The current issue of  The Competitive EDGE is now available.  Click HERE to View.  Each month we provide timely, actionable information on strategy, business planning, leadership development, process improvement, customer loyalty, and other areas critical to your success. Inside This Issue: 

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The current issue of  The Competitive EDGE is now available.  Click HERE to View.  Each month we provide timely, actionable information on strategy, business planning, leadership development, process improvement, customer loyalty, and other areas critical to your success. Inside This Issue: 

Subscribe to The Competitive EDGE     » JOIN NOW	Feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might benefit.  Better yet, use the button to your left to get your FREE Subscription via email on or about the 5thof every month.

    * People
    * Money
    * Marketing
    * Competition
    * Balance

Following are a few gems from Applegate’s presentation.  Get even more specific advice in her book “201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business”.  Check it out on Amazon.com.

On People:  Work with those that make you laugh as well as those who get things done.  Do YOU have someone you work with who you wish would “vaporize in front of your eyes”?  If that’s the case, begin to build your case to get them out of your organization.

On Money:  “No credit to customers!!”  If you’re not taking deposits now, start!  If you are taking deposits, increase them!  And MANAGE your Accounts Receivable…YOU are not a BANK!!

On Marketing:  Create complete integration of your marketing efforts.  Many entrepreneurs don’t have a “look” or don’t stay true to that look.  Don’t confuse clients and prospective customers with a hazy brand identity.

On Competition:  Bookmark your competitors’ websites and look at them regularly (at least weekly).  One business owner in the audience used that strategy to learn that their competitor was no longer serving a specific market niche…they expanded their business quickly by picking up the competition’s former customers.

On Balance:  UNPLUG!!  Take a look at how you spend your time.  Boost productivity by being focused rather than ON 24/7.  You must recharge in order to remain effective.

Jane is currently working on her fifth book with 100 More Great Ideas for Your Small Business.  And if you’d like help implementing some of Applegate’s great ideas, check out GoalGettersOnline tools and resources…we help business owners and business leaders GET MORE of the GOALS THEY SET.  Go to our home page to get FREE Action Tips and our FREE monthly newsletter The Competitive EDGE.

• Learn About the DISC Behavioral Assessment and Get a FREE Report
• FIVE Keys to Business Success
• Want to Move High Potentials into Star Performers?
• Recommended Reading

Subscribe to The Competitive EDGE     » JOIN NOW	Feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might benefit.  Better yet, use the button to your left to get your FREE Subscription via email on or about the 5thof every month.

Noah, has been mentored by Jack Canfield, John Gray, Alex Mandossian and other “self help gurus” and to some degree he turns the self help business on it’s ear.  The Secret Code of Success presents new ideas in human behavior (yeah, he’s got a unique perspective and delivery) about why successful people are successful, why their common self-help tips don’t work for 97% of the population, AND what to do about it. 

I’m currently being mentored by Noah.  You can meet him at http://tinyurl.com/add-noah
By the way, this is an affiliate link to Noah’s site…I only sign up with people I use and trust….this guy is one of the few.  If you’d rather not use my affiliate link, you can go straight to Amazon to review the book. OR you can CLICK HERE to use my Amazon affiliate link (which means if you decide you like my recommendation that I’ll receive a very small commission). 

NOTE:  Affiliations are a great way to create an additional income stream.  I only affiliate with people who’s services I have used and been pleased with.  If YOU would like to learn more about creating passive income, contact me at AskAllison@GoalGettersOnline.com.  More affiliates on our Cool Tools page in the Resources section of the website.   

Wishing You Increasing SUCCESS!  Allison D Darling

Informative podcast features ManagementConcepts’ Allison Darling, interviewed by Brenda Perkins, cofounder of HR BrainBank. Change is inevitable in business and in life. It is up to you whether you will manage and leverage change or simply try to stay in your comfort zone as long as possible.

Time for Change – Getting Started

As an experienced change agent, Allison knows that it takes effort to overcome the obstacles that so often prevent us from reaching our goals. Whether fear of the unknown or an easily bruised ego is holding you back, recognizing these issues is the first step in creating effective change. Then, developing a plan and finding your sense of purpose will empower you to achieve your objectives.

Any organization or person must have a compelling reason to change – something that makes all the effort worthwhile. What motivates you? Perhaps it is thinking about the positive result of change or the negative outcome of failure to act. Either way, you need to continually focus on why you are pursuing your course of action. Otherwise, it is easy to get side tracked or simply give up.

Keep On Keeping On

Darling points out that the way you approach most daily tasks is based on ingrained habits. This applies to how we interact with others and how we deal with problems as well. If you want to change, you have to pay close attention to your behaviors. Breaking old habits and creating new ones takes time, so don’t give up.

Even more important than behavioral patterns are the underlying perceptions and attitudes you hold. Allison recommends retraining your thoughts to promote the change you want to achieve. That could be through positive affirmations like “I am excited about how learning better time management is helping me lower my stress levels and increase my effectiveness.” If you don’t consciously change the way you think, your chances of creating long term change aren’t good. You will find yourself falling back into old behaviors that perpetuate the status quo.

GoalGETTERS^® – Start Changing Now

In the last section of this podcast, Allison describes the services her ManagementConcepts company provides to help individuals and businesses meet and exceed their goals. This includes the planning and achievement process as well as specific training for improving communication, leadership, and more.

In addition to this targeted instruction, GoalGETTERS^® uses two other powerful tools. Participants receive one-on-one coaching from a professional advisor. They also build group relationships through peer to peer mentoring. This ongoing support is vital in sustaining change.

For more great tips and to hear Darling’s recommendation regarding Alan Deutschman’s book “Change or Die”, listen to the whole interview.

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If you don’t recognize the name immediately, perhaps you recognize some of his best sellers:  First, Break All the Rules; Now, Discover Your Strengths; and GO Put Your Strengths to Work.

 I like Marcus’ SIMPLE Definitions:

• A STRENGTH is an activity that makes you feel STRONG.
• A WEAKNESS is an activity that makes you feel WEAK.

Every one has developmental opportunities.  Typically we view our WEAKNESSES as the area that we need to focus on in order to improve results.  That is actually a self-defeating fallacy.  As one of my mentors says, If you work on your weaknesses then you get stronger weaknesses.  SO, in your own analysis as well as in employee performance management Developmental Activities should be directed toward significant improvement in STRENGTHS and making weaknesses irrelevant. 

How to know when your operating from a STRENGTH:  Remember the acronym SIGN.

• S—Success.  When you do it you feel effective.
• I—Instinct—Before you do it you actively look forward to it.
• G—Growth—while you’re doing it, you feel like you are growing.  You are very focused.
• N—Needs—After you’ve done it you are very fulfilled and authentic.

How to manage your WEAKNESSES:  Remember the acronym STOP

• S—Stop doing this activity.  (change your process)
• T—Team up with others who ARE strengthened by this activity  (change your process)
• O—Offer up a strength and steer your job to it  (change your perspective)
• P—Perceive your weakness from a different perspective (change your perspective)

At the event I picked up the book GO Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieving Outstanding Performance.  CLICK HERE to review or order at Amazon now.