be accepted. There’s nothing wrong with being polite but when we lose our natural flow we have a tendency to be more like a robot than our true selves. Wouldn’t it be easier and clearer if we just spoke from our heart? Wouldn’t it be refreshing to quiet all the chattering voices in our mind and just speak with our true voice? Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

It takes a lot of courage to communicate honestly. Our voice emerges literally from within our body revealing our inner-most world. And, living in a world filled with judgment can be a difficult place in which to open up. Most of us have been protecting ourselves from the scrutiny of others for a very long time. We’ve compensated by fibbing, hedging, or exaggerating in some way. We may get short term approval from others, but every time we do it, it costs us a little in our own self-respect. Once we tap into self-love and knowing our own values, it becomes easier to say what we truly want to say the first time around. It takes a lot less effort to speak from the heart and is backed with a lot more power.

The mind has a way of calculating for self-advantage. For example, if I say it like this, he’ll approve of me. If I say it like that, I’ll get what I want. Speaking from the heart without filtering it first actually gives us energy. There’s a sense of freedom in being compassionately honest and direct with others. People will tune in when they sense you’re speaking your truth. Just make sure it’s your truth, not what you think the other person’s truth should be. There’s a big difference between telling people how you feel and telling them how they should feel. For example, saying “I feel frustrated that you didn’t call” is much different than saying, “You should call when you say you will.”

Yes, they’re both honest, but the big difference is that one is acknowledging how we feel and the other one is accusing someone. When we’re real for others, we open the door for them to be real with us. We’re entering an age where it’s vital to connect with others. It will take nothing less than honesty, courage and compassion for it to happen. The infamous growing pains may come as you experiment with the process.

Tell the most supportive people in your life what you’re doing; that you’re practicing thinking on your feet and saying what you want, in the moment. Tell them it’s important for you to be honest and ask them to be patient with you. The discomfort of the growing pains will soon be forgotten as you reach your new level of freedom. Stay with it and keep practicing. It’s helpful to re-read this information after you’ve pracced the steps (listed on page 5) to reinforce your learning and notice where you are making progress.

To get the full benefit from this process you must practice it and experience it in your life. If you just understand it intellectually without the practice, you won’t get the results you’re looking for. It takes commitment and practice.

With any communication, intention is the place to start. Ask yourself how you will feel when you express your goals, concerns and ideas clearly to others. Your authentic voice wants to be heard. Take some time to visualize what your world will look like. Will your breathing be easier? Will you feel more connected and alive? How does it feel to have the satisfaction of knowing you were true to yourself by saying what you wanted to say?

Before we communicate with others we must first communicate with ourselves. That is, asking ourselves who we are at our core and what we stand for. Taking too much advice from others, we can lose touch with our true nature. I remember a time when I altered who I was depending on the situation. There was a professional me who spoke in a certain way with my business associates. There was a fun-loving, clever me who would speak in another way with my friends. There was a dependent me who would speak in a way with my significant other. The list went on and on. It was exhausting. The words and voices were all for them. It got to the point where I had completely lost my own voice. How about you? How many voices do you have in your closet? As you’re exploring, tune into the voice that speaks for you.

In the movie Runaway Bride, Julia Roberts keeps leaving her grooms at the alter. Richard Gere enters her life and notices she changes her choice of eggs depending on the man she’s with. With Brian, she liked them scrambled with salt, pepper and dill, with George, she liked them fried, with Gill, she liked them poached, and with Bob, it was a garden omelet, egg whites only. Of course it was how each one of her fiancés liked his eggs that determined what she wanted. It wasn’t until she really tasted them for herself that she knew her favorite was eggs benedict. When we take time to look for the answers inside rather than outside, we speak with a sense of ease and knowingness. Only then can we share our thoughts and ideas clearly; not what they want to hear but what we truly want to say. Bill Cosby said, “I don’t know the meaning of success, but the meaning of the word failure means trying to please everyone else”.

The characteristic of all truly powerful communicators is that they are honest. Most of us believe we are honest, but with a closer look get more discerning. My guess is that we have all lied. I know I have. Looking back on it, it was mostly done out of the need for approval or out of fear. I’ve said yes when I really wanted to say no. Telling myself I’d stop eating chocolate and then eating it the next day is a lie to myself. Have you ever set a new year’s resolution that you didn’t keep? My purpose in asking these questions is not to give you a free ticket for a guilt trip. It’s simply to point out that we’re much stronger people when we’re honest. Integrity means a sense of wholeness and there’s strength in that. In the book Your Body Doesn’t Lie, author and medical doctor John Diamond proves through kinesiology that we test stronger when we’re honest. We’re relaxed and the voice isn’t ‘uptight.’ There’s a sense of effortlessness when our words match our actions. We’re congruent, we feel it and others feel it. Little white lies, even when we think they will help someone actually weaken us. They also build walls, sometimes with the people we love the most. Is honest dialogue easy? Not always. In the beginning it can be very difficult. The good news is; it gets easier as we practice and make it a part of our everyday lives.

Laying the Foundation

Take some time to explore what’s true for you. I invite you to take whatever time you need to be lovingly honest with yourself. You’ll begin to understand where you want to make adjustments in your life and in your speaking habits. These questions may be the most important questions you’ll ever ask yourself.

1.) Am I the same person wherever I go?

2.) Am I at peace with my interactions with others?

3.) With which people and situations am I less than honest? (Not only with what I say, but with what I don’t say.)

The next step to laying a foundation is knowing your values. Write down the three values that are most important to you.

My Top Three Values

1.) __________________________

2.) __________________________

3.) __________________________

Do these values show up in the way you communicate? If you’re brave you’ll ask a family member or close friend to give you feedback as well. Are you walking your talk? Are there any missed opportunities for demonstrating more of your values? For example, if you wrote “family” as your top value and you don’t have a specific, quality time set aside for them, something’s amiss. If you wrote “health” and you’re eating unhealthy foods, well…you get the idea.

You’ll find that once you’re clear on who you are and what you stand for, it’s much easier to think on your feet and communicate with ease. Without this essential foundation and knowledge, it’s easier to be someone you’re not. Listening to one person’s ideas sound good, so we go along with them. Then someone else comes along with an idea and it sounds good; we go along with them. There we are like a rudderless ship in the sea of confusion. Socrates wisely stated, “Know thyself.” When we know ourselves and our values, we are free to say what we want with anyone at anytime.

Now, let’s explore how to think on your feet and answer questions in the moment. Have you ever noticed it’s much easier to answer a question with the perfect response when you’re not under pressure? What if we could use a 5-step process allowing us to respond in a way we feel really good about…the first time around? We can leave that situation saying, “Yes! That’s exactly what I wanted to say.” You’ll find this 5-step process can save you time, reduce your stress level and increase your self-confidence.

How to Say What You Want in the Moment:

1.) Listen to the question
2.) Breathe
3.) Repeat the question
4.) Respond honestly
5.) Know when to stop

1.) Listen to the Question

The first step is to listen to the question. It sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? And yet, so many of us formulate the answer to a question we haven’t even heard yet. We wonder why we feel disconnected. You’ve probably seen this at networking events or in your personal interactions. When one person asks a question and the other person is way off in left field with an answer to something else. It can be caused by a number of things; lack of focused attention, lack of interest, or too much emphasis on responding with the right thing. The more we try to say the right thing, the more we say the wrong thing. When I first joined Toastmasters International I was especially nervous when it came to the extemporaneous speaking portion of the meeting. It was one minute of sheer terror. One person asks a question and you answer it, on the spot, in front of the group. I was more than a little afraid. I had no public speaking experience; my knees were shaking and my heart was beating triple time. Everyone is asked a question relating to the theme of the evening such as like latest technology, favorite movies, great philosophers, etc. As everyone else had their turn, I searched my memory banks, trying to remember anything that I had ever experienced regarding that topic. It was like I was in another dimension. I realized there were other people in the room, I could hear some talking but couldn’t really hear the words. Mostly I was in my own head. Have you ever experienced this over-preparation? When it came time for my question, I randomly pulled out one of the 15 stories I’d been rehearsing in my head related to that topic and tried to connect it with the question. People looked at me with a puzzled look and kind of a half smile. They applauded me ever so politely. This method of mine went on for months until finally I’d had enough. I gave up trying to have the perfect answer. I decided I was just going to stay in the present moment…what a concept! I’d listen to the other people when they were speaking. I told myself I would not prepare but just stay in the present moment and do the five step technique. When it was my turn I experienced such incredible freedom! Wow…it was so much easier. I felt such a deep connection between the questioner, the audience and me. The applause was so much stronger. I felt, “Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say.” Listening to the question may sound simple, but it’s the first step to truly powerful dialogue.

2.) Pause

The second step is to pause. Pause long enough to take a breath from your diaphragm. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy pause, but it does have to be a pause. Silence is where the thinking begins. Anything else is purely reactionary. Psychologists tell us that most people respond to a question with what they think we want to hear. If you ask them a second time, they’ll tell you what they truly feel. The irony is we think people will listen to us if we have an answer right away. Check it out for yourself. The reactionary type aren’t listened to nearly as much as the ones who have given it some thought. Two to five seconds. That’s all it takes. Not long. But long enough to let people know you’re being proactive rather than reactive.

Take a drink of water or do something to give yourself a moment to gather your thoughts. And yes, there may be those of you saying, if I took a minute to breathe, they wouldn’t wait for my answer. Well, that tells you something, doesn’t it? A recent study indicated that 80% of the questions are really statements in disguise. If people really want your answer, they’ll be ok with you taking a breath before you respond.

3.) Repeat the Question

Now we come to step number three; repeat the question. When someone asks you a question that requires contemplation, repeat the question back to them. This serves two purposes. First, it helps you have clarity about the question. Second, it gives you time to think about the question and actually ask yourself about it. Once you try this yourself, you’ll get a feel for it. People in my seminars who have done this step say their answer changes from what they would have said to what they really feel after they’ve repeated the question. Keep in mind, you won’t use this technique for every single question. For example, if I ask you what time it is, you won’t say, “So, you’re asking me what time it is”. You only use this technique for the contemplative questions! If I ask you how you feel about your communication skills or a similar question, it would be appropriate to repeat the question back to the person. For example, “So you’re asking me how I feel about my communication skills.” This gives you the time to feel into it and answer with your honest answer.

4.) Respond Honestly

That takes us right into step number four which is to respond honestly. We’ve all been around people, haven’t we, who give the zippy one liners, the clowns who are always trying to get a laugh, the intellectual type who give us a long and profound answer for a simple question. We’ve been around the sarcastic type and the cutesy type, but the ones who get people to really listen are the ones who respond honestly, from their heart. When I was training a group of people in Kennewick, WA, a woman named Linda came to the front of the room to practice the 5-step process. I asked what she liked best about her job. She answered immediately without taking a breath or repeating the question. Almost as if on automatic, she replied, “What I really like about my job are the people. I’m a people person.” The audience members shook their heads back and forth as if they didn’t believe her. I asked Linda if she’d like to try it again, only this time, to do all 5 steps of the process to include breathing, pausing and responding honestly. She said, “Sure, let’s try it again.” This time I slowly and deliberately asked her, “Linda, what do you like best about your job?” She looked at me, repeated the question, took a long, deep breath and responded with, “You know…I really don’t like my job at all.” Everyone in the room started laughing. But, it was an epiphany for Linda. For the rest of the day, she had a far away look in her eyes as if it were the first time she had ever truly communicated with herself about this topic. Gazing out the window, it felt like she was saying to herself, “I can’t believe I’ve been at this job that I hate for the last 17 years!” We have to communicate with ourselves first before we can think on our feet and answer in the moment. And by repeating the question, it gives us an opportunity to do just that. There is a scarcity of honest communication in our world today. When you are the one who is honest, you can be assured that people will be listening to you. I’ve seen this happen in my own life and with people in my seminars. When someone answers honestly, people pay attention. The ironic thing is, when there is a pause, and people answer honestly, they command rapt attention. Try it for yourself.

5.) Know when to Stop!

Step number 5 is to stop. This may sound about as simple as step number 1, listen to the question, yet, it can be difficult for many people. A good point to remember is to leave them wanting more. Stop, before they stop listening to you. I’ve heard people give brilliant answers to questions only to diminish everything they’ve said by talking too much. The ironic thing is we imagine people will listen to us more if we talk longer. The opposite is true.

Use this when people ask you contemplative questions. Prove to yourself that this five step process works. Use the gradient approach. Start with the caring people in your life and work up to the more challenging ones later.

Deepening our communication skills is a never ending process. It’s like doing a dance throughout life as we interact with new people and see things from different viewpoints. I wish you all the success you can imagine. Just remember you’re doing yourself and the world a service when you communicate honestly and directly.

Pamela Ziemann has been coaching and training people for over 10 years in the area of speaking with their authentic voices. She can be reached at Z@pamelaziemann.com or 425.223.0123

From space dust to universes, all things have structure, including written products. Just as specific atomic particle structures combine to form molecule structures which combine to form cell structures, words are grouped in specific sentence structures which are combined to form paragraph structures which are combined to form the structures of written products.

Paragraphs are structured around the topic sentence. The topic sentence, normally the first sentence in the paragraph, gives the main point of the paragraph, and all other sentences support or expand that point. Well structured and interesting paragraphs can make you standout in the business world.

Suppose that you need to send your boss a report discussing a recent conference that you and a colleague attended, and you have the following ideas in sentence form:

1. Mary Smith, who is the Purchasing Manager at XYZ Company, discussed our coming to her office for a presentation of our products and services in the near future.
2. The discounts we received on hotel and transportation costs will make our ROI much greater.
3. We made several contacts in our networking that may lead to new contracts.
4. The presentation tools we used were a credit to our graphic department.
5. We were invited by Bob Jones of Acme to a business luncheon that Acme hosts monthly for vendors.

Sentences one, three, and five would go in the same paragraph with sentence three being the topic sentence. Sentence two would go in a paragraph about the financial aspects of the conference, and sentence four would go in a paragraph about the company’s professional performance at the conference.

If you start constructing a paragraph from sentences one, three, and five above, you can put in a few transition words (in this case “foremost” and “also”) to make logical connections as follows:

We made several contacts in our networking that may lead to new contracts. Foremost, Mary Smith, who is the Purchasing Manager at XYZ Company, discussed our coming to her office for a presentation of our products and services in the near future. Also, we were invited by Bob Jones of Acme to a business luncheon that Acme hosts monthly for vendors.

Transitioning shows your reader the connections between the thoughts you are presenting. Imagine yourself as your reader’s guide while traveling through your writing, placing connections between sentences as you would place footstones leading somewhere.

To keep reader interest, vary your sentences in length and structure and try to remove any passive verbs. Here’s a re-write that makes the paragraph a little more interesting.

Our networking efforts at the conference resulted in several solid contacts that may lead to new contracts. Foremost, Mary Smith, who is the Purchasing Manager at XYZ Company, discussed our coming to her office in the near future for a presentation of our products and services. Also, Bob Jones of Acme invited us to a business luncheon that Acme hosts monthly for vendors which we anticipate leading to inclusion on their vendor list.

Now, your boss knows what a go-getter you are!

Vickie Adair is the senior technical writer at Media A-Team (http://www.mediaateam.com) and also publishes as a freelance writer. She writes for several websites such as http://www.booksisters.com, a website for readers of self-help books, and http://www.natural-products-directory.com, a directory of online business that sell or manufacture organic and/or natural products.

I recently read about a business philosophy that is starting to become a popular water cooler topic and it relates to disruptive and aggressive staff members.

From what I understand, if an employee exhibits abusive and disruptive behavior in their workplace, there might not be alternatives, such as anger management courses offered. The most productive way in which to intervene in working with these types of situations is to introduce an individualized program of tutoring which educates the employee in stress management, communication skills, anger management and emotional intelligence (EQ). This has been proven to be the most effective intervention of choice.

How well a supervisor interacts with his colleagues lays the ground work for how competent and influential his or her co-workers manage the tasks at hand. This social interaction constitutes a defining characteristic of that supervisor’s emotional intelligence.

If the supervisor is not competent and does not have the tools to lead without an aggressive edge, do you serve him his “pink slip”…in other words, “Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater”. What a shame! What a loss to the entire team. Everyone has just lost the chance to enhance staff productivity and interpersonal relations, because no one has been given the chance to learn how to improve and enhance communication, as well as learn how to be a role model using effective management skills that encourage a more productive staff.

Karen Golob, CAMF, CDC, CH
Certified Anger Management Provider and Executive Coach
Beverly Hills, CA
http://www.anger411.com/
info@anger411.com

Karen Golob, CAMF, CDC, CH, owner of Anger Management Services, is a Certified Anger Management and Certified Executive Coaching professional helping individuals gain self-awareness, identify and develop strengths, and learn how to problem-solve in order to manage life’s challenges. She offers private sessions that provide confidentiality, individual attention and anonymity. Her curriculum is based on the Anderson & Anderson model.

Karen is a Fellow of the American Assoc. of Anger Management Providers, a member of the National & California Assoc. of Drug and Alcohol Counselors, the American Counseling Assoc., and Speaker’s Bureau of Olive View/UCLA Medical Centers. She has a diverse and expansive background in teaching, training, public speaking and counseling.

Karen receives referrals from the Calif. Superior Courts, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers, mental health professionals and those in the corporate and private sectors. She holds Certifications in Chemical Dependency Counseling, Anger Management, Executive Coaching and Clinical and Medical Hypnotherapy.

Do you read between the lines when you are talking to your prospects and clients? If not, you are missing some valuable information.

If you are wondering what it means to “read between the lines” let me explain. In order to really understand what someone is communicating to you, you need to listen beyond the words that they say. Their tone of voice, their facial expressions, and their body language can actually tell us a lot more than the words that they choose.

I recently stood up to speak at a networking meeting and could tell the group was “with” me. They were looking at me, nodding when appropriate, laughing and smiling - there was very good energy.

And then, I blew it! Later in the meeting I had an opportunity to stand up and give my one minute pitch. During my pitch, I actually noticed several people looking down. “Wow!” I thought, “What is going on?” The energy changed. I didn’t get smiles. In fact, I got the feeling the group was feeling uncomfortable with what I was saying. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was “selling” - and that is was pushing my audience away.

Learning to pay attention to the non-verbal side of communication can really make a difference. If your prospect is standing there with arms crossed, or glancing at their watch - it is time to move on! On the other hand, if they are smiling, nodding and asking questions, they are “telling” you that they are interested.

What can you do if you notice someone “pulling back” during a conversation?

1. Put the focus back on them by asking them a question.

2. Gently check your interpretation by saying something like, “I’m getting the impression that you disagree. Will you tell me your thoughts?”

3. Recognize that they may have somewhere else to be. You might say, “I’d love to talk with you more about this when you have more time.”

Pay extra attention to the body language of the people to whom you speak. You will significantly increase your ability to understand what they are thinking and feeling. This understanding greatly effects your chances of getting your message across.

Best wishes!

Leigh Ann Rodgers, M.Ed.
http://www.creativebusinessworkshops.com

Leigh Ann Rodgers, M.Ed. is a Business Coach, Trainer and Author. Creative Biz Tips & Solutions is a FREE monthly ezine for business owners who want to grow their profits while doing what they love to do. You’ll get articles and resources guaranteed to inform and inspire you to take your business to new levels of success. Sign up now at http://www.creativebusinessworkshops.com!

You will be skeptic or utter with disbelief if you will be told that there exists a trade where you can double your money in hours with limited risk involve the only business not found else where, it’s called Forex Trading.

Forex stands for foreign exchange currency market, instead of trading the shares of your company to the stock market you trade the currency of your country all over. Unlike the Stock Exchange, nick named the “big board” the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar volume only. While in Forex Trading, there are six major currency trade pair they are the British Pound, Japanese Yen, Euro Dollar, Swiss Frank, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar. If you are a stock trader with a very little thought of Forex Trading you must consider doing a thorough research and study the pattern and system of Forex Trading. Since forex world is far more difficult to understand. It’s like you are an alien in planet earth for you will encounter weird terms words such as “pips”, “EUR”, “USD” and “GBP”. But with limited risk because unlike Stock Exchange in Forex Trading you will never lose more than you put down, your stops on Forex are guaranteed to be filled even on gaps you won’t even receive maintenance call to ensure your trade is working.

Now why would you consider Forex Trading and what are the Advantages in this kind of business. If you have a background in trading stocks you definitely have the edge amongst the crowd. Forex Trading will bring a potentially huge leverage which obviously you will huge profit. But in every action done there is an equivalent consequence in Forex Trading there also is a risk to be encountered but in a limited bracket, you wont lose more than your margin of deposit, and if ever your account goes 0.00 your broker will automatically close out trading which is good. New York Stock Exchange closes at 4p.m but in Forex trading goes for 24 hours a day varying from different time zones anywhere around the world. Stock trading is done through a middle man called the broker the sole means of there income is through commission, but through Forex you are charge with no commission and are free from skimmed pips another good thing is you are not charged with exchange fees and is compensated through bid/ask spread its one way of giving importance to its people which is considered the sole of the trade. With Forex Trading that’s extremely active market and is popular around the world you are assured with excellent liquidity and a tremendous, fast double investment system potentially only in hours. In Forex Market there is not specialist that manipulates or control price, but it’s simply is consist of traders that respond to standard technical analysis. In other fields of trading they require there clients to open an account with standard amount as there capital but the other advantage of Forex Trading is the opportunity to open a low capital requirement for as little as $50. With no maddening market you are to jump into trading at the right time with timing for we have strong trends. No bull market as long as there are combinations available there is currency pair moving, with no restrictions in selling shorts with real trade.

With the vast choices of money making promises, this is your chance to do better in your track record in your business career get involve in money trading. With the stated advantages don’t doubt to get involve in Forex Trading with the fast moving phase of technology one could do his/her research before jumping in Forex Trading this is not easy as you think. Being responsible is still the key point and obligation done for self development and business relation. Like in Forex Trading for which all participants are seeking profit gain, to maximize profit one participants gain should come from the expense of the other. Since participants are dealing with foreign clients which is difficult in case to case basis in this kind of business for it may be considered as a draw back. That’s why one should be very patient and careful for you are investing your hard earned money.

“The happiest people are those who are too busy to notice whether they are or not.” William Feather

Who are the difficult or negative people in your life? Do you have to work, manage, or live with negativists, whiners and complainers? They are one of the most common difficult personalities in the workforce today. And managing workplace negativity is a skill in itself.

Believe it or not, research shows negativists, also known as whiners and complainers, have a strong need to be liked. They think that by complaining about how much work they have to do, they’ll gain empathy from others. Notice how these people often spend more time complaining than working? “Busy doing nothing” is how people describe the whiners and complainers in my leadership training workshops.

It pays to be tactfully direct whether you’re managing a whiner in the workplace, or just dealing with a difficult co-worker. For example, consider saying the following to a complainer co-worker, “Chris, I realize this is something you want to discuss, and at the same time I want to make sure I get back to work. It sounds like this situation with so-and-so really bothers you. If I were you, I’d take it up directly with that person. Besides, I’d prefer not to get in the middle of it.” Make sure your tone is tactful and polite, yet firm. Usually these whiners and complainers will move on to a more “captive audience.”

Managing Workplace Negativity Means Not Allowing The Behavior To Continue:

If you’re managing a negative person, address the issue tactfully, yet promptly and directly. For example, say to them privately, “Chris, I want to bring something to your attention. You may not realize it, but when you come in here first thing at 8:00 a.m. and complain about our new policy, it’s beginning to look like a lot of negativity. I just wanted to mention it to you because you may not be aware of how you’re perceived.” They may be fully aware, explain it to them anyway!

As a manager or supervisor, you don’t want to be seen as enabling the behavior. Consider the effect it’ll have on other people if you don’t do anything about it. In managing negativity in the workplace, you have to look at the impact the difficult employee’s behavior is having on the morale of others.

If you’re managing whiners and complainers, or anyone for that matter, make certain never to criticize via email first. There is no tone or body language in an email message. The written word is often louder than the spoken word. Either meet with the employee in person, or on the phone discussing the issue with them as a live person. Don’t leave a message. As a manager or supervisor, you set the standard. If your difficult employee is going to react, better they react to YOU in person, or on the phone, as opposed to everyone else around them in the workplace. You certainly want to leave a paper trail by following up with an email, but don’t start off with email.

If you’re working with a difficult person, but not directly managing them, remember that negativists want to whine to people who will buy in to what they’re complaining, or gossiping about. When that happens, you’ve now got two individuals feeding off of each other. The people who allow the complainer to take over the conversation feel angry with themselves afterward for allowing it to happen. They sense they enabled the behavior because they’re “people pleasers” who can’t say no.

If this is you, it pays to practice role-playing with a friend who can give you honest feedback. How did you come across? Were you too tentative or too aggressive? What did your body language and tone of voice say about you? In face-to-face communication, body language accounts for 55% of what others believe about you. Tone of voice accounts for 38% and words only 7%.

In managing workplace negativity, I used to tell my employees to be tactfully direct with a negative, whiner/complainer co-worker. As a manager, I certainly did speak privately with the difficult employee, but my team members also had to do their part. Be careful not to internalize everything these difficult people say to you. Most likely, there is something going on with them. As a result, they’ve decided to take it out on everyone else! And your employees have a right to come to work and enjoy it.

Consider writing your true feelings about this difficult, negative person in a journal. Make certain to leave it in your car. This is not the kind of documentation you would want them to see! When you arrive home, tear up the pages or burn them. This signals that you are not letting their behavior affect you. Because the person who constantly angers you…controls you.

Colleen Kettenhofen is a speaker, workplace expert, & co-author of “The Masters of Success,” as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For free articles, e-newsletter, or to order the book visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Topics: leadership, success, difficult people, public speaking, procrastination. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.

http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com

April 25th is just around the corner and you’ve no idea what you are going to do to celebrate, honor and reward your business and clinical staff. Taking care of your team is just as important as taking care of your patients. The sky is really the limit and the ideas below are worth your consideration.

You can reward them BIG or reward them small! It’s your call! I’d go for BIG if I were in your position. It would not matter how horrible “the numbers” have been. You haven’t lost your trousers and ‘they’ shouldn’t suffer. Many times an employer will base a reward on a “what have you done for me lately” mentality, instead of “they’ve stayed here with me through turnover after turnover” mentality. An incentive is oftentimes based on the number of starts instead of a team who is all “heart” and puts up with the many moods of their employer. If either of these makes you squirm, then great. Go BIG!

A few BIG ideas for you to consider:

1. Arrange for your team to have the day off . . . WITH pay!
2. Give each team member 1 extra vacation day!
3. Arrange for your team to have the afternoon off . . . with pay, to do as they wish!
4. Take your team to lunch, shopping and then a movie, while still ‘on the clock’!
5. Give each of your team members a $100 bill inside a handwritten “thank you” note and treat them to lunch.
6. Bring them breakfast, take them out to lunch and give them 2-Half day Off Passes to be taken at their discretion. Use seniority to determine when it’s taken.
7. Treat the Administrative Team (Business staff) to a manicure and pedicure and lunch!
8. Treat the Clinical Team to a massage and lunch!
9. Limousine ride to lunch and a rose accompanies #7 and #8. All on company time!
10. Have lunch catered and give each member of your FANTASTIC team a Glamour Shots Makeover Certificate. If males on team, give them 2 sessions with a personal trainer!

These ideas aren’t really so BIG, are they? They’re deserved by the group of people who contribute to your quality of life and to the care of their patients. They deserve BIGGER and if you want to work on that, just give me or your consultant a call. We can begin plans for your Christmas Party or Administrative and Clinical Assistant’s Day 2008!

© 2007 Avis Ward of Avis Ward Consulting, LLC

Avis Ward is a Dental Marketing Consultant specializing in Orthodontics. More information about Avis can be found here: http://aviswardconsulting.com/ Avis invites you to view her blog.

Misconceptions continue about introvert and extrovert. One clarification is that it’s more correctly stated that people are either more introverted or more extroverted. This is about where and how people get energy. Here are the top 12 perceptions and truths about introverts.

You think: I don’t always speak immediately in meetings.
The truth is: I usually think before I respond or speak.

You think: Brainstorming or bouncing ideas around aloud does not excite me.
The truth is: I prefer to use analysis and thinking to come up with solutions.

You think: I don’t share personal information easily.
The truth is: I prefer to share private thoughts with friends.

You think: I seem unfriendly or quiet.
The truth is: I communicate best one-to-one and listen easily.

You think: I appear uneasy meeting new people, and making friends.
The truth is: I can be very self-confident in front of an audience.

You think: I prefer to work on my own rather than do group work.
The truth is: I work well with others, especially one-to-one relationships.

You think: I don’t always socialize during networking or other social events.
The truth is: I prefer in-depth conversation and find little value in chitchat.

You think: When I start dragging at social events people call me a party pooper.
The truth is: I need time alone to reenergize and recharge.

You think: I come across intense.
The truth is: I’m probably using my strong ability to focus and concentrate.

You think: It seems like I’m a loner or territorial.
The truth is: Time and space to myself is energizing.

You think: I don’t like people.
The truth is: I am self-reflective, even around others.

You think: I can be uncomfortable with change.
The truth is: I prefer a thoughtful, creative approach to changes.

It’s better to accept who you are and work with it than to try to either change or disguise yourself as someone else. Whether you tend toward introversion or extroversion, you bring assets to the workplace.

America’s #1 Coach for Introverts, Shy and Reluctant who sell, Pat Weber, helps you effortlessly get the business you want.

Get her free report , 6 Secrets to Sales Success for Introverts! Go to her website for a more comfortable, confident, no-stress sales method.

At some point in our lives most of us will be working for someone else, so it is important to fully understand what makes our boss tick and how best to interact and influence him or her. How much attention have you given to your boss’s personality style? How does she function? What seems to agitate or please her? If we have a difficult boss we focus on what drives us crazy. If we have a great boss we tend to take things for granted. Recognizing the factors which contribute to creating the most successful, powerful working relationship is a skill to be utilized throughout one’s career.

One of the ways to do this is by identifying your boss’s personality type. Let’s look at a few examples. Jo’s boss is extroverted, high energy, with lots of ideas which he makes happen. He tends to move quickly and rarely acknowledges the good work his staff does. He assumes they know he appreciates and values them. Bill’s boss is hard working and organized but tends to micromanage her staff. Bill worries that his boss does not trust him to do his job and therefore would not recommend him for a promotion. These are two different kinds of bosses, with different personality types . What does this mean for their colleagues and staff?

According to Mike Lillibridge who is one of the creators of the PeoplemapTM Personality Types there are four Personality Types: Leader, People, Free Spirit and Task. Generally most people are a combination of two. The clearer you are on what type your boss is, as well as your type, the more capable you become in understanding how he functions, what are the strengths and weaknesses and how you can achieve the best results in working together.

Leader types are results oriented. They see the big picture and want to make it happen. They describe themselves as being assertive, honest, face problems directly and are willing to make hard decisions. Further, they admit to at times being impatient with others and often forget the importance of complimenting and acknowledging others.

People types are relationship oriented. They seek out others, enjoy working collaboratively, tend to be great communicators and listeners and enjoy helping others. They describe themselves as being social, caring, tend to seek approval and avoid conflict. This can lead to them having difficulty making decisions which others may not like.

The Free Spirit personality seeks adventure and excitement. They are risk takers and think outside the box. They tend to be great at problem solving, very creative and operate well in crises, but have difficulty with details and follow through. Hard handed authority does not work well with them and they are often easily distracted and bored by mundane tasks.

The last personality type is the Task type. They love work and organize themselves and others through having concrete plans and systems to manage all situations. They are good detail people and thrive on predictability. Their downfall is that they can be demanding of themselves and others in terms of expecting perfection and have great difficulty adjusting to change.

As you review these personality types, it will probably be fairly obvious to you which ones best describe you. Remember, generally we have qualities of at least two. Now think about your boss and which types best describe him/her. Is it similar or different from you?

Let’s return to our two examples. Jo’s boss is a Leader, Free spirit, while Jo is a People, Task. They are quite opposite, but at the same compliment each others strengths and weaknesses. The clearer Jo becomes in recognizing her boss’s personality style, the less upset she is with his “way of doing things”. She begins to value and learn from him and develops the comfort to make suggestions which will be helpful to him, such as acknowledging his staff more directly.

Bill’s boss is Task, Leader type, while Bill is People, Task type. Since they both are Task, they tend to focus on the detail and feel better when they know everything is taken care of. When Bill understands that his Boss is similar to him, then he is able to recognize that she does trust him, but becomes preoccupied with the details, just like him. He is able to use his people skills to develop a more collaborative relationship with her.

Understanding your boss’s personality as well as your own, creates a more effective and positive working relationship. When you come from a position of wanting to work well together, even when there are differences, it leads to a win-win situation. If you are interested in learning more about the PeoplemapTM personality assessment and how to use it in creating the most productive and favorable workplace, please contact me.

Copyright 2007, Gail Solish. All rights reserved.

Gail Solish, provides Executive/Personal coaching to managers, directors and executives focused on workplace development and relationship management.
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