Thursday 11 December 2008

First Impressions Count More in the Credit Crunch Era

Do you think about how you dress at work and carefully select your outfit depending on your working environment? Or do you think it doesn't matter and simply put on any outfit which is to hand?

Perhaps, you should know that your attitude to work can be gleaned from how you dress? So, if you look sloppy and unkempt others will assume that this is also your attitude to your work. Why is this? In today's tough times when jobs are scarce and we need to do all we can to hang on to our employment, read on to find out how can you adapt it to your advantage? You have 30 seconds to make a 1st impression which can last up to 15 years.

Think about the last time you met someone new, albeit in a social or business environment. Do you recall how they spoke to you, the tone of their voice? Do you remember exactly what they said? Or do you remember what they wore? Recall a time when you've been watching a politician, presenter on the television and you've commented on the colour of the tie or the wrinkled shirt or some other slip up on their appearance. Or imagine if you were seeking the advice of a lawyer and were met by someone in jeans and a casual shirt. Or if you arrived at the car mechanic's and he was dressed in a suit. Would you take either of them seriously?

Whether we like it or not, we are all judged on our appearance. Research by Professor Albert Mehrabian (his book Silent Messages) shows that 55 per cent of our first impression comes from our behaviour and appearance. 38 per cent of the sound of our voice are remembered from the first 30 seconds while only 7 per cent of what we say will make any impact. So, be aware that 93% of how you come across has nothing to do with what you are saying. What about the time you walked into a local store requiring advice, only to be confronted by a sales assistant whose hair was a mess, who looked scruffy and unkempt. Did you approach them for advice or did you seek out another member of staff? The first staff member you encountered may have been the most knowledgeable but his appearance portrayed an attitude of 'I don't care' and so you are very likely to have wanted to look for someone who appeared tidy and therefore portraying a more professional image. How can you use this knowledge to your advantage?

It is known that after communication skills, the next most important element that CEOs and HR executives consider when making a new appointment, is a candidate's personal image. This includes grooming, dress and manners. By dressing well and looking appropriate for your workplace, you will alert those around you as someone who means business and is serious about their job. For example, if are attending a client meeting dressed appropriately, the client sees immediately that you respect them. But secondly, you are also giving yourself confidence. If you were to imagine attending the same meeting dressed in your swim wear, you won't feel so confident.

Here are some key tips on making your image work for you in your workplace to ensure you make the right first impression; Make sure you fit in. Research the company you are visiting or look to your bosses for dress code clues. This will ensure you are dressing appropriately. As we've discussed above, your image says most about you as a person and your attitude to work. So, take pride in your appearance - make sure clothes are well maintained and your grooming is impeccable. Dress for the job you want and not for the job you have. This will show your bosses or interviewer that you are serious about your work. Add variety to your working wardrobe. Don't always wear the same shirt and tie combination or the same blouse. It will be noticed and be viewed as non flexible and lazy. Ensure your accessories are of the best quality you can afford. Eg: briefcase, business card holder, cufflinks. These are the finer details and are noticed. Ladies, do wear make-up. It shows you can manage your time well and also enhances your eyes and mouth - your key communication portals. Men, don't forget a belt on your trousers. A belt is as important a part of your outfit as a tie. Smile!! With your polished look, the best additional accessory is to smile as this shows you are confident and approachable. The upshot is that you should always think carefully about what you wear. If you are dressed appropriately you will feel comfortable, have positive body language and be noticed by the powers that be. If you are unsure of how to dress appropriately for your workplace, visit your local Style Consultant who will help you become the best dressed person you can.

For help with your career during these tough times, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 or for more information click here



Sarah Gray is a Senior Image Consultant with Colour Me Beautiful Image Consultants. Located in Warwickshire, Sarah offers advice on all aspects of personal image.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Gray

Thursday 4 December 2008

The Professional FM

BIFM Training asked me to facilitate this three-day course recently in London. As I already run their Resolving Communication Problems course, I already know of the high quality training that BIFM Training provides, and was delighted to take on this role. This programme is intended for public and private sector staff with a minimum of two years’ management experience, who want to focus on improving their performance through developing more effective relationships.

Over the three days seven other experts from the FM sector shared their knowledge and expertise in these areas:
• Techniques for Performance Improvement in FM
• Key issues of Commercial Awareness
• How to optimise and develop staff and skills
• How to develop effective relationships with Suppliers & Specialists
• The essentials of Relationship Management
• Information & Knowledge Management using IT and Technology
• How to improve Personal Effectiveness in FM
• How critical Communication is to the role of FM

One of the key areas for me was the session on Getting Clarity and Work/Life Balance: an exercise which is probably one of the biggest ways to increase the amount of time you have, by comparing everything you are doing to the to the clarity statement and to begin taking control. We also looked at Understanding Task Prioritisation: a matrix tool to reduce the common symptoms associated with poor time management and Managing Distractions: to assist in dealing with the external influences that may impact efficiency.

The 21 delegates benefited not just from the quality training, but also be working together and creating a new peer group. They agreed to keep in touch as a group, to support each other as they move through their careers in FM.

If you are looking for support and training to help your career progression, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 for a free consultation by 'phone.

Click here for free downloads of reports and articles to help you manage more effectively.

What’s beekeeping got in common with FM?

I was asked recently, by a former colleague, if I would facilitate a strategy weekend for him. Bee Craft is a publication for beekeepers and is the official journal of BBKA, the British BeeKeepers’ Association. Did you know that 2,500 people start beekeeping every year in the UK? You’d be amazed what type of person gets into beekeeping – it’s certainly not the stereotypical grey-haired, bearded gent – these days it’s young professionals who care about their environment, are concerned about the disappearance of bee colonies, and want to produce their own honey.

How much did I know about beekeeping? Enough to put on the back of a postage stamp! However, the skills of facilitation is about being a guide for people, and helping them reach conclusions, and that I can do really well!

The aims of the weekend were clear; where would Bee Craft be in 2012 and how would we get there. Much of the weekend was based around marketing, products and advertising. I started by asking everyone to share their expectations for the weekend, then I led various workgroups based around these questions:

What is the market for this publication?

About our customers
• What are we already doing well? What is the evidence to support his?
• What different kinds of information can be gathered about existing and potential customers?
• What are the different ways of collecting this information?
• What are the most effective ways of gathering this information?
• What are the problems in collecting the data?
• What is the best way to project the strongest message from us while getting the customer information?
• What are the best ways to present and use the data?

We analysed the competition – what is their market, what is their circulation, price and offering.

We looked at who can help us, and realised just how many personal contacts the group already had!

What do we actually offer? Who are we? Does that tally with what our existing and potential customers want?

As a group we then considered all the risks associated with the brand, marketplace, environment and resources, and started a risk register.

So, not so different from FM really – know what we are offering; understand our customers, keep asking them what they want and how we are doing; understand the competition; understand the risks.

If you are looking for an expert facilitator to run your next FM event, give Liz Kentish The FM Coach a call on 01778 561326 or e-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

The final word goes to one of Bee Craft’s committee members, ‘a big thank you for your contribution to a very worthwhile weekend and for your enthusiasm’.

Tuesday 2 December 2008

The Number One Reason Most People Fail to Achieve Their Goals

If you read through the success stories of every successful person, you will notice that they all have one thing in common, that is, they have goal in their life and they work toward that goal every single day.

Did you know that the main difference between successful people and ordinary people is in their thinking? Successful people think about what they want most of the time, while ordinary people think about what they don't want most of the time. Even if ordinary people have goals, they will never take action and make their goals come true.

And the lack of action is the number one reason most people fail to achieve their goals. Too often, many people thought that goal setting is a magic wand. All they need to do is to take out a piece of paper and write down what they want to achieve in their life. After that, they just hope that their goals will come true without doing anything.

Money will not fall from the sky and there is no free lunch in this world. If you are not doing anything to make your goals come true, you will never achieve them. With that means, after you have set your goals, you need to take massive amount of action. Action produces results. Even if there is a magic pill that once you took it will transform you into a super achiever, you will still need to take that pill and swallow it.

Remember, success is about getting things done. Goal setting is just a powerful tool that helps you to stay focused in your life and bring you to where you are heading. It is not a magic wand that will make what you want to come true without doing anything. Often, the lack of action is because of the lack of motivation.

Sometimes when you are in a motivated state, you will take a lot of action and you feel excited. However, when you are in a less motivated state, you will feel lazy and unwilling to take action. This is what causes the lack of action, and hence, fail to achieve your goals. Therefore, if you want to cure the lack of action, start from motivating yourself.

Motivation is not a skill; it is something that you must do everyday in order to keep that momentum going. Thus remember, it is what you do after you have set your goals that determine your success. So take the necessary action now and make your goals come true today.

If you are serious in achieving what you really want in your life, goal setting is the right tool for you.

Click here to contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach for help with your goal setting.



For more information about Goal Setting Activities, please visit: http://www.Goal-Setting-Activities.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Lim