This article found at:
http://www.quantifiedmarketing.com/learning_center/restaurant-promotions.php
Quantified Marketing Group has been providing restaurant marketing, restaurant public relations , restaurant design, restaurant promotions and restaurant consulting services since 2001, and has grown into the nation's largest full-service restaurant marketing and restaurant public relations firm focused exclusively on the restaurant industry.
10 Tactics for Driving F&B Sales
Delivering measurable increases in food and beverage revenues can be achieved with simple restaurant promotional techniques available to big budgets and shoestring marketers alike. There are thousands of possible tactics you can employ to drive revenues without any reliance on mass media advertising. Here are 10 of the best restaurant promotion ideas to get your own creative marketing wheels turning:
Tactic 1: Publicity stunts - Stunt is a word with negative connotations for restaurant owners, but I wanted to use a word that conjured up images that are different than traditional press relations efforts. Sending a standard press release about a new menu may result in a small write-up. To cut through the clutter and generate extensive exposure, you need a newsworthy angle. Something like a celebrity chef cook-off, really unique contest or other major event. Think beyond typical events like golf tournaments and simple fundraisers. Challenge your staff or marketing firm to think what you’d have to do to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Challenge them to think much bigger and come up with ideas that tie in to what your club stands for but also have potential for national exposure. If you create events that have only local appeal, you’ll be limited with your media exposure potential and may not even make the local paper. If you think much larger, you’ won’t have to worry about getting coverage. A well-constructed publicity stunt can be worth its weight in gold in terms of positive exposure for your restaurant. And everybody wants to be associated with a winner.
Tactic 2: Public relations - Public relations has been called advertising that you don’t have to pay for. If you have a successful public and media relations program, you’ll get increased exposure and prestige without spending a fortune. For this to work; though, you’ll need to create and publicize newsworthy stories. Hiring a new chef isn’t always enough to garner the kind of attention you deserve. Create other angles that are unique and make your restaurant stand out. Also, review your restaurant’s marketing and advertising expenses over the last three years. Then determine the percentage that was spent on traditional advertising compared to public relations. It’s worthwhile to spend 15-30 percent of your budget on a solid public relations program. Find a firm that has creativity and excitement about your restaurant. If that firm doesn’t seem genuinely curious and interested in your restaurant and what it has to offer, it’ll have a hard time creating interest with the media.
Some higher-end restaurants are understandably concerned about publicity stunts and other marketing activities that seem to fly in the face of the exclusivity of their establishment. My answer to that is simple – these tactics won’t be appropriate for everyone. That being said, if you are one of the restaurant owners that cringes at the thought of creating buzz in the community at large, I urge you to think about your position.
Everyone wants to be associated with a winner. For some of your regulars, the whole reason they belong in the first place is because it’s exclusive and their being a part of that is an extension of their self-brand and identity. Creating buzz won’t distract from that, it will reinforce it in many cases. They key is how the publicity comes across. If done correctly, it supports your position in the market, exclusivity and prestige.
Tactic 3: Bouncebacks - This is an underutilized tool that bounces guests from peak times to off-peak times and can also work to encourage frequency in your food and beverage operations. While simple in theory and execution, this tactic can produce far more in revenues per dollar invested than traditional advertising. All you do is offer incentives at the point of purchase on popular services to encourage the guest to try your restaurant another time. For instance, if you’re busy for lunch and need to drive sales for dinner, offer bounceback certificates that can only be redeemed during dinner hours. Test different offers and delivery vehicles and track response rates for each to hone in on what works best with your clientele.
Tactic 4: Stop discounting - Discounting tells your customers and prospective customers, “We don’t deserve full price, so we’ll be happy to lower our rates to make up for the difference.” This point was driven home to me during my tenure with The Breakers of Palm Beach, a lavish resort whose guests spend a small fortune to walk the halls. Discounting the price would be to discount the 105 years spent building a brand. Instead of discounting, consider no strings offers that do not rely on percentages. Examples include value-added perks such as free valet parking, complimentary services, merchandise, etc. And, in a related topic, never offer coupons, only offer certificates. There is a big difference in perception.
Tactic 5: Business socials - A no brainer, right? Well, you’d be surprised how unreceptive or apathetic some restaurant owners are to hosting business socials with outside organizations at their establishment. However, if you select the right group to partner with, you can leverage their resources to promote your restaurant, and you can also target your core audience. Host socials where the food is center stage. Arrange photo opportunities that include your displays in the background and submit to local media. Partnering with a business or charitable organization works on many levels and can help you stretch your marketing budget while still delivering higher returns on investment than can be achieved with traditional advertising.
Tactic 6: Sampling - Tasting is believing and if you would grade your food a B minus or above, you need to get it in potential customers’ mouths. That’s the best way to build recognition and it is more effective and less expensive than advertising. Every public event that draws your core audience is an opportunity to offer samples of your product. Pick the best 2-3 items on your menu that can be easily transported and get some solid representatives of your restaurant out to meet and greet at these off-property functions
Tactic 7: Host food events - Hosting food events such as the “Taste of (insert your town)” is a great way to position your restaurant as a center of the food scene in your market. It allows you to leverage the reputation, profile and credibility of all of the other participants, and it can also help you share the expense of holding the event. Hosting an event also provides your restaurant with the opportunity to recruit additional manpower and resources for promoting the event and gives that added edge with garnering local publicity.
Tactic 8: Toss up Tuesdays - Promote this program through your next newsletter and other internal marketing vehicles to your existing customer base. Pick Tuesdays (or your slowest food day) and flip for the food tab. Guests will have a 50 percent chance of getting their food bill paid by the restaurant. This attracts your guests’ attention much more than a” buy one get one free” restaurant promotion. Guests are also more likely to have higher check averages than normal because there is a chance they won’t have to pay. It creates a tremendous attention among your core guest base.
Tactic 9: Menu Bingo - This is a great tactic for encouraging frequency and getting members to try different items on the menu. You simply create bingo cards that have different menu items in boxes. Have the cards designed with five columns and five rows. You can also promote other non-food items such as merchandise, cookbooks, and gift certificates. Guests have an allotted period of time – 60 days for example – to complete a connection just as they would with a bingo card. Once they try five items in any direction, they receive a free gift basket or other incentives that are roughly equal to one of the items purchased.
Tactic 10: Birthday program - Research shows that 50 percent of all Americans eat out on their birthday. This presents an opportunity for establishments with solid birthday programs. So why don’t restaurateurs do more to take advantage of this? You’ve got me, but it does offer a chance for you to swoop in and capture your increased share of the market. A birthday program can be executed through new automated tools like those that are available through e-mail marketing service providers. You simply plug in the birthday and e-mail address of your members, and a secure and nicely designed e-mail is sent to them at a time you determine in advance. The system knows who and when to send the e-mail to and also tracks view rates for reporting that allows you to know how well your program is working. You can also have the e-mail include a redemption code that will allow you to track what percentage of the e-mails are bringing in guests and calculate a return on investment. Recent research has shown that retention based e-mail marketing is 300 to 400 percent higher than traditional vehicles such as direct mail and faxes. It’s a great way to communicate and manage your club’s birthday program.
The restaurant industry has been conditioned to believe that only traditional marketing efforts can be applied to grow sales because it’s what everyone else is doing. Fact is, the restaurant industry is getting more competitive and will continue to do so. In the face of increased competition, the most effective strategy is to differentiate your restaurant from the others and create excitement in a way that reinforces your positioning strategy. Again, restaurant promotions are only gimmicky if they are created that way; it is entirely possible to execute these restaurant promotions in a way that is completely in alignment with the image of your restaurant no matter how exclusive.
Remember, differentiation and exciting tactics like the ones described above are particularly potent for your food and beverage operations.
Smart marketing is best achieved through non-traditional techniques that are executed inside your restaurant and among your existing customer base. Opportunities abound if you look at your situation through the right lens. Use the ideas above to spark your own thinking of similar underutilized programs in your own operation and reap the rewards as other successful restaurants are around the country.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Getting Your Presentation Together & Taking it on the Road - By Jim James, Manager Training Technology, Red Lobster
When you make presentations to any group, you probably ask yourself: To whom am I presenting? Who is my audience? What is my objective? What do I want the outcome to be? What am I selling? What do I want my audience to go home knowing?
We can all agree that these are important questions but what can you do to enhance your message? A lot of it is in the way you deliver it. Have you experienced presentations that were late in starting, rushed, ended late, or were less than professional? Were you distracted by the unprofessionalism and did you learn all you could have?
Let's discuss delivery. Delivery is how you make a professional statement when you stand up in front of a group. The content needs to be the star of the show, not you.
I'm going to assume that you, as trainers, have done your homework and know your material. We'll look at 16 topics that will help you get ready to make a professional presentation.
1. I'm a Traveling Man
If you've every experienced that nail-biting experience of thinking (or knowing) that an essential part of your presentation may be on its way to baggage claim in Des Moines when you're in Phoenix, you know it's important to carry what you really need.
Be sure to carry with you the basics that will allow you to recreate your presentation should it get lost in your checked baggage. That includes:
• Your Laptop
• Flash Drive(s) with your presentation, your script, your handout documents, travel info, address of the closest Kinko's etc. Did you know that an iPod with space on it (20 gig or higher) makes a great flash drive?
• Hand-out master (even if you have it on your flash drive)
2. Are We There Yet?
Timing is everything. People hate it when you're not ready, you start and finish late and then you hand them a questionnaire and ask what they thought of your presentation.
Setting up is the key. Get there early, and that doesn't mean 30 minutes before you are scheduled to start.
• Check everything twice
• Run through your presentation
• Leave everything ready to go
• Check the room layout and call the banquet captain if it's not right
When it's time to present:
• Get there well ahead of time (30 minutes) and turn everything on and recheck
• Welcome everyone (you shouldn't be still setting up)
• Have your first slide up and running with music playing if available
• Start on time-don't wait for latecomers, they know when the presentation starts
• Plan to finish early. If you plan your session to be 10-15 minutes shorter than your allocated time, you'll actually finish on time.
3. Lights! Camera! Action!
You should have a good idea of what you are going to say and the order in which you are going to say it. It only makes sense to run through your presentation at least once before standing up in front of an audience. PowerPoint has a nice rehearsal feature to check your timing (Slide Show > Rehearse Timing). Trim your script and/or presentation if necessary.
In an ideal world, practice in front of people who have at least a passing knowledge of what you're talking about. Presenting to yourself in the mirror doesn't count.
• Know what you are going to say. Have key phrases that sum up key points written into your script. Don't rely on your steel trap memory and a one-page outline.
• Anticipate questions. Allow time for questions. Plan answers to questions you might get but aren't included in your presentation.
• Do your research. You should know more than you're presenting.
• Know your audience. Have a good idea of the type of people that will be in your audience and adapt your presentation style accordingly.
4. Can you hear me now?
Using audio in your presentation is OK, but limit it to sound effects, necessary music or voice clips. Never hand over your presentation to a disembodied narrator on your laptop.
If you use audio, make sure you have good speakers. Small computer speakers will not fill a room. A good friend recommended the Altec-Lansing Portable USB-Powered Audio System-XT1-good quality, very portable.
When your audience arrives, music is always welcoming. A separate music system is preferable. An iPod is perfect. When you're ready to start, fade the music out before you stop it. Make sure you have a quick way to restart it when you break. Choose your music wisely-bright but not heavy.
Needless to say, your cell phone should be turned off or silenced and you should encourage your audience to do the same.
5. 'I'm sorry but it's not my computer.'
Using someone else's laptop can be a good thing, or a very bad thing. Get to know the unfamiliar laptop ahead of time. Does the other computer have the same version of software? Does it have all the cables you need? Will you be comfortable using it? Is the battery charged? Is it a Mac?
Nobody like lame excuses. Using your own laptop is always preferable but it you have to use someone else's:
• Have everything you need on a CD or flash drive or both.
• If it's a PowerPoint presentation, save it properly and make sure you embed fonts to avoid that funky font look. (Save as > Tools > Save Options > Embed True Type Fonts - 'Embed characters in use' is OK)
6. Working the room
If you're not familiar with it, it's always a good idea to get a floor plan of the room or to at least talk to someone who has seen it.
Find out:
• What does your room look like? (shape, size, seating capacity)
• Where exactly is it? (Is it close to where audience will be before presentation?)
• What is the room set-up? (classroom style, round tables, theatre style?)
• Where does the equipment and screen go? (locate power supply and find out if you can run your audio through the sound system)
• Is there enough light? (locate light switches, optimize lighting for needs)
• Where will you stand? (make sure you can be seen by everyone)
If you're in a hotel, know how to reach the banquet captain and maintenance and always know where the closest bathroom is!
7. You deserve a break today
Plan your breaks and know when you are going to give them. If your audience is drifting off or drifting out, you're overdue for a break.
Break at natural breaks in your subject matter. Don't just suddenly stop and take a break.
Five minutes every hour is about normal. Ten minutes every 2 hours is good for longer sessions.
The hardest thing about breaks is getting people back on time. Having an on-screen timer helps as long as you start when the break is over. Google Break Timers for some timers you can download and use in your presentation or build your own using PowerPoint's slide timing feature.
8. PPS
What is PPS?
PPS is the file extension for a PowerPoint show.
PPT, on the other hand, is the file extension for a PowerPoint presentation.
What you want to be using is a PPS, not a PPT.
When you open a presentation, you open the file in PowerPoint with all the menus and are ready to edit.
When you open a show, the slide show starts. No one wants to see you open the file and then start the show. Look professional. Create a link on your desktop that goes straight to your PowerPoint Show file.
Creating PowerPoint presentations is a whole other subject but here are a few pointers:
• Follow Rodney Morris' 6 x 6 rule-no more than 6 lines of 6 words per line on a slide
• If you want to show your audience the complete sales figures for last year, use a handout not a PowerPoint slide
• People will be more impressed with your PowerPoint skills if they don't notice them.
9. Batteries not included
Unless you plan to do your presentation using finger shadow puppets, always carry power with you. Always use your laptop's power cord and always bring it with you (power cables are not one size fits all).
If you are using peripherals such a remote mouse, an iPod or a laser pointer, always carry spare batteries. If the presentation is really important and you don't want to risk messing up, put a fresh battery in each essential peripheral.
Don't forget other power cords for LCD projectors, sound systems, etc.
Always do a double check of any equipment you're carrying with you. Set it up and make sure it all works before you leave. Don't forget those other cables for audio and video connections.
10. EEK! A Mouse!
Your audience wants to hear what you have to say. They get distracted every time you have to dart over to your laptop to press a key to advance a file. If you're standing behind a podium, this is OK but the mouse can give you freedom to walk around.
Mice:
• The remote mouse-gives you freedom, but always test it
• The air-mouse-allows you to point and click on the screen, but requires practice
• The portable mouse-a small optical mouse attached to your laptop, beats using a touch pad mouse when you're in a hurry to fix something
• The touch pad and laptop mouse-OK to use in a pinch
Pointers:
• Laser pointers are great if you really need them. Remote mice with built-in laser pointers are even better.
• Never go up to a screen and point with your finger.
11. EEK! A Cat!
Your computer is a reflection of you. You set it up to bring comfort and ease of use. It reflects your personality. It can also be embarrassing in presentation if you have a picture of your cat as your wallpaper. Before you take your laptop out in public, make sure it's presentable:
• Clean up your desktop-put your shortcut icons in a folder-better yet, plan your presentation so you never have to show your desktop and link to program and presentation through PowePoint (Slide Show > Action Buttons)
• Use a non-themed wallpaper
• Turn off those sound effects
While I'm talking about your laptop, don't forget to turn off those timers that blank your screen out if you're on battery power for more than 5 minutes. And don't forget to turn off screen savers.
12. Screen of Death
The screen of death is that friendly (and oh so helpful message) that says 'Page cannot be displayed.' If you have your presentation on your website or FTP site and plan to link to it in your presentation, you are in danger of getting this screen.
The internet is a wonderful thing, but to reduce your personal stress and avoid going out to the internet, put your presentation on a laptop file or at least have a back-up.
Also, check and call your connections ahead of time. Give your presentation a test drive to make sure you can access the internet.
13. Did you hear the one about....?
There's no doubt that a little humor can add that extra zip to your presentation but it should be carefully planned.
It's all about comfort levels-your comfort and your audience's. If you're not comfortable being humorous, don't try. If your audience is not expecting you to be funny, don't try.
That said, humor nearly always has a place
Using it in your presentation:
• Planned humor-appropriate jokes or bon mots placed at appropriate moments in your outline are OK. Ideally, they should relate to your subject or to your audience. Don't make fun of your audience.
• Surprises-the slide they weren't expecting is always a treat. Photos that humorously illustrate your point work well. Humorous phrases worked in among the serious ones work well. One of my favorites is having a slide that's upside down (followed, of course, with one that's right sideup).
Remember! If you use humor, always run it by a few disinterested co-workers before you embed it in your presentation. It might not be funny.
14. Plan B (or C)
Identify the key elements of your presentation:
• Presentation
• Handouts
• Equipment
• Room
• Date/Time
Now ask yourself the relevant questions:
• What if things don't work?
• What if the power goes out?
• What if you lose something?
• Is there a way/place to source a replacement locally? (and do they deliver)
At the very least, find out if there's equipment you can borrow or rent and where you can get handouts printed (and delivered if possible).
15. Lovely Parting Gifts
You've made a stunning presentation. Your audience is clamoring for your autograph and wants to know if they can have this information to take home and share with their fellow workers. So, what do you give them?
• Printed copy of your slides-if you choose this option, give it to them before you start so they can take notes
• PowerPoint handouts-if you do this, don't give them the one slide per page, full-color edition. One can't take notes on that. Three slides to a page is best.
• Color is nice-but not necessary. If you are printing in black-and-white, make sure all graphics and script are legible.
• Handouts-a custom handout that's a bit more than slides often makes a better take-away than sheets of paper stapled together at the top. At least, staple at the side to make it look like a book.
• Gifts-everyone loves a freebie. If you have any corporate/promo items, use them.
• CDs-if you're willing to share, let your audience know you can send them your presentation. Since we are prone to last minute changes, sending the presentation on CD ensures that it looks the same as the one you presented,
• Business cards-always give out your business cards.
16. Questions, Questions??
The main reason you run out of time is questions. We love questions. The trick is to plan for them and control them
To control questions, use simple techniques to stall:
• If you plan to cover the answer to a question, just say 'I'm going to get to that.' Answering a question out of sequence is confusing for you and your audience. Avoid detours!
• Use a flip chart as a parking lot to write down questions for the end. Better still; appoint an audience member as your parking lot scribe.
• Allocate time for questions. You know you'll get them to allow time.
• If you're running out of time, tell you audience that you really want to cover all the planned content and if there isn't enough time at the end for all their questions, they can email it to you.
This article comes from Hotel News Resource
http://www.hotelnewsresource.com
The URL for this story is:
http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article25982.html
We can all agree that these are important questions but what can you do to enhance your message? A lot of it is in the way you deliver it. Have you experienced presentations that were late in starting, rushed, ended late, or were less than professional? Were you distracted by the unprofessionalism and did you learn all you could have?
Let's discuss delivery. Delivery is how you make a professional statement when you stand up in front of a group. The content needs to be the star of the show, not you.
I'm going to assume that you, as trainers, have done your homework and know your material. We'll look at 16 topics that will help you get ready to make a professional presentation.
1. I'm a Traveling Man
If you've every experienced that nail-biting experience of thinking (or knowing) that an essential part of your presentation may be on its way to baggage claim in Des Moines when you're in Phoenix, you know it's important to carry what you really need.
Be sure to carry with you the basics that will allow you to recreate your presentation should it get lost in your checked baggage. That includes:
• Your Laptop
• Flash Drive(s) with your presentation, your script, your handout documents, travel info, address of the closest Kinko's etc. Did you know that an iPod with space on it (20 gig or higher) makes a great flash drive?
• Hand-out master (even if you have it on your flash drive)
2. Are We There Yet?
Timing is everything. People hate it when you're not ready, you start and finish late and then you hand them a questionnaire and ask what they thought of your presentation.
Setting up is the key. Get there early, and that doesn't mean 30 minutes before you are scheduled to start.
• Check everything twice
• Run through your presentation
• Leave everything ready to go
• Check the room layout and call the banquet captain if it's not right
When it's time to present:
• Get there well ahead of time (30 minutes) and turn everything on and recheck
• Welcome everyone (you shouldn't be still setting up)
• Have your first slide up and running with music playing if available
• Start on time-don't wait for latecomers, they know when the presentation starts
• Plan to finish early. If you plan your session to be 10-15 minutes shorter than your allocated time, you'll actually finish on time.
3. Lights! Camera! Action!
You should have a good idea of what you are going to say and the order in which you are going to say it. It only makes sense to run through your presentation at least once before standing up in front of an audience. PowerPoint has a nice rehearsal feature to check your timing (Slide Show > Rehearse Timing). Trim your script and/or presentation if necessary.
In an ideal world, practice in front of people who have at least a passing knowledge of what you're talking about. Presenting to yourself in the mirror doesn't count.
• Know what you are going to say. Have key phrases that sum up key points written into your script. Don't rely on your steel trap memory and a one-page outline.
• Anticipate questions. Allow time for questions. Plan answers to questions you might get but aren't included in your presentation.
• Do your research. You should know more than you're presenting.
• Know your audience. Have a good idea of the type of people that will be in your audience and adapt your presentation style accordingly.
4. Can you hear me now?
Using audio in your presentation is OK, but limit it to sound effects, necessary music or voice clips. Never hand over your presentation to a disembodied narrator on your laptop.
If you use audio, make sure you have good speakers. Small computer speakers will not fill a room. A good friend recommended the Altec-Lansing Portable USB-Powered Audio System-XT1-good quality, very portable.
When your audience arrives, music is always welcoming. A separate music system is preferable. An iPod is perfect. When you're ready to start, fade the music out before you stop it. Make sure you have a quick way to restart it when you break. Choose your music wisely-bright but not heavy.
Needless to say, your cell phone should be turned off or silenced and you should encourage your audience to do the same.
5. 'I'm sorry but it's not my computer.'
Using someone else's laptop can be a good thing, or a very bad thing. Get to know the unfamiliar laptop ahead of time. Does the other computer have the same version of software? Does it have all the cables you need? Will you be comfortable using it? Is the battery charged? Is it a Mac?
Nobody like lame excuses. Using your own laptop is always preferable but it you have to use someone else's:
• Have everything you need on a CD or flash drive or both.
• If it's a PowerPoint presentation, save it properly and make sure you embed fonts to avoid that funky font look. (Save as > Tools > Save Options > Embed True Type Fonts - 'Embed characters in use' is OK)
6. Working the room
If you're not familiar with it, it's always a good idea to get a floor plan of the room or to at least talk to someone who has seen it.
Find out:
• What does your room look like? (shape, size, seating capacity)
• Where exactly is it? (Is it close to where audience will be before presentation?)
• What is the room set-up? (classroom style, round tables, theatre style?)
• Where does the equipment and screen go? (locate power supply and find out if you can run your audio through the sound system)
• Is there enough light? (locate light switches, optimize lighting for needs)
• Where will you stand? (make sure you can be seen by everyone)
If you're in a hotel, know how to reach the banquet captain and maintenance and always know where the closest bathroom is!
7. You deserve a break today
Plan your breaks and know when you are going to give them. If your audience is drifting off or drifting out, you're overdue for a break.
Break at natural breaks in your subject matter. Don't just suddenly stop and take a break.
Five minutes every hour is about normal. Ten minutes every 2 hours is good for longer sessions.
The hardest thing about breaks is getting people back on time. Having an on-screen timer helps as long as you start when the break is over. Google Break Timers for some timers you can download and use in your presentation or build your own using PowerPoint's slide timing feature.
8. PPS
What is PPS?
PPS is the file extension for a PowerPoint show.
PPT, on the other hand, is the file extension for a PowerPoint presentation.
What you want to be using is a PPS, not a PPT.
When you open a presentation, you open the file in PowerPoint with all the menus and are ready to edit.
When you open a show, the slide show starts. No one wants to see you open the file and then start the show. Look professional. Create a link on your desktop that goes straight to your PowerPoint Show file.
Creating PowerPoint presentations is a whole other subject but here are a few pointers:
• Follow Rodney Morris' 6 x 6 rule-no more than 6 lines of 6 words per line on a slide
• If you want to show your audience the complete sales figures for last year, use a handout not a PowerPoint slide
• People will be more impressed with your PowerPoint skills if they don't notice them.
9. Batteries not included
Unless you plan to do your presentation using finger shadow puppets, always carry power with you. Always use your laptop's power cord and always bring it with you (power cables are not one size fits all).
If you are using peripherals such a remote mouse, an iPod or a laser pointer, always carry spare batteries. If the presentation is really important and you don't want to risk messing up, put a fresh battery in each essential peripheral.
Don't forget other power cords for LCD projectors, sound systems, etc.
Always do a double check of any equipment you're carrying with you. Set it up and make sure it all works before you leave. Don't forget those other cables for audio and video connections.
10. EEK! A Mouse!
Your audience wants to hear what you have to say. They get distracted every time you have to dart over to your laptop to press a key to advance a file. If you're standing behind a podium, this is OK but the mouse can give you freedom to walk around.
Mice:
• The remote mouse-gives you freedom, but always test it
• The air-mouse-allows you to point and click on the screen, but requires practice
• The portable mouse-a small optical mouse attached to your laptop, beats using a touch pad mouse when you're in a hurry to fix something
• The touch pad and laptop mouse-OK to use in a pinch
Pointers:
• Laser pointers are great if you really need them. Remote mice with built-in laser pointers are even better.
• Never go up to a screen and point with your finger.
11. EEK! A Cat!
Your computer is a reflection of you. You set it up to bring comfort and ease of use. It reflects your personality. It can also be embarrassing in presentation if you have a picture of your cat as your wallpaper. Before you take your laptop out in public, make sure it's presentable:
• Clean up your desktop-put your shortcut icons in a folder-better yet, plan your presentation so you never have to show your desktop and link to program and presentation through PowePoint (Slide Show > Action Buttons)
• Use a non-themed wallpaper
• Turn off those sound effects
While I'm talking about your laptop, don't forget to turn off those timers that blank your screen out if you're on battery power for more than 5 minutes. And don't forget to turn off screen savers.
12. Screen of Death
The screen of death is that friendly (and oh so helpful message) that says 'Page cannot be displayed.' If you have your presentation on your website or FTP site and plan to link to it in your presentation, you are in danger of getting this screen.
The internet is a wonderful thing, but to reduce your personal stress and avoid going out to the internet, put your presentation on a laptop file or at least have a back-up.
Also, check and call your connections ahead of time. Give your presentation a test drive to make sure you can access the internet.
13. Did you hear the one about....?
There's no doubt that a little humor can add that extra zip to your presentation but it should be carefully planned.
It's all about comfort levels-your comfort and your audience's. If you're not comfortable being humorous, don't try. If your audience is not expecting you to be funny, don't try.
That said, humor nearly always has a place
Using it in your presentation:
• Planned humor-appropriate jokes or bon mots placed at appropriate moments in your outline are OK. Ideally, they should relate to your subject or to your audience. Don't make fun of your audience.
• Surprises-the slide they weren't expecting is always a treat. Photos that humorously illustrate your point work well. Humorous phrases worked in among the serious ones work well. One of my favorites is having a slide that's upside down (followed, of course, with one that's right sideup).
Remember! If you use humor, always run it by a few disinterested co-workers before you embed it in your presentation. It might not be funny.
14. Plan B (or C)
Identify the key elements of your presentation:
• Presentation
• Handouts
• Equipment
• Room
• Date/Time
Now ask yourself the relevant questions:
• What if things don't work?
• What if the power goes out?
• What if you lose something?
• Is there a way/place to source a replacement locally? (and do they deliver)
At the very least, find out if there's equipment you can borrow or rent and where you can get handouts printed (and delivered if possible).
15. Lovely Parting Gifts
You've made a stunning presentation. Your audience is clamoring for your autograph and wants to know if they can have this information to take home and share with their fellow workers. So, what do you give them?
• Printed copy of your slides-if you choose this option, give it to them before you start so they can take notes
• PowerPoint handouts-if you do this, don't give them the one slide per page, full-color edition. One can't take notes on that. Three slides to a page is best.
• Color is nice-but not necessary. If you are printing in black-and-white, make sure all graphics and script are legible.
• Handouts-a custom handout that's a bit more than slides often makes a better take-away than sheets of paper stapled together at the top. At least, staple at the side to make it look like a book.
• Gifts-everyone loves a freebie. If you have any corporate/promo items, use them.
• CDs-if you're willing to share, let your audience know you can send them your presentation. Since we are prone to last minute changes, sending the presentation on CD ensures that it looks the same as the one you presented,
• Business cards-always give out your business cards.
16. Questions, Questions??
The main reason you run out of time is questions. We love questions. The trick is to plan for them and control them
To control questions, use simple techniques to stall:
• If you plan to cover the answer to a question, just say 'I'm going to get to that.' Answering a question out of sequence is confusing for you and your audience. Avoid detours!
• Use a flip chart as a parking lot to write down questions for the end. Better still; appoint an audience member as your parking lot scribe.
• Allocate time for questions. You know you'll get them to allow time.
• If you're running out of time, tell you audience that you really want to cover all the planned content and if there isn't enough time at the end for all their questions, they can email it to you.
This article comes from Hotel News Resource
http://www.hotelnewsresource.com
The URL for this story is:
http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article25982.html
Monday, January 29, 2007
LEARNING TO LIVE GREEN IN COSTA RICA
By Tyler J. Colbourne, Ecotourism Discipline NSCC Akerley Student January 23rd, 2007
We all want to live healthier lives. We all hope to save the planet. We all wish that there were a perfect way to drive our large gasoline dependant automobiles, eat at the greasiest fast-food restaurants, shop at large chain stores, and still be the greenest citizen in Nova Scotia. The unfortunate truth is we cannot have all of those things and still expect to leave a planet that has not been overly spoiled by our actions. Those of us who simply want, hope, and wish to do something better without the conviction to do it can want, hope, and wish for a world where none of us exist. It is not a crime for us to do the things we are used to and have the desire to do something better. Most of us just do not possess the knowledge to act in a more environmentally friendly way. How can we merge the things we need and want with the things that will help us to lead healthier more sustainable lives? By taking action and initiative to learn and to do something better we can change the earth and ourselves in a positive way. One way that I managed to merge my passion for traveling and experiencing other cultures with being more environmentally friendly and learning was to take part in an educational exchange that took me to Costa Rica. The exchange allowed me to learn more about conservation, Ecotourism, and becoming a more responsible world citizen. I am by no means the greenest citizen of Nova Scotia, but I now know more about making the right choices in my everyday life.
How does this help everyone else in Nova Scotia that would like to become more environmentally friendly? Good news, the exchange is happening again this year and will be sending twelve students from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to Costa Rica to take action and learn more about being environmentally friendly. For two months participants live and work in small Costa Rican villages learning skills necessary to being productive and responsible members of the world. Participants learn about conservation directly by working with small organizations to help build up the local area. Ecotourism, group dynamic skills, and leadership skills are also a big aspect of this exchange. Upon developing these skills the hope is that participants can take their knowledge from the program and apply it to their own lives and take initiative in transferring their knowledge into their own community. The exchange also has a second phase that takes place in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in the participant’s hometowns. This is a second opportunity for participants to learn more about conservation with a greater emphasis put on your own country and province.
So how does one get involved with such a program? The Environmental Leadership Program through the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps will be running in the summer of 2006 out of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labor. Applicants must be permanent residents of Nova Scotia, aged between 19 and 25, 25 and interested in developing skills in environmental management and improving their leadership skills through an international cross cultural program. Applicants must also be fairly healthy due to the fact that much of the work is outdoors and requires some labor. For more information, http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/youth/youth-opportunities.asp#ELP-CostaRica, is a great place to start. Applications must be received by February 1st, 2007 to be considered. With that said, the opportunity to learn more about being environmentally friendly, to travel, and have an experience of a lifetime are there. All it takes is a little initiative and determination.
- Tyler J. Colbourne.
We all want to live healthier lives. We all hope to save the planet. We all wish that there were a perfect way to drive our large gasoline dependant automobiles, eat at the greasiest fast-food restaurants, shop at large chain stores, and still be the greenest citizen in Nova Scotia. The unfortunate truth is we cannot have all of those things and still expect to leave a planet that has not been overly spoiled by our actions. Those of us who simply want, hope, and wish to do something better without the conviction to do it can want, hope, and wish for a world where none of us exist. It is not a crime for us to do the things we are used to and have the desire to do something better. Most of us just do not possess the knowledge to act in a more environmentally friendly way. How can we merge the things we need and want with the things that will help us to lead healthier more sustainable lives? By taking action and initiative to learn and to do something better we can change the earth and ourselves in a positive way. One way that I managed to merge my passion for traveling and experiencing other cultures with being more environmentally friendly and learning was to take part in an educational exchange that took me to Costa Rica. The exchange allowed me to learn more about conservation, Ecotourism, and becoming a more responsible world citizen. I am by no means the greenest citizen of Nova Scotia, but I now know more about making the right choices in my everyday life.
How does this help everyone else in Nova Scotia that would like to become more environmentally friendly? Good news, the exchange is happening again this year and will be sending twelve students from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to Costa Rica to take action and learn more about being environmentally friendly. For two months participants live and work in small Costa Rican villages learning skills necessary to being productive and responsible members of the world. Participants learn about conservation directly by working with small organizations to help build up the local area. Ecotourism, group dynamic skills, and leadership skills are also a big aspect of this exchange. Upon developing these skills the hope is that participants can take their knowledge from the program and apply it to their own lives and take initiative in transferring their knowledge into their own community. The exchange also has a second phase that takes place in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in the participant’s hometowns. This is a second opportunity for participants to learn more about conservation with a greater emphasis put on your own country and province.
So how does one get involved with such a program? The Environmental Leadership Program through the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps will be running in the summer of 2006 out of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labor. Applicants must be permanent residents of Nova Scotia, aged between 19 and 25, 25 and interested in developing skills in environmental management and improving their leadership skills through an international cross cultural program. Applicants must also be fairly healthy due to the fact that much of the work is outdoors and requires some labor. For more information, http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/youth/youth-opportunities.asp#ELP-CostaRica, is a great place to start. Applications must be received by February 1st, 2007 to be considered. With that said, the opportunity to learn more about being environmentally friendly, to travel, and have an experience of a lifetime are there. All it takes is a little initiative and determination.
- Tyler J. Colbourne.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Media Impact On Destination Positioning - Enough Of The Bashing, Engage Them! | By J. Ragsdale Hendrie
It is all about the presentation – what we say, how we say it, and how we choose to deliver the message. The communication is then picked up, manipulated, dissected, repackaged and then disseminated by various media platforms throughout our Destinations. They absolutely influence what we read, hear, see, sense and visualize. Our Visitors, often first timers, are similarly influenced. What picture do we paint which will determine their expectations, as well as their Experience? Are we Monet or Warhol?
The one common thread which is a constant through our Destination fabric is our media – state, regional and local. This Voice, Lifestyle arbitrator and Ambassador for our Destination may be our newspapers, our monthly magazines, perhaps local cable television or radio, even the national affiliates. The Voice and/or the Word is pervasive, commanding, definitive and in trouble, and we in leadership positions know this.
Media companies are pressed to remain viable. We watch as corporations either move in with their behemoth Brand or dismantle themselves in front of our eyes. We know that circulations are down, as are advertising dollars for our newspapers. When Time Inc.’s People magazine reduces writers on the Brittany Spears’ watch from seven to one, we are all on edge. Cable has surpassed the Peacock; Talk Radio’s conservative clamor knocked off Air America. Everyone wants a piece of the action, and our media friends are in disarray, reinventing themselves, retrenching, reaching out and disappearing. The Internet has been the equalizer and the challenger.
A healthy media presence inspires the Guest/Visitor Experience, but this memory is a fragile commodity, it does require synergy, and we all are players. Competition is healthy, just as is an alternative perspective. We desperately need balanced coverage for our Destination, and we, the community who benefits from Visitors to our businesses, can contribute to an industry under fire and siege.
Their financial health is driven by representing your business through advertising and promotion. Likewise, your health is based upon how successful that effort has been. Synergy or what? Review your Marketing Plans, purchase aggregate programs, negotiate hard but fairly, as you are actually in the driver’s seat. The deals are there! Advantage your purchasing power.
Most in the print media are moving frantically towards electronic delivery of news, events, and advertising, understanding that how we receive information and how we choose to access this has changed dramatically. Hospitality businesses have known this for years, as have their representatives – the DMO’s’s and Professional Associations. Newspapers, in particular, offer a vast, untapped potential for broader application and exposure of your products and services through their on-line services. This is a terrific opportunity for collaborative efforts (take note CVB’s, Chambers, Associations) – special programs, interactive resourcing/referrals, unique promotions such as “Experience” Programs – it is skies the limit, if you are audacious and innovative, which leads to the third point.
Time to think “outside the box”. Creativity can make for some strange “bedfellows”. Consider the joint venture with the Washington Post and The Onion, a liberal, satirical publication or YouTube and Google. There is money to be made in synergy, even the unusual. What platforms will work for you? We have a broad landscape in our Destinations, from the airport, to our transit, our streets, public service, and private enterprise. Visitors are either assaulted or assuaged by sensations. What level of cleanliness, condition, attractiveness, and service have we presented? Has the perception become the reality? The media interprets that landscape, and new associations/relationships may make your market presence stronger.
The public and private sectors mingle and intertwine in this Destination mosaic. The final product can be a piece of junk or a sheer delight. Information is power. It must be collected, collated, analyzed and dispatched throughout the community, with all the highlights accounted for, sadly including the “warts” and foibles. We must respect editorial integrity. But, if all parties interact and integrate their resources with our prominent partner, the Media, a Destination celebration may just be in order.
Take another look. We cannot have this Media thread unravel, for our own well being requires the vibrancy, diversity and strength of an engaged media voice. So, task your Sales Reps, include the Media on your Committees, promulgate those Press Releases, collaborate on special Programs and Initiatives, see their transitions as opportunities, and buy a newspaper! The Media is your partner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author believes that Remarkable Hospitality is the portal to the Memorable Experience. He started his career as an Assistant Editor of a small, local newspaper in New Jersey. Seek solutions at: www.hospitalityperformance.com
CONTACT
John Hendrie
United States - Merrimac, Phone: 978-346-4387
Email: jrhendrie@aol.com
ORGANIZATION
Hospitality Performance, Inc.
http://www.hospitalityperformance.com
40 East Main Street
USA - Merrimac, MA 01860
Tollfree: 877-280-3650
Phone: 978-346-4387
Email: jhendrie@hospitalityperformance.com
The one common thread which is a constant through our Destination fabric is our media – state, regional and local. This Voice, Lifestyle arbitrator and Ambassador for our Destination may be our newspapers, our monthly magazines, perhaps local cable television or radio, even the national affiliates. The Voice and/or the Word is pervasive, commanding, definitive and in trouble, and we in leadership positions know this.
Media companies are pressed to remain viable. We watch as corporations either move in with their behemoth Brand or dismantle themselves in front of our eyes. We know that circulations are down, as are advertising dollars for our newspapers. When Time Inc.’s People magazine reduces writers on the Brittany Spears’ watch from seven to one, we are all on edge. Cable has surpassed the Peacock; Talk Radio’s conservative clamor knocked off Air America. Everyone wants a piece of the action, and our media friends are in disarray, reinventing themselves, retrenching, reaching out and disappearing. The Internet has been the equalizer and the challenger.
A healthy media presence inspires the Guest/Visitor Experience, but this memory is a fragile commodity, it does require synergy, and we all are players. Competition is healthy, just as is an alternative perspective. We desperately need balanced coverage for our Destination, and we, the community who benefits from Visitors to our businesses, can contribute to an industry under fire and siege.
Their financial health is driven by representing your business through advertising and promotion. Likewise, your health is based upon how successful that effort has been. Synergy or what? Review your Marketing Plans, purchase aggregate programs, negotiate hard but fairly, as you are actually in the driver’s seat. The deals are there! Advantage your purchasing power.
Most in the print media are moving frantically towards electronic delivery of news, events, and advertising, understanding that how we receive information and how we choose to access this has changed dramatically. Hospitality businesses have known this for years, as have their representatives – the DMO’s’s and Professional Associations. Newspapers, in particular, offer a vast, untapped potential for broader application and exposure of your products and services through their on-line services. This is a terrific opportunity for collaborative efforts (take note CVB’s, Chambers, Associations) – special programs, interactive resourcing/referrals, unique promotions such as “Experience” Programs – it is skies the limit, if you are audacious and innovative, which leads to the third point.
Time to think “outside the box”. Creativity can make for some strange “bedfellows”. Consider the joint venture with the Washington Post and The Onion, a liberal, satirical publication or YouTube and Google. There is money to be made in synergy, even the unusual. What platforms will work for you? We have a broad landscape in our Destinations, from the airport, to our transit, our streets, public service, and private enterprise. Visitors are either assaulted or assuaged by sensations. What level of cleanliness, condition, attractiveness, and service have we presented? Has the perception become the reality? The media interprets that landscape, and new associations/relationships may make your market presence stronger.
The public and private sectors mingle and intertwine in this Destination mosaic. The final product can be a piece of junk or a sheer delight. Information is power. It must be collected, collated, analyzed and dispatched throughout the community, with all the highlights accounted for, sadly including the “warts” and foibles. We must respect editorial integrity. But, if all parties interact and integrate their resources with our prominent partner, the Media, a Destination celebration may just be in order.
Take another look. We cannot have this Media thread unravel, for our own well being requires the vibrancy, diversity and strength of an engaged media voice. So, task your Sales Reps, include the Media on your Committees, promulgate those Press Releases, collaborate on special Programs and Initiatives, see their transitions as opportunities, and buy a newspaper! The Media is your partner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author believes that Remarkable Hospitality is the portal to the Memorable Experience. He started his career as an Assistant Editor of a small, local newspaper in New Jersey. Seek solutions at: www.hospitalityperformance.com
CONTACT
John Hendrie
United States - Merrimac, Phone: 978-346-4387
Email: jrhendrie@aol.com
ORGANIZATION
Hospitality Performance, Inc.
http://www.hospitalityperformance.com
40 East Main Street
USA - Merrimac, MA 01860
Tollfree: 877-280-3650
Phone: 978-346-4387
Email: jhendrie@hospitalityperformance.com
Monday, January 22, 2007
CRUISE INDUSTRY LOOKING TOWARD RECORD YEAR IN 2007
By CLIA
Go to : http://www.cruising.org/CruiseNews/news.cfm?NID=250
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 17, 2007) -
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is forecasting a year of formidable growth, with 12.62 million cruise passengers predicted to set sail in 2007, an increase of approximately one half-million guests over 2006. The forecasted 500,000-passenger increase represents a 4.1 percent year-over-year growth commensurate with the planned net increase in 2007 CLIA-member line capacity.
The 2007 projections are new statistics released today by CLIA (www.cruising.org), the premier marketing organization for 21 member cruise lines representing more than 97 percent of the North American cruise capacity, as well as 16,500 travel agency members. Of the 12.62 million passengers projected to cruise in 2007, more than 10.6 million are expected to originate from North America.
“The state of the industry is very, very strong, with CLIA cruise lines stepping up to the plate each and every year with innovative new offerings that continue to bolster cruise sales,” said Dan Hanrahan, CLIA’s new marketing committee chairman and the president of Celebrity Cruises. “Today’s CLIA-member cruise ships offer exceptional value and unrivaled convenience – and visit destinations across the globe.”
Also newly released today are third quarter 2006 results and fourth quarter estimates, which revealed that CLIA-member cruise lines carried 12.12 million worldwide passengers last year, an 8.4 percent increase over the 11.18 million carried in 2005. CLIA-member lines carried 10.18 million North Americans in 2006 compared with 9.67 million in 2005, and also maintained their high utilization rates, posting a collective occupancy factor of 104 percent in 2006.
Bolstering the influx of travelers choosing to cruise in 2007 is the introduction of 12 new ships – totaling 22,039 beds –that offer vacationers innovative onboard facilities and amenities, new worldwide itineraries and ports, and outstanding experiential enrichment programs that appeal to an ever-burgeoning and diverse portfolio of travelers. All tolled, the increase in ship capacity translated to a steady growth in available berths, from 227,837 in 2005 to 246,759 in 2006.
CLIA member lines have invested more than $15 billion in 30 new vessels that will enter service between 2007 and the end of 2010. This translates into 73,562 more beds – a 29.8 percent increase from 2006.
Further evidence that supports a robust 2007 is positive feedback from CLIA-member travel agents, who report a strong start to the 2007 Wave Season, the January through March period that traditionally produces the heaviest cruise booking activity of the year. CLIA member lines are kicking off 2007 with a host of booking incentives and promotions, including stateroom upgrades, “kids sail free” programs, early booking savings, upgrades from Economy to Business Class air, shipboard credits and cruise giveaways.
“Booking early, during Wave Season, has become increasingly important as CLIA ships begin to fill up further in advance each year,” said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. “Not only are destinations like Europe and Alaska flourishing, but CLIA travel agents are reporting early booking sales to such regions asAsia, South America and the South Pacific, which are experiencing increased demand.”
Go to : http://www.cruising.org/CruiseNews/news.cfm?NID=250
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 17, 2007) -
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is forecasting a year of formidable growth, with 12.62 million cruise passengers predicted to set sail in 2007, an increase of approximately one half-million guests over 2006. The forecasted 500,000-passenger increase represents a 4.1 percent year-over-year growth commensurate with the planned net increase in 2007 CLIA-member line capacity.
The 2007 projections are new statistics released today by CLIA (www.cruising.org), the premier marketing organization for 21 member cruise lines representing more than 97 percent of the North American cruise capacity, as well as 16,500 travel agency members. Of the 12.62 million passengers projected to cruise in 2007, more than 10.6 million are expected to originate from North America.
“The state of the industry is very, very strong, with CLIA cruise lines stepping up to the plate each and every year with innovative new offerings that continue to bolster cruise sales,” said Dan Hanrahan, CLIA’s new marketing committee chairman and the president of Celebrity Cruises. “Today’s CLIA-member cruise ships offer exceptional value and unrivaled convenience – and visit destinations across the globe.”
Also newly released today are third quarter 2006 results and fourth quarter estimates, which revealed that CLIA-member cruise lines carried 12.12 million worldwide passengers last year, an 8.4 percent increase over the 11.18 million carried in 2005. CLIA-member lines carried 10.18 million North Americans in 2006 compared with 9.67 million in 2005, and also maintained their high utilization rates, posting a collective occupancy factor of 104 percent in 2006.
Bolstering the influx of travelers choosing to cruise in 2007 is the introduction of 12 new ships – totaling 22,039 beds –that offer vacationers innovative onboard facilities and amenities, new worldwide itineraries and ports, and outstanding experiential enrichment programs that appeal to an ever-burgeoning and diverse portfolio of travelers. All tolled, the increase in ship capacity translated to a steady growth in available berths, from 227,837 in 2005 to 246,759 in 2006.
CLIA member lines have invested more than $15 billion in 30 new vessels that will enter service between 2007 and the end of 2010. This translates into 73,562 more beds – a 29.8 percent increase from 2006.
Further evidence that supports a robust 2007 is positive feedback from CLIA-member travel agents, who report a strong start to the 2007 Wave Season, the January through March period that traditionally produces the heaviest cruise booking activity of the year. CLIA member lines are kicking off 2007 with a host of booking incentives and promotions, including stateroom upgrades, “kids sail free” programs, early booking savings, upgrades from Economy to Business Class air, shipboard credits and cruise giveaways.
“Booking early, during Wave Season, has become increasingly important as CLIA ships begin to fill up further in advance each year,” said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. “Not only are destinations like Europe and Alaska flourishing, but CLIA travel agents are reporting early booking sales to such regions asAsia, South America and the South Pacific, which are experiencing increased demand.”
Sunday, January 21, 2007
How Managers Develop Their Employees
We're working with several organizations helping them
prepare their next tier of managers to eventually take over
the senior leadership positions. However, before we focus on
developing this next tier of managers, we spend a good bit
of time working with the current senior leadership team to help
them comprehend their level of responsibility in developing their
own employees. It's not Human Resources' job; it's theirs.
Whether they hold the position of VP of Operations,
Director of Eastern Markets, or Senior Supervisor, every manager,
supervisor, or team leader has the responsibility to continuously
develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities (S/K/A) of the individuals
they supervise. So, how do they do this?
First, to help the current senior team start to think in
terms of how they might help their team members develop, we have
them review their own position descriptions and answer questions such as:
- Does your current position description accurately reflect the
skills, knowledge, and abilities (S/K/A) needed to effectively
fulfill your current job responsibilities?
--- If not, what is missing and how does this S/K/A help you
do your job. Be specific.
- What specific training or experience (i.e. projects, etc.) have
you been provided that you believe helped you gain critical skills
to do your job?
- As you look into the future to the Company's vision, how will your
job be different 3-5 years from now?
--- What additional S/K/A will you need to do your job then?
--- What would help you gain those required S/K/A? (Identify specific
training, coaching/mentoring, cross-training, field experience, etc.)
This process gets the senior managers thinking about their own skills
and what really is needed now and in the future to do their jobs well.
Often this step alone helps them to identify training and experiences they've
had that helped them gain their knowledge that they hadn't fully appreciated before.
Second, we have the senior managers review their middle managers' position
descriptions and answer questions such as:
- Does the current position description accurately reflect the
S/K/A needed to effectively fulfill their current job responsibilities?
--- If not, what is missing and how does this S/K/A help each manager
do his/her job. Be specific.
- What specific training or experience (i.e. projects, etc.) have
each of the managers been provided that you believe helped them gain
critical skills to do their jobs?
- As you look into the future to the Company's vision, how will their
jobs be different 3-5 years from now?
--- What additional S/K/A will they need to do their jobs then?
--- What would help them to gain those required S/K/A? (Identify specific
training, coaching/mentoring, cross-training, field experience, etc.)
This process helps the senior managers really focus on what their middle
managers do and don't know and do. It also helps them clarify what skills
really are needed now and in the future to do these jobs well. This step
often highlights for them long-overdue training and project experience
many of their middle managers need.
Third, we have the senior managers ask themselves:
- Who currently fills in for you/serves as your "Acting" when you are out
or unable to do your job?
--- What S/K/A does this person have that allows him/her to do your job?
--- Does this person hold the position within the company that would
logically be considered your successor?
------If not, what S/K/A is the person missing who does hold the position
that would logically be considered your successor?
This process and many others help the senior managers "wake up" and see
anew what S/K/A their current middle managers do and don't have.
Often, just these few steps provide great insight for the senior team
to take action and help develop their employees. It also helps them realize
that developing others is not Human Resources' responsibility; it's theirs.
They also start to see how managers can develop their employees. Can you?
Copyright 2007 - Liz Weber, CMC - Weber Business Services, LLC.
WBS is a team of Strategic Planning and Leadership Development
Consultants, Trainers, and Speakers. Liz can be reached at
liz@wbsllc.com or (717)597-8890. Additional articles on strategic &
succession planning and leadership can be found at
http://www.wbsllc.com/articles.shtml or
http://www.liz-weber.com/articles.php
**************
Permission to reprint this article is granted as long as
you use the complete attribution above - including
live website link and e-mail address - and you send
an email to liz@wbsllc.com to let us know where
the article will be published.
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Article Archive: Copies of Previous Manager's Corner
articles can be found at the bottom of the page at:
http://www.wbsllc.com/articles.shtml
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keynote speeches, please contact Liz at liz@wbsllc.com
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would enjoy this e-Zine, refer them to
http://www.wbsllc.com/leadership.shtml to start
their own subscription to the 'Manager's Corner e-Zine'.
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prepare their next tier of managers to eventually take over
the senior leadership positions. However, before we focus on
developing this next tier of managers, we spend a good bit
of time working with the current senior leadership team to help
them comprehend their level of responsibility in developing their
own employees. It's not Human Resources' job; it's theirs.
Whether they hold the position of VP of Operations,
Director of Eastern Markets, or Senior Supervisor, every manager,
supervisor, or team leader has the responsibility to continuously
develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities (S/K/A) of the individuals
they supervise. So, how do they do this?
First, to help the current senior team start to think in
terms of how they might help their team members develop, we have
them review their own position descriptions and answer questions such as:
- Does your current position description accurately reflect the
skills, knowledge, and abilities (S/K/A) needed to effectively
fulfill your current job responsibilities?
--- If not, what is missing and how does this S/K/A help you
do your job. Be specific.
- What specific training or experience (i.e. projects, etc.) have
you been provided that you believe helped you gain critical skills
to do your job?
- As you look into the future to the Company's vision, how will your
job be different 3-5 years from now?
--- What additional S/K/A will you need to do your job then?
--- What would help you gain those required S/K/A? (Identify specific
training, coaching/mentoring, cross-training, field experience, etc.)
This process gets the senior managers thinking about their own skills
and what really is needed now and in the future to do their jobs well.
Often this step alone helps them to identify training and experiences they've
had that helped them gain their knowledge that they hadn't fully appreciated before.
Second, we have the senior managers review their middle managers' position
descriptions and answer questions such as:
- Does the current position description accurately reflect the
S/K/A needed to effectively fulfill their current job responsibilities?
--- If not, what is missing and how does this S/K/A help each manager
do his/her job. Be specific.
- What specific training or experience (i.e. projects, etc.) have
each of the managers been provided that you believe helped them gain
critical skills to do their jobs?
- As you look into the future to the Company's vision, how will their
jobs be different 3-5 years from now?
--- What additional S/K/A will they need to do their jobs then?
--- What would help them to gain those required S/K/A? (Identify specific
training, coaching/mentoring, cross-training, field experience, etc.)
This process helps the senior managers really focus on what their middle
managers do and don't know and do. It also helps them clarify what skills
really are needed now and in the future to do these jobs well. This step
often highlights for them long-overdue training and project experience
many of their middle managers need.
Third, we have the senior managers ask themselves:
- Who currently fills in for you/serves as your "Acting" when you are out
or unable to do your job?
--- What S/K/A does this person have that allows him/her to do your job?
--- Does this person hold the position within the company that would
logically be considered your successor?
------If not, what S/K/A is the person missing who does hold the position
that would logically be considered your successor?
This process and many others help the senior managers "wake up" and see
anew what S/K/A their current middle managers do and don't have.
Often, just these few steps provide great insight for the senior team
to take action and help develop their employees. It also helps them realize
that developing others is not Human Resources' responsibility; it's theirs.
They also start to see how managers can develop their employees. Can you?
Copyright 2007 - Liz Weber, CMC - Weber Business Services, LLC.
WBS is a team of Strategic Planning and Leadership Development
Consultants, Trainers, and Speakers. Liz can be reached at
liz@wbsllc.com or (717)597-8890. Additional articles on strategic &
succession planning and leadership can be found at
http://www.wbsllc.com/articles.shtml or
http://www.liz-weber.com/articles.php
**************
Permission to reprint this article is granted as long as
you use the complete attribution above - including
live website link and e-mail address - and you send
an email to liz@wbsllc.com to let us know where
the article will be published.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Article Archive: Copies of Previous Manager's Corner
articles can be found at the bottom of the page at:
http://www.wbsllc.com/articles.shtml
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For additional information on consulting, training, or
keynote speeches, please contact Liz at liz@wbsllc.com
****************************
Tell a Friend - If you have a colleague or friend who
would enjoy this e-Zine, refer them to
http://www.wbsllc.com/leadership.shtml to start
their own subscription to the 'Manager's Corner e-Zine'.
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Thursday, January 18, 2007
Ten travel trends to watch in 2007
by Peter Yesawich
As we enter 2007 our thoughts turn to what we can expect from the cautiously optimistic, yet still volatile, market environment in which we now operate. So here are our predictions:
1. Demand for leisure travel services will continue to outpace that for business travel services, as more business travelers attempt to use the latest technology as a surrogate for business travel whenever possible and appropriate (and to manage the escalating cost of air transportation and lodging);
2. Family travel (adults with children) will continue to grow at a faster rate than all other forms of leisure travel, as both parents and grandparents continue to look at travel as one way in which to “reunite” families in a contemporary world that is increasingly dominated by the demands of work…even if only for a few days;
3. Practically all travel suppliers will attempt to raise fares and/or rates, as demand for travel services continues to grow, capacity becomes more strained, and operating costs escalate (on both airlines and in lodging accommodations, particularly in popular destinations like New York);
4. The role of the Internet will continue to dominate the travel-planning/booking headlines, yet the incidence of Internet usage by both business and leisure travelers to plan some aspect of travel will remain flat, while the incidence of its usage to actually book reservations will continue to grow but at a significantly lower rate than we have observed during the past three years;
5. Comparison shopping of suppliers’ fares and rates (and the corresponding “price transparency") will become more commonplace as consumers discover the power (and intrigue) of the nascent meta search engines such as kayak.com, qixo.com and the like;
6. The new “lifestyle” hotel brands such as NYLO, ALOFT, etc. will continue to gain both exposure and popularity among the next generation of travelers (the Millennials), as well as more mature travelers who wish to look, act and feel like Millennials;
7. The concept of “inclusive pricing” (one price for a bundle of basic services) will grow in popularity beyond destination resorts to include commercial hotels seeking to provide road warriors with good value for “just the basics” (a comfortable bed, a good working desk, breakfast, High Speed Internet access, and reward points);
8. Interest in spa-going will continue to grow as more consumers seek ways to manage the mounting stress in their lives (thereby igniting the next generation of spa development in commercial hotels);
9. The cruise industry will continue to enjoy remarkable growth (precipitated by the arrival of exciting new ships, an aging population, and general marketing prowess), thereby becoming an even more formidable competitor of destination (land-based) hotels and resorts;
10. The new .travel Internet domain will continue to grow in popularity as suppliers seek to market their products and services in a more refined online environment, and consumers seek refuge from the contamination and frustration that accompanies searches in the .com domain.
Most importantly, barring the impact of any catastrophic political, economic, social or terrorist event in the months ahead, 2007 should be another year for the record books.
Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell is a marketing, advertising and public relations agency
As we enter 2007 our thoughts turn to what we can expect from the cautiously optimistic, yet still volatile, market environment in which we now operate. So here are our predictions:
1. Demand for leisure travel services will continue to outpace that for business travel services, as more business travelers attempt to use the latest technology as a surrogate for business travel whenever possible and appropriate (and to manage the escalating cost of air transportation and lodging);
2. Family travel (adults with children) will continue to grow at a faster rate than all other forms of leisure travel, as both parents and grandparents continue to look at travel as one way in which to “reunite” families in a contemporary world that is increasingly dominated by the demands of work…even if only for a few days;
3. Practically all travel suppliers will attempt to raise fares and/or rates, as demand for travel services continues to grow, capacity becomes more strained, and operating costs escalate (on both airlines and in lodging accommodations, particularly in popular destinations like New York);
4. The role of the Internet will continue to dominate the travel-planning/booking headlines, yet the incidence of Internet usage by both business and leisure travelers to plan some aspect of travel will remain flat, while the incidence of its usage to actually book reservations will continue to grow but at a significantly lower rate than we have observed during the past three years;
5. Comparison shopping of suppliers’ fares and rates (and the corresponding “price transparency") will become more commonplace as consumers discover the power (and intrigue) of the nascent meta search engines such as kayak.com, qixo.com and the like;
6. The new “lifestyle” hotel brands such as NYLO, ALOFT, etc. will continue to gain both exposure and popularity among the next generation of travelers (the Millennials), as well as more mature travelers who wish to look, act and feel like Millennials;
7. The concept of “inclusive pricing” (one price for a bundle of basic services) will grow in popularity beyond destination resorts to include commercial hotels seeking to provide road warriors with good value for “just the basics” (a comfortable bed, a good working desk, breakfast, High Speed Internet access, and reward points);
8. Interest in spa-going will continue to grow as more consumers seek ways to manage the mounting stress in their lives (thereby igniting the next generation of spa development in commercial hotels);
9. The cruise industry will continue to enjoy remarkable growth (precipitated by the arrival of exciting new ships, an aging population, and general marketing prowess), thereby becoming an even more formidable competitor of destination (land-based) hotels and resorts;
10. The new .travel Internet domain will continue to grow in popularity as suppliers seek to market their products and services in a more refined online environment, and consumers seek refuge from the contamination and frustration that accompanies searches in the .com domain.
Most importantly, barring the impact of any catastrophic political, economic, social or terrorist event in the months ahead, 2007 should be another year for the record books.
Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell is a marketing, advertising and public relations agency
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
BAY OF FUNDY - POTENTIAL STAR GENERATOR FOR NOVA SCOTIA TOURISM
Will the Bay of Fundy become Nova Scotia's next tourism icon? That question could have profound economic impacts for operators of tours, accommodations, foodservice and attractions along Nova Scotia's Fundy shore. A major new assessment of the Bay of Fundy will gage the region's potential to achieve the same "Star Generator" status enjoyed by well-known destinations such as the Cabot Trail and Peggy's Cove.
"The area has proven customer appeal and unique market differentiation viability. The lure factor of the natural setting, notoriety of world's highest tides, and wide offerings of tourism products provides a good foundation to take the Bay of Fundy region to the next level", comments Paul Stackhouse, co-owner of the Hillside House Inn in Annapolis Royal, and current Chair of the Tourism Vision Team. According to the Nova Scotia Tourism Vision, the creation of three new Star Generators could have the ability of generating 600,000 to 750,000 visitors per year to the province.
Both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have included the unique qualities of the Bay of Fundy in their marketing programs, with the latter, recently making a multi-million dollar, multi-year investment in the development of the Fundy Coastal Drive. In fact, statistics from 2005 indicate that 60% of all visitors to New Brunswick spent at least one night on the Fundy Coast.
Building upon the strength of the destination's Nova Scotia side is far more than a marketing exercise. Recent investment in the Bay of Fundy by the Province of Nova Scotia leveraged a new interpretative centre which is under construction at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs; and there are several proposed development projects, such as a Digby Area Fundy Discovery Centre, Fundy Geological Museum expansion, Cape Split trail system, and an application to achieve UNESCO World Heritage site status for Grand Pré and an expected UNESCO application for Natural World Heritage Site status for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs. "Working toward the goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2012 has required the tourism industry to fundamentally shift how we approach and deliver tourism across the province", adds Stackhouse. "While some of the accomplishments of the Tourism Vision initiative have been reached reasonably quickly, fostering the establishment of new Star Generators is a much longer term strategy. Hiking and other eco-tourism products are becoming more popular throughout the Fundy region, and we need to ensure that our roads not only provide safe and comfortable access, but can enhance the experience, by offering locations for spectacular look offs, for example".
The Vision task team is spearheading a tourism product inventory and mapping project that will identify and weigh the region's strengths, areas for resource pooling, and opportunities for partnerships. The research will, in part, provide an up to date examination of the region's current and proposed tourism product developments, activities, and attractions, as well as analyze transportation links, accessibility, and accommodation capacity - considered important components of creating a new tourism Star Generator.
Enhancing the status of the entire Fundy region should produce economic benefits that reach beyond direct providers of tourism products and services. Increasing the number of visitors is only one part of that benefit. Packaging an entire region of attractions and places of interest will keep visitors longer, and increase spending made in that area. The assessment process will therefore include interviews with various Regional Development Authorities, Regional Tourism Industry Associations, selected municipalities, and other stakeholders from the Fundy area. In December, the Tourism Vision Team chose Resource Management Associates of Parrsboro to undertake the work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of February.
Author
- First name: Jim
- Last name: MacLachlan
- Company: Nova Scotia Vision for Tourism
- Email: jim@nstourismvision.com
"The area has proven customer appeal and unique market differentiation viability. The lure factor of the natural setting, notoriety of world's highest tides, and wide offerings of tourism products provides a good foundation to take the Bay of Fundy region to the next level", comments Paul Stackhouse, co-owner of the Hillside House Inn in Annapolis Royal, and current Chair of the Tourism Vision Team. According to the Nova Scotia Tourism Vision, the creation of three new Star Generators could have the ability of generating 600,000 to 750,000 visitors per year to the province.
Both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have included the unique qualities of the Bay of Fundy in their marketing programs, with the latter, recently making a multi-million dollar, multi-year investment in the development of the Fundy Coastal Drive. In fact, statistics from 2005 indicate that 60% of all visitors to New Brunswick spent at least one night on the Fundy Coast.
Building upon the strength of the destination's Nova Scotia side is far more than a marketing exercise. Recent investment in the Bay of Fundy by the Province of Nova Scotia leveraged a new interpretative centre which is under construction at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs; and there are several proposed development projects, such as a Digby Area Fundy Discovery Centre, Fundy Geological Museum expansion, Cape Split trail system, and an application to achieve UNESCO World Heritage site status for Grand Pré and an expected UNESCO application for Natural World Heritage Site status for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs. "Working toward the goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2012 has required the tourism industry to fundamentally shift how we approach and deliver tourism across the province", adds Stackhouse. "While some of the accomplishments of the Tourism Vision initiative have been reached reasonably quickly, fostering the establishment of new Star Generators is a much longer term strategy. Hiking and other eco-tourism products are becoming more popular throughout the Fundy region, and we need to ensure that our roads not only provide safe and comfortable access, but can enhance the experience, by offering locations for spectacular look offs, for example".
The Vision task team is spearheading a tourism product inventory and mapping project that will identify and weigh the region's strengths, areas for resource pooling, and opportunities for partnerships. The research will, in part, provide an up to date examination of the region's current and proposed tourism product developments, activities, and attractions, as well as analyze transportation links, accessibility, and accommodation capacity - considered important components of creating a new tourism Star Generator.
Enhancing the status of the entire Fundy region should produce economic benefits that reach beyond direct providers of tourism products and services. Increasing the number of visitors is only one part of that benefit. Packaging an entire region of attractions and places of interest will keep visitors longer, and increase spending made in that area. The assessment process will therefore include interviews with various Regional Development Authorities, Regional Tourism Industry Associations, selected municipalities, and other stakeholders from the Fundy area. In December, the Tourism Vision Team chose Resource Management Associates of Parrsboro to undertake the work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of February.
Author
- First name: Jim
- Last name: MacLachlan
- Company: Nova Scotia Vision for Tourism
- Email: jim@nstourismvision.com
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
TRENDS FOR 2007 - A CONSULTANCY PERSPECTIVE
Demand for leisure travel services will continue to outpace demand for business travel services, and family travel (adults with children) will continue to grow at a faster rate than all other forms of leisure travel, according to a number of predictions for 2007 made by marketing and public relations firm Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell (YPBR) in its 2006 e-newsletter. The agency also projects that practically all travel suppliers will attempt to raise fares and/or rates.
YPBR also expects the internet will continue to dominate the headlines about travel planning and booking; however, the incidence of internet usage by both business and leisure travellers to plan some aspect of travel is expected to remain flat, while the incidence of its usage to actually book reservations will continue to grow (but at a significantly lower rate than we have observed during the past three years). Comparison shopping of suppliers' fares and rates (and the corresponding "price transparency") will become more commonplace as consumers discover the power of the nascent meta search engines such as kayak.com, qixo.com and the like.
The new "lifestyle" hotel brands, such as NYLO and ALOFT, will continue to gain both exposure and popularity among the next generation of travellers (the "Millennials"), and the concept of "inclusive pricing" (one price for a bundle of basic services) will grow in popularity beyond destination resorts to include commercial hotels.
The agency projects that interest in spa-going will continue to grow as more consumers seek ways to manage the mounting stress in their lives, the cruise industry will continue to enjoy remarkable growth, the new .travel internet domain will continue to grow in popularity as suppliers seek to market their products and services in a more refined online environment, and in general (barring the impact of any catastrophic political, economic, social or terrorist event in the months ahead), 2007 should be another year for the record books!
YPBR also expects the internet will continue to dominate the headlines about travel planning and booking; however, the incidence of internet usage by both business and leisure travellers to plan some aspect of travel is expected to remain flat, while the incidence of its usage to actually book reservations will continue to grow (but at a significantly lower rate than we have observed during the past three years). Comparison shopping of suppliers' fares and rates (and the corresponding "price transparency") will become more commonplace as consumers discover the power of the nascent meta search engines such as kayak.com, qixo.com and the like.
The new "lifestyle" hotel brands, such as NYLO and ALOFT, will continue to gain both exposure and popularity among the next generation of travellers (the "Millennials"), and the concept of "inclusive pricing" (one price for a bundle of basic services) will grow in popularity beyond destination resorts to include commercial hotels.
The agency projects that interest in spa-going will continue to grow as more consumers seek ways to manage the mounting stress in their lives, the cruise industry will continue to enjoy remarkable growth, the new .travel internet domain will continue to grow in popularity as suppliers seek to market their products and services in a more refined online environment, and in general (barring the impact of any catastrophic political, economic, social or terrorist event in the months ahead), 2007 should be another year for the record books!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Manager's Corner - Unhappy Employees Often Mean You Failed to
A client recently told me she believes one of her key employees
may be looking for a different job. My client was nervous and
a bit "defeated." Her employee is smart, efficient,
organized, and articulate. She gets along with everyone,
works on any project you ask her to, and is willing
to try new things. However, she's apparently not happy. When
my client and I talked a bit more, I discovered, Sarah (not
her real name), was the only full-time employee
left in her department besides the department manager. All other
staff had resigned over the previous year and their positions
had not yet been filled. After a bit more probing, I learned
that the department manager is very nice, but disorganized,
not able to think strategically, and not a strong manager.
Needless to say, it was becoming obvious why Sarah wasn't
happy. She was carrying the workload for an entire department
and was being "managed" by a weak manager. Would you be happy
if you were Sarah?
When you have unhappy employees, it may be an indication
there are other problems facing your organization.
When your "key" employees are unhappy,
there are usually some serious issues facing the company that
have been around for some time. Often their unhappiness is a result
of your failure to address "known" issues. Your job is to determine what's
causing your employees' unhappiness, so they don't leave and
leave you unhappy. Sometimes the cause of their unhappiness is
rather obvious; sometimes not.
After some strategy and reorganization meetings, my client
restructured Sarah's department to ensure "busy" work was
eliminated and only mission-critical tasks were still on the departmental
To Do list. Sarah's manager is receiving coaching to help her
become more organized and a stronger manager. Sarah has also
been asked to become a key player on an company-wide project.
She'll be operating within an aggressive team structure with
specific project deliverables and deadlines. Sarah's excited,
energized, and looking forward to the challenge. It sounds crazy
but she was just handed more work -- and she's happy.
In reviewing the situation and talking with Sarah, we quickly
learned she was frustrated with her manager and her current
"mind-numbing" work. Sarah likes to challenge herself mentally
as well as to "get things done." Her new work on the special project
will help accomplish that, while the reduction in non-essential busy work
will help her "get things done" quickly. In the meantime, her manager
is now more productive and is reorganizing her department and
aggressively seeking staff. My client has two employees who are
now happier and more productive, in large part because my client finally
took action. If you have unhappy employees, what action do you
need to take?
Copyright 2006 - Liz Weber, CMC - Weber Business Services, LLC.
WBS is a team of Strategic Planning and Leadership Development
Consultants, Trainers, and Speakers. Liz can be reached at
liz@wbsllc.com or (717)597-8890. Additional articles on marketing and
leadership can be found at http://www.wbsllc.com/articles.shtml or
http://www.liz-weber.com/articles.php
may be looking for a different job. My client was nervous and
a bit "defeated." Her employee is smart, efficient,
organized, and articulate. She gets along with everyone,
works on any project you ask her to, and is willing
to try new things. However, she's apparently not happy. When
my client and I talked a bit more, I discovered, Sarah (not
her real name), was the only full-time employee
left in her department besides the department manager. All other
staff had resigned over the previous year and their positions
had not yet been filled. After a bit more probing, I learned
that the department manager is very nice, but disorganized,
not able to think strategically, and not a strong manager.
Needless to say, it was becoming obvious why Sarah wasn't
happy. She was carrying the workload for an entire department
and was being "managed" by a weak manager. Would you be happy
if you were Sarah?
When you have unhappy employees, it may be an indication
there are other problems facing your organization.
When your "key" employees are unhappy,
there are usually some serious issues facing the company that
have been around for some time. Often their unhappiness is a result
of your failure to address "known" issues. Your job is to determine what's
causing your employees' unhappiness, so they don't leave and
leave you unhappy. Sometimes the cause of their unhappiness is
rather obvious; sometimes not.
After some strategy and reorganization meetings, my client
restructured Sarah's department to ensure "busy" work was
eliminated and only mission-critical tasks were still on the departmental
To Do list. Sarah's manager is receiving coaching to help her
become more organized and a stronger manager. Sarah has also
been asked to become a key player on an company-wide project.
She'll be operating within an aggressive team structure with
specific project deliverables and deadlines. Sarah's excited,
energized, and looking forward to the challenge. It sounds crazy
but she was just handed more work -- and she's happy.
In reviewing the situation and talking with Sarah, we quickly
learned she was frustrated with her manager and her current
"mind-numbing" work. Sarah likes to challenge herself mentally
as well as to "get things done." Her new work on the special project
will help accomplish that, while the reduction in non-essential busy work
will help her "get things done" quickly. In the meantime, her manager
is now more productive and is reorganizing her department and
aggressively seeking staff. My client has two employees who are
now happier and more productive, in large part because my client finally
took action. If you have unhappy employees, what action do you
need to take?
Copyright 2006 - Liz Weber, CMC - Weber Business Services, LLC.
WBS is a team of Strategic Planning and Leadership Development
Consultants, Trainers, and Speakers. Liz can be reached at
liz@wbsllc.com or (717)597-8890. Additional articles on marketing and
leadership can be found at http://www.wbsllc.com/articles.shtml or
http://www.liz-weber.com/articles.php
Friday, January 05, 2007
Queasy, like Sunday Morning
This article is from award winner Natalie MacLeans weekly e newsletter and blog which may be found at www.nataliemaclean.com
Do your eyelids creak when they open? Has your tongue been scrubbed with sandpaper? Is the Little Drummer Boy playing on your cerebral cortex? At this time of year, we make merry in haste and then repent in waste, the next day.
Thousands of years ago, man discovered alcohol; the next day he discovered the hangover. Since then, we've learned a lot about what causes hangovers but not what cures them. Their effects are as immutable as Newton's law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Of course, the only way to avoid a hangover is not to drink too much in the first place. But hindsight is 20/20, or perhaps in your case right now, 5/20. When we mock moderation, alcohol passes from the stomach into the small intestine. Some of it is absorbed there but most of it heads on to the liver. But the liver can only metabolize one drink an hour—allowing the rest of the alcohol to speed through our system, hitting other organs.
While the liver is in overdrive, it's not metabolizing glucose very well. That drops our blood sugar, making it hard for us to concentrate. This prods the pancreas to produce a lot more insulin, which makes us shake and sweat. The heart pumps harder as well, so our blood pressure rises—probably the reason some drinkers suffer heart attacks the next morning.
The kidneys react to the diuretic properties of alcohol and release more urine than usual, which not only dehydrates us, but also depletes the blood's electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
But contrary to popular belief, the brain doesn't dehydrate, it actually swells as the alcohol floods the frontal lobe and pushes it against the skull. The brain itself has no pain receptors but the membrane over it does. (The damage to nerve cells is temporary for all but heavy drinkers—even though you may not remember that versatile lampshade.)
One of literature's best descriptions of this wretched state is in the British writer Kingsley Amis's novel Lucky Jim:
"Dixon was alive again. Consciousness was upon him before he could get out of the way; not for him the slow, gracious wandering from the halls of sleep, but a summary, forcible ejection. He lay sprawled, too wicked to move, spewed up like a broken spider-crab on the tarry shingle of the morning. The light did him harm, but not as much as looking at things did; he resolved, having done it once, never to move his eyeballs again. A dusty thudding in his head made the scene before him beat like a pulse. His mouth had been used as a latrine by some small creature of the night, and then as its mausoleum. During the night, too, he'd somehow been on a cross-country run and then been expertly beaten up by secret police. He felt bad."
Thankfully, most of us never feel that bad. In fact, sometimes what we think of as a hangover may in fact be an allergic reaction to wine. Wine contains some 800 components, including substances such as sulfites that protect it against unwanted bacteria and oxidation. Sulfur dioxide is a natural byproduct of fermentation and is present even in wines to which no sulfites have been added, including organic wines.
Sweet wines have the most sulfites added to stop yeast from reacting with the residual sugar for a secondary fermentation in the bottle. And white wines have more sulfites than red wines, which have tannin as a preservative.
Sulfites have got an unfair rap since the government requires warnings on wine labels about them and not the other 799 compounds. Yet they cause reactions in only about 1% of the general population and 5% of asthmatics—the percentage of severe reactions is even smaller. Most people consume some 160 milligrams of them daily, in foods like Beer, shrimp, dried fruits and salad bars. A glass of orange juice has more sulfites than a bottle of wine, which contains less than one milligram.
Another compound in wine that people react to is tannin that comes from flavonoids in grape skins, particularly in red wines, and sometimes from oak barrels.
Tannin mostly just makes your mouth feel furry, but for some people, it reacts with the neurotransmitter serotonin and cause headaches, especially in premenstrual women and people who suffer from migraines. If you react to tea, soy or chocolate, which contain tannins, you may be allergic. If that's the case, stick with white wines, which have only 4% of the tannins of red wine.
A third culprit may be histamines, which again are much more present in red wines than white—between 20% and 200% more, especially ripe, low-acid red wines from hot regions. Histamines dilate the blood vessels, causing headaches. They're also present in smoked meats, citrus fruits, sauerkraut, chocolate, pickled herring, sausages, aged cheese and other fermented foods. But again, only a small percentage of people are affected.
None of these compounds cause or worsen a hangover. The active culprits are molecules called congeners which add flavour and colour to alcohol. They're up to 30 times more prevalent in dark drinks (red wine, rum, cognac, whisky, brandy) than clear spirits (gin, vodka, white rum). As the German proverb says: Brandy is lead in the morning, silver at noon, gold at night. And there are more congeners in cheap spirits which go through fewer distillations and cheap wines which have more impurities. (No wonder Dorothy Parker called her favorite cheap whisky a White Hearse.)
Some people are more sensitive to the congeners in one dark liquor than in those of another so the key is to experiment. And fortunately, our bodies can fight off congeners better than flu viruses, so hangovers don't last five days.
Something else to remember when you're chugging the Remy Martin VSOP over the holidays: when your body metabolizes alcohol, there are some particularly nasty by-products. Think of formaldehyde, which we use to preserve organs and embalm bodies; acetone, used in nail-polish remover; and formic acid, the sting venom found in ants.
~
When it comes to holding their liquor, people's capacity varies greatly. The quantity of stomach enzymes that break alcohol down differs genetically: women get drunk more quickly than men because they have more fat, less muscle and fewer enzymes. (The good news for older drinkers, though, is that after menopause woman almost catch up with men. Our brains shrink a little with age as well, so we become less prone to headaches.)
And physically fit people cope better with hangovers because their circulation is better. For the same reason, dancing while you drink helps to metabolize alcohol, but exercise the next day doesn't do much good. Some scientists believe that happy drinkers experience a less severe hangover than grim ones. Regular drinkers metabolize alcohol more quickly up to a point: heavy drinkers with damaged livers take longer.
It's a myth that mixing your drinks makes a hangover worse. Switching drinks may tempt you to drink more because the taste is new each time, especially sweet cocktails that mask the taste of alcohol, such as piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris. Sparkling wine carries alcohol into the blood stream more quickly, but it doesn't really matter what the source of alcohol is—it's the net alcohol by volume that counts. And there's a significant difference between a wine with 8%, such as cool-climate riesling and 15%, such as hot-climate shiraz.
Other common advice includes eating before and during drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. And drinking a glass of water between each alcoholic drink helps too. It won't dilute your buzz—in fact, it will prolong it, as well as diminishing the effects of dehydration the next day. (Avoid carbonated water, though. Like champagne, it carries the alcohol into the blood more quickly.)
Some puritans believe that we shouldn't try to avoid hangovers at all—that they're an act of atonement for a life of excess. (Didn't Blake say that the road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom?) But for those who haven't treated their bodies like a temple, the search for a cure has led to some concoctions that seem to inflict even more suffering on the hung-over.
The "hair of the dog" remedy, drinking a bit more alcohol the next morning to lessen the effects of withdrawal, is popular the world over. One of the most popular is the Bloody Mary, made of vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, celery salt, black pepper, sugar, lemon or lime. Its benefit is probably that tomato juice contains vitamin C and restorative flavonols and trace elements. The Corpse Reviver, created in 1934 by legendary bartender Harry Craddock at London's Savoy Hotel contained lemon juice, Lillet blanc, Cointreau, gin and a drop of absinthe. Craddock said it could bring anyone back from the dead, though four in swift succession would "unrevive the corpse again." Still such cocktails are really just a delaying tactic: while a small amount of alcohol may make you feel better temporarily, it's better to get your detox over with.
In France, the traditional folk remedy is the vile-smelling Schoum, which was once used to treat scurvy: peppered mint oil, amyl acetate and extract of fumitory. The Japanese took Hapalyse, made from cattle liver and vitamins B15, B2 and E. Mongolians drank a glass of tomato juice with a pickled sheep's eye in it. In Puerto Rico, they rubbed half a lemon under the drinking arm. And the Russians atoned for their sins by beating themselves with a small tree branch in the public steam room. Those feeling less remorseful simply kept right on drinking.
Despite the dubious merit of these approaches, they were wildly creative. In sixteenth-century England, they ate raw eels and almonds ground to a paste. In Morocco, they inhaled the smoke of burning fossils. Ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder ignored the popular choice of eating fried canaries and recommended raw owl eggs instead. In fact, egg-based remedies are common, including the well-known Prairie Oyster: pepper, raw egg yolks, tomato juice, angostura bitters and Worcestershire sauce. This was the concoction that Jeeves the butler served to Bertie Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse's novels.
On the one hand, eggs are a good source of cysteine, which helps the body make glutathione, the antioxidant that's diminished by alcohol. (The amino acid supplement N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) supposedly also helps to boost cysteine.) But on the other hand, eating raw eggs isn't recommended because of the risk of salmonella poisoning. Worcestershire sauce seems a cruel thing to inflict on an irritated stomach, and unless you have a butler, following a complex recipe may be a challenge.
Cooked eggs are more acceptable (and palatable), as in the traditional English breakfast of fried eggs, sausage and tomato. A protein-rich meal contains amino acids that produce endorphins and help to steady blood sugar.
Other experts say that such a fatty breakfast is hard to digest and grease can irritate the stomach. They recommend non-acidic fruit and vegetables, such as bananas and broccoli, which contain potassium and vitamin B. Apart from anything else, fruit replenishes your blood sugar.
In fact, most food helps to replace lost nutrients and speeds up metabolism. You may not feel like eating, but starving yourself can make matters worse, especially if your stomach is irritated. Yogurt and milk can help soothe the gut; in fact, some people drink a pre-emptive glass of milk before they start boozing.
After the binge as during it, water helps to flush the toxins from the kidneys and liver and to replenish those dehydrated tissues. Coke and coffee are iffy: the caffeine constricts blood vessels in the head which helps headaches, but it also acts as a diuretic and can worsen dehydration. Electrolyte drinks, such as Gatorade, and over-the-counter diarrhea drugs, such as Dioralyte, apparently help to restore blood sugar, salt and fluid. Ginger apparently has some anti-nausea properties. Miso soup replenishes your salts.
When it comes to popping pills, there are a number of choices, but as with all of these so-called remedies, it's best to chat with your doctor first. Antacids such as Tums and Mylanta can help an irritated stomach. (But Alka-Seltzer, with its sodium bicarbonate, can alter blood pH, which can be dangerous for people with hypertension or heart disease.)
Conversely, Aspirin, Motrin and Advil (ibuprofen) alleviate headaches, as they're both an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic (pain reliever), but they may irritate the stomach, even causing bleeding with alcohol. Tylenol is best avoided: its active ingredient is acetaminophen which can cause liver damage when combined with alcohol. Others take an antihistamine such as Claritin, but there can be harmful reactions to mixing these drugs with alcohol. Others simply take vitamin B or C pills. If you're into herbal remedies, many swear by milk thistle, which supposedly promotes liver function. And if you know a good reflexologist, get a big toe massage to reduce a headache. (Don't try this yourself; bending over could make things worse.)
But in the future, we may not even have to worry about cures: scientists are experimenting not just with hangover pills, but also with genetically modified vines that will produce wine that doesn't cause hangovers.
My own approach to a hangover is to first seek sympathy, then walk away in a huff after I'm told to stop being a drama queen. Then I take an Advil, put on a frozen gel eye-mask and don an immensely ugly but comfortable flannel nightgown. After napping for three hours in a dark room, I call my mother and ask her why she still loves me.
A little nineteenth-century poetry helps too: it reminds me that this cruel fate has been around for a while and that people do survive it. As Lord Byron said, "Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter. Sermons and soda-water the day after."
Do your eyelids creak when they open? Has your tongue been scrubbed with sandpaper? Is the Little Drummer Boy playing on your cerebral cortex? At this time of year, we make merry in haste and then repent in waste, the next day.
Thousands of years ago, man discovered alcohol; the next day he discovered the hangover. Since then, we've learned a lot about what causes hangovers but not what cures them. Their effects are as immutable as Newton's law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Of course, the only way to avoid a hangover is not to drink too much in the first place. But hindsight is 20/20, or perhaps in your case right now, 5/20. When we mock moderation, alcohol passes from the stomach into the small intestine. Some of it is absorbed there but most of it heads on to the liver. But the liver can only metabolize one drink an hour—allowing the rest of the alcohol to speed through our system, hitting other organs.
While the liver is in overdrive, it's not metabolizing glucose very well. That drops our blood sugar, making it hard for us to concentrate. This prods the pancreas to produce a lot more insulin, which makes us shake and sweat. The heart pumps harder as well, so our blood pressure rises—probably the reason some drinkers suffer heart attacks the next morning.
The kidneys react to the diuretic properties of alcohol and release more urine than usual, which not only dehydrates us, but also depletes the blood's electrolytes: sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
But contrary to popular belief, the brain doesn't dehydrate, it actually swells as the alcohol floods the frontal lobe and pushes it against the skull. The brain itself has no pain receptors but the membrane over it does. (The damage to nerve cells is temporary for all but heavy drinkers—even though you may not remember that versatile lampshade.)
One of literature's best descriptions of this wretched state is in the British writer Kingsley Amis's novel Lucky Jim:
"Dixon was alive again. Consciousness was upon him before he could get out of the way; not for him the slow, gracious wandering from the halls of sleep, but a summary, forcible ejection. He lay sprawled, too wicked to move, spewed up like a broken spider-crab on the tarry shingle of the morning. The light did him harm, but not as much as looking at things did; he resolved, having done it once, never to move his eyeballs again. A dusty thudding in his head made the scene before him beat like a pulse. His mouth had been used as a latrine by some small creature of the night, and then as its mausoleum. During the night, too, he'd somehow been on a cross-country run and then been expertly beaten up by secret police. He felt bad."
Thankfully, most of us never feel that bad. In fact, sometimes what we think of as a hangover may in fact be an allergic reaction to wine. Wine contains some 800 components, including substances such as sulfites that protect it against unwanted bacteria and oxidation. Sulfur dioxide is a natural byproduct of fermentation and is present even in wines to which no sulfites have been added, including organic wines.
Sweet wines have the most sulfites added to stop yeast from reacting with the residual sugar for a secondary fermentation in the bottle. And white wines have more sulfites than red wines, which have tannin as a preservative.
Sulfites have got an unfair rap since the government requires warnings on wine labels about them and not the other 799 compounds. Yet they cause reactions in only about 1% of the general population and 5% of asthmatics—the percentage of severe reactions is even smaller. Most people consume some 160 milligrams of them daily, in foods like Beer, shrimp, dried fruits and salad bars. A glass of orange juice has more sulfites than a bottle of wine, which contains less than one milligram.
Another compound in wine that people react to is tannin that comes from flavonoids in grape skins, particularly in red wines, and sometimes from oak barrels.
Tannin mostly just makes your mouth feel furry, but for some people, it reacts with the neurotransmitter serotonin and cause headaches, especially in premenstrual women and people who suffer from migraines. If you react to tea, soy or chocolate, which contain tannins, you may be allergic. If that's the case, stick with white wines, which have only 4% of the tannins of red wine.
A third culprit may be histamines, which again are much more present in red wines than white—between 20% and 200% more, especially ripe, low-acid red wines from hot regions. Histamines dilate the blood vessels, causing headaches. They're also present in smoked meats, citrus fruits, sauerkraut, chocolate, pickled herring, sausages, aged cheese and other fermented foods. But again, only a small percentage of people are affected.
None of these compounds cause or worsen a hangover. The active culprits are molecules called congeners which add flavour and colour to alcohol. They're up to 30 times more prevalent in dark drinks (red wine, rum, cognac, whisky, brandy) than clear spirits (gin, vodka, white rum). As the German proverb says: Brandy is lead in the morning, silver at noon, gold at night. And there are more congeners in cheap spirits which go through fewer distillations and cheap wines which have more impurities. (No wonder Dorothy Parker called her favorite cheap whisky a White Hearse.)
Some people are more sensitive to the congeners in one dark liquor than in those of another so the key is to experiment. And fortunately, our bodies can fight off congeners better than flu viruses, so hangovers don't last five days.
Something else to remember when you're chugging the Remy Martin VSOP over the holidays: when your body metabolizes alcohol, there are some particularly nasty by-products. Think of formaldehyde, which we use to preserve organs and embalm bodies; acetone, used in nail-polish remover; and formic acid, the sting venom found in ants.
~
When it comes to holding their liquor, people's capacity varies greatly. The quantity of stomach enzymes that break alcohol down differs genetically: women get drunk more quickly than men because they have more fat, less muscle and fewer enzymes. (The good news for older drinkers, though, is that after menopause woman almost catch up with men. Our brains shrink a little with age as well, so we become less prone to headaches.)
And physically fit people cope better with hangovers because their circulation is better. For the same reason, dancing while you drink helps to metabolize alcohol, but exercise the next day doesn't do much good. Some scientists believe that happy drinkers experience a less severe hangover than grim ones. Regular drinkers metabolize alcohol more quickly up to a point: heavy drinkers with damaged livers take longer.
It's a myth that mixing your drinks makes a hangover worse. Switching drinks may tempt you to drink more because the taste is new each time, especially sweet cocktails that mask the taste of alcohol, such as piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris. Sparkling wine carries alcohol into the blood stream more quickly, but it doesn't really matter what the source of alcohol is—it's the net alcohol by volume that counts. And there's a significant difference between a wine with 8%, such as cool-climate riesling and 15%, such as hot-climate shiraz.
Other common advice includes eating before and during drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. And drinking a glass of water between each alcoholic drink helps too. It won't dilute your buzz—in fact, it will prolong it, as well as diminishing the effects of dehydration the next day. (Avoid carbonated water, though. Like champagne, it carries the alcohol into the blood more quickly.)
Some puritans believe that we shouldn't try to avoid hangovers at all—that they're an act of atonement for a life of excess. (Didn't Blake say that the road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom?) But for those who haven't treated their bodies like a temple, the search for a cure has led to some concoctions that seem to inflict even more suffering on the hung-over.
The "hair of the dog" remedy, drinking a bit more alcohol the next morning to lessen the effects of withdrawal, is popular the world over. One of the most popular is the Bloody Mary, made of vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, celery salt, black pepper, sugar, lemon or lime. Its benefit is probably that tomato juice contains vitamin C and restorative flavonols and trace elements. The Corpse Reviver, created in 1934 by legendary bartender Harry Craddock at London's Savoy Hotel contained lemon juice, Lillet blanc, Cointreau, gin and a drop of absinthe. Craddock said it could bring anyone back from the dead, though four in swift succession would "unrevive the corpse again." Still such cocktails are really just a delaying tactic: while a small amount of alcohol may make you feel better temporarily, it's better to get your detox over with.
In France, the traditional folk remedy is the vile-smelling Schoum, which was once used to treat scurvy: peppered mint oil, amyl acetate and extract of fumitory. The Japanese took Hapalyse, made from cattle liver and vitamins B15, B2 and E. Mongolians drank a glass of tomato juice with a pickled sheep's eye in it. In Puerto Rico, they rubbed half a lemon under the drinking arm. And the Russians atoned for their sins by beating themselves with a small tree branch in the public steam room. Those feeling less remorseful simply kept right on drinking.
Despite the dubious merit of these approaches, they were wildly creative. In sixteenth-century England, they ate raw eels and almonds ground to a paste. In Morocco, they inhaled the smoke of burning fossils. Ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder ignored the popular choice of eating fried canaries and recommended raw owl eggs instead. In fact, egg-based remedies are common, including the well-known Prairie Oyster: pepper, raw egg yolks, tomato juice, angostura bitters and Worcestershire sauce. This was the concoction that Jeeves the butler served to Bertie Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse's novels.
On the one hand, eggs are a good source of cysteine, which helps the body make glutathione, the antioxidant that's diminished by alcohol. (The amino acid supplement N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) supposedly also helps to boost cysteine.) But on the other hand, eating raw eggs isn't recommended because of the risk of salmonella poisoning. Worcestershire sauce seems a cruel thing to inflict on an irritated stomach, and unless you have a butler, following a complex recipe may be a challenge.
Cooked eggs are more acceptable (and palatable), as in the traditional English breakfast of fried eggs, sausage and tomato. A protein-rich meal contains amino acids that produce endorphins and help to steady blood sugar.
Other experts say that such a fatty breakfast is hard to digest and grease can irritate the stomach. They recommend non-acidic fruit and vegetables, such as bananas and broccoli, which contain potassium and vitamin B. Apart from anything else, fruit replenishes your blood sugar.
In fact, most food helps to replace lost nutrients and speeds up metabolism. You may not feel like eating, but starving yourself can make matters worse, especially if your stomach is irritated. Yogurt and milk can help soothe the gut; in fact, some people drink a pre-emptive glass of milk before they start boozing.
After the binge as during it, water helps to flush the toxins from the kidneys and liver and to replenish those dehydrated tissues. Coke and coffee are iffy: the caffeine constricts blood vessels in the head which helps headaches, but it also acts as a diuretic and can worsen dehydration. Electrolyte drinks, such as Gatorade, and over-the-counter diarrhea drugs, such as Dioralyte, apparently help to restore blood sugar, salt and fluid. Ginger apparently has some anti-nausea properties. Miso soup replenishes your salts.
When it comes to popping pills, there are a number of choices, but as with all of these so-called remedies, it's best to chat with your doctor first. Antacids such as Tums and Mylanta can help an irritated stomach. (But Alka-Seltzer, with its sodium bicarbonate, can alter blood pH, which can be dangerous for people with hypertension or heart disease.)
Conversely, Aspirin, Motrin and Advil (ibuprofen) alleviate headaches, as they're both an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic (pain reliever), but they may irritate the stomach, even causing bleeding with alcohol. Tylenol is best avoided: its active ingredient is acetaminophen which can cause liver damage when combined with alcohol. Others take an antihistamine such as Claritin, but there can be harmful reactions to mixing these drugs with alcohol. Others simply take vitamin B or C pills. If you're into herbal remedies, many swear by milk thistle, which supposedly promotes liver function. And if you know a good reflexologist, get a big toe massage to reduce a headache. (Don't try this yourself; bending over could make things worse.)
But in the future, we may not even have to worry about cures: scientists are experimenting not just with hangover pills, but also with genetically modified vines that will produce wine that doesn't cause hangovers.
My own approach to a hangover is to first seek sympathy, then walk away in a huff after I'm told to stop being a drama queen. Then I take an Advil, put on a frozen gel eye-mask and don an immensely ugly but comfortable flannel nightgown. After napping for three hours in a dark room, I call my mother and ask her why she still loves me.
A little nineteenth-century poetry helps too: it reminds me that this cruel fate has been around for a while and that people do survive it. As Lord Byron said, "Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter. Sermons and soda-water the day after."
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Effective marketing means controlling performance not people
This article found at:
http://audioconexus.wordpress.com/2006/12/16/effective-marketing-means-controlling-performance-not-people/
Successful companies are constantly learning. It’s what we do with this learning that enables us as executives and marketers to steer the ship towards our targeted destination, making improvements along the way, while learning from our mistakes.
Control means that we constantly evaluate and monitor where we are and make any corrective adjustments necessary to improve performance along the way. For AudioConexus, this control goes beyond the consistent measurement of marketing effectiveness and the four pillars of P, Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. It also includes another P, People, the fifth pillar on which rests our core values of Trust, Integrity, Respect, Passion, Innovation, Responsibility, Continuous Improvement and Organizational Learning.
Organizational Learning is an important key to success, supported by a corporate culture that embraces constant change as a necessary step in the evolution of improving performance.
In Peter Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, he defines the learning organization as “organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”
In order for control to work effectively, to reach the destination clearly defined by leaders, successful organizations share a vision. A shared vision is where everyone in the organization, top to bottom, [and side to side] finds meaning, direction, and reasons for existing. It is a shared vision that ignites passion and motivates people to aspire to greatness. By focusing on performance, not people, we can objectively manage performance while empowering people to learn, to develop new skill-sets, insights and relationships.
Marketing requires constant learning. The best marketers are those people who are willing to apply their expertise knowing that testing and measurement is part of the process. They learn from their mistakes and learn more as a result of being open to the process. Successful organizations use this knowledge as an opportunity for shared learning, improving project performance, systems and processes, and marketing effectiveness.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 16th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
http://audioconexus.wordpress.com/2006/12/16/effective-marketing-means-controlling-performance-not-people/
Successful companies are constantly learning. It’s what we do with this learning that enables us as executives and marketers to steer the ship towards our targeted destination, making improvements along the way, while learning from our mistakes.
Control means that we constantly evaluate and monitor where we are and make any corrective adjustments necessary to improve performance along the way. For AudioConexus, this control goes beyond the consistent measurement of marketing effectiveness and the four pillars of P, Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. It also includes another P, People, the fifth pillar on which rests our core values of Trust, Integrity, Respect, Passion, Innovation, Responsibility, Continuous Improvement and Organizational Learning.
Organizational Learning is an important key to success, supported by a corporate culture that embraces constant change as a necessary step in the evolution of improving performance.
In Peter Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, he defines the learning organization as “organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.”
In order for control to work effectively, to reach the destination clearly defined by leaders, successful organizations share a vision. A shared vision is where everyone in the organization, top to bottom, [and side to side] finds meaning, direction, and reasons for existing. It is a shared vision that ignites passion and motivates people to aspire to greatness. By focusing on performance, not people, we can objectively manage performance while empowering people to learn, to develop new skill-sets, insights and relationships.
Marketing requires constant learning. The best marketers are those people who are willing to apply their expertise knowing that testing and measurement is part of the process. They learn from their mistakes and learn more as a result of being open to the process. Successful organizations use this knowledge as an opportunity for shared learning, improving project performance, systems and processes, and marketing effectiveness.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 16th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Hospitality begins at check-in.
By Doug Kennedy
Thursday, 21st December 2006
Despite all the technology advances in front-office systems - at most hotels the check-in process itself has de-evolved into a scripted - robotic and heartless business transaction.
If my recent experience during visits to 20+ hotels in the last 90 days is any indication, this trend is apparent at hotels representing all market segments.
For me, the welcome I receive (or don’t receive) at the front desk has nothing to do with the number of stars or diamonds hanging on the plaque behind the front desk. During the trip I visited hotels in every segment from economy to luxury. Only three times was I was properly welcomed on arrival: once at a two-star hotel and once at a four-star property. Granted most of the other check-ins were handled in a polite and efficient manner. However, at the front desk of a four-star hotel in Washington, D.C., I did experience one six-minute interaction with a clerk who limited herself to the following seven words:
"Checking in?”
“Your Name?”
“Here you go.”
In fact “checking in?” seems to be the overwhelmingly most common phrase used to greet arriving guests these days. (Although there seems to be a new trend for desk clerks to simply use the gesture of a raised eyebrow and a nod to find out your name.)
How silly the question “Checking in?” must seem to an arriving guest, as he or she stands in the lobby, luggage in tow and credit card in hand. I’m sure more than one guest has been tempted, as I have, to reply sarcastically “No, I’m not checking in, I just stopped by the front desk lobby with my luggage to check out your artwork. I’m actually a connoisseur of hotel lobby artwork and I heard you had some great pieces in your collection here.”
You can’t blame the staff for this. The reality is that most front-desk associates receive little if any exposure to the concept of hospitality. Most training is centered on working the front-desk computer, reservations system and telephone switchboard.
Considering the overall state of “manners” (or lack thereof) in today’s real-world society, managers cannot assume new hires possess the social and interpersonal communications skills they need to relate to guests who are likely from a different socio-economic background, age group and geographic region.
If you are ready to help your front desk staff remaster the lost art of properly welcoming guests upon arrival at the front desk, here are some training tips for your next staff meeting:
1. Welcome EVERY guest upon arrival:
Make sure no one starts any transactions before first using a sincere, proper welcome such as “Good afternoon, welcome to Any brand Hotel. How are you today sir?”
2. Avoid asking obvious questions:
In other words, if I am at the desk at 7 a.m. holding my garment bag and room key, I am most likely checking out; if it’s 7 p.m. and I have my coat on, I’m probably checking in.
3. Instead, offer assistance:
Rather than quizzing guests as to whether they are coming or going, why not simply say something like “How may I assist you today?” Or use an assumptive question such as “are you checking out this morning?” if you are simply not sure.
4. Bring out the best in guests, vs. reacting to their demeanor:
Be the first to express authentic and genuine hospitality by facial expressions, body language and non-threatening, short personal questions such as “What do you think of this weather today?”
Make these efforts even with guests who look tired and cranky—they probably are! You might even get a smile and kind remark back before they are done, and you are certain to meet more friendly people during your shift at the desk.
5. If my reservation is missing and you have rooms:
Tell me the latter first before you break the bad news to me gently. At least I’ll know I have a place to stay.
6. If I mention having had challenges en route:
And if you can spare 90-120 seconds, I would so appreciate your therapy by letting me tell you just how bad it was. A little empathy and understanding is just that much better.
7. If my credit card declines for any reason:
Ask me for another form of payment before blurting out loudly “Your credit card was denied.” Or put the burden on the bank by saying “I was unable to get approval.”
8. Ask me if I need information before offering too much of it:
For example, if I am a card-carrying member of your hotel frequency program, or a known repeat guest, chances are I am more familiar with that breakfast buffet than you are. So before you tell me everything that’s on it and what time it starts, why not first ask if I am familiar with the buffet or if I have any questions about the hotel?
9. Properly end the transaction:
Personalize your wrap-up remarks according to the human interaction that we just had. Welcome me one more time.
At full service hotels, offer a bell staff escort by name: “Mr. Kennedy, may we have Chris escort you to your room?”
Please do not ask if I need help with my small garment bag and laptop case; do I look like a 98-pound weakling?
For hotels without a bell staff, point me in the direction of the elevators and make sure I am walking in the right direction.
Training your staff on tips and tactics such as these, your staff can master the (nearly) lost art of extending the generous and authentic gift of hospitality at check-in.
Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational break-out seminars, or customized, on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every segment of the lodging industry. Visit www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com for details or e-mail him at: doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com
First appeared at Hotel & Motel Management www.hotelmotel.com
Thursday, 21st December 2006
Despite all the technology advances in front-office systems - at most hotels the check-in process itself has de-evolved into a scripted - robotic and heartless business transaction.
If my recent experience during visits to 20+ hotels in the last 90 days is any indication, this trend is apparent at hotels representing all market segments.
For me, the welcome I receive (or don’t receive) at the front desk has nothing to do with the number of stars or diamonds hanging on the plaque behind the front desk. During the trip I visited hotels in every segment from economy to luxury. Only three times was I was properly welcomed on arrival: once at a two-star hotel and once at a four-star property. Granted most of the other check-ins were handled in a polite and efficient manner. However, at the front desk of a four-star hotel in Washington, D.C., I did experience one six-minute interaction with a clerk who limited herself to the following seven words:
"Checking in?”
“Your Name?”
“Here you go.”
In fact “checking in?” seems to be the overwhelmingly most common phrase used to greet arriving guests these days. (Although there seems to be a new trend for desk clerks to simply use the gesture of a raised eyebrow and a nod to find out your name.)
How silly the question “Checking in?” must seem to an arriving guest, as he or she stands in the lobby, luggage in tow and credit card in hand. I’m sure more than one guest has been tempted, as I have, to reply sarcastically “No, I’m not checking in, I just stopped by the front desk lobby with my luggage to check out your artwork. I’m actually a connoisseur of hotel lobby artwork and I heard you had some great pieces in your collection here.”
You can’t blame the staff for this. The reality is that most front-desk associates receive little if any exposure to the concept of hospitality. Most training is centered on working the front-desk computer, reservations system and telephone switchboard.
Considering the overall state of “manners” (or lack thereof) in today’s real-world society, managers cannot assume new hires possess the social and interpersonal communications skills they need to relate to guests who are likely from a different socio-economic background, age group and geographic region.
If you are ready to help your front desk staff remaster the lost art of properly welcoming guests upon arrival at the front desk, here are some training tips for your next staff meeting:
1. Welcome EVERY guest upon arrival:
Make sure no one starts any transactions before first using a sincere, proper welcome such as “Good afternoon, welcome to Any brand Hotel. How are you today sir?”
2. Avoid asking obvious questions:
In other words, if I am at the desk at 7 a.m. holding my garment bag and room key, I am most likely checking out; if it’s 7 p.m. and I have my coat on, I’m probably checking in.
3. Instead, offer assistance:
Rather than quizzing guests as to whether they are coming or going, why not simply say something like “How may I assist you today?” Or use an assumptive question such as “are you checking out this morning?” if you are simply not sure.
4. Bring out the best in guests, vs. reacting to their demeanor:
Be the first to express authentic and genuine hospitality by facial expressions, body language and non-threatening, short personal questions such as “What do you think of this weather today?”
Make these efforts even with guests who look tired and cranky—they probably are! You might even get a smile and kind remark back before they are done, and you are certain to meet more friendly people during your shift at the desk.
5. If my reservation is missing and you have rooms:
Tell me the latter first before you break the bad news to me gently. At least I’ll know I have a place to stay.
6. If I mention having had challenges en route:
And if you can spare 90-120 seconds, I would so appreciate your therapy by letting me tell you just how bad it was. A little empathy and understanding is just that much better.
7. If my credit card declines for any reason:
Ask me for another form of payment before blurting out loudly “Your credit card was denied.” Or put the burden on the bank by saying “I was unable to get approval.”
8. Ask me if I need information before offering too much of it:
For example, if I am a card-carrying member of your hotel frequency program, or a known repeat guest, chances are I am more familiar with that breakfast buffet than you are. So before you tell me everything that’s on it and what time it starts, why not first ask if I am familiar with the buffet or if I have any questions about the hotel?
9. Properly end the transaction:
Personalize your wrap-up remarks according to the human interaction that we just had. Welcome me one more time.
At full service hotels, offer a bell staff escort by name: “Mr. Kennedy, may we have Chris escort you to your room?”
Please do not ask if I need help with my small garment bag and laptop case; do I look like a 98-pound weakling?
For hotels without a bell staff, point me in the direction of the elevators and make sure I am walking in the right direction.
Training your staff on tips and tactics such as these, your staff can master the (nearly) lost art of extending the generous and authentic gift of hospitality at check-in.
Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having presented over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational break-out seminars, or customized, on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every segment of the lodging industry. Visit www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com for details or e-mail him at: doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com
First appeared at Hotel & Motel Management www.hotelmotel.com
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