January 2004
In This Issue:
Working in My Niche:
Offer Your Feedback--and Win Big!
My thanks go to the many wonderful women who took advantage of my free coaching day last week and made it so successful. It was a privilege to work with you and get to know you better. What I learned from that experience is that many working women still face similar challenges: you want to make the right decisions, you want to grow your businesses or move up in your careers, you want to relate more effectively with others—and you want to do it all with a greater sense of balance and clarity. What I want you to know that I am committed to serving you. The goal of my business is to work with forward-thinking companies who want to train and retain their female talent. As the women who work in those businesses, I’d like to hear from you. - What are the special needs or issues that differentiate you from your male colleagues?
- What professional and personal challenges are you facing this year?
- What does your company need to know to make you more satisfied and productive?
- What would help you work more effectively with the other men and women in your organization?
- And, if you are a man reading this newsletter, what do your female colleagues need to know to work with you more effectively?
Feel free to pass these questions along to others. From all of the responses I receive within the next month, I will draw one name to win a free SDI assessment. The SDI, or Strength Deployment Inventory, is a valuable self-awareness tool that will help you see what motivates you, identify your strengths, cope with conflict and relate more effectively with others in your workplace and your personal life.To offer your feedback on one or all of the above questions, please e-mail me at kim@preparedtoperform.com.
Choose Your Attitude for the New YearIn the neighborhood where I used to live, there was a Dunkin Donuts shop about a mile away from my home. Every Monday morning, my husband made a special sojourn there for a steaming cup of hazelnut coffee. But the caffeine boost wasn’t the only thing that helped him start his week on a positive note. His regular waitress, Judy, always served up a kind word and sometimes convinced him to take advantage of the free donut customers received with every coffee purchase. On holidays, she proudly donned a festive costume that fit the occasion: a leprechaun for St. Patrick’s Day, a Mrs. Santa suit for Christmas and so on. Many of us might find Judy’s job boring—even tedious. But she approached it with effervescence and used the opportunity for the noblest of pursuits—to make people smile. Not everyone takes that opportunity. Shift your imagination to the customer service department of a major department store. I had just bought a wedding present for friends and wanted to take advantage of a free gift-wrapping promotion. When I approached the woman at the counter (Louise, according to her name tag), she glared at me and spouted, "I’ll be with you in a minute." For 15 minutes—to be exact—she wrapped other presents behind the counter, complaining constantly. "Is it still nice outside?" she growled to one of her co-workers who was coming in from a break. "It probably is, but I still have three lousy hours to go in this joint. I’ll never be able to enjoy the day!" Standing there, I wondered if Louise was capable of enjoying anything, including the glorious weather. What seemed to me to be a happy profession—making thoughtful gifts more beautiful—was just another chore for her. Our minds are like magnets—we attract to us what we focus on, both the positive and the negative elements. As you enter the new year with a slew of new goals, remember that your attitude will be the deciding factor in your success. Choose your attitude—and choose your outcome.
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