Archive for June, 2010

Why Manifesting Money Is A Very Real Idea!

Perhaps you’ve heard of manifesting money at some point, but you’re not sure exactly what is involved, or if it is even true. Questioning it’s validity is perfectly fine. After all, money is something that you’re supposed to work hard for. At least that’s what you’ve always been told.
Read more…

Bright Ideas For Personal Development

I’m sure you have a bright personal development idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can’t wait to test out. Of course you’re not the only one with the bright idea. So what motivates you to churn those creative, or even inspiring juices to its utmost flavor?

It’s always best to set up a personal goal where you can accomplish the most in record time, maybe like mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make personal development easier, and even enjoyable.

Here are some personal development tips to make it through the week even if you’re just sitting in your favorite couch. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work while you are busy sitting.

Having a bit of positive thinking can help you realize things that are never thought possible. Thinking big is indeed the way of thinking that made people prosperous.

Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. Without it, passion is void.

This is a perfect example where personal development is made of where you start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens, you can always go back to it later until you finish it.

Commit to your personal development as well as those you love to create powerfully a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. The American Dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without motion. Be amazed as the transformation begins.

Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work. You will be surprised to see of there are other ways to get the task done in time. If you are not pleased with the outcome of your personal development, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate shift.

Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive personal development way. Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude, away from poverty consciousness.

Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based in increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face people or tasks that may seem harder than scaling the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task is just as important as giving out orders to your subordinates. You would rather be richly passionate!

Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. No one can take personal development of your passionate future from you except for you! Create your life authentically. As long as there’s still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. The concept of thinking big is all about enjoying your work, which would lead to celebrate a discovery that is born within your hands. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

It’s interesting how people get wallowed up by something trivial as learning to use a computer, when nowadays that top computer companies are manufacturing software that even the kids can do it. I don’t mean to be condescending, but that’s the idea of not having any positive thinking in your life-you’ll just end up as a dim bulb in a dark corner. So instead of subjecting yourself to what you will be doomed for, make your path by taking the first step with a positive personal development.

Tomas Labas
http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/bright-ideas-for-personal-development-82344.html

Get Rid of Impossible

“If you have faith as mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20 NKJV).

As the concept, impossible, I remember the late great Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s book “You Can If You Think You Can.” Dr. Peale described the curious procedure of a well-known inspirational great writer named Napoleon Hill, whom I greatly admired.

“As a young man he had the ambition to be a writer. To accomplish this object he knew he would need to become expert in the proper use of words. Words would be his stock-in-trade, but since he was a poor boy and a deficient in education, good friends assured him his ambition was impossible.”

Dr. Peale added, “Young Napoleon saved his money and bought the finest, most complete and beautiful dictionary, and he meant to master them. But then he did a strange thing. He turned to the impossible and with fine scissor clipped it out of the dictionary and threw it away. Then he had a book of words devoid of that negative concept, impossible. Thereafter he built his whole career on the premise that nothing is impossible to the person who wants to grow and outgrow.”

I remember the saying of the great Goethe “Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

The sayings above of the great philosopher is really true, I proved it in myself!

I’ll still remember when I was a young boy. I have a lot of great dreams for my future. But how could it be? It’s the same questioned that always lingering in my mind. I’m the product of a broken home family, grew up in the street, and stayed with different and even with the cruel person in this world! It’s good that was over! The bitter memory of my childhood!

I have learned through my life experiences and studies from the profiles as well as writings of the great wise men that the only way to beat the odds in life is to face as well as take it as a challenge and continue on remaking ourselves into a better and productive individual! And also by making God as a partner in every aspiring in life because in Him nothing is impossible!

Because of the positive attitude that I had and by encouraging, motivating, and nurturing myself to believe in the beauty of my dreams, I gradually finished my Bachelor’s degree in History and Minor in Political Science and passed the Teachers Board Exam with my own self-determination and now I am working as School Guidance Counselor, College Instructor, and Working Students Supervisor.

One hundred percent, I certainly agree in the sayings of the late great president of America, President Calvin Coolidge that “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

To you, my dear readers, I firmly encourage you to read and think of this carefully:

If you have a dreams

Hold on to your dreams

If your dreams die

You’re like a wounded bird without a wing!

People always remember that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams!

That’s why I would like to remind you, Do your best and God will do the rest!

You Can If You Think You Can!

Wish you many blessings to come and God Bless!

Moises P. Reconalla

Moises Reconalla
http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/get-rid-of-impossible-116007.html

7 Steps to Creating Million-dollar Results With your Own Mastermind Team

“Mastermind” is the one of the greatest “secrets” to success. A Mastermind is a group of people who share a common vision and commit to leveraging each other’s brilliance, skills and big thinking to achieve their biggest dreams. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, talked about the power of masterminding almost 100 years ago! When you gather a small group of committed, successful people together and focus on your individual businesses – magic happens. I know – I just spent last weekend with my Master Mind for our quarterly in-person meeting and the results were phenomenal.

When I look back at the 18 months our Master Mind has been together it’s truly amazing what each of our five members has accomplished.

Launched a highly lucrative seminar series

Made over $80k in just under 5 days

Leapt from struggling financially to six-figure income

Rebranded business and launched new website in under 3 months

Created a highly sought-after protégée program

Too many more to count!

I’ve personally participated in these types of groups for over 10 years. In reflection, some of my greatest “out-of-the-box” ideas and big accomplishments come from this type of unwavering support (and a swift kick in the butt) when I get scared.

I get approached all of the time to help people put their own mastermind together so I thought this month I’d share my insider secrets to creating million-dollar results through a mastermind team.

1. Mastermind with others who are playing big.

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Most of my time is spent with my mastermind group. They are all 6-figure earners who take big risks and are well respected in the community. If you want a massive leap in your business success, start surrounding yourself with the “power players.” These type of people will never let you get away with playing it safe and being unsuccessful.

2. Commit to meeting regularly.

Our group meets every Monday morning on the phone for 1 ½ hours and three times a year in person for a retreat. Our commitment to each other is a part of what keeps us on our toes. During our weekly calls, two members of the group present a challenge and the rest of us brainstorm and strategize solutions. Our retreats are more in-depth planning events. Consistency is the key.

3. Solve problems with the “third mind.”

When two or more people are gathered, a third entity is created which is the “collective intelligence.” It is said that a problem can never be solved with the same level of thinking in which it is created. Part of the magic of masterminding is in the synergy created by people who don’t really think the same way. By building on each other’s ideas, something completely new gets created.

Case in Point:

At a recent event, a few members of our mastermind were having breakfast and talking about the Small Biz Marketing Summit that we are all speaking at in May (another result of leveraging each other.) As we threw out an idea to market the event, each of us built on it until we realized that not only had we created a brilliant way to help people get the most out of seminars but we had created a whole new product! By bringing one possibility to the group we synergized and brainstormed our way into a really awesome opportunity for everyone. Now that’s cool!

4. Balance ambition with reality.

It is often said that there are no unrealistic goals, just unrealistic timelines. Sometimes as entrepreneurs, our big visions of success are really “right, shiny objects”(i.e. distractions from the goal.) A mastermind helps you stay focused, keep things simple and accomplish more because you are staying on track.

5. Leverage a “board of advisors”.

I can’t tell you how many times my mastermind group has saved me thousands of dollars with excellent business advice. When I incorporated, it was my mastermind I turned to for advice on all of the steps. When someone throws out an idea that seems unrealistic, I whip out my “how will it make you money” filter. We each represent a certain type of skills or strength that balances the group. When we don’t know what to do about a business decision, we will often bring it to the team to help us decide.

6. Experience mastery.

You can’t “hide out” or play small when you have a mastermind committed to the success of each member. You are forced to strive for that extra goal when you know your mastermind is holding you accountable. A mastermind pulls you forward. It becomes easy to take responsibility for your success and growth when you know someone “has your back.”

7. Evolve beyond your wildest dreams.

Sometimes when life is a bit challenging, one of us will slack off, get stagnate, or start thinking small. Each and every one of us believes that we have made a $10,000+ investment in each other. We show up (no excuses) for the calls on time, we talk to each other regularly outside of the calls, we give our time and talent to each other freely to support each others ventures, and we always challenge each other to play big. And we have made a commitment to each other that we won’t leave anyone behind and we won’t play small. So in turn, when life gets rough, we get through it with support and camaraderie.

* * *

I highly encourage each of you to form your own mastermind. Simply look around at people you admire and want to associate with and approach them with the idea. They in turn might have friends and associates they want to include. Let it evolve naturally – take the initiative to get your own mastermind started.

Melanie Benson Strick
http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/7-steps-to-creating-milliondollar-results-with-your-own-mastermind-team-127296.html

Busy With No Time To Read a Book?

For most of us who are business people, we love to improve our business acumen via reading and taking courses, but we lack the time to do so.

This is where audio books have come to play a very important role in our lives.

As a business person, you can now use the amazing value inherent in listening to audio books. You won’t have to worry about not having the time or will to flip through the pages of a book.

With an audio book you can enjoy the same value of any business book when preparing to go to work in the morning, when commuting to and from work, etc.

If you are at a loss for the specific business audio books to go for, below are 6 of some of the best that any business person should listen to:

1. E-Myth Mastery by Michael E. Gerber

Michael E. Gerber, the world’s leading small business guru and bestselling author of the phenomenally successful The E-Myth Revisited, presents the next big step in entrepreneurial management and leadership with E-Myth Mastery. This audiobook presents a practical, real-world program that can be implemented in real-time in your business.

Gerber shows that most businesses fail because of a crisis of vision that creates an inevitable cloud of misdirected activity. Presenting practical exercises to help small business owners recover their vision and passion, he clears a path for getting back to the basic disciplines for business success. The E-Myth credo — Don’t work IN your business, work ON it — is spelled out here in the seven essential disciplines followed by every leader of a world-class enterprise. Each discipline provides the leadership keys for unlocking success in the critical areas of business development:

E-Myth Mastery is the ultimate business development program that will help you recover your passion and turn your company into a world-class operation — a turn-key machine for the money and satisfaction that only a successful entrepreneur can enjoy. Get started today!

2. How to win friends and influence people – by Dale Carnegie

I don’t know about you, but the most important aspect of my business is PEOPLE. For almost every endeavor of life, especially business, we need people to keep the business going.

Not just the people that bring us sales, but also the people that make the sales possible. To be able to succeed at this, we all need to know “how to win friends and influence people”.

That’s why this incredible book by Dale Carnegie is a “must have” for any person in business.

With the power of the information contained in this book, you can learn, not just how to influence people so that they bring in more sales for your business, but most importantly how to win your friends and staff that help you make the sales possible.

Now in audio book format, you can enjoy this book from the comfort of your car while commuting to and from your job.

3. It’s not the big that eat the small… it’s the fast that eat the slow – by Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton

In today’s business, one of the single most common words that we need to embrace is “CHANGE”. In this era where what was the latest yesterday is no longer the latest today, we need to constantly be ready to embrace change.

This audio book by Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton, provides you with all of the information on how to keep your company afloat, despite the ever-changing nature of business today.

Asserting that the fastest organizations in the world today will be those that will thrive, this audio book shows you how to make your company or business among the fastest, using the power of commerce, deployment of resources and good management of people.

4. Management Challenges for the 21st Century – by Peter F. Drucker

When it comes to business management and leadership, one name stands tall in any gathering of experts. That name is Peter F. Drucker.

Being an expert of the industry and writing about it for a staggering 80 years, Drucker is not just talking from theory. He has been there and done that, when it comes to business and management.

This audio book thoroughly examines how business people can handle the management challenges that the 21st century ushers.

5. Jack: Straight from the Gut – by Jack Welch

There’s no denying the fact that Jack Welch is one of the world’s most successful CEOs ever.

In this powerful thought-provoking audio book, he tells his story detailing how you can follow his steps to become one of the most successful persons in your career today.

6. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap – by Jim Collins

You can’t argue with the fact that “without the techniques and strategies, no company or business can excel beyond a few days, weeks or even months”.

Businesses and companies that have stood the test of time for many years know what to do and they have done it right.

Jim Collins took the time to conduct extensive researches into how and what companies did to maintain success for many long years, while their counterparts failed within a few months or years of starting up.

The power of the information contained within this audio book can help any business person to succeed.

These 5 audio books can do a lot for your business and career if you take the time to listen to them, and apply what you will learn therein to your business and career.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/busy-with-no-time-to-read-a-book-91582.html

New to Home Business

Are you a newbie in home business? Are you struggling in your business ideas? Your business management? Unsure how to increase sale?

We all know business owner like yourself love to improve your business acumen via reading and taking courses. But do you have the time to attend any business courses? Do you have that spare time to read those business related books?

Technology has come into our life and become part of the most important vehicle to our success. It makes life easier in almost every ramification.

Audio books give you, the business owner, the opportunity to ‘shallow’ all the business knowledge at the shortest time frame. With an audio book you can enjoy the same value of any business book when preparing to go to work in the morning, when commuting to and from work, etc.

If you are unsure where to start, here are the two best that any business person should listen to:

1. How to win friends and influence people – by Dale Carnegie

I don’t know about you, but the most important aspect of my business is PEOPLE. For almost every endeavor of life, especially business, we need people to keep the business going.

Not just the people that bring us sales, but also the people that make the sales possible. To be able to succeed at this, we all need to know “how to win friends and influence people”.

That’s why this incredible book by Dale Carnegie is a “must have” for any person in business.

With the power of the information contained in this book, you can learn, not just how to influence people so that they bring in more sales for your business, but most importantly how to win your friends and staff that help you make the sales possible.

Now in audio book format, you can enjoy this book from the comfort of your car while commuting to and from your job.

2. E-Myth Revisited

“Gerber loves to exhort people to develop powerful visions for their companies.” —Fortune

In this compact disc edition of the totally revised underground bestseller The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business — from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed— and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have listened to The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.

NOTE: MICHAEL E. GERBER is the Founder and Chairman of E-Myth Worldwide, where he originated his own unique form of small business reengineering processes on behalf of his more than 25, 000 small business clients.

The two audio books above can do a lot for your business and career if you take the time to listen to them, and apply what you will learn therein to your business and career.

If you are to buy these two titles, please visit http://www.millionaudiobook.com

All the best!

Jess
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/new-to-home-business-94555.html

Divorced Dads Tips – Christmas and Holiday Access Tips: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

If you have any questions feel free to ask us. Christmas and holiday day access is one of the biggest problems divorced dads face. The saddest thing are the number of calls we get at our offices from divorced dads for help to see their kids at Christmas.

It saddens me because I was one of those kids who did not see my dad during Christmas. My heart actually goes out to the kids. When you do not see your dad, you think you did something wrong as a kid. We all know that that is not the case. At Christmas time it even feels worse for the many kids who feel this way. My heart also goes out to these kids and their dads.

But here’s the problem the divorced dads face, they feel they are beaten before they even try. So many don’t bother trying. They are overcome with anguish and grief from missing their kids. For example, At least fully two-thirds of the fathers, grandmothers and grandparents that call us, not many of them have not really taken any action up to this point. That’s because they feel that it is totally hopeless and useless to do anything, because they have prejudged the outcome

Of course it is a difficult time. Here is the problem when you want to take action. What happens is the court system becomes a bottleneck and becomes even slower than it normally is, which is already slow, it is at a snail pace. It just makes the stress even worse that you are trying to rush things through and it is just not happening.

That’s why a lot of the people who called in to us are exasperated, frustrated because they don’t have a strategy or answers.

Many are very sad and angry with good reason: After they’ve spent tons and tons of money going through the legal system, they have still have not gotten to the solution that they are looking for, they are exasperated and do not really know what else to do. And now it’s Christmas.

Because these divorced dads are having a difficult time emotionally: They are not getting any kind of support from the system; they are not getting any kind of help from their lawyer that is effective, and as a result they are almost like lost souls. They just do not know what to do.

Most often, they have no strategy and that is huge part of the problem. With any problem in life, if you can sit down and try to actually map out a plan, that is always the best way of proceeding. It is not always easy to do because we are talking about our families here. It is hard to remove emotion, but helps to have a clear head and look at it strictly from a strategic point of view.

Another part of the problem is that most of the people who had called in have been provoked beyond reason, And that they are having a very, very difficult time too, especially when they are suffering all of the above symptoms of discrimination in Family Court.

So what’s the solution?

Coaching and solution focused mentoring that points a divorced dads in the right direction: Finding a father who has been successful in solving this particular problem is crucial, because then he can show what has already worked in his situation.

The important point is this exasperation won’t solve your problems, nor will frustration, nor anger. The # 1 thing successful divorced dads have in common is an open mind and a creative spirit. When there is seemingly no way possible, you must make a way

Like their children when they want something badly they never take NO for an answer. Neither should a divorced dad, no matter the obstacles or challenges. That’s the best present a divorced dad can give their child their can-do spirit the one that overcomes all odds.

That’s a gift a child can take with them all the days of their life.

Danny Guspie
http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/divorced-dads-tips-christmas-and-holiday-access-tips-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-346075.html

Sales Programs and Sales Training Courses for Sales Managers

Sales programs and sales training courses can prepare a sales professional for advancement, and keep a sales manager prepared to manage, train, and motivate their sales staff for continuous improvement and a continuous increase in sales.

Sales courses from sales training courses and sales programs will give the new sales manager the background needed to fluently handle the transition from a staff sales professional to a respected sales manager. For a sales manager to be respected, and thus effective, the sales staff must be able to look up to the sales manager for insight, fresh ideas, consultation, management and motivation. Sales programs for sales managers supply the sales training needed to develop a well-respected sales manager that continuously develops and improves with his staff.

Sales programs with sales training courses for sales managers offer training on advanced sales skills as well as sales managerial skills. If a company will not pay for sales manager training, it is still in the sales manager’s best interest to continuously improve his / her skills so that he may effectively perform their managerial responsibilities. Whatever sales and managerial skills are gained can be carried throughout the sales manager’s career.

It is, however, in a company’s best interest to make the investment in sales programs and sales training courses for their sales management. Sales training is contagious. Sales skills gained through sales courses from sales programs will be passed on to the sales staff – assuming the sales manager has refined their communication skills to include one-on-one mentoring, sales training, and on-the-field evaluation and follow-up. If sales training skills have yet to be gained, there are sales programs and sales training courses for sales managers that can train the sales manager to train the sales staff. Investing in sales programs and sales training courses for sales managers is making an investment in your sales manager – and getting a profitable return from your sales staff.

Training courses from sales programs can provide sales managers with the skills they need to manage job constraints that are unique to sales management. Sales programs and sales training courses are available that train sales managers in advanced time management skills, territory management, assessing the strengths and weakness of the sales staff as individuals and as a team, coaching, influence, staff communication, and setting sales goals for a team.

If the sales manager has gained the responsibility of hiring and firing with the newfound management position, sales programs for sales managers can also provide traditional human resource training. Sales programs and sales courses are widely available that can train sales managers to screen potential members for the sales staff, interviewing techniques, evaluation techniques, the legalities of discrimination and sexual harassment, the selection process, and the new hire acclimation process. Sales courses from sales programs for sales managers can also include training in evaluating staff for sales performance reviews and effective staff-management communication skills.

Sales programs and sales training courses are an on-the-job necessity for sales managers. A company that invests in sales training for their sales managers will see the return in the higher efficiencies and stronger selling skills that widen the on-the-job time frame to allow for building more profitable sales that would otherwise go unrealized due to inefficiencies and lack of skills. Sales programs and sales training courses for sales managers will get the sales managers managing the sales staff more efficiently, so your company can spend more time managing the higher profits from the increased sales that accelerated due to your investment in your sales manager’s training.

Lina Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/sales-programs-and-sales-training-courses-for-sales-managers-721004.html

A Business Coach Can Quickly Build Your Success & Wealth

The services provided by a business coach are quite similar to that of a sports coach, the only difference is that business coaching is undertaken for the benefit of an organization. Business coaching not only aims at improving individual performance but also concentrates on improving team performance.

Helps in unlocking hidden potential:

Just as a sports coach helps in unlocking the real potential of players, a business coach helps the employees to improve their working skills. Most successful business coaches know that every employee has the potential to perform above expectations. The only thing required is proper guidance and the confidence that he can achieve the set goal and objective. The aligning of personal and professional goals of the employees with organizational goals and objectives enables the business coach to increase productivity and maximizing profitability. This helps in the increase of profitability and success in a very short time.

Offers more than a standalone business consultant:

People often confuse business coaching with business consulting. Both are very different from each other and are undertaken for achieving different set of goals and objectives. In business consulting, the consultant offers you solutions to your queries, based on his knowledge, experience and technical qualifications. Business consulting is more like gambling in which you win some and lose some. The advice provided by the consultant may or may not work in solving your problems. In comparison, business coaching allows the employees to explore and find the solutions for themselves. It just provides the right guidance, which may not seem much help, but is very essential when it comes to unlocking the true potential of an individual. It takes a great amount of skill and patience to be able to connect with the employees, which can only be made possible with the help of a business coach. The coach provides the necessary guidance to the employee or team members. This helps them to overcome common organizational problems.

Helps employees to do a SWOT analysis:

A business coach will help your employees to identify their weaknesses and strengths. The coach will also provide guidance to enable them to overcome their weaknesses, not by any special methods or techniques, but just by motivating them to concentrate on the core areas. These areas being those in which they feel they can excel and produce the desired results. Just like a sports coach, a business coach helps to develop the right attitude and confidence, which is necessary for enhancing team spirit and reducing the reluctance to work. Employees get empowered and feel more confident to take work-related decisions, which in turn will help in improving organizational efficiency.

A business coach enables the employees to understand the aims and objectives of the company. This helps them to contribute to the overall success of the organization. Employees learn the techniques to improve interpersonal relations with their peers as well as with their subordinates, resulting in increased cooperation between associate team members. This helps in increasing organizational efficiency, necessary for increasing productivity and improving quality.

Kris Koonar
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/a-business-coach-can-quickly-build-your-success-wealth-77254.html

Be Careful What You Reinforce: Feedback and Coaching

An employee’s effort, commonly referred to as “work,” consists
of the behavior(s) that he or she performs while on the job.
Effort has been described as being on a scale of high, medium,
or low. An employee’s performance is the results, and is the
product of effort (work) and behaviors. Performance is typically
classified as being superior, average, or substandard.

When coaching
your subordinates you must understand and recognize the direct
relationship between an employee’s behaviors, and the results
those behaviors produce for the organization. Not all behaviors
are appropriate for the workplace, and not all behaviors produce
desired results that drive organizational success. Effective
coaching includes effective feedback and mostly focuses on
desired results, and the behaviors that produce those results.
When giving supportive feedback it’s important to avoid
reinforcing an employee’s effort or “hard work,” because it may
have little to do with desired behaviors and results.
Well-intentioned managers tend to do this with comments like,
“Way to go,” or “I like your hard work.” The problem is that
these comments tend to reinforce effort, rather than positive
results and success.

Feedback and coaching can be an
incredibly powerful tool when used properly. Likewise, when used
improperly it can be very damaging. Knowing how and when to use
feedback is very important, however, it requires just a little
understanding of basic psychology.

For one of the tests in Psychology 101, most students memorize
the phrase “A behavior rewarded tends to be repeated.” Or stated
another way, “Reward the behavior you would like to see again.”
These phrases are part of a greater understanding called:
Thorndyke’s Law of Effect. Thorndyke made this discovery over a
hundred years ago, but the principle is just as sound today as
it was in his day. So remember, when you give feedback to
someone for a behavior, knowingly or even unknowingly, you are
probably going to see more of that same behavior. That’s
because, “a behavior rewarded tends to be repeated.”

If, for example, you are unaware of what is really going on and
walk by an employee and casually say, “I sure appreciate your
contributions today, you’re looking good,” you could
inadvertently reinforce bad behavior. The employee could have
just made a serious mistake or even have been rude to a
customer. Subconsciously the employee would believe that the
inappropriate behavior had just been reinforced and should,
therefore, be repeated.

The Effort verses Performance illustration on this page is an
example I use in my feedback workshop. It’s interesting to ask
managers, and even executives, what type of feedback they would
give employee A? What type for employee B? And, what type for
employee C? Clearly, employee A is working very hard, but is
producing only average results. This could even be the result of
the manager rewarding this employee’s effort, rather than
focusing on the results the employee is producing.

Employee B, on the other hand, is able to achieve good results
by working smart, not hard. It would be important to reward this
employee’s knowledge and ability, or the manager may see an
erosion of the performance. So, frequent supportive feedback
mostly focused on results and success would be the appropriate
prescription for this employee.

Employee C is one of those rare people who have mastered his/her
job. He/she has learned short cuts and “tricks of the trade”
that enable him/her to be successful without experiencing
burnout. This employee obviously needs and deserves regular
supportive feedback on his/her performance. By the way, it’s not
uncommon for people in employee C’s situation to get bored or
even look for another job if he/she doesn’t receive recognition
and praise through frequent supportive feedback.

On the job many employee actions tend to follow the type of
feedback and coaching they
receive from their manager. In other words, if a manager’s
feedback to an employee is mostly in a particular area, then the
employee’s behavior is more likely to follow in that particular
area than it is in another area. For example, a manager has a
choice of giving feedback in the following five areas:

1. Employee’s character such as honesty, truthfulness and
trustworthiness.

2. Employee’s intentions such as, “I’ll try to fix that
tomorrow, boss.”

3. Employee’s effort such as, “Hey there, look how hard I’m
working.”

4. Employee’s behaviors such as what the employee does.

5. Employee’s results such as the measurable success he/she
produces.

If you reinforce an employee’s positive character traits, you
could see more of those good traits. If you reinforce a person’s
intentions, that’s what you may get, just more intentions. If
you reinforce effort, you could motivate the employee to work
harder, not necessarily smarter. If you reinforce behaviors, you
could see the employee repeating that same behavior; hopefully,
the behavior will produce desired results. And if you reinforce
the positive results the employee actually produces, the
employee will focus more on being successful and figure out for
himself/herself what behaviors (along with the effort needed for
the behavior) will produce the results. In my coaching of people
at all levels I try to give feedback on character, results and
behavior. And I do so in that order because those are the three
desired results I want to see the employee repeat.

Richard L. Williams, Ph.d.
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/be-careful-what-you-reinforce-feedback-and-coaching-3468.html