Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." One of my favorite advice columnists recently discussed the same thing. (Her name is Carolyn Hax and she appears regularly in The Washington Post and weekly in our daily paper, The Record.) In a column about a daughter having difficulties dealing with her father, Carolyn wrote, "[I]f you keep expecting him to behave with integrity, or hoping he'll become a good father, or decrying that he isn't one, you'll keep renewing your disappointment, and grief, in perpetuity." In other words, if you keep expecting something to happen and it doesn't, it's going make you crazy.

So, what are you going to do about it? Maybe the answer is to change your expectations (which is what Carolyn was counseling the daughter to do). Sometimes things aren't going to happen exactly the way you want them to. Sometimes what happens isn't anything like what you wanted. You have a choice -- you can be miserable and rail against everything that went wrong or you can change your expectations.

Those of us who have difficulty delegating tasks also know about the problem with expectations. You give someone a job to do and they do it -- the results are fine, but it's not exactly the way you would have done it. Rather than accepting the results, you criticize the process. And guess what happens the next time? It doesn't get done. Another case of, change your expectations or you will always be stuck doing that job.

Inc. magazine recently had an article "Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now". The article, by Eliza Browning (Crane, Inc., the stationery company), covers some new and some timeless etiquette rules.

1. Send a thank you note.
(And if you send it by snail mail, you'll really surprise the recipient and support the post office!)
2. Know the names.
(Don't just know the people above you, know everyone you work with -- they all deserve to be treated well.)
3. Observe the 'Elevator Rule'.
(Don't talk about someone until you've left the office, building, etc. -- you don't know who might be listening.)
4. Focus on the face, not the screen.
(Unless you're with a bunch of techies -- they'll be more impressed if you spend your time on your smartphone.)
5. Don't judge.
(This is my favorite of the rules and applies equally to your non-business life. Don't make snap judgments about people -- give everyone a chance. And remember, you don't know what they are dealing with.)

The financial industry has special concerns and needs when it comes to social media. FINRA has put together various policies and guidelines for using things like LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, etc. Having worked with financial advisers before and remembering the stringent approval process, I know this can be a problem. However, I've been researching and reading all of the resources out there, so I am here to help! If you're in the finance world and haven't ventured into social media yet because you're worried about FINRA, let me help you!

Are you interested in trying e-mail marketing? I am a Certified Constant Contact Expert and a Constant Contact Solution Provider. Which means I can help you with your e-mail marketing -- whether it's helping with set-up, writing the content, or doing something more advanced. I can even set up your contact lists, help you choose a template, and develop your e-mail schedule. To learn more, click here.

E-mail marketing is a way to stay in front of your customers. Whether it's an e-letter (like this one), notice of a special event or sale, or just a holiday greeting, e-mail marketing should be a part of your marketing package. Let me help you get started.