We all in our lives, without an exception, do everything because of two reasons. Everything that we do or not are because of them. Those two motivations have impact on what we achieve in life.

All our actions depends on – what? Depends on the fear of failure or on the pleasure we get from our actions. Of course, there is no problem if the second argument is being more important in our life than the first one.

Worse is when avoiding the feeling of suffering is our major motivation. It is really powerful thing which could be proved by what people could achieve in their lives but they don’t in the end – even if they have enough knowledge to do that.

So if we already know what lead us in life we should think about dealing with it. And the fear of failure is a really strong feeling that is deep in our soul and mind and is something like our bad heritage from our ancestors – something hard to fight with.

If we want to make this feeling disappear it is worth to think over the situation when we are upset about someone’s opinion. If someone is critical about our behavior it is worth to think that it really doesn’t matter cause it is only a critic of person who doesn’t have much in common with us and our life.

Another thing is when we want to do something with our life thinking about the failure is making everything worse and may lead to a real failure. That’s how it works – our thoughts create reality. If they are optimistic probably the success will happen.

So avoiding pessimistic thoughts and criticism we can achieve really huge things. Just believe in the success and yourself and the success will be yours!

Team Development and Sales Training might also interest you.

About the Author

Author likes to write about home

Starting own business – You can regain independence after a job loss.
The economy is the lowest it has been in many years. The current job market shows no mercy to anyone or any field. Jobs have been put on hold or they simply disappear. No one has job security anymore and no job is safe from the chopping block.

Major companies get the benefit of hard workers. Right now some of them are asking their employees to take a pay cut and work longer hours. People are willing to do this because of the troubled economy.
They are scared that if they don’t they will be next in line for a pink slip. With the effort and time you give to other companies you could be starting you own company.

Are you wondering when is the best time to start the company of your dreams? Only you can answer this question. If you feel you have a viable business plan then start it as soon as possible. Low interest rates are here today to help encourage startups.

Advantages of starting a company in a hard economy: Smaller companies are able to personally know their consumers. This will make it easier to provide good customer service and know what services/products your consumer needs/wants; Low Interest rates are offered to borrowers.
This works to your benefit! Every company has some sort of startup costs; If you’re a bit lost and need to get pointed in the right direction you’re in luck. The Small Business Administration offers several low cost classes for startups; If you need to hire a team you will get one at a discounted rate. You will have more qualified candidates then you know what to do with.

Here is something to get you started. If you intend on borrowing money start preparing a business plan. Without a business plan you will not even get a meet and greet from a lender. You will need to research and take your time for you business plan to get approved.
This should be your first concern.

You have to have a solid marketing plan to have a successful company.
When you first start your company it is important for you to hit the ground running with your marketing plan. Without a solid marketing plan you will not be able to generate enough consumers to keep your company afloat. This is one of the biggest reasons companies fail in the first 1-3 years. You will also want to consider an internet presence.

Networking is another form of marketing and education. You will learn a lot from networking. Whether you learn what other companies have done in the past and failed or you meet people in your industry you will be getting it for free. Take advantage of every type of networking it will help not only you and your company, but it will also help your industry. If you are in a small niche and there are not many groups readily available start your own group. This will also put you at the top leading contributor for your industry.

Starting own business – is a great way to gain independence over your career. You might be scared to start a business right now. However, if not now when? You do not know what the economy will look like in a few years. Interest rates could more than double by then making it much harder to obtain a loan and have the ability to pay it off.

About the Author

Nick rafique is advertising managemen expert in Australia. Helping small business to “advertising for free in Australia business directory” like Business listing now website. Business listing now helps small business to promote their products and services through their website. To add free listing visit www.businesslistingnow.com

There are times when we just jump up with enthusiasm and volunteer for a task without thinking of what all is involved. Have you ever wondered; what does that mean? What does it mean to hurry on up and be the first one in line, or to rush on down to get the first copy of a new book you just have to get your hands on? Is the personality of that high strung get it done type individual the leadership type personality? Leadership is about the willingness to take on responsibilities and being held accountable for outcomes that are progressive and productive.

Though one may define leadership as being held accountable and other noun action verbs or words that describe leadership; it of course is much more than that. Recent studies and research conducted by: Development Dimensions International (DDI), convey to us that with the baby boomers going into retirement age there will be a shortage in middle to top leadership roles. Paraphrasing the findings of the study it further stipulates, that forty to fifty percent of the executives will be departing the workforce and that we currently do not have the people prepared to replace them. So how do we apply this information to the thought as to whether or not one is a leader?

In my view never has the time been more prime and ripe for the individual to be thinking of; what role will you play in making our world a better place to live. Someone once said you can never be a leader if you never have been in the role of being led or being the follower of a leader. You see, if you are a follower of a leader or a member of a team led by a leader along the way you have probably picked up some leadership development skills. Additionally, you probably developed some characteristics of personal enhancements that have prepared you to ultimately serve as a leader in a particular situation. The point being made is that leadership is inevitable when involvement and participation is inclusive in the process of implementing initiatives; whether personally, professionally and/or socially!

Recently, when speaking to a group of about three hundred youth I made the statement that if you are not well prepared academically; the twenty first century is going to be brutal! If you know that there is a shortage of middle and senior level executives in the workforce then the thought needs to be fostered on what will be your role in pursuit of finding one’s leadership role. It will come down to commitment and devotion to make change, change that will be part of producing a generation of competent senior level leaders.

What is meant by the brutality of the unprepared for the coming century? What is meant by that question is that competition will be fierce. Skills development will be more technical as technology will play a significant role in all aspects of human existence. Through the private sector companies will be seeking high level super humans to run their corporations. As public sector officials will be also looking for the very best to manage in the world of public administration. This is why it is important to develop a personal leadership planning agenda, in order to keep focus on the issues at hand.

If you are not sure where you lie on the organizational calendar of leadership; may I suggest that you take a hard look at personal successive planning. Personal successive planning will allow you to take charge of your own destiny and will provide you with the tools to guide you along in a world dying for leaders. Leaders that can lead based on millennium, generalization and futuristic thinking. One constantly needs to be working at observing the trends that are manifesting in organizations. As Corporations continue to merge with other corporations for their survival the paradigm shifting will be a test for the astute leader who decides early on I want to be a leader.

The future leader will need to play the role of being a scouting talent recruiter in search for that young crop of talent that have the skills to perform in the era of technology coupled with the dynamics of human relations. Technology will continue to play a major role in leadership development and executives will be required to train, rotate job positioning, specialized assignments and serve as a teacher, coach and mentor.

About the Author

If you would like more from Dr. Richard C. Baiz, D.B.A. on Personal and Leadership Development and his Leadership Institute click on the the link provided: http://www.leadershipinstituteofsuccess.comDr. Baiz is a Doctorate in Business Administration.

There is no question that as human beings we can become myopically focused on our own reality. In other words, we lose perspective.

After all, that is why reality shows are so popular today.

Because for 30 minutes, you can get a sneak peek into someone else’s myopic reality!

Watching this human self-absorption can be incredibly scary, amusing and entertaining all at the same time. But, while we are laughing at them, it’s hard to see how myopic we can also be with our own lives.

Without even realizing it, we lose perspective and become overly self-absorbed into our own reality; just like those on TV. Except we have a different script. Our script.

My script used to look something like this:

· I was playing the role of a high-powered executive at a major Fortune 100 company. I thought that the role required me to be singly focused in order to perform optimally. So over time, I gave up all else.

· I travelled every week and had little time or concern for people that weren’t moving as fast as I was. I ran at 6:15 every morning regardless of which city I woke up in. I had mostly condiments in my refrigerator and ate out for most meals. I often worked till 7 pm or later. When I got home late, cold cereal was often my dinner. I only connected with friends and family via my cell to and from airports in the early mornings or on weekends. Conversations with them often focused on my exhaustion. I missed so many social engagements that people eventually stopped inviting me to attend. Work was my only focus.

· Then one morning after I turned 40, I realized that I had nothing, despite a healthy salary.

I am sure there is a TV reality show waiting to be made on this script, or a movie …oh wait…the movie has already been filmed, it’s called “Up in the air.” You see, I was George Clooney with pumps.

Like me, George had lost perspective.

While I had reached a high level of success, ironically my single focus, myopic reality and my loss of perspective eventually worked against me.

Unfortunately, like many others, you may still believe that in order to be “at the top” you have to sacrifice all else.

But, you are wrong.

You see, when you sacrifice all else, you not only short change yourself and any semblance of having a life but you also short change your work, and the value that you bring to your work.

Leaders must have perspective. And you can’t have perspective if you have don’t have any balance.

Work is more productive, more creative, more engaging for you, those around you and for your company, when you have perspective.

Being so out of balance didn’t serve me, my work in Marketing, or my company over time. I clearly didn’t have, nor couldn’t develop, any perspective for the key consumer of my product who was a suburban mom who frequented grocery stores and was shuttling kids back and forth from activities. She was someone who lived a life that looked quite different than my own. I didn’t have to be her, but I did have to have perspective in order to understand her so that I could market to her more effectively.

I also didn’t have, nor didn’t develop, any perspective for my team members and colleagues whose realities were also different than my own. While I was actually the anomaly, my behaviors didn’t recognize this fact. Because of this, I wasn’t able to connect and lead them effectively. I had lost all perspective.

When you find that you are so singly focused on something and all else around you is either completely out-of-focus or non-existent, recognize that it’s time to regain perspective.

Try these steps:

Stop and reflect.

Moving from one activity to another without reflection is an indication that you are operating without perspective. Stopping helps you to reflect in order to prioritize and make conscious choices.

Step back or Step aside.

Simply by backing up or looking at things from a different angle allows you to frame a situation in a new way. The action alone can give you perspective. It may bring to question your previous approach and open up your curiosity to find a better way.

Ask yourself why? But don’t allow “have to” be your answer. At the root of losing perspective is that we begin to operate under some preconceived belief that we have no choice but to behave or do things a certain way. Don’t buy it. Don’t do things because you feel you “have to” or “should”. By asking yourself “why?” and making conscious choices about your actions you can regain perspective.

Firm up your boundaries.

Get clear on how you want to work; identify where you are going to spend less time and what’s going to take second position. This can be a weekly process that can adjust and change as you see fit.

Having perspective benefits you, your work and the people around you. Don’t buy into the idea that you have to lose balance, and in the process lose perspective, in order to make it to the top.

In fact, the top is the last place you want to be without perspective!

About the Author

Laura Lopez is an award-winning author of The Connected and Committed Leader. She is also a consultant, and a Birkman Method certified business and life coach who has been featured on the Today Show and Fox News. In addition, her accomplishments have been highlighted in several business periodicals including Personal Excellence, The Long Beach Business Journal, The Houston Chronicle, Latina Magazine, and Central Valley Business Times.

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Turning Up the Heat

At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. Applying just one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a large machine. The message of this simple yet powerful metaphor should be clear to all:

Seemingly small things can make tremendous differences. The key learning is equally powerful: The application of additional heat (effort) to whatever task or activity you undertake will not only help you achieve the primary objective you seek, but also reap exponential rewards that are possible by applying one extra degree of effort.

Do the math and imagine the possibilities …

Make just one extra sales call per day and you’ll gain over 200 revenue-generating possibilities each year. What might that mean for you?

Eliminate just one half hour of television watching each day and you’ll gain 182.5 hours each year to devote to your family and friends, your hobbies, or your self development. How might that benefit you … and others?

Help just one additional coworker each week and, within a year, over 45 more people will have benefited from your knowledge and kindness. What might that mean to them? What would that say about you?
The possibilities are endless! So, let the number 212 serve as your constant reminder. Let it be your new way of thinking – your new way of acting. Write it down and leave it wherever it might serve you best – wherever you might need a prompt to extra action. Where can you give a little more effort? What small changes can you make that will add up over time? What can you do – what will you do – to enjoy the rewards that come from “turning up the heat” one extra degree? Find those opportunities and seize them!

About the Author

We are a group of worldwide distributors helping people change their lives. For more info go to http://investinyourfuture.org/promo

Every leadership training workshop mentions listening. “Good leaders are good listeners. You should listen more.” And so forth. Most of us think that we are pretty good listeners, at least when we really need to be. In fact, many organizational leaders try to do a good job of listening but in many cases sabotage their own efforts with bad habits that they have learned over a lifetime.

Here’s a short true/false pop quiz:

1. When an upset team member comes to me with a problem, humor is a good way to ease the tension.

2. Most team members who come to me with problems just need a little reassurance.

3. Team members come to me with problems only when they need a little advice.

4. When a team member comes to me with a problem, the only way to find out what he or she needs is to ask questions.

5. When a team member shares problems with me, I try to analyze what’s wrong and give her/him some suggestions.

If you answered “true” to any of these, you may be sabotaging your listening. There are barriers to listening that few recognize. Because we know our own motivations and intentions, it is sometimes hard to accept that our best efforts are not working. Leaders are often surprised to learn that reassuring, asking questions, giving advice and the like are often not helpful responses when someone else–co-worker, team member, manager, supplier–has a problem. In fact, they are often major barriers–they can prevent the other person from taking responsibility for really trying to understand what is bothering them and doing the problem solving themselves.

Let’s say your team member sighs, looks dejected and says to you: “I’ll never make it! These new quotas at my job are ridiculous!” This is a clear signal that she/he is upset, distressed, has a problem and needs to be listened to and understood. It would be easy to say, “You’re a pro. I wouldn’t worry about it.” That is what’s called reassurance. Or by suggesting, “I think it would be a good idea to talk to your supervisor about this” (advising) or by asking questions like, “How many do you have to complete? When are they due? What steps have you taken so far?” Responses such as these, well intentioned as they may be, potentially do more harm than good. These responses do not communicate understanding or engage the person in the kind of problem solving that is more likely to lead to a resolution. Instead, they may cause him/her to feel frustrated, misunderstood, patronized, and unaccepted. In effect, these responses communicate: “It’s not okay for you to feel this way,” or “I’m not comfortable hearing that you’re upset so here’s how to get over it,” or “A more competent team member wouldn’t have gotten themselves into this situation in the first place.” While these are not the messages you may intend, they can often be interpreted in these ways. Our nonverbal communication carries considerable weight and we do not control the conclusions others draw about our messages.

What is called active listening, on the other hand, is more likely to communicate that you understand and accept the other person’s feelings. It is also more apt to keep the responsibility for problem solving with the other person. (This process was first called “reflection of feelings” by the eminent psychologist, Dr. Carl Rogers who espoused it as the best way for psychotherapists to respond to their clients. In the early 60′s, Rogers’ student, Dr. Thomas Gordon, brought this skill into the mainstream by teaching parents how to active Listen to their children in his Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) program and subsequently to business leaders in Leader Effectiveness Training (LET)).

You active listen by consciously suspending your own “agenda”, ideas and judgments and putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. You pay complete attention to the other person, focusing on understanding their problem: both practically and emotionally. You then put into words your understanding of what you hear, leaving your own feelings and opinions out of it. Let me say that again: leave your own feelings and opinions out. Yes, I know easier said than done! But read on.

For example your active listening response to “I’ll never make it! These new quotas are ridiculous!” would be something like: “You sound pretty upset” or “You’re concerned that they’re way too high,” or “The new quotas are making you really nervous.” Empathic responses such as these communicate to your team member that you understand and accept their feelings. Further, reflecting back what you hear encourages the flow of communication. Now the other can confirm that you heard accurately (or not) and move deeper into the problem. With continued on-target active listening, often s/he will experience relief, even catharsis. If you have experienced being deeply understood by another person, you know the sense of relief and well-being that comes as a result. As the emotional level subsides, the other has also set the stage for problem solving. They now have a much clearer picture of the real problem and are more likely to be ready to examine potential solutions, make good choices, and carry them out. The more often this happens, the more confident and independent your team members become. The less you have to worry about every little problem.

Active listening is a Learnable Skill. Leadership training workshops that do a good job of teaching active listening can be very valuable. While listening with empathy sounds simple, it isn’t. Doing it well requires conscious awareness, strong intention and practice. Three different steps are involved:

1. First, pay attention to the cues people with whom you live and work give to signal that they have a problem.

2. When you see or hear those signals and decide to listen, avoid responding with one of the barriers discussed here. Thomas Gordon calls them, “Roadblocks to Communication: interrupting, suggesting, questioning, advising, reassuring (there are 12 categories of these barriers to avoid).”

3. Then give full attention to the other person and reflect back to them what you hear them saying and feeling; if the active listening is off target, they’ll say so. and you can try again. If they feel understood, usually they will keep talking and often find relief from or resolution to the concern or problem.

You might be thinking, “I’m not a babysitter. My employees are adults. I shouldn’t have to hold their hands.” The reality is that organizations are systems of relationships. Every day, people are faced with adversity and problems and sometimes their logical, analytical problem solving skills fail them. This happens most often when their emotional level is elevated. Especially in today’s uncertain times, it is extremely important to remain vigilant to these kinds of problems. Rather than dismiss them or avoid them, the effective leader will learn how to deal with these emotions in a respectful and useful way. In order for our teams to be as productive and creative as they can be (and to keep our relationships strong and healthy), team members need to have the opportunity to vent, to talk through and solve problems that crop up.

Given an opportunity to be heard, people will often gain clarity and ultimately find an answer to what is bothering them and move forward–often with renewed energy and focus.

© 2011 Linda Adams, President, Gordon Training International and Dr. Bill Stinnett, L.E.T. Master Trainer for Gordon Training International

About the Author

Bill Stinnett, Ph.D. has educated and coached more than 10,000 executives, managers, and other professionals in leadership, communication, problem solving, and facilitation skills. He has facilitated the team building, strategic planning, or implementation plans of hundreds of management teams. He has received consistently superior ratings in his training seminars, which include Leader Effectiveness Training, Facilitator Development Workshop, Team Leader Training, Total Quality Management, Continuous Quality Improvement, Total Cycle Time, and many others. As a Master Trainer for Gordon Training International Bill has conducted Leader Effectiveness Training Workshops, Train-the-Trainer Workshops, and supervised trainer candidates in a wide variety of organizations across the country including Medtronic, Merck & Co., Inc., W.L. Gore & Associates, Fort James Corporation, Weyerhaeuser, and Walt Disney Imagineering. Internationally Bill has conducted workshops for the Republic Bank of Trinidad in Port of Spain, Trinidad/Tobago, Merck in Montreal, Hong Kong and Singapore, Nama Chemicals in Saudi Arabia, Medtronic in P.R.C and Cabot Microelectronics in Japan.

Over the past fifteen years, Bill has written many articles regarding organization development for regional and national publications. He also is co-author of the book, Corporate Madness: How to Change the System When the System Refuses to Change.

Your words inspire or discourage, hurt or help, divide or connect, cause fear or give hope.

The Power of Words
The power of language cannot be exaggerated. As you lead others on a daily basis your language will be like a still pond into which you throw a pebble–the concentric circles will go out and out. You never know whom you will touch with your words. You never know the impact you will have on others.

Aspirational Language
Be assured that when you speak in aspirational language, you lift minds and hearts. When you speak in clear, honest language, tasks will be completed in good order. When your followers hear and see your skill at communicating, you’ll set an example for them to follow.

Ties That Bind
As a New Breed Leader, your artful use of language is about connecting with others, building strong relationships and inclusive communities. As John Ralston Saul wrote in Reflection of a Siamese Twin, “All the lessons of psychiatry, psychology, social work, indeed culture, have taught us over the last hundred years that it is the acceptance of differences, not the search for similarities which enables people to relate to each other. . .”

The culture you create is a direct reflection of the stories you tell that support the mission and purpose of the individuals who work so hard to make it a reality. Your language is the tie that binds.

The Words They Hear and the Actions They See
There is no such thing as perfect language. It is vital that you continually strive to perfect your communication skills. As a leader you must be able to clear away extraneous issues and get to core ideas.

Former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca wrote, “In crisis, language rises to a level of importance not realized before. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up and talk theories and strategies for success. But when the rubber hits the road as a leader you had better be able to communicate in a way that helps people understand their emotions and the power of what the crisis or emergency is.”

The credibility and the moral tone of your organization is established and communicated by you, its leader. Your team is held together by the words it hears and the actions it sees. When you use your verbal expertise to reinforce the organization’s goals, values, ideas, and ideals in the minds and spirit of your followers, your communication becomes an art form. You serve your followers best when your mission is articulated by both what you say and what you do.

Leadership Language Quiz:
As this new year begins ask your self:
1. Am I working to become a more inspirational leader using my words to motivate, inspire and give hope?
2. Am I using language to build bridges of communication, rather than erect walls?

3. Do I continually communicate the three vital message that build strong long-term viable organizations: our mission, our objectives and our values?

Sheila Murray Bethel is a leadership speaker and a motivational speaker who brings a broad view of current trends and relevant issues that maximize human resources, solve people problems and increase bottom line results. Business savvy and people smart, she understands how to help people be their best and what it takes to make a business work. Sheila’s keynotes help organizations improve in the areas of leadership, team building, change and customer service.

About the Author

Randshan writes about a variety of topics such as health, wellness, fitness, web marketing, design, business and leadership.

The regularly scheduled one-on-one has been called the most powerful management tool we have. Yet many public sector managers are not having regular one-on-one (O-o-O) meetings with employees.

To make the O-o-O effective, it should be regularly scheduled (every other Tuesday at 9AM or every Monday at 4PM or whatever works). It should be rarely missed and its primary focus must be on the employee and their performance. Notes should be taken by both the employee and the manager. The meeting will likely last no more than 30 minutes with 10 minutes for the employee, 10 minutes for you, and 10 minutes to focus on the employee’s development.

To prepare for your next O-o-O with an employee, ask yourself a few questions:

• What positive feedback can I give the employee?

• What commitments did I make at the last O-o-O that I need to follow
up on?

• What commitments did the employee make at the last O-o-O that we
need to follow up on?

• What information have I received from outside sources that I need to
share with the employee?

• What is currently on my plate that I can delegate to the employee
that might be helpful to their development?

Some managers use a standardized form to track the outcomes of each O-o-O. The format might include notes you take from the employee’s update, notes you prepare for your update to the employee, and a list of agreements or follow-up items. The fundamental goal of the O-o-O is to maintain an ongoing dialogue with each employee about:

• performance expectations

• resources the employee needs to meet the performance expectations

• feedback on the employee’s progress

• development opportunities the employee is pursuing

So how are you doing? I’d love to hear how you approach the challenge of staying connected with your employees about their performance.

About the Author

Marnie E. Green is Principal Consultant of the Management Education Group, Inc. and is a leading expert in the management of public sector employees. Her book, Painless Performance Evaluations, is used worldwide by federal, state, and local government leaders. Contact Green at phone: 480-705-9394 email: mgreen@managementeducationgroup.com web site: http://www.managementeducationgroup.com.

We offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. You may reprint or repost this material as long as Marnie Green’s name and contact information are included.

It’s incredible how rapidly retail businesses have been able to respond to their sluggish sales and lack of need for excess inventory. However, when consumer spending collapsed and companies needed to slow the supply chain, it wasn’t about the speed of change but the efficiency, and it wasn’t there like it really should have been.

Six Sigma Training can serve to help just about any industry, despite how big or small. The retail industry can actually benefit much more from the use of Six Sigma Training than many people might realize. The most useful component of this process is simply the Lean approach, which caters to removing wastes and streamlining processes, a critical part of the retail environment. It doesn’t matter whether your company has any overt defects or needs for the Six Sigma Process, because when you dig deep enough, everybody will have some level of quality improvement which needs to be addressed.

In regards the economic downturn and the huge collapse of customer spending, so many retail businesses have found themselves crumbling in their amassed inventories, and not sure of which way they can go to get out. Of course the supply chain needs to be addressed, and since business has slowed, inventory should shrink significantly. However, getting this accomplished in a manner that’s efficient is critical. It’s worse for a business to downsize and then not have enough products than it is for them to have too much. After all, if they at least have the product in stock, they can still produce the sale they would miss by not having the right products or quantities of products in stock.
By taking the time to put into action and utilize the Six Sigma Methodology in the retail environment, many stores that were previously unsuccessful in their attempts to shorten the supply chain and downsize the inventory effectively can see results. There is no room for guesswork here, which is what most businesses have relied upon so far to cut down their inventory and orders. Instead, these businesses should be relying on verified statistics, business forecasts, and process metrics such as those offered in Six Sigma Training to figure out where reductions need to be made and how far they need to be cut.

Where manufacturers strive in productively implementing Six Sigma into their businesses to track efficiency, many retailers are not as successful. There is no actual method for being able to determine how many customers find what they need or fail to be served to the best of the store’s abilities. You can not exactly count how many customers come into a store and locate or don’t find what they are searching for every time. As such, improving operations can prove to be more than a little complicated. However, by using the tools provided by Six Sigma, many retailers might be able to get a better grasp on their inefficiencies and save themselves from the staggering economy.

About the Author

If you are looking to maximize your career potential, consider six sigma classes. Acquiring black belt six sigma certification could be just what you are lacking.

After the economic debacle so many banks contributed to in the last few years, one may wonder whether they deserve any good words at all, much less a stellar recommendation. Most don’t, but Lewis H. Clark and the bank he helped create, certainly do. For here the virtues of old-style community banks are revered, practised, perfected.

Location, Location, Location

The headquarters of Cambridge Trust Company are right across the street from the main gate of Harvard University, right in front of the house General George Washington used as his command post while turning the feisty colonials hereabouts into the soldiers who, in due course, humiliated the greatest empire on earth. It’s a special place… and like everything in Harvard’s neighborhood requires equally special services, banking not the least amongst them.

Any banking chain might like… and many banking chains have unsubtly coveted… this location, replete with its hordes of style-challenged Harvard students, the best and the brightest worldwide. It is one of the planet’s signature locations.

However, thanks to the vision of Lewis H. Clark this location and its bank remain resolutely community- centered, Cambridge-centered, service-centered. This is why a tribute is due to Lewis H. Clark, not because he was president and chief executive officer of Cambridge Trust (1980-1991)… but that he used his power and position for maximum community service.

About Lewis H. Clark

First and foremost, he was a Cambridge man. Born in Boston (no one held that against him), he was brought up in Cambridge, went to Harvard College (class of 1947), and went to work at Cambridge Trust Company immediately following World War II service in the US Navy.

During his 45 years with the bank, he served in almost every job, each one being a stepping stone to the next… and each one giving him insight into why a community bank was infinitely preferable to a chain. It was a conviction that would be sorely tested during the go-go years when a cacophony of voices shouted that to get along Cambridge Trust must go along… as one bank merger followed another.

Clark was plain-spoken and adamant. According to retired senior vice president Robert DeGregorio, “He thought the best way to serve the community was to remain independent and not become part of a larger institution. He wanted to be able to control the product and service that was delivered to the community.” Thus, small(er) was always better. Today Cambridge Trust has more than $1 billion in assets with 11 locations.

What makes Cambridge Trust special

Service

Service

Service.

I know whereof I speak.

For about 40 years now, I’ve been an enthusiastic customer at Cambridge Trust. Why? Because they are just so incredibly good at what they do and because other banks are, well, banks. Cambridge Trust understands what other banks mouth but never implement: that banking is first and foremost about people. I have exhaustive information about one of these community people and his particular banking needs. This person is — me!

Item: one day I was toodling around Harvard Square when I told my chauffeur Aime Joseph that I needed to run an errand but had no money. He advised me to call one of the bank officers on the car phone and ask her to withdraw some funds from my checking account so I could just run in and get them.

But Cambridge Trust did better than that. They had, in minutes, the funds at the drive through window for me, no paperwork required. They knew me… and they helped, at once.

Nowadays I often send Mr. Joseph to the bank by himself after I’ve advised an officer on the phone about the funds I need. He picks them up without a signature and brings them to me… so that I don’t have to break into my demanding work schedule. Cool.

Item: One wire after another to Europe sending funds for my burgeoning art and artifact collection.

I am an obsessive collector of European art and artifacts from the 17th-19th centuries. I required a bank equally obsessive about assisting me. Cambridge Trust does… often.

One way is by the very frequent wires they send to auction houses around Europe paying for my latest acquisitions. Over time it became apparent that the volume of wires (not to mention the amounts being wired) necessitated an individual system. Cambridge Trust, truly customer-centered, obliged.

As a result, I could handle everything on the telephone: authorizing the wire amount, faxing auction house paperwork, helping helpful officer Helen Van Nostrand create a system that met my highly particular needs, not least being able to provide those shipping my merchandise with a whole lot of detailed information required by both tax authorities and British and US customs officials.

Item: crystal glass ware

During my first visit to the Trust Department water was requested and duly arrived in… plastic cups. I made a point of mentioning to the senior officer that such glassware was infra dig and should be replaced by appropriate crystal glassware. At the next meeting, I was pleased to note that my water was served appropriately… in (practical) crystal.

Item: special help for a man who has never balanced his check book in his life.

There are many things in life that one really cannot ignore. You’d think that balancing one’s checkbook would be one of them. But, as I have amply proven, you can, for decades, go without doing so… if you have observant, tolerant, frequently forgiving bank officers… like I do at Cambridge Trust. Such folk, always more friend than mere banker, with a nudge, a gentle reminder, and constant flow of information help me appear what I am frequently not: organized.

The banker as friend.

How many of you think of your bank and its many personnel as your friends? I do, because Cambridge Trust Company makes this plausible, likely, and eminently desirable. I have no reason to think the above-and-beyond service I regularly receive is unique; indeed, I know otherwise.

I am now greeted by name as the front door; every teller knows me (and the state of my credit reserve balance), officers and trust officers ask me intelligent questions about my latest acquisitions and are as regularly invited, along with the greenest teller, to come see.

Recognition to Lewis H. Clark and thanks for his vision.

Human institutions are often flawed and far from perfect. Even Cambridge Trust has matters that could be better; (how about at least one day a week when open until 6 pm, instead of just 5?). However, these matters are minor, microscopic in the big picture. And that is the picture that Lewis Clark, grounded, clear headed, a man who knew the value of predictability and conservative habits, kept in mind through decades of service. It was all about anchoring his bank firmly in the Cambridge community and operating accordingly.

Other banks, often to their detriment, merged into nothingness, divisions within divisions, loyal to nothing and no one, rootless. Lewis Clark kept his bank firmly and deeply planted in the community, which was always the focus of his perspicacious eye and cheerful manner.

So, today, I thank Lewis H. Clark for resisting the glib and trendy… for staying firmly where a bank’s focus should always be: on a community and its people. For all could use a bank like his, and mine, Cambridge Trust. Now you know why.

Written by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

About the Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online. Attend Dr. Lant’s live webcast TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed visitors to the website of your choice! Dr. Lant is also the the author of 18 best-selling business books.

Republished with author’s permission by Janice M. Sears http://HomeBizNavigator.com.

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