The Marrek Group

Lately the question “How can I help?” has been really big in the business world.  As we all continue to work towards recovery in the current economic downturn, people seem to be realizing that the quickest route to success is to find out what people need and how you can fulfill that need.  Especially in a service and knowledge economy, how else can you build your business?

This is the main theme at the Networking Edge Group meetings.  It is everything The Marrek Group works to support in our training programs – Creating Amazing Customer Service, Dealing with Difficult Behaviours, Quality, Sustainability and Innovation, in all of our training sessions and in all of our Networking Edge workshops.

It is the way Audie has built our business: by offering to help others knowing that when she needs them she will be able to count on their help too!

Check out Audie’s article  in the MBOT (Mississauga Board of Trade) Magazine for a full account of the benefits of adopting an attitude of “How can I help?” and share your success stories with us too!

Have a great week.

Lisa

Motivation comes in many forms, some internal to the individual (or intrinsic) and some external (or extrinsic).

If a person is intrinsically motivated they work from a passion for all that they do.  They have a cause deep down inside them that withstands the adversity that often comes when pursuing their dreams.  I heard a quote by Steve Jobs from Apple in which he said “most entrepreneurs give up when they run into the many problems that face them during business start up because they are sane!” He said it is really hard to start a business and sustain and grow it over time and it is only a  passion and a love for what you do that can keep you going when you are in the thick of it.

Find a passion and you will be intrinsically motivated to accomplish your dream.  When trying to motivate and inspire others, find their passion and tap into it.

This philosophy will serve you well as you try to build your business and realize your dreams.

Have a great week.

Lisa

The start of a New Year is a great time to plan your professional development for 2010.  As you decide upon the direction that your organization will take this year, don’t forget to consider the impact on your people.  Changes in the organization may call for training and development of your team members.  Consider if you will hire outside resources or whether members of your team can train others on skills they have already developed.  Train the trainer is a popular option however if the trainers are not trained properly your return on investment will not be realized.  

Tips:  Training Adults

 1. Set learning objectives.  Adult learners need to know where they are headed and how everything in a workshop fits together.

 2. Be flexible.  Everyone has a different style of learning.  Find out who your students are and structure lesson plans to suit their learning styles.

 3.  Facilitate learning.  Help trainees merge what you are teaching with what they already know so they are better able to retain and apply it.

 4.  Practice “learner-centred” training.  Help your learners set goals for themselves and facilitate their journey in reaching them.

 5.  Keep your content clear and simple.  Teach in everyday language and define all concepts upfront for the best learning outcomes.

Do you want to build the life and business of your dreams?

Do you want to be known as someone who can get things done effectively and efficiently while maintaining positive, strong relationships?

Do you want to do this and become the person who has a successful life and business with loyal partners, employees and clients; but you can’t do it alone?

Tips…….

• Go beyond shaking hands and exchanging business cards
• The quality, depth and value of what we get out of networking relationships wholly depends on what we first put in
• The real power comes from the active process of linking the networker to others resulting in mutually beneficial relationships
• The relationship key opens the door to many possibilities
• The people who really stand out above the crowd are the “Connectors” themselves
• A long-term relationship is more important than short-term gain

Do you want to learn more? www.networkingedge.ca

Everyday we all have to interact with many different types of people.  Some are a good “fit” for us because they share our values and our style and our general outlook on life.  These are the ones that are easy to deal with.

Then there are some who see things so differently that their attitudes and behaviours drive us crazy.  These are the diffcult behaviours that challenge us in our relationships with others.

Whether it is a co-worker, a family member, a friend, an acquaintance or even a stranger, the most effective way to handle behaviours we find difficult is to take a step back, control our emotions, try to see things from the other person’s perspective and choose an effective response to accomplish what we need to from our interaction.  This is easier said than done but well worth the effort just in the amount of stress it will prevent!

I recently had an insight into the difficult behaviours of the people in my life:  perhaps they are just reacting to the behaviours they find difficult to deal with in me!  Maybe I am the one that they call ‘difficult’.

What are your thoughts about the part you play in difficult situations in your life?

Stay well!

Lisa

The Business of Business Cards

Since Networking is all the buzz around our “shop” since the launch of my book “Networking Edge: Building Relationships for Success”,  I thought I would offer some tips on a very important aspect of the process – your business card.

1. Make your business card a habit.  This means keeping it with you at all times.
2. Develop a strategy for using business cards to actively promote your business.
3. You should invest in quality business cards.
4. Maximize the power of your card by ensuring your card is neat, clear and readable.
5. Business card etiquette:

- Never force your card on those who have not asked  for it.              – Treat cards with respect when receiving them.

I welcome your thoughts and for more information go to:

www.networkingedge.ca ~ www.marrek.com

Have a great week.

Audie

The Marrek Group is very proud of Audie’s accomplishment in the launch of her new book “Networking Edge: Building Relationships for Success”. The book launch on Monday, June 22, which was attended by about 120 people, was a true testament to Audie’s success in building relationships.

I, myself, felt so gratified that evening to realize the number of wonderful people that I have met since I started working with Audie. It is true what they say, you meet quality people by hanging around with quality people, and Audie is one of the highest quality people I know!

In the newsletter last week, Audie gave her top 5 tips for networking. I would like to add one more: As part of your “getting out there and being active” be selective about the people with whom you network. Hang around with great relationship builders and their positive energy and sincerity will grace you too and position you well to build your own relationships for success.

Please share your own stories about quality people you have met through other quality people and their impact on your business and your life.

Have a great week.

Lisa

Every day it seems I hear of someone that I know who is experiencing change because of the downturn in the economy.

I am delightfully surprised to hear the tone of acceptance in my friends’ voices as they describe what they are going through, especially the ones who have lost their jobs. I have heard some say that they are grateful for the opportunity to spend time with their family and see their children off to school.  One friend said she told her husband, who lost his job after 17 years, that it is a new chapter in their lives.

Despite all of the doom and gloom portrayed in the media, and I don’t dispute the challenges that people face during these times, it seems that we, as a culture, understand that this a reset in the economy and that with some perseverance and conviction, we can all weather the storm and come out stronger than ever, as individuals, as a province, as a country, and as a people.

This attitude toward change is the right way to go.  It is only in embracing change that we can seize the opportunities it provides.

How are you handling the changes in your life?

Have a great week.

Lisa

In my last blog, I promised to talk about mutual accountability.

It sounds like a fancy term but all it really means is that everyone is expected to pull their own weight in an organization.  When a member of the team doesn’t pull their own weight, the others and especially the leader, will engage them in a conversation about what is going on and what they can do together to make it better.

Traditional performance management has always seen the leader point out the problems that a team member is having and dictating a performance improvement plan set up to change the behaviour.  It sounds like the military!

True mutual accountability demands a collaboration between the leader and all team members to identify strengths and areas for improvement.  We praise the good and discover together what can be done in the “improvement” category.  It is only in identifying their own needs that an individual becomes accountable for meeting them with the support of the leader and the rest of the team. Only then can we set achievable goals for the next business period.

What are your thoughts about modern performance management and mutual accountability?

Trust and accountability are the cornerstones of the modern organization and both are fairly elusive concepts.  How do we nurture trust?  How do we hold each other accountable?  Both rest on highly developed interpersonal skills or “emotional intelligence”.

The ability to see yourself as you really are and to accept feedback graciously are the first steps in developing your EQ or Emotional Quotient.  Once you know your strengths and challenges, learning to respond instead of react, controlling your emotions in favour of listening, understanding and then responding demonstrates to others that you are calm in the face of all situations and will not lash out when things go astray.

The other skills that you must develop to increase your EQ and build trust with others are the ability to “read the room” and respond appropriately to the situation at hand.  Think about the people you know who are really good with people.  They seem to know just the right thing to say or do and their timing is impeccable.

These are skills that we can all learn – self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship building.  When we are able to do these things really well, we will have trusting relationships with those we work with and will be well on our way to building an organization of trust.(Based on the theory of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman)

I will discuss mutual accountability in my next blog.

What are your thoughts?