The Management Skills Certificate Program: Early Bird Registration Deadline September 12!: Don't miss signing up yourself or your managers for the Fall MSC program starting on October 24. This 15-week "no frills, no fluff" TeleCourse program uses proven tools and techniques to help participants become more effective managers. See coupon offer at bottom of newsletter.

The Assessment Guru Hour: This monthly one-hour conference call is offered to all J.Ferm assessment buying clients. It is a great opportunity for assessment users to ask questions of various "gurus" about how to launch, implement, and maximize the use of assessments within organizations. To join or to learn more about producing organizational ROI using assessments, email us

September PIAV MBA Certification TeleCourse: If you are an HR professional, Coach, or Consultant and are looking for ways to offer additional value through the use of assessments, join us for the 5-week "Personal Interests, Attitudes, and Values" Certification TeleCourse starting on September 4th. This comprehensive course prepares you to become a "Certified Professional Values Analyst" and to administer the PIAV assessment.

On Being Certain- Believing You are Right Even When You're Not, by Robert A. Burton

Evaluating certainty plays a huge role in business: one vendor's absolute certainty that her product is the best answer can have disastrous results if, swayed by her conviction, you make the wrong choice. On the other hand, when the key stakeholders are certain that your project is the right course of action, great things can happen. We'd like to believe that our decisions and evaluations are based on well-reasoned analysis. Don't be so sure.

In "On Being Certain," neurologist and novelist Robert A. Burton, M.D. examines the human experience of (and craving for) certainty. Burton concludes that the feeling of certainty is as biologically hardwired as love and anger and for the most part functions independently of reason. The book presents real world instances of the latest thinking in neuroscience to show how we know what we think we know. For example, to illustrate how the mind re-orders the sequence of perceptions, Burton breaks down the duel between batters and pitchers in baseball. As it turns out, even the best hitters are in motion and adjusting their swing long before their conscious self even sees the ball leave the pitcher's hand. So much for "intentionally" hitting the ball down the right field line.

This book is a powerful tool for anyone who must evaluate certainty. Just because an idea, belief or position fills you with a sense of absolute certainty doesn't mean it's right. Given a solid understanding of how the brain works, it's easy to see why particular viewpoints are held with true conviction, and armed with this knowledge, you'll never again wonder why the other guy just doesn't get it. More importantly, you'll be much less likely to march confidently off a cliff.

-Petersen Thomas, Vice President, J.Ferm

"Running a(nd) Business"

In our Q2 newsletter I wrote about my running experience and how the ideas generated during my runs correlate to strategies for running a business. Since then, my running has evolved and so have the lessons learned. Some of you asked for less tips and more detail and we listened. For a copy of our last newsletter and "Running a(nd) Business" tips, please click here

Don't Stop, AND Smell the Roses: Most of us have heard the expression "stop and smell the roses" which encourages us to slow down and enjoy the scenery instead of missing out on the small and special treats in life. When you run a business, this can seem like an impossible task. Personally, I struggle with taking the time to stop and smell the roses. I often feel that when I take a break, I have to go into overdrive to make up for lost time and find myself running on empty.

Running has become an outlet for me to mentally slow down and be fully present. On a recent long-distance run at my sister-in-law's in Gloucester, MA I was struck by the almost over-powering smell of beach roses along the path. As I ran, I realized that I could run AND smell the roses as long as I made a conscious effort to do so.

While running my business, I sometimes get so caught up in reaching the goal that I forget to enjoy the small joys of being an entrepreneur. So on a recent business trip, I decided to put the idea into practice.

I left a day early (where I usually practice "just in time" airline juggling) and went out for a great dinner in my client's town. I brought a non-business related book and spent the evening reveling in the experience. The next day, I was ready to tackle the world of work. A smaller "pause" and a night at a nice hotel helped me re-focus, re-charge, and re-energize. Had I taken several days off, I probably would have been more stressed about the things piling up at my office and wouldn't be able to appreciate the small perks of business travel. This conscious effort to pause and smell the roses allowed me to enjoy running the business.

On the way back home, I turned off my ever-present BlackBerry and enjoyed the travel experience including my fellow passengers. I watched a self-absorbed businessman discuss (loudly enough for all to hear) his latest business deal and I wondered if he realized that he had just shared the name of his business, that of his client, and what daycare his kids were going to and when they needed to be picked up. It made me think about how I may come across while attached to my phone and in over-drive. Next to me sat a woman quietly knitting looking straight ahead as if in a trance. Though her hands were present, her mind seemed to not be. I am on the road a lot and I rarely stop to observe my fellow passengers, but both of these individuals fascinated me. It was as if the businessman and the knitting woman were two opposites on a spectrum of presence. I realized that somewhere in the middle of that continuum is where I wanted to be.

Running a business effectively requires both great attention to results and intense focus on tasks. It also requires time to recharge the batteries and slow down the pace. Coming to a complete stop may not be an option, but by consciously looking around you to observe and appreciate the non-business moments going on in the vicinity, you are more likely to enjoy what you do while you are doing it. So try it! Don't stop and smell the roses and let us know how it affects your business.
For more information on "Running a(nd) Business, email us at: jessika@jferm.com