CAREER FACILITATOR HELPS LAUNCH WEIGHT LOST CHALLENGE

One of the proudest things I do for my International Rotary Chapter is serve on the Alexa Dyer Life Challenge Award Committee. Through this committee we provide funds for families who are losing their child through cancer.

It might be helping with their electric bill, mortage or helping to provide transportation to a distant city for additional treatment. In any case, the family has been stretch to it's financial limit. We provide funds to make this time somewhat easier -- though one cannot really put herself in their shoes unless you have lost a child this way.

We have come up with a win win win situation. One registers and lists how much weight she/he wants to lose and then sends the notice to friends and ask them to sponsor them in their weight lost program by making a pledge to the Alexa Dyer Foundation. One can register now, yet the actual challenge does not start until January 15, 2006.

All of it can be done on line. Pledges are 100 percent tax deductible.

The website to register and read more about the challenge is:

http://www.loseitchallenge.org

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

To check for accurate time go to:

http://www.time.gov

PERFORMANCE COACHING CERTIFICATION SUPPORTS CAREER FACILITATOR'S TOOLS

I spent an intense week (28 hours) in the classroom with 14 people from throughout the nation, including St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Eric Allenbaugh taught us tools that will help employees to be even more successful.

Eric's premise is that we should spend our time working with the 80 percent at the top of the organization. They want to keep learning and growing, and it is important to help them, instead of spending all our time/funds on the bottom 20 percent. With emphasis on top employees, retention is often less of an issue.

Since I am already certified in "Interact -- a Personal Strength Profile, I could readily see the application of this profile for performance coaching and team building. Once again, it all comes back to teaching people how to communicate with each other, including telling others what you need and want to be even more successful.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

Read newspapers and magazine articles about working with people from the different generations. You will not remember everything you read. Yet, it will be a good reminder that not all of us want to be talked to and rewarded in the same way.

www.allenbaugh.com Learn more about the certification

CAREER FACILITATOR KEEPS THE FUNNEL FULL

This year I am going to spend the holidays in Texas. My 86 year old mother moved from Wisconsin in June and now she's living in 85 degree weather. Have to say, I am looking foward to the sunshine.

However, with that being said, I realized I had to be ready to hit the ground running when I come back. Thus, it is all the more important that I have a number of appointments set up to talk about future training and speaking.

I am pleased to say that there appears to be a new attitude forming about "in person training." On-line training is not meeting the needs of individuals for it does not get employees up and away from their daily tasks--most spend hours in front of their computer screen just to do their work. They need more human interaction.

People ask me how I keep getting appointments with decision makers. The answer is easy---I ask to meet with them.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

When deciding on which networking event to go to, consider who will be attending. If you want to meet the decision makers you should consider fund raising events. Yes, these events cost more, yet, you can be pretty sure the heads of organizations will be attending the $75 and up events.