2009 May Archive at DrivenLeaders.com

Monthly Archive for May, 2009

Rypple: 360 Degree Feedback Reinvented

Published

on May 29, 2009

in Communication and Personal Development

. 4 Comments

360 feedback Rypple: 360 Degree Feedback Reinvented For years now, 360 degree feedback or “multi-rater feedback” has become all the rage when it comes to training, development, and in some cases, performance evaluations.

In a nutshell, 360 degree feedback is a method and a tool that provides an employee the opportunity to receive performance feedback from every aspect surrounding their role. Traditionally the feedback is given from a range of internal sources (including supervisors, peers, subordinates) and in some cases external sources as well (customers, business partners, etc.) 360 degree feedback allows an individual to understand how his or her effectiveness as an employee, coworker, or staff member is viewed by others.

“The purpose of the 360 degree feedback is to assist each individual to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses, and to contribute insights into aspects of his or her work needing professional development.” – Susan Heathfield, HR Expert - About.com

There is great debate as to whether 360 degree feedback should be used strictly for developmental purposes, or also used for end of year appraisals. Some argue that multiple sources lead to more well rounded fedback, while others feel that the method’s anonymity provides no recourse should one want further clarification on the feedback. Regardless of position, it’s hard to argue the power of receiving a full circle view of one’s effectiveness when it comes to personal development.

Recently while discussing the topic, a co-worker introduced me to Rypple.com, a quick and easy way to solicit feedback from managers, peers or really anyones opinion whom you respect. The flexibility of the system allows you to solict feedback from anyone, about anything from performance, to opinions on a meeting, or input from a team members on a project. Everything is presented in very simplistic manner allowing you to simply enter your question, choose whom you want to ask it to, and then track your performance.

What separates Rypple from other 360 feedback systems is that there are minimal constraints when it comes to what you can and cannot do. There are no pre-defined questions or limitations on who should give you feedback. The responses are completely anonymous, creating an open environment for honest and meaningful feedback. With this flexible functionality, some users have even employed the technology to survey customers and solicit feedback from clients.

Rypple is a web-based and free for the basic service, (a premium version costs a nominal fee per month, with corporate options rising from there) allowing users to sign-up today and receive feedback almost instantly. Certainly an interesting twist on receiving feedback that caters directly to Gen-Y. To learn more, take the Rypple Tour and check it out yourself. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts or experiences if you’ve used it.

Creating Your Personal Career Vision

Published

Anthony

on May 20, 2009

in Advancement, Personal Development and Vision

. 1 Comment

career vision4 Creating Your Personal Career Vision

I know this sounds easier said than done, trust me. I was that kid who never had a straight answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I had new idea every few weeks, feeling that it was too hard to pick just one thing to do for the rest of my life. As time passed and experience came to my aid, I quickly learned that without a defined goal, vision, or endpoint for where I wanted to be later in life, the road to getting there was going to be that much tougher to travel.

Since those early days, I have become strong advocate of setting goals and creating a vision for one’s future; career ambitions included.

Even in a tough job market there are opportunities, perhaps reserved for the most talented, best networked, or best prepared, but they do exist. For many, the difference between being in that group verses being on the outside, is having an unyielding personal vision. Defining your career goals and developing a plan to reach them is the first step to achieving them. Expectedly this is only part of the equation; the execution is what will ultimately determine its level of success.

For Gen-Y, achieving our career ambitions will take much longer than we had once hoped; a blatant fact that may be discouraging, but is nevertheless true. This creates a perfect time to revisit (or create) your own Personal Career Vision and figure out where you truly want to be later in life. i believe we each need to define this vision before we can take the correct action on it.

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” - George Washington Carver

Creating your vision - Where to Start

Like most things, getting started is often the hardest part. Steve Bohler, Director for the Oxford Program of Career Change, offers some suggestions on how to approach creating your personal vision. If done correctly, this exercise may be a little eye opening. Get started today by asking yourself the following:

What is my CORE? Your core defines how you are hard-wired - your natural abilities and personal traits. Using these traits is required for a fulfilling work life. If your work makes it impossible for you to express these essential aspects of yourself, self-actualization will be just about impossible. The best way to understand your core is through a “triangulation” of objective testing, reflection, and external validation.

Objective Testing: Results from a sound interests/personality assessment can help you identify your role in life. For example, at work are you supposed to be a “creator” or a “doer?”
Reflection: Look over your employment history and identify themes that run through the jobs you’ve loved and those you’ve hated. Does the objective testing help to explain why those themes exist?
External Validation: What do others who know you well suggest are your greatest, natural talents?

What is my AMBITION? No Personal Career Vision can exist without getting intimately in touch with what you really want, now and in the future. Your ambition builds off of your core and paints a picture of your ideal destination. If you know where you want to go, you’ll have a much easier time getting there. Make a list on paper:

What time do you want to start work? What do you want to wear to work?
What organizational style do you find most compatible? What setting? Profit vs. non-profit? Summers off?
What are your lifetime goals? Retiring early? Becoming a homeowner?
Imagine being on your death bed. What are the things you must do or achieve in your life to feel satisfied? Becoming prominent in your field? Writing a book? Somehow making a difference in the world?

Then ask yourself, which of these are important enough to wait, create or fight for? Which of these will be a part of my Personal Career Vision?

What are my TRADEMARK ASSETS? Your assets make up your competitive advantage. They are your source of success and meaning as well as your greatest value to the world. Think about:

What are you really interested in? Do you look forward to reading the trade magazines for your job, or do you dread it? If you were stranded on a desert island and could get one magazine subscription, what would that magazine be about?
What gift (or gifts) do you have that you haven’t fully acknowledged?
What makes you more naturally suited to a profession than 95 percent of the population because you bring a unique passion, experience, or talent to the table?
What do you know a lot about, or know a little about and want to know more about?
What do you really love doing? Think about those tasks where time flies by and you don’t even notice because you’re truly in the moment.

The answers to theses main questions should tell you a great deal about yourself and your personal ambitions. Once you’ve created your vision, start exploring avenues that will help you turn these desires into reality. It’s unrealistic to expect all of these “wants” to happen quickly, but now that your vision is taking shape, you can figure out what it will take to make it reality. Share your vision with a trusted mentor and begin to formulate what steps you need to take to fulfill these goals. It may involve a career change, switching industries, or perhaps accepting an interim position as a stepping stone to a future career. Though it may not be your favorite position, it could play a crucial role in reaching your ultimate goal.

Remember, “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” So take a moment, look inside yourself, and outline your Personal Career Vision, you’ll thank yourself in the future.

Career Transition Tips for Success (halliecrawford.typepad.com)
A Gap Year Can Get Gen Ys’ Groove Back (blogs.harvardbusiness.org)
How to recognize bad advice about work (penelopetrunk.com)

Guest Post: Want a Killer Logo? Hire a Professional

Published

Anthony

on May 17, 2009

in Guest Posts

. 0 Comments

(Today’s guest post comes from Ben Johnson of Logoinn, a custom logo design service provider based in UK. Ben povides his thoughts on the importance of creating a killer logo.)

I don’t understand the psychology behind businesses getting their logos designed for the price of $5 or $10. How do they expect quality and professionalism in such low budgets for the most important instrument of their corporate identity? Why don’t they realize that cheap logos are more susceptible to producing sunken corporate identities or no identities at all?

You would agree with me on the fact that, if a logo becomes instantly recognizable by the viewers, it gets promoted to the level of being called a brand. Creating a brand identity for any business plays a huge role in today’s competitive world, as the brand infiltrates almost every facet of the company we can see and this is the reason why businesses willingly pay whatever the design agencies charge them for their logos. There are many reasons why design agencies ask for a lot of money from clients and this is what we are going to cover in this article.

Both small and large scale companies, want to have a strong identity for themselves. However, not all of them have the budget to approach the top logo design agencies to create their logo. For small businesses, who set comparatively low budgets for a logo, the most suitable alternatives are online logo design companies which offer design pervices at affordable prices.

There are a lot of things that contribute to creating a killer logo. A design company charges you a high price because it has all the experts under one roof to work on your project. An agency thinks businesses shouldn’t be reluctant in paying more for their logo. They say their designers go through an entire process to come up with a logo which guarantees success. So, high price is justified. Moreover, they charge you high because they are:

Experienced: This is one of the major reasons why logo design agencies charge more money than a less experienced logo design company or a freelancer. Now this is one aspect, you as a business owner need to be careful about. Quality of course comes with experience. The more understanding your logo designer has about logo creation, the more aesthetic logo you will get in the end.

Professional: It’s all about professionalism in the end. This includes their expertise in logo designing, client handling, giving and taking the brief. Above all, you hire a high priced logo design agency because you are sure they are professional.

Accountable: Logo design agencies are considered more accountable as compared to freelance logo designers, because mostly logo design agencies have a proper chain of procedures. If you have hired a design agency, you don’t have to wait for someone to answer your call; their support is available all the time unlike freelancers.

Reliable: You pay more to a design agency because they are more reliable than a freelancer. It’s about your logo; you won’t hire someone who has the reputation of being unreliable. You can check whether the design company is trustworthy or not by asking different people about it or by reading reviews about it on the internet.

Capable of handling large number of accounts: this is another reason why they charge you more than a freelancer. They work with a proper system and because of that they are capable of handling large number of accounts without any mishandling or delays. They work on a large scale, with a battalion of designers along with a team of sales and customer support.

Loaded with professional Logo Designers and high quality Logo Concepts: The more superior the design agency, the bigger their team of professional designers. With so many quality designers, there is a guarantee that you would not end up with a bad logo for your business.

Equipped with broader skill set: You pay more to design agencies, because they possess broader skill sets for graphic designing. A freelancer might be specialized in graphic designing but he won’t be able to guide you in creating a brand identity. Moreover, you may have other services related to your business under one roof.

Frequently available for face to face meetings: Design agencies charge you higher than a freelancer, because you can meet with them anytime during the working hours, sit with them, talk to them about your project. While many of the freelancers work online and you can’t reach them face to face.

Of course if a design agency charges you more, it has to have the above mentioned reasons behind it. They must have a reputable name in the design industry, gained through ample experience and professionalism. They must have shown reliability to their clients and have produced high quality logo designs which later on proved successful and converted into big brands with remarkable identity. Unlike freelance designers, they occupy a physical workplace to accommodate a bunch of creative designers or even more to come up with the best logo concepts for their clients. The software they use cost them thousands of dollars, the computers, the stationery etc.

Now it depends upon you to either hire a freelancer who would charge you $5 or $10 for an awful logo or a professional logo design agency with a killer logo. Remember! Design agencies charge you high because they guarantee to provide 100% satisfaction with a killer logo and an exceptional customer service. It’s worth the investment. Do give your feedback in the comments section. - Ben Johnson

Confused between a Freelancer and a Logo design company? (startupstudent.com)
What’s Missing in Your Logo? (theengagingbrand.typepad.com)
Small Business Creative Logo Design (stepbysteptips.com)

Setting Priorities 101: Plan Each Day to Ensure Success

Published

Anthony

on May 8, 2009

in Classroom 101 and Personal Development

. 4 Comments

todolists2 Setting Priorities 101: Plan Each Day to Ensure Success

We all have 168 hours in every week. No more, no less. And though many of us might wish we could, we will never have the power to add to that number. Our level of success is directly related to how we manage our time each and every day.

For those aspiring to get ahead, every new day brings greater challenges, new opportunities, and undoubtedly additional items to add to the “To-Do List.” We constantly have more and more demands placed on our time and it seems the closer we get to achieving our goals, the more and more things we have to get done each day. Setting priorities and planning ahead is no longer a “nice to do” option, it’s the price of admission in being effective.

The more time you invest in planning and setting your priorities before you begin your day, the more you’ll be able to accomplish — and the faster you’ll get those tasks done.

I know this isn’t breaking news - you’ve heard it before. Yet even knowing this, a majority of people neglect taking a few extra minutes to truly plan for their day and internalize what they want to accomplish in that given time. The key to maximizing your time and efforts is learning to identify and work on the most important tasks until they’re complete. Prioritizing is one of those things that sounds easy, but can be hard to do consistently. There are various published techniques on how to become better at setting your priorities; however the one I have personally found to be the most beneficial is the “ABCDE Method.”

It sounds basic, but if you truly understand the power of this technique and implement it every day, you will be amazed at its effectiveness.

The ABCDE Method of Prioritizing

The ABCDE Method requires that you review your list of given tasks and put an A, B, C, D, or E next to each one in order of priority. The way that you determine your highest priority at any moment is to think about the potential consequences of doing or not doing a particular task. The very act of performing this excise and thinking through your tasks before you start work will dramatically increase your efficiency and effectiveness once you begin working.

A - “A” tasks are extremely important, they are considered must do’s. They have serious consequences if they are completed or not. Whether you do them or don’t do them can have a major impact on your results and your success. You should always do your “A” tasks before anything else. Assuming that you have more than one “A” task, organize them by priority, as A-1, A-2, A-3, and so on.

B –“B” tasks are things that you should do, but they’re not as important as A-tasks. They have mild consequences if completed or not. Doing it or not doing it may cause some inconvenience, but the consequences are relatively minor compared to A-tasks.

C - “C” tasks are those that would be nice to do, but it will have no consequences at all. Whether you do them, attempt them, complete them or not, they will have no consequences in your life or work at all. They usually will not contribute to your long-term success in your personal life or career.

As you can tell by now, the general rule is to never to a “B-task” when there is an “A-task” left on the list. Likewise, never do a “C-task” when you still have “B-task” left undone. Stay focused on all the “A-tasks” before moving on to a “B” and so on down the list.

D - “D” tasks need to be completed but should be given to someone else to complete. Putting it bluntly, delegate them! The only time you should spend on these tasks is the amount of time it takes you to figure out to whom the task should be sent to and the needed direction for completion. The more you can delegate, the more time you will have to focus on the “A” tasks, which have the most impact on your success and happiness.

E - “E” stand for eliminate. These are the activities that are no longer important in the achievement of your most important goals today. When you take a close look at it, much of what you do during the day or week can be eliminated with no consequences at all.

Once you have completed this entire exercise, go back to you’re A-1 task and focus all your energy and concentration on starting and completing this job before you do anything else.

Give it a try! Or if you’ve had success with a different method, leave a comment with your suggestions. If done right, you’ll soon be asking yourself, “What am I going to do with my 168?” Now wouldn’t that be wishful thinking…

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Time Management 101: Add an Extra Hour to Your Day (drivenleaders.com)
Task Management 101 (marketingblagger.com)
3 Tips to Eliminate Management by Crisis (ismckenzie.com)

Contest Winners! 1000 Free Business Cards

Published

Anthony

on May 1, 2009

in Miscellaneous

. 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I teamed up with UPrinting.com to offer a chance to win either 1,000 business cards or 500 standard brochures promoting your business, yourself or whatever you want! Thank you to those who entered the contest. Each entry was assigned a number and 2 winners were selected via random.org.

And The Winners Are…

1. Ben Eubanks - Wins 1,000 Free Business Cards
2. Tom Fijalkovic - Wins 500 Free Brochures

If you are one of the lucky winners, I will be sending you an email shortly with the details about how to claim your prize.

Thanks again to all who participated and a special thanks to UPrinting for sponsoring the contest. Stay tuned for further contest and giveaways on DrivenLeaders.com in the months to come.