10 Do’s & Don’ts of Working At Home
Setting up your home office and developing boundaries for productive days are important for entrepreneurs. Working from home demands a strong discipline and mindset. Paying attention to the small details can help you to better manage your time and be more successful.
My public relations and communications training company, Get in Front Communications, is now nine years old. I’ve worked from home with virtual support/assistants and I had an office suite with several employees. I’m offering you some tips to spare you from the frustration I have encountered. Lessons learned:
1- Do have a separate area (preferrably a room with a door) that’s dedicated solely to your work.
2- Do have your own computer so when you log on, “Dora the Explorer” or “Sports Illustrated” don’t pop up.
3- Do guard your time carefully. Avoid taking personal calls or visits from friends or neighbors during work hours.
4- Do have a website and business cards that are professionally designed. Top notch marketing is critical to your success.
5- Do set your work hours and adhere to your schedule. You probably don’t have to be available 24/7. It’s called voicemail.
6- Don’t use your home address. For safety reasons and a professional touch, rent a PO Box or office address.
7- Don’t answer the phone with barking dogs, noisy children in the background and chiming clocks.
8- Don’t invite clients or prospects into your home. Meet at a local coffee shop or restaurant.
9- Don’t create professional video’s with “homey” backgrounds that may be cluttered with family pictures, toys and papers.
10- Don’t schedule repair men or personal appointments in your home while on conference calls or on a client’s watch.
11- BONUS! Don’t turn on the TV for background noise.
These tips can apply to new entrepreneurs as well as seasoned professionals. Look, after nine years, I often have to remind myself of a few of these too, especially #5. Good luck!
On Listening, Communicating & Multi-Tasking
I recently had the honor and opportunity to interview Emmy-award winning journalist Linda Ellerbee. She’s a former TV network news anchor, the host of the acclaimed “Nick News” on Nickelodeon, a breast cancer survivor and really neat lady. I talked with her about listening and communication skills.
Here’s an excerpt from our conversation.We were chatting about distractions that typically interfere with effective communication. Enter: Multi-tasking.
According to Ellerbee, “Everyone today gets praised for multi-tasking. I hate multi-tasking. I hate the idea that I am suppose to be on-line, on my laptop, with the TV on and doing all of these things at once. I think we are far better, and I’m not particularly good at it I don’t think, I’m far better at concentrating on one thing intensely and then switching to something else. Multi-tasking just does not suit me. I don’t know why we consider it to be such an attribute. Someone who is doing ten things at once is not doing all ten of them well. Usually the one that is getting lost is listening to what any one else around you is saying.”
We trick ourselves into believing we are super-talented and productive but in reality, scientists say our brains are capable of effectively managing only one task at a time. What a concept.
25 Success Tips to Master Your Life
Learning how to master your life can be the most amazing yet challenging experience. These critical skills and lessons are invaluable to your success. Unfortunately most of these nuggets are not contained in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Most of us don’t learn these habits in school.
People who take the time to commit themselves to personal development, discipline and good habits are the individuals who will excel. These habits and tips will work for you regardless of your IQ, education, background or financial situation. When you learn to control your mind, you will be empowered to succeed.
Personal development is an ongoing process. Here are 25 proven real-life strategies to help you to manage your life.
1. Cultivate a positive attitude. You are in complete control of your attitude and outlook. It’s a mind game and it’s an “inside job.” When you move through each moment of the day with a bright and optimistic view, your world will unfold with blessings and goodness.
2. Drop your old stuff. Imagine walking around every day with heavy metal garbage cans filled with old junk shackled to your ankles. It would be very difficult to move ahead with ease and comfort. Too many of us spend our lives dragging around emotional baggage that doesn’t serve us well. You may need to talk to a counselor, confront someone or write a letter and then burn it. Acknowledge the pain and move on. It will set you free.
3. Wake up early. No matter how tired or busy you are, take at least five minutes in the morning before anyone else is awake to sit alone quietly. You may want to read something inspirational, meditate, pray, or take a walk outside to greet the new day. These few minutes will bring you peace of mind in a busy world.
4. Use your mental resources to achieve unbridled success. Read books on positive self-talk, daily affirmations and visualization. Talk to people who use these strategies to achieve their goals. Integrate them into your own daily routine. When you learn to discipline your mind, your life will completely change for the better.
5. Avoid spending time with energy drains and “naysayers.” People who complain and are negative will quickly deplete your energy and steal your joy. Limit your time with poisonous people. Surround yourself with positive people who will inspire and encourage you. Remember you can not change anyone else. You can only change yourself. Be the fountain, not the drain.
6. Take time to think and read. You probably use a calendar or electronic gadget to keep track of your projects, meetings and appointments. Schedule a small block of time each day to think and read. If you take five minutes a day to think and 15 minutes a day to read, these two activities can significantly enrich your life and mind.
7. Commit yourself to a life of learning. Turn off the television and radio and fill your mind with information and knowledge that can help you to be successful. If you drive a lot, listen to a motivational or educational CD. Read at least one book a month. Learn from some of the greats by reading biographies on Ghandi, Harry Truman, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Bill Gates. Read magazine articles from successful people you’d like to emulate. Success leaves clues.
8. Make deposits in people’s emotional bank accounts. Take time to tell people that you care about them, share a compliment or simply a smile (yes even to strangers). It helps to create a small ripple of goodness in the universe. You set the stage for the person you helped to do the same for someone else. We’ll all be better for it. Pay it forward.
9. Quit criticizing, judging and complaining. These three habits destroy people and relationships. When you become aware of how you are behaving, that’s when changes can be made. Criticizing, judging and complaining are energy drains for yourself and everyone you encounter.
10. Fail forward. An experience is not a failure if you have learned from it and can apply it to your life. If something doesn’t succeed as you had hoped, when you are down on the ground, be sure to pick up a lesson or valuable insight. That’s called a stepping stone to success. If you learned something, you didn’t fail.
11. Keep a journal. You don’t have to be a good writer but a journal is a wonderful tool to record your feelings, thoughts and activities. It’s a great timeline for future reference. The good thing about journaling is that there are no rules. Some people write religiously every day, while others write a few times a month. Sometimes a journal is the place for a much-needed brain dump. Consider dedicating one section for your Gratitude Journal- reminding yourself each day of a few things that happened that you are grateful for.
12. Write down your goals. Keep a visual reminder of your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals. When we write things down, we activate our subconscious minds to move forward towards our target. Be sure to keep your list in a place that you can see it every day. It’s a great motivator.
13. Be in the moment. That means that wherever your feet are, your head is. In other words, stop the relentless mental soundtrack that plays 24/7 that distracts you from paying true attention to conversations and situations. By silencing your mind and pushing away mental interruptions, you will be more fully engaged in the present moment as life unfolds. Your relationships will thrive. Give people the gift of your attention.
14. Tell the truth. Honesty is based on the principle of integrity. Always tell the truth.
15. Expect good things to happen. When we anticipate good things, they usually happen. If you expect happiness, love and success, they will start showing up in your life. If you look for bad things, they will show up as well. It’s like ordering food in a restaurant. You generally get what you ask for. What we think about, we bring about.
16. Always do your best. Every day we are faced with hundreds of decisions including what to wear, which route to take to work, what to eat for lunch, whether to start a project or call a friend. In each moment, you must consider your options and do your best. Your best will vary. If you have a cold on Tuesday and didn’t have a good night’s sleep, your best will not be the same on Friday when you feel better and are well rested. Every day we have countless possibilities to do our best.
17. Nurture people who are near and dear to you. Let them know how you feel. Whether it’s a handwritten letter, an electronic greeting card, a phone call or a conversation over lunch, telling people how much you care about them and why, can have a wonderful impact on both of you. Tell them now.
18. Create a dreamboard. Use a poster board and cut out pictures of what your ideal life looks like. By making a collage of the images that you are striving for, your subconscious mind will kick into autopilot and start moving you forward. Think big and include pictures and phrases from magazines and travel brochures. You may want to include a family picture in the center. Have fun with your collage and be sure to look at it every day.
19. Avoid procrastination. When something needs to be done, get right to it. Putting it off will only cause stress and anxiety. You may not realize it, but something as minor as running an errand can fester in our minds and bodies. Actor Denzel Washington says that he and his wife have raised their four children with the rule “Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do.”
20. Give freely to people. When you dedicate your life to the philosophy of “What can I give you?” without expecting anything in return, the entire universe will shift for the better. Focus on being of service to other people in every situation you encounter. Shift from being a “go-getter” and to a “go-giver.”
21. Understand the quality of charisma. Charisma is defined as appeal, charm, magnetism and allure. It’s a magical quality that most leaders possess. These are people who look like winners and act like winners. They tend to have big dreams and reach for them. People with charisma show kindness and empathy towards others. They are interested in the people they encounter, have a strong sense of humor and are known for their strength of character. Watch them and learn from them.
22. Laugh every day. Children laugh an average of 300-400 times a day. Adults laugh an average of 15-20 times a day. Where did our joy go? Remember those deep belly laughs when you laugh so hard, you’re literally in tears? We need those hearty bursts of laughter that emanate from our souls. Find something to laugh about every day.
23. Live a healthy life. Be aware of the implications of your diet, nutrition and exercise. Avoid foods with sugar and white flour as they are the addictive drugs of the food chain. Avoid eating heavy meals, especially at night. Stay away from excess, including drugs and alcohol. Exercising and drinking water will help your body to function in new and improved ways. When food shopping, read the labels and know the ingredients. When dining out, ask for your meal to be prepared the way you want it. Take vitamins. Protect your body.
24. Be punctual, or early. Do your best to arrive at least 5-10 minutes early for appointments. When you are early for meetings and appointments, you are considerate of other people’s time. It also helps you to walk in without being frazzled, annoyed or stressed.
25. Be accountable for yourself. Do not blame other people. Take full responsibility for your actions and words. It’s a sign of maturity.
Business Writing:Keeping it Simple & Clear
One of the most critical skills in business communications is your ability to express yourself in a clear and concise manner. Keeping things simple in our busy worlds, where we are inundated with information overload and too much information (“TMI”) can be a challenge. If you think it’s difficult to say it simply, writing it can be even tougher.
Here are five tips to help simplify your writing:
1- Clarify in your mind. Before you begin to write anything, whether it’s a letter, memo or a short e-mail, your message must be clear in your mind. If you are confused or overwhelmed with the information, it will be difficult to express it in writing. Before you begin to write, ask yourself: what is the main reason for my correspondence. What is my point? What is my goal?
2- Draft an outline. Remember your 8th grade Social Studies report? If you’re like me, you had to put together an outline with topics, main headings and supporting details. By using this proven system and including only key phrases and a few punchy words, you will quickly be able to make your point. Topics and details will flow logically and seamlessly.
3- Tell the reader what to expect. If your correspondence is long, introduce the format you will be using in your opening lines. For example, if you’re a bank manager and you are writing a two page memo on new security measures, you may want to begin by stating: “The purpose of this letter is to inform all bank staff about new security measures adopted by the Board. The first two sections will address Topics A and B. The remaining three sections will cover Topics C, D and E.” This format will help to mentally prepare the reader for what’s to come. They will know there are five issues and will have a broad idea of the information that follows.
4- Use bullet points. Bullet points help to provide white space for the reader and break down separate thoughts and information. They also help to keep your writing concise and on track. You can limit each point to a few sentences. This will force you to choose your words carefully and include only relevant information. We are a society of “skimmers”. Make it easy on the reader.
5- Write to express, not to impress. Your reader will appreciate it when you use easy-to-understand language and short sentences. I write the way I speak, conversational, concise and direct. I don’t want to send people to the dictionary or confuse them. Be yourself and be simple. It’s a winning formula when it comes to writing.
Finally, review your letter or memo before sending it. I like to print things out prior to sending them. Reading on a computer screen is somewhat different than holding a document in your hand and reading it. I tend to make changes and catch errors when I’m reviewing a hard copy. Regardless of whether you read your letter on a screen or on paper, be sure to re-read it.
Candor in Communication
Manners, honesty, and candor can make for confusing communication.
When we were kids and spoke our minds (remember that phrase “from the mouths of babes”?), we were often told by our parents and teachers to be careful of other people’s feelings. After all, we didn’t have to say everything that floated into our little heads. As a child, weren’t you told, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, then don’t say anything?” Sometimes we unknowingly said embarrassing or rude things.
At home, I used to remind my kids (now ages 15 and 13) that it’s not good manners to shriek and make weird faces with a fake smile when Grandma asks if we like her new haircut. A conversation my daughter and I once had when she was 12 years-old revolved around why she shouldn’t tell her friend Samantha that she (Samantha) wasn’t invited to Katie’s party. My daughter wanted to tell Samantha it’s because “Katie doesn’t like you.” Ouch.
Brutal honesty can sometimes put a damper on relationships and conversations. I call it editorial judgment. I prefer to follow the advice of my wise old Grandma from Brooklyn who had an interesting approach to communications. “Know when to speak up and know when to shut up.” A beautiful little gem of communications wisdom. Would you dare tell your boss or project leader that the report he put together is horrible and a third grader could have done a better job?
How many times have you tried to linguistically dance around the real truth and wound up avoiding the truth? Sparing someone’s feelings in a social situation may have different consequences than not being candid when working on a project in the office.
In the business world, candid communication is vital to success. In his book, “Winning,” Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO, devotes a whole chapter to “candor.”
He says candor allows for the exchange of ideas – no matter how good or bad. The point being that the more you engage your staff into the conversation, the bigger pool of ideas you have to draw from. It also allows for a more rapid exchange of thoughts and suggestions. In today’s highly competitive environment, the faster we move, the better our chances of beating the competition or winning.
Welch also believes that candor cuts cost. Getting to the heart of the matter eliminates unnecessary meetings, reports, and boring presentations that merely regurgitate the problem, but offer no solutions. How can we be productive and forward thinking if everything we talk about at the conference table is based on something far from the truth?
Welch notes, “You can’t afford to not have candor.” There are consequences to withholding and/or manipulating the truth. It comprises your integrity and trustworthiness – with your customers, the public, and the media. From a media and public relations standpoint, being anything less than candid with reporters is a recipe for disaster. The #1 rule in communicating with the media is to be honest. If you don’t know something, it’s ok to say you don’t know and then offer to find out.
Candor in communication. What a concept.
Make More Money: How to Publicize and Promote Your Business
Your presence affects your prosperity.
It’s that simple.
Despite the dour economy, you can not only keep your current clients but you can make more money by attracting new business and building new relationships.
Many people mistakenly think that Public Relations and marketing are not essential to running a successful organization. Your competitors may be swinging the PR budget axe but they are the ones that will likely NOT survive this economic downturn.
PR, marketing and networking are critical in these tough fiscal times.
When you are consistently proactive and visible to mass numbers of people who have buying power, you will not only withstand this difficult cycle but you will thrive.
Countless business and nonprofit professionals here in San Antonio and across the country tell me they are “the best kept secret.” My immediate response is, “You don’t want to be a secret! It’s time to let the cat out of the bag.”
Here are 5 fast and affordable tips to increase your company’s visibility, credibility and revenues:
1- Focus on your expertise and how it impacts the public. Write a tipsheet or short article (formatted like this one!) to position yourself as an expert in your field. Address the pain/problem of the public and offer solutions. Then post the information on your blog, website, e-zine or Facebook profile. E-mail copies to your clients and prospects. Let them know you’re thinking about them.
2- Learn the power of technology. You don’t have to be online 24/7 to supercharge your marketing and visibility. It’s critical to understand how social media can be an integral part of your marketing mix. Make a commitment to learn about online marketing opportunities. Sign-up for a free teleseminar or webinar, take a class at a local school, or ask a college student to provide some quick tutoring. If you dedicate 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening to social networking, you will reap the benefits of your investment.
3- Speak. Volunteer to provide a free presentation at your local Rotary Club, church, library or professional association. This is an excellent way to get in front of a group of potential customers who are interested in your topic. You’ll be able to help people while building your credibility and name recognition. A few weeks before the event, send out a calendar listing or promo to the business journal and some local newspapers.
4- Pay attention to the news. Read the papers, watch and listen to the TV and radio news. Develop relationships with reporters so when they need a source in a particular field or industry, they will contact you for a quote. Send them press releases, letters to the editor and calendar listings.
5- Get out from behind the computer. As helpful as Twitter, YouTube, Jigsaw, Digg, Delicious, LinkedIn, SKYPE and other technology can be, we must still leverage the “human factor” of business. A cold keyboard can not replace a warm handshake. Determine where your ideal clients spend their time and go there. Attend a few networking events, conferences or trade shows every week or month. Face-to-face connections, smiles and human conversations are priceless.
When you decide to be proactive and use a combination of public relations, online marketing and networking, your presence will increase. So will your prosperity.
Following Your Own Success Path
Have you ever been pulled in so many directions you forgot where you were and where you wanted to go? You may not have had a specific plan, but you had a clue about the general direction you wanted to go. Having studied goal setting, productivity and the subconscious mind, I’ve learned it’s essential to write down goals. When we write down goals, our minds immediately begin zeroing in on our mark and move us forward.
Staying focused is tough these days. But it’s critical to our motivation and success. We’re bombarded with technology, messages, ideas, news and images that can easily pull our attention to areas we had no intention of exploring or considering. Think about the Internet. If you’re like me, you have “Googled” a topic and in a few short minutes, you wind up on tangent websites and have quickly forgotten how you got there and why you “Googled” in the first place. It’s easy to stray and lose focus.
Successful people are able to stay on-task, regardless of the distractions that beg for their attention. I’ve recently noticed I’m learning so much about new marketing and business development opportunities that I am getting sucked into a vortex of well-intentioned people who want to share their skills, knowledge and experience. In phone calls, e-mails and on Facebook, I am encouraged to learn their proven methods, listen to their webinars and join their affiliate programs. I have to constantly remind myself of the three major goals I wrote down earlier this year and stay the course.
You may want to heed the advice that my coach shared with me several years ago: “Be like a horse. Keep your eyes on the path.”
Your Own “Top 10″ List
Unless you’ve been trapped under a rock in some remote corner of the planet, you may have noticed the news is packed with year-end summaries featuring 2008’s “Top 10” lists. There seems to be a list for everything these days. They range from movies, cars, “green places to live”, baby names, celebrity divorces, reality shows, social media videos and worst vegan foods. I’m always amazed that people would actually take the time to recall some of these far-fetched things that don’t quite have a real impact on a whole lot of people.
As the media focuses on these almost nonsensical topics, I encourage you to make better use of your own time and compile your individual Top 10 List. Grab some paper and a pen and write down your key accomplishments and successes during the past twelve months.
I usually have one list for work and one for my personal life. My career successes in 2008 include finishing the manuscript for my new book on “Four-Letter Words”, expanding my speaking programs to empower college students and staff, rolling out my “Recession-Proof PR” program (Virtual PR Coaching) and launching my social media/online marketing campaign. On my personal list, I have kept up with my treadmill and walking each week, we celebrated a huge family milestone for my son with a wonderful party and weekend with family and friends, I continue to enjoy “me” time with the neighborhood Bunco ladies and we now have much-needed family dinners a few nights a week, thanks to the $40 investment of the George Forman grill!
Many of us hide from taking center-stage in our lives. We need to learn “The Shameless Art of Self-Promotion”, a program I use at college campuses around the country. Grab the spotlight now and make your Top 10 List. By doing this, you will remind yourself of the good things you have done. It will energize you and get you excited about what lies ahead in 2009. Give yourself credit for the projects you’ve worked on, the people you have helped and the good that you have done.
Then make your Top 10 Goal List for 2009. Build on the momentum of your 2008 successes.
In the Business of Knowledge
The Star Ledger newspaper in New Jersey recently reported that President-elect Obama’s transition team has selected Rutgers University history professor Clement Price to help choose the next director of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This may not be the biggest news of the day, but Price, had an amazing quote.
When interviewed, he explained, “The National Endowment for the Humanities is designed to promote knowledge and I’m in the knowledge business.”
Are you in the knowledge business? Are you the COE- Chief of Everything, or the CEO- Chief Executive Officer of your life? Maybe you take too much responsibility for everyone and everything. Maybe you’re the self-imposed “Mayor of the Universe.” Is that too lofty of a position for you? Too much pressure? Maybe you need to resign; to simplify your life? Maybe you need to change gears and shift your attitude.
The way to get into the knowledge business is to become a lifelong student of learning. It’s time for us to turn off poisonous newscasts filled with doom and gloom, the shallow reality shows that attract millions of viewers each week and the other things we fill our heads with that don’t help us grow and learn. Too many people are complaining about their mediocre lives. These are NOT people in the knowledge business. They are in the business of having their own never –ending “Pity Party.”
This week, I will bring my “Attitude Adjustment 101” program to the National Council on Student Leadership Conference (NCSL) for college students in Orlando Florida. I will talk about the eight steps needed to improve your attitude. These are all tools and strategies that people in the knowledge business tap into. They include goal setting, visualization, discipline, surround yourself with successful people and more. There’s no talk of
”Pity Parties” and Paul Abdul. There is talk of empowerment, success and knowledge.
Commit yourself to learning one new thing a day and actually applying it to your life. Who knows, you may soon find yourself in the business of knowledge.
Why We Need More BS
If you’re like me, work, business and family may feel a bit overwhelming at times. We are constantly bombarded with irrelevant information, messages, electronic gadgets, and now, unsettling news about our collective economic future. We have so many choices and decisions to make; so much information to decipher, decode and decide on. Whether it’s a new search engine project, budget cuts, or creating a new marketing plan, I keep hearing myself saying “It’s BS-take it slow; We need to take Baby Steps.”
This BS approach is especially important to people like me who like instant results and gratification. The BS mentality reminds me of what I have taught business professionals and college students in my public relations and communication programs. That is we often have to set the table before we sit down to eat. Indeed our technology has drastically changed the pace and the world in which we live. But so much of what we do, especially in business and relationships, requires us to slow down and plant seeds that will eventually take root and produce fruit. Baby Steps.
Maybe this BS approach comes with maturity. And then there’s that P word—patience. In leadership programs I teach, we talk about being decisive. Strong leaders don’t make hasty decisions. They are patient. They learn, read, analyze, understand, ask questions and study. They get clarity. They take Baby Steps. Then they make a decision.
BS —we often function more efficiently and with less pressure when we use the BS approach. You may want to try it.
