A client company requested I attend a dinner meeting that included the CEO, the COO and the CFO of a company known as the oldest, largest and most successful enterprise in its industry. The rich mahogany wainscoting, heavy beamed ceiling, lavish art, and opulent window treatments all contributed to the power atmosphere of an elite men’s club in a northeastern US city. The staff of attentive but professionally discrete waiters responded to every whim, including a lavish array of expensive Cabernets that flowed freely that night. Wine took over more of the conversation, and at one point, the CEO and COO leaned in and enjoyed a private laugh. A moment later, the COO turned to me and asked if I knew a particular senior manager, a stunningly beautiful woman who ran the company’s operation on another continent. With a sly grin, he said, “Now you know why Pete requested to have that division report directly to him and why he goes over there so much!” A year later, the board fired the CEO after quietly settling several sexual harassment suits.

All Pete ever wanted was more-the cash that flowed so freely into the coffers of the company, stock options, perks, regular TV appearances on the business cable shows, and the women drawn to his apparent power and wealth. He bought plenty of the stuff that many believe makes us happy, but mainly he bought the lie that more makes our hearts glad. While it’s our first impulse to attach greed to money, it’s really about more of anything that we believe will make our hearts glad…money, power, time, houses, toys, great food, trips, etc.

Greed controls us because it takes over our volition. It misshapes our wants, thoughts and intentions, and most insidiously, makes us feel justified in our pursuit. A woman whose husband was out of work told me recently that she was going to the mall to buy a new outfit because, “I deserve it.” She was paying the mortgage and was entitled to do something “nice” for herself. She appeared to actually believe what she was telling me. Entitlement and a host of other rationalizations give us the right to be greedy…whether it’s a new outfit or as when Tyco’s Kozlowski bought a $6000.00 shower curtain paid for with company money for his Manhattan apartment.

In the now infamous 1987 classic, “Wall Street,” Gordon Gekko wows the stockholders of an underperforming paper company with a powerful rationalization we might call “expedient efficiency.”

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed — you mark my words — will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.

Is greed really good? Does it really clarify? Most of what we know about greed results from personal experience rather than being a titan of industry. A lot of us like to play the mental game “Threshold.” The basic tenant holds that, if I can just get to that threshold (often financial), I will be happy, spend quality time with my kids, or have more to be generous to the less fortunate. Rationalize might best be described as “rational lies.”

At the root of greed’s corrosive toxicity lies the flawed assumption that a “threshold” exists-that there really is a point of satiation. Solomon, who many perceive to be the wisest person in history, said, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” A point of satisfaction really doesn’t exist, and if we feed that beast for which satiation is not possible, we become overwhelmed with the demand of feeding it. Paul wrote,

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NIV)

Always powered by self-interest, greed ends up devouring us and those in our sphere of influence. Solomon said, “A greedy man brings trouble to his family…and a greedy man stirs up dissension.” Greed becomes our controlling emotion, without regard to the consequences to others. We see every opportunity through the lens of how it brings us closer to the object of our desire. Given full expression, we end up in a vortex of self-serving pursuits, mindlessly attempting to fulfill a vacuous purpose.

About the Author

Tim Irwin, Ph.D., is the author of “Derailed: 5 Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures in Leadership,” a sought after speaker, and leading authority on leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and executive selection. Learn more at http://www.DerailedLeader.com

The recession is hammering my business, and I’m excited about it.

No, wait. Don’t exit just yet. I’m not Pollyanna. I’m not here to say, “Don’t worry; be happy.”

If you’ve been hit hard by the recession, this is about you. This is about creating, from your life, a work of art. Because if you’re not doing that, what are you doing with your life?

Look — when business, or life, is humming merrily along, we never get the chance (or more accurately take the chance) to stop and reassess. What’s working? What isn’t? How’s that “work of art” coming along, anyway? If I knew I were going to die one year from today, would I continue to live the way I’m living now?

There’s an old Zen parable that goes something like this: The monk approaches the master to ask, “What’s the secret to a happy, fulfilled life?” The master replies: “An appropriate response.”

In any given moment, in any given economic catastrophe, in any given lifetime, you choose your response. Now, I haven’t totally drunk the Kool-Aid of “The Secret” (aka the Law of Attraction) — i.e. “you can get anything you want as long as you want it hard enough.” Tell that to a ballerina who wants a career in the NFL. External factors do have an impact on the realization of our dreams.

But few of us realize how much potential we do have to — as Thoreau said — “elevate our lives by conscious endeavor.” Fewer still live that awareness.

Right there is the gold mine in the economic meltdown.

Creating That Work of Art

I had my best year ever in 2008, building on my best year ever before that, in 2007. And now, here in 2009, the bottom has dropped out.

As a personal/executive coach, I keep telling myself, “If my ‘response’ to this challenge doesn’t rise to what I’d advise my clients — if it doesn’t focus on possibility and opportunity — maybe I oughtta get out of this biz. Ya know, ‘Physician, heal thyself’?”

So I set to work. And I hope my process can inspire you to help yourself, or someone you love, to move powerfully forward in this crazy time.

I started by noticing that suddenly I have more discretionary time (duh!) than I’ve had in a long time. Emphasis on “discretionary” — as in, I get to choose. In other words, more freedom, more opportunity.

Sure, there’s an underlying context of fear and anxiety. I’m not pretending it’s not there. But I also don’t have to be a slave to it. Again, I get to choose. What’s the point of dwelling on fear and anxiety, if I can choose to dwell elsewhere?

The 4 Questions

So then I asked myself four questions that I know (as a trained professional coach — don’t try this at home) are critical to moving your life forward with integrity and power.

While I was busy with all those great clients, I didn’t have the time to ask myself these four critical questions. But they’re important — they allow me to spend time mapping out the future that’s calling to me, rather than spending time just reacting to the next deadline.

First, What are my core values? In other words, what does my life stand for? There’s any number of exercises you can do to answer that question. One simple one: the nonprofit Center for Ethical Leadership’s Core Values Exercise. It’s free.

Your values are your fuel; they propel you. But toward what? As somebody once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” You need a destination.

That’s what vision is for. Your vision is your North Star. Doesn’t matter if you ever get there. As long as you’re heading diligently in that direction, your life has meaning.

Hence, the second question: “What’s my vision for myself (or my business)?” Make it concrete. Be able to see it, feel it, hear it. The answer wants to be ambitious enough to require some courage and some diligence to get there, but not so ambitious that it feels hopelessly out of reach. This process is pure creativity — you’re the artist; your life is the medium.

Play with different possible visions. Find one that rings in your heart and energizes your mind. One that will pull you toward it joyfully. One that makes all of you say, “Yes, that’s it. That’s me. That’s what I’m here to do. If I work toward that, when I die I’ll die happy.”

Here’s a piece of my vision, in case you’re interested: I want to bring folks who care about healing the planet together in small groups to support and challenge each other to take a more active role. I’m creating vehicles to do that — and, boy, is that creation fulfilling.

Make sure you involve some trusted friends, partners, loved ones in the crafting of your vision. Then, with your North Star firmly in place…

Get It In Gear

Break it down into actionable steps. So, Question 3, a two-parter: (a) What are the steps to achieving my vision, and (b) which of them do I have time and energy for now?

What are those projects, processes, creative ideas — on the road to pursuing my vision — that’ll make my business sing? The ones I never could get to when I was always busy? Maybe they’ve been on the back burner for months or even years. Cool! I’ve got time for them now! Hmm… might have to work on the ones that don’t involve a lot of capital, but, okay, those are the parameters I’m working within now; might as well accept them.

Notice the difference between that tone and this one: “Jeez, what do I have to do to get money coming in? How the hell am I gonna keep the creditors away? What if I die penniless and alone?”

Those are two ways to respond to challenge. Only one of them is “an appropriate response.” And here’s the secret: the appropriate one is pretty much guaranteed to be the more effective one, long–term. Confidence, hope, curiosity, and showing up with enthusiasm and a sense of possibility — these qualities (as long as they’re authentic) win clients and contracts. Pessimism, cynicism and despair — not so much.

And once you’ve decided what projects to work on in support of your vision, schedule them. But first you’ll need to ask Question 4: What and whom do I need to support me in pursuing my vision?

Don’t try to do it alone. Rugged individualism is hooey. The days of the Lone Ranger are over. In a fabulous little book called The Life We Are Given, the authors note simply: “People cannot make healthy and lasting changes without solid social support.”

So bring trusted others in. Ask them for their support in holding you accountable for following through on your intentions. Share with them your insights and feelings as you walk this new path, and ask them for non–judgmental feedback.

A Final Word

I can’t guarantee if you work through this four-question process, you’ll get rich quick or “beat the recession.” I can guarantee you’ll survive the recession with your integrity intact and with your head held high. I can guarantee your life will be richer than if you had taken the path of despair.

Which brings up a serious note: I don’t mean to trivialize the pain that’s rampant in our time. Many are grieving, and grief needs to be processed in open-hearted and appropriate ways. I know that some of my ideas here are easier said than done. And they can be done. One step, one focused thought at a time.

In these, well … interesting times, when it seems all the old rules are changing, may you find new rules that help you evolve. And in the words of the lovingkindness meditation, may you be peaceful, so you can spread peace. And may you learn the lessons you need to learn as easily as possible.

About the Author

Steve Motenko, PCC, is a Harvard-educated leadership trainer and a certified personal development coach. He’s facilitated management training experiences at Boeing, Microsoft, and in government agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, and educational institutions across the country. In his coaching practice, he supports leaders committed to living into their highest aspirations.

To contact Steve: Info@SteveMotenko.com • http://www.stevemotenko.com

Our values affect the way we conduct business too. For example, a leader who grew up during the depression and values security will make low-risk investments whereas someone a bit younger may be less risk-averse. One business owner may value being debt-free while another business owner may believe debt is a necessity for growth.

When team members have the same values as their leader, everyone benefits. Team members experience greater job satisfaction and are more loyal to the business or company. Tension and stress are reduced for both leaders and team members. When team members are clear about their leader’s values and know what is expected of them, they are better able to handle conflicts effectively.

To instill your values in your team members, make sure the team knows your values. Don’t assume. Talk about your values whenever possible. When making decisions, explain how your values affect the decision you are making. Show that you are proud of your values.

Most importantly, demonstrate your values whenever possible. Your values are reflected in your opinions, attitudes, preferences, desires, actions and strategies. In fact, everything you say and do reveals your values and your commitment to those values. The messages you send to your team through your words and actions should be consistent, so be sure your actions reflect the values you say you have.

Remember, actions speak louder than words. Team members will pay more attention to what you do than to what you say. If there are discrepancies between your words and your actions, you lose credibility.

Some more examples: Suppose the owner of a manufacturing company promotes quality products as one of the company values. Yet when the quality control manager wants to implement some changes that would increase both quality and customer satisfaction at a small incremental cost, the owner refuses to approve them saying the changes would cut into profits. What message does that decision send not just to the manager but the entire Quality Control Department?

Suppose a company promoted service to customers, honesty and integrity as corporate values in all its operations. Yet the company recognizes and rewards an employee for selling a client a high-priced product which is not designed to meet that client’s needs. What messages does that action send to all the employees about the importance of honesty, integrity and customer service?

If you look around, the more successful leaders in every arena are those who continually develop and adhere to a set of values that evolve from what they personally believe is right and wrong. Consistently acting in keeping with your values will earn you the respect of your team and inspire them to adopt your values as their own. Your values then become a compass to help you always make the right decisions in leading your business every day.

About the Author

Business Accelerator, KERRI SALLS, President of Breakthrough Enterprise, LLC, works with solo-professional achievers: entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, consultants and solo professionals, providing proven systems and strategies to grow and thrive in any economy. Check out http://www.solopreneur-blueprint.com to receive 3 free reports every solopreneur needs. The Solopreneur Blueprint is a 90 day program of step-by-step assignments to start, setup, and launch your own solo business/practice.

The majority of people are ready to throw their dreams overboard with the first sign of opposition. If the journey to success was easy, then everyone would be successful. The book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill states that persistence is the eighth step to riches. Combining willpower and desire makes an explosive pair. The perfect example of this is Hollywood. Many “actors” go to Hollywood to find fame, fortune and success. Hollywood is not easily conquered and it pays off and once in a while someone famous emerges. The one recurring trait of successful people is persistence.

Persistence with definite plans will lead you to succeed in your home based business. Lack of persistence is a common trait among unsuccessful people, but it may be overcome with effort. The first step to riches is desire so if your desire is weak, then your persistence will follow suit. One remedy to strengthen your persistence is to increase your desire. Your mastermind group is also a great resource to help you be more persistent. The careful selection of your mastermind group will help in your road to riches. The synergy created by like minded people getting together in a mastermind group is phenomenal.

Persistence is based in part on the following definite causes:

1. Definiteness of purpose
2. Desire
3. Self-Reliance
4. Definiteness of Plans
5. Accurate Knowledge
6. Cooperation
7. Willpower
8. Habit

The list above is a valid assessment of what it takes to be persistence in your road to riches. You probably could get by with just willpower and desire, but the stronger the other six are in your life the simpler your journey will be. Your journey may be simple, but it never will be easy. We must take a personal inventory of ourselves to determine where our strengths and weakness lies in the definite causes above. You must rate yourself honestly and the analysis might surprise you. You might be stronger in places that you thought were weak. If you are weak in any particular area, then you must master it to accumulate wealth. Willpower is the key thing that stands out for me with persistence. The road to success is lined with many people with good intentions. They are going to good intention you to give up your dreams. Naysayers are always going to try to deter you from achieving your goals. Naysayers are easier to handle when it is someone else. What if the naysayer is you?

About the Author

Shirland Carrington is originally from Barbados. Shirland came to America to achieve his dreams. Shirland earned his B.S and M.B.A degrees and amazingly, Shirland is achieving his dreams without direct correlation to achieving his degrees. Visit http://www.innerpowerrevealed.net/test1.html

Ever wondered why some companies, large or small can deliver consistent growth and positive, forecast results in good times and bad? So many companies ride the roller coaster of economic vagaries, and the published results are like a camouflaged list of excuses, especially when the economy is slow or there is an event in a geography.

I recently saw a distributor use the excuse of a natural disaster, in one of their geographic markets, to explain their poor results. The truth was, if you looked carefully into their results this area showed growth! Why? Because every store had to replace the goods that were damaged, so this in effect created a one off growth peak! This was just an easy, high profile excuse to use. They were aware that few shareholders actually spend time on the detail.

My research shows, and history will ratify this, that those companies that can perform consistently with open, transparent results are all spearheaded by excellent leadership. The CEO’s, Owners and Management layer are strong leaders, with the ability to bring their people together in a supportive, holistic way. They receive honest, open feedback and forecasts from their managers. As a consequence, they are able to forsee potential negative impact in a region, a product area or a division. They can respond quickly to economic downturn, and discuss creative ways to capitalise on a slow market.

Recently, I met the CEO of a small company in New Zealand in the display industry. She clearly demonstrated that her best years for business, are the ones that are considered slow or recessionary. When asked why, she responded that in those years her competitors go into a dark and negative place, they scale down their efforts as they ‘know’ it will be a bad year. In her mind, a lazy approach.
She takes the opposite approach, she increases her PR and marketing and wins new customers with her positive approach. She rarely discounts her products, instead she generates loyalty with outstanding customer service and no compromise in quality from the factory floor. This lady leads a small and diversely skilled team, who all have enormous respect for each other and value their individual contributions. This company excels in good times and bad through great leadership!

A truly great leader is well informed about his or her business and the market/s in which they operate. They are constantly in open communication with their teams, at all levels, and expect results to be met. This type of leader walks their talk, and the floor every day. They are in touch and connected to the grass roots of their business and industry. They question, and listen attentively. They filter out the rubbish and react on the facts. They respect their employees and their time, and individual contribution, to the business.

Above all a truly great leader leaves his or her ego out of the business and the communication. They see themselves as an integral part of the operation, and not as a supreme being. They understand they do not have superior knowledge to anyone else, but instead respect that everyone on their team, has superior knowledge in their field.

Leaders must transfer their vision and enthusiasm for the expected outcome to every single member of their extended team.
I would like to share this example with you.

I was part of a team to undertake due diligence of suppliers that had bid for a very large solution requirement. One company on paper had stood out as the best on a price/value/service scale and our team was very keen to visit them and hear their presentation. Something, that many may consider quite small, cost them the number one position. In fact they slid almost to the bottom.

When our assessment team arrived, we were surprised by the attitude of their receptionist. She did not seem to have been informed that we were coming in that day to assess a multi million dollar bid to supply our organisation. The contact in charge was unable to be found for twenty minutes, and when they did arrive it was obvious they had been outside the building, and smoking with colleagues without their mobile phone. So not a good start, but not a deal breaker.

We were finally ushered into the conference room, and the room had not been cleaned properly. The presenter had to spend some time removing some catering from the previous day, and several people cleaned off their chair before sitting! The cleaners were blamed, and maybe it was their fault, yet we felt that someone to whom this contract mattered should have accepted responsibility. As a new client, we could clearly see that the vision of the leader was not transferred to the basic operations of the organisation.
The deal was lost.

When it was mentioned to the CEO of this company, he said ‘ I wish you had told me you were coming’

At this point, the CEO of my company who was in my opinion, a truly great leader, said ‘ I think it would have been a better reflection of your leadership commitment, had you been informed internally that we were coming. It is also a concern to me that your vision, that of a quality supplier, is not translated into the floor of your operations. It is that impression that prevents us from awarding the contract to your company.’

In short, a multimillion dollar opportunity was lost, fundamentally because the leader had not ensured the service teams understood his vision.

Great leaders must communicate respectfully, passionately and effectively with all levels of their extended teams. Be open to information. They must facilitate solutions, and stifle blame to keep communication channels open. Be available. Be in the moment. Respond appropriately and follow up.

You as the leader have the most significant impact on your business results.

About the Author

Terrie Anderson is the author of The Little Red Success Book, 30 Days of Inspiration and other books and publications on Success, happiness, Human Potential, High Performance Team Building and Essence of Leadership. She is the architect of Truly Great Leadership a course in excellence in leadership and the hardcore sales training – 999 Legendary Selling for the 21st Century.
Terrie has had a very successful corporate career and also coaches and mentors a very small group of people.

So you hate your boss and feel that your potential is being wasted staring at a computer all day in a cubicle? You want to get out and start your own business so that you can be the boss and start building wealth for you and your family? But in order to be the boss or a leader in network marketing, you need to learn to lead first!

Whether you’ve already started your own business, or you are looking into the possibilities, now is the time to create a personal growth plan that will lay the foundation for reaching your goals.

We adults often forget to do the most elementary things, like making a plan to reach our goals. But a personal growth plan that includes room for self-assessment is absolutely necessary if you want to be successful in business.

Start off and write down what you want to achieve. What sort of boss and leader do you want to be? Think about great leaders and bosses in your own life to help you create realistic goals. Then write where you are now. Follow that up with a list of your strengths and weaknesses that will help or impede your progress towards your goal.

Then it’s time for the hard work. You need to sit down and think about what things you can do to increase your chances of success. How can you amplify your current strengths and turn your weaknesses into strengths as well? That means change, and most change requires some sort of activity or practice. So you will need to devote a lot of time and energy to make your personal growth plan a reality.

Your personal growth plan should include passive and active elements. You will need to think of books you can read and seminars you can go to that will help you build your leadership and business skills. And make sure to include books about general personal development and psychology as well. Then you need to find ways to put your knowledge to the test through actions. Find outlets to practice the leadership skills you’re seeking to cultivate. These can be fun things: become a coach, start a blog, organize a trip with friends. Do anything that will get you actively honing yourself to be the leader you wish others were.

About the Author

Ylva Jansson is a business coach and mentor out of Stockholm, Sweden. She assists serious network marketers in building a profitable online business with multiple incomes streams. For more information and to contact Ylva visit: http://www.GPTMillionaireTeam.com?t=GoArticles-article2

Doesn’t that just sound exciting! I’m going to do my best to help you make heads or tails of making money. There are tons of ways that people just like you our out there every day making more money than they know what to do with. There are a few basic principles to keep in mind when trying to build a business. By the way, I’m just assuming you’re building a business or thinking about it. If not you should start down that thought process as it is next to impossible to amass any kind of real money working for someone else. So enough already, onto Money Making Secrets Revealed!

* Marketing: When I first started in business I wanted everyone to know what I did as a business. As time went buy I realized the #1 “hat” I had to wear in my business to make money was the Marketing hat. I don’t care if you have the best product in the world, if nobody knows about it your sales will never be what they could be or should be.

* Leverage: For the purposes of this article, Money Making Secrets Revealed, I’m going to talk specifically about leveraging your time. An easy example would be to have some sort of automated Marketing system that runs 24/7. If you’re going to have that going you may as well have a way to collect money 24/7. If you’re wondering how you’re going to do all of this, don’t worry it’s easier and more common than you think.

* Persistence: One of my favorite sayings is, “A shuttle burns most of its fuel during takeoff.” I’m certain this is why most businesses fail in the first year. Some sort of bump in the road happens and Mr./Mrs. Business owner throws their hands up and calls it quits. You’ve got to keep pushing if you’re ever going to make it.

This is by no means an end all be all article about making money. However pulling back the curtain on Money Making Secrets Revealed truly isn’t as complicated as most would have you believe. It is always the most simple yet practical plans and ideas that lead to the greatest successes. So as you move forward, keep these few key points in mind and you’ll be on your way to Making Money in no time.

To learn more please visit http://www.fromhomebizbuilders.blogspot.com

About the Author

Dave Greenlee is a leader in the Direct Sales industry and is always looking to help educate those looking to further their careers.

To learn more please visit http://www.fromhomebizbuilders.blogspot.com

The work place is suffering from the effects of the low self esteem that is rampant in today’s society. Imagine, then, the effect on your business if self esteem can be improved. A person with a healthy sense of self worth will perform better for you on all fronts. Interpersonal conflicts among coworkers will decrease if they have a healthy self esteem. Luckily, there is a lot that business owners can do to help improve this situation. Making use of the following tips can help you improve the self esteem in your work place.

Develop policies within your business that will recognize that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. This includes training your management team to get to know the strengths of the workers on every level. Once this is done, then the lower level management levels can assign work that utilizes each person’s own area of strength. Offer opportunities to improve areas of weakness to each employee, as well. Doing this will allow workers to have a real sense of accomplishment while knowing they are improving in other areas.

As the business leader, you must take the lead in developing the core strengths of your business. Training your leaders regarding the importance of healthy interpersonal skills is one of the best ways you can do this. We’re talking about essentially positive communication skills that serve the best interests of your workers and your business. These positive skills include managers and supervisors always treating their subordinates with respect. Workers should never be treated badly or humiliated either in private or in front of others.

Everyone likes to feel appreciated for what they do, and that is even more important in the work place. There are millions of people who don’t feel their workplace appreciates them, especially in the US. Worker dissatisfaction is probably at an all time high. When people feel better about their work, they will put forth more effort, increase productivity, and improve performance across the board. To accomplish this, devise a program that active shows your employees that you and the entire management and contractor marketing team appreciate all the hard work that they do.

You can help improve self esteem in your business in many various ways. This isn’t an overnight project and will take time, but it is a worthy investment to make in your business. As you work to improve self esteem in your business, you will increase your bottom line, improve your employee retention rate, and actually realize a positive ROI. Planning well and implementing an organized strategy is the best way to get started.

About the Author

Visit HandymanMarketing.com at Contractor Marketing for Handyman Marketing help.

Ever question whether stories have power to persuade? Look no further than the current resident of the Oval Office. Sure, President Barack Obama has charisma to spare. True, he trumpeted a message of change and hope at a time when people were hungry for it. And granted, he’s a potent symbol of the American dream.

But above all else, he’s a consummate storyteller. And this skill has been a centerpiece of his efforts to persuade Americans.

Check out the 2004 Democratic Convention speech that introduced Obama to the country. The freshman senator told his own tale (“the son of a Kansas farm girl and a foreign student from Kenya”) and his family’s tale, in a way that made it an American tale.

“I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story,” Obama said explicitly. “In no other country on earth is my story even possible.” In saying this, he reminded us of one of the cherished tales we tell about our country: that America is the land of freedom and opportunity.

Last November 4, Obama’s victory speech employed a powerful story to illustrate a key message: that America can change for the better. He told of one Atlanta woman who cast her vote that day – 106-year-old Ann Nixon Cooper, “born just one generation after slavery when there were no cars on the roads or planes in the sky.” He spoke of all the societal changes Cooper had seen in her life and made it a story of hope, a story of America weathering storms and growing – weaving his “Yes, We Can” message into the tale.

METAPHOR POWER

This is a textbook example of using a story to build a metaphor and make a larger point. Stories pack emotional resonance, and emotions, after all, are what move us to action.

Did Obama’s storytelling work? It turned a skinny, big-eared freshman senator into a president in just four years.

Obama’s storytelling skill hasn’t escaped the attention of the media. A March 8 article in the Los Angeles Times noted that, “Storytelling is at the core of Obama’s public speaking, over-riding the modern obsession with the sound bite.”

The President’s chief speechwriter, Jon Favreau, shares Obama’s passion for story. According to the Times article, he explains his job to friends like this: “Tell a story. That’s the most important part of every speech, more than any given line: Does it tell a story from beginning to end?”

Obama and Favreau turned to story power in the president’s first address to the joint session of Congress. They told the tale of how the country had fallen into economic crisis and how the administration intended to pull it out.

Did their story work? The plan’s effectiveness remains to be seen. But despite all the doom and gloom in the news, Obama’s rating rose in opinion polls and he bolstered support for his program.

Got a hard sell ahead of you? Take a tip from politics. Frame your argument in the form of a compelling story, packed with emotion. Extract from it a metaphor that calls your listener to action. And watch how the world listens.

About the Author

Bruce Hale is a Master Storyteller and author. Find out more about StorySelling – how to use stories to sell and persuade – from his website at:
http://www.brucetalks.com

Most business owners realize that the core of any successful organization is its people. Human resource management is responsible for managing people, so it’s natural to understand why it is essential that you have exceptional human resource management practices in place. Today, the business environment is often unpredictable and always competitive. In an article posted recently on The Borneo Post, human resource management is explored in-depth.

According to the article, human resource management once leaned more toward personnel-related tasks such as payroll, record keeping on employees and hiring. In fact, nothing could be truer; today, human resource management consists of much more, and is an integral part of senior management in larger organizations. In recent years, this has become one of the most challenging jobs; those who work in HRM may find themselves recruiting, training and developing employees, building industrial relations, handling compensation and benefits and much more. Human resource management is a complex position that requires exceptional skills and diversity.

What does effective human resource management training consist of? Once completed, individuals should be able to understand and appreciate the role that each and every individual employed by the company plays, and what their contributions are. They should also be able to ascertain how the contributions of various employees relate to the growth and success of the company. Those who train to work in the human resource management arena should be capable of developing their skills, knowledge and abilities so that these skills can be applied to the job.

Today’s human resource management courses may offer an individual the opportunity to get a diploma; some courses are so in-depth that those attending may acquire a bachelor’s or master’s degree. In order to be effective in human resource management, it is essential that those in this career field understand the theories, concepts and applications of the profession. Strategic management, training and development, industrial relations and organizational behavior are just a few of the aspects that fall under Human Resource Management today.

To break it down simply, human resource management is involved in people as a whole. Exceptional people skills is crucial in this role, as this position is one that is involved in attracting the right employee, then developing and rewarding that employee so that they remain with the company and work to build an organization that is competitive and successful. Workforce planning, induction, orientation, performance appraisal and labor relations are other aspects often found in Human Resource Management .

Human resource management is considered a major management activity by many larger corporations, not simply a “personnel” department as it was considered two or three decades ago. Without an effective human resource management team, large companies today would find it difficult if not impossible to staff, train and develop those workers who in essence make up the company and contribute to its success in the business environment. Without the right people, no business will flourish and grow to become one that stands apart from the competitors.

About the Author

Hakan Samad Graduated in University of Washington, majoring in Business Policy, International Business, Organizational Behavior, Business Communications, Consumer Research, Managing Information Systems, New Media Communications and business leadership.

He is now a Freelance writer who is passionate about authentic relationships between consumers and brands. He had 10 years of experience from retail channel planning to product marketing; He is currently a Freelance writer for few business leadership websites and now recides in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.