Pulling Together...10 Rules for High Performance Teams, by John Murphy

Excerpt from 

Pulling Together...10 Rules for High Performance Teams,
by John Murphy

Consistent application of the 10 rules of high performance teamwork ultimately generates trust, respect, unity and power within any team. Conversely, consistent violation of any one rule destroys this bond. While the author of the following is unknown, "Lessons From the Geese" is a powerful illustration from nature of the rules of high performance teamwork. As you read about the natural unity that exists among this species remember - this same unity can exist in your organization!

As geese flap their wings, they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone.
If we share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling on the thrust of one another!

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and we will be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.
If we take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership as with the geese, we become interdependent with one another.
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. If we "honk," we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.
If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong. Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!

BEHOLD THE POWER OF TEAMWORK

The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good. Look behind every winner and you will find a great coach. Look out in front of every superstar and you will see a positive role model. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find caring people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.

Rising to this level of interdependent thinking can be challenging and difficult. Looking beyond oneself, asking for help or accepting help can feel risky. But people are not given life to simply take from one another. We are here to give. Our mission in life is to offer our gifts to benefit one another, to create mutual gain in the world. This is called teamwork, a win/win mindset stemming from a genuine commitment to the rules that allow it to happen.

Thoughts on Financial Freedom by Chris Widener

Thoughts on Financial Freedom by Chris Widener

Here are a few thoughts on financial freedom and how to find it for yourself.

Financial freedom is a buzzword for our generation. It is the pursuit of literally millions of people. So what is it? Is it that elusive? Can anyone achieve it?

Let me start by saying that this is not about how to earn money, or even more money. Rather, it is about how to find financial freedom, which surprisingly, may or may not involve making more money.

The first step in finding financial freedom is to realize that financial freedom has absolutely nothing to do with how much money you have or make.

What? Exactly. Financial freedom is something that goes on inside of you.

This is why someone who makes very little can be happy and someone who makes a ton can be extremely stressed out over his or her financial situation. So the first step is to realize that financial freedom is more about our attitudes toward money than about the amount of money.

"Okay Chris, I'm with you. So what are the attitudes that provide financial freedom?" Here are a few that keep me in financial freedom:

• I do not have to worry about money. I used to catch myself saying, "If I had more money, then I wouldn't have to worry about..." But do you know what? I don't have to worry anyway. I can control my income. I can control my outgo. I can make choices that can alleviate any of my worries. I also realized that things always work out. So why worry? I choose not to worry. I work hard, invest, plan for the future and I do not worry about it.

• I can be happy regardless of my financial state. I know people who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and I know people who don't have two nickels to rub together. Some are happy and some aren't. And none of the people who have a lot of money say to me, "Chris, I've become so happy since I got money." They were happy before they had money and they are happy now that they have money. Their happiness has nothing to do with the money. Billionaire David Geffen once said, "Anyone who says that money will buy them happiness has never had any money."

• Money is a means to an end, not the end itself. Another way to look at it is that money is a tool to build the house, not the house itself. I would set some financial goals if I were you, but go beyond that to know what greater purpose there will be when you reach them. What will the house be used for that you build with this tool?

 

• I am free. I am free to earn—some people think it is bad to earn more money. It isn't.

 

• I am free to save—some people believe it is bad to save. It isn't.

 

• I am free to give money away—some people feel they will be better off hoarding it. They won't.

 

• I am free to spend—some people believe that they can't spend anything on themselves. They can.

 

• We are free to make choices. That is financial freedom.

• Embrace delayed gratification. Here is the principle: Buy it now and struggle later. Another principle: Delay buying it now, invest the money, and have all you want later on! And you won't even have to touch the principal! We tend to think that having it now will bring enjoyment, but unless you can do it and not cause yourself financial stress, you will actually get more from waiting!

• Have more by managing better. The fact is that most of us earn enough. What would be beneficial is to set our priorities and live by a budget. As we get control, our budget will loosen up a bit and we will find ourselves enjoying it more. Money that is already there can be your answer if you put it to work for you.

You can experience financial freedom no matter how much money you have. Granted, it is great to build wealth and that should be our goal, but no matter what level you are currently at, or what level of wealth you ultimately attain, if you keep money in the proper perspective, you can be happy and free!

Ten Ways You Can Be More Persuasive

Ten Ways You Can Be More Persuasive

You have a message. You want to be more persuasive.  Whether you are an employee, business owner, student, blogger, etc. you need to be heard. 

We're all marketers trying to impact a world that's drowning in information. 

How Can You Get Results?

Here are 10 ways to be more persuasive.  Each has proven effective in controlled experiments and many are from Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

1. Social Proof – When the course of action is not clear, people look to others for guidance (even though they will deny that fact).  Put more simply, people tend to do what other people similar to them do.  This behavior is programmed into our genes and is well established.  Social proof is more influential when we are observing others we perceive to be similar to us.  So if you are trying to sell someone on something, be it an idea or a product, a powerful method is to show how others similar to them have already bought into it.

 2. Mirroring – People respect, like, and are most easily influenced by people who they perceive to be similar to themselves (see Social Proof above).  So one way to influence someone is to mirror them.  Mirror their speech and their actions.  If you verbalize back to someone something they have said and in the same words, you instantly become more influential.  The same thing applies to posture and actions.  If you want to influence Mike, then you need to act like Mike.  If he is leaning back in his chair, then you would be wise to do the same.

3. Offer Few Choices – People are paralyzed by choices. Given too many options, many simply fail to choose anything.  When you are offer alternative products, services, or ideas, be sure to limit the choices to only a few.  Two choices is often better than three.

4. Reciprocation – Do someone a favor and they are more likely to return it.  There's an interesting twist to this.  People who do you a favor once are more likely do do you another favor in the future.  Once someone has done you a favor, in their mind you become more important to them; you must be worthy of their time.  So get someone to do you a small favor, and they are more likely to listen to you or do you an even bigger favor in the future.  The best way to get them to do you a favor in the first place is todo one for them.

5. Baby Steps – We want to act consistent with our previous actions.  Moreover, once we buy into something or someone, we tend to become much more committed to it or them.  This is the foot-in-the-door technique.  No matter how small a step you can get someone to take in agreeing with your idea, product, or service, those small steps will lead to larger steps in the future.  This even works on yourself. Start small.  Get your target to say yes to anything first, and then they will be much more likely say yes to what your really after.

6. Labeling – Marketers use this one on you all the time: "You seem like a smart person and smart people buy X".  Tell someone they are smart, sophisticated, thrifty, a risk-taker, etc. and ask them to take an action consistent with that label.  There is a powerful inner drive to stay consistent with what we have demonstrated in the past.  If someone labels us, we believe we have demonstrated that trait (especially if it is positive).

7. Ask the Right Question – Recently I was given a pitch for a new home (we're considering something smaller).  Through the entire sales pitch, the agent was asking me and questions about what would we do or what we would like to do.  This was leading to the final push on the actual sale.  Before asking someone to do something, get them to say they would do it or something consistent with it.  Get them to verbally express an inclination or desire to do something.  Then when asked to do something consistent with what they have previously expressed, they are much more likely to agree. (We didn't because we are just "window shopping" at this point).

8. Smile – Smiles are powerful influencers.  People like people who smile.  But your smile needs to be authentic.  Humans have a remarkable ability to detect false smiles (it's in the eyes).  Find something in the other person that you can authentically appreciate and then smile about it.  In general, just practice looking on the bright side of things and being happy.  You will naturally be more influential because you smile more. That's easy, eh?

9. Keep it Simple – I've read studies that show the most persuasive writing is written at an 8th grade level of comprehension.  This is true even among people who were capable of comprehending much more complex language.  There is a convergence of data showing that simple is better.  Simple and easy to remember names and ideas are the best.  Resist the urge to show off your knowledge and sophistication and keep it simple.

10. Scarcity and Exclusivity – Make whatever you are offering, even ideas, unique and therefore scarce. People value what is scarce.  Think about a high-end BMW.  Part of what makes it so desirable is the fact that it is rare; the overwhelming majority of people cannot afford it.  At first glance scarcity might seem to be counter to the social proof phenomenon described above, but they actually go together.  When you buy the high-end BMW you are joining an exclusive club of sophisticated people who also value such quality and sophistication in an automobile.  They are people like you.  I'm a Mac owner and have been for years. We're (an ever-increasing) minority of computer owners but believe we are somewhat exclusive and unique.  So: offer something unique; then, package it in a way that also attracts people through the social proof of others.

If you really want to learn how to be more persuasive and influential, check out Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive.

10 Steps to Courageous Leadership

10 Steps to Courageous Leadership

Posted: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:44:32 -0600

by Stoney deGeyter

Leadership isn't just for those with the title or position of leadership. Every person, in any given situation, is a leader of something. You may not have the prestige or salary, but there is no doubt that you carry some leadership responsibilities, however small they may be.

Very few leaders start at the top. They start somewhere way down the ladder and work their way up. The difference between them and the next person is that they exhibit strong leadership characteristics. Now, not everyone is a natural born leader, but we all lead in various ways. Whether you're trying to get to the top, or simply being successful where you are, there are several aspects of your own personal development that must be achieved in order be effective as a leader at any level.

John Maxwell provides 10 steps to developing courageous leadership:

"Convictions that are stronger than my fears"

A leader is one who overcomes their fears. This may be fears of stepping out, fears of trying something new, or even a fear of standing up to what you know is right. Most everyone has convictions but many are too timid to stand up when those convictions are challenged. To succeed as a leader your convictions must overrule your fears.

"Vision that is clearer than my doubts"

For any leader, vision is essential. A leader must be able to see where they are now, and look ahead to where they strive to be. While any vision comes with doubt, the doubt cannot be paralyzing to achieving the vision.

"Spiritual sensitivity that is louder than popular opinion"

Many people try to check their spirituality at the door when it comes to work and leadership, when in actuality they are inseparable. Spirituality is the core of who you are. Unfortunately, many allow trends, popular opinion, or even a louder voice in the room hold sway over what they truly know and believe in their heart. Spiritual strength is essential to establishing a firm moral foundation that cannot be blown over or toppled by the voices around them.

"Self-esteem that is deeper than self-protection"

Protecting oneself from outside forces and influences is a natural reaction. But sometimes people allow that to come at the expense of their own self-esteem. They protect themselves by going along and not standing out. This is contrary to true leadership. Leaders must be able to stand out and, by doing so, put themselves in a vulnerable position. Having the self-esteem to stick to your core convictions may leave you vulnerable, but no true leader ever succeeded under a roof of self-protection.

"Appreciation for discipline that is greater than my desire for leisure"

Greatness (or even desired goodness) can rarely be achieved without a measure of self-discipline. We all want and need leisure time, but those who stand head and shoulders above others almost universally have something in common. They are willing to sacrifice some of their precious leisure time for those things that help them grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

"Dissatisfaction that is more forceful than the status quo"

While I'm a firm believer in learning to be content where we are, there must also be a measure of dissatisfaction with things always being the same. Contentment helps us learn to survive and be happy with what we have. Dissatisfaction helps propel us forward to better things that we know can be achieved. While we cannot live in a state of unhappy dissatisfaction, we can use that dissatisfaction to grow our measure of success.

"Poise that is more unshakable than panic"

Nobody likes a panicky leader. While any leader may become worried or distressed, how they handle those situations says a lot about them. Keeping cool under pressure produces a calmness that spreads within an organization, allowing everybody to think with a clear head and develop strategies that will bring you through any crisis. Keep in mind, however that poise without action is just as devastating as panic... it just takes longer to feel the results.

"Risk-taking that is stronger than safety-keeping"

Leadership itself is a risk. There is no safety in standing up or stepping out when everybody else is just sitting around. Sometimes the risk is mental or emotional. Other times the risk will be financial. But there are very few profitable investments that don't require some measure of risk. True leaders understand that risk is a part of the job.

"Actions that are more robust than rationalization"

It's possible to rationalize your way out of anything. The problem is rationalizations reduce us to inaction rather than action. Nothing ever gets accomplished when we can find all the reasons not to do it rather than looking at why it needs to be done. Focus on the goals and find ways to to get there, instead of reasons not to try.

"A desire to see potential reached more than see people pleased"

Every person has potential for greatness. The biggest obstacle to such greatness is often those who we surround ourselves with. While we cannot put aside the needs of our friends and family for our own selfish ambitions, we cannot please everybody all of the time. Nor can you allow others to hold you back from achieving the success you deserve.

Leading is rarely ever easy. Some have natural ability, for others it must be developed. But every leader faces the same trials and struggles. Learning to overcome the roadblocks and other obstacles that often try to set us back is essential if we are going to reach our fullest potential.

Courageous leadership means finding ways to succeed regardless of our circumstances. It means putting ourselves out there, facing our fears, doubts and potential ridicule all for the greater good. While many people may not like what is required to become a leader, very few regret what they have to go through to achieve it.

Effective Networking for Netizens

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. SitePoint Tribune Issue 502: July 1, 2010  News, Rants and Case Studies for Web Design Professionals Introduction Hello again Tribuners! In this week's issue, I'd like to discuss relationships -- both online and offline. First, I'll talk about how to really be effective in networking at conferences and events. I'll also cover social media, and how it really is just an amplifier of who you are. I also found a great search engine optimization resource I'd like to share with you. It's very well written and designed, and it's free. Lastly, I'd like to talk about a new trend in blog and content page design that's sure to be noticed. I hope you enjoy this week's Tribune. Brandon No Matter Who Takes Home the Trophy, You'll Be the Winner To celebrate that Cup, SitePoint is letting the game dictate the price! For a strictly limited time, we're having a HUGE digital book sale with a freebie at the end. So regardless of what's happening in South Africa, you can go for glory with some of the strongest contenders in our library. Find out how to play and win now! Summary Introduction Effective Networking for Netizens The Truth About Social Media Astute SEO for Starters Death of the Dull Blog Post Latest Tutorials Hot Discussions New Blogs Effective Networking for Netizens Lately I've heard a lot of people talk about effective networking at business events such as meetups, conferences, and trade shows. I was talking with someone at the after-party of ConvergeSE last weekend and the topic came up again. He said, "I'm no good at networking. I always end up meeting one or two interesting people, and spend the whole night talking to just them." Little did he know, he was excellent at networking. Networking is not about giving out or collecting as many cards as you can during an event. It's about quality, not quantity. I would much rather meet one really interesting person at a conference or meetup and get to know them, than spend five minutes with ten different people. Networking is about building relationships. It's impossible to build a relationship in five or ten minutes. After five minutes, no one is going to remember who you were. Spend an hour talking to a person, and chances are they'll not only remember your name, but they'll recall several topics of the conversation and several aspects about you personally. Next time you go to a networking event, follow these tips to make the most of it: Don't Try to Meet Everyone At ConvergeSE, I only really got to know five people, and two of them were a couple. Now, I was introduced to probably a dozen people, but I recall little about most of them. I remember the people I spent a substantial amount of time with. Don't Pitch Your Stuff Sorry, but this is one I'm fairly passionate about. Please, please avoid pitching to people when you first meet them. I was at a half-day conference last week and several people I met instantly went into pitch mode. After just a few minutes I was looking for any excuse to leave the conversation. You can still talk about yourself. Definitely answer questions about what you do, who you work for, and what services you offer. You can even go into detail. But don't force the information on people who've yet to ask. Ask Questions On the heels of "Don't pitch" ... what do you talk about? Ask them what they do. Or find out an interesting fact about them: Do they have kids? What sports do they like? You can talk about your background, where you went to school, Windows or Mac ... a hundred other topics. There's plenty of time to talk about business too, but it shouldn't be your only goal. Get Their Card or Contact Information Forget about giving them your card -- unless they ask. Instead, if you want to stay in touch, ask them for their card or contact information. There's no need to have everyone's card; it's perfectly fine to just say "I enjoyed talking with you" and move on. After an evening networking event I usually end up with maybe one or two cards I asked for. I don't count the ones that are forced on me; I usually just throw those away. Stay in Touch Usually I send a handwritten card to the people I really connected with at a conference or event. Again, that's usually only a handful of cards to write, but it's a nice personal touch. You could also simply send an email. I also follow them on Twitter and add them on LinkedIn. I only add them as a Facebook friend if we're actually friends. If I hang out with someone again at an industry event, or after we've met and kept in touch for a while, I'll add them as a friend. Don't Overdraw In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey likens relationships to emotional bank accounts. You're unable to open a bank account with $0 and immediately start making withdrawals, right? It takes a few deposits first. Similarly, avoid jumping the gun and asking for a referral, or worse yet, their business. Grow to know them and build a real relationship. Try to make deposits from time to time too. It can be as simple as sending a birthday or Christmas card, or forwarding an article that might interest them; any of these methods can be seen as a big deposit in their eyes. Be Yourself Don't try to be what you're not. Just be yourself and you'll understand this networking caper in no time! Over 80% of Small Businesses Use Email Marketing ... But Only a Handful Use It Effectively Discover the secrets to effective, profitable email marketing when you download the free report "Email Marketing 2.0: the Three Techniques That Will Actually Make a Difference In Your Email Marketing." Hint: this report does NOT cover subject line suggestions, SPAM words to avoid, best time of day to send, or how to address your contacts. Don't wait -- Download your free copy now! The Truth About Social Media Recently, Scott Stratten (@unmarketing on Twitter) posted a video of a talk he gave on social media. About halfway through, he said the following: "If you suck, social media just makes you suck harder." So many people seem to think that social media is a magical advertising medium, where you can automate some posts and receive tons of customers. Oh, if it were only that easy! Social media is no miracle solution to your marketing problems, it's a communication tool that helps you listen to and connect with your customers. The only way it differs from email, the telephone, or a letter is that the messages you post go out publicly for everyone to see. And they're permanent.* Social media is really just a megaphone to amplify your own (or your company's) personality. So be yourself, and be genuine. Don't try to game the system; rather, try to build relationships with people, as in the networking article above. That's what social media is all about. *Sure, you can delete messages like tweets and blog posts, but you can never keep people from making screenshots of your messages, nor keep Google from indexing them. Just because you delete it, doesn't mean it goes away. Astute SEO for Starters SEOMoz, a search engine optimization web service, just released The Beginners Guide to SEO. This ten-part guide is beautifully illustrated and laid out like a magazine spread, rather than a typical article. It's also extremely well written. If you're just starting off in SEO, I highly recommend reading The Beginners Guide to SEO. New from Adobe: A hosted online business platform for amazing websites and online stores Adobe Business Catalyst is a new hosted service that replaces 5 or more separate tools with one integrated solution. Incorporating web hosting, content management, ecommerce features, email marketing, and built-in customer management tools, Business Catalyst can help you accelerate your projects and increase your profit margins. Try it out for free at businesscatalyst.com. Death of the Dull Blog Post Speaking of amazing design, isn't the old single-column blog post layout becoming a little old? I'm not talking about the blog design, but the actual post/page content area. We give so much thought to the template design, but what about the layout and typography of the post itself? if you run a blog or content site, check out "The Death of the Boring Blog Post" over at Smashing Magazine. Right now, very few online publishers are going to the trouble of varying their layouts, but the ones that do are truly stunning. I'd rather read these beautifully designed blog posts, with stunning imagery and charts, than a dull-looking single-column post. Could using these attractive layouts be the future of online content? They're definitely a great way to differentiate yourself among the hundreds (or thousands) of blogs out there. Is the time and effort required to put these together worth it in the end? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Chime in over on the forums and let me know what you think! That's it for this week's Tribune. If you're in the United States, have a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday this weekend. Brandon Eley tribune@sitepoint.com Editor, SitePoint Tribune Latest Release Photography for the Web Tell me more.. Free Book Samples Photography for the Web Online Marketing Inside Out Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works! The Web Design Business Kit 2.0 More... Latest Tutorials Help! User Documentation that Works For a website or web application that's introducing new concepts or modes of interaction to its users, good, clear documentation is key. In this case study of a rewrite of Flippa.com's help documents, Georgina lays out some vital guidelines for writing effective help pages. Full Story... Easy HTML & CSS with Expression Web 4 Tatham shows us some of the new time-saving features that Microsoft's Expression Web 4 editor has to offer standards-based developers. Full Story...  Hot Discussions What to Do if the Client Won't Give Content in Content Writing Web Technologies Need A Complete Overhaul? in Web Page Design How to find the 'right' freelance developers in PHP Can some experts help me find the way to become White Label SEO provider? in Business and Legal Issues  New Blogs Web Pro Business The Two Ingredients of Successful Freelancing How to Revamp Your Marketing Perspective How to Turn Around Busted Marketing Who Holds You Accountable? 3 comments Web Tech Should Browser Tabs be Above or Below the Address Bar? 26 comments Canvas is Coming to IE9 5 comments Why Larger Teams Do Not Result in Faster Development 15 comments web design 8 Free Stylish Fonts From Typographers On Behance 1 comment New Look & Feel For MapQuest 7 comments Community Going Viral With Social Media 3 comments Podcast SitePoint Podcast #67: The Browser Dance 6 comments Follow SitePoint on.. 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