|
|
It's About You!
The start of a new year is a great time to think about New Beginnings and I want to see you succeed!
New Year Challenge
Make a commitment to try one new thing in the next month and send me an email letting me know your plan. Send it with the subject Newsletter Challenge and I will follow up with you to find out about your results!
In this bulletin are ideas to help you increase your effectiveness through:
1. A life change
2. Seeking out different people and experiences
3. Trying a new marketing strategy
Pick something new to try this month and email me at jdaviesassoc@aol.com.
Having an accountability partner is a great way to insure success. I look forward to hearing from you!!
|
What's New?
The New York State Association for Women in Administration (NYSAWA) is having its 20th Annual Convention in Albany this year. The Theme is "Leadership for the 21st Century" and I am looking forward to attending. Expect some great information to come from this conference.
|
I'm anticipating receiving your emails to read about your plans to make a change for the better!
|
|
Many Thanks
A special thanks to those of you who took the time to send testimonial letters. Your support is much appreciated!
If you would like to see past issues of our Reach Higher newsletter, you can access them through our Newsletter Archives Page . Here's to the start of a great New Year!
Juanita Davies | |
|
|
|
|
Are You Ready to Change Your Life?
As we enter into a new year, many of us think of making a "fresh start" in certain areas of our lives, hence the popularity of New Year's Resolutions. Research shows that it takes more than just the desire to change to make those resolutions stick!  The " Stages of Change" model will help you understand the process we go through to modify our behavior. This model identifies five stages of change.
*Stage One: Pre-contemplation. People at this stage have not yet acknowledged that there is problem behavior that needs to be changed. They tend to defend (bad) habits and are not interested in any kind of help. *Stage Two: Contemplation. Here, a person acknowledges that there is a problem but is not yet ready or sure about making a change. People at this stage are aware of the personal consequences of a bad habit or lifestyle and are more open to receiving information. In our last newsletter we said that people who are considering making a change they ask themselves 2 questions: "Will it be worth it?" and "Can I do it?" That's the Contemplation Stage.
|
During
a recent business trip on a bitterly cold night in January, I was all bundled
up waiting for the elevator to go downstairs where I would meet some friends for dinner.
Imagine my surprise when the elevator door opened and there stood a man dressed
only in his underwear with a towel around his neck.
As my confused thoughts cleared and I mentally confirmed that, yes this was the
hotel elevator and not a sauna or steam room, we rode silently to the first
floor where he headed for the pool and I walked out the front door. The manager
later told us that two guests from Japan had taken a nude swim in
the heated pool and I remembered the Japanese practice of communal
bathing.
Customs can vary so much from country to country. In
the same way companies, organizations and even families each have their own
"culture". Whether it's how we dress (or don't), if our movements are fast and hurried or
slow and relaxed, whether we talk a lot
or we are quiet, if we show respect by direct eye contact and a firm handshake or
by eyes lowered...no matter what the differences, those around us form an
impression, usually based on their own experiences.
In
the book I'm Not Crazy, I'm Just Not You, 1997 Davies-Black Publishing, the authors talk about the importance of
valuing differences: "The most important reason for us to move toward a
perspective of valuing is that the interdependent nature of life means our
ability to survive and adapt is directly tied to our ability to manage differences.
This is true in one-to-one relationships as well as on a global level."
When we use the Myers-Briggs® Personality Assessment in our team building sessions we emphasize that, in our increasingly diverse life and work environments, it is important to remember people's differences don't make them better or worse
than we are, just different! That said, when we are in a country or surroundings unlike our own, it is important to be sensitive to variations in style and customs and, at times, to adjust our behavior accordingly.
What new situation have you faced recently that may have made you feel a bit uncomfortable? Did you just start a new job where the management style, culture, or even the technology is different? Are you contemplating a move to another state or country? Have you just joined a group where you are the "newcomer"? Have you teamed up with a colleague whose methods are very different from your own? Remember that when you are open to different people and customs, you just might learn something. And it sure keeps life interesting!
|
|
Marketing Tips to Get Noticed
The start of the year can be a time when funds become available for new projects and ventures. With today's tighter budgets, many of us are faced  with the need to market ourselves and our ideas. This topic can fill several books, but here is an important distinction that will help you to maximize your marketing effectiveness.
Marketing strategies can be divided into two main categories: Active and Passive. Active marketing puts you in front of the client with personal presentations, workshops, group meetings, etc. Passive marketing reaches your client indirectly through things like email, brochures, newsletters and web sites. Increased use of technology can cause us to rely heavily on "passive" communication, but studies show that direct contact has a powerful impact that cannot be duplicated. Personal experience and the opportunity to "see you in action" gives people a sense of who you are and what you can do. What if your "audience" is spread throughout the country or the world? A teleconference or webinar is a good middle ground that will allow people to see your style, even if you are not in the same room.
Think about your current activities. What percentage of your contact with colleagues and clients is active (face-to-face) and how much is passive? We can all think of valid reasons why we rely on things like email and other technology to communicate. It saves time, is convenient, alleviates travel expenses, is less "intrusive", etc. When it comes to marketing, indirect communication can serve as a good introductory and follow-up methodology. But when you want to give a potential
client or customer the full benefit of experiencing all you have to offer, personal contact can make the difference.
With a new year beginning, think of creative and different ways you can make a personal connection with people who can provide an opportunity for you to expand your horizons. Take advantage of my New Year Challenge to get some support. Send me an email to tell me about one specific action step you will take so that others will see what you can do!
|
|
© 2010 J. Davies & Associates. All rights reserved. | |
|
