Characteristics of Effective Teamwork…

                                                    

In any group project or organization, effective teamwork means that the whole team works efficiently together to reach goals and objectives. Identifying the characteristics of good teamwork will help you determine whether your group is on the right track and help you pinpoint areas you can make stronger to create effective cooperation.

     Clear Goal

o                                                        To reach a desired end, you must first have a clear idea of what your team or group is working toward. Discuss together what the purpose of your work is and what the result should be. Write this goal on posters and send emails reminding the group of common objectives. If everyone knows what they should be aiming for, the team as a whole is more likely to get there.

Unified Commitment

o                                                        A unified commitment is necessary to reach those clearly defined goals. This means every person on the team should be 100 percent committed to the project or plan. If some team members are not fully behind the project or if they aren't as committed as some other team members, the group as a whole will struggle to complete its work.

Collaborative Climate

o                                                        Even the most dedicated team has problems working toward a task if it doesn't have a collaborative climate to work in. This means the group must have a space to come together, discuss ideas and plan for future goals. If team members are seated far away from each other or cut off from one another by high cubicle walls, they will not be as collaborative as possible.

High Standards

o                                                        It's easy to meet goals that are sub-par or simple. A team can become most effective when standards of work are raised. Team members will rise to the occasion to meet expectations put forward to them, and this will result in the best possible work completion.

Encouragement

Even the most efficient team needs outside encouragement to keep up an improved pace. Encouragement from management or project heads goes a long way to ensuring you get the best possible result or product. Incentive programs, prizes, team competitions and games all improve morale and allow you to see the best possible teamwork occur.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

Quick Tip: Overcoming the F.E.A.R. of Public Speaking......


Virtually all speakers get nervous before an important presentation...butterflies, trembling, voice quavers, shortness of breath, sweaty palms, pacing/rocking, pocket-change-jingling, and so forth. At a recent presentation to 300 strangers in Toronto, an industry leader started off by reading from a sheet of paper and immediately discovered that his hands were trembling. Solution? Calmly lay the paper on the speaker's table and keep going...nobody will know!

Nervousness usually arises from one of four sources. There are a number of techniques you can use to control your nervousness, though the best one is just getting more and more experience until the speaking situation becomes more natural.

Even so, you will most likely continue to experience some nervousness throughout your career. Here are four things you can do, following a F.E.A.R. acronym:

Failure...believe in your message and be enthused about the opportunity to present it. Don't anticipate the worst and go into it with the attitude that you just want to get it over with. Try things like breathing exercises, having a Hershey bar (one speaker swears by the soothing effect of chocolate!), expending nervous energy by taking a quick walk, etc. Also, NEVER apologize for being nervous or inexperienced...unless you tell your audience, they will probably not know you're nervous.

Environment...arrive early, walk around and view the room for the audience's perspective and from where you will be standing. Make sure the set-up is to your satisfaction. Take control of the temperature, lights, noise, and other environmental factors...it's YOUR show!

Audience...know what they expect of you. Do you know? Do you know what every audience expects? The answer is simple: something-anything-of value! It's amazing how often most speakers fail to deliver on that simple demand. Also, keep this in mind: the audience is on YOUR side. Have you ever gone to a presentation hoping the speaker would be terrible? Of course not.

Rehearsal... Some speakers swear by videotaping their practice sessions or speaking before a mirror. That may not work for you, but you may wish to try as it. The most important thing, though, is to know your material...preparation, preparation, preparation. You can probably reduce your nervousness by 75% just by being confident in your knowledge of the subject matter and the general outline of your presentation. And, while you're rehearsing, visualize success...imagine an attentive audience, rousing applause, and throngs of people coming to you with questions after you're through. It really works.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

Get more trade show leads with at-show promotions and activities ….     32 ideas!

1.                     Introduce a new product at the trade show

2.                    Add motion to your exhibit

3.                    Offer food, especially if it smells good, like baking cookies

4.                    Offer drinks to your booth visitors

5.                   Give your attendees something entertaining and fun to do

6.                   Do an engaging demo in your booth

7.                   Get your client to hold your product

8.                  Go beyond sight to appeal to attendees’ sense of smell, sound, taste, and touch

9.                    Add interactivity

10.               Run presentations or video loops on large video monitors

11.                Offer healthy food, not just candy

12.                 Put out a candy or chocolate dish to slow down attendees long enough to engage them

13.                  Offer in-booth massages

14.                   Give a free sample of your product

15.                   Give a free sample of a product made with your product

16.                     Hire a celebrity for your booth, where the celebrity is popular with your target audience at the show

17.                     Hire a celebrity lookalike for your booth, where the celebrity is popular with your target audience at the show

18.                     Giveaway something useful to your target audience

19.                        Hire a performer, such as a magician, to attract attention to your booth 

20.                        Have a raffle, sweepstakes, money machine or a game

21.                        Hold a press conference if you have newsworthy news

22.                        Sponsor something highly visible at the show

23.                        Have a contest for attendees in your booth

24.                        Get signage in the show hall promoting your booth presence

25.                        Offer a show special or discount

26.                        Get someone from your company to be a speaker at the show

27.                        Give presentations or educational sessions in your booth

28.                        Do door drops that target only show attendees at their hotel rooms

29.                        Pay to include an invite or a gift in the official show bag each attendee gets

30.                        Put an ad in the show book

31.                        Brand your staffers with outfits or similar attire

32.                        Offer one really big prize (worth thousands of dollars) to get more attention

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net

Use These Guidelines to See if an Employee Policy Manual is Needed…….

 A policy is necessary:

• if the actions of employees indicate confusion about the most appropriate way to behave (dress codes, email and Internet policies, cell phone use etc., etc.),
• if guidance is needed about the most suitable way to handle various situations (standards of conduct, travel expenditures, purchase of company merchandise),
• when needed to protect the company legally (consistent investigation of charges of harassment, non-discriminatory hiring and promotion),
• to keep the company in compliance with latest Federal and Provincial governmental policies and laws
• to establish consistent work standards, rules, and regulations (progressive discipline, safety rules, break rules, smoking rules), and
• to provide consistent and fair treatment for employees (benefits eligibility, paid time off, tuition assistance, bereavement time, jury duty).

There may be other reasons, additionally, for why you may want to develop a policy. Remember, though, that one employee's poor behavior should not require a policy that will affect all other employees.

Articulate the Goal of the Policy

Once you’ve determined that a policy is necessary, determine the goal you want to accomplish in writing the particular policy. When possible, you will want to tell employees why the policy is being implemented. You need enough details in the policy to make the company’s position clear, yet you can never hope to cover every potential situation addressed by the policy.

Chris Wilkinson.                              

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.               

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net