By Nancy J. Lewis, MS, PHR, RCC
Authenticity is a key to building sustaining and meaningful relationships whether in professional or personal settings. Authenticity is about being genuine and true to your core values no matter what. In today's world, often times we have difficulty in being authentic and transparent because it can come back and impact your career. Sometimes authenticity is not appreciated or celebrated because things are being done or said that make other uncomfortable. Consider the following questions on authenticity as it relates to your world: 1. Does the culture of your organization support and embrace authenticity? 2. Are people encouraged to bring their whole self to work? 3. Are leaders authentic in your workplace? 4. How is failure viewed in your organization? 5. Can authenticity and transparency be a reality for your organization? Something to ponder as you realize the value authenticity can bring to your company. Authenticity has been linked to better work performance, engagement, and total wellness of employees. That is a good enough reason to create a culture that is open to employees being able to be authentic in the workplace. We lose creative ideas, develop silos, and polarize work teams when we fail to embrace this important but elusive attribute. I want to share five things to remember about authenticity. 1. Authenticity is about doing and saying the right thing even when it's not popular. 2. Authenticity is about being consistent with who you are no matter where you are. 3. Authenticity is about knowing what the non-negotiables are in your life. 4. Authenticity is about encouraging others as you operate from the abundance mentality. 5. Authenticity is about knowing how to lead from your heart. Strive to live an authentic life as you move forward to greater success, peace, and love. One of the phrases I say a lot is, "Do you because everybody else is taken." ================================= Your Comments Are Welcome.
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by Debra Gould, MS
When times are tough, it's tempting for managers and business owners alike, to hunker down and wait it out. Competition increases, and tempers can get strained. Instead of focusing on scarcity (scarcity of profits, customers, suppliers, etc.), there is another option: we could focus on confidence. We could reach out instead of pulling back. Here are a few ideas to help get you started: 1. Form Strategic Alliances Chances are your business is loosely related to other businesses in your area, servicing the same customers. For instance, customers who use a CPA probably enlist the services of a professional investment counselor, or a lawyer. The people in these industries could form a strategic alliance and offer customers a reduced rate if they bought "package" services. Strategic alliances can equally be used in the workplace. Make sure to identify other people in roles that complement yours. This way, you can service clients (or even your employer) by using a tag-team approach. This can dramatically impact your or your business in a positive way. 2. Develop Joint Ventures A joint venture is when two companies agree to share resources and capital in order to succeed as a team. Why think about a joint venture? Well, joint ventures can be a wonderful way to increase your market share and revenues, develop new technology, reduce costs or eliminate barriers of entry into your market. Most of the time joint ventures work much like strategic alliances. Often, however, competitors will form a joint venture if they can both bring unique skills or technology to the table. The idea behind the joint venture? Don't reinvent the wheel, connect with the one who has! 3. Take Referrals to the Next Level Are you acting on your referrals? It's surprising how many people let those gold mines go to waste, or don't actively try to get referrals. Now's the time to take your referrals to the next level. As a business owner, offer incentives to your colleagues and customers to get referrals, and make sure you follow up within 24 hours once they start coming in. Make sure all your customers have your marketing materials to hand out, and make it a goal to provide exceptional customer service so that you keep getting those referrals. As a manager or employee, keep up with performance reviews (especially the positive feedback). Encourage managers and peers that speak highly of you to document their feedback. Keep a file of your 'testimonials' for present and future opportunities. You never know when a better opportunity may arise, so it's best to dig your well before you're thirsty. It can be tempting to think that there aren't enough opportunities to go around. But when you approach business and marketing from a "scarcity" mindset, that's exactly what you're going to get. Move forward and take action with confidence instead, and see what happens! ============== |
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