The Best-Half
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Where have all the women gone?
Kolbe Index - two new offerings
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October, 2007
Greetings

....I'm sure many of you were intrigued by the title of Tim Ferriss's book, The Four Hour Workweek. I spoke about it briefly last month. Ferriss is a 29 year old serial entrepreneur who has a lot of interests outside of work including travelling, martial arts and ball room dancing. In fact he is so busy he realized something had to give. So he developed a set of tools and habits that allow him to work anywhere at any time. His main message is one that many of you will have heard me talk about before: "strengthen your strengths and delegate your weaknesses."
What I liked about the book was his "anybody can do this" attitude. He shows his readers step by step how to find the resources and the connections to first class assistants and virtual assistants around the world (his are in India.) He also takes you through a process to have "mini retirements." These 2 to 3 month sojourns are a lot easier to arrange than you may think and a lot cheaper than I could guess.
This book will appeal to the adventurers who want to make the break but still work as part of a balanced life style. It's encouraging that he is advocating "work less" instead of "be connected 24/7."
I guess the old expression "work smart" still holds true even in Ferriss's  world-wide  sandbox.

Cheers

Gord
 
P.S. I am busy writing an article for an upcoming issue of Oilweek magazine, the number one trade publication of the oil and gas industry. I am talking about reasons why managers are leaving organizations.

Where have all the women gone?
stock old One of the new issues surfacing in the struggle to keep hi-talent is the female employee who has built her career up since leaving school and then finds it is now of never for starting a family.  These hi-talent employees  have been career oriented  and moving up the ladder without the joint task of motherhood getting in the way of that business meeting on the west coast.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail titled Welcome mat's out for mom illustrates the advances companies are making to lure mom back to work. Flexibility and understanding are the key words  used by career moms who are applauding their employers. One of the more innovative ideas is a ramp down period where employment might be limited to as little as a day here and there with the guarantee that there would be a ramp-up to full time when appropriate (such as the onset of full time school or day care arrangements.) If it can be done for the younger woman why not extend it to the older  women who are maybe looking at the option between changing companies because of work demands or even getting out of the corporate world altogether.
Employers, it is important to realize, can have extremely valuable team members and leaders who can accomplish a tremendous amount by being........flexible and responsive to individual needs and requests. With Canada's unemployment rate  now below 6% we need all the engaged people we can find.


The Kolbe Index  - two new offerings
I just returned from a two day re-certification workshop at Kolbe Corp. It was held in Phoenix which is never a bad place to go when the weather starts to turn cold.
Kolbe Corp has unveiled two new long awaited reports based on Kolbe A results.
Kolbe A Career MO+(TM) Report
This is a personalized program for career advice. The on line version lets you cycle through dozens of career options with corresponding comments based on your individualized MO. (I am a 3396). One other interesting  addition are some sample interview questions to ask that really zone in on your instincts. For instance: Would I be able to work on several projects at the same time? Would I be able to move back and forth between projects?
Previously you could access a list of Career Paths based on leading strengths. This list has been greatly expanded. One of mine is life coach, another, inventor and a bouncer!(requires quick thinking on your feet!)
This is an excellent tool for anyone looking to either start a career, find a new career or just check in on how the fit is with what you are doing now.
Kolbe Sales MO+(TM) Report
What is the best way for you to sell to clients? The Kolbe Sales MO+ sets out to define the best techniques for how to thrive in your own sales mode.
This is an excellent individual tool or a workshop for a sales team, new sales recruits, or a way of looking at those folks who may not be your top performers. Maybe they are working against their instincts. It points out that my skill is in handling the unknowns in a sales situation and that I need to improvise  my presentations. Clearly documenting and making notes are a struggle for me so I would not want to be responsible for a lot of paper work. A followthru assistant will be a value in those situations.
The online version offers lots of tips and tricks.

Both of these Reports are available only through Kolbe Certified Coaches and Consultants. (That's me...)
The Best-Half puts people  in touch with what really matters to them at any stage of their career and shows them how to find purpose, new meaning and engagement in both their work and home life. - hint: it's all about legacy and possibility! For employers the Best-Half establishes a dialogue between the employee and the organization allowing for effective medium and long range resource planning and succession planning throughout the entire spectrum of an individual's career.

Call us if you want to help your people plan for the future. It's going to be here before you know it (the future that is...)
 
Sincerely,
 

Gordon Neufeld
The Best-Half