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    Status - Cross Cultural Differences
    Status exists in all societies but varies in fundamental ways. Cross cultural differences in they way in which we perceive status, gain status and react to status differ from culture to culture.In this article we examine the cross cultural differences with relation to status and analyse how they manifest in certain areas in the workplace. For the sake of simplicity we identify two types of status; ‘ascribed-status’ and ‘achieved-status’.Ascribed-status:Ascribed-status refers to those cultures that base status upon external qualities such as age, wealth, education or gender. If one has the right external characteristics, status is ascribed to them. In such cultures there is little room for others to gain status through actions and achievements.Achieved-stat
    r your business. If you are interested in reading more about SWOT go to http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/

    PRODUCTIVITY

    Whether you face increased competition, or simply don't want to work as hard as you have in the past, you can become more efficient by focusing on what you do best. In 1906 Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of their country's accumulated wealth. Over t

    We Don't Need No Stinking CRM Solution
    Some time ago I was visiting a friend at his company and we got to talking about the software that I was working on. I explained it was a web-based CRM system that could be used by any company (large or small) to help streamline their business. He said to me, "I don't see how it could help us, we have half a dozen support reps and they handle our customers just fine". I asked him if anyone had taken the time to actually calculate dollar-wise,how much supporting customers was costing the company. He wasn't sure but thought the numbers were most likely reasonable.That was the wrong answer - why? We often hear about how expensive it is to support customers and other close relationships that exist in day-to-day business operations, but what are some of the specific reason
    Change happens outside of our control on a regular basis. Sometimes it is predicable, sometimes not. More frequently than not in business, change occurs in direct reaction to a shift in the external environment; what was once effective no longer works. Without planning, reactions and the impact they create are often extreme. Sometimes we act impulsively, and sometimes we sit too long on the sidelines.

    Instead of waiting for change to act on us, it is good practice to seek out new opportunities on a regular basis. Although seeking out change may feel overwhelming, strategic thinking and planning can ease the process of helping us anticipate, plan for, and create the future.

    THE FOUNDATION

    A good way to begin "strategic thinking" is to remind yourself why you chose the business or industry you came to be in. What were your hopes or aspirations at the time? While probably not at the top of your thoughts, the core values that attracted you once are most certainly still important to you. No matter what opportunities you choose to pursue, start by reminding yourself about the things that really matter to you. If you are doing this with a team, the process of identifying the most important common values is always a good first step. One you are clear on what is really important at the core; there are many good tools and methods to help identify opportunities. In this article I offer four frameworks to consider; perhaps one will be tempting to delve into depending on your situation.

    POSITIONING

    In any business or organization it is important to differentiate yourself in a relevant, meaningful way from everyone else out there. A good starting point is to take a closer look at the unique competencies and strengths in your organization.

    In a method commonly used in strategic planning known as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) it becomes relatively easy to identify strategic opportunities by mapping out organizational strengths, weaknesses, the market situation, customer needs and the environment. I highly recommend trying this out for your business. If you are interested in reading more about SWOT go to http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/

    PRODUCTIVITY

    Whether you face increased competition, or simply don't want to work as hard as you have in the past, you can become more efficient by focusing on what you do best. In 1906 Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of their country's accumulated wealth. Over ti

    Crazy Like a Fox, Persuasive Like a Weasel
    In earlier articles we wrote about the power of using hidden commands in normal conversation to increase sales, convince others to do something or to accept your ideas. This is often done by separating out a simple command or suggestion by pausing, stating the command in a different tone of voice, then resuming normal conversation.For example, when selling a car you might say, “This car gets 30 miles per gallon on the highway, which you’ll notice when you (pause) take it for a test drive. You’ll also notice that ….Another way to insert a command into conversation is to use what are called Weasel Words. These phrases are based on the one of the techniques used by Milton Erickson, who was one of the foremost hypnotists of the last century. Erickson had a way of talk
    ough seeking out change may feel overwhelming, strategic thinking and planning can ease the process of helping us anticipate, plan for, and create the future.

    THE FOUNDATION

    A good way to begin "strategic thinking" is to remind yourself why you chose the business or industry you came to be in. What were your hopes or aspirations at the time? While probably not at the top of your thoughts, the core values that attracted you once are most certainly still important to you. No matter what opportunities you choose to pursue, start by reminding yourself about the things that really matter to you. If you are doing this with a team, the process of identifying the most important common values is always a good first step. One you are clear on what is really important at the core; there are many good tools and methods to help identify opportunities. In this article I offer four frameworks to consider; perhaps one will be tempting to delve into depending on your situation.

    POSITIONING

    In any business or organization it is important to differentiate yourself in a relevant, meaningful way from everyone else out there. A good starting point is to take a closer look at the unique competencies and strengths in your organization.

    In a method commonly used in strategic planning known as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) it becomes relatively easy to identify strategic opportunities by mapping out organizational strengths, weaknesses, the market situation, customer needs and the environment. I highly recommend trying this out for your business. If you are interested in reading more about SWOT go to http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/

    PRODUCTIVITY

    Whether you face increased competition, or simply don't want to work as hard as you have in the past, you can become more efficient by focusing on what you do best. In 1906 Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of their country's accumulated wealth. Over t

    A Simple Guide for Developing a Marketing Plan
    Getting your initial qualified prospects to make a sale to is often called front end marketing. When we run marketing with the expectation of immediate responses by the consumer to whatever message you put out there, whether it's Yellow Pages, newspaper ads or direct mail, this is called direct response marketing.Before seeking out prospects, having a marketing plan is essential to any business. I'm going to present a lot of research and my objective is to include the need to quantify all the results from all your marketing efforts. And to look at all the strategies for conducting direct marketing campaigns and testing variables to determine the effectiveness of each of the marketing strategies within your business.Most people want to be successful, but few
    pursue, start by reminding yourself about the things that really matter to you. If you are doing this with a team, the process of identifying the most important common values is always a good first step. One you are clear on what is really important at the core; there are many good tools and methods to help identify opportunities. In this article I offer four frameworks to consider; perhaps one will be tempting to delve into depending on your situation.

    POSITIONING

    In any business or organization it is important to differentiate yourself in a relevant, meaningful way from everyone else out there. A good starting point is to take a closer look at the unique competencies and strengths in your organization.

    In a method commonly used in strategic planning known as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) it becomes relatively easy to identify strategic opportunities by mapping out organizational strengths, weaknesses, the market situation, customer needs and the environment. I highly recommend trying this out for your business. If you are interested in reading more about SWOT go to http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/

    PRODUCTIVITY

    Whether you face increased competition, or simply don't want to work as hard as you have in the past, you can become more efficient by focusing on what you do best. In 1906 Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of their country's accumulated wealth. Over t

    Your Career in 2007 – Get a Fresh Start
    As the New Year approaches, have you thought about your career goals? What worked to years ago in planning and managing your career will not work for your career development in the 21st Century. Managing your career in the 21st Century requires preparation, career goal planning and career guidance and ensuring that your time is directed meaningfully.Here is how to find enjoyment and continue to progress in your career.1. Determine if your present job is in line with who you are, what you value, and what you are good at. Are you really doing what you want to do? Being self-aware means you become clear about what you stand for and what you have to offer. When you know what you have to offer, you become more powerful and intentional in your work. Doing a good job is no l
    nt to differentiate yourself in a relevant, meaningful way from everyone else out there. A good starting point is to take a closer look at the unique competencies and strengths in your organization.

    In a method commonly used in strategic planning known as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) it becomes relatively easy to identify strategic opportunities by mapping out organizational strengths, weaknesses, the market situation, customer needs and the environment. I highly recommend trying this out for your business. If you are interested in reading more about SWOT go to http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/

    PRODUCTIVITY

    Whether you face increased competition, or simply don't want to work as hard as you have in the past, you can become more efficient by focusing on what you do best. In 1906 Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of their country's accumulated wealth. Over t

    Managing Your Meeting Monsters: Identifying the Cast of Culprits That Threaten Productive Meetings
    In the Star Wars movie's famous bar scene you knew, by appearance, what zany character was sitting beside you. Each character had a distinctive look. Yet in today's meetings you may have no idea the constellation of characters that you’re meeting with. That’s because their normal outward appearances belie often-troublesome behavior. Use this article as your guide to the crazy cast of characters you’re likely to encounter in your meetings. Whether or not you’re armed with a light saber, you’ll nevertheless be equipped to do battle with these oft-destructive forces who subvert meetings with their bothersome behavior.The Monopolizer: This person thinks he or she is the only one with wisdom on subjects. The monopolizer believes everyone else is there to hear him or her spea
    r your business. If you are interested in reading more about SWOT go to http://www.netmba.com/strategy/swot/

    PRODUCTIVITY

    Whether you face increased competition, or simply don't want to work as hard as you have in the past, you can become more efficient by focusing on what you do best. In 1906 Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that twenty percent of the Italian people owned eighty percent of their country's accumulated wealth. Over time and through application in a variety of environments, he developed a concept that has become know as "The Pareto Principle," "The 80-20 Rule," or "The Vital Few and Trivial Many Rule." The rule states that a small number of causes is responsible for a large percentage of the effect in a ratio of about 20:80. In a management context, the theory is that 20% of a person's effort will often generate 80% of their results.

    The challenge is to distinguish the right 20% from the trivial many. Once you start looking, you will find powerful implications in every area of your business Do 20 percent of your products account for 80 percent of product sales? Do 80 percent of your visitors see only 20 percent of you web pages? Does 20 percent of your sales force produce 80 percent of the revenues? Is 80% of your time spent on Trivial Many activities? What competencies are bringing you the majority of your results? Once you figure this out the idea is to focus!

    PARTNERING

    Forming an alliance with a complementary partner can have many benefits. Working together with a partner may enable you to offer more value to clients, create new combinations of services, and think through ideas from new perspectives.

    If you think a partnership might be beneficial, start by identifying your own core competencies. Only then, should you start looking for a partner. When you are successful at finding a candidate with complementary strengths, it is time for both of you to sit down and do some strategic planning. So many partnerships begin without clear roles and responsibilities, expectations and written goals.

    PERSONAL GOALS

    For any of you who are in transition, thinking about transition, trying to build a motivated productive team, or are simply reevaluating your own strengths, I would like to share with you a paragraph from Dr. Mel Levine's groundbreaking book "A Mind at a Time."

    "Each of us is endowed with a highly complex, inborn circuitry- creating innumerable branching pathways of options and obstacles. While some of us have brains that are wired to handl

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