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Atricle Dump - It's Time For Plan B - Brainstorming!
Newsletter as A Marketing Tool
Trying to think of a way to promote that new product or service that your company recently introduced? Why not try to use a promotional newsletter? Sure a lot of businesses already use it. But it is still a great marketing tool for that new product or service you want everyone to know. You just have to think of a new way on how to introduce that product to your prospective customers and loyal customers.A promotional or marketing newsletter is used by businesses who wants to promote a product or service they just intr
on by allTrying to think of a way to promote that new product or service that your company recently introduced? Why not try to use a promotional newsletter? Sure a lot of businesses already use it. But it is still a great marketing tool for that new product or service you want everyone to know. You just have to think of a new way on how to introduce that product to your prospective customers and loyal customers.A promotional or marketing newsletter is used by businesses who wants to promote a product or service they just intr
- Language is key. Use sentences such as "What if we…?", "How about…", "Let's try…", or "Suppose we…"
- Check your skepticism, negativity and ego at the door. It's not about whose ideas are embraced. All ideas should be received, for the benefit of the group your mission.
- Employ the "Yes, AND…" approach instead of a "Yes, BUT…" stance in response to others' ideas.
- Remind people to suspend judgment throughout the session
- Assign a scribe or tape record the meeting. Consider a graphic recorder. (Visit www.GraphicRecorders.com for one I recommend.)
- Allow enough time for people to loosen up. Often the best ideas occur once the group has gotten over any self-conscious
The Explosive Benefits of a Natural Market
Last year a local gentleman opened a Mexican restaurant in our area. The unique aspect of the restaurant is that not only is the Mexican food authentic, but the employees are Hispanic as well. When you walk through the doors, you feel as though you’ve stepped into another culture.Six months later, this same gentleman opened up another restaurant on the other side of town. What was the secret to his immediate and amazing success? ...he found a natural market. No one can simulate a natural market. Outsiders go to get t
Our workgroup was in the middle of a spirited brainstorming session — a free form session where creativity is encouraged, judgment is suspended, and the best ideas often come after ten or more minutes. The ideas were flying fast and furious, as they should, when the group gets momentum. The energy was intoxicating. And, in a fit of inspiration, I one employee suggested, "Why don't we reverse the order of the deliverables!?"Last year a local gentleman opened a Mexican restaurant in our area. The unique aspect of the restaurant is that not only is the Mexican food authentic, but the employees are Hispanic as well. When you walk through the doors, you feel as though you’ve stepped into another culture.Six months later, this same gentleman opened up another restaurant on the other side of town. What was the secret to his immediate and amazing success? ...he found a natural market. No one can simulate a natural market. Outsiders go to get t
While nine other people energetically accepted this offer as worthy of inclusion on their flip chart of ideas, their manager scowled "That will never work!"
Thus ended a productive brainstorming session. Sadly, the manager was unclear on the concept at play. She replaced a brainstorm with a brain fart and stunk up the entire process.
A Different Kind of Collaboration
Brainstorming is a special type of meeting, with its own ground rules, tempo and ethos. It's also an invaluable tool for idea generation, problem solving, innovation, teambuilding and creativity. Whether you are tasked with creating new sales contests, new strategic initiatives or simply trying to break the doldrums of your day-to-day routines, brainstorming carries the day.
Rules That Rock!
By definition, brainstorming is unlike your typical meetings. Its unbounded by traditional rules where pre-determined people speak on pre-determined subjects for prescribed times. Like a jam session of Jazz musicians, all you need to do is begin recording and let the sounds begin. Remember, the key is to record it all. Later you can go back and edit out that which might not be considered beautiful music.
In Brainstorming sessions everyone is equal, all ideas are worthy of consideration, all judgment is suspended and a person's rank or status is irrelevant. The goal is to fill the air with ideas, depart from conventional thinking, and allow the smorgasbord of strategies, ideas, inspirations and epiphanies to cross-pollinate each other. Think of brainstorming meetings as magnificent melting pots, a veritable giant stew bowl where bouillabaisse bubbles and bursts, unleashing new, exciting and innovative initiatives. Consider a skilled facilitator for best results, though this isn't a requirement.
The B-List: Preparing for Your Meeting
The following recommendations will insure a successful session, whether it's a stand-alone brainstorm or part of a larger meeting or event:
- Adorn your environment with art, toys, games, crayons, colored markers or other stimuli to get the juices flowing and invite fun, free thinking and playfulness.
- Consider special written invitations in advance to set the tone, expectations and goals for the session
- Create a mental and/or physical ice breaker to loosen everyone up.
- Consider lava lamps, beanbag chairs and even bubble-gum and bubble makers to loosen everyone up.
- Encourage participation by all
- Language is key. Use sentences such as "What if we…?", "How about…", "Let's try…", or "Suppose we…"
- Check your skepticism, negativity and ego at the door. It's not about whose ideas are embraced. All ideas should be received, for the benefit of the group your mission.
- Employ the "Yes, AND…" approach instead of a "Yes, BUT…" stance in response to others' ideas.
- Remind people to suspend judgment throughout the session
- Assign a scribe or tape record the meeting. Consider a graphic recorder. (Visit www.GraphicRecorders.com for one I recommend.)
- Allow enough time for people to loosen up. Often the best ideas occur once the group has gotten over any self-conscious
Three Secret Keys to Persuasion Magic
Just a few critical distinctions can supercharge your communication skills:1 Appeal To Peoples? ValuesValues are the criteria by which people make sense of all the information they must process before making a decision. In simple terms, your values consist of what is most important to you.When you ask someone: what is most important to you about ....? They will tell you their values. Let's say you ask them their career values, what is most important to you about your career? They might answer: mo
nd stunk up the entire process.Just a few critical distinctions can supercharge your communication skills:1 Appeal To Peoples? ValuesValues are the criteria by which people make sense of all the information they must process before making a decision. In simple terms, your values consist of what is most important to you.When you ask someone: what is most important to you about ....? They will tell you their values. Let's say you ask them their career values, what is most important to you about your career? They might answer: mo
A Different Kind of Collaboration
Brainstorming is a special type of meeting, with its own ground rules, tempo and ethos. It's also an invaluable tool for idea generation, problem solving, innovation, teambuilding and creativity. Whether you are tasked with creating new sales contests, new strategic initiatives or simply trying to break the doldrums of your day-to-day routines, brainstorming carries the day.
Rules That Rock!
By definition, brainstorming is unlike your typical meetings. Its unbounded by traditional rules where pre-determined people speak on pre-determined subjects for prescribed times. Like a jam session of Jazz musicians, all you need to do is begin recording and let the sounds begin. Remember, the key is to record it all. Later you can go back and edit out that which might not be considered beautiful music.
In Brainstorming sessions everyone is equal, all ideas are worthy of consideration, all judgment is suspended and a person's rank or status is irrelevant. The goal is to fill the air with ideas, depart from conventional thinking, and allow the smorgasbord of strategies, ideas, inspirations and epiphanies to cross-pollinate each other. Think of brainstorming meetings as magnificent melting pots, a veritable giant stew bowl where bouillabaisse bubbles and bursts, unleashing new, exciting and innovative initiatives. Consider a skilled facilitator for best results, though this isn't a requirement.
The B-List: Preparing for Your Meeting
The following recommendations will insure a successful session, whether it's a stand-alone brainstorm or part of a larger meeting or event:
- Adorn your environment with art, toys, games, crayons, colored markers or other stimuli to get the juices flowing and invite fun, free thinking and playfulness.
- Consider special written invitations in advance to set the tone, expectations and goals for the session
- Create a mental and/or physical ice breaker to loosen everyone up.
- Consider lava lamps, beanbag chairs and even bubble-gum and bubble makers to loosen everyone up.
- Encourage participation by all
- Language is key. Use sentences such as "What if we…?", "How about…", "Let's try…", or "Suppose we…"
- Check your skepticism, negativity and ego at the door. It's not about whose ideas are embraced. All ideas should be received, for the benefit of the group your mission.
- Employ the "Yes, AND…" approach instead of a "Yes, BUT…" stance in response to others' ideas.
- Remind people to suspend judgment throughout the session
- Assign a scribe or tape record the meeting. Consider a graphic recorder. (Visit www.GraphicRecorders.com for one I recommend.)
- Allow enough time for people to loosen up. Often the best ideas occur once the group has gotten over any self-conscious
Creating Professional Proposals
By following a few rules of good design, and using Microsoft Office’s document formatting features, you can create smart proposals to make your first impression the right one. Whether you are pitching your product or service to a multi-national firm or to the start-up down the street, a professional image can make all the difference. In this article, we look at how you can use the formatting features within Microsoft Office to create professional proposals and quotes that put your best foot forward. Using M
o is begin recording and let the sounds begin. Remember, the key is to record it all. Later you can go back and edit out that which might not be considered beautiful music.By following a few rules of good design, and using Microsoft Office’s document formatting features, you can create smart proposals to make your first impression the right one. Whether you are pitching your product or service to a multi-national firm or to the start-up down the street, a professional image can make all the difference. In this article, we look at how you can use the formatting features within Microsoft Office to create professional proposals and quotes that put your best foot forward. Using M
In Brainstorming sessions everyone is equal, all ideas are worthy of consideration, all judgment is suspended and a person's rank or status is irrelevant. The goal is to fill the air with ideas, depart from conventional thinking, and allow the smorgasbord of strategies, ideas, inspirations and epiphanies to cross-pollinate each other. Think of brainstorming meetings as magnificent melting pots, a veritable giant stew bowl where bouillabaisse bubbles and bursts, unleashing new, exciting and innovative initiatives. Consider a skilled facilitator for best results, though this isn't a requirement.
The B-List: Preparing for Your Meeting
The following recommendations will insure a successful session, whether it's a stand-alone brainstorm or part of a larger meeting or event:
- Adorn your environment with art, toys, games, crayons, colored markers or other stimuli to get the juices flowing and invite fun, free thinking and playfulness.
- Consider special written invitations in advance to set the tone, expectations and goals for the session
- Create a mental and/or physical ice breaker to loosen everyone up.
- Consider lava lamps, beanbag chairs and even bubble-gum and bubble makers to loosen everyone up.
- Encourage participation by all
- Language is key. Use sentences such as "What if we…?", "How about…", "Let's try…", or "Suppose we…"
- Check your skepticism, negativity and ego at the door. It's not about whose ideas are embraced. All ideas should be received, for the benefit of the group your mission.
- Employ the "Yes, AND…" approach instead of a "Yes, BUT…" stance in response to others' ideas.
- Remind people to suspend judgment throughout the session
- Assign a scribe or tape record the meeting. Consider a graphic recorder. (Visit www.GraphicRecorders.com for one I recommend.)
- Allow enough time for people to loosen up. Often the best ideas occur once the group has gotten over any self-conscious
Building A Practice On Purpose Series Part #1 - Blueprint For Building A Practice On Purpose
Have you ever seen a skyscraper being built? If so, you know that for the first several weeks or months, very little appears to be happening, at least above ground. That's because the initial work is focused on building a solid foundation. The higher the skyscraper is designed to be, the more solid the foundation needs to be to support all those stories.The foundation of a Practice On Purpose is what I refer to as "Clarity of Purpose," which includes all the components under the ==== line in the diagram below:
ough this isn't a requirement.Have you ever seen a skyscraper being built? If so, you know that for the first several weeks or months, very little appears to be happening, at least above ground. That's because the initial work is focused on building a solid foundation. The higher the skyscraper is designed to be, the more solid the foundation needs to be to support all those stories.The foundation of a Practice On Purpose is what I refer to as "Clarity of Purpose," which includes all the components under the ==== line in the diagram below:
The B-List: Preparing for Your Meeting
The following recommendations will insure a successful session, whether it's a stand-alone brainstorm or part of a larger meeting or event:
- Adorn your environment with art, toys, games, crayons, colored markers or other stimuli to get the juices flowing and invite fun, free thinking and playfulness.
- Consider special written invitations in advance to set the tone, expectations and goals for the session
- Create a mental and/or physical ice breaker to loosen everyone up.
- Consider lava lamps, beanbag chairs and even bubble-gum and bubble makers to loosen everyone up.
- Encourage participation by all
- Language is key. Use sentences such as "What if we…?", "How about…", "Let's try…", or "Suppose we…"
- Check your skepticism, negativity and ego at the door. It's not about whose ideas are embraced. All ideas should be received, for the benefit of the group your mission.
- Employ the "Yes, AND…" approach instead of a "Yes, BUT…" stance in response to others' ideas.
- Remind people to suspend judgment throughout the session
- Assign a scribe or tape record the meeting. Consider a graphic recorder. (Visit www.GraphicRecorders.com for one I recommend.)
- Allow enough time for people to loosen up. Often the best ideas occur once the group has gotten over any self-conscious
Transitioning to a Different Job
The process of changing employers may be very difficult if one is not prepared. Though the process tends to happen less frequently as individuals progress down a given career path, it is important to have a set of standards for entering a new work environment.First and perhaps most importantly, is to be very out going. Smiles and manners go a long way in a first encounter with a new co-worker. Meeting new people is only a challenge when you appear uncomfortable.Move swiftly, lethargic non-responsive individual
on by allThe process of changing employers may be very difficult if one is not prepared. Though the process tends to happen less frequently as individuals progress down a given career path, it is important to have a set of standards for entering a new work environment.First and perhaps most importantly, is to be very out going. Smiles and manners go a long way in a first encounter with a new co-worker. Meeting new people is only a challenge when you appear uncomfortable.Move swiftly, lethargic non-responsive individual
- Language is key. Use sentences such as "What if we…?", "How about…", "Let's try…", or "Suppose we…"
- Check your skepticism, negativity and ego at the door. It's not about whose ideas are embraced. All ideas should be received, for the benefit of the group your mission.
- Employ the "Yes, AND…" approach instead of a "Yes, BUT…" stance in response to others' ideas.
- Remind people to suspend judgment throughout the session
- Assign a scribe or tape record the meeting. Consider a graphic recorder. (Visit www.GraphicRecorders.com for one I recommend.)
- Allow enough time for people to loosen up. Often the best ideas occur once the group has gotten over any self-consciousness and gathered momentum
Remember, like mastermind groups, brainstorming sessions rely on the reality that when multiple brainpower is applied the results are greater than the sum of their parts. You will generate great results from the blend of talent, experience, ideas and perspectives that naturally result from giving everyone equal footing and freeing them of the usual restrictions of time, structure and rules.
By the way, what if…?
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The Power Of Personal Environments
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