Active AimA Journey and Destination

In the past, we developed teams by putting people together and letting them spend time learning about each other before we charged them with completing assignments. In spite of all our best effort, some teams were more successful than others.

In order to be honest and forthcoming with others, a level of trust must exist. The less we trust, the more guarded and self-protective we become. That’s one of many reasons it’s a challenge to work effectively in teams. The challenge increases tremendously when the people involved haven’t been given the opportunity to get to know each other personally.

Today’s workplace consists of people who have never met each other working on projects. Indeed many of them live in other countries. Those that might live close to their corporate headquarters often telecommute and are rarely available for face-to-face meetings.

In addition, the team is frequently led by a project manager – who has a dotted line relationship to the others and thus very little authoritative leverage. The project manager can only manage through persuasion and negotiation – two methods requiring a high level of trust.

Trust is not easy to develop in the best of circumstances – when working with distant teams the problems increase tremendously.

Professor Larry Leifer at Stanford University discovered that when he had students working in teams from different locations members, complained that they were doing more work than other teammates. When camcorders were placed in their cubicles so that they could see each other at work, the complaints diminished considerably. Apparently, the very act of seeing someone situated at their keyboard increased the belief that they were working hard.

Visual clues are critically important. The more contact we have with another human being (assuming that they are basically trustworthy), the easier it is to trust them. One could even hypothesize that at some unconscious level, our sense of smell plays a part in what has to be seen as primarily an emotionally (psychologically) based decision.

Sound or voice quality is less effective than visual clues. When we know someone only due to our telephone interaction with them, we develop less personal or positive feelings than when we actually sit across the table from them.

We also have the variable of “low-context” and “high-context” cultures. Low context cultures are those in which business is conducted without developing personal relationships. This is akin to our decision to buy something from a discount or big box store. High context cultures are those in which relationships are developed long before the business discussions commence. You might relate this to your decision to work with a consultant, or a decorator, or even shopping regularly in a small private boutique store. This adds another dimension to the problems of building trust between people here in the states and their counterparts in Asia or other parts of the world.

Given these problems, here are my top seven tips to developing trust in distant teams:

1. Allow members of the team to take the time to get to know each other on a somewhat personal level.

2. Have in-house discussions, at all locations, about what is proper to ask and discuss and what crosses the line into intrusive or inappropriate.

3. Share pictures – not only of the staff, but also of their families. Most people are family-oriented and grow to like (and trust) each other when they start to see pictures of their children and to hear stories about them.

4. Send your managers to the locations of their team members whenever possible. Although this is an expense, the potential value in developing trust, respect, and therefore greater levels of understanding and productivity is immeasurable.

5. Teach cultural diversity. Let the people in the various locations around the world learn as much as possible about the behaviors, customs, and expectations of those in other areas with whom they work.

6. If you have telecommuters who can be brought into the office once or twice a month, be sure to have as many face-to-face meetings as possible with them.

7. Use videoconferences and video-cams where feasible.

In other words, break some of the old rules that demand full focus on work related conversations only. Take the time and create the structure that enables people to develop relationships that lead to trust. This leads to cooperation, understanding, and higher productivity and creativity.

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Everyone in life wants to be a success. Success is a state of mind. You are able because you think you are able!

Different people perceive success differently at different points in their lives. When you are younger you identify success with a high flying career and oodles of disposable income. On the flipside, as you grow older you are more susceptible to fall prey to the fallacy of success being the proportional to your social standing.

Whatever your definition is, it sure is susceptible to change and there’s always scope for improvement.

One thing that is common amongst everyone is that everyone wants to be successful and conforms to the fact that there’s nothing so fulfilling in life!

Just take time out and think what success actually means to you. Jot down your definition of success in the space below or on a piece of paper. Think hard and think clear. Make sure you are specific.

Do not carry on reading this until you have done so.

If you haven’t filled in the above space do it now! Don’t cheat yourself! A number of factors influence your definition of success.

How is your definition of success formed?

- Your upbringing
- Your beliefs
- Your traits
- Your attitude
- Your peers
- Society
- The crests and troughs you have been

Subconsciously you have encompassed all of the above factors while putting down what success means to you.

All of the above will contribute as to what success means to you.

Success is not necessarily achieving every goal you set, but how enriched you came out striving to achieve it. Don’t shun your mistakes; take them in your stride because these are nothing but valuable life lessons, which in hindsight look like golden words of advice thrown at you by life itself.

There is a myth that states that people are born winners or born losers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There are techniques, methods and ways of behaving that will enable and help you to succeed. Certain latent attributes can determine whether you will succeed or not. These are not attributes you need to inculcate; we all have them. All you need is a little clarity of thought and voila the revelations will rain in!

You owe it to yourself to get the most out of your life. The worst thing that you can do is to look back in 40 or 50 years time and say, ‘I wish I had done this’ or ‘I wish I had done that’

So don’t shy away from treading where your heart is set! Making sure, you are in the right career will solve half of your life’s problems.

If you feel life hasn’t been too fair with you, don’t lose hope it’s never too late to make a stint in the marathon called life, just needs a little revving up, and you have come to the right place!

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All meaningful actions are performed for some reason or purpose. This is commonly called “motivation”. Success in selling requires understanding these basics of motivation:

-Your motivation both as a person and as a salesperson

-The other person’s motivation both as a person and as a buyer

The most important fact to remember in influencing the behaviour and decisions of others is that “People do things for their reasons, not ours.”

Every successful sale, then, is made not so much because of the excellence of your product or of your sales pitch, but because, consciously or unconsciously, you have found the human reason why your prospect should buy. You have found the door to their motivation and have opened it. The more you understand the function of human motivation, the more successfully you will sell.

In its simplest form, motivation emerges as a cycle. It starts with a want or need, expressed or hidden. Inherent in this is a problem, a problem that must be overcome in order to satisfy the want, that must be solved. Once solved, the want can be satisfied and the cycle is completed.

In terms of personal development there are several levels of needs. You will no doubt be familiar with Maslow’s pyramid of need:

These needs are basic to everyone you sell to, live with, or encounter.

At the bottom of the pyramid are The Physiological Needs. These include food, shelter, warmth, sex and sleep. They are instinctive needs common to all living creatures. Until these needs are satisfied, the higher needs are purely academic.

Then comes Safety which is almost as basic. Security is another word for this need: security in one’s job, in one’s place in society…safety from unknown dangers…freedom from pain.

Love is a more sophisticated but no less essential need. Every human being wants others to care about them, to receive affection. They want to have the approval of others…to be understood…accepted…respected…to belong. And equally important, they have a need to be involved…to care about and give affection to others. The two are inseparable.

Self-esteem is equally essential. Every human being needs to feel that they are important in some sphere of life…that their presence on earth has meaning and significance. The mature person knows that this begins with self-respect. This need provides a tremendous motivational force.

Self-actualization is the highest need: for personal growth and achievement, for self-fulfilment, the best use of one’s capabilities, the fullest possible realisation of potential, within an honest understanding both of the limitations and scope of that potential.

People of course, are different. Their needs will vary in degree, in shape, and in the nature of their answers. But they are common to all. As you are alert to them, as you understand them, so will your success with others be measured.

How do people seek to satisfy their needs? Thorndike’s Law Of Effect supplies the answer:

“People tend to behave in a way to gain rewards and avoid punishment.”

Again, this varies with different people. Generally, people can be classified into three dominant types:

The Seeker of Social Recognition(But no one is likely to be a “pure” type)

The Security-Minded

The Achiever is most likely to be oriented toward gaining rewards.

The Security-Minded is likely to be dominated by the desire to avoid punishment.

The Social Type stands somewhere between the two.

These are the dominating factors. But in varying degrees, each has a little of the other two in them.

In terms of selling, whatever the dominant drive of your prospect, they are above all, buying benefits. Benefits are best defined, in this context, as the results of the product, which enable them to gain rewards and/or avoid punishment.

In making their decision, the buyer uses the “Minimax” principle: To minimise their losses; to maximise their gains. This is true whatever the personality orientation. The emphasis depends again on their individual motivational drive.

The Law of Effect, then depending on specific motivation relates directly to the Pyramid of Human Needs, and expands in this manner:

The benefits you have to offer are both negative and positive. The right emphasis, directed in the right way, offering both to determine preference is your shortest way to your objective.

In summary, according to Russell: “The essence of motivation is finding meaning in what we are doing. Motivation is an inner control of the individual.” Only you can motivate yourself.

All these concepts apply to you in all phases of your life, and your work, as well as they apply to others. Finding the right meaning in what you do will be the great motivator for a more effective you.

Understanding the nature of what motivates each person you deal with will enable you to help them make a decision favourable to both of you.

Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserved

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Most businesses these days have to do some sort of Internet niche marketing if they want to keep their head above water. If you are a small-business owner like me, chances are you have had to learn some niche marketing strategies in order to survive, perhaps even begrudgingly. I know myself, I would rather be focusing on learning more about my craft and my business itself, not the ins and outs of niche marketing. Yet niche marketing has brought me a greater appreciation for my customers and their needs. In fact, I even enjoy it now.

In this article I will share with you general approaches for one of the most viable free traffic sources on the Internet: Craig’s List.

The big “Internet gurus” are just finally getting around to noticing this incredible source of free traffic. Yes, Craig’s list is a Goldmine of marketing opportunities awaiting you if approached correctly. If approached blindly however, you can waste a lot of time and not see any reward. There are a few unique strategies that I employ now that have sent my click rates through the roof.

You see, I live in San Francisco. (the birthplace of Craig’s list) I have seen Craig’s List grow from a very small list into a worldwide phenomena. I have been marketing on Craig’s list for 10 years and know all the tricks. In fact, I have spoken with Craig many times (yes there is a real guy named Craig). To some people the Craig’s List web site might look a little complicated. Do this right now, open up another browser window and I will walk you through a few areas of the web site, highlighting the potential free niche marketing options.

* Community *
In the upper left-hand corner is this box. Listed as subheadings are “activities”, “artists”, “general”, “pets”, and others.

The “General” category is an excellent place for any kind of free report or other free promotional activity. Really, anything goes in this category. Having said that, you do not want to post anything in here that mentions a fee or even has prominently displayed fee based services on your landing page. If you do, it will likely get flagged, quickly.

However you can market your free newsletters, free reports, free tele-classes. If you have a niche product that corresponds to one of the subheadings, all the better. For instance if you are promoting a book on dog training, the ” pets” category here could be a gold mine.

* Personals *
You may think “personals” is a total waste of time unless you are looking for a date, however, the “missed connections”, “rants and raves” and “miscellaneous romance” could be a viable place for marketing a free newsletter or free products or relationship tools or similar things. Again, be careful with fee-based products. The Craig’s list community will flag them very quickly.

* Discussion forums *
It speaks for itself. In general, these are focused discussions on an array of topics. Currently there are 72 discussion forums active. The discussions are worldwide, existing on every Craig’s list. Personally, I have not spent much time here, but I bet you could have great success if you found an appropriate niche. These are real-time discussions. (Hmm, I have to try this myself)

* For Sale *
Yes, For Sale. How have you overlooked this before? These are free classified ads going out to thousands and thousands of people interested in what you are selling in every major city in the world. These are focused niche categories. There are many ways to promote products. For instance, there is a “computer” category. Presumably, those that click on this category will be looking to buy a computer or computer related products. What if you wrote an e-book on how to maintain your computer? Sell it here. “Registry Cleaner Affiliate”, sell it here. There are categories like “sports”, ” musical instruments”, “motorcycles”, “general”. Check this out. It is a real goldmine. I still promote Free stuff here, with the “For Sale” items at the landing page.

* Services *
“Services” is where independent businesses can place free ads. Niches include, “financial”, “legal”, “therapeutic”. This is also a category where you can flat out promote your services. And it is all free.

How to Leverage the Power of Craig’s List.

Craig’s list is operational in hundreds of cities all over the world now. This gives the opportunity to put free ads in front of thousands and thousands of people every day, focused and targeted toward your niche. However, who has the time to post hundreds of advertisements? I certainly do not. And, one thing about the Craig’s list niche marketing strategy - you must post a lot of ads and rotate them regularly.

This is not easy as Craig’s list has duplication flag that will not allow you to post the same message in more than one location or at one time. So, the way around this is to write several different ads. Just change the wording; it is simple. Yet, it takes time. You only have to do it once. It is time well spent.

What I do is write several different ads/postings for different categories.

For example:
I have “Free Stuff” Ads for the Community and other non-sales areas. I have several free reports and several e-mail newsletters. So, I have four or five different versions of each “Free Stuff” Ad.

I have “Paid Products and Services” Ads For the Sale and Services Sections. I also have four or five different versions of several paid products that I list in the “For Sale” and “Services” section. Part of my business is in the therapeutic section.

Every day I have at least 15 to 20 Craig’s list ads targeting specific niches. I generally post in the most populated and active communities. I rotate the ads so as to not set off the duplicate content filters.

Niche Marketing to Craig’s list can be very profitable if it is done correctly. It can also be very time-consuming. As someone who has grown up in the Craig’s list community, I have seen the ins and outs of of it for years (since 1997 to be precise) and realize its quirky nature. The methods I now use took me about six or seven years to develop and research.

All of your efforts will do no good if your postings get flagged by the community or if your delivery and approach is wrong. In short, niche marketing to Craig’s list can be an absolute gold mine if done correctly. If done incorrectly, you can waste a lot of time and not see any results.

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I have professed to be the ultimate left-brained nerd. For years I saw myself as the analytical automaton, sorely lacking in creativity. And creativity is something that I really valued. Think about it - being creative is defined as “having or showing imagination and artistic or intellectual inventiveness.” Who wouldn’t want that quality?

As I am also a professed personal growth addict, I have worked hard on boosting my own creativity. And I am happy to report that I do consider myself much improved in that area. If you can identify with me, don’t despair. It really was not as hard as I thought. How did I do it? Here are some of my secrets to help you get started.

1. Exercise your creative muscle regularly

There have been lots of studies on the human brain and evidence shows that our brains works very much like a muscle, which means that the more we use it, the stronger it becomes. In order to boost your creative muscle, start using it every opportunity you get, especially when it is just for fun.

Here are some things you can do: • Pick up some brain teaser puzzles and work on those • Instead of reading from a book, choose a toy from your children’s collection and make up a story about it at bedtime • Play games that engage the mind such as mah jong or chess • Approach things differently - instead of writing down a list of words, try using pictures or symbols

2. Identify your Creative Environments and Schedule Time There

Do you know where you do your best thinking? For most of us, it is not sitting at our desks. My best ideas come to me in three places: the shower, on my long walks, and in the car. There is something about the isolation and the relaxed state I’m in while engaging in these activities that allow my mind to come up with solutions to problems. So your assignment is to figure out where your best creative environments are and schedule yourself to spend time there.

A word of caution though - once you have identified what these environments are, don’t spoil it for yourself by expecting that you will be doing creative thinking every time you are there. Look for it as a special bonus, like a prize you get when you open up the right bottle of Coke. If I went for a walk specifically because I need some creativity, it doesn’t come as easily. But if I just let my mind wander to whatever it wants to think about, the ideas start to come. Learn to relax into your creativity.

3. Adopt a “the more the merrier” attitude

One of the books that has helped me develop my creative muscle is “A Whack on the Side of the Head” by Roger von Oech. It is a fun little book and I highly recommend it. In it, he talks about the “right answer” and the “second right answer”, and the next right answer. His point is that while we are in school, we are trained that there is only ONE right answer to test questions. And we adopt that same approach to everything else in life.

In order to boost our creativity, we have to remember that there is often more than ONE right answer. So, don’t just stop after you have one answer, keep going and see how many other ones you can come up with. Make it a challenge. It doesn’t matter how outrageous it is. The most significant inventions seemed completely preposterous at the time they were first considered. Don’t start judging when you are in the brainstorming phase. That can come later.

When you start using these suggestions, I think you will notice an improvement in your creative ability, as I have. I must admit that now I really enjoy my creative activities, like writing these articles, brainstorming with clients, and just letting my imagination run wild. And if you stay tuned, I will have a follow up article on this subject as there is much more great information I want to share with you.

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