Do Business Well

Amazon.com used to use the theme “Earth’s Biggest Book‑store.” No longer. They’ve changed it. The new theme is “Earth’s Biggest Selection.”

Person of the year Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, says, “It’s very natural for a customer to wonder, can you really be the best place to buy music, books and electronics? In the physical world, the answer is almost always no. But on the Internet all the physical constraints go away.” (A sign of the times: The company recently registered “Amazoneverywhere.net as a Website name.) Continue Reading »

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The Internet revolution will transform all aspects of our lives.

In business there is never only one way to do anything.

• Some people prefer to shop in specialty stores, some people in department stores.
• Some people prefer to shop in supermarkets, some in neighborhood stores.
• Some people love shopping malls, some don’t. Some people love to buy from catalogs, some don’t.

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First, their feedback was constant. They varied the frequency according to the preferences or the needs of the individual employee. But whether the meetings happened for twenty minutes every month or for an hour every quarter, these performance feedback meetings were, nonetheless, a constant part of their interaction with each employee throughoutthe year. How much of a time commitment did this represent? According to the managers in Gallup’s study, the total time spent discussing each employee’s style and performance was roughly four hours per employee per year. And as one front-line supervisor said, “If you can’t spend four hours a year with each of your people, then you’ve either got too many people, or you shouldn’t be a manager.” Continue Reading »

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How can the manager help? In the new career, the employee is the star. It is his responsibility to take control of his career. It is his responsibility to look in the mirror and make sound choices based upon what he discovers. But what role should the manager play? She is no longer the gatekeeper, picking and choosing from among the most attractive, the most skilled, the most experienced supplicants. What is her role? Continue Reading »

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To increase the effectiveness of your presentation, allow your audience to get involved: to question, clarify, or to redirect what you are saying. You can allow questions before, during, or after your presentation; each time has certain advantages.

Taking Questions at the Beginnings

This assumes your audience knows a good deal about your subject and has questions before you begin. By getting these questions out ahead of time, you get an idea of what people want to know and can reassure them that their questions will be answered during your presentation. It allows you to tailor your material to the needs of a particular group. Continue Reading »

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Here’s what to keep in mind when preparing the visual part of your presentation:

1. Everyone in the group should be able to see and read the visuals easily. Think about the size of the group. The number of people will determine the technology you should use.
2. You want to be able to keep a tight focus on what is presented when. You don’t want to display too much information at any one time. Keep to three or four main ideas on each sheet. You don’t want your audience to get confused or overloaded.

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The Road Ahead Is Curvy and Treacherous, and Good Road Maps Are in Short Supply

Advertising Agencies

Because of the extensive consolidation that has taken place in the last decade, further consolidation will take place at a slower rate in the immediate future. Part of this is a reaction to the government’s closer scrutiny of the mergers because of the Enron debacle. A pause in consolidation at this point is also good because it will give the acquirers an opportunity to digest the new properties and position them efficiently within the corporate umbrella. Continue Reading »

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Most of the suggestions offered to the manager/chairperson are aplicable to you as a group member. You just can’t be as directive.

1. First, be a good group member. One positive, helpful person in a meeting can do a lot of good. You can offer process suggestions to your group like “Why don’t we figure out how we are going to deal with this issue before we rush off in different directions?”

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It’s almost Meeting Failure-Proof

Keep in mind that most meetings aren’t very effective as they are now run. When you get a chance to facilitate or record, it will be because your group has agreed that it is worth trying something new. You are probably going to look good no matter what you do. The mere presence of a facilitator, recorder, and group memory will do wonders. Even if you think you have done a lousy job, your group may well be impressed just because it will all be so new. Explain that you are learning and will make mistakes. Ask people to help you stay in your role and remain neutral. You are there to help them. It’s their meeting and they share the responsibility for making it a success. Continue Reading »

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No matter how many books you read, how many training programs you attend, or how many meetings you run, you can always improve your facilitating and recording skills. Professionals in any field know this. Famous athletes or performers are constantly experimenting, trying new techniques, striving for perfection which they know, no matter how hard they work, no one can attain. Even if you’ve been fortunate enough to receive professional facilitation training, if you want to become a topnotch facilitator or recorder, you will have to continue learning by yourself. Continue Reading »

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