Blog Carnival of Business Stories and Anecdotes

Welcome to the March 31, 2007 edition of anecdotes and stories for business.

Alan presents The Worst Boss Ever - Sound familiar? posted at Made to Be Great.

Lead Optimize presents Flower Shop Model posted at Gravity Unknown . Com,

Anna presents Leaders, iPods and employee engagement posted at The Engaging Brand

Editor - Dave Prouhet presents Business Success Story posted at Business Advice Daily

Laura Ricci presents Two Steps for Change posted at Laura's Winning Ideas

Sudhanshu presents Entrepreneurship and 300 posted at Gyaan Sutra

Murad Ali presents Studies Says Executives Believe Fundamental Change is Only A Couple Years Away. posted at The New Business World.

Marcy Nala presents Is Your Life Working For You? posted at The Abundant Life

Jack Yoest presents Managing Management Time: Harvard's Monkey Paper by Oncken posted at Reasoned Audacity

wilson ng presents Choose your Battles posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife

Priya Jestin presents 50 Tips To Retain Customers posted at CRM Lowdown.

Ruth Mitchell presents Why Revitalization? posted at Buy Outside the Box

Ybother presents Top 10 Surefire Ways To Come Up With A Million Dollar Idea posted at TodaysTen.com: Daily Top Ten List to jumpstart your knowledge

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
anecdotes and stories for business
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

10 Lessons from the Tibetan Monks

Leaders can learn a lot from the Tibetan monks ability to control their emotions. Here are 10 lessons

1. When you lose, don't lose the lesson
2. Follow the 3 R's: Respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all your actions.
3. Spend some time alone each day.
4. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
5. Love as if you've never been hurt.
6. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
7. Once a year, go somewhere that you've never been before.
8. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
9. Don't let a little dispute ruin a great friendship.
10. Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.

Wonderful lessons that we could all learn and develop from.....

The Impact of a Leader

It is vital that we understand the impact of our actions on our teams and those around us. We are all human and there will be times when we show impatience, have an outburst etc

But always remember when "you point a finger at others, there are 3 of your fingers on the same hand pointing back to you"

The golden rule is always to provide constructive feeedback in private, give recognition in public.
Learning that element of self control will pay dividends 10 fold.

Appreciate to Accumulate!

The number one reason for people leaving their roles is not feeling appreciated. So a test, try and touch this plus sign, try and touch it on the screen....

+

Have you tried to touch it? If so that was not trying, that was doing...you did touch it.

Trying is a word overused in business...try and do this, well I have tried etc By using the word try you confuse people....they have a way out, they don't know whether you really believe that they can do it.

So tomorrow replace the word try with do. You either do something or you don't do something. Show your belief either in yourself or others.

What are your ten sentences as a leader?

One of my favourite authors is Mark Sanborn who has recently written the book "You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader". He simplifies and writes in a way that makes total sense. One of the great parts of his writing is that he pulls from personal experience - he adds colour by adding stories.

In his latest book he points out that the Gettysburg Address is one of the greatest speeches in American history and yet it only contains 10 sentences. In those few words Abraham Lincoln was "able to convey great truths in a powerful and unforgettable way".

Mark adds that great leaders are not evaluated on the length at which they speak, but on the impact of their message. So "What are your 10 sentences as a leader?"

Inner Values

Recognition of inner values is very important....

"In 1957 a group of monks in Bangkok had to move a 2.5 ton clay Buddha to make way for a new road. After starting the manoeuvre via a crane it started to rain. The chief monk was concerned as it began to crack, so stopped the crane and covered the Buddha up overnight. That night he went out to look at the crack to assess the problem. As he shone the torch a gleam came from under the crack - the Buddha was really made of gold - a protective layer had covered up its true value"

Mmmm how often does that happen at work, how often do we see someone's protective layer rather than the hidden talent - the treasure, inside them. Teams are made of very special people, they have chosen to work for us - what a compliment! Each one is unique and their value is worth protecting. How closely do you look for the gold?

Blog Carnival of Business Stories and Anecdotes

Welcome to the March 14, 2007 edition of anecdotes and stories for business.

Susan Velez presents Manifesting Money posted at The Secret To Life.

Alan presents Tired of having problems? Well guess what.. posted at Made to Be Great.

Anna presents D'oh The Simpson Guide to your first day posted at The Engaging Brand

Billy Smith presents You Just Gotta Have Fun and Cheer Each Other On posted at The Organic Leadership Blog, saying, "Isn't work supposed to be fun and full of support?"

Debra Moorhead presents “The Science of Getting Rich” Evaluated, Part FourDebra Moorhead.com.
posted at

Wilson Ng presents The Merely Good and the Really Great posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife,

Editor - Dave Prouhet presents Business Advice posted at Business Advice Daily

Alvaro Fernandez presents Stress Management Workshop for International Women's Day posted at SharpBrains: Your Window into the Brain Fitness Revolution, saying, "The story I usually tell, based on Dr. Sapolsky book, on why the stress reaction happens, and why we really need to learn how to handle it, is the following: imagine your are a zebra. Suddenly, you see a lion 50 yards away. What's your reaction? run run run for your life. All energies get focused on your main leg muscles, our of longer-term systems (digestive, reproductive,brain...).

Our bodies react in the same ways to our imagined "lions"."

Anja Merret presents anja merret » Blog Archive » Greenpeace calls for a greener Apple Inc posted at anja merret, saying, "Great business strategy by Greenpeace."

antonio presents How To Be a Man of the World, in Quick, Easy Steps posted at SAVOIR-FAIRE AND STUFF.

Marcy Nala presents Be Your Own Guru posted at The Abundant Life.

Jack Yoest presents Job Interview: How To Tell If the Candidate Will Lie, Cheat, Steal? posted at Reasoned Audacity, saying, "I ask Bob Knight, who runs the Culture and Media Institute a part of Brent Bozell's Media Research Center about this. Bob's team just released a report, The National Cultural Values Survey."

Alan presents It gets lonely at the top - How to handle rejection posted at Made to Be Great.

Chris Harris presents Star employees are a lot like pornography posted at New venture outsourcing blog, saying, "thank you for considering this!"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
anecdotes and stories for business
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Look for beauty not faults

There is beauty all around us, and often we don't see it here is a chinese proverb

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water, at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

How much beauty do you create and not even know it?

Creating Change in Business

You can create the behaviour that you want as a leader.

"One evening an old farmer was walking along a country lane. He looked into a field and saw a group of young women bathing naked in a pond. The woman noticed him at about the same time as he noticed them.
One woman shouted "We're not coming out till you leave"
The farmer replied with a grin "Oh, I'm not here to watch you ladies swimming naked or running round the meadow naked....I'm just here to feed the alligator"

The farmer created the potential for a change in mindset. He thought about the context, the situation and thought of something that was valuable to the women - their life. What are your alligators?

A leaders role - Finding the angel inside

Talent is the lifeblood of the business. We aspire to be a manager and then get bogged down in the some of the tough tasks that managers have to do, we can forget why we wanted to be a manager in the first place. Here's why....

"Michelangelo, when asked by a young boy why he was hitting a large piece of rock with his hammer and chisel replied, "Because there's an angel inside and I'm helping him to escape"

For me that is what management is about, we all have mundane work to do but we should never lose sight of our purpose - to find that talent in our people. We are here to create the future, we are hear to find the angel inside....

The Importance of Learning

My first boss was wonderful and he believed in lifelong learning, both in your work and personal life. Here is a story he told me

"The baby mice were just a few days old and having fun when a large black shadow fell over them so they stopped playing. A huge tomcat was towering above them licking his lips and anticipating lunch. Quick as a flash the mother mouse jumped over her babies, looked straight at the Tomcat and barked "Woof! Woof!"
The cat startled and ran. "Let that be a lesson to you" said the mother mouse. "Never underestimate the importance of learning a second language"

In your work and life you all have important skills, improving and learning new ones ensures that your personal brand stays fresh and increases in value to those around you.

Speed - What pace is your business?

Pace is important and it is a balance...too slow and your talent gets frustrated as do your customers...too quick and it can confuse.

I would say it is a safe bet that you work in a company that could increase it's pace...you do that through focusing on the 3 core ideas of the company. No other distractions. Focus on the 3 goals, translate for each team and individual and then work together to make it happen.

A little tale to finish
"A snail was once crossing a road for seven years. Just as the snail got across the road a tree fell and missed the small snail by about an inch or two. "Just think", said the snail, "If I had been where I was six months before, the tree would have killed me. See how it pays to be fast!"

Are you kidding yourself in your team? Nothing will ever be perfect...try it, get it out there and then tweak...learn from the beta idea of software companies and take that into your workplace.

Blog Carnival of Management Tips

Here is this weeks management tips. Sharing our knowledge is a great way for us all to grow, develop and be the best that we can be. Learning is the lifeblood of a leader.

Wilson Ng presents Profits Straight to the Bottom Line posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife, saying, "Understanding better the principles in pricing decisions as well as cost structures is necessary in optimizing your ultimate goal - the bottom line profits."

Walt presents Don’t React, Respond posted at Walt Nation!.

Anna presents 6 Warning Signs of Culture at The Engaging Brand

Rebecca Newburn presents 5 Things You Need to Know Before Using Del.icio.us, a Social�Bookmark posted at Information Age Education. A little time invested before starting will make a huge difference in your productivity.

Travis Sinquefield presents The True Meaning of Value to an Organization posted at Disorganizational Behavior.

brad montgomery presents How You Can FEEL Rich At Work (w/o it costing your a dime!) posted at bradmontgomery

Ironman presents Political Calculations: Office Survival Skills (Part I) posted at Political Calculations, saying, "A dry erase board and a permanent marker often lead to presentation disaster. Political Calculations reveals the secret for wiping out permanent damage to your career!"

David Maister presents Lions, Wolves, Beavers and Humans posted at Passion, People and Principles, saying, "many firms are incapable of firm-wide strategy because the key players have not agreed either to (a) collaborate or (b) invest in their mutual future."

Jane May presents Dating Your Boss posted at Career Ramblings.

Debra Moorhead presents “The Science of Getting Rich” Evaluated, Part One posted at Debra Moorhead.com.

Billy Smith presents Growing Exponentially In Experience « The Organic Leadership Blog posted at The Organic Leadership Blog.

Sagar Satapathy presents How to Be a Manager that Your Employees Respect: 73 Surefire Tips posted at Business Intelligence Lowdown.

Sagar Satapathy presents 61 Time Saving Tips: Keeping you, your co-workers, and your family on-time posted at Project Management Source.

annette clancy presents when hiring the wrong consultant is the right idea posted at Interactions - Creative Strategies for Business.

Michelle presents Find business success on your own terms - Aridni posted at Aridni

Christopher J. Brunner presents Customer Reviews Make Business Better posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, "Explores the benefits of providing feedback/review forms for customers on your website"

Travis Sinquefield presents Individual vs. Organization Success posted at Disorganizational Behavior

Ybother presents Top Ten Causes of Anger at Work posted at TodaysTen.com: Daily Top Ten List to jumpstart your knowledge, saying, "As a Manager, we have the responsibility to manage emotions in the workplace."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of management tips
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Customer Service

Here is a story that explains customer service

USAA is the US army insurance....Mrs L, an elderly widow of a deceased military officer rang a rep and said that she was sick, had no medicine, no heat and was freezing. She phoned them because her husband said they would always take care of her. The rep retrieved the records and found that the policy was not up to date....what was she to do? Doing nothing for her was not an option, maybe the rules but not the right thing for the business. So she phoned the Red Cross, Mrs L got her medicine and the heat was restored.

She could have played by the rules, she could have said it is not my job and not my fault, But the essence of the brand would have been diluted. She supported the customer, she helped the customer, she delivered the brand.

Inspiring