Developing Work Wisdom

By Lexi S Delaney

Many work systems look quite successful and perfect on the exterior but eventually, you find out that that they dither in actual. It is just as you buy an expensive item which turns out to be ineffectual. In our work system faults may cause aggravation. You either have to redo the things or wait for the final voice and at this juncture you are not prepared for anything. Before you blame your work, you must realize that any professional in a managerial position is capable of bringing change. What you require is proficiency and right skills to make things work for you.

Managing company goals, time and valuable funds is something that everyone speaks about, but fails to attend some actual and tangible aspects. One such point is to manage your boss. You should remember that a system is based on a target, and your objective is to achieve what your manager expects from you. You are also aware of their likings and disliking. This is usually reliant on the needs of the upper management, so keep a watch.

It is observed that good managers are good perceivers. Once you are able to control your stress triggers, you are already in total charge of yourself. What you need to figure is the right direction of limited sources so that you are able to satisfy everyone without being exhausted. Any real workable system has to consider people who are the actual workforce and this includes you also.

Since, you are not the top boss in the system, so you have to accept the reality that your decision is not the final one. The most terrible fact is that you have to function in a vacuum and create a system that is not based on facts. The best method to sail through the situation is to maximize the core skills of your team. If required, delegate work but do not forget to match talent with the assigned task.

It is extremely vital that you monitor the environment and not just the goals. You also need to preserve the motivation levels of your team, as good working systems lift the spirits of the professionals. Motivation levels may fall, if people get an idea that loyalty and skills are not treasured by the company. It would be sensible if you invest in training your professionals, revere them and appreciate them for their achievements.

When things go wrong, the instantaneous response is to take counteractive measures or to change the system entirely. However a new addition would require extra time and people, the best possible approach is to retrace and give a second thought to the corrective measures to enhance development.

To get optimal out of your workforce, you must give free hand to people. They must be permitted to take independent decisions regarding completion of the task and credited for their success. They should also be accountable for anything that goes wrong. Good systems have the tendency to work independently and still if you repeatedly check the process, then you are overtaxing yourself and also increase the risk of blaming people.


It is immensely important to devote some time and resources to train the employees and get the support form everyone involved. Imparting training to the people is a vital block in making the organization work. Ensure that the problems are solved; you can also spread the idea amongst the team, so that they are motivated to work and meet the goals. - 31963

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Using an Executive Leadership Coach

By Danielle Gregory

Hiring a qualified executive leadership coach to help you move your business forward can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it is crucial that you find the "right" coach to fit your business.

The pressure of dealing with multiple responsibilities affects most people; whether they are the executives of international organizations, or hard working entrepreneurs. Stress quickly compounds and it is just as easy to succumb to it. If you let stress affect you, you lose the motivation that you need in order to succeed.

An executive leadership coach will guide you through the stressful times by teaching you effective motivational tactics and guiding you to discover the most efficient ways of dealing with stress. An effective business coach will give you the edge that you need to re-gain momentum, and will help you refocus on the important aspects of your day to day business life. The strategies created with the help of leadership coaches will open new doors for you in business; you will learn to manage your time with new efficiency, you will be more motivated than ever before. You will be primed for success.

There are a few things that you need to look out for when you are searching for the right executive leadership coach.

Look for a coach that is certified. Membership in the International Coach Federation is a great start and ensures that your coach is legitimate.

You want your coach to be well educated. Make sure that your coach can demonstrate a strong academic background and years of concrete, practical experience.

In this day and age, a coach with his "finger on the pulse" of the business world is sure to have a blog. Check out the blog and look for strong messages, great writing, and a coach that really wants to help! You will gain valuable insight into your potential coach by reading his or her blog. A blog acts as a window into the mind of your potential coach.

Is your coach on Twitter or Linked In? It is important to find out if your coach is using some of the newest tools available for business on the net. You want to make sure that your coach is up to date and understanding of the latest technological trends. This helps you ensure that your coach knows what is happening online, so he or she has the skills to help you with new technology.

An executive leadership coach should be certified, educated, experienced and open. Such a business coach will help you find your focus and assist you in moving forward in all of your future endeavors. Whether you are a small business owner, or an executive for a large corporation, a coach will help you step up your game and take control of your business life! - 31963

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How To Own And Manage Commercial Property

By Cody Scholberg

If you own multiple residential properties, you may feel that you're well versed in property management. However, with larger commercial properties, this simply is not the case. The formula that you used to be effective with residential property is not the only thing that you need when a owning commercial property. Some of the topics that a commercial property manager covers that a residential property manager does not are:

Renting strategies Maintenance needs Legality and leasing Understanding advanced business strategies learned in graduate school

Basics Of Residential Property Managers

Basic business management is all that is required for a typical residential property. It is often important that the manager live on site of a residential rental. In addition to gathering rental payments, there may also be emergencies with plumbing that can cause significant damage. There are also often day-to-day outdoor maintenance that needs to be attended to. In addition to a manager, there may also be contracted staff that need to be supervised. Although this is a very intense job, it does not have the components of a commercial property management position. For example, a residential property manager will typically not create reports or rebuild a property to accommodate a new client and their insurance policy.

Tasks of both commercial and residential property managers

Maintenance workers and leasing agents will typically work under the management of the property manager whether they are residential or commercial. In a smaller residential property, the manager may do maintenance work themselves. This is almost never the case with a commercial property manager. However, both will supervise all maintenance work. Included in the services are cleaning and landscaping. Although various repairs may need to be done on the property sites, both the commercial and residential property managers will most likely supervise and hire others. They will not do the repairs themselves. For example, stripping floors, installing air conditioning, and repairing drywall. The one thing they will have in common is that any property manager will always be the first person to know if there's a problem

Commercial Property Management Promote Good Service

Regardless of whether or not the property is residential or commercial, a property manager must be able to deal with tenants in a professional and courteous way. Of course, there is no perfect tenant. However, customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal. After all, if you need to have your tenants happy in order for your lease to be renewed year after year. A good commercial property manager that understands good service will know how to communicate with even the worst client. Much of this begins with the understanding the services that can be provided and at what additional cost. - 31963

Face to Face Communication Key to Easing Employee Communication

By Wendy Mack

If you want to dispel the anxiety growing in your workplace, build a foundation of trust built on communication. When times are tough, the workplace rumor mill swings into action act quickly. Therefore, managers need to communicate openly and honestly with employees to stop rumors in their tracks. Here are five tips to help managers ease employee anxiety.

1. Availability

Senior management should make it a priority to be seen by and accessible to their entire workforce. It is key that, if there are problems or challenges that the company is facing, you do not wait until they have been resolved to let your employees know. Rather, keep them apprised as to the steps the company is taking and the progress it is making as the situation evolves. In challenging times, it is even more critical to be there and available to your employees. It is not only important to communicate and to share with your employees, but to establish confidence in the company in order to keep the rumors and gossip to a minimum.

2. Be Open About Bad News and Challenges Within the Organization

Your workforce knows times are rough and that the company will need to make changes to adapt, so there is no reason to keep bad news from them. Trying to pretend that all is well will only result in a distrustful workforce, and communicating with them will become even more tough. The best course of action to stop rumors and gossip is to communicate openly with your employees about the changes that are planned. If they trust that you will give them the updates and information they seek, your employees will stop gossiping and wait to hear the truth from you.

3. Emphasize Personal Communication

All too often, leaders communicate bad news via e-mails and memos. All leaders are busy, but your first priority must be the productivity of your workforce. Research has shown that face-to-face or voice-to-voice conversations build up trust in a relationship and also improve the clarity of your message. You may find yourself stumped by a question that you didn't expect, but don't worry. Your people don't expect you to be perfect, but they will appreciate the time you took to talk to them.

4. Hear Your Employees

It is a massive advantage of face-to-face conversations that the communication is two-way. Your employees may be able to suggest solutions that will help the situation, but this is not the only advantage of listening. Knowing that their thoughts and reactions have value to you will inspire your workforce, and will help them to feel a part of the company and with you as their manager.

5. Acknowledge the Unknowns

It is important to be honest when talking to your employees, both about what you know and about what is still unknown. Because people understand that no-one can know everything, it will build conviction and understanding if you can detail what is still unclear. If you are unsure about the future, it is better to discuss the prospects for the company and probabilities for success rather than making promises that might not be kept.

The only way to get the best out of your employees is through communication, the foundation of good management practice. Regardless of the company's situation, make it a goal to always communicate openly, truthfully, and frankly. - 31963

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Kids Know Adults Should Do Something About Bad Behaviour But Wonder Why Nothing Happens...

By Liz Marsden

I've been promised a box of chocolates from a fellow professional if I can turn round the awful behaviour of a child she's referring to my class. Well, I love a challenge! She has doubts that I can manage this one!!

I've seen this little boy before. I did an observation in his class because the teacher was having such a hard time managing the children. She wanted advice -- she wasn't very experienced and hadn't had any behaviour management training. The observation wasn't good, and I quickly picked up that although there were 3 other adults in the room, there wasn't any strategy about which adult was doing what... No cohesion, adult control or routine.

Things were ok to begin with, but then the little lad who's now coming to my classes started. Fairly minor stuff at the start - wriggling around, poking other children - but what did the adults do? Nothing... Hm, this was going to be interesting. This was followed by him rolling onto the floor and disappearing out of reach under the table. Behaviour can deteriorate very quickly - all this in about 2 minutes from the start of the lesson! Before they could fish him out he was up and out of the door! There had to be some adult action now, surely? Quite slowly, an adult raised herself from her chair and went after him... No real rush though!

I went too, hearing a banging from the area as I was approaching. He was banging a toilet door, but still the adult did nothing, just watching him being totally defiant. I asked her what she was going to do. Looking a little flustered she told me that she didn't really know and her body language told both the child and me that this was the case. He was so sure of himself and the power he had over this adult.

The teaching assistant lost her anxious look when I asked if she wanted me to show her what to do. How was she to know if she'd never been taught?

As the child glared at me, challenging and defiant, I reached out, held the door and took his hand. Quite briskly but softly I told him to come with me. He was surprised at an adult's assertiveness as I walked him back towards the classroom. I asked the other adult to go and sit by the door in the classroom. The child walked with me calmly - he wasn't quite sure what to do. Nothing was happening that would make him want to fight, so he just followed.

I took him into class to where the lady was sitting saying firmly, 'Sit on the floor next to that lady and don't move until she tells you to, do you understand?'

He looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face as he sat down on the floor.

'That's a good boy, now don't move.'

The rest of the adults were watching the situation with looks of disbelief and said that they couldn't believe that he was conforming as he never did so for them. 'Well,' I told them, 'he obviously can conform as that's exactly what he's just done.'

One of the boy's classmates, a girl who also behaved badly in class, watched with interest, wandered over to one of the adults and knowingly pointed towards me and said, 'Now, she's really good!'

This little girl had quickly assessed my ability to manage behaviour. Children know instinctively who is to be respected and has authority. And the rest of the adults who children realise can't manage them? They just run rings around them...

So what did I do that's so different and why is it so effective?

It's easy really once you know the techniques. My total confidence is instinctively recognised by children. I am totally consistent in my approach and know that the techniques always work. Children know who they have to behave for and who they have to take little notice of. When dealing with confident adults they happily hand over control to them, as the little boy today proved. He transformed from the, 'I'm taking no notice of you' child to the compliant, 'reasonably happy to oblige' one.

Understandably, children aren't going to be too keen to follow the rules when they've been allowed to get away with appalling behaviour for so long and the adults who allowed this are trying to take back control. It's vital that you persevere. Correct use of timing, body language, tone and attitude are essential. Anybody can learn to manage children's behaviour effectively -- read up on the techniques, practise and implement them consistently -- that's it..... - 31963

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The Power of Encouragement

By Shawn Doyle

I was walking the winding looping steep trail at my local park on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The trail is about a half of a mile and very steep in some portions. A great workout. So here I was walking at a very fast pace. A stranger in workout gear was running the opposite direction. He was very fit and looked like he was having a good run. As he passed me he yelled out "way to go!" He was looking directly at me. I was somewhat shocked at being addressed by a stranger. Who was he anyway? On the second lap I earned a smile and a " keep going!" On the third lap a big wave. So here I was starting to feel good about the encouragement of a stranger! This was an amazing experience and really got me thinking. I wanted to do well for my new "coach". I actually ran the last lap to please him.

Stop what you are doing and think about this for one moment. In your organization who should be the one who provides the most encouragement and motivation? You. Consider the power encouragement can have. So before you stop reading this, here is a compelling reason : results. So lets put the PMA stuff aside for a minute and understand that as a leader your job is to get results. That can't be through you it has to be through your people. So as the leader you have to give them encouragement, high energy and make them feel appreciated. They want their work to be recognized. The issue is that most leaders dont do this at all. So your job is to be the CEO- cheif encouragement officer.

O.K., so how do you do that? It is actually quite simple. It's the small stuff. Here are some specific ideas for providing encouragement that are fast and very effective.

Mix it up- Do you talk to people? When you are visiting or working daily in one of your offices, do you make the effort to say " Hi" to people as you pass them? If you don't do you at least give them positive non verbal signals, like a nod or a smile? I have attended meetings several times in my career and have seen a company V.I.P. walk into the room, pass by everyone and go across the entire room to speak to other V.I.P's. It was clear that the "small people" weren't worth talking to or addressing. Imagine how they felt and the huge negative impact they created.

Take note of their efforts- Lower level employees often tell me they never ever get any credit for their work. So when employees work really hard do something "over and above" the call of duty, make sure to notice and say something about it. When people do wonderful work let them know! It's important to publically and privately (one on one) acknowledge people when they do great work. I was once a Vice President at a big company that had 80,000 employees. At times when I saw something I felt was great, I would find out who did it and I would write them a short handwritten note of appreciation, thanking them for doing such a wonderful job. When I traveled I would go in someone's office (or cube) and well look at that- I woulde see the card I wrote pinned up on their wall. This taught me an important life lesson- that everyone wants to be appreciated.

Balance criticism- It is really incredibly easy to criticize other people's work. Mistakes are part of the human condition. As a trainer I often ask people to critique their role-play in class starting with "what went well?" In variably they always start with the negative feedback. Maybe it is human nature. I want you as a leader to find a balance between positive and negative feedback. Too many managers just pound away at a team member and eventually morale goes way down. I am not suggesting by the way, not providing critical feedback I am saying you are already throwing the salt; mix in a little sugar.

Give surprise rewards- Give people rewards when they least expect it. Find small ways to reward them. This can be a gift card, a few extra hours off, taking someone to lunch, or even buying the team a box of donuts in the morning. Just make sure it is when they least expect it and it is positioned as a reward. Say "well I just want you to know that I know how hard you have been working on the project. Here is a small token of my appreciation. Thanks." Done properly it will be the discussion at dinner at home that night. "Hey guess what my boss did at work today? You will never believe it."

So how do you get people motivated and fired up? The solution is really simple. Provide encouragement and make people feel appreciated.

So start today. - 31963

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Can Flipping My Investment Property Work For Me?

By Cody Scholberg

When you think about investment properties in a logical matter, when you commence in flipping these properties you're actually not investing. Flipping investment properties is a strategy that goes along with the buy and hold concept, however your having to put more money into your investment just to see a substantial profit.

If you, like millions of Americans, has gotten the flipping bug from watching all those late night infomercials that state you can make huge profits with nothing down and no monthly payments, beware. Yes, it is a fact that a person can make huge amounts of money by flipping real estate. This holds very true when the process goes right. Keep in mind though, if a flip goes wrong, a person can lose a huge amount of money also.

However, if you are like millions of other Americans that get their rocks off watching the various shows that show people avidly flipping homes then you have a genuine idea of what goes into remodeling a property. You can make a substantial profit simply buying a home and flipping it, if the flip is done correctly. However, if you flip an investment property and it is not done accordingly, you are risking the chance of being out a lot of money.

If you opt to buy investment properties with your mind on the idea of the long term gain of your investment, you will end up with a passive income. This income can give you a substantial amount of money in which you can use to retire, or you can transfer the funds over to your family for generations to come.

When it comes to flipping a home, there is one question that you need to ask yourself. In your opinion, would it be better to receive money now for your investment or in the future? A lot of people boisterously answer this question saying they want their money in the quickest amount of time possible which is inadvertently right now. Flipping can allow you to make a large amount of money in an extremely short period of time, as long as the flip is done correctly. However, you need to be aware that there are some instances when people did not perform a flip right and ended up losing a lot of money.

Plus since you are selling the home that you purchased, you don't have to worry about rental contracts or having to deal with tenants that will be residing in your home. You simply buy the property for a low price, and sell it for a higher price in order to make your money back right away. However, one rule of thumb, before you get involved in flipping homes you need to learn all the stipulations that go along with the process. - 31963

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You Can Improve Your Business Results By Outsourcing

By Kris Bovay

Small businesses can find the advantages of outsourcing to be significant to their bottom line. The history of outsourcing demonstrates that low cost labor and a focused specialization were key factors in successfully going outside the business for support. Small businesses need to focus on keeping costs down while they work on development and growth. They also need to invest resources in recruiting competent labor; and then training and developing that labor. Small business owners need growth for survival; outsourcing will support that growth.

How do you grow your business without increasing your staff? How do you stay focused on your business vision and strategic plan? Managing your every-day business activities can be hard work; adding growth objectives to that day-to-day effort can be overwhelming. Hiring outsourced services can help you meet your business plan.

What is outsourcing? It is hiring outside resources to do what you can't, or don't want to, do within the business. Large scale outsourcing is becoming more common on a global basis. Businesses are trying to narrow in on their core competencies and to contract out services that don't align with their primary business. For example, a number of North American phone companies outsource call center work to India. Law firms outsource legal research to countries with lower labor costs. On a small business scale, outsourcing is about hiring services that a small business owner can't handle internally.

Outsourcing specialized services can help your business contain and minimize payroll costs, reduce the need to recruit more staff and to manage more staff, and improve your utilization of resources (people, equipment, time and money). There are excellent benefits and paybacks to contracting out services, particularly highly specialized services.

There are many functional services that can be outsourced. Here is a short list of some of the most common ones: human resources support - including recruiting, training, salary surveys, writing of job descriptions, writing of employee policies, payroll and benefits; accounting support - such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, bookkeeping, financial statements; marketing - such as specific direct marketing programs, new product launches, promotional brochures, and email campaigns; information technology support - such as vacation relief, backing up remotely, hardware maintenance, and software analysis; transportation - such as warehousing, inventory, shipping; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; sales - such as independent sales agents or distributors; management consultants; and more.

When the cost of outsourcing grows to be significantly higher than the cost of additional staff, you will need to assess the cost/benefit relationship for outsourcing. If the work you are outsourcing is fairly broad or general, it might be time to hire full time staff. However if the work that you outsource is fairly specialized (for example, legal services, accounting services, IT services) then it might not make sense to hire a generalist to do a little bit of everything rather than a specialist who can do a lot of focused work. Whenever you make the decision to add full time staff you need to ensure that there is a cost, a time, and an effectiveness improvement in bringing the work back in-house.

There are many good reasons to outsource but the best reason is that it allows you to focus on what you do best, and to focus on what's harder to outsource (your passion for the business). Consider your strengths and weaknesses and focus your efforts on the higher impact and higher profit endeavor. Your decision to outsource needs to be balanced with what you gain or lose by outsourcing. - 31963

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Teenagers need Leadership

By Lonnie Lorenz

Today more than ever before, our country and the world for that matter needs leaders that can make a difference. Kids and young adults who attend Summer Camp tend to be flexible problem solvers and learn to live with folks that are different from themselves. Traditional Summer Camps have long been known for their ability to promote life long learnables. These include: responsibility, independence, cooperation and teamwork, a willingness to try new things and much more.

As summer camp director since'96 we know that the best directors are intentional in using their camps resources to promote specific aspects of positive personal development . It is because of this intentionality that we as camp professionals can see and measure how campers are growing and developing as individuals during their stay at camp.

We pride ourselves on our one on one work with camp staff to ensure that they are aware that they not only need to keep safe but their job is to to encourage and assist campers in their own personal development and growth. Our daily meetings with staff is a time to check in and see how each camper is doing with the parents directives as well as the camps goals. We see ourselves as team mates with the parents of our campers.

Our older teens receive the chance to guide younger campers as well. This counselor in training program is designed to help teen engage in leadership and decision-making. Classes teach leadership skills as well as child development. Then they get to get out and see it works for them. These teen need to have desire to participate and lead others, without this desire they just become older campers. But for those who want to become better leaders in the future this is a great program.

For many the biggest difficulty is that being willing to give of themselves including the importance of being physically and emotionally present for campers. Enthusiastically participating in all activities creates a contagious atmosphere for all to enjoy. Leaders motivate and encourage others, these are all part of a great summer camp.

Role modeling and mentoring is what we all do at camp. Staff to campers and older campers to younger campers. For many, this opportunity to engage with others and realize the natural power over others. The skills learned of group management, gaining respect and for teaching children new skills carry with these young children for years to come.

Yes, summer camp is a wonderful time to be outside and playing but it is also a wonderful opportunity campers, and staff alike to increase their personal growth and development.

To learn more about finding the right Summer Camp, visit Summer Camp Advice a free website with loads of camp information. - 31963

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Commercial Property Managers Keep Tenants Happy

By Cody Scholberg

A major component of being a commercial property manager is keeping the tenants happy. This means listening to all of the customers' complaints in problems. This also means building affected an immediate solutions as needs arise. There are many problems that a commercial property tenant can have including:

Parking Crime on the property Disaster management Maintenance Mechanical issues

What To Expect From A Commercial Property Manager

Signing leases is not the only thing a commercial property manager will be expected to do. In many ways, the job includes a number of realty duties. Commercial property managers are expected to show the advertised property to potential tenants and explain pricing details. They will also amend the lease and explain leasing options. As opposed to a residential property manager, commercial property managers typically need to know more about the legal documentation. Part of the legal documentation comes from the city or state. The other part comes from insurance companies used by the renter and the commercial property itself. A CPM manager must also understand the importance of working with staff.

Tenants With Financial Hardship

Whether you have a residential or commercial property, it is common to have late payments. When clients do not pay on time, there's often late fees involved that are addressed in the lease. However, when you are housing a large corporation on a property there may be challenges to keeping them happy. Unlike private residence, a large corporation must follow the rules of its leaders. For example, if assets are frozen due to government issues, payment for rent may be delayed by several months. In order to keep this client happy, late fees may be waived. You would not want to do something to affect this business and their reputation like putting an eviction notice where there customers can see it.

Education Concerns For A Commercial Property Manager

To say that a commercial property manager needs to be excellent at multi-tasking is an understatement. A number of variations in the field create demands upon a property manager on a regular basis. They must also have background experience in the maintenance and repairs involved. For example, basic knowledge of plumbing prevents being overcharged for the service. In addition to foundation knowledge such as this, commercial property manager must be skilled in marketing, sales, and other business knowledge. Business college is the primary area these advanced skills are taught. They help commercial property managers to be able to handle their dynamic job environment. - 31963

Residential Or Commercial Property Managers Who Use Situational Analysis

By Cody Scholberg

Using situational analysis means managers will consider what is not been covered by the current company plan. Businesses all face a number challenges at any given time. This does not only include emergencies. Knowing the difference between a commercial property manager and a residential property manager can help you to make the best decision about your rental space. There are many challenges when managing larger property to be considered including:

Financial planning Employee performance Customer retention Sales projections

Residential And Commercial Property Managers Are Different

Most people are familiar with a landlord or apartment manager. They are usually our first experience with a property manager. A residential property manager will often live on the property itself. They address all issues with in apartments or condominiums. These managers will work with residential companies at large. Commercial property managers are similar to residential property managers. However, the job description for a commercial property manager includes more details. An overwhelming concern for a commercial property manager is accommodating of insurance policies. For example, a tenant that has a business with flammable materials may need special permissions to open their business. They may also need you to help them change the rented space.

Using Situational As Strategic Analysis

A commercial property manager will be able to do a situational analysis and formulate a strategy for every client or tenant in your property. This basically determines what the company can provide and what services they can offer their tenants. Some of the strategies will involve day-to-day operations. Others will be strategies to help compete with other properties. There are also many long-term strategies that help your company take a long-term step in the right direction. Commercial property managers generally have a business school background. This helps them to understand the basics of these plans and ensure you that they will be completely at ease handling any situation.

How Strategy Is Implemented

Implementation of strategy is a third important step in the process of strategic management. A commercial property manager will put the formulated plan into action. They will ensure that all staff are informed about the methods and procedures and keep track to make sure that they are actually following through. After the plan has been in place for a while, the final step of the strategic management process will be to observe the outcome. At this point, critical changes may be made. Of course, a new plan may be put into place as well. This kind of strategic planning goes far beyond the expectations for a typical residential property manager. - 31963

Give Your Employees Tools to C.O.P.E.

By Wendy Mack

In this tough economic climate, it can be difficult to motivate your employees. They are anxious about losing their jobs, and this anxiety drains the focus and drive that you need for your company's success.

Your top job is to help your staff determine the best areas to focus on and how to take action so that productivity levels stay high. Over the years, I have discovered four effective emotions can help staff members move from fear to positive action. These include:

Control Optimism Purpose Engagement

These techniques will help you guide your employees away from feelings of fear to empowering COPE feelings.

1. Control

The out of control feelings people have over the state of our economy is a key reason why so many people are anxious and fearful. People don't like to be out of control. Employees can better deal with the uncertainty if their managers help them regain the feeling of control.

Although the economic problems are worrying, there is no real point in worrying about something we cannot control. By getting your employees to focus on customer service and productivity, you can allow them to regain a sense of control.

As a leader of a group of employees, you may find you need to give up a portion of your own control to give your staff a feeling of empowerment toward improving their lives. A know it all approach will do nothing but create suspicion and hostility from your staff. It is very important that you encourage them to involve themselves in the areas of the company where they can have a positive impact.

2. Optimism

History has proven time and again that good leaders use optimism as a core strategy in re-igniting faltering organization, motivating troops and even changing national policies for the better.

It's your job as a leader to motivate your employees to keep a positive outlook and give their best performance. Studies show that hope, optimism, and other positive emotions promote the qualities your company needs to cope with the economic downturn, such as innovation and creativity. Employees who address problems with and attitude geared toward action and solution will produce the results you need for your business to be successful.

3. Purpose

Day to day job duties typically do little to remind a worker of the reasons their work is important over the long run. Take opportunities to remind your staff that their work has great meaning to the overall success of the company. Even hearing a simple reminder that their work matters will invigorate them to up their performance level and take action.

Jim Owens, Senior Vice President for North America operations of H.B. Fuller, stresses that the leader's job is to put a positive path forward and to be clear about what targets people, and the organization as a whole, need to hit. He says, "Don't leave it up to people to translate and fill in the gaps on their own."

4. Engagement

One final factor in the COPE strategy is engagement. Employees who are engaged know and care about how the company is performing and its goals for the future. Engaged employees also believe their job will help to contribute to those goals in a real way.

Engagement means actively involving your employees in looking for solutions. When your organization is dealing with challenges, provide opportunities for your employees to get involved in problem-solving. Doing so not only increases employees' sense of control, it also unites your organization and helps you come up with solutions!

Sashco Sealants, a Denver based company just recently asked the staff to provide their ideas for cost saving within the organization. They received dozens of ideas, which they shared weekly with the team leaders of each function within the company. Senior management encouraged the team leaders to take the ideas to their team to implement and report back the results. Significant savings within the company have already been achieved.

In summary, by following the COPE model, you can use positive, proactive leadership to get the best out of your employees, and to create a great workplace environment that breeds innovation, focus and productivity. - 31963

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How to Become a Commercial Property Manager

By Cody Scholberg

It is not uncommon to seek out a career change. Commercial property management is responsible for all of the details concerning renters and a commercial space. They must understand how to sell space to tenants, fix problems with property structure, and do the day-to-day maintenance required. It is important that a commercial property manager understands how to multitask. Jobs that give a commercial property manager in a good background are:

Building maintenance Janitorial work Landscaping Plumbing and repairs Sales and marketing Management and business school Realty

Business Degrees And Commercial Property Manager

Someone who is in the maintenance department will typically work their way up to become a property manager. It is not uncommon for a large business to hire from within. Besides being able to be trusted, the main strength that they will bring is that they understand how the maintenance works in that company. They will know not to overcharge for services and they will also understand if the job was done poorly or not. This goes a long way to protecting the profit margin of the business. Of course, any employee will have an edge if they take the time to invest in business management and marketing classes through their local university.

Detailed Job Description

Day-to-day, a commercial property manager organizes jobs that do not have a common thread except that they relate to commercial property. There can also be variations based on the kind of property under their rule. This makes it very difficult to give a general job description for a commercial property manager. However, some common tasks include scheduling repairs, staff, building cost analysis, company records, and negotiating contracts. An individual that is suited for this job will be able to look critically at every situation. Long-term goals will need to be the old tomb and deciding factor for any decision. A contractor service that creates the ways for potential clients must be dealt with accordingly. A well oiled machine means knowing what your options are.

Is Job Experience More Important Than Managerial Experience?

Most commercial property managers have a university education. They may also have a master's degree. However, this does not mean that they're qualified for the job. Hiring from within the company is common. Part of the reasons that this is the case is due to the large sums of money that are handled by commercial property manager. Someone who is not trusted will have a hard time getting the job. This means having positive referrals from past jobs are key. Many property owners rationalize that they will be able to train under qualified commercial property managers after they are hired. - 31963

Layoffs Alone Can't Save Your Business- Focus on the Remaining Staff

By Wendy Mack

More than 40,000 employees have been laid off by U.S. organizations between December, 2007 (the official start of our current recession) and June, 2009, in an attempt by companies to cut costs, improve profits, and shore up shareholder value. However, it is ironic that studies conducted over the past 20 years have repeatedly reported that layoffs do not usually produce those results. Instead, these studies have reported time and again that less than 50% of the companies using downsizing as a cost cutting and profit increasing measure actually achieve that objective; in fact approximately 25% actually realize a decline in their overall profitability.

Why isn't downsizing as effective as senior management hopes? In short, it is the effect on the employees left behind. Remaining staff are affected both emotionally and psychologically by a downsizing effort. At the very point in time when employees must be fully functioning and able to take over the tasks of those who were laid off, they are unnerved, frightened and skeptical. Those qualities are not what a company needs to be successful.

My colleague, Deanna Banks, Ph.D. and I spent the past six months studying what leaders can do to re-energize their workforce after layoffs. We discovered that some leaders succeed more than others at helping employees recover from the trauma caused by downsizings.

What Not to Do

As we interviewed employees from companies that had layoffs, we often heard stories of management teams that took action to stifle any expression of emotion. One company even forbade employees to "congregate" in hallways, offices, and coffee break areas. Rather than understanding and dealing with the outrage their people are feeling, some leaders simply want people to get over it, now. They say "Just accept it and move on."

The reality is that in high emotional situations such as a downsizing, people can't just bury it and move on. It is critical they are provided the liberty to share their concerns and work through the emotions they are feeling. If management attempts to rush the employees through this mourning process, the employees will become even more frustrated, angry and bitter.

What To Do

Downsizing results in a state of unsettling change. However, nearly all experts in the field agree that the response to such change will follow a very foreseeable pattern.

You can't force your employees to move ahead in their cycle of healing faster than they are ready to. You may be over it and ready to move on, but until your employees are as well, you won't have a support system to help. Your job, rather than to push for progress sooner than they are able, is to help them progress at their own pace through the change process.

I found it interesting to learn that the best tactic a manager can take is to match his or her actions to the employee's emotions. However, this does not mean that the manager should respond to an employees emotion with the same emotion (e.g. resentment with resentment). Rather, the manager's goal is to distinguish the underlying need that the employee is communicating with their behavior, and do his best to meet that need, which will allow the employee to move on.

Our studies discovered that those leaders who are successful:

1. Increase communication to minimize shock.

2. Respond to anger by expressing concern.

3. Answer anxiety by being clear and concise.

4. Use supportive behaviors to minimize hopelessness and grief.

Emotionally supported employees are better able to put the downsizing aside and re-commit to their job duties. Rather than being cautious and suspicious, they will trust you for future direction. Rather than ending up stalled creatively, they will be more able to take control of their emotions and begin producing and taking necessary risks.

It's true that there is no magic cure to successfully survive a downsizing, however, the chance of a company's ultimate success can be highly improved through the method in which the layoff is approached, how those staff members let go are treated, and how management supports the surviving workforce. - 31963

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Teenagers need Leadership

By Lonnie Lorenz

Our country and the world for that matter needs leaders more than ever before. It's time for kids and young adults to get trained in leadership. Overnight Summer Camps tend to create children to be flexible problem solvers as well as learn to live with folks that are different. Summer Camps have long been known for their ability to promote skills that are life long. Included in these are: responsibility, independence, cooperation and teamwork, along with a willingness to try new things.

Since 1996 we have been camp directors at Swift Nature Camp. We have always been intentional in using our camps resources to promote positive personal growth and development . It is because of this intentionality that we can see and measure how campers and staff are growing and developing as individuals during their stay at summer camp.

We pride ourselves on our one on one work with camp staff to ensure that they are aware that they not only need to keep safe but their job is to to encourage and assist campers in their own personal development and growth. Our daily meetings with staff is a time to check in and see how each camper is doing with the parents directives as well as the camps goals. We see ourselves as team mates with the parents of our campers.

Our older teens receive the chance to guide younger campers as well. This counselor in training program is designed to help teen engage in leadership and decision-making. Classes teach leadership skills as well as child development. Then they get to get out and see it works for them. These teen need to have desire to participate and lead others, without this desire they just become older campers. But for those who want to become better leaders in the future this is a great program.

For many the biggest difficulty is that being willing to give of themselves including the importance of being physically and emotionally present for campers. Enthusiastically participating in all activities creates a contagious atmosphere for all to enjoy. Leaders motivate and encourage others, these are all part of a great summer camp.

Role modeling and mentoring are 2 other skills that are important at camp. Everyone participates in this has this responsibility, for in a community as camp we all effect each other. For many, this is the first opportunity to engage with others and realize their people skills. The skills learned of group management, gaining respect and for teaching children are all skills these folk will cary with them for years.

Yes, summer camp is a wonderful time to be outside and playing but it is also a wonderful opportunity campers, and staff alike to increase their personal growth and development.

To learn more about finding the right Summer Camp, visit Summer Camp Advice a free website with loads of camp information. - 31963

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What You Need To Know About Delegation

By Martin Haworth

As a manager, it's useful to understand what delegation is and how valuable it can be for you. In fact, any business is usually run by managers operating at various levels who all need to delegate authority and tasks to their team members, so that they themselves can handle more relevant activities.

The hallmark of a strong leader is that it requires learning to let go and being strong enough to put your faith in others to do things that you do not need to do on your own.

You must also appreciate that there is a right way to delegate things and a wrong way to delegate tasks. The wrong way will lead to failure, whilst the correct ways will ensure success.

The first thing that you need to understand is what the valuable means of delegating tasks to team members is. Most of us do not know where to start and so will struggle and even end up with having too much work to do by ourselves. Experience is however a great teacher and so by learning through trial and error methods you will soon get the hang of it. This in turn does mean having to practice delegating tasks regularly on a day-to-day basis.

It always pay to understand that you must be in agreement regarding the standards that you expect, in order to measure how successfully or otherwise the job has been completed. That said, obviously the standards that you require have to be attainable as well as realistic.

One vital thing you must do in order to delegate tasks or responsibilities, is make a list of activities that are worth delegating. Then you will need to find a team member who you feel is best suited to doing the job at hand. Once you have that person in mind, you must then meet with them and identify the objectives and then create a clear plan of action (which should be realistic).

Don't forget, be sure not to expect too much from the person to whom you are delegating the work the first time round. And you must always be on hand to help them should they run into difficulties.

Delegating tasks and responsibilities is something that you will be more effective with as you practice. Once you have learnt the fine art of delegating, you will soon find that you have more time on hand to devote to other and more important tasks.

At the same time you will find that your team of workers will also, once they get the hang of doing the things you have delegated to them, start becoming much more productive too, whilst enjoying these new challenges all the more.

The bottom line is that managers can use delegation as a means to resolve short-term activities, where they themselves need support. In fact, by delegating it is possible to create enough time to personally deal with more important tasks, improving effectiveness, whilst being more efficient in your work, whilst developing your people too.

Remember, the most vital part of your role is to ensure that your people understand the task requirements and expectations clearly. Then you are much more the likely to get valuable results, with rapidly developing members of your team. - 31963

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A Simple Introduction To Why Delegation Works

By Martin Haworth

The first thing you need to understand about delegation is that it simply does not happen on its own. As with any other kind of work that you have to complete, you will first need to learn how to manage a task properly, so that when you do delegate it the results will meet, if not exceed, your expectations.

There are a few essential steps that you will first of all need to understand, so as to be in a better position to delegate tasks effectively.

Communicating the activity outcomes clearly will ensure success. This means that you will need to start off by describing exactly what you expect the person to do, to specify when the job is to be completed and, of course, what kind of end results are necessary, on completion.

It is necessary for you to provide the context within which the work is to be performed. This in turn will mean that you will need to explain the reasons why you need the work done and its importance to the bigger picture of your workplace. Finally, it's worth sharing where there could be difficulties along the way and how these should be dealt with - if and when the complications arise.

Nor is delegating authority and work is such a simple thing; for those who have never delegated before, chances are that they can make it difficult for themselves - because they do not know what is really required of them to get bit right. To successfully delegate, you will need to have certain skills, patience, confidence and some courage too. With these attributes can should be able to delegate successfully.

One vital thing you must do in order to delegate tasks or responsibilities, is make a list of activities that are worth delegating. Then you will need to find a team member who you feel is best suited to doing the job at hand. Once you have that person in mind, you must then meet with them and identify the objectives and then create a clear plan of action (which should be realistic).

Don't forget, be sure not to expect too much from the person to whom you are delegating the work the first time round. And you must always be on hand to help them should they run into difficulties.

At the same time, it also means that you must give sufficient backing by training and advising them, as well as provide all other necessary resources (such as time and materials), to ensure that as little as possible stands in the way of successful completion of the work to be delegated.

At the same time you will find that your team of workers will also, once they get the hang of doing the things you have delegated to them, start becoming much more productive too, whilst enjoying these new challenges all the more.

Some of the things that will help you with active delegation include understanding basic leadership principles and learning that managing and leading are synonymous with delegating tasks.

A good manager who delegates, will be able to manage better and those entrusting new and interesting tasks will be more motivated and committed to their work - and an amazing win-win that works for all. - 31963

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