How to be a successful sales person

In recognition of the many challenges we experience in business, no matter our field, we would like to extend regular encouraging, inspiring, and creative tips that are meant to help you and your organization.
Here's the first TIP for this week...and stay tuned for more of it in the weeks to come.
Tips on How to be a SUCCESSFUL Sales person (by Richard Haasnoot):

1. Have passion for PRODUCT and PEOPLE. Love your product and your customers. Passion is persuasive!
2. What does the customer really need? It is not always what they say they need. Be a detective by asking great questions that gives you the answers.
3. Talk their language. "When in Rome..." You know the saying, but use this classic advice to learn the special language a customer uses.
4. Will the buyer please stand up? This can be where you earn your detective's badge.It is not always obvious, so never assume you know. Confirm, and then confirm again, who the decision maker is, or you will waste enormous amounts of time.
5. Slow down, don't need it. It is ok if a customer really does not need your product now. Do no be angry or upset, but plant the seeds for future sales. In sales, patience is a tough-earned virtue.
6. Obstacles are your best friends. Obstacles only mean you do not know everything you need to know. Expect obstacles, expect to learn from them, and you can expect success.
7. Add value. Under-promise and over-deliver is a great way to make the current sale turn into one hundred future sales.
8. Be you. Do not be an actor, which is another profession entirely. Be yourself and you will do your best. It is that easy.

Wishing you a productive week!

Creativity

Here's something to help you cultivate a CREATIVE climate in your organization...

(Taken from Creativity&Innovation by ASTD)

An OPENED corporation creates a climate that supports creative thinking:
O = Open-minded Encourage flexibility and creativity. Think out of the box.
Allow employees to experiment with using creative approaches and techniques.
Creative efforts are included in the budget.
P = Perception See things from the employee's viewpoint. Be able to relate.
There is an assurance that the work is rewarding both in a professional and personal way.
A participative atmosphere is encouraged by asking for and acting upon employee's input.
E = Equal Respect people for the diversity each brings. Value everybody's
ideas.
Leadership techniques and styles are individualized to fit the needs of each employee.
N = Nurturing Stimulate free expression of ideas. Broaden people's horizons.
Employees are provided with knowledge through speakers, libraries, training, and other learning opportunities that provide input for creativity.
E = Encouraging Encourage employees to find creative, different answers.
Not only are creative efforts rewarded and reinforced, but time is built in to be creative.
Freedom and opportunity for creative expression exists.
D = Description Communication is very good. Objectives are clear and feedback is
specific.
Have balance between structure and opportunity for creative expression.
There is a saying that goes, "Doing things by the book creates an efficient organization, not but an innovative one."

Motivation

Motivation is generated by a variety of factors, some of which we can control, and some of which we can't.
There are at least 13 factors (according to The Big Book of Motivation Games by Robert Epstein, Ph.D.) that we can manipulate to some extent to boost our motivation:

1. Exercise: Physical activity boosts energy.
2. Good nutrition: Some foods make us sluggish, and others energetic. Eat what's right for your body.
3. Sleep: Lack of sleep is probably the most common reason for poor motivation. Can't be energetic when you're tired.
4. Rewards: Don't need to always receive rewards, put yourself in rewarding situations.
5. Challenges: Some are motivated by it; others fear them. Seek it, avoid it, or present challenges for others as appropriate.
6. Friendship: Many people would work for low pay if they get to work with great people. Companionship and camaraderie produce that great feeling of wanting. Find the right people with whom to work and play.
7. Kindness: Some people will do anything for a kind word and some decent treatment. If it's important to you, seek it. If it's important to your staff, develop a kind streak.
8. Security: People want to feel safe and secure, especially their future. Security works like an anchor, keeps you in place.
9. Authority: Few people are highly motivated by power. Find a role that gives you authority. If your staff is motivated this way, give him/ her more authority: empower!
10. Independence: When a person values autonomy, ownership, and independence above everything else, he/ she needs room to move. Ask for it or give it, in accordance to competence.
11. Pleasant environment: Colors, sounds, textures of the workplace sets the mood.
12. Creative expression: Many people need to express their imagination and seek to realize it.
13. Meaning: For some, the quest for meaning (purpose) is the greatest motivator of all.Know what brings meaning to you and to those that contribute to your success.

Also keep in mind that...........
Different strokes for different folks:
What motivates one person may not motivate another.

Things change:
What motivates someone today might not motivate them tomorrow.

Have a great week!

Self-development

No matter what your job is, you feel pressures to work faster, smarter, and better.
To stay competitive, you have to develop new capabilities to do more with less, reduce cycle time, improve processes, stay abreast of technology, launch programs, and devise new market strategies. If you don't develop, you fall behind. Development is not optional.

Here's 5 simple steps (taken from 'Development First' by David B. Peterson, Ph.D. & Mary Dee Hicks, Ph.D.) that can drive your development and establish a cycle of continuous learning:

1. Focus on priorities: Identify your critical issues and development objectives.
2. Implement something every day: Stretch your comfort zone.
3. Reflect on what happens: Extract maximum learning from your experiences.
4. Seek feedback and support: Learn from others' ideas and perspectives.
5. Transfer learning into next steps: Adapt and plan for continued learning.

Go through this cycle at least twice a year to always have an up-to-date status on where you're at and where you want to go.
Remember, you're never too old to learn!

How does one become creative?

There are hundreds of tools and techniques out there meant to encourage and enhance creative thinking.
However, here are 4 major strategies to stimulate you into creative thinking:
1. VISUALIZE : seeing the preferred future, the ideal.
2. EXPLORE : using metaphors, analogies or symbols to question assumptions and to jolt our paradigms.
3. COMBINE : bringing various elements together in different ways.
4. MODIFY : improvising, adapting, adjusting what you already have.
Each is created to jolt you out of everyday thinking and move you to think differently - outside your box.
Often we go through the day on automatic pilot, allowing our habits to rule the day, hoping for the predictable and avoiding surprises.
This can be good because we can become efficient and effective.
The drawback, however, is that our expectation of how "things should be" replaces how "things could be".
And this prevents us from seeing bigger, better, wiser, wider.
What creative things can you do this week?

Media Blitz

Here's a team building activity from Results Through Training, www.RTTWorks.com. you might want to try out. Have fun!
Media Blitz
Primary Benefit: Fun.
Secondary Benefits:
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Time Management
• Problem Solving
• Delegation

The Game: At one time or another, everyone has watched television commercials and thought: I could do that! Well, here’s your opportunity.
First, participants are divided into teams. Each team will become the media team for a different product launch. They will collaborate to create a sixty-second television commercial for their new product, even choosing a famous celebrity to be their product’s spokesperson.
Working together, team members will brainstorm, concept, write, produce, rehearse and perform their commercial (including portraying their celebrity spokesperson). Teams take on the responsibilities of writers, producers, actors, sound-effect artists, voice over talent and jingle singers.
The resulting commercials are performed live for the entire group. Our facilitators will serve as judges, awarding a prize for the best commercial.
The Level of interaction for this show is always very high.
Minimum/Maximum Group Size: This event is designed and works best for audiences of 10 to 200 people.
Program Length: 2 – 3 hours
Space Requirements: An 8'x12' or larger stage or performing space.

Communication

People in a dark room want to turn the light on.

They want to see where they can walk.

Communication in an organisation turns the light on for everyone.

People do not function well in the dark.

Absence of communication leaves people in the dark.

Fear, distrust, suspicion, gossip, rumour all fester in this dark.

Trust, faith and security make an organisation healthy.

Communicate with people all the time.

Arrange systems of communications.

Use all the technology available to maintain open lines.

Any military strategist will tell you that an army without communications is a defeated army.

Turn the light on in your families, your workplace, your networks.

Communicate!

Taken from Dr. Phil Pringles' Leadership Files - well known speaker in USA

10 Ways To Make Your Presentation Irresistible

(taken from Guerilla Negotiating by Jay C. Levinson, Mark S.A. Smith, Orvel R. Wilson):

1. Discuss the SPECIFIC benefits. People do things for their reasons, not yours.
Present proof that you can fulfill these benefits.

2. Show EXCLUSIVE or superior features. Don't waste time on basics.
Discuss what your competitors can't do and you can, but only those that matter to your counterpart.
Magic word to use: Only.
"We are the only supplier that has a warehouse within same-day shipping radius of your company."

3. Project your personal DEPENDABILITY and your company's RELIABILITY.
Be professional in your attitude and use a positive approach in negotiating.
Bad mouthing your competitors imply that you don't really have a superior product
and destroys your credibility.

4. Position what you have to offer as having the RIGHT PRICE.
Help your counterpart understand the value you provide for the price you ask.

5. Demonstrate that the time is right to decide NOW.
Do this through special this-week-only pricing or promotions.

6. Use PROOF STATEMENTS, based on your notes, to match your benefits to your counterpart's needs.
"You mentioned that saving time is important to you. With this new technology, our product takes less time
to do the job than what you're using now, thereby saving you hundreds of dollars."

7. Support your case with VISUAL AIDS. Show charts that reflect just how much they will save money,
use props, photos, or documents.

8. Present an EMOTIONAL APPEAL. Emotions puts the motion in motivation.
Explain not only the features and advantages, but also put the prospect in the picture.
Demonstrate how they will personally benefit. Help them imagine themselves using
the product, benefiting from it, and enjoying it.

9. Dramatize with SUCCESS STORIES.

10. Include a DEMONSTRATION. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a demonstration
is worth a thousand pictures. Have them see your location, send a videotape, let them taste your cakes, etc.
depending on what you are actually selling.

There you go! These steps are applicable not only for selling product, but also selling ideas. Not only for external clients, but also your internal client: boss, peer, owner.
Hope it will further enhance your presentations!

BUILDING TRUST

(Taken from Organizational Behavior by Stephen P. Robbins)

What is trust anyway?

Trust is a positive expectation that another will not - through words, actions, or decisions - act opportunistically.

Only when you are perceived as being trust-worthy can you gain access to knowledge and cooperation.

Here are some practices that can help you build trust in your relationships:

* Practice Openness.

Mistrust comes as much from what people don't know as from what they do know.
Keep people informed, make the criteria on how decisions are made, explain the rationale
of your decisions, be candid about problems, and fully disclose relevant information.

* Be Fair.

Before making decisions or taking action, consider how others will perceive them in terms of
objectivity and fairness. Give credit where it'd due, be objective and impartial in performance
appraisals, and pay attention to equity perceptions in reward distributions.

* Speak Your Feelings.

Managers who convey only hard facts come across as cold and distant. When you share your
feelings, others will see you as real and human. They will know you as a person and their respect
will increase.

* Tell The Truth.

If integrity is critical to trust, you must be perceived as someone who tells the truth. People
are generally more tolerant of learning something not in their favor, rather than learning that
they've been lied to.

* Show Consistency.

People want predictability. Mistrust also comes from not knowing what to expect. Your
values and beliefs should consistently guide your decisions, allowing others to know what
they can expect and not expect from you.

* Fulfill Promises.

Trust requires that people believe that you are dependable. So you need to ensure that you
keep your word and commitments. Words mean nothing when they come up empty.

* Maintain Confidences.

You trust people who are discreet and upon whom you can rely. When people make themselves
vulnerable by telling you something in confidence, they need to feel assured that you will not
discuss it with others or betray that confidence.

* Demonstrate Competence.

Develop the admiration and respect of others by demonstrating technical and professional ability.
Not to intimidate, rather to assure others that you are a master of your field.

I guess this goes to show us the truth in the saying that "trust is not given, it's earned."

5 primary steps for delegation

The new year is just around the corner and you still have a million things to do before it comes.
What do you do? Maybe you can consider delegating some of it.

Here are 5 primary steps for delegation:

1. Clarify the assignment
Determine what to delegate and to whom.
Identify the person most capable of doing the task
and consider that person's current workload.
Approach him or her and clearly communicate
what the task entails and the results you expect.

2. Empower
Give the person the authority or access required
to accomplish the task. Specify any parameters
of authority so the person knows the range of his
or her discretion.

3. Inform others that delegation has taken place
Don't keep it just between you and the person delegated to.
Those who will be affected by the delegation need to be
informed. This will facilitate better cooperation from others
involved in the process of achieving the task.

4. Establish feedback controls
Delegation requires trust and letting go. Agree on specific
times to meet with the person to report back to you on
progress or any major problems that surfaced. This will
provide the opportunity for you to check on results.

5. Recognition
Give praise where it is due. Express your appreciation of
the person's willingness to receive the delegation and how
he or she contributed to the big picture.

What about it then? Ready to delegate away?

Six conditions for a leader/ manager to flourish

Issue No.2

Six conditions for a leader/ manager to flourish according to The Complete Idiot's Guide to 5 Minute Managing:

* Vision and Mission: they define an inspiring end point that focuses everyone's effort.
* Shared Values: they are the culture and what everyone is held accountable for.
* Trust: it is the glue that holds a company together.
* Listening: when a company listens well, it hears almost twice as much.
* Cooperation: when people cooperate, not compete, they produce their best results.

WISDOM

Issue No.4

WISDOM

Many people today are seeking knowledge, and knowledge is good, but wisdom is better.
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. Knowledge without wisdom can cause one to be puffed
up, or filled with pride, which will ultimately ruin one's life.
A wise person will always be knowledgeable, but not all knowledgeable people are wise.

Society today seems to exalt knowledge more than it should. Many people are highly educated and yet
are rapidly declining morally. It takes wisdom to appropriately apply knowledge.A reality we all need to grasp
is that although education is good, it is not better than wisdom.

Reflection:
How have you utilized the knowledge and skills that you have to sow wisdom into other people's lives?
Do your actions reflect the wisdom behind your knowledge?

Taken from various sources.

"It's not what you SAY, it's what you DO that counts."

I'm sure you've heard that being said a million times. You may agree, and you may not.
However, the statement has been proven to be mostly true. Actions DO speak louder than words.
When there is inconsistency between words and actions, people tend to give greater credence to actions. It's behavior that counts!
The implications of this is that as managers and leaders, you are a role model. Employees will imitate your behaviors and attitudes. They will, for example, watch what you are doing and then imitate or adapt what you do. This doesn't mean that words do not have influence. But when words and actions diverge, people focus most on what they see in terms of behavior.

So, what is your behavior saying about you? Are you walking your talk?

(Taken from Stephen P. Robbins' Organizational Behavior)

STRETCH YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

The book In Search Of Excellence by Peters and Waterman, identified "a bias for action" as a prime characteristic of excellent organizations. There is a striking parallel in personal development.
All the planning and knowledge in the world will not enhance your performance if you don't do something. In fact, most knowledge is useless until you act on it.

You will certainly want to learn new ideas. But lack of knowledge is rarely the most significant barrier to development; lack of action often is.

Have a fruitful week!

5 MINUTE INVESTMENT

Development is similar to an exercise program.

Twenty minutes of aerobic exercise every other day will get you into shape.
That's about five hours a month. However, if you spent those five hours
one Saturday a month in a concentrated burst of strenuous activity,
you wouldn't get fit. In fact, your body would probably suffer more than benefit.
Similarly, one intensive training program each year, with no practice, reflection,
or support back on the job will rarely yield true development fitness.

Development activity has to become a regular part of your daily discipline.
Since you are already busy, you need to guarantee that your time is well spent.
The easiest and most effective way to develop is to chip away at it in small,
bite-sized pieces. Even five minutes a day, used wisely, can make a tremendous difference.

How can you spend that 5 minutes a day for your development?
And, how about another 5 minutes a day for your team's development?

Somehow a smile can be heard over the phone

Hi all,

Got this from an associate of ours and am passing it on to you as the TIP Of The Week number 10!

Find out for yourselves its truth...

Somehow a smile can be heard over the phone.

Smiling PhoneWe sell a positive mental attitude as part of our product or service. People like to do business with positive people. A smile sells, and projects in telephone conversations. A trick of the trade is to have a mirror in view when selling on the phone. This is not always possible, but the principle applies that even when attempting to straighten out the most complex of situations, a smile projects and lightens the atmosphere. On a less-than-good day, we have to pump ourselves up a bit to add this skill to our package. This is one of the reasons it is best to return customer calls rather than take them. We can gear up for the task and are less likely to be run over by circumstances. In a profession where more things go wrong than go right, it is absolutely essential to develop a sunny disposition and project that with a smile and an appropriate sense of humor. Smile into the phone and it will be heard over the splash of your tears when things are not going your way. All sales professionals have ample, and sometimes daily, opportunities to develop and practice this skill. Take advantage of these situations to attempt a positive turn-around. A truly joyful smile may, on occasion, result.

MoTiVaTiOnAl ApPrOaChEs

Motivation is a psychological state that is said to exist whenever internal and/ or external forces trigger,
direct, or maintain goal-directed behaviors.

What motivates employees is a complex topic and no single theory adequately addresses all aspects of
motivation. However, here are a few general approaches recommended by Don Hellriegel, Susan E. Jackson,
and John W. Slocum in their book on Management.

A. Managerial Approach:
Focuses on the behaviors of managers-- in particular, their use of goals and rewards.
The managers that employees work with on a day-to-day basis can directly motivate employees
through personal, one-on-one communication. For example, they can work with employees to set
realistic goals and then use recognition, praise, and monetary means to reward employees for
achieving their goals.

B. Job and Organization Approach:
Emphasizes the design of jobs and the general organizational environment. Enriched jobs are more
motivating than jobs that are narrow in scope. However, the organizational context is also important
and human resource management policies and practices are generally an important aspect of the
organizational context. The appropriate benefits, reward structure, and development opportunities
may attract new employees to the organization, but whether such policies serve to increase employee
effort and desire to stay with the company depends partly on whether employees perceive them as
fair and equitable.

C. Individual Differences Approach:
Treats motivation as a characteristic of the individual.
Individual differences are unique needs, values, competencies, and other personal characteristics that
employees bring to their jobs. These characteristics vary from person to person. So, one person can
be motivated by money and prefer a job that offers such an opportunity, while another may be motivated
flexibility and preferring a job that provide flexible work arrangements.
Effective managers understand the individual differences that shape each employee's unique view of work
and use this understanding to maximize each employee's effectiveness.

D. Integrated Approach:
The three general approaches are most useful when they are combined and integrated.
Managers who understands what motivates employees and what detracts from employee motivation
have a good basis for diagnosing and rectifying the causes of performance problems.

* design jobs with high motivating potential
* state the behaviors and performance achievements that are desired and explain how they will be rewarded
* provide frequent and constructive feedback
* provide rewards system for desired behaviors and outcomes
* provide only what employees value and are equitable
* diagnose and remove barriers to performance

MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY - CONDUCT A SURVEY

We recognize the challenges that many organizations or companies are going through to
keep employee morale and productivity high in the midst of the business downturn, particularly in tourism.
So, this week's TIP will be the first TIP of our MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY series
that is meant to assist you in identifying where your employees are at in order for you to take the
necessary action you need to keep them focused and on target with the company's vision and goals.

1. CONDUCT A SURVEY
Your first objective is to determine the staff's perception of the organization's structure.
Develop and personally distribute a survey to each member of your staff. Prevent suspicions
or fear by ensuring that all staff members understand that the survey is intended to improve
organizational productivity.
The survey should include information such as:

* job title of employee
* qualifications for the position ( allow staff to convey his/ her perception of this)
* department goal (allow staff to convey his/ her perception of this)
* departmental objectives (allow staff to convey his/ her perception of this)
* job responsibilities of employee (allow staff to convey his/ her perception of this)
* immediate supervisor (not the name, just the job title)
* comments on the survey (helps you evaluate survey results)

Many companies hesitate to conduct a survey fearing that they would only open a can of worms. However, this step is crucial in identifying issues or misconceptions that may be
hindering the company's prosperity and helps everyone get back on track.

Next week, we'll cover how the results of the survey is evaluated....

MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY - EVALUATING YOUR SURVEY RESULTS

MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY series

2. EVALUATING YOUR SURVEY RESULTS

Poor evaluation will likely result in poor decision-making toward any actions implemented to improve organizational structure and productivity. To be effective in evaluating, you need to be patient, thorough, and objective.

Your decisions will impact the work lives of your employees and the overall environment in the workplace. You are attempting to improve productivity, but simultaneously, you will inadvertently address workplace morale and relationships between employees at all levels of authority within the organization.

When the surveys are returned, compare them to your manuals. Look for consistencies and inconsistencies in the following areas:

* Are job titles and descriptions understood, and do the responses reflect the nature of the job?
* Are lines of authority clearly understood, or does the informal organization have an adverse impact?
* Do employees understand how their department fits within the total organization, or could there be signs of lack communication between departments?
* Are there signs of duplication of efforts?
* Are employee perceptions of job qualifications consistent with actual company needs?
* Do written comments demonstrate harmony and confidence, or suggest problems between employees?

The six items listed provide specific categories of evaluation. There may be more, depending on the nature of your organization.

Next week, we continue our series with how solutions are to be implemented....

MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY - IMPLEMENTING SOLUTIONS

MANAGING PRODUCTIVITY series

3. IMPLEMENTING SOLUTIONS

Implementation will test your leadership ability to influence and secure the cooperation of staff when implementing change. Clearly, you must ensure them that change is for the better. Overcome their fear of change in the spirit of cooperation.

Action plan steps:

* Hold a meeting to communicate the changes to your managers and supervisors. Their involvement and support is crucial.
* Be certain that they understand their individual responsibilities regarding timelines, anticipated results, and contingencies to be implemented.
* Present the plan to the line employees.
* Obtain feedback throughout implementation.
* Evaluate results and measure success.
* Share results and success with everyone in the organization, allow them to own the success.

This concludes our 3 week series. We wish you every success!

"V" formation

In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

People who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.

THE 7 PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP CHARACTER

The seven pillars (from ASTD's sourcebooks) are values that serve as a foundation for effective leadership:

CARING
the ability to show others that you care about them through kindness, generosity, sharing and compassion.

COURAGE
the attitude or response of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it.

HONESTY
the willingness to be truthful and sincere without deceiving or misleading others or withholding important information in relationships of trust.

INTEGRITY
the ability to stand up for your own beliefs about right and wrong and show commitment, courage, and self-discipline in everyday interactions.

RESPONSIBILITY
the ability to think before you act, giving consideration to the possible consequences of your interactions as well as exercising self-control and self-discipline.

LOYALTY
the willingness to stand by and support your team without talking behind people's backs, spreading rumors, or engaging in gossip.

FAIRNESS
the ability to treat all people alike without prejudgment and to make decisions only on appropriate considerations.

LEARNING FROM SUCCESS

What better opportunity to learn what works than success? Yet people rarely give success sufficient scrutiny.
Success can blind you with glory or lull you because the challenge is past. In either case, you forgo the inspection
that reveals what worked and why.

It's OK - even important - to celebrate success. Go ahead and pop open a bottle of champagne.
BUT also take a few minutes to imprint the success pattern in your brain.

Be honest with yourself.
Determine exactly what you did to succeed:

* How much of this success was due to my action?
* What did I do particularly well?
* What did I do that was more effective than what I have done before?
* How did I overcome the barriers to doing this?
* What could have gone wrong that I managed to avoid?

Transfer the learning.
Leverage your lessons into other situations:

* What is my next opportunity to try this?
* Are there different situations where I could apply what I have learned?
* What could I do differently that would make this easier next time?
* How can I improve my performance next time?

Find the hidden lesson.
Stay open and alert to unexpected learning.
Assume that everything you do is a learning opportunity, but that the lesson may not be the one that you want
or intend to learn. Cultivate your curiosity to find the free development gift that is hidden inside your daily experiences.

Taken from "Development First" by David B. Peterson, Ph.D and Mary Dee Hicks, Ph.D.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES

We learn through our experiences of success as well as failures. Last week we already discussed how one can learn from success.
This week, let's take a look at how one can learn through things gone wrong.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES

When you blame others or ignore and conceal mistakes, you miss out on the opportunity to learn from your mistake.
The lesson begins by simply understanding what happened and figuring out what went wrong.

Dust yourself off.
No one is perfect. No one wins all the time. Be resilient because when you push the edge, you are bound to fall.
Don't hesitate to get up and keep playing.

Look at the situation.
Some efforts will fail due to factors outside your control. A system view can help you determine what is realistically in your control and what isn't.

* What factors were outside my control? Be objective so you don't avoid responsibility where it truly applies.
* How could I have anticipated those factors or worked around them?
* How can I influence those factors so they don't get in the way?

Own your share.
Assume that there are enough things under your control that changing your behavior could clearly produce better results.

* Did I prepare and practice enough?
* Did I utilize the resources and people who could help?
* Did I set realistic goals and expectations?
* What do I need to learn before I try this again?
* Have I had a similar problem before?

I'm sure you haven't had many mistakes to learn from, but maybe you can learn from the few you have made.

Reading EmOtIoNs

(inspired by Stephen P. Robbins' book titled Organizational Behavior)

Understanding another person's felt emotions is a very difficult task. But we can learn to read their displayed emotions.
We do this by focusing on verbal, nonverbal, and paralinguistics cues.

The easiest way to find out what someone is feeling is to ask them.(I know it seems that I'm only stating the obvious, but bear with me on this and read on ((-: )
Saying something as simple as "Are you OK? What's the problem?" can frequently provide you with the information to assess a person's emotional state.
But relying on a verbal response has two (2) drawbacks:

1. Almost all of us hide our emotions to some extent for privacy and to reflect social expectations. So we might be unwilling to share our true feelings.
2. Even if we want to verbally convey our feelings, we may be unable to do so. Some people have difficulty understanding their own emotions, let alone be able to verbally express them.

Therefore, at best, verbal responses provide only partial information.

Say you were talking to a co-worker, when his/her back is rigid, teeth clenched, and facial muscles tight tell you anything about his/her emotional state? It should.
Facial expressions, gestures, body movements, and physical distance are nonverbal cues that can provide additional insights into what a person is feeling.
Even something as subtle as the distance someone chooses to position himself or herself from you can convey their feelings, or lack thereof, of intimacy, aggressiveness, dislike, or withdrawal.

The third source of information to a person's feelings is paralanguage. This is communication that goes beyond the spoken words, which includes pitch, amplitude, rate, and voice quality of speech. Like the saying goes "it's not just what you say, but how you say it".

So the next time you are communicating with a colleague, a peer, or even your boss, as you pay closer attention to what they are saying through all of the three cues...you will be able to more accurately assess the emotions being communicated.

Good luck!

Beware of the TATES!

Do you notice any of the TATEs family in your organization?
Watch for them, they are destroyers of teamwork.

Dick Tate barges in and wants to run everything.
Ro Tate places effort in changing everything.
Agi Tate stirs up trouble, and Iri Tate is always right there assisting him.
When new ideas are suggested, Hesi Tate and Vege Tate comes to bury them.
Imi Tate doesn't have any original idea of her own and copies them from others.
Devas Tate is disruptive and Poten Tate wants to be a big shot.

However, not all the Tates are bad apples.
Facili Tate, Cogi Tate, and Medi Tate are competent in pulling everybody together.

Which of the TATEs do you relate to?

Coming together is a start; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Overwhelmed with your work?

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with your work?

If yes, maybe these following time management tips can help you:

* Do the most important job first – You will feel relieved and most likely satisfied at accomplishing something. Reward yourself with a 10 to 15 minute stretch break. The Pareto Principle suggests that most people fail to set priorities, so they spend their time on unimportant, minor tasks.

* Divide important task between urgent and non urgent tasks – Urgent, important tasks, are those that demand instant action, and include immediate crises and projects driven by deadline. Non urgent, but important tasks, are those that require results, including preventing crises, building relationships, setting goals, and planning in advance.

* Concentrate at one task at a time – Sure, your job description requires multitasking, but it does not mean all at one time, like a juggler. Your undivided attention will do more for the project.

* Think it through – Take a good look at the job or task beforehand, rather than just jumping in. Map out a quick outline of what it will take and how much time is involved. Divide large tasks into smaller, manageable projects.

* Get Started – Set a time to start and stop. Ever notice how an empty table or counter gets immediately filled with something? So does free time. The quicker you get down to the real work, the quicker the project is off the desk.

* Close your door – Simple, huh? Well, it works. You can maintain an “open-door” policy, but close it in those moments when privacy is urgent to the task at hand. As time goes by your staff will recognize when you need privacy.

Good luck!

Proactivity

Proactive behavior is more than just taking initiative. It involves a notion of response-ability. The ability to look for opportunities to formulate a response.

Reactive is putting out a fire - Pro-Active is fire prevention.

Reactive is bringing a glass of water to a guest who requests it- Pro-Active is placing an extra box of tissue on the bed table of a guest who appears to have a cold.

Reactive is taking care of flight reconfirmations at the Concierge counter - Pro-Active is the front desk clerk who asks the check-in guests if he would like to reconfirm his ticket now.

The great thing about proactivity is that most of the time, it costs nothing.

Have a great weekend!

Taking CRITICISM with DIGNITY

(taken from the book "How To Say It At Work" by Jack Griffin)

Criticism from your superior/ boss can be disturbing or, worst, intimidating. Nevertheless, while you may never learn to welcome criticism, you can adopt strategies of responding to it in a constructive manner.

1. Accept criticism as an opportunity. All criticism, even unmerited criticism, is useful to you. After all, it may actually point out things you are doing ineffectively or poorly - things you could do better.
2. Fight the impulse to respond defensively. Listen and learn.
3. Realize that criticism is a perception, nothing more. Objective measurements - sales figures, for example - may indicate that you are doing a fine job, yet your boss may find something to criticize. Does this mean your boss is wrong or an ungrateful person? Quite possibly so. But that conclusion should not prompt you to ignore the criticism. Explore the reasons behind the criticism. Can you do something that will maintain the excellent sales performance you have achieved while also allowing your boss to perceive that you are doing a good job?
4. Do not meekly accept unjust or unfounded criticism, but don't reject it either. Learn from it. Learn about creating more positive perceptions.
5. Seize the opportunity to respond to criticism, to communicate in a way that can strengthen and enhance your relationship with your boss.
6. While listening to criticism, demonstrate that you are hearing the criticism.

Send the right nonverbal signals that show the criticism is registering with you:

* Make and maintain eye contact with your boss.
* Monitor your own signals of resistance, such as tuning out, eyes on other people/ things around you, etc.

Your objective is not to appear passive, but open, willing to listen, to learn, to change, and to cooperate.

TODAY

Right priorities and good time management demand an awareness
that TODAY is the only time with which we ever have to work.
The PAST is irretrievably gone,
and the FUTURE is only a possibility.

May you set the right priorities for TODAY.

Changing Company Culture

An organization’s culture consists of the behaviors, actions, and values that guide the way the people in the company behave.

One of the major challenges many companies face when trying to maintain on the competitive cutting edge is knowing when and how to change their cultures.

Quite often the “when” part is determined by strategy. For example, when the Motorola company decided to increase its customer valued added by reducing cycle time, they began looking into ways of redesigning work processes so that people could get things done faster. Strategy serves as the initial driver in changing culture. However, if the culture is not ready for the needed change, the strategy will not be successful.

Through the change process, Motorola discovered that:

• When culture and strategy clash, invariably culture wins out.
• If the organizational culture does not embrace initiatives related to change, overall change efforts will fail.

In many cases, change is met by strong resistance, and companies had to develop strategies to overcome the pull of status quo:

• Get top down commitment and involvement so that senior-level management is as devoted to the new culture as the lower-level personnel.
• Set up a measurement system for tracking progress at both the macro and the micro levels in order to ensure that the culture change is taking place throughout the organization.
• Set difficult goals, and work toward them by benchmarking the best companies and then auditing the internal results on a continuous basis.
• Give employees the education and training they need to function properly in this new culture by helping them understanding why they are being asked to do things differently and how they can go about doing so.
• Spread success stories so that those who are doing well are given credit and those who have not yet bought into the new culture begin to realize that they have to shape up or ship out.
• Share financial improvement gains with those who have helped bring about these gains, thus rewarding people for successful performance and encouraging them to continue their efforts.

All in all, there are 3 basic lessons in setting your strategy for change:

1. Culture change has to begin with a careful formulation of strategic intent. The organization has to decide what its strategy is going to be and then determine how the culture will need to be changed in order to successfully implement this plan of action.
2. Cultural change will be sustained only if there are adequate support mechanisms. These mechanisms take wide variety of forms, including senior-management support, the effective communication of what is going on and why, well-designed training, and judicious use of recognition and rewards. If these mechanisms are not developed and in place, the changes will be short-lived.
3. Cultural changes have to be validated through measurement. If the organization cannot accurately measure the changes that have occurred, it cannot state with certainty that there has been a change in culture.

LEARNING FROM OTHERS' IDEAS AND PERSPECTIVES

People typically provide feedback because they like what you are doing and want you to continue, or they don't like what you are doing and want you to stop.
However, there's more to gain through feedback than that:

* It tells us if we are on the right track and, when we're not, how to get back on track.
* It sustains our motivation. We need to know if our efforts make a difference.
* It lets us see ourselves as others see us. Gaining a more complete picture.
* It is central to your relationship/ partnership with others.

Feedback is a conversation that provides personally relevant information that helps one to make informed choices about what to do.

Feedback is effective when it has the following components:

1. give-and-take dialogue
2. connected to goals and concerns, relevant
3. nonjudgmental and nonevaluative
4. instructive: points to the right direction

So, whether you are giving or receiving feedback, may you be mindful of these points and get the most out of it.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

(taken from the book Organizational Behavior by Stephen P. Robbins)

There are number of interpersonal and intrapersonal barriers that help to explain why the message that is received is often different than what the sender intended:

1. Filtering.

When the sender manipulates information in order for it to be seen more favorably by the receiver. For example, when a manager tells his boss what he feels his boss wants to hear, he is filtering information.

2. Selective Perception.

The receivers in the communication process selectively see and hear based on their needs, motivations, experience, background, and other personal characteristics. Receivers also project their interests and expectations into communications as they interpret them. We don’t see reality; rather, we interpret what we see and call it reality.

3. Information Overload.

Research indicates that most of us have difficulty working with more than about seven pieces of information. When the information we have to work with exceeds our processing capacity, the result is Information Overload. The demands of keeping up with e-mail, phone calls, faxes, meetings, and professional reading create an onslaught of data that is nearly impossible to process and assimilate so we tend to select out, ignore, pass over or forget information. Or we may put off further processing until the overload situation is over. Regardless, the result is lost information and less effective communication.

4. Defensiveness

When people feel that they’re being threatened, they tend to react in ways that reduce their ability to achieve mutual understanding. That is, they become defensive - engaging in behaviors such as verbally attacking others, making sarcastic remarks, being overly judgmental, and questioning others’ motives. So when individuals interpret another’s message as threatening, they often respond in ways that hinder effective communication.

5. Language

Words mean different things to different people. “The meaning of words are not in the words; they are in us.” Age, education and cultural background are three of the more obvious variables that influence the language a person uses and the definitions he or she gives to words.

In an organization, employees usually come from diverse background and, therefore, have different patterns of speech. Additionally, the grouping of employees into departments creates specialist who develop their own jargon or technical language. In large organizations, members are also frequently widely dispersed geographically and individuals in each locale will use terms and phrases that are unique to their area.

The existence of vertical level can also cause language problems. Meaning, the language of senior executive, for instance, can be mystifying to operative employees not familiar with management jargon.

The point is that while you and I speak a common language - English or Indonesian - our use of that language is not uniform. If we knew how each of us modified the language, communication difficulties would be minimized. The problem is that members in an organization usually don’t know how others with whom they interact have modified the language. Senders tend to assume that the words and terms they use mean the same to the receiver as they do to them, which is often incorrect, thus creating communication difficulties.

Honking

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As Geese travel together they honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.

Do you know why?

It seems that they realize that words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue.

It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it’s just noise!

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May you be inspired to exchange encouraging words with your colleagues this week.

Teachers

Every person has the potential to teach. But are they willing?

A teacher affects eternity; he/ she can never tell where his/ her influence stops.

To thoroughly teach another is the best way to learn for yourself.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Great teachers emphatize the young, respect them, and believe that each one has something special that can be built upon.

There is only one rule in teaching - attention. When you give it, you get it.

Just remember...the world is not a playground but a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday but an education. It is one eternal lesson for us all. Teach and you will learn.

Have a great week.

STAYING HEALTHY IN THE OFFICE

(taken from "Getting Organized" by Macmillan USA)

Do you spend a lot of time working behind a desk or a computer?

Sitting for prolonged periods of time can be stressful on the lower back and neck. Here are a few tips from a well known chiropractic physician that can help prevent health problems:

* Talk on the phone while standing instead of sitting.
* Keep your shoulders and chin back to avoid the damage done over time due to the posture you assume when you attend to tasks on your desk.
* Don't slouch. Keep your back straight.
* Buy a clock with an alarm for you to set time to stretch or take a walk every half-hour or so.
* Mini stretch breaks at regular intervals throughout the day can help circulation and comfort, as well as reduce fatigue that can lead to repetitive stress injuries.

Investing in your health today is investing towards your tomorrows.

Great Goals Generate Great Results

Hope the new year is off to a good start for you and your company.

Here's our first TIP this year...may you be inspired to continue to embrace new opportunities to develop corporately and personally.

Great Goals Generate Great Results

(according to Richard Haasnot in Five-Minute Managing)

• Get ready to set goals. You need data, very good data, to set great goals. Collect, review, and learn from past performance. Clearly set your needs and make sure everyone agrees these really are needs.
• Get specific. So many goals fail to inspire and guide action because of vagueness. Have the courage to ask for exactly what you want - define it so well that everyone knows where the start and finish lines are located.
• Bring your measuring tape. The specifics need to be measurable. If not, you will not know where you are or whether you have finished.
• Is it doable? No one likes to go on a career suicide mission. Goals can be a stretch but people need to know the reasons a goal is achievable. The building blocks to goal setting need to be logical and understandable.
• Does it fit? One last question before you launch: “Is this goal compatible with other current or envisioned goals?” If the answer is not an easy “Yes,” retool before you launch.
• Slave or Master? Make goals your servants by embracing problems as learning opportunities that lead to more, not less, success.

Success to you,

HUMOR = HEALTH

Life can become tough at times, and there are moments when we desperately need a change.
Laughter is one way to switch gears and punctuate monotony with joy.

Laughter is a simple yet reasonable prescription for some of life's tribulations and most of its tedium.
As a matter of fact, physicians have assigned healing properties to humor,
especially in cases of mental illness, such as depression.
There's no doubt that humor defuses tensions and helps put us as ease.
With so much tragedy in life, choosing humor instead of despair is good advice.

Humor generally involves an acceptance of the ups and downs of life and
the determination not to take ourselves too seriously.
In combating stress and relieving tension, laughter and a healthy sense of humor
may prove to be precious possessions.

Wherever your destination, having laughter along the way helps you enjoy the journey and arrive more refreshed.

Professional Leadership

(based on Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership by Laurie Beth Jones)

One definition of a professional is a person who does things even when he or she does not feel like doing them.
Professionals stay focused on the successful accomplishment of their mission, and do the difficult things.
Doing the difficult thing means not letting public opinion stop you from doing what is right (according to the vision, law, standards, moral).
There are times when a leader needs to be willing to stand alone in order to achieve the mission.
While leaders attract followers, they must be able to walk away from them at any time, lest they become followers themselves.

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Indonesian Version:

Kepemimpinan yang Profesional

Salah satu definisi orang yang profesional adalah seseorang yang tetap melakukan apa yang seharusnya ia lakukan walaupun sebenarnya ia enggan melakukannya.
Seorang profesional tetap memusatkan perhatian pada pencapaian misinya, dan melakukan hal-hal yang sulit.
Melakukan sesuatu yang sulit berarti tidak membiarkan opini publik menghentikan Anda melakukan sesuatu yang benar (sesuai dengan visi, hukum, standar, moral).
Ada saat-saat dimana seorang pemimpin harus siap berjuang sendiri demi tercapainya misi.
Walaupun para pemimpin memiliki pengikutnya, mereka harus dapat meninggalkan pengikutnya kapanpun, kalau tidak seorang pemimpin bukan lagi merupakan pemimpin namun pengikut.

TAKE TIME FOR REFLECTION

The WISE speak because they have something to say,
FOOLS because they have to say something.

A person's nature is revealed in his or her speech.

Does your speech reveal WISDOM or FOLLY?

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Indonesian Version:

Orang yang BIJAK bicara karena memiliki sesuatu yang perlu dikatakan,
yang BODOH bicara karena selalu perlu mengatakan sesuatu.

Kepribadian seseorang tercermin dari perkataannya.

Apakah perkataan Anda mencerminkan KEBIJAKAN atau KEBODOHAN?

CrEaTiVe ThInKiNg

Often we enter our day on automatic pilot, letting our habits rule our day...waiting for what is predictable and avoiding surprises.
This can numb our mind and prevent us from thinking creatively. Our expectations of how "things should be" replaces the reality of how "things could be"...that is more efficient, more effective, or more profitable.

Here are 4 strategies that will help stimulate you into creative thinking:

1. VISUALIZE see the preferred future, the ideal
2. EXPLORE use metaphors, analogies or symbols to question assumptions and shake paradigms
3. COMBINE bring various elements together in different ways
4. MODIFY improvise, adapt, adjust what you already have/ do

Get thinking outside of the box!

FREQUENT CAUSES OF POOR PERFORMANCE

• Lack of skills - Either employees never knew how to do their jobs properly, or they forgot. If a former typist is not as productive after switching to a word processor, the problem could be that the person does not know how to use the new system effectively.
• Environmental obstacles - Sometimes lack of skills is not the problem. Instead, it is poor workflow design, poor systems, poor plant or machine layout that undermines productivity.
• Incentives - When employees are not properly rewarded, or sloppy performers are not disciplined, it influences their performance.
• Motivation - While incentives are external factors affecting behavior, motivation is internal. What drives one person to perform is different to another's.

To resolve the performance issues in your company, distinguish their true causes. Only then can you effectively resolve them.
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Indonesian Version:

HAL-HAL YANG SERING MENYEBABKAN KINERJA YANG TIDAK BAIK

• Ketrampilan yang tidak memadai - Mungkin karena karyawan tidak pernah tahu bagaimana mengerjakan tugasnya dengan baik, atau mungkin juga dia lupa. Jika seorang juru ketik tidak seproduktif yang dulu setelah beralih pada komputer, masalahnya bisa saja karena orang tersebut tidak mengetahui bagaimana menggunakan sistim yang baru dengan efektif.
• Hambatan yang berhubungan dengan suasana kerja - Terkadang ketrampilan yang tidak memadai bukanlah inti masalahnya. Malah bisa merupakan alur kerja yang kurang efisien, sistim yang tidak memadai, tata ruang atau mesin yang kurang menunjang produktifitas.
• Insentif - Bila karyawan yang berprestasi tidak dihargai secara tepat, atau karyawan yang lalai tidak didisiplinkan, hal ini akan mempengaruhi kinerja.
• Motivasi - Kalau insentif merupakan faktor eksternal , motivasi adalah faktor internal yang berpengaruh pada perilaku. Apa yang mempengaruhi semangat seseorang untuk bekerja, berbeda dengan yang lainnya.

Untuk mengatasi masalah kinerja dalam perusahaan anda, bedakan penyebab utamanya. Dengan demikian, Anda dapat mengatasi masalahnya secara efektif.

MANAGING CUSTOMERS’ COMPLAINTS

(taken from Marketing Management by Philip Kotler)

Studies of customer dissatisfaction show that customers are dissatisfied with their purchases

about 25% of the time but only about 5% complain. The other 95% either feel that complaining

is not worth the effort, or they don’t know how or to whom to complain.

Of the 5% of the customers who complain, only about 50% report a satisfactory problem resolution.

Yet the need to resolve a customer problem in a satisfactory manner is critical.

Whereas, on average, a satisfied customer tells 3 people about a good product experience,

the average dissatisfied customer gripes to 11 people. If each of them tells other people,

the number of people exposed to bad word of mouth may grow exponentially.

Nonetheless, customers whose complaints are satisfactorily resolved often become more

company-loyal than customers who were never dissatisfied. About 34% of customer who

register major complaints will buy again from the company if their complaint is resolved,

and this number rises to 52% for minor complaints. If the complaint is resolved quickly,

between 52% (major complaints) and 95% (minor complaints) will buy again from the company.

For all these reasons, companies need to develop a SERVICE RECOVERY PROGRAM.

As a first step, companies should make it easy for dissatisfied customers to complain.

They should provide a suggestion and complaint form or a toll free telephone number.

Pizza Hut prints its toll free number on all pizza boxes. When a customer complains,

Pizza Hut sends voice mail to the store manager, who must call the customer within

48 hours and resolve the complaint.

Second, the company’s employees who receive complaints must be trained and empowered

to resolve customer problems speedily and satisfactorily. Studies show that the faster the

company responds to the complaint, the higher the customer’s satisfaction with the company.

Third, the company should go beyond satisfying particular customers to discovering and

correcting the root causes of frequent problems. By studying the pattern of complaints,

the company can corret system failures that may be the origin of these complaints.

The ART of GOOD Conversation

(according to Josephine Ive in her book Achieving Excellence In Guest Service)

Well-mannered speakers seek to put those around them at ease.
They are good listeners as well as good talkers, having the ability
to initiate easy, appropriate and sometimes amusing conversations.
Some are naturally so, while most have to learn over a period of time.

The essence of making good conversation is to give someone your
total attention and ask them about themselves. The ability to make
conversation is one of the most charming arts, since it not only involves
self-expression but also creates spaces in which others can express
themselves.

Every time you meet someone and start a conversation you are
unconsciously revealing all sorts of things about yourself. At the
same time, you are able to assess certain points about the person
you are speaking to without making hasty judgments.

A good conversation is when those involved in it can take something
out of it.

Next week, we'll share more on this topic as the POINTS and PITFALLS
in CONVERSATION are revealed to you by the same author.

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Indonesian Translation:

Seni Bercakap Dengan Baik

Pembicara yang bersikap baik adalah mereka yang berusaha membuat
orang-orang disekitarnya merasa nyaman. Mereka adalah pendengar
sekaligus pembicara yang baik, memiliki kemampuan untuk memulai
percakapan yang ringan, yang sesuai dengan suasana dan audience,
dan terkadang sangat memikat. Beberapa orang memiliki kemampuan
ini secara alami, sementara yang lainnya membutuhkan waktu untuk
belajar melakukannya.

Inti dari memulai suatu percakapan yang baik adalah memberikan seluruh
perhatian anda kepada lawan bicara anda dan bertanya tentang diri mereka.
Kemampuan untuk memulai suatu percakapan merupakan suatu seni yang
sangat menarik, karena tidak hanya mencakup kemampuan mengekspresikan
diri tapi juga kemampuan menciptakan ruang (kesempatan) bagi lawan bicara
kita untuk mengekpresikan diri mereka.

Setiap kali anda bertemu seseorang dan memulai percakapan, tanpa disadari
anda mengungkapkan banyak hal tentang diri anda. Namun pada waktu yang
sama anda dapat mengetahui beberapa hal tentang lawan bicara anda tanpa
membuat penilaian yang gegabah tentang diri mereka.

Percakapan yang baik adalah bila mereka yang terlibat didalamnya dapat
mengambil sesuatu yang berguna dari percakapan itu.

Minggu depan, kami akan membagikan hal lain yang berhubungan dengan
topik ini, yaitu HAL-HAL POKOK dan KEGAGALAN dalam PERCAKAPAN
yang diungkapkan oleh penulis yang sama.

POINTS and PITFALLS in CONVERSATION

(says Josephine Ive in her book Achieving Excellence In Guest Service)

1. Drifting Eyes
There are a few 'dos' and 'don'ts' in the art of conversation. As it was already stated that you are to give your undivided attention; this applies not only to your conversation but also to your body language. When your eyes drift from one area of the room to another instead of looking at the person speaking, it can be considered rude.

2. Group Conversations
Everyone in a group conversation should be encouraged to join in. It's alright if they choose not to participate, but at least they should have been given the chance to also express their thoughts. Use this as an opening line: "Well, what are your thoughts on this?".

3. Taboo Topics
Certain subjects such as income, religion, sexual preferences, or even political preferences for most people are sensitive. Discussions about ailments, allergies and therapies are now commonplace, but your own anxieties and troubles are best kept to yourself; otherwise they can give a negative impression...especially when speaking with guests/ clients.

4. Valuable Opportunities
Commenting on decor or food and wine used to be considered inappropriate or tacky; but because it is such a common interest among people nowadays, it is a good value topic for conversation. Working in the hospitality industry, this works to your advantage as you are presented with a good opportunity to up-sell one of the outlets or a next grade of room or suite to your guests.

5. Social Silences
Too long of a pause in a conversation can seem like an eternity. Try making light remark to someone across the group so that all are aware of the new line, or ask a general question such as "What does everybody think about....(maybe a movie or book title)?" to help conversation flow again.

6. Interrupting
Interrupting other people's conversation is bad habit. If someone interrupts a conversation you are involved in, simply smile and look back to the original speaker and suggest for that person to continue. If you are with guests/ clients and the one interrupting you is a co-worker, just lift your hand to indicate that you should not be interrupted. Your guest/ client will appreciate your undivided attention.

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Indonesian Translation:

HAL-HAL POKOK dan KEGAGALAN dalam PERCAKAPAN

1. Mata yang keluyuran
Dalam seni percakapan ada beberapa hal yang "boleh" dan "tidak boleh" dilakukan. Sebagaimana sudah dinyatakan sebelumnya bahwa anda perlu memberikan perhatian anda sepenuhnya; hal ini tidak hanya berlaku terhadap isi percakapan anda tapi juga terhadap bahasa tubuh anda. Jika mata anda keluyuran ke sana ke mari dan tidak menatap kepada lawan bicara anda, hal ini dianggap tidak sopan.

2. Percakapan dalam kelompok
Setiap orang yang sedang berada dalam percakapanan kelompok sebaiknya diikutsertakan dalam percakapan. Tidak masalah apabila mereka memilih untuk tidak berpartisipasi, tetapi paling tidak mereka sudah diberikan kesempatan untuk mengekspresikan pikiran mereka. Pancing pendapat mereka dengan mengatakan: "Bagaimana menurut anda tentang hal ini?"

3. Topik yang tabu
Beberapa hal/ topik seperti gaji, agama, hubungan seksual, atau bahkan politik, merupakan hal yang sangat sensitif bagi banyak orang. Tetapi, membicarakan tentang penyakit, alergi, atau suatu terapi pada jaman ini sudah merupakan sesuatu yang biasa dilakukan. Namun begitu, permasalahan atau kegelisahan pribadi lebih baik tidak dibicarakan karena dapat memberikan kesan yang negatif...terutama pada saat berbicara dengan tamu atau pelanggan.

4. Kesempatan yang berharga
Mengomentari dekorasi atau makanan dan wine sebelumnya dianggap tidak pantas atau "basi" ; tapi karena hal ini merupakan hal yang diminati oleh umum pada jaman ini, maka hal ini kini merupakan topik yang sangat menarik untuk dibicarakan. Dalam industri perhotelan dan restoran, hal ini dapat menjadi kesempatan emas untuk menjual kamar atau hidangan dan wine kepada pelanggan.

5. Saat semua diam
Kesunyian yang terjadi ketika percakapan tiba-tiba berhenti karena semua menjadi diam dapat terasa begitu lama dan canggung. Coba memulai percakapan kembali dengan menanyakan hal yang ringan kepada orang yang berdiri atau duduk di sebrang anda agar semua menyadari bahwa anda sedang memulai percakapan baru. Ajukan suatu pertanyaan yang sifatnya umum, misalnya "Menurut anda, bagaimana tentang.....(judul film atau judul buku yang sedang 'in' ) ?" agar percakapan dapat mengalir kembali.

6. Gangguan
Memotong pembicaraan orang lain adalah suatu kebiasaan buruk. Bila seseorang memotong percakapan anda dengan orang lain, tersenyumlah dan palingkan pandangan anda pada orang yang seharusnya berbicara dan katakan kepada orang itu untuk melanjutkan pembicaraannya. Bila anda sedang berbicara dengan seorang tamu dan salah satu rekan kerja anda mencoba memotong pembicaraan anda, angkat tangan anda sebagai tanda bahwa anda tidak boleh diganggu/ dipotong percakapannya. Tamu atau pelanggan anda akan menghargai perhatian anda yang tertuju kepadanya secara penuh.

Building Customer Relationship by Providing Information

Most customer contact involves nothing more-or less-than conveying information.

No matter what product or services your company sells, it deals in information.

You need to know what your customers want, and they need to know what you have to offer, how much it cost, and how they can obtain it.

• Step 1: Save time with the question “How may I help you?”
  This question will help the customer to focus her request, to be specific.
• Step 2: When the customer answers that question, be prepared to focus it further.
  This may be done by echoing back what she asked for, but modifying the statement to define it more precisely:
  “Do you prefer to join a guided tour of the city or drive around yourself in a rented car?”
• Step 3: Once you have clear understanding of what is being asked, provide the information.
• Step 4: If appropriate, conclude in a sale. “Would you like me to book that for you now?”
• Step 5: If the customer is not ready to buy, ask “Do you need any more information?"
• Step 6: Ask “May I help you with anything else today?"
• Step 7: Conclude by inviting future needs directly to you:
  “Ms Carter, please feel free to contact me if you need any assistance in the future. My name is Linda Smith.”

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Versi Indonesia

Membina Hubungan Baik bersama Pelanggan dengan Menyediakan Informasi

Hubungan dengan pelanggan sebagian besar berkaitan dengan penyampaian informasi, tidak lebih dan tidak kurang.

Apapun produk atau pelayanan yang dijual perusahaan anda, semuanya berhubungan dengan informasi.

Anda harus mengetahui kemauan pelanggan anda, dan mereka perlu mengetahui apa yang bisa anda tawarkan,

berapa harganya, dan bagaimana mereka bisa mendapatkannya.

• Langkah1: Persingkat waktu dengan pertanyaan “Bagaimana saya bisa bantu Anda?”
  Pertanyaan seperti ini akan membantu pelanggan untuk memusatkan perhatian mereka pada permintaan yang lebih khusus.
• Langkah 2: Bila pelanggan menjawab pertanyaan itu, miliki kesiapan untuk mengarahkan langkah selanjutnya.
  hall ini dapat dilakukan dengan cara mengulang kembali apa yang ditanyakan, tapi modifikasi pernyataan itu untuk menegaskannya lebih tepat lagi. Contohnya:
  “Apakah Anda ingin mengikuti program tur kota yang dipandu seorang pramuwisata, atau ingin keliling sendiri dengan menyewa mobil?”
• Langkah 3: Bila anda sudah mengerti dengan jelas apa yang ditanyakan, beri informasi yang dibutuhkan itu.
• Langkah 4: Jika waktunya tepat, cobalah untuk menyimpulkan pembicaraan dengan menanyakan kesiadaan pelanggan untuk memesan/ membeli:
  “Apakah Anda ingin saya memesankannya untuk Anda sekarang?”
• Langkah 5: Jika pelanggan tidak mau memesan, tanyakan “Apakah Anda sudah memiliki semua informasi yang Anda butuhkan?”
• Langkah6: Tawarkan bantuan lainnya, “Ada hal lain yang bisa saya bantu hari ini?”
• Langkah 7: Akhiri pembicaraan dengan menawarkan bantuan selanjutnya secara pribadi:
  “Ibu Carter, silahkan menghubungi saya apabila membutuhkan bantuan di lain kesempatan. Nama saya Linda Smith.”

Tampil Beda di Dunia Kerja (Being Different in the Workplace)

(taken from the HRD Forum website)

Tujuan menciptakan 'brand' diri sendiri adalah menonjolkan kelebihan-kelebihan yang dimiliki yang membuat Anda tampak berbeda dengan lainnya.

Agar orang lain memandang diri Anda sebagai seseorang yang "berbeda", ikuti beberapa saran berikut:

* Ketahui tujuan hidup Anda (Set a Goal for Your Life)
Dengan mengetahuinya, Anda bisa menyusun langkah satu persatu. Mission Statement tidak berlaku hanya bagi sebuah perusahaan, tetapi berlaku juga bagi sebuah pribadi.

* Tegaskan keunikan yang Anda miliki (Assert Your Uniqueness)
Caranya, tulis kata-kata sifat yang menurut Anda benar-benar mencerminkan Anda. Tanyakan apa orang lain ingat akan diri Anda sesuai dengan kata-kata sifat itu. Dari sini Anda akan mendapatkan brand value atau sifat-sifat yang mencerminkan keunikan Anda.

* Lakukan strategi (Strategize)
Setelah mengetahui tujuan hidup Anda, tentu Anda memiliki rencana untuk mewujudkannya menjadi sebuah tindakan nyata. Misalnya Anda ingin menjadi seorang penjual (sales person), brand value Anda adalah ramah, kreatif dan persuasif.

* Wujudkan dalam tindakan (Take Action)
Rencana tanpa tindakan sama saja dengan bohong. Lakukan usaha untuk mewujudkan tujuan dan cita-cita Anda. Misalnya jika Anda ingin menjadi penulis handal, asah dan galilah kemampuan Anda dalam menulis. Anda juga bisa mencari jalan dengan menghubungi orang yang bisa membantu Anda mewujudkan keinginan Anda.

Andalah penentu brand Anda sendiri dan tak ada istilah benar atau salah. Yang pasti Anda perlu bersikap tegas untuk diri sendiri. Dengan kata lain, Anda perlu menciptakan diri Anda sebagai seorang yang memiliki rasa percaya diri di tengah persaingan kerja dan persaingan pasar.

Anda tak perlu mengikuti orang lain tetapi sebaliknya, Anda bisa menjadi contoh bagi yang lainnya!
Don't always follow others, instead be an example!

Di ambil dari website HRD Forum

Give your staff a better reason to boost business !

Getting employees to increase sales and profits is a very important part of any business.

Being a rather conservatively managed business, the hospitality industry has been somewhat reluctant to implement adequate incentive and reward systems.

Hotels and restaurants sometimes have some small systems in place, but they are often not very successful. The "sell most cocktails contest" is the most common incentive program used in our industry; and it often does not work due to the lack of motivation of both staff and management.

Basically the reward is too often inadequate. A dinner in a plush restaurant is not a motivating factor for most rank and file staff since they lack the desire to dine in such facilities. The trouble with incentive systems is that they often backfire, deflate morale, or just plainly do not work.

So why bother? Because a lot of evidence says that the right reward strategy can improve the performance of your employees and your department or company.

Getting employees motivated is what managing people is about. Why don’t staff respond to a "dinner at the best restaurant in town" proposition?

*
One of the most common complaint about incentive programs has to do with the type of reward offered. Too often rewards are designated by executives without regard for what the employees really want. They pick reward that motivate executives, not staff.

*
The dinner in town may motivate your F&B Manager but probably not your busboys or waiters, who may feel they do not have the proper education, upbringing, manners or clothing to be relaxed in a fancy dining room or restaurant.

So, in order to make a program that works, find out what your staff are interested in. For example, for a company that employs many new immigrants, basic home equipment and appliances such as cookers, refrigerators, TV's and lawn mowers are more important (bigger motivators) than for those whose home is already well set and who may prefer trips or other leisure activities.

Different strokes for different folks!

Indonesian Translation:

Berikan karyawan alasan yang lebih baik untuk meningkatkan bisnis!

Melibatkan karyawan untuk meningkatkan penjualan dan keuntungan adalah salah satu bagian penting dalam bisnis apapun.

Karena merupakan satu badan usaha yang dikelola dengan cara konservatif, industri jasa menjadi sedikit enggan untuk melaksanakan sistim insentif
dan penghargaan yang memadai.

Hotel dan restoran kadang menerapkan sistim penghargaan yang sederhana, tapi sering tidak berhasil dengan baik. "Kompetisi menjual cocktail terbanyak" adalah program insentif yang paling dikenal dan digunakan dalam industri ini; tapi sering pula tidak berhasil dikarenakan rendahnya
motivasi kedua pihak, baik karyawan maupun menejemen.

Pada dasarnya penghargaan yang diberikan sering kali tidak memadai. Makan malam di restoran yang mewah bukanlah suatu faktor motivasi bagi
para karyawan linea pada umumnya karena mereka kurang berminat untuk pergi makan di tempat mewah.

Memotivasi karyawan adalah bagian dari pengelolaan sumber daya manusia. Mengapa karyawan tidak menanggapi usulan "makan malam di sebuah restoran terbaik"?

* Salah satu keluhan yang paling umum mengenai program insentif berhubungan erat dengan bentuk penghargaan yang ditawarkan. Sering sekali penghargaan di rancang oleh para executive tanpa memperhatikan apa yang sebenarnya diinginkan oleh karyawan. Mereka menerapkan sistim penghargaan yang hanya memotivasi para executive, bukan karyawan.
* Makan malam di kota mungkin dapat memotivasi seorang F&B manager, tapi mungkin tidak bagi bus boy atau waiter yang mungkin tidak nyaman karena merasa tidak pantas dengan alasan tidak meliki pendidikan yang cukup, tidak mengerti tata krama yang berlaku, atau tidak memiliki pakaian yang dapat dikenakan ke tempat yang mewah.

Jadi, untuk membuat suatu program yang bisa berhasil, ketahuilah hal hal apa saja yang diminati karyawan anda. Sebagai contoh, bagi perusahaan yang kebanyakan karyawannya adalah pendatang baru, perabotan atau perlengkapan rumah tangga seperti alat alat masak, lemari es, televisi dan pemotong rumput sangatlah diperlukan dari pada mereka yang sudah memiliki perabotan yang sudah lengkap dan yang mungkin lebih memilih untuk bepergian ataupun aktifitas lain yang menyenangkan.

G E T M O T I V A T E D !

Motivation is generated by a variety of factors, some of which we can control, and some of which we can’t; like our genes that form our natural abilities (energetic or calm, introvert or extrovert).

There are some factors that we can control to some extent to boost our motivation:

• Regular exercise: flexibility of body, builds energy
• Good nutrition: balanced diet, vitamins
• Enough sleep:
• Reward system: create your own if one doesn’t exist in the organization you work for
• Challenges: seek or avoid
• Friendship: with co-workers
• Kindness: give it first, then receive
• Security: safe and secure, stability, long-term reliability of company
• Authority: position of power
• Independence: room to move
• Environment: colors, sounds, texture, atmosphere
• Creative expression: opportunity to express opinions/ideas
• Meaning: personal fulfillment, sense of purpose

Skills or “competencies” that help build and maintain OUR OWN motivation are:

1. Manage your environment: Create a workspace that encourages and inspires you, surround yourself with people or things that bring out the best in you.
2. Manage your thoughts: Think positively, focus on the benefits or pay offs of achievement, close your ear to negativity.
3. Set goals: Make both long-term and short-term plans, develop milestones (small achievements) to measure achievement process.
4. Maintains healthy lifestyle: Get adequate sleep, have a healthy eating habit, and exercise regularly to keep energy high.
5. Make commitments: Create consequences to your behavior to encourage you to be productive or else be shamed.
6. Manage stress: Identify source of stress and reduce it by better organizing workload/ deadlines
7. Manage rewards: Create your own reward system, share success with someone who appreciates it/have the same passion, buy yourself a gift/token of achievement, have drinks with friends, go on a picnic with family, etc.

Skills or “competencies” that help build and maintain OUR TEAM’S motivation are:

1. Manage rewards: Provide positive and constructive feedback consistently and fairly, recognize achievements, reward good performance.
2. Communicates effectively: Solicit ideas and feedback, present a clear vision of the future, and seek to inform, educate and inspire the team.
3. Manage the team effectively: Compose teams wisely, help the members to function smoothly and optimally.
4. Manage the environment: Create and maintain an attractive, functional workspace and encourage healthy relationships.
5. Matches skills and tasks: Match people’s skills with the tasks assigned.
6. Challenges: Identify people who strive on challenge, and seek to push them beyond their current limits.
7. Trains: Know current skill levels and provide ongoing training to enhance a wide variety of skills.
8. Resolve conflicts: Have sensitivity to identify issues of conflict and resolve them before they escalate.
9. Allocates resources wisely: Allocate resources in ways that people perceive as both generous and fair.
10. Models high motivation: Demonstrate high energy yourself, be committed, and display enthusiasm in all that you do.

are you HOSPITABLE?

Most of you are involved in the HOSPITALITY industry...but are you HOSPITABLE?

Hospitality is a concept that seems old fashioned in our fast-paced, self-oriented world.
The Webster Dictionary defines it as "generous and cordial reception; ready reception."
In other words, an openness or willingness to receive or welcome others warmly.
It's not always easy, but worth the effort.
Being hospitable will serve to solidify current relationships, both in the working environment and the social, and help you initiate new ones. Most people don't care whether you live in a huge house or a tiny apartment. They just know that it feels good to be welcomed into your home or into your life.

Effective Facilitation Skills

Many of you were present at the TTDA Gathering last week hosted at the beautiful grounds of Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, where we (3P Consultants) had the privilege to share on the topic "Effective Facilitation Skills".
However, many of you were not aware of it and, therefore, was not a part of it. We send you the notes on the topic as TIP number 15 so those of you who couldn't participate don't have to miss out on the info...

Effective Facilitation Skills

Facilitator is a “developer” who works with groups, but whose primary concern is NOT giving information.

Fasilitator adalah seseorang yang berfungsi untuk “mengembangkan” orang-orang dalam kelompok, tetapi peranannya BUKAN untuk menyediakan informasi.

The mission of the facilitator is to know the group’s objective/ goal and help them arrive there.

Misi seorang Fasilitator adalah untuk mengetahui tujuan kelompok tersebut dan menolong mereka untuk mencapainya.

So the role of the facilitator involves:

1. making the most of the Learning environment in groups, and

2. helping the group make/ complete connections with their knowledge, experience and feelings.

(people may have the knowledge and experience but may not be able to put it in perspective or bring it to application)

Peran seorang fasilitator mencakup beberapa hal;

1. menciptakan suasana yang paling menunjang proses belajar di dalam kelompok
2. membantu kelompok saling mengkaitan dan atau memadukan pengetahuan, pengalaman dan perasaan-perasaan mereka. (beberapa orang mungkin memiliki pengetahuan dan keterampilan tapi tidak mengerti bagaimana dapat mempergunakannya dengan baik atau tidak mampu menempatkannya dalam suatu penerapan yang tepat)

In facilitation, the facilitator DOES NOT have to know all the answers. In fact, if he/she does, it would be useful to withhold them.

Dalam hal memfasilitasi kelompok, seorang fasilitator TIDAK HARUS mengetahui semua jawaban, bahkan jika dia mengetahuinya, akan lebih berguna bila dia tidak memberikan informasi itu.

Elements involved in this process are:

* Discovery
* Reflection
* Conclusion

Unsur Unsur yang tercakup dalam proses ini;

* Penemuan informasi
* Instropeksi/ memikirkan kembali bagaimana dapat mempergunakan informasi baru yang telah ditemukan
* Kesimpulan/ menetukan tindakan apa yang akan diambil berdasarkan hasil intropeksi

Skills required to ensure effective flow of facilitation:

* Questioning
* Listening
* Structuring
* Group Management
* Summarizing: key learning points
* Negotiation Skills

Keterampilan yang dibutuhkan agar alur diskusi yang difasilitasi berjalan secara efektif;

* Bertanya
* Mendengar secara aktif
* Menentukan struktur/ tahap tahapan (sistimatis)
* Kemampuan untuk mengelola suatu kelompok
* Meringkas pokok pokok pembahasan
* Keterampilan bernegosiasi

Effective Facilitation Skills : Presenting yourself

Our TIP this week still relates to the topic "Effective Facilitation Skills", emphasizing on the points to consider in making an effective impact on the group you are facilitating...

Effective Facilitation Skills : Presenting yourself (Bagaimana menampilkan diri anda)

* Energy (Semangat):

The energy level maintained will determine how much your delegates enjoy the presentation and will also indicate to what degree you believe in what you are actually saying.

Sum up key points at the end, preferably in one memorable phrase or mnemonic.

Ensure high energy levels during long sessions by keeping delegates busy doing one of the following three things: being made to think, working something out or physically doing something.

Don’t work an audience too long – frequent short breaks will keep energy levels high and help refocus attention.

Tingkat energi atau semangat akan menentukan sejauh mana hadirin menikmati presentasi anda dan juga akan menunjukkan tingkat keyakinan anda pada apa yang anda katakan.
Buatlah ringkasan pokok pokok pembahasan di akhir diskusi, lebih baik menggunakan ungkapan yang dapat diingat atau dihafal.
Memastikan tingkat energi yang tinggi dalam suatu sesi yang panjang dengan cara membuat hadirin tetap aktif dengan melakukan salah satu dari tiga hal berikut ini: buatlah mereka berfikir, buatlah mereka mengerjakan sesuatu dengan target atau hasil tertentu atau melakukan sesuatu dengan menggunakan fisik.
Jangan melakukan presentasi terus menerus – dengan sering melakukan jedah singkat akan mempertahankan tingkat energi yang tinggi dan membantu hadirin kembali memusatkan perhatian.

* Confidence (Kepercayaan diri)

Prior planning will not only help avoid poor performance, but will increase your confidence. Anticipate responses and questions that you may get during your presentation and prepare the appropriate replies. You will then be able to respond confidently and this will help you to relax and enjoy yourself more. It is when you reach this level of confidence as a Presenter/ Facilitator that you become more interesting to listen to, and therefore more effective.

Persiapan yang matang tidak hanya membantu menghindari penampilan yang buruk, tapi juga akan meningkatkan kepercayaan diri anda. Antisipasilah tanggapan-tanggapan dan pertanyaan yang mungkin akan muncul selama anda melakukan presentasi dan siapkan jawaban yang tepat. Anda kemudian akan mampu menanggapinya dengan penuh percaya diri dan akan membantu anda untuk lebih santai dan lebih menikmati presentasi anda. Dengan tercapainya tingkat kepercayaan diri seperti ini sebagai presenter atau fasilitator, anda menjadi lebih menarik untuk didengarkan dan karenanya anda menjadi lebih efektif.

* Knowledge (Pengetahuan)

People see through a bluff, which leads to a loss of credibility. If you are knowledgeable in a subject it is possible to convince the audience that you know what you are talking about. If you don’t know the subject matter, it is suicide with any audience.

Orang-orang dapat melihat bualan dan hal ini mengarah pada hilangnya kredibilitas. Jika anda memiliki pengetahuan pada topik yang anda bicarakan akan memungkinkan anda meyakinkan hadirin. Jika anda tidak tahu, sama saja dengan membunuh diri dihadapan hadirin macam apapun.

* Openness (Keterbukaan)

You must be prepared to listen as well as to talk. An open mind is essential as delegates grasp the newly introduced concept and experience the pain of change. Even the best Presenter/ Facilitator may encounter a hostile or negative audience. A presentation is very rarely the time to show people that their strongly held beliefs are wrong! That is the fastest way to make your audience hostile to you, and your points of view. The most you can do is to accept their beliefs but show them that there may be another point of view to consider.

Anda harus siap untuk mendengar seperti halnya anda berbicara. Pikiran yang terbuka sangatlah penting sementara para hadirin berusaha mengerti konsep yang baru dan mengalami ketidaknyamanan karena perubahan yang diperlukan. Seorang presenter/ facilitator terbaik sekalipun dapat menghadapi sikap kurang bersahabat atau yang bertentangan dari hadirin. Presentasi bukanlah tempat untuk memperlihatkan orang-orang bahwa apa yang mereka percayai dengan teguh selama ini adalah suatu kesalahan. Hal ini menjadi cara yang mudah bagi hadirin untuk bersikap bertentangan dengan anda dan pendapat anda. Yang paling tepat untuk anda lakukan adalah untuk menerima pandangan mereka namun menunjukkan juga terdapatnya pendapat yang berbeda yang harus dipertimbangkan oleh mereka.

* Eye Contact (Tatap Mata)

Maintaining good eye contact with each member of your audience will generate a personal conversation rather than a feeling of an impersonal presentation. It is important to look at the audience and not over them. They will be conscious if you are not looking at them.

Use 3-5 second individual eye contact in small groups. Anything longer will make the individual feel uncomfortable and the rest of the group will feel left out. In larger audiences, mentally break the group up into sections and focus on a section for up to 10 seconds in larger groups before moving on.

Mempertahankan tatapan mata dengan setiap hadirin akan membentuk suatu percakapan yang lebih bersifat bersahabat, ini lebih baik dari pada membentuk perasaan kurang diperhatikan. Sangat penting untuk memandang para hadirin dan bukan kepada hal-hal lainnya yang ada di sekitar mereka. Mereka akan sadar kalau anda tidak melihat kearah mereka.
Gunakan 3-5 detik untuk bertatap mata dengan setiap individu dalam kelompok.. Bila terlalu lama akan membuat mereka tidak nyaman dan anggota lainnya akan merasa diabaikan. Bila hadirinnya lebih banyak, secara mental pecahlah kelompok itu menjadi beberapa kelompok yang lebih kecil dalam membagi perhatian anda.

* Smiling (Senyum)

The first is to smile and get your audience to smile with you. Smiling is one of the best ice breakers, so smile when greeting an audience. To be successful, your own face must be animated as your audience is likely to mirror your behavior. Smiling is the best indicator of your own enthusiasm. And if you smile, there is an additional benefit, it helps you to control the “sweat factor” of being nervous in presenting, because it controls the flow of blood to the brain.

One way to get people to smile is to make one person smile. Smile is contagious – the others will catch on.

Another way is to tell an anecdote or humorous story. A joke is powerful tool if used wisely by a Presenter/ Facilitator because it requires audience participation. However the use of jokes during a presentation has to be carefully thought out and used with discretion. It takes great skill. If you don’t know your audience well, don’t tell jokes – related stories. You do not want a laugh as a response, but rather a “mouth smile”.

Pertama tama, senyumlah sehingga hadirin juga tersenyum pada anda. Senyuman adalah alat terbaik untuk mencairkan kebekuan/ kekakuan. Jadi tersenyumlah pada saat menyapa para hadirin. Supaya berhasil, wajah anda harus mencerminkan semangat anda karena besar kemungkinannya para hadirin menjadi ketularan semangat anda dan menjadi bersemangat pula. Senyum adalah alat ukur yang terbaik bagi antusiasme anda. Dan bila anda tersenyum, ada keuntungan lainnya yaitu menolong anda mengurangi keringat yang disebabkan oleh perasaan gugup dalam presentasi, karena mengontrol peredaran darah ke otak. Cara untuk membuat orang lain tersenyum ialah dengan membuat satu orang tersenyum - senyum itu akan menular pada orang lain.
Cara lain untuk membuat hadirin tersenyum adalah dengan menceritakan suatu cerita lucu yang singkat. Lelucon adalah alat yang efektif jika kita menggunakannya dengan bijaksana karena menuntut partisipasi hadirin. Bagaimanapun juga penggunaan lelucon dalam suatu presentasi harus dipikirkan dengan hati- hati dan digunakan dengan bijaksana. Ini membutuhkan keterampilan yang baik. Jika anda tidak mengenal hadirin dengan baik, jangan menggunakan lelucon. Anda tidak menginginkan tawa yang terbahak-bahak sebagai respon, melainkan hanya sebuah senyuman.

* Adopt an appropriate pose when listening (Sikap yang tepat saat mendengarkan)

Slightly tilting your head encourages a response from people. It is a more natural response from women than men. Keeping your head straight does not encourage responses. However, you must make sure you don’t end up just nodding all the time.

Keep your chin at the right level. If the chin is kept to low, you will look humble and unsure. If your chin is too high, it will look as though you are arrogant or even cocky. Listening also involves matching body language to the audience (for example bending down to listen to a child).

Body language and in particular your facial expressions can help you to punctuate your speech and assist the audience to grasp your meaning. Your audience will also take note of the noises you make when listening, so be careful to acknowledge answers correctly, rather than humming or grunting your agreement/ disagreement.

Dengan memiringkan sedikit kepala anda akan memancing suatu respon dari hadirin. Para wanita meresponi dengan cara ini secara lebih alami dari pada kaum pria. Dengan membiarkan kepala anda lurus kurang memancing respon dari hadirin. Namun demikian, jangan sampai anda mengangguk-ngangguk terus pada setiap saat.
Pertahankan dagu anda pada posisi yang tepat. Jika dagu anda terlalu ke bawah, anda terlihat tidak percaya diri, jika terlalu ke atas, akan terlihat bahwa anda sombong. Dalam hal mendengarkan, bahasa tubuh juga harus disesuaikan dengan pada hadirin. (sebagai contoh membungkuk pada saat mendengarkan anak anak).
Bahasa tubuh dan khususnya ekspresi wajah, akan membantu menegaskan atau memperjelas apa yang anda katakan dan membantu hadirin mengerti apa yang anda maksudkan. Hadirin juga akan memperhatikan suara-suara yang anda buat pada saat mendengarkan, jadi berhati-hatilah dalam menyikapi jawaban secara tepat , dari pada anda mengeluarkan suara yang menunjukkan ketidak setujuan anda.

* Sitting (Duduk)

Sitting up is a powerful, productive position and is reflected well by your observers. Sitting encourages discussion. When seated, you can more easily stimulate discussion. To regain control or attention, all you have to do is stand up. When standing, the most powerful position is to have one hand gesturing and one arm down.

Duduk tegap merupakan posisi yang menunjukkan kuasa/ wewenang dan kesiapan diri untuk menanggapi serta ditanggapi dengan positif oleh pengamat. Dengan posisi duduk kita dapat membantu mendorong terjadinya diskusi .Untuk mendapatkan kembali kontrol atau perhatian para hadirin, Anda hanya perlu berdiri. Pada saat berdiri, posisi yang paling baik adalah satu tangan bergerak dan satu tangan dibawah.

* Be familiar with the environment (Kuasai Lingkungan Sekitar Anda)

As a Presenter, you should also be in control of your surroundings, or at least as in control as you can! You should show your audience that you are in control. This is best done by spending sufficient time in the room prior to the arrival of your audience to ensure that everything works. You should practice all non-verbal movements before your audience arrives, and allow plenty of time.

Sebagai presenter,anda juga harus menguasai lingkungan di sekeliling anda, atau setidaknya apa yang ada di ruangan tersebut.
Anda harus bisa menunjukkan pada hadirin bahwa anda bisa mengendalikan situasi. Hal ini bisa dilakukan dengan baik dengan cara meluangkan waktu yang cukup di ruangan tersebut sebelum hadirin datang untuk memastikan bahwa semua peralatan atau fasilitas dapat digunakan dengan baik.
Anda harus mencoba semua peralatan sebelum hadirin tiba, dan menyisihkan sedikit waktu dengan mereka sebelum memulai memfasilitasi.

THE NO-HANDS GAME

In a Nutshell
Participants use FEEDBACK to try to get a volunteer to move his or her hands, while the leader uses INSTRUCTIONS to try to get the volunteer to move his or her legs.

Objective
This game is used to improve your management skills; help managers improve their management skills; motivate sales people; use competition as a motivation tool.

Time
15 minutes

Learning Point
FEEDBACK is often a much more powerful motivator than rules or instructions - even instructions from an authority figure.

What To Do
Pick a volunteer, then ask him or her to leave the room.
Have the group pick a target behavior that uses hands, such as clapping over the head.
Bring the volunteer back, and explain that the group is going to try to get him or her to do something that involves the legs.
The group will shout "YES" whenever he or she does something close to the desired target. (This is called "shaping" task, in which closer and closer approximations to a target behavior are reinforced, in this case with the word "YES")

Because of the leader's instructions, the volunteer will keep moving his or her legs, but the group will shout "YES" only when he or she moves his or her hands.
The feedback from the group will usually overwhelm the leader's instructions.
The leader can interrupt at various points, insisting in increasingly stronger language that the group really wants the volunteer to move his or her legs and that he or she must not move his or her hands.

This game produces lots of tension and laughter, as the leader's instruction compete with the audience's feedback - with the feedback usually winning.

Discussion Questions
1. What happens when feedback competes with instruction? Which one usually wins?
2. What are examples from everyday life in which feedback is in competition with instructions?
3. What was the outcome of the game? What did it show about the power of feedback?
4. Why is it not enough for supervisors to ask people to get motivated? What else must they do to encourage motivation?
How can feedback be used for this purpose?

Who is Responsible for your Development?

from David B Peterson, Ph.D & Mary Dee Hicks, Ph.D; Development First

Traditionally, bosses are responsible for developing their staff, In this approach, bosses deliver performance evaluations once a year, often including a list of the things to improve. Now many organizations are shifting responsibility to employees, making then accountable for upgrading their skills and keeping themselves employable.

Each of these approaches alone misses the mark. Your development requires a partnership between you and your organization.
• You need to commit to relevant development goals and then invest time and effort.
• Your organization needs to set clear expectations for you and provide appropriate resources, support, and incentives to help you succeed.

In competitive and changing world, mutual commitment to development is the only way to keep pace and thrive, both for you and your organization.

Your development partners. Help can come from many sources – a coach, boss, colleague, or mentor. Even people outside your organization are prospects. Your partners may be any people who can help you learn and who care about you and your development.
Actively search for development partners who:
• Have access to resources you could use
• Know other people who could help you
• Are good at something you struggle with
• Can help keep you on track
• Can provide support and encouragement.

Your coach. To get most out of your development process, you need a coach who understands what you are trying to accomplish and how the learning process works. Your coach should be someone you trust who willing to be candid with you. The coach level or role in the organization is less important than the ability to observe you, give straight feedback, and help you think about new ways to do things.

Change before you have to.

from "David B Peterson, Ph.D & Mary Dee Hicks, Ph.D; Development First"

Jack Welch, ex CEO of General Electric during one of the most revolutionary organizational changes in contemporary business, anticipates the need for change and did something about it – before the need was apparent to others.

His approach to business transformation is just as relevant to personal transformation: Look ahead. Change now, while you have time. Don’t wait for a crisis.

When your world is stable and you are succeeding, nothing around you will compel you to change. You need to find incentive, and you probably don’t have to look far. If your competitors are raising the bar or your organization climate, customers, or career options are changing, you need to change to keep pace.

Again, change before you have to.