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George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook 
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
Watch and listen to this interview with change expert and keynote speaker, Peter de Jager talking candidly about change on radio show, Business In Motion.
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By Ed Rigsbee, CAE, CSP
Here is the bitter pill…if non-members can attend…the meeting is not a feature of membership. However, the discount on registration is.
Nearly every membership organization can further its mission more effectively, with more members. More members generally translate to larger meetings. To recruit more members, especially Millennials, there must be an outstanding perceived return on investment (ROI) offered.
Contemporary membership research, surveys, and reports all indicate that many membership organizations are challenged with trying to justify why one should join their ranks. There is the good old admonishment, “Join to support your industry.” This has become increasingly ineffective. Let’s not forget the old standby, ”We have great networking.” Perhaps your organization has progressed to a more contemporary “We have great live and online communities”?
Yet, something is still missing…a truly compelling reason to join. What’s an association executive or director of membership to do?
In order to grow your membership and member meeting attendance, perhaps it is time to push against conventional wisdom and look in a new direction? Consider the inaccuracy that most of what is offered up by membership organizations as “member benefits” are in fact, features—perhaps features of membership. For an organization’s services, activities, or other things to be considered “features of membership” said services or activities must be available only to members.
Industry benefit activities are those things, like advocacy, that create great value for everyone in the industry—not just the members. These activities are great customer service accomplishments for the longer-term members that care about them. However, they are quite ineffective in recruiting new members—because they receive the value without having to become a member.
While advocacy generally is not a feature of membership, a legislative update…distributed only to members clearly is a membership feature which will save the member time, money, and avoidance of regulatory pain…all buying motives. These buying motives are the actual benefit…the things that make your members’ lives better…the things that will motivate non-members to join. Like the above mentioned feature of membership, discount on meeting registration, saving money is the benefit and not the meeting.
Consider grabbing the opportunity to drive more value, more member ROI, for members at your meeting. There is currently much discussion in the meetings industry about “meeting ROI” but very little about “member ROI.” What the members get in exchange for their annual dues should be important to any association executive. To effectively increase “member ROI” at any of your meetings, consider including in your scheduled offering a number of “member-only” educational, networking, and/or social sessions. You will find this most effective at times when multiple activities are taking place at the meeting so there will be something for non-members to do. And, remember to develop some specific member-only education or activities for your long-term members. They need more than simply a place to see their friends once a year.
As you now know, it is only the registration discount that is the true feature of membership. Add to this feature some member-only activities and those activities also become features of membership. You will greatly increase the total perceived member ROI (member-only). You will be offering your current members more compelling reasons to attend your meetings and to retain their membership. For the non-members, this is like the take-away close—a powerful reason for the non-member to join your organization.
There is no advantage in vague or fuzzy-bunny “member value proposition” marketing. In order to grow your membership base, which will increase your opportunity to influence more members to attend your meetings; it is crucial that your organization clearly communicate its member value proposition. A reasonably easy and inexpensive way to achieve this goal is to calculate the member-perceived real-dollar value of each “member-only” feature of membership. Communicating your organization’s real-dollar member ROI via your website and other marketing channels, both printed and electronic, will go a long way to telling your value proposition story and influencing the decision to join.
There is the question of which segment(s) you will get the best “bang for your buck” in influencing both membership and meeting attendance? Generally it will be those people that are newer to the industry. They truly have the most to gain from membership. To influence this segment, you have to communicate how it is in their best interest to participate with your organization. During recruitment, is not the time for talking to these younger people about all the great value the organization delivers to the industry. There will be plenty of time for that after they have engaged in your organization and will better understand the value.
Now is the time to communicate the great value that your organization delivers to its members—the ROI of membership based on each member-only feature. It is your job to help them understand the real-dollar value of each of these features of membership that your organization offers. This will hopefully include a number of new “member-only” activities at your upcoming meetings.
If you would like to explore further, the financial veracity of each of your features of membership for consideration in creating new, maintaining existing, and sun setting your various products, services, and activities, email your request to ed@rigsbee.com and I’ll forward back my Features Framework Exercise from The ROI of Membership-Today’s Missing Link for Explosive Growth.
Copyright © 2015 Ed Rigsbee
Ed Rigsbee holds both the Certified Association Executive and the Certified Speaking Professional accreditations—an honor that only about a handful of people globally enjoy. Many of the ideas in this article are adapted from his book titled, The ROI of Membership-Today’s Missing Link for Explosive Growth. In addition to teaching associations the qualitative process for determining member ROI and strategy, he is the CEO of Cigar PEG-Philanthropy through Fun, a non-profit public charity he founded in 1999. More about Ed’s work at www.rigsbee.com
Ed Rigsbee, CSP, CAE
The ROI Guy: Alliances, Relationships & Associations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8dWTxWtpA8
Rigsbee Enterprises, Inc.
1746 Calle Yucca, Suite 200
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
www.Rigsbee.com
ed@rigsbee.com
805-498-5720
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
Okay, I’m not the most interesting man in the world. I’m probably not even the most interesting man in this room, and I’m the only one here. Yet one thing’s for sure – I work at the most interesting radio station in Hamilton. We are 93.3 CFMU FM – listener-supported, campus-based community radio.
CFMU broadcasts to the greater Hamilton area. Our programs are produced and hosted by volunteers from the community – by people like yourself. We address local issues, promote local and under-represented music, and feature unique voices. We give voice to those who need it.
Last year, we received our seventh Radio Station of the Year Award, grew our social media presence by 99%, started a blog (cfmu.wordpress.com), and had a physical presence at many events on campus and across the city. Our on-site Supercrawl broadcast was the most successful to date, and featured many high-profile guests. Most importantly, our campus profile has taken a leap forward and volunteer participation has expanded by over 30%. CFMU is more interesting and valuable than ever.
We are asking our fellow Hamiltonians to offer assistance in any way they are able: donations; promotions; sharing our campaign banner; spreading the word; or any other suggestions you may have in helping us reach our goal.
Additionally, we’d like you to consider pledging to this year’s drive and supporting our campaign. In order to save paper we are sending our request in digital form. If you choose to support us in 2014, click on the “Donate” button on this page to pay by PayPal, or email me – Jamie Tennant, Program Director, at jtennant@msu.mcmaster.ca.
Keep radio interesting – support 93.3 CFMU.
PS: If you’ve been a guest on Business In Motion or you have listened – then consider contributing to CFMU because it is community radio. Over 150 volunteers keep the station running 24/7.
Any amount is welcome. Please mention Business in Motion when you contribute.
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Who is Robert Gignac?
Co-author, along with Michael J. Townshend, of the book, Rich is a State of Mind.
What is the book about?
It is a fictional story about the lessons of personal finance as seen through the eyes of a humours disfunctional Canadian family.
Who is the book for?
Individuals aged 20 to 40 who are in the early stages of financial planning. They will discover in an easy to understand, non-intimidating story why they should care about financial planning and what they should do about it.
Insights from this interview with Robert Gignac
First simple lesson is to live below your means. If you make $100, then spend no more than $90. Its the only way to enjoy a future that allows you to do what you will want to do.
How do you make your dream real? First write it down. “What is your goal?” is the most important chapter in the book.
The best advice that Robert received from his financial planner was to start by saving $25 a month.
To save your money, put it where it is not easy to get at.
People will call you lucky if you are doing the things that they want to do but they believe that they can’t.
Robert wrote the first draft of the book long hand because while doing that he was not tempted to stop and edit. His brain told him to just keep writing and edit later.
Rich does not necessarily mean lots of money. One definition of “rich” is the density of hue in colour
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Guest Post by
Melissa Barry
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Enjoy this video of a radio broadcast from Business in Motion on 93.3 cfmu. Host George Torok talks about entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship.
What is an entrepreneur?
What motivates them?
Are you an entrepreneur?
What can you learn from them?
Enjoy this special program on Business in Motion
Entrepreneurs on BIM radio from George Torok on Vimeo.
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You have to protect against the downside.
On Branding
On Success
….
That last piece of advice on success is worth rereading.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
I heard an intriguing comparison between the Greeks and the Romans. The Romans copied many ideas from the Greeks but the Roman Empire survived much longer than the Greek Empire. Perhaps the Romans learned from the Greek successes as well as their mistakes
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Innovation is not the holy grail of business success that many gurus claim it is.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
Interview with Virtual Assistants
Guests: Jenn Kubillis of JK Business Services & Jacquie Manore of Workload Solution Services
Members of the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group www.GHVAG.ca
Insights from this Interview
Outsourced adminstrative assistants – evolved out of the corporate secretarial roles. Now much more than secretaries.
Work with small and medium sized business.
Do what you love and hire the rest out to virtual assistants.
Online convention for Virtural assistants the week of May 16 – 21. Follow the convention at www.OIVAC.com
Even virtual assistants need to get out of bed, take a shower and get out to meet the world.
Becoming a VA is a viable career choice.
Radio interview with host George Torok on Business in Motion
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| Gutenberg Printing Press |
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Radio interview with Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of the Co-Operators Group.
Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.
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Inisghts from this interview with Kathy Bardswick
The Co-Operators is a co-operative that is owned by 47 other like-minded co-operatives.
Each owner owns an equal share. The share value does not change which means that the company does not focus on driving share value.
They are in the business of offering financial security for Canadians along with peace of mind for the ups and downs of life.
Co-operators was formed to meet unmet needs in 1945 by Saskachewan farmers who were unable to buy insurance from the traditional insurers.
It is run democratically in that everyone has a voice – yet people are held accountable.
A big concern and worry is the sustainability of our world environment and the quality of life. The increasing gap between rich and poor does not bode well.
Youth Sustainability Conference – an opportunity for students to leverage their passion for sustainability.
We have reduced our internal footprint by 22%. The next goal is 50% and the step after that is to be carbon neutral.
Listen to this interview with Kathy Bardswick
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Employees of one of Canada’s largest debt collection agencies, iQor Canada, have routinely and sometimes knowingly contacted people who did not owe debt, a practice for which the company has been fined several times this year, a CBC News investigation has found.
Hundreds of complaints have been filed over the past few years about iQor Canada to provincial consumer affairs agencies, the federal telecommunications regulator CRTC, and the RCMP Anti-Fraud Squad, many stemming from repeated phone calls to people who don’t owe any money.
Former employees told CBC News about calling non-debtors — including relatives of debtors and unrelated people with a similar last name to a debtor.
“We would just keep calling them and calling them and calling them,” a former employee told CBC News.
The insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that in some cases the debt collection agency only had the last name of a debtor and would call everyone with the same last name in the general geographical vicinity.
“[The company] just pays us to call them and we call them and we don’t bother with if it’s honest or not,” said the former iQor worker.
The former employee said he believed some people even paid for debts they never owed.
Read about Collections Agencies on the Ontraio Government Site
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In this TV interview in Egypt, Richard Branson, talks about the importance of branding. He also reveals why and how he started Virgin Air.
His brash take-charge action demonstrates the trait of successful entrepreneurs. They act to fix things because they believe in a better way to get things done.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
The Creative Problem Solving process is about asking the right questions at the right time – and listening to the answers without judging.
Enjoy this video as Creativity Catalyst, George Torok, offers tips on how to ask better question along the creative problem solving path.
In what ways might you…?
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www.lease-line.com
art@lease-line.com
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
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Contrary to the popular belief that most junk mail ends up in the wastebasket unopened, it doesn’t – at least not until it has grabbed your attention and consumed some of your time. To increase the likelihood of your perusing these unsolicited mailings, such ploys are used as personalized envelopes, “live” stamps, return postage, teaser copy, red ink, creative copy, and a personalized, conversational tone.
Direct-mail consultants spend their time devising new ways of getting you to spend your own time – and money – on various products and services offered. Although I don’t recommend you throw out all junk mail unopened, since much of it could be useful and profitable, you should be selective. If you recognize from the envelope that the product the product or service is one you don’t need or want, discard it unopened. Otherwise, you’ll be trapped into sorting through the interesting, colorful inserts that are designed to capture your interest.
It can become very time-consuming when the direct marketers don’t take the trouble to eliminate duplication. If you receive two or three identical envelopes from the same mailer, take a minute to scribble “Return to sender” on the unopened envelope. On the duplicates, add the statement “please remove name from mailing list.” Or have a self-inking stamp made up that says it for you.
Unsolicited material can be valuable, keep you updated on what’s new on the market, and give you some great ideas for increasing productivity in your firm. But it is also designed to attract your attention. So spend as little time on it as possible. Be ruthless with those you open. If their value is in doubt at all, scrap them quickly. Resist the urge to read further or hold them over until later. And don’t circulate the material to others unless you can see immediate use for it. When you do send material to others, note exactly what you want done and whether the material should be retained or scrapped.
File material you want to retain; but not in a permanent file system. Place it in a follow-up file or idea file for future action. Record the reason you are keeping it. Discard inserts that are unnecessary and staple the other material together. Don’t file loose or paper clipped material. On the pre-determined date, review it and take action. Resist the urge to re-file it. If you don’t have time to do anything about it or have second thoughts about its value, scrap it. Err on the side of tossing too much, never too little.
If you find the junk mail is consuming too much time, and keeping you from the priority items, have it separated from the other materials and placed in a folder of its own. Then, regardless of when you review your mail, leave the folder until the end. If you have used up your allocated mail time without having gone through the junk mail, no harm done. Leave it until tomorrow.
You might even leave the folder of junk mail until fifteen minutes before quitting time. You are normally winding down by then, and in no mood for priority tasks that require mental alertness. With only junk mail standing between you and the evening meal or leisure time, you tend not to dawdle over those eye-appealing folders. The secret is to review all junk mail, but do it quickly, without allowing it to infringe on priority time that could be used for priority tasks.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Creative problem solving often means you need to face, examine and tangle with rules. It helps if you understand why rules exist and how to uncover the reason behind the rules.
Enjoy this video from Creativity Catalyst, George Torok as he discusses how to approach rules in Creative Problem Solving.
Warning: Some ideas expressed will offend some people. Stupid people need not watch this video.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Creative Problem Solving starts by understanding and following the principle of differed judgement.
Enjoy this video from Creativity Catalyst, George Torok, as he talks about the DNA of creative problem solving.
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How to distinguish and handle Acute and Chronic Problems.
In this video learn the difference between Acute and Chronic Problems and how to manage them differently.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Develop a mission statement.
A mission statement will give direction to your business and personal life. It will keep you focused on your reason for being in business and keep you from getting sidetracked by all the opportunities that are unrelated to your chosen profession. You can be good at a lot of things, but greatness requires focus. My advice is to choose an area of specialty, write a mission or vision statement, and set long-range and annual goals that are compatible with that mission.
Record your mission statement in the front of your planner where you will see it every time you open your planner to record an appointment or activity. You might even put it on the front cover. It should be short and simple, such as “To help others succeed in business through better time management skills.”
Set goals
Limit your goals to five or six per year at any one time. This forces you to focus on the valuable few rather than jumping from one goal to another based on the whims of the moment. Too many goals are distracting. You can always add new ones to the list as the others are completed. Write them in the front of your planner or in a special category of your To Do List on your Blackberry or other PDA. They should be portable, so don’t limit them to a list on your desktop planner unless you spend your life in front of the computer. Assign deadline dates. One goal might be “To complete a book on Procrastination by July 30th.” Another might be “To have a fully operational website by October 15th.” Make sure these deadlines are realistic. Work backwards. If you want to complete a task by the end of the year, and it takes an estimated 100 hours to complete it, how many hours each week would you have to schedule in your planner in order to meet that deadline? If the answer is 10 hours, based on your current level of activity that might be unrealistic. So change the deadline date. Once you have a workable plan, be sure to block off appointments with yourself to actually do the work.
The goals that you write should all help to further your mission. In the example above, developing a time management workshop by April 30th would help; but purchasing a cabin cruiser by June 15th would not. However if your mission were to live in luxury for the rest of your life, the goal would be compatible.
Develop personal time policies
Personal time policies are guidelines that will help you make tough decisions regarding the budgeting of your time. Business policies are used in organizations to help employees make decisions on their own. Examples of business policies might be the customer is always right or we will not be undersold. Similarly, from a personal standpoint, it helps to have a set of personal time policies or value statements. These policies may be different for different individuals and may include statements such as:
Policies such as these simply serve as guidelines when making decisions that affect your use of time. Personal time policies also help you to maintain balance in your life. You must also schedule personal and family activities into your planner as well.
Time planning for entrepreneurs involves a thoughtful consideration of why your company exists, what it is you want to accomplish through it, and how you plan to get there. Then any time efficiencies you practice will not be in vain.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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1. If certain people find it necessary to interrupt you frequently, schedule brief, five-minute stand-up meetings with these people each morning to improve communications. Have a question and answer session and let them know what’s happening that day.
2. Keep a tally sheet on how often the various people interrupt you during a day. You’ll soon know who the time thieves are. Talk to the offenders to determine the reason, and ask for suggestions on how you can both save some time.
3. Set time limits for the frequent offenders. Example: “Is ten minutes sufficient, Bob? Or should we schedule more time later in the day (or week)?” Never allow open ended meetings. Always set deadlines. And be sure to allow extra time when scheduling projects to allow for the any unavoidable interruptions.
4. Don’t close your door for excessively long periods of time or people will think the only way that they can gain access to you is to interrupt you. Also, don’t store information in your office that people need to access frequently. Locate your in basket outside your office so people won’t have to interrupt you when they are simply delivering mail or correspondence to you. Be careful you don’t encourage interruptions.
5. When people barge in on you, use body language to indicate that you’re busy. Don’t be so quick to drop your pen, and lean back when these constant interrupters barge in.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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http://www.tac-focus.com/focus-areas/succession-transition-planning
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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 Regardless of whether your summer travel plans call for camping in the wild, whitewater rafting down a raging river or taking a road trip, one objective should be to disconnect from the hustle and bustle back home and really get away from it all.
If the very thought of unplugging from your workplace causes you to break out in a cold sweat, remember: Disconnection is key to full relaxation. Numerous scientific studies have shown that people who take vacations are less likely to suffer from depression and report higher levels of overall happiness than people who don’t.
The truth is, over time, our physical and mental health deteriorates if we don’t take time to decompress and slow down. This hampers our ability to be effective players at work and can cramp our personal lives as well. So start by thinking of your vacation as an investment in your well-being, then follow these ten tips on how to prepare to go on vacation.
1. Don’t leave important, must-get-done projects to the last minute. You risk not getting them finished and having them mentally weigh you down during your “off time” – or worse: working on them while you are supposed to be relaxing.
2. Select someone as your contact person who can address important issues and emergencies while you’re gone. Brief her/him – and your boss – about any potential issues that may arise.
3. If you are closing your office and everyone will be leaving, let your key clients know how long you will be away. Provide the names and contact information of people your clients can reach out to if they need a resource. Leave your cell number on your email away message or cell phone voice mail saying that you can be reached if (and I mean only if) there is an emergency. I have done this fo r the last ten years and, so far, no one has called.
4. Never officially come back on a Monday. Make your re-entry easier by officially starting on a Tuesday. Use Monday for catch-up and prepare a cheat sheet ahead of time with a reminder list of to-do’s to be completed immediately upon your return.
5. Once you have your work responsibilities covered, you can begin to get in the vacation frame of mind.Quietly ask yourself what you need to do to get the highest level of benefit from your vacation, and set realistic expectations for your time away. For example: It may take you a day or so to decompress. Don’t try to force the relaxation; instead, ease into it.
6. Facilitate your decompression by pampering yourself a bit ahead of time. Indulge in a pre-vacation massage, golf game or long lunch – anything that helps you get into relaxation mode. Invest in a haircut, manicure, pedicure, etc. so that you can feel confident and spoiled.
7. If you’re taking a stay-at-home vacation, otherwise known as a “staycation”, keep the vacation mode alive and well by keeping yourself from over-planning activities. For example: Don’t make hard labor projects at home, like building a new kitchen, one of your staycation goals. Instead make your time at home unstructured. Watch that movie tha t’s been sitting by the TV for weeks, sit back and read a book, spend hours pursuing your hobby. Do what you always want to do but never seem to have time for.
8. One of the easiest things to do, yet one of the most often forgotten, is to arrange for someone to check your mail and pick up newspapers while you are away. This prevents would-be thieves from knowing you’re not home.
9. Pack smart by keeping the small details in mind, and make sure to take items that tend to be more expensive at vacation resorts, such as sunblock, toothpaste and aspirin.
10. Save money by booking a suite:An extra-large hotel room might seem pricey, but it’s often the best deal for a big family. Ask about the availability of sleeper sofas and rollaways if you need additional beds.
11. Recent research shows that, to be the most satisfying, leisure time should resemble the best aspects of work: challenges, skills and important relationships. Do some research and identify the types of activities you might want to do on your trip such as golfing, sailing, biking or hiking. What family fun is available? If you think vegging out is a vacation, you may be sh ortchanging yourself. Oftentimes, keeping your mind occupied will be easier than just trying to instantly tune out.
12. Lastly, when on the actual vacation itself, be sure to avoid multitasking. Being on the beach while texting does not make for a true vacation. And please don’t rush throughyour plans. The idea is to enjoy your vacation in a leisurely ma nner and not race through it as if you were running a marathon. Instead, create a loose schedule whereby everyone gets to do what they want to do and ends up satisfied with the time off.
You need and deserve to tune out once in a while. This prevents you from hitting a wall in your job when there is no break. Remember, when you look back at your life, it’s not going to be what you missed at work during your vacation you’ll think about – but the memories made from quality time away. On that note, upon your return, keep your memories alive by framing photos of your vacation. Let the joy of your vacation be remembered in special places in your home and office.
Cheers
Roz
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George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Wayne Einhorn is my guest on Business in Motion this week. Listen in to Business in Motion on radio station 93.3 CFMU. Fridays at 12 noon eastern time.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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This question was posed in a Linkedin group.
What is Strategic Thinking?
This was my reply.
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We only need a strategy when we want to change something. You don’t need a strategy to stay the same.
Strategic thinking must be the ability to clairify the pain that you are willing to experience for the uncertain outcome.
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What do you think?
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| LGeneral Adrew Leslie (Ret) |
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Respect your assistant’s time as well as your own.
Some managers fail to consider how their behavior impacts their staff member’s effectiveness on the job. Poor time management practices reverberate throughout the organization. If you are obeying these ten tongue-in-cheek commandments from an administrative assistant, you could be in trouble.
1. When you give me a time-sensitive assignment, leave it until the last minute. I love the adrenalin rush of an unrealistic deadline.
2. Interrupt me every few minutes to ask how a project is going. I hate the feeling of neglect that trust can produce.
3. When you leave the office, don’t tell me where you’re going or how long you’ll be gone. Not knowing stimulates my creativity when others ask.
4. Don’t share the company’s mission statement and goals with me. I love the challenge of prioritizing jobs without knowing how they relate to overall objectives.
5. Don’t put deadline dates on any assignments you give me to do. Not knowing their relative importance allows me to hone my psychic skills.
6. Give me things to do just before quitting time. I am always looking for excuses to work late.
7. If I do a good job, keep it a secret. If word gets out it could mean a raise or heaven forbid, a promotion. And I love everything just the way it is.
8. Search for minor errors in any documents that I create. (The ones that normal people would never notice.) It doesn’t matter that they are simply for internal discussion purposes or not. Everyone appreciates a perfectionist. And constant criticism keeps me humble.
9. If I make an obvious mistake, be sure to criticize me in public. I’d hate to have my fellow workers think I’m perfect.
10. Keep interrupting me throughout the day with trivial chitchat. Those constant breaks in my concentration are stress relieving and keep me from finishing projects too quickly.
Your administrative assistant is the key to your success as a manager. But he/she is probably already the dumping ground for a myriad of tasks and victim of countless interruptions. The desperate salesperson fighting to get through to the boss, the harried employee looking for a copy of a misplaced memo, a courier dropping off a package and wanting a signature, the irate customer, convinced he had ordered something different than he received. Your assistant sits precariously in the line of firehe/she is probably already the dumping ground for a myriad of tasks and victim of countless interruptions. The desperate salesperson fighting to get through to the boss, the harried employee looking for a copy of a misplaced memo, a courier dropping off a package and wanting a signature, the irate customer, convinced he had ordered something different than he received. Your assistant sits precariously in the line of firehe/she is probably already the dumping ground for a myriad of tasks and victim of countless interruptions. The desperate salesperson fighting to get through to the boss, the harried employee looking for a copy of a misplaced memo, a courier dropping off a package and wanting a signature, the irate customer, convinced he had ordered something different than he received. Your assistant sits precariously in the line of fire
Don’t be a perfectionist. While it’s important that such things as client proposals be top quality, remember that by spending unnecessary time on a task, other high pay-off activities may be short-changed.
Communicate. The more your assistant knows, the more he or she will be able to help you. A knowledgeable assistant can save you hours each week by providing information to callers and visitors without having to disturb you. When you attend a conference or take a vacation, spend some time briefing your assistant on matters that are likely to occur during your absence.
Above all, set a good example and show respect for your assistant’s time. Plan your day. Accumulate the non-urgent requests to eliminate constant interruptions Keep a folder to house assignments of lesser importance for later review. Place realistic deadlines on all tasks that you assign. Respect your assistant’s time as well as your own.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Watch this video of Harold Taylor pointing out the silly things that we do at work to waste our time and get us into trouble. The Three Stooges couldn’t have done a funnier yet revealing skit.
Harold Taylor will be a guest on Business in Motion on Friday June 1 at 12 noon Eastern time. Listen to the live broadcast on 93.3 FM in the Hamilton are or online at http://cfmu.msumcmaster.ca/
Harold is a time management expert, author and professional speaker. I’ve been using his Taylor Time Planner for over 20 years.
https://www.taylorintime.com/
Click here to Learn more about Taylor Time Consultants
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
What does it take to become one of the richest men in the world? Get some insight from The Snowball, the story of successful investor Warren Buffet. You’ll find insights into not just his strategies for business and investing, but his personal life as well. Certainly a good choice for any budding MBA in search of wisdom from one of the greatest men in business.
Written by former GM CEO Alfred Sloan in 1963, My Years With General Motors has been regarded as a management classic for many years. So much so, that Business Week named it their top pick for their “bookshelf of indispensable reading.” Full of ideas for creative business management, Sloan’s biography is no less than a manual for managers. Read his story, and you’ll be able to better understand the basic concepts of the discipline of management, and how Sloan put these concepts to work to turn GM into the biggest company in the world after WWII.
It’s no wonder that Steve Jobs was Amazon’s best selling book of 2011: it’s an amazingly insightful look into one of the most talked about men in business. The late Jobs is legendary for his creativity, innovation, and being notoriously difficult to work with. Apple fans, business students, and those curious about Jobs’ life will be satisfied with this biography that delves deeply into his life.
Follow media tycoon Ted Turner’s story in this book, from dropping out of college to turning his father’s billboard company into an international media empire, and going on to become a champion in his personal interests of sailing and baseball as well. Written primarily by Turner himself, Call Me Ted also includes passages from those close to him, including family, colleagues, and competitors, all revealing how Turner has pushed through setbacks and learned how to achieve greatness in business and in life.
The hard work and frustrations of business school may have you questioning what the point of all this is, and Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography might just answer that question. As a man who amassed a great fortune, Carnegie famously put his money to work as a philanthropist. This book explains how he created organizations that allowed him to give away more than $350 million in his own lifetime.Read the rest of this post at 15 Biographies Every MBA Student Should Read
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
First visit to Iran in 2009 – TV interview on People in Connection TV with Host Marie Mushing
George TorokHost of Business in MotionBusiness SpeakerListen to Business in Motion audio PodCastsOn iTunesBusiness in Motion on Facebook
Do you know of young business leaders in Halton, Hamilton or Niagara? The Business Link newspaper is searching for nominations for The Top 40 under Forty.
The Business Link will be honouring 40businesspeople under 40 years of age (as of March 1, 2012) who are making theirmark in the Greater Hamilton and Halton communities through business success, communityinvolvement and charitable work.
Notice the combined requirement for business success plus community involvement and charity work.
I guess that means that hermit Internet millionaires need not apply.
You can find The Top 40 under Forty nomination form here.
George TorokHost of Business in MotionBusiness Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCastsOn iTunesBusiness in Motion on Facebook
Listen to this audio interview with Seth Godin on the topic of Weird. If you are not yet weird, maybe you will be after listening to Seth Godin.
Success Mag interview, 2012 from Seth Godin on Vimeo.
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
Why We Need Contrarians in The Workplace
This article by Barbara Moses published in the Globe and Mail suggests that contrarians are valuable additions to every workplace team – whether they are appreciated or not.
But is a contrarian really appreciated by a group of team players? Are the two labels polar opposites, or is one a different shade of the other?
I agree with the position of the article that the concept of being a team player has been over hyped. I think to the point of blind obedience.
In my experience good team players:
In my experience contrarians:
George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook
Kick off the new year by listening to George Torok’s “Top 10 Tips to Make Your 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year“.
Listen to this 30 minute radio show with host, George Torok.
10-tips-to-make-2012-more-productive-profitable
Here is a summary of the tips.
10 Tips to Make 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year
1. Fail Fast, Fail Often and Fail Cheap
Be willing to make, and learn from your mistakes. Treat mistakes as part of the growing process – not an end. Think ahead by limiting the cost of possible failures. This tip is courtesy of Jim Estill.
2. Be Clear on Your Purpose
Why are you doing this? Ask that question of yourself more often before you invest your time, money or effort. Clarify the purpose of each meeting, promotion or decision before you commit.
3. Fundamentals
Revisit the fundamentals. Technology changes rapidly. Techniques adapt to circumstances. But the fundamentals never change nor fail you. Don’t wing it, understand the fundamentals.
4. Stop Chasing Perfection
You will never be perfect. Chasing perfection will result in repeated frustration. Instead strive to be better every time. Then you can experience a chain of small wins and progressive successes.
5. Stop Doing Things
What do you need to stop doing to allow you to do more of what you really want to do? Write your “Stop doing list”. This is as important as your “To do list.”
6. Scare Yourself
Face at least one thing that scares you. That’s how you grow. Courage is not being without fear – it is facing your fear. You’ll discover more about yourself when you scare yourself.
7. Ask Better Questions
Ask better questions of yourself, others and the world around you. You’ll be amazed at the answers you’ll get. It takes more thought to ask good questions than to answer them.
8. Review and Use Your Resources
You have resources that you aren’t fully using. Check your tangible and especially intangible resources for new opportunities. You already have what you need to succeed. Check your pockets.
9. Visit Other Worlds
Life is best observed through a kaleidoscope. Discover other cultures, opinions and perspectives. Volunteer for a charity, read about history and listen to other views without judging. Walk around the block with your eyes open.
10. Accept the Mess in Your Head
You are the best person to deal with the mess in your head. That will include a mix of ideas, questions, unfinished thoughts, self doubts, fears, anxieties, hopes, dreams…
No one else will ever know about the mess in your head. And you can work to organize some of that mess.
Listen to the podcast of this radio show here.
It’s difficult to select the best because many of these radio interviews with business leaders are so good. Here is our selection for this year. Click the links to listen to the interviews. Enjoy. Be inspired.
Murray Hogarth, Founder Pioneer Gas Stations
Murray Hogarth launched the first Pioneer gas station in 1956. Today there are more than 150 Pioneer gas stations across Ontario.
Listen to the radio interview with Murray Hogarth
Who is Bruce McDougall?
He is the founder and president of The McDougall Group, a financial planning company in Burlington, Ontario. A past president of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce he is a long time active Rotarian. He is a marathon runner, tri-athlete, a past competitive racquetball player and an avid golfer.
Listen to the interview Bruce McDougall
Kathy Bardswick, The Co-Operators Group
Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.
Interview with Alan McLaren, Co-CEO of Infinity Communications
Who is Infinity Communications?
Infinity is a full service communications agency specializing in public relations, branding and social media strategies. We help our clients “Get Noticed and Stay Noticed”, through focused communication programs designed to build brand awareness and drive revenue growth.
One of the best ways to reach your target audiences is to use a combination of traditional public relations strategies offline, while leveraging social media and web strategies online.
We are living in a connected world and it is important to bridge the conversation both online and offline.
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Insights and excerpts from this interview with Alan McLaren of Infinity Communications
Purpose of marketing is building the brand to be top of mind.
Common mistake on the web is not connecting the dots.
Key question is, does more traffic mean more business? That is the bottom line.
Marketing is not scientific. One plus one does not equal two.
Half the time, we turn prospective clients away because the fit is not right.
Red Flag Deals was one of our proud success stories.
I hate doing the numbers – but you need to do that.
As Co-CEOs we each have our strengths and defined roles.
Interview on Business in Motion with radio show host George Torok
Listen to the radio interview on podscast
Listen to the radio interview on itunes
You know the old conundrum, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
One leads to other and one can exist without the other.
Well a similar conundrum exists when it comes to motivation. The question is, “What comes first the motivation or the motion?” Motivation and motion are closely related and interdependent. The words come from the same root. Certainly motivation leads to motion and motion builds motivation.
What comes first? It doesn’t really matter. When you feel motivated you will move into action – motion. When you are in motion already you will feel motivated – motivation. So if you don’t feel motivated – move. Do something. Start something. Get yourself into motion and you will start to feel more motivated. Doing things motivates. Resting seldom motivates you. Yes everyone needs a break but “break” is relative and a good break can just be a change.
When you want to feel motivated – move. Put yourself into motion. You might be surprised at how motivated you feel. We feel most motivated just after we have completed a tremendous task. Right after I finish a marathon I feel like I can run another (not right away of course).
So when you need some motivation – move. Try your happy dance.
© George Torok is a Canadian motivational speaker who specializes in helping business owners and professionals deliver their messages for better results. Visit his website www.Torok.com
The 10 Reasons Why You Don’t Sell as Much as You Could (or Should) and What To Do About It by Jim DomanskiBe real honest with yourself: are you selling as much as you could … or as much as you should? If you have that vague and uneasy feeling that ma…
more...Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circ…
more...That’s powerful advice from Jim Estill. He is a successful entrepreneur who build his business from nothing to annual revenue of over $300 million. He then sold the business – like a smart entrepreneur.
I have shared the stage with Jim as presenters and expert panelists. Jim has much wisdom to offer. Of all the advice I’ve gathered from him this one resonates with me the most.
“Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap.” – Jim Estill
Just imagine how “the fear of failing” can halt success. Instead, Jim suggests that we accept failures as necessary to growth.
Jim Estill discusses each point in more detail in this article.
For Better Innovation – Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap
by Jim Estill
Companies need to be encouraging of failure. Too often people are disciplined for trying things that do not work. I advocate the opposite. Praise those who try – even if they fail.
Read the rest of this article at For Better Innovation – Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap
This line in the article particulaily jumped out at me.
“Having failures does not make you a failure. Not trying makes you a failure.”
Host of Business in Motion
George Torok is interviewed on People in Connection TV about his speaking tour in Iran.
He spoke about the Secrets of Power Marketing to business audiences in five cities.
Why do you need both fools and experts on your creative problem solving team?What are their strengths and roles that help you solve problems?In this video George Torok explains the answers to those questions.George Torok – Creativity CatalystCreative F…
more...Enjoy this collection of 20 important business lessons illustrated with case studies.
Here are two that I particularily enjoyed reading.
It’s tough to be the little guy, especially when one of the big guys becomes your direct competition. But at Hangers Cleaners, an offbeat image and good customer service helped them pull through when P&G opened an eco-friendly dry cleaners in the same town. Hangers differentiated itself through van delivery service, funny t-shirts and hangers, as well as social networking. The company also spent time connecting with the community by partnering with local businesses and charities.
Instead of out-pricing or out-spending P&G, Hangers embraced its personality and adopted a culture of excellent service that customers found value in. As a result, Hangers has experienced growth while other local dry cleaners have reported flat or declining revenues.
Another excellent international case study comes from bike manufacturer Triumph, which lost steam in its British home base three decades ago, but found new life by heading overseas. In 2010, Triumph sold just 7,562 bikes in the UK, but 50,000 worldwide, indicating that an international interest paid off for the company. Triumph’s famous factory in Warwickshire closed up shop in 1983, but the Indian factory remained, and these days, the motorcycles have become the country’s Harley Davidson.
The company struggles to meet demand in India, with a six month waiting list and a new factory being built. India’s middle class has embraced the vehicle as an affordable commodity, even giving them as dowries in weddings.
Read the rest of these lessons here.
20 Classic Case Studies Every Business Student Should Know
There are actually two recessions:
The first is the cyclical one, the one that inevitably comes and then inevitably goes. There’s plenty of evidence that intervention can shorten it, and also indications that overdoing a response to it is a waste or even harmful.
The other recession, though, the one with the loss of “good factory jobs” and systemic unemployment–I fear that this recession is here forever.
Why do we believe that jobs where we are paid really good money to do work that can be systemized, written in a manual and/or exported are going to come back ever? The internet has squeezed inefficiencies out of many systems, and the ability to move work around, coordinate activity and digitize data all combine to eliminate a wide swath of the jobs the industrial age created.
There’s a race to the bottom, one where communities fight to suspend labor and environmental rules in order to become the world’s cheapest supplier. The problem with the race to the bottom is that you might win…
Factories were at the center of the industrial age. Buildings where workers came together to efficiently craft cars, pottery, insurance policies and organ transplants–these are job-centric activities, places where local inefficiences are trumped by the gains from mass production and interchangeable parts. If local labor costs the industrialist more, he has to pay it, because what choice does he have?
No longer. If it can be systemized, it will be. If the pressured middleman can find a cheaper source, she will. If the unaffiliated consumer can save a nickel by clicking over here or over there, then that’s what’s going to happen.
It was the inefficiency caused by geography that permitted local workers to earn a better wage, and it was the inefficiency of imperfect communication that allowed companies to charge higher prices.
The industrial age, the one that started with the industrial revolution, is fading away. It is no longer the growth engine of the economy and it seems absurd to imagine that great pay for replaceable work is on the horizon.
This represents a significant discontinuity, a life-changing disappointment for hard-working people who are hoping for stability but are unlikely to get it. It’s a recession, the recession of a hundred years of the growth of the industrial complex.
I’m not a pessimist, though, because the new revolution, the revolution of connection, creates all sorts of new productivity and new opportunities. Not for repetitive factory work, though, not for the sort of thing ADP measures. Most of the wealth created by this revolution doesn’t look like a job, not a full time one anyway.
When everyone has a laptop and connection to the world, then everyone owns a factory. Instead of coming together physically, we have the ability to come together virtually, to earn attention, to connect labor and resources, to deliver value.
Stressful? Of course it is. No one is trained in how to do this, in how to initiate, to visualize, to solve interesting problems and then deliver. Some see the new work as a hodgepodge of little projects, a pale imitation of a ‘real’ job. Others realize that this is a platform for a kind of art, a far more level playing field in which owning a factory isn’t a birthright for a tiny minority but something that hundreds of millions of people have the chance to do.
Gears are going to be shifted regardless. In one direction is lowered expectations and plenty of burger flipping. In the other is a race to the top, in which individuals who are awaiting instructions begin to give them instead.
The future feels a lot more like marketing–it’s impromptu, it’s based on innovation and inspiration, and it involves connections between and among people–and a lot less like factory work, in which you do what you did yesterday, but faster and cheaper.
This means we may need to change our expecations, change our training and change how we engage with the future. Still, it’s better than fighting for a status quo that is no longer. The good news is clear: every forever recession is followed by a lifetime of growth from the next thing…
Job creation is a false idol. The future is about gigs and assets and art and an ever-shifting series of partnerships and projects. It will change the fabric of our society along the way. No one is demanding that we like the change, but the sooner we see it and set out to become an irreplaceable linchpin, the faster the pain will fade, as we get down to the work that needs to be (and now can be) done.
This revolution is at least as big as the last one, and the last one changed everything.
Radio interview with Kathy Kathy Bardswick
Radio interview with Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of the Co-Operators Group.
Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.
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Inisghts from this interview with Kathy Bardswick
The Co-Operators is a co-operative that is owned by 47 other like-minded co-operatives.
Each owner owns an equal share. The share value does not change which means that the company does not focus on driving share value.
They are in the business of offering financial security for Canadians along with peace of mind for the ups and downs of life.
Co-operators was formed to meet unmet needs in 1945 by Saskachewan farmers who were unable to buy insurance from the traditional insurers.
It is run democratically in that everyone has a voice – yet people are held accountable.
A big concern and worry is the sustainability of our world environment and the quality of life.
The increasing gap between rich and poor does not bode well.
Youth Sustainability Conference – an opportunity for students to leverage their passion for sustainability.
We have reduced our internal footprint by 22%. The next goal is 50% and the step after that is to be carbon neutral.
entrepreneur to separate the two.
Raymond Aaron
Frank O’Dea
Jim Geraghty
Jim Grieve
Janet Carding
Diane Brisbois
Jason Field
Cheryl Gregory
Maxine Warsh
Cathy Nesbitt