En Course Connect

Siera Bearchell has Me to We Style

2009-09-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Siera Bearchell age 16 from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is the reigning Miss Teen Canada - World. You can follow Miss Teen Canada on Twitter, and keep a close eye on her Flickr photostream for updates on her amazing life as Canada's youngest celebrity.

Here's young Siera in ME to WE Style video telling us all about the charity work that's being done in cooperation with Craig and Marc Kielburger of Free The Children; she's supporting ME to We and all the good work they do, including their responsible clothing and volunteer trips.

Miss Teen Canada-World provides the winner with the opportunity to be an ambassador for Canada with the mandate to empower youth to take a leadership role in their communities. The girls have already studied first-hand what it feels like to be a positive role model, and all have contributed to projects in their community by raising funds for Free The Children. By July 6th, the girls had collectively surpassed the goal of $20,000 and on Saturday, July 25th presented a cheque for $49,700 to the charity!

Michelle Weswaldi, the Miss Teen Canada- World pageant director is quoted as saying, “We thought that since the winner will be volunteering in Kenya in 2010 on a Me to We trip, it should be a requirement for the MTC-W Competition for each national delegate to raise $400 within their communities towards Me to We's charity partner Free The Children,”. The winner will be invited to participate as a volunteer on a Me to We trip. This experience is to gain first-hand interaction by visiting a Free The Children project overseas. Their commitment to youth is to engage them in global development and social issues education so that they take action to make a difference.

At age 16, Siera Bearchell is now preparing to take that trip and proudly wears and writes about Me to We on the Miss Teen Canada - World blog. In addition to being a talented writer, this attractive teen is also a confident speaker, and a dedicated golfer. Keep your eye out for more videos from Siera here in the near future.

Justin Hines: Say What You Will

2009-06-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Marketing The Search For Miss Teen Canada

2009-06-05T04:59:00.000-07:00

Introduction:
Promoting The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World is all about building a brand. It’s a ground up social media marketing experience that has evolved from what used to be a pageant event. This 'celebration' is so much more now... When we agreed to market this event, we asked the same questions every one does about pageants and teenage girls. And then we realized after talking with the girls, and hearing their stories filled with hopes and dreams, that this is a chance to step up and step out. The slogan Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful is more than a catch phrase.

These girls are from all walks of life and they all want to make a difference. To many it’s a stepping stone to a future that will give them the opportunity for continued education, scholarships and more. The fact that they have chosen Free the Children as their charity of choice is telling and each of the 50 finalists is working hard to raise $400.00 each.

Brand Relevance and Social Media Marketing
One thing we know for sure about teenage girls and brand relevance is that marketing to youth has to be authentic and relevant. So we opted to go for a ground up approach and be where they are. We know that social networking is part of their culture. Who else but a teen can be called the communications manager in her family? The social media marketing initiatives created by Rob Campbell of Smojoe are completely on target. Here's a partial list of the Miss Teen Canada Contestant Blogs:

http://kylawills.onsugar.com/
http://wendyhuang.onsugar.com/
http://karmenguillas.onsugar.com/
http://oliviawolter.onsugar.com/onsugar.com
http://cassandratracy.onsugar.com/
http://taylorstronski.onsugar.com/
http://genevievejones.onsugar.com/
http://annissacheyne.onsugar.com/
http://chelsaedurocher.onsugar.com/
http://sarahstriga.onsugar.com/
http://azlynnyablonski.onsugar.com/
http://alexandrahanasz.onsugar.com/
http://jessicacatorc.onsugar.com/
http://genevievetucker.onsugar.com/
http://taralynwolfe.onsugar.com/

The MTC-W Contestant Blogs are designed to create a pipeline for finalists and sponsors to the MTC-W website. The practice will increase our client's Google page rank, and feed an ongoing conversation about The Search for Miss Teen Canada-World. Creating a blog squad using the 50 finalists will increase brand conversation marketing opportunities even more, as each girl talks about her experiences and communicates through her communities. It’s relevant, authentic and experiential. These blogs will really get the word out, as they engage so many communities at once. Add some national and local PR by our sister agency dkpr public relations inc. and you have the recipe for a powerful 'ground swell'.

Brand Relevance and the website
Brand relevance is also about the website destination. So we hired Richard Carmichael because of his vision and his understanding of what this target needed to experience as well as what sponsors required. It also needed to be first class on tight budget; first class because our goal was and is to bring the word integrity into an area that many have forgotten or view on a less than positive note. What’s been created is visual, engaging, and easy. These days a website is a corner stone marketing tool. It can make you money or loose you money –simple as that. We knew that our site needed to be on target and sustainable.

Miss Teen Canada- World is Katie Starke, here is her blog!

Michelle Weswaldi, the director of the Miss Teen Canada- World, has gone coast to coast selecting the final 50 finalist’s who have the ability to be role models, leaders and ambassadors for Canada. This is particularly important for two reasons. Miss Teen Canada-World is the only competition who is licensed to send the winner to Miss Teen World in Houston Texas. She will also be travelling with Free the Children to participate in the building of a school for kids in a country like Africa. Their story will become her story to tell. It all happens on July 25th at the John Basset Theatre – Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.

Brand Relevance: The final Event
As the competition date, July 25th, quickly approaches, Ms. Weswaldi, EnCourse and dkpr, are working to make sure that the final event is more than a competition. It's an event that's entertainment, but also a place where sponsors are proudly showcased alongside the brand. Our sponsors are integrated throughout competition week (July 19th to the 24th) so that our finalists can experience their support first hand

Brand Relevance: Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is more than a catch phrase. It’s taking the time to understand the target beyond demographics in order to speak to them in their language and in places that they frequent. Social Marketing couldn’t be more experiential or more relevant for The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World.

Marketing Reach for the Rainbow

2009-06-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, EnCourse Strategic Marketing and Communications was hired to provide marketing consultation for Reach for the Rainbow, a not-for-profit organization that offers programs and environments of inclusion for disabled children and youth. Working with their partners, Reach for the Rainbow (“RFTR”) focuses on providing these children and their families with the chance to grow together and create memories. This summer, RFTR is teaming up with the National Post, Air Canada Kids’ Horizons and Canwest for the “Every Child Belongs” campaign to drive donations.

Marketing “Every Child Belongs”: “Every Child Belongs” is a collaborative effort involving the National Post, Reach for the Rainbow, Canwest, Air Canada’s Kids’ Horizons and EnCourse. They say it takes a village to raise a child and our mutual efforts are blended to drive donations that ensure the continuing efforts of Reach for the Rainbow.

Today, there are many charities reaching out to children in need and presenting them with opportunities. What makes “Every Child Belongs” different from the rest? All of Reach for the Rainbow’s efforts focus solely on children with physical and development disabilities through inclusionary environments.

If you would like to support this cause, donations are fully tax deductible or partially if you choose to enter a draw to win one of three trips offered by Air Canada’s Kids’ Horizon. While we hope that this will provide a bit of incentive to the general public to donate to “Every Child Belongs”, it is important to remind you that these children, aside from their disabilities are just as loving and joyful as any other child.

Marketing for a not-for-profit organization is not easy. It is a very competitive market, at the best of times, and the larger charities often get the wealthiest share of the available funds and volunteers. Reach for the Rainbow is a smaller not-for-profit organization that does not receive any government assistance. Partnerships like those with the National Post, Air Canada Kids’ Horizon and Canwest are an important part of generating awareness. Reach for the Rainbow is also active with other fundraising initiatives throughout the year such as the 23rd Annual Crystal Ball happening in November, the BMW Ultimate Golf Challenge and more.

At EnCourse, we strongly believe in giving back and are excited to continue our work with Reach for the Rainbow to ensure that they accomplish their ultimate goal of helping disabled children.

Final Thoughts:
Children are one of the world’s most precious gifts and to give them the chance to grow in a loving and caring environment is something we are proud to be a part of. Donna Trella, Executive Director, founded Reach for the Rainbow 25 years ago because of her own daughter, Dove. She believed then, as she does now, that every child belongs. The opportunity for them to attend one of Ontario’s most popular camps is life changing for them and their families. EnCourse is ensuring that their message reaches the widest audience possible and is excited for the success of this campaign.

Marketing Yourself

2009-06-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

Introduction:
In today’s economic climate Brand Relevance also applies to the individual especially if you are looking for a job- your dream job. Working with a head hunter or posting on line resume is not enough. People don’t realize they are marketing themselves with that two pager with a cover letter. With such a saturated market, full of experienced and upcoming businesses, you need to differentiate and be unique from the crowd of applicants. This is where networking comes into play and the opportunity for you to showcase yourself in a more personable atmosphere.

Brand Relevance: MarketingYourself:
Many jobs these days are not advertised or publicized in the public and are mostly only known about the “hidden job market”. To access this market, you must know how to network within your current surroundings.

This starts with knowing who to talk to within your family, friends, fellow co-workers, etc… By starting with the people close to you, you are already building a word- of- mouth network foundation, and in hopes that they will spread the word as well. Once you start to gathering information about potential job leads and different companies, you need to start organizing your profile. This includes strengthening your resume and cover letter to reflect your point of difference and your promise. Remember that you cannot rely on old resume for its content or design since it will not be a true testament to your achievements and strengths, to date.

Next In addition the internet. Generating buzz and popularity online is quickly becoming a dominant trend and social marketing outlets, such as Twitter, Linked In and Facebook, are becoming popular for companies and individuals to showcase themselves. Social media marketing is becoming one of the strongest ways to network within your respective industry, whether as an employer or an employee, thus it is a beneficial channel for both parties.

Be proactive in following up with your leads (send emails, make regular phone calls, etc…). Building a relationship with them is very important and connection is what brand relevance is all about. Even if your skill set might not fit their needs, they could very well recommend you to a partnering company. Therefore, it is evident that word of mouth marketing does not just end at potential employers but goes much further if you’re able to successfully market yourself.

Final Thoughts:
As demonstrated, networking is a “no pain, no gain” approach. With the right efforts, the beauty of networking comes with great short term and long term benefits. Whether for personal or business reasons, marketing yourself will always give you that competitive advantage and confidence that you’ll stick out from the rest.

Brand Relevance

2009-06-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

Introduction:
Brand relevance is about your brand being and staying significant in the minds of your consumers. It is about being able to deliver an outward promise to your customer that goes beyond your mere product and service. Being relevant means that your brand connects and resonates with the consumers, educates them, and provides them with a deeper meaning to their life.

Brand Relevance:
Achieving brand relevance, today, is much harder than perceived since traditional marketing strategies are no longer effective enough. Brand relevance includes a much more thorough understanding of your consumer, your market, and your brand. After reviewing these analyses, a company’s response and strategy to obtain brand relevance is a fundamental success factor.

Gaining awareness in itself is a challenging task, in that your brand must be exposed through the increasingly popular channels today, including all media and social marketing outlets. The message you deliver through these marketing channels will begin your path to achieving brand relevance.

Your company’s message is your company’s promise. Brand relevance means that your promise is authentic and differentiated; your consumers will overlook the price and the competitors to remain loyal to your brand, in the short and long term and throughout all stages of the economic cycle.

Also contributing to brand relevance is the meaning behind your brand: what it stands for and how committed and consistent it is in conveying that meaning to the general public. These days, consumers look past brands that only market for short- term profits; those brands become irrelevant, very quickly. Instead, they are attracted to brands that strive for that consumer connection by expressing themselves through diverse means, while maintaining their roots. Brands that are constantly re-inventing themselves and challenging their consumers, while being consistent in delivering their promise are the ones that become relevant in their respective product categories.

Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is often an overlooked objective in marketing plans. Many companies are quick to assume that strategies being recycled year after year have already established themselves as being relevant in the market. Unfortunately, with an ever evolving society, including new technologies and fresher marketing channels, old- fashioned marketing tactics are becoming weaker and weaker.

More than ever, today’s aggressive market poses the urgent need for brand relevance. Companies must look beyond their comfort zones and learn to take risks to be differentiated and unique. As well, the brand relevance objective and initial promise must be consistently revisited and pursued diligently.

On Being Your Word: A 45 Day Challenge

2008-10-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot of books and courses out there on leadership and success filled with the how to’s of being successful, managing your career, climbing the ladder, being a great entrepreneur and leadership. A lot of them are good books with good advice and written by people have already achieved a certain stature. So what’s the catch? Why, with so many helpful hints and tips and pathways are not more businesses showing healthy growth, or more people living there dreams.
I think it’s because there isn’t enough attention paid to one key and very basic element: Being Your Word. With all the complexity that is delivered it seems like a too simple thing; so simple that most dismiss it with a waive, or one of those “don’t be so naïve” looks.
The thing is; it works and I can tell you it isn’t as simple or as easy as the words imply. God knows it’s becoming an overworked phrase that people hear but don’t listen to.

I’ve considered myself one of those people who honor my word and boasted about it. Yet I was caught short recently. I had decided to do a couple of courses offered by a U.S. Coaching company that I will be doing some business with. Part of the decision was to become familiar with their model and the other part was to get a better handle on their core values. The first course was becoming an accountability coach so you can imagine how often I heard the phrase “be your word”. Well, I completed the course and I, like other participants, achieved that goal about 50% of the time. It was good enough or so we thought. The second course was designed for real estate agents, and it was about building a successful business. Yup another magic potion. To my surprise the content was actually very good but there was that phrase again. I remember thinking to myself that it was easy for these guys to keep nattering about it but things happen don’t they. The kids are sick or the school is calling; a meeting ran late or the boss has you working so much over-time you can’t hear yourself think or for that matter see straight. Or there is so much going on that you just forgot. All good reasons, so, I just tuned the damned phrase out – that is until one afternoon as I was sitting in on the weekly tele-class. There I was, sitting in a parking lot on a hot summer afternoon, phone pressed to my ear – half listening as I was managing some other paper work when I actually got it. To this day I’m still not sure what exactly the moderator said differently but it hit me and I heard. My business was not a raging success and if truth be known I was about to throw in the towel and go back to the big corporate job once owned. So why wasn’t it more successful? I had to face it. I had not followed through on more than half the ideas I had told myself I would put into motion. So what would happen if I kept those promises to myself and actually did follow through? It wasn’t that the ideas were bad, or the intention was faulty. I was not my word with myself. It wasn’t even the big things as much as it was the little everyday things.
Being your word means being at the top of your game. It means never forgetting. It means never over-promising to impress. It means high standards of performance, focusing on the outcome and flawless execution. It means honesty and trust that is earned. It means never having to be worried about being transparent, or scrambling to make up the difference on something that has fallen short. It’s about turning up every moment of everyday full present and accounted for. It’s not about being taken advantage of as some people claim, or being trampled on because bad things happen to honest people. None of that can happen if you are fully conscious of what you are promising. If you can’t guarantee it then don’t offer it.
So, I set my own challenge and decided that for 45 days, I would be my word no matter what. And guess what? I started to see results. Am I still working to build a ragingly successful business? You bet! But I’m working smart and having a blast.

So, I challenge you. Take 45 days and be your word on everything including the promises you make yourself. If you find you are faltering, step back, review and re-organize so that what you are promising is manageable and doable. I already know that it will be tough because sometimes life and work are moving too fast with deadlines that are often not set by you. And that’s when you again step back and re-assess, re-group, re-assess again and come up with a solution that will work for all concerned. You absolutely do have the power to do this whether it’s by yourself or with a superb team that you can rally. See if you don’t find that you too are working smarter and coming up with solutions that lead to success.

Oh- and if you are wondering why 45 days. Well, it takes 30 days to break a habit and one second to fall back into the same old same old. If you can break a habit in 30 days than another 15 is the building of a new one.

Ellen Smith
Strategic Coach
En Course
http://www.en-course.com/

Effective Leadership is Effective Listening

2008-10-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 40 to 60 per cent of your workday is spent listening? Do you know that less than 2% of us are trained on how to do it effectively? And did you know that 75% of what is spoken is forgotten?
If you really want to get the most out of your client relationships as well as those of your staff and co-workers, try speaking less and listening more.

Listening is one of those skills that we tend not to develop. Rather when we are with someone, we are often thinking about what we’re going to say next or what is going to happen at our next appointment. If we’re not thinking about something else, we’re over-talking or jumping in and offering our opinions before someone else has finished talking. If that’s going on, I can guaranteed you that you are missing something important that your client or co-worker is telling you. Often it’s not obvious- it’s under the words or in the non- verbal clues. Catching these things can make the difference between solid relationship and one that is hit or miss. When you don’t listen, there is lack of clarity and people don’t feel respected or motivated to meet you half way.

It use to be that leaders created the vision and expected people to follow along. In fact there are many of today's leaders that still hold to that practice. However, leadership is changing. Today good leadership by any definition is more inclusive and that involves effective listening. An effective listener builds trust so that ideas can be heard, vision can be established and agendas can be understood. Effective listening is one of the most important tools you will have in building your business relationships. So, next time you are with someone or your team try the following:

Stop talking: Button your lips and give someone else the floor

Get rid of distractions: If you find your mind wandering, pull it back and give your attention to the person talking

Keep an open mind: The minute you let assumptions or judgments enter your head, you have stopped listening and you will miss a possible critical piece of information

Show Interest: Turn off your cell phone, your Blackberry and actually make eye contact.

Pay Attention to non-verbal clues: A person’s facial expressions, tone of voice and body language are clues that tell more than the words.

Don’t interrupt unless the building is on fire

Acknowledge what’s being said without comment or criticism. Try open ended questions like: How does that work or what did you do then?

Use paraphrasing to make sure you understand the key points being communicated

Give and receive feedback: See it as positive and encourage others to speak up and share their ideas

Take notes: Write down what you heard with as much detail as you can. The more you remember the better you listened.

These are simple things that we all know but don't do. Try them in at least one converstation today and see what you find out. See if what you find out makes a difference in how you move forward. See if how you move forward gives you better results.

Tips for Effective Management

2008-10-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tips to Effective Management

We’ve all been there at some point – facing those times when professionally we can fall into a slump. We are working harder than ever but seeming to go no-where. It’s a human condition and one that we honestly don’t want our superiors, peers and staff to know about – but it happens. The causes can be many but the why of it is not our focus. Our focus is to look at how the slump can manifest and then explore ways to change perspective, stay on top of your game, and work smarter.

How can you tell if you’re in a slump?
Do you feel like you are constantly running and getting no-where?
Do you find yourself getting anxious on Sunday evening?
Are you snapping, snarling at or ignoring people you actually like and care about?
Are your performance reviews not what they should be?
Is your team under-performing?
Do you feel like no-one is hearing you?
Do you feel like email is waging war on you?
Do you secretly want to through your blackberry down a really big hole?
Do you find that your decisions are sluggish or hesitant or by rote?
Do you find yourself not moving forward in the face of rapid change?
Do you feel frustrated?

I ask you these questions because if you are in slump or find yourself stuck, it’s time to look within – not without. In order to get the shift you need to be honest with yourself and aware of your triggers. This isn’t about judgment. This is about learning what you need to learn to shift things into a different gear. As we move through these tips, I also ask you to stay open to something different. As soon as you say no to something before you’ve even explored the possibility- you’ve shut yourself down to opportunity. So, stay open. Finally, realize that it’s never too late for a new attitude.

.

Tips To Effective Management - Tip One

2008-10-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Are You A Manager Or A Leader?

This is an important question and I think you will find some interesting answers. Sometimes it can be a blurry line. Sometimes a manager is also called upon to lead. If you are a manager of a department, or company you are likely managing product/service, process and people in terms of performance and deliverables. You may have some approval authority – most likely you have the authority to say no – but- you are answerable and accountable for you and your team. As a manager you are also responsible, a role model, and an ambassador for company values and policies. Many of you are leaders in the making. For those of you who lead, recognize the importance of your own ability to manage situations and people who are an integral part of your power team.

As someone in the driver’s seat, own that responsibility. Until you do you will find that accomplishing your goals may be a game of chase. As someone who is in-charge- you cannot afford distractions, or be “one of the guys/girls.” There needs to be a differentiation in order for you to make informed and unbiased decisions.

So now you’ve made the distinction and the decision to accept the responsibility of your role. The following are some tips to keep you on –course and working smarter.

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Two

2008-10-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Know Your Leadership Style

There are several leadership styles and understanding which is yours will help you understand whether you have the checks in balances in place to have a motivated team. Know thyself as the saying goes. Are you a dominate and control person, a leader who has vision and co-ops their team? Are you detailed? Are you cautious? There is no right or wrong, however, there are prevalent traits in every successful leader and it is the ability to bring people together to accomplish any task. This is done by: · Involving employees in decision making· Encouraging two-way communication· Sharing power (knowing your voice is not the only one in the room)· Being flexible· Valuing their expertise · Providing community

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Three

2008-10-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

I wish I could claim this little gem as my own but I can’t. It has been taken from two other people and I have adopted it as a mantra.
If you aren’t clear then how can the others who work with you and for you be clear? Make sure that your team fully understands the purpose of what is being asked for. No matter what it is, it should support the company’s main thing or things are likely to be (and not necessarily in this order):
Provide great service
Make sure employees are equipped with the capabilities and tools to be successful
Make a profit.

If the project is to – for example- create first class data base system- the above three things should be kept in mind. The project may be the priority within a certain time frame but it absolutely must support the above.
One of the best ways to find out if your team is clear is to ask them. Get the feedback. You may be interested to see how many interpretations can come up.
Also take the time to understand what the main things are for the members of your team? Are the aligned with the company values? What do they need to feel they are successful, recognized and contributing? This is important and it speaks to being a strong coach (to be discussed later). Remember, people don’t quite companies – they quit the people they work with and for.

Tips to Effective Mangement - Tip Four

2008-10-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Know Your People

Assessments: Building and managing a team is an ongoing process and ideally it begins with the hire. But let’s assume that you have a team in place. It’s functioning OK but if you take a closer look you see that some are constantly busy and achieving, some are coasting and some just aren’t delivering. Before you take action, step back. When was the last time you did a thorough assessment on each individual of your team (including yourself)? There are a myriad of tools out there- Myers Briggs, DISC, Birkman, 360’s and many more. I strongly recommend you use them for you current team and for your hiring process. The second thing I recommend is that you use the information constructively and as the basis for an action plan. I see too many managers or leaders review these assessments and then do nothing. These assessments not only tell you about someone’s strengths, but they also detail – and fairly well, predisposition, values, behaviors and recommended actions. The second thing is that some of these assessments will allow you to map your team which allows you to see if you have a good mix of people and skills. Sometimes you have the right people doing the wrong job. Sometimes the person isn’t a good fit for the company. Sometimes they are well suited and looking for a strong career path. You owe it to the company, yourself, and your team to find out. One other thing, take the time to say hello and to take interest. Its recognition and it goes a long

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Five

2008-10-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

Coach your team: Coaching effectiveness is now becoming known, understood and embraced. It works because it is ongoing, strength based, change making and sustainable. It requires you to listen well, question, acknowledge, provide relevant feedback and challenge, but it confirms to the employee that he or she is doing well and gives him or her confidence to continue the behavior. Some people are inherently good at this, but more and more, we see organizations hiring trained and experienced coaches to work with their managers and executive in the development of coaching skills. Does your company include coaching in their training programs? If not, why not see if they will start with you.

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Six

2008-10-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Communicate:

Successful communication is a complex and difficult process. A broad development of awareness, understanding and hard won new habits is required in order to gradually improve your skills of effective communication. A good communicator always:·

Exchanges ideas, feelings and values·
Uses appropriate language, tone, pitch and volume·
Gives relevant information·
Uses non-verbal signals to emphasize and support messages·
Solicits feedback·
Conveys understanding

Effective communication means getting through to the other person what you mean in a way that they understand. The end result is to get things done with minimal or no problems so that you, the organization and the employee will all be satisfied.

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Seven

2008-10-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

Time Management Are you overwhelmed by insurmountable projects, endless paperwork andconstant interruptions? Instead of thinking about how you can manage, create and save time, think more about ways to utilize it. Once you have accomplished this, you may invest in time what you value. To help you do this, keep in mind some of the principles of time management:·

Time management needs to be simple, organized and efficient so that it is effective
Understand what you are doing and create a plan
Ask SMART questions (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time based)
As a manager, you will soon realize that you can not accomplish all of your tasks by yourself

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Eight

2008-10-06T07:12:00.001-07:00

Who’s on track? On any team there are those that are fast trackers (about 30%), the steady as she goes types (50%) and the ones who just aren’t cutting it. The tendency is to keep piling the fast trackers with more responsibility and work – often without support. What happens? At first they may appreciate the recognition but after a while they get over-worked and burned out. In the middle section are those that are likely performing to standard or slightly above. They keep things moving along and are the support team. Then there are those who just aren’t cutting it. There are a variety of performance issues that can be observed such as being chronically late, lack of team support, no attention to details, inaccuracy, gossip etc. Whatever, they need to be de-hired. However, often what happens is that they are reviewed, told what they need to correct and then kept on. There is no accountability. What ends up happening is that by continuing with non-performers you end up managing to the lowest common denominator and that costs time, money and often some very valuable people. Discipline is hard but necessary.

Tips to Effective Managment - Tip Nine

2008-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Have Your action Plan In place Before It Hits The Fan

There’s nothing worse than being caught in a situation without a well thought out strategy. It puts you in reactive mode and that is not healthy to you or the team. Take the time to think things through. I’m not suggesting that you be the eternal pessimist but it never hurts to look at what happens if, we loose this account, sales slide, the system crashes or we have to let this person go. Be prepared.

Tips to Effective Management - Tip Ten

2008-10-06T07:08:00.001-07:00

Stay In Integrity No Matter What
Everything counts when you are in a management or leadership position. Those above are looking at you and those you lead or manage are also looking at you and all of them want to know you will do the right thing. If you lose your integrity you lose will not be able to maintain trust. Be your word. Don’t ignore things- they really won’t go away. Model your values and those of

Tips to Effective Management - Tip Eleven

2008-10-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Take control of your time

By being present, striving for awareness of yourself as a manager, your environment and your staff, you will succeed in being a successful manager and leader.
There are several leadership styles and understanding which is yours will help you understand whether you have the checks in balances in place to have a motivated team. Know thyself as the saying goes. Are you a dominate and control person, a leader who has vision and co-ops their team? Are you detailed? Are you cautious? There is no right or wrong, however, there are prevalent traits in every successful leader and it is the ability to bring people together to accomplish any task. This is done by: ·

Involving employees in decision making
Encouraging two-way communication
Sharing power (knowing your voice is not the only one in the room)
Being flexible
Valuing their expertise
Providing community
Above all - learn to delegate both task and responsibility

Tips To Effective Management - Tip Twelve

2008-10-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Be An Effective Delegator Delegation is a challenging skill for all managers to master because it involves effective communication, motivation, goal setting and leadership. To often I hear “it’s faster to do it myself” or “it will take longer to explain how to do it then to just do it”. The thing is it isn’t faster in the long run and it helps no-one not to mention the cost associated with a high-end manager doing down the line work. Three essential components to successful delegation are: ·

Proper assignment of duties·
Granting authority to perform·
Creating a climate of responsibility

Unless all three are achieved, the delegation process will not be effective. To make your decision easier, clarify the parameters of the delegation for yourself by considering these three questions:·

What is the purpose of this delegation? Knowing if it is to decrease my workload or to develop an employee helps in determining whether or not to delegate a task.·
Should I delegate this task? Knowing the purpose of the assignment assists in determining whether or not to delegate a task.·
What exactly do I want done? Specify the scope of the assignment Effective delegation can save you hundreds of hours of unnecessary work, increase productivity and provide invaluable training to your associates and employees.

Tips to Effective Management- Tip Thirteen

2008-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Keep Learning It’s interesting to see how many people put learning on the back-burner. They forget that to stay in tune with the world and to play their best game means learning constantly whether that means reading a book or actually listening to what someone is saying. Some of the main reasons executives fail are arrogance, out- of control egos, and insensitivity, Don’t’ fall into that management trap. Listen at more than a cursory level. And yes, that means putting down your blackberry or not answering email when someone is talking to you. And finally put your learning to good and productive use. Teach people. Help them set goals and learn how to achieve them with commitment and accountability. Successful leaders and managers build high performing and profitable organizations through the use of three key elements: knowledge, experience and insight. By understanding your leadership style and developing your leadership/management skills you will realize enormous benefits organizational cultural, performance, increased productivity, decreased stress and increased confidence. Your staff and employees will also receive and feel these same benefits, and you may find employee grievances churn decrease. Training is the key.

Being Your Personal Best

2007-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Your Personal Best

We would like to talk about being your personal best. It's tough sometimes and especially so when it seems like it won’t make a difference. This is exactly when it matters most and we know you can because it’s in all of us. It’s what makes us successful in life.

Most folks think that success is defined by what we have; about getting the big promotion, the big bucks and all that goes with it
But It's Much More Than That
Success is about rising above hardships, setbacks, challenges, previous mistakes and the pain you've had in the past. It's about going after what you're passionate about and what you believe in, even when those around you would call you crazy. Success is achieved from the inside out. Success is about knowing that you’ve gone the distance with all you have and by giving and being your personal best.
We at En Course face our collective and individual challenges just like you. But our commitment is helping you succeed by being your personal best. So, we look at things differently because we know:
* There is no such word as can’t. When someone says “I can't” it’s an opportunity to show the world that you not only can but you do.
* Challenges are merely an opportunity to find the right answer at the right time.
* Mistakes are made for learning.
* Successful people rise above the circumstances. By rising above, you are successful.
* Answers can be found everywhere and that includes other people who have been there and done that. All you have to do is ask. When you do a whole new world of opportunity is open to you.
* Good friends both in life and in business make for a powerful team and you are one of the strongest players.
* Strong Leadership is about being a great coach and growing the personal best in every member of your team.

Be your personal best and encourage everyone around you to do the same. Pay it forward and see what happens