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Drops of Rain

     A Newsletter From The Rainmaker Group
August 16th, 2007
    
 
Greetings!
 We hope things are going well for both you and your organization this summer.  We've got a great newsletter for you this week.  We're excited to introduce a new feature to our newsletter - a featured "guru" column.  In an effort to keep you abreast of the latest ideas and theories in the business world we will be commenting on an article from a well known leader in the world of business and personal development and provide you a link to the full text article.  We hope you benefit as much from the teachings of these experts as we have!
 
 
"If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain.
 If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees.
 If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people"
 
      -Chinese Proverb
In This Issue
Would You Hire Fred Again?
What Does Your Personal Brand Say?
Featured Guru - Marshall Goldsmith - Article on Employee Engagement
QBQ! Personal Accountability QuickNote - "When are we going to get better systems?"
Would You Hire "Fred" Again? 
Fred Have you ever hired a new team member only to realize several weeks or months later that you made a huge hiring mistake?  If you have, believe us, you are not alone.
 
The regrettable hiring decision is something that we see all too often.  The worse part is that it can have a truly devastating effect on your organization.
 
Low team morale, reduced productivity, and sleepless nights can all be attributed to hiring individuals who just weren't right for the job.
 
We are often asked what to do about these individuals who turn out to be hiring mistakes.  We invariably answer this question with a question of our own: "Would you hire 'Fred' again?"
What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You?
Chris YoungChris Young - Founder, The Rainmaker Group
 
It's been ten years since I first read the Personal Branding article by Tom Peters in Fast Company Magazine.  I have read the book "Brand You 50" by Tom Peters easily a dozen times.  Tom Peters' thought process on Personal Branding changed my life forever.

Whether you like it or not - you have a brand.  What your brand says about you is decided by your customers in life - both the paying kind and your fellow team members.  Ultimately, you control what people think of you.  If you aren't deciding on purpose what your personal brand should be - isn't it time?

 

What have you been deciding?

 

-          Whiner or Winner?

-          Negative or Positive?

-          Energy-draining or Energy-Filling?

-          Angry or Happy?

-          Cold or Warm?

-          Low Likability or High Likability?

-          Undependable or Dependable?

-          Dishonest or Honest?

-          Difficult or Team Player?

The choice is yours.  It always has been.

 

Big questions...

 

Who are you and what do you want?  Are you getting what you really want?  If not - do something about it.  Now.

What will your tombstone read?  "All used up" or "Played it safe"? 

Featured Guru - Marshall Goldsmith 
Marshal Goldsmith 
Marshall Goldsmith is a renowned author of too many books to mention here and business coach to CEOs of some of the largest companies in the US.  His latest book, What Got You Here, Won't Get you There was recently ranked as the top selling business book by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. 
 
Goldsmith also authored regular feature columns for Business Week and Fast company magazine.
 
This week we'd like to feature an article by Goldsmith about the ever popular subject of Employee Engagement.  In his article appearing in Business Week, Goldsmith discusses how to improve employee engagement through coaching and employee development.  To read his article click here...
 
Goldsmith offers some great advice about using employee development and coaching to improve employee engagement.  His comments about coaching and development being a two way street in which both managers and the employee must participate actively are especially powerful.
 
We feel there is a deeper issue here when it comes to employee engagement.  The cause for poor employee engagement is often times laid squarely on the boss for being a poor leader or even a "jerk". 
 
While in some cases this might be true, more often it is a matter of managers asking employees to perform tasks and get results they are just not suited for or able to.  Simply put - the employee is not a good fit for the job.  It's kind of like trying to pound a square peg into a round hole - it's not going to happen.
 
More than anything we feel this is the root cause of employee disengagement in the workplace.  Invariably efforts to improve employee engagement will be fruitless if the wrong person is in the job from the start.  Read more about improving employee engagement by getting the right people for the job.
QBQ! Personal Accountability QuickNote - "When are we Going to get Better Systems?"
 
John Miller
"When are we going to get a better system around here?"
 
Ever Hear lousy questions like this in your organization?  Who hasn't...
 
Equipment failures and unexpected downtime happens in every organization.  It is inevitable. 
 
A true measure of personal accountability is what you do when unexpected malfunctions happen.  Do you dwell on what isn't working, or do you rise to the occasion and do the best you can with the resources available at the time? 
 
John Miller tells a great story about a salesperson at Sears who asked a QBQ! and made the best of the resources available to him at the time.  Read his story here...
 
Creating a culture of Personal Accountability should be a top priority for all organizations.  Team members who think and practice Personal Accountability can bring about incredible changes for an organization.  The blame game disappears, morale increases, and Customer Experiences are enhanced all thanks to the power of Personal Accountability. 
 

The Rainmaker Group is proud to offer powerful day long QBQ! workshops instilling the power of Personal Accountability into teams and organizations across the country.  For more information about these workshops or to purchase John Miller's books, QBQ! and Flipping the Switch Visit our website at: http://www.personalaccountabilityatwork.com

 
John Miller is author of QBQ! The Question Behind The Question, the authoritative guide to practicing Personal Accountability.

Happy Office Group

Is your organization living up to its full potential?  Is high turnover hurting your bottom line?  Do your team members create the powerful experiences your customers deserve?  Do team members have difficulty effectively communicating with others? 
 
Bring Chris to your organization and start realizing your organization's full potential.  Chris can deliver powerful and motivating keynote speeches, design customized training programs and workshops, help identify barriers to communication, and much more.  We don't sell training out of the box, but rather insist on customizing it to your needs!  For more info, send an e-mail to Chris@therainmakergroupinc.com
Or call 1-866-988-7246
 
 
About us:

The Rainmaker Group is a People Maximization and Development group located in Bismarck, ND. Our mission is to help those we serve make their difference in the world.

We hope you found this newsletter interesting and informative.  If you like what you read, please give us a shout, we're here to help!
 

"Create a definite plan for carrying out your life's desires and begin at once, weather you are ready or not, to put this plan into action"
        - Napoleon Hill
 
Sincerely,

All of us here at The Rainmaker Group
 
1-866-988-7246
For More Great Articles and Stories:
212° - One Degree Can Make All The Difference
 
QBQ Logo
The Question Behind the Question 
 
The Rainmaker Group Experience
 Start Maximizing Possibility in your organization today!  We offer a variety of services to help your organization realize its full potential.  Check us out today!
 
 
 
 
 
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