in this issue
	Leadership Corner: Communication and Accountability - Key Ingredients to a Successful Company Coaching Corner: Overcome Anxiety about Sales & Business Development Organizational Corner: Root Cause Analysis System for Problem Solving and Problem Avoidance Events Corner: Speaking/Facilitation Engagements by Bonni Carson DiMatteo

Leadership Corner: Communication and Accountability - Key Ingredients to a Successful Company

by Bonni Carson DiMatteo, CMC ©2003 When the tragedy at the Boston Children's Hospital unfolded and the culprits of communication and accountability were named, more of us who work with leadership and organizational development were shocked. Though few organizations will face the devastating consequence of lost lives as a result, too many will acknowledge that it is the internal communication and role, responsibility confusion and accountability that undermines results. "Communication is the epicenter of a company. " Glazer's words are still true. We retain only 10% of what we read; 20% of what we hear; 30% of what we see, but when we discuss, experience of sharing information, we retain 70%, 80%, and 90%, respectively. We still put on our hats of denial or optimism when it comes to what really works with communication. Listen closely to the din of many companies at the water cooler and you will hear the slow growing tsunami of staff from every level either confused about what a recent communication meant or irritated about what communication is missing. The communication or absence of it leaves people in a state of alert or apathy. Read more about Communication & Accountability... »

Coaching Corner: Overcome Anxiety about Sales & Business Development

by Bonni Carson DiMatteo, CMC ©2003 The other day I received a cold call from someone enthusiastically trying to place an executive assistant. Usually I hang up mid-sentence on telemarketers. However, there was something different in her tone, her passion. As we had just hired an assistant, I imagined she had taken the lead from our ad. No, she said, she was just making cold calls. To someone like me who would rather visit the dentist daily than make a cold call, I was intrigued. "How" I wanted to know, "do you sound so enthusiastic and confident with someone you never met?" "That's simple," she replied, "I know I'm always going to find someone on the other end that I can help. That will be a great person to know. That would never happen if I didn't cold call." What she didn't say, but was equally true was that she will make a connection that will serve as a beacon every time I think of recruitment needs. Since that call, not only have I referred two pieces of business to her, but she has referred a recruit to me for coaching. More than that, she debunked one of the great myths of selling -- cold calls never work. This is a very convenient myth to have aboard if you have any anxiety about sales. There are several others that could effectively keep you from business development and sales. These myths are so powerful that people claim they are facts. We tell ourselves these myths to quiet the Sales Anxiety Monster or SAM. This usually works for a while until SAM appears. SAM tells us business is going to evaporate unless you get new business. What creates this anxiety? Anxiety is created by belief, perception or actual events that register as a sense of worthlessness or failure. It is more often the believed and perceived that function as fact in the mind. Here are the typical perceptions about sales that can create a failure cycle. Read more about Sales & Business Development... »

Organizational Corner: Root Cause Analysis System for Problem Solving and Problem Avoidance

by Pietro Savo, consultant affiliate ©2003 If you wake up everyday and your day performs to your plan, meeting all your expectations, nothing you do is less than successful; you never have an error, a mistake, a defect or scrap; stop reading this article right now! However, perhaps you are like the rest of us who does occasionally have a less than perfect day, with the infrequent error, mistake, or problem, and these issues are costing you money. If these less than perfect issues are creeping up in your home life or at work, I have the solution. What I have done is created a Root Cause Analysis System for problem solving and problem avoidance that can be taught to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Problem solving and problem avoidance is the responsibility of everyone breathing in close proximity to you, from the CEO, to the floor sweeper, to family and friends. Read more about Root Cause Analysis System... »

Events Corner: Speaking/Facilitation Engagements by Bonni Carson DiMatteo

"Communication Skills to Create Your Value Proposition" presented in July 2003, Financial Executives Network Group "Business Building Skills for Entrepreneurs" presented in July 2003, Street Smart Training Focus on Family Business, Babson Family Forums to be presented in September 2003, Babson College, Wellesley, MA "Succession Planning: Issues of Succession for Women Leaders in Family Owned Business" to be presented October 31, 2003, Women's Automotive Association International, Women-on-Track Educational Conference, New England International Auto Show "All In The Family: Growing a Family-Run Business" to be presented October 21, 2003, 7:30-9:30 A.M., The Commonwealth Institute. Sponsored by Sovereign Bank, 75 State Street, Boston, MA