 Diamonds to You Helping you get the best out of yourself and others.
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Publisher, Editor, Author-
ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D. | |
For YouTube:
ArLyne Diamond
 
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Hi Sept. Mourn:
Although this month's newsletter may seem quite personal - it is! - the overall message I wish to convey is the importance of living your life NOW. Don't settle - don't waste time, don't be less than you can be.
Even my political message suggests that you take charge of your own life and live it to the fullest.
Why?
My friend Doris died last Friday. I hadn't seen her in a few months and so deeply regret not having called her, as I had planned. We get so busy with our day to day lives that we fail our friends. I know I am terribly guilty of that neglect - as are many of my friends.
Doris' death shook me up. She was only a few years older than me - and although I knew she had been ill a few years ago, I'd forgotten that the doctors had given her only six months to live. Stubborn and strong she lived three more years and appeared so healthy all the time that I, along with others forgot she was living on borrowed time.
Her death makes me even more aware of the importance of living life TODAY. Dreaming about what you want to do in the future isn't as important as actually doing it.
To add to that sadness, Penny is much worse. She is picking away at her hindquarters, as though the tumor is bothering her and she is trying to either scratch it or cut it out. I am keeping her medicated much of the time and as she sleeps, I watch to make sure she is still breathing. Yet, she till eats properly, loves her walks, and gives me plenty of hugs and kisses. She is not ready to go - or is that my need to keep her alive?
I am in mourning.
This Thursday the 18th would have been Bill's birthday as well. I'm starting to sound maudlin. I need to stop this train of thought.
BUT, my commitment is to do those things on my bucket list before it is too late.
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Mentoring
Does your company have a mentoring plan, policy and training program?
If not, you may want to consider creating one - it increases morale, motivation and productivity, if done correctly. It also helps with talent management and succession planning.
I'd be happy to talk with you about creating the plan and training potential mentors. Mentoring is different from coaching, teaching, supervising, etc. It's more like having a devoted aunt or uncle who is on your side, wiser and more experienced, but has no vested interest in a particular outcome. Thus, is should not be someone in the direct line up the organization from where the mentee works.
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ProMatch
I've been actively involved in creating and participating in a number of workshops for ProMatchers - who are professional people in job transition. My latest is to hold a regular Tuesday morning drop-in for people interested in advancing their job search and professional skills.
Among the workshops I've offered (or been heavily involved with presenting):
- Jump Start Your Job Search:
- this is the how and why of what you need to do.
- Marketing (Branding) Yourself:
- Most people out of work don't know how to market their services.
- Also, when people think of marketing they tend to think of product marketing and service marketing is different - services are intangible and thus your image, reputation, and "free samples" become critical in how you sell yourself.
- Self-Assessment Seminar:
- Knowing your wants, needs, values, interests help you decide
- Strategies and Tactics for your Job Hunt
- Lots of time, people just blindly do a bunch of chores without having an overall plan - that's what this workshop was designed to help.
- Who are You? Part I & Part II
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- Part I: How do you describe yourself professionally in a conversational manner (rather than the stylized elevator pitch we've all been taught to use.)
- Part II: "What's in it for Me?" - How do you answer the unspoken question posed by the person to whom you are speaking, whether that is someone with whom you are networking, or a recruiter/HR person or hiring manager?
- Negotiation Skills for Women:
- Maybe part of why women don't earn as much as men is because they don't know how to ask for what they want.
- This is also one of the reasons I decided to start a new women's forum.
- Getting Your Mojo Back
- Being out of work is debilitating, depressing and frightening. This workshop gave participants ideas for re-vitalizing themselves emotionally and psychologically as well as physically.
- Enhancing Your Professional Image: Your Unique Brand
- This is about marketing services and employment - how to create a brand that takes in the perception you want to create, what you do, and what;s in it for the person to whom you are speaking. This workshop is being repeated in August.
- Negotiation Strategies and Tactics
- In this workshop we will be using role-playing, fishbowl exercises, feedback and suggestions for those practicing their negotiation skills.
- Enhancing Your Professional Image: Your Unique Brand - again
- WOW, we had about 50 people in attendance and actually spent an extra hour giving feedback to people as they offered their revised introductions and elevator speeches. Lots of feedback that this was an outstanding experience - and people want me to come back and do more for them regularly.
Campaign Consulting and Involvement
Diamond Associates' team is now fully launched supporting several candidates for office. Our Treasurer is helping several candidates, our events consultant is speaking with a few candidates to help them with meet and greets and fundraisers - and of course I am offering my ideas about persuasion, image, and messaging with several people running for office.
Consulting Clients: Individuals and Organizations
Lest I forget: I am still earning money by consulting and offering workshops to organizations, private, public and government and also working with some individuals wishing aid with their professional development. Truth of the matter is, these are my major activities. Your referrals are always appreciated - and in this slowly climbing out of the recession - needed.
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University Courses I've Recently Taught
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DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management
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Career DecisionsConsumer Behavior
Leadership & Organizational Behavior
Quality and Performance Excellence
International Business
Business Planning (Capstone MBA class)
Psychology 110
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Employment Law (Compliance Issues )
The Legal, Political and Ethical Dimensions of Business
Change Management
Human Resource Planning (Capstone MBA class)
Negotiation Skills
HR Staffing
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Lincoln Law School: The Psychology of Practicing Law
Stanford University, Continuing Education: Conflict in the Workplace
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Books - Published
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Leading and Managing in a Global Economy - Super Star Press
Conflict in the Workplace: Causes and Cures Robertson Publishing Co.
The following books can be ordered directly: www.ProductivePublications.com
Training Your Board of Directors: A Manual for the CEOs, Board Members, Administrators and Executives of Corporations, Associations, Non-Profit and Religious Organizations.
The "Please" and "Thank You" of Fundraising for Non-Profits: Fifteen Essential Ingredients for Success.
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Republic or Democracy?
Although I normally don't add my political beliefs to my business newsletter, this month I am sorely tempted to ask this question: Do you think we should be a democracy - where everyone votes on everything, or a republic, where we elect people to represent us and trust them to do their job well. If we don't like the job they are doing we don't re-elect them.
There are a group of people I know who are complaining that the city council isn't giving them all the information they desire about each and every decision being made by our city leaders. They yell for "transparency" as a code word for demanding that their point of view be the one that "wins." Yet, I live in a city known for its ethics and open and transparent government.
Personally, I believe being in a republic is far more rational than mob rule in a democracy. The reason - we can't all know it all - and we select experts to handle things for us - politically we select candidates that are willing to study and learn about the issues about which they make decisions.
I've also been in several conversations about the difference between Aristotle's belief that reality was knowable - leading to the trust in the individual man/woman to make his/her own decisions in life - vs. Plato's Allegory of the Cave - a belief that man was dumb and evil and should be protected from reality. According to Plato, only the philosopher-kinds should know the truth.
These two different views lead to two vastly different views about whether government should be severely limited - or the major protector of our lives (ala big brother.)
OK, enough for politics!
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Fear of Excellence
When I conducted my research on managing for creativity I learned that many CEOs think their middle level management stifles rather than encourages good ideas. In these months of doing volunteer work for ProMatch I've come to learn that many people are told to "dumb down" their resumes because they might not be hired it the hiring managers think they are "over-qualified."
"Don't tell them you have a doctorate, you'll sound too smart." Is advice I hear career counselors giving to some of the scientists job-hunting and looking for guidance.
I hate this idea. Don't dumb yourself down. You don't want to work for those who would stifle your intelligence and creativity. Be yourself. Be the best of yourself. Be all you can be - because only in that manner will you be happy and feel good about yourself.
Yes, it may take longer to find the right job - but it will be the right job - not just any job.
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Settling for less to be safe
I think of my father and the sacrifices he made to support his family. A very talented man, he was well known for the furniture he built - he worked with Eleanor Roosevelt in the Val Kill Shop renovating, repairing and reproducing antique furniture. He was a fine craftsman.
But, once married with child (me - and later my sister) he got a safe steady job.
My Dad worked for the Dept. of Agriculture in a middle-management position. He went to his office on the subway every morning and came home again on the subway at the same time very night. Day in and day out he sat at a desk, never to smell the glorious smell of wood being worked.
My Dad was depressed. I didn't know it then but I realize it now as I look back. His family never wanted for anything. We had food, clothing, shelter, and a reasonable amount of extras. But he was never happy again.
Was it worth it? Could he have supported us as well - if not better - had he followed his own passion - his own dream? I'll never know.
Where Does that Leave Me?
I love helping people. That is my passion. Consulting, counseling, educating, training, these truly are my loves. I am very good at them and they do enable me to earn a good living. I am doing the work I am meant to do.
I also like ideas. Writing. Lecturing. I want my radio talk show. That's my next goal, along with writing a few other books.
But for now, I want to continue to help people and organizations be the best they can be.
Where does that leave you? Can I help you follow your dream?
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Professional Branding for Consultant
I will be speaking to the Monterey Bay Management Consultant Group later in the fall and the blurb for the speech is as follows:
Successful Professional Branding: How to Sell Yourself Effectively
By
ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D.
As consultants we spend an inordinate amount of time networking, socializing, marketing and trying to sell others on the value we potentially bring to them and to their contacts.
Do you want people to WANT to give you those introductions, the meetings with the decision makers and ultimately the consulting contract of your dreams?
Do you want people to see and experience you in all your professional glory and realize that you are of great value to them?
If so, this workshop on how to enhance your Professional Brand and Sell Yourself Effectively is for you!
Have you received conflicting advice about how to describe your brand? Are you told it's only about what you do - or have you learned that it is about who you are as well as what you do?
Come to this workshop and develop a powerful answer to: "Tell me About Yourself."
Marketing and sales tips will include your image, your style of presentation, your marketing/sales materials and most importantly the answer to the usually unasked question: "What's in it for Me?"
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So, How Can I help you?
Testimonial
- The information you provided was concise and easy to understand for all levels of employees. The training you conducted with our supervisors, managers and executive staff was upbeat and well received. Dave Spencer, Director Human Resources, Black Mountain Spring Water.
- I have sat through, or endured many more consultants than the average person. I'm always skeptical ... bout spending precious hours and only getting minutes worth of value. The four hours I spent with you were highly valuable. The information was practical and immediately applicable to my work, as it would be to any manager who interviews, hires, tracks performance and sometimes, unfortunately, fires. ... Your presentation of the material was interesting, the pace was right, your examples were relevant and reflected your experience. I truly enjoyed the entire workshop as well as finding it practical. Jeanne Howard, Advertising Director. Metro Newspapers.
- ... I have been working regularly with the Management Consultant, ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D. I have seen a wonderful change in my business since ArLyne has been working with my office. We now have a complete and very through office procedure manual. The manual is a huge asset to my office. It has allowed me to train and allow th4e staff to have a handy resource for questions when I am not available. ... Also, ArLyne provided a complete area list of supplies, vendors and the strike point to order additional supplies. ... she also lay out the office furniture and work areas. ... We continue to meet to develop additional marketing, staff hiring, and general management of my personal income tax preparation practice. Janice Driscoll, E.A.
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