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	<title>Andrew Rondeau owns the free Management srticle directory www.greatmanagement.org - have a look around this website and you will see numerous articles by famous authors covering such topics as Communication, Public Speaking and Time Management. These are relevant topics to boost your Career and Personal Development.</title>
	<link>http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/author/index/1337/Andrew-Rondeau.php</link>
	<description>Andrew Rondeau owns the free Management srticle directory www.greatmanagement.org - have a look around this website and you will see numerous articles by famous authors covering such topics as Communication, Public Speaking and Time Management. These are relevant topics to boost your Career and Personal Development. - Latest business
news &amp; management advice on how best to build your own business -
Free, independent business articles on Strategy, eBusiness, Change
Management &amp; much, much more.</description>
	<language>en</language>
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	<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:15:41 +0000</pubDate>
	<managingEditor>admin@buildyourownbusiness.biz</managingEditor>
	<webMaster>admin@buildyourownbusiness.biz</webMaster>    
	<item>
      <title><strong>This Is How You Can Enhance Your Conversation Skills</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In life we meet up with people with whom you have very little in common. At random times you find yourself sharing the same room at which stage you are forced to acknowledge the existence of that person. Striking up a conversation can be difficult, small talk won’t help, especially if it is forced.

We often intuitively know when we are about to have a conversation with a person that will prove to be a difficult one. Some of us seem not to have any trouble striking up random conversations.

It is difficult for us to make easy conversation when we anticipate negative feedback. Some conversations may seem difficult when we feel that too many things are at stake. We might have taken a position where we could be heavily embarrassed by a retraction.  It’s therefore important to think before we open our mouth.

Here are a few suggested questions we need to ask ourselves before we get into this type of interaction:

1. What is the purpose of this conversation?

2. What are my expectations?

3. What could I be afraid of at any stage?

4. Are there any assumptions I am making about this person that I am about to talk to?

5. Do I want to listen and understand?

For any conversation to be successful, we need to put aside our prejudices and be objective about everything. Decide on what you want to talk about by starting to ask about the person’s background. From there move on quickly as you do not want to pry and offend the person. It will also enable you to appear less contrived. If the person is not able to respond don’t blame yourself. It does take two to tango.

People who are unable to open up to others are less likely to become popular. Stop blaming yourself if your conversation does not flow easily. When you meet people like this you can just walk away. Say your goodbyes and move on to speak to more open individuals.

It is a good characteristic to have to be able to understand people and know what motivates them and how they think. Even mo ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>How To Deal with People Who Bring Us Down</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[It takes all kinds of people to make up the world we live in. In life, we have the opportunity to meet many people. Some of them we find are too difficult to deal with. These are the people we end up not liking and we try and avoid them as much as possible. Keeping well away from them might be the right thing to do. But sometimes there are situations where it is impossible to avoid them.

Happy and friendly people have the ability to uplift people and should there be any kind of conflict the situation can easily be worked through. However, when dealing with difficult people it is important to distinguish between rights and responsibilities. Under certain circumstances we feel obliged to adapt and agree with them but we need to be careful we don’t give up our rights at the same time.

Some people we deal with out of a feeling of obligation. The important thing to remember is that we do not retaliate in the same way as the person is dealing with us. Treat them with respect at all times and learn to listen to them allowing them to air their point of view. This will enable us to understand them better. Often it is also the case that once we get to know a person whom we thought was difficult we are able to deal with them much more easily.

It is important to remember that difficult people are most often the ones that have real issues in their lives. Take away that problem from the person and try and see them as an individual. After all if this person does not overstep his boundaries, they will eventually see that we also deserve respect. Anyone with sense will know this.

Stop seeing yourself as a victim of a situation. It damages us more if we blame others for making us feel miserable. It’s important that we take responsibility for our own feelings and work towards resolving the situation before they can score a mental victory over us.

We are unable to change other people. We can of course influence and stop ourselves from becoming affected. Nobody is wor ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>How To Optimise Your Time</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[The best way to utilise your time effectively is to identify the goals you first need to achieve. We usually feel that we have far too many things to accomplish and need to deliver on too many promises. This makes us feel overwhelmed which leads us to give up and choose to do nothing instead.

We sulk and complain about how much work we have instead of actually doing anything. Of course complaining is not necessarily a bad thing. Talking about how we feel can be very healthy for us. But there is a fine line between always complaining and blowing off steam. It is good to release our emotions every now and then. However, when we start using this excuse to stop working then we are simply wasting precious time.

Our parents told us many times that we would not be able to turn the clock back. While growing up I used to think this such a cliché. Of course we could never take time back. But, so what? It didn’t really matter. It was only when I started to take on my own responsibilities that I realised the meaning of this statement. I finally understood the wisdom of the adults.

When I had too many things to do with too little time to do them in, only then did I discover how precious each moment is. The more time we waste the more our tasks pile up. Putting off things to do for the next day doesn’t mean the tasks will go away. They will just accumulate to become even more unmanageable.

What are we actually doing when we put off things like this. There is a word in Spanish that some people use. The act of putting off things is called the mañana habit. This word simply means tomorrow. Constantly convincing ourselves that it will be done the next day is the kind of habit everyone should get rid of.

What method do we use to allot the time for each and every responsibility. How do we juggle the tasks we need to complete with having time for ourselves. The best way to start is to make a list. When we have a list, we are able to see the bigger picture.  Add to t ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>The Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Publicly Speak</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[You have been aked to present.

Oh no…where do you start?

Here are several questions that will help you prepare:

Does the presentation fall within the scope set for the speech?

Is it too long – have you fallen into the trap of trying to tell your audience everything you know, regardless?

Will you have enough time to fit all the content in?

If not and the time ix fixed, trim some of the content:

    * go for an overview instead of detail

    * three key points instead of the whole subject

    * the two issues of pressing concern to the audience instead of the ins and outs of the whole matter

Is there too little?

How you thought about what the audience will want to know and the likely questions and objections they could put in your way. Make sure these are covered in your presentation even if this means you have to go out and do further research

Is the level and detail of content right for the audience?

What one audience wants is very different to what another one wants even when the subject matter is the same.

Do you have sufficient information to enable you to achieve your original objective?

Have you broken your subject matter down into manageable chunks of information that the audience will be able to absorb?

Dies each sub section follow on logically from the last and have you developed a link phrase / question to move you and the audience onwards?

Is there a beginning, which outlines the route map your audience will be invited to follow, and an ending which summaries key points and leaves them with a final message?

Is the structure the most suitable for this particular audience – remember different audiences will need different structures.

Is the structure the most effective one to help you achieve your original objective?

Have you picked the most suitable style for this particular audience?

What about your language – is it relevant and will it build rapport between you and the audience?

Hav ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>What’s the Difference Between Coaching And Mentoring?</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[It can be a truly rewarding task for any person to guide others through life. At the same time it can be a daunting challenge. The person who has taken on the role of guide needs to walk a very fine line.

On one hand the person must be strong enough to be able to reprimand the follower when that person ignores advice or strays from the path. On the other hand, it is also his responsibility to allow the follower to stray. This freedom to make mistakes is essential to the learning process and enables the person to learn and understand why things should be done differently.

The people doing the guiding are generally called coaches and mentors. The two roles are similar in some ways but in fact are very different. Before attempting this role laden with responsibility it is important to understand the difference between coaching and mentoring and to find out what is best for your relationship with your potential followers.

Mentoring generally involves a closer and more meaningful relationship than is seen in coaching. The leader and follower is most often referred to as mentor and protégé. The mentor is often older than the protégé, and is certainly more knowledgeable, wise and more experienced dealing with life experiences than the follower. The mentor’s task is to guide the more inexperienced protégé. The main objective is to allow the protégé to grow closer to the mentor’s level of knowledge and experience during the course of the mentoring program.

The mentor-protégé relationships has been around for a long time. Most commonly “mentorships” are found in the work environment where a new employee on first entering the company is assigned a mentor. This is somebody who has been in the company for a long time.

This particular mentorship program is designed to ease the new employee into his position as easily and quickly as possible. The mentor will introduce the protégé to work processes and procedures and advise on how to advance in th ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>The Reality Behind The Law Of Attraction</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Life seems to have a way of working out. People have enthusiastically contributed to the recent success of books like The Secret and The Law of Attraction. Yet many mistake the practice of this law.

They have misunderstood what the message of these books is all about.

They have allowed themselves to believe that the Law of Attraction will fulfill their dreams just by sitting back and thinking what they want from their lives.

As far as I am concerned, this is not how it works.

The only way this law can be used is to put action to the dreams. For me it is right that the universe works with us to achieve our dreams. But the universe can only push destiny towards us. The rest is still up to us. We choose whether we meet destiny halfway or not. There are no rewards for the lazy.

If we were to examine the successful people in this world we would see immediately that each one of them went through extreme challenges to get to where they are now. There is no easy path to success despite what some people say. Reaching our goals will mean that we have to face numerous hurdles along the way.

It truly depends on how badly we want our dreams to become reality.

No matter what rocky path we follow, we will always stumble along the way. We attract failure when we have a self-defeating attitude which makes us anticipate that we will fail. It also makes us believe that the more we fail the less likely we will be able to get up again and try again. It sabotages our dreams. Pessimism will inevitably bring failure.

Rather than thinking about what we don’t want, think what we do want. Putting negative words such as don’t or no in our statements show up our focus which is in the negative. On the other hand claiming we have already achieved our goals is also not accurate.

Positive thinking means that we believe that we WILL get what we want and that we are on the way to fulfilling those dreams. We have heard of the term self-fulfilling prophecy. It means that  ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/4041/The-Reality-Behind-The-Law-Of-Attraction.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/4041/The-Reality-Behind-The-Law-Of-Attraction.php</link>
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      <title><strong>Improving the Quality of Your Life</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Imagine if we could live our lives completely free of stress.

Now wake up and stop dreaming, because you can’t.

No matter what job you have, no matter where you live, you will have stress in your life. What causes you stress is different to what causes me stress. What you stress about is different to what I stress about. The amount of stress you can cope with is different to the levels I can cope with.

But…we all suffer with stress.

The chance of us living completely without worries or stress for the rest of our lives are as much as us finding out that Father Christmas really does exist.

Although, stress can never be avoided, we can reduce it, if we know what to do when it comes.

In the times or situations when you find yourself overwhelmed with problems, worries and stress, just remember what the famous Lao-tzu once said, “The journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step.’

Very simply put.

It is better that we tackle and finish our tasks one at a time rather than give up altogether.

Here are a few ways to be more efficient when dealing with stress and pressure:

1. Plan out your day’s work, in advance. Agree what you need to do and add a timeframe. Do your best to match the timeframe you’ve allotted for each task.

2. Prioritise your tasks. Consider the “must do” items only, write them down, and then schedule the necessary time for those activities.

3. Brush up on your delegation skills and start to delegate. People you know may have the skills needed to help you and relieve you from stress.

4. Limit distractions - some people work better with the radio blasting. If you’re one of them, then go for it. Just surround yourself with things that’ll help you with concentration and will inspire you to be more productive.

5. Know when to take a break. Go for a walk, take in some fresh air, do some exercise. Doing something different can refresh our bodies and minds and reenergize us to go back to work in  ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/3860/Improving-the-Quality-of-Your-Life.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/3860/Improving-the-Quality-of-Your-Life.php</link>
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      <title><strong>What Do You Expect From Your Coffee Shop?</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[You can walk down any high street and almost every tenth shop is some sort of eating place or coffee shop. They spring up here there and everywhere, don’t they?

And the good ones are always busy.

So, when was the last time you visited a high street coffee shop?


In the last hour?

Yesterday?

Last week?

Last month?


Did you sit in on one of those comfy lougers or grab a quick take-a-way on your way to work?

Or maybe you have never visited a coffee shop and simply happy with the free vending machine at work.

Over the last 10 years coffee shops are one of the fastest growing retailers.

More and more are being established.

I know in my local town whenever a shop closes, it often re-opens as a coffee franchise. Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Tchibo, Nero…there are many to choose from.

And no matter how many there are in each town, you always have to queue. So many people are now finding the time and money to have a coffee with friends. Relax a bit, have a good gossip and simply enjoy each other’s company.

Or maybe, you go there to work on the free wi-fi offering.

I’m lucky enough to live by the sea and often my wife and I go out for a cup of coffee overlooking the sea. You know spur of the moment thing.

“Fancy a coffee?”

“Yes, I’ll put the kettle on”

“No, let’s go to Costa’s”

“Great idea…”

A few years ago you would never have guessed we would pay $3 or $4 for an ordinary cup of coffee. But we all do, don’t we?

This weekend just gone, we decided to take a visit into town just for a cup of coffee.

“We’ll go to…”

“Yeah, sounds good”

When we arrived we changed our minds on where to go.

We saw a ‘better’ coffee shop open.

So what do you look for in your favourite coffee shop?

What makes you go back time and time again?

Some would say – “simply good tasting coffee”

Others would say – “a wide selection of great tasting coffees and cakes”
 ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>Do You Feel Anxiety When Speaking?</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Overcome That Anxiety And Keep Your Audience Listening

There are hundreds and hundreds of articles around the Internet helping you to overcome the fear of Public Speaking. You may have seen some.

And the vast majority help you overcome the fear of getting onto the platform, standing up and actually starting to speak.

Now I agree that is a common fear and can cause much anxiety and stress.

But what about the actual ‘art of Public Speaking’?

What about the fear of not being able to engage with your audience?

They might find you boring. Their minds could wander off. They can get distracted.

Maybe you have been the recipient of a boring presentation and your mind wanders off to think about ‘what you are going to have for dinner tonight’ or ‘I could be doing my emails’ or ‘I just wish I wasn’t here…I have so much work to do’.

Even in entertaining, insightful presentations the general level of your audience’s attention wanes. Every single one of your audience will be distracted, for whatever reason, every 5 – 10 minutes.

So how do you keep your audience engaged, entertained and actively listening?

Combat it with these 6 techniques:

1. Make sure that before you deliver a key point you grab everyone’s attention so that they can hear that point – change your voice, body language, and eye contact. Warn the audience that they need to listen: ‘you will find the next point interesting / crucial / fundamental / amazing…’

2. Maintain good eye contact with all your audience not just the ones that are smiling and nodding! If you are talking to a large group scan the audience regularly (but not in a set pattern) and scan towards the back of the audience so that everyone forward from the back will feel included in your gaze.

3. Use lots of questions followed by pauses and eye contact. Unless you are prepared for ‘wrong answers’, ad-hoc responses and potential ruination of your structure, stick to hypothetical ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/49/3852/Do-You-Feel-Anxiety-When-Speaking.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/49/3852/Do-You-Feel-Anxiety-When-Speaking.php</link>
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      <title><strong>Public Speaking - How to Present an Effective Speech</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Public speaking is a challenge in itself, let alone being effective at it. However, if you are going to make a speech you should strive to make it an effective one. 

In London's Hyde Park you can just get up
and speak about any subject you wish!

Public speaking is both an art and a science. There are specific steps that can be taken to command attention and results. A scientific means of presenting your speech will have a lasting effect on your audience. 

The following is a precise procedure that will enable you to make an impact in the lives of those listening to your speech. 

First and foremost be properly prepared.

Do your home work!

Make sure that you have content and that your content is worth knowing. Once you have completed ample research for your topic familiarise yourself with the material. 

An absolute must is that your topic is presenting only one main idea.

Your whole speech will be arguing for this one specific topic. If you have more than one idea you take the chance that your listeners will not remember what you said. 

One way to know whether or not you have a proper grasp on your subject is, &amp;quot;Could you have a Q&amp;amp;A session after your speech and adequately answer their questions&amp;quot;? 

Next, you will want to organise your findings in a logical sequence.

It must flow for your audience to be interested, understand, and retain it. Your organisation of your points should continuously support the big idea. Providing evidence and reasoning are a strong part of the persuasive process! 

Once you have completed the previous tasks you are well on your way to an effective speech. 

Now, it is time to consider going to the podium to present your message. 

Write out your opening and closing remarks.

You want to be sure that you know how you are going to get started and how you will end. I don't suggest that you write out your whole speech, but do write out these two areas. 

At this time you should have the op ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>The Recession - How are you feeling?</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Story 1:

The door slams hard.

Your partner has just got home from work.

“we are doomed” they say.

They go on “We are going to have to tighten our belts. This is the worst situation we have ever faced. I’ve been made redundant”

You reply, “Oh really. Are we still going out for dinner as planned?”

“NO!”

Your partner sleeps badly. The 7am alarm goes off and they just can’t get out of bed.

Story 2:

The door shuts

Your partner has just got home from work.

“I’ve been made redundant” they say.

They go on “But we’re going to be so successful. It’s going to be great”

You reply, “Oh really. Are we still going out for dinner as planned?”

“Absolutely but we are going to upgrade the restaurant and celebrate”

Let's celebrate - I'm redundant!

Your partner sleeps like a baby. They get up at 6am. 

Who would you rather be?

The person in story 1 of story 2?

Is your life:

Predictable or uncertain?

Organised or chaotic?

Faster or slower?

Easier or tougher?

Simple or complex?

According to research fear, stress and unhappiness is at an all time high and 93% of illness is stress related.

How many issues, hassles, problems do you have to deal with in a normal day?

Research shows, 20 years ago the average was 3.

20 years ago you would have to deal with 3 ‘changes’ to your plans each day. And a ‘change’ can be defined as something that YOU weren’t expecting to happen.

How many do you think the average is today?

5, 10, 20?

29 is the answer.

29!

That gives us the opportunity to procrastinate 29 times every single day.

What could the implications of that be?

It is becoming harder and harder to predict the future.

Change is happening faster and faster.

Procrastinating will only make it harder for us all to be successful.

As you are reading this are you thinking:

1.    29 – I don’t have that many every day. If so, I suggest you ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>Now What Makes A Great Manager? </strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[I shall assume that the majority of us have worked for someone (i.e. a Manager).

And no doubt some of those Managers you worked for were great and some should…well let’s just say…should never have been appointed Managers.

There are numerous skills to being a Manager…communicating, delegating, controlling, co-coordinating, staff management, public speaking, decision making, managing meetings…and I could list many, many more.

But what makes a Great Manager?

Great Managers not only excel at some of the above skills but they fundamentally know the difference between ‘inputs’, ‘outputs’ and ‘outcomes’.

They take ‘inputs’ (i.e. what they do, what action taken) and ‘outputs’ (i.e. the effect of the action, the product) and create outcomes (i.e. the intended result, the performance or service targeted).

Great Managers take time out and think about ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers strive for ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers plan for ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers organize themselves and others to produce ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers implement the right and appropriate controls so the ‘outcomes’ are delivered.

Great Managers communicate and discuss the future ‘outcomes’.

So let’s take a simple example…

Many Managers at this time of year are thinking, planning, organising, controlling and communicating the staff annual performance review.

So the inputs may be…the individuals previous achievements, feedback from customers and peers, any development undertaken, objectives, written evidence of praise…

Outputs being…the actual written performance review, the staff members rating and future development needs, the following years objectives.

Many Managers stop there. That’s it. It’s over and done with. The review is typed up. The staff member has agreed with their written performance review and it gets filed away. Now we can carry on with our day jobs.

The Great Manager will be encou ..]]></description>
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      <title><strong>Sports And Business Have Much In Common</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Sports and business have much in common. Each is about teamwork, graft, discipline and success. And each can learn from each other by sharing knowledge of how best to get to the top.

In sport, motivation is important.

In business, motivation is important.

I have often seen ex-sports personalities give after dinner motivational speeches. Only recently, I had the privilege of seeing Sir Steve Redgrave give a motivational speech on his career and how he handled the successes and knock-backs. How he set goals and objectives, how he worked in a team.
Of course, Sir Steve Redgrave is not the only sporting hero to pass on his brand of motivational expertise to businesses.
Many bolster their pensions by offering their advice to sales teams and management groups.
Of the several I have seen, the one which sticks out, is by Olympic gold medal swimmer Adrian Moorhouse.
Adrian Moorhouse knew from an early age what he wanted from life.
From the moment he saw David Wilkie take gold for Britain in the 1976 Olympics of Montreal, he wanted one too.
It was a reward for many years of sacrifice and pain.
As a 16-year-old Moorhouse had just missed out on selection for Moscow in 1980 and in 1984 he went to Los Angeles as Commonwealth and European champion and suffered his biggest disappointment when he came in fourth. 

Devastated
&amp;quot;I was absolutely devastated,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;Ever since I was a kid all I wanted to win was an Olympic medal.
&amp;quot;Swimming was my life. I was a bit of a `Billy No-mates' because all I spent all my time in the pool.
&amp;quot;It took me four or five months to get over the hurt of missing out but the failure made me tougher.&amp;quot;
Moorhouse explained how he set about winning his medal in the Seoul Olympics of 1988. After failing at the previous games in Los Angeles, he was determined to win the next time around.
To do so, Adrian realised he would need to break the world record, which was then 2 minutes faster then his personal best. ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/3562/Sports-And-Business-Have-Much-In-Common.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/3562/Sports-And-Business-Have-Much-In-Common.php</link>
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      <title><strong>How To Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever…</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Over the last weekend, my wife and I finished all our Christmas present shopping (and we wrapped it!). Now we simply have to give the presents.
We finish all our Christmas shopping nice and early every year.

The closer and closer it gets to Christmas the shops get busier and busier – and we hate that.

We can relax now and what I like to do during December while others are fighting their way through the shopping crowds is to plan next year’s activities.

Here I am not referring to those great big projects…these are little activities than can make a huge difference to your life and enjoyment.

Each year I want to improve on the last.
So I’m gonna make 2009 my best ever…what about you?

Here are some thoughts on how to make 2009 Your Best Year Ever…
1.	Go on a date with your other half. My wife and I have been married for almost 25 years and I still ask her out on dates. Can be simply a pizza in the local restaurant…but it’s fun. My wife and I try and get out at least once a week.

2.	Get in shape. I’m not saying join a gym or start jogging. Just do a little more exercise. Maybe walk to the local shops instead of getting the car. Use the stairs instead of the lift. Along with more exercise, eat healthier. Eat only one biscuit instead of three. Eat cakes only at the weekends. Try some simple small steps.

3.	Make contact with an old friend. How many ‘friends’ have you lost touch with? Too many. I know I have. Take 30 minutes out of just one of your days each month and contact an old friend – maybe by email or Facebook.

4.	Change your journey to work. You’ll be off autopilot which means you’ll get new ideas. Taking a different route makes your brain work differently.

5.	Your first week back at work after the Christmas break, get to work 30 minutes earlier and leave 30 minutes later. Use this extra hour to knock one big thing off your to-do list. Knocking things of your to-do list will reduce your stress levels, help yo ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/3561/How-To-Make-2009-Your-Best-Year-Ever.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/51/3561/How-To-Make-2009-Your-Best-Year-Ever.php</link>
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      <title><strong>The 7 Simple (but ignored) ‘Rules’ For Ensuring Your Meetings Are Produc</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[A recent survey (by Dr. Steven G. Rogelberg, Professor and Director of Organizational Science at the University of North Carolina Charlotte) of 1,900 business leaders, 72% indicated they spend more time in meetings today than they did five years ago, and 49% said they expect that time in meetings to increase.

That same study indicated that managers felt that about one third of those meetings were unproductive.

Successful meetings move things forward and ensure that useful contributions are made and heard. Ineffective meetings result in much paper shuffling and outstanding action points being carried yet again.

I am sure you have been an attendee at both an effective and ineffective meeting.

So how can you improve the quality of the meetings you organise and the meetings you attend? Here are 7 simple basic ideas, which are often overlooked:

1.	Limit the number of people. Too many people at a meeting reduce the effectiveness of the whole group.

2.	Set the agenda in advance. This will help save time and ensure the attendees focus. Set out the topics to be discussed and how much time will be allowed for each.
 
3.	Be prepared. Make sure you circulate the agenda along with any other supporting material at least 3 days before the actual meeting. That way you and others can prepare before the meeting.

4.	Agreed the desired outcome. Get agreement up front on what the meeting should accomplish.

5.	Run on time. Start promptly even if someone is not there. If you don’t, you are wasting everyone else’s time.

6.	Flow information both ways. Make sure the agenda includes a way to get feedback.

7.	Be positive. Wherever possible, try to end on a positive note as it helps the team’s momentum and motivation for the task at hand

As well as preparing for the meeting there are two ‘rules’ which help attendees carry out agreed actions: 

1.	Circulate the minutes. Make sure the minutes from the meeting are circulated within 48 hours and the ag ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/49/3560/The-7-Simple-but-ignored-Rules-For-Ensuring-Your-Meetings-Are-Produc.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/49/3560/The-7-Simple-but-ignored-Rules-For-Ensuring-Your-Meetings-Are-Produc.php</link>
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      <title><strong>Public Speaking – How To Make Your Next Presentation The Best Ever </strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[As we know, Public Speaking causes more worry, fear and sleepless nights than almost anything else.

And remember, Public Speaking is performing and you are only as good as your last show.

The actual talking is only a small part of the problem.
You have to wrestle with visual aids, get the tone of your voice correct, ensure you have impacting body language and handle that dreaded question you have not prepared for.
Yet getting it right can be easy…if you ignore all the Public Speaking Rules

When you Publicly Present, what are you actually trying to do?
Simply communicate clearly with some passion and commitment. That’s it. Something you probably achieve every time you open your mouth.

When you present you are using skills you have been using since you were a child.

Your real fear is embedded in your own mind. 

Here are a few ideas that will help tremendously:

Have you attended and completed a Public Speaking course?
Yes?
Now, forget and throw away every thing that you learned.
Why?
Because being a great Public Speaker means breaking some of the rules. And on courses you are normally only taught the rules.

So, if you want to put your hands in your pockets, do it.
If you have those little bits of cards you are holding on to for comfort, throw them away.

If you are stuck behind the podium, get out front; we want to see all of you, top to toe.

So what should you do to make your presentations stand-out?
Walk onto the stage with keenness. Add an extra bit of energy in your step. As you are walking, it’s OK to talk as well – if it feels natural for you.
And what about eye contact, I hear you say.
Have eye contact – look around the room, at the whole audience.

Just don’t stare at the audience like some mad axe murderer.
Do mad axe murderers stare? Maybe they don’t, but you know what I mean.

PowerPoint – a great tool for insomniacs

I have very rarely seen PowerPoint used well. People either just use text (whic ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/33/3559/Public-Speaking--How-To-Make-Your-Next-Presentation-The-Best-Ever.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/33/3559/Public-Speaking--How-To-Make-Your-Next-Presentation-The-Best-Ever.php</link>
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      <title><strong>'Training is overlooked' for most workers</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Training needs at work are overlooked believe almost 50% of employees and 33% would like to use the extra day in the leap year for training, according to a recent survey.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) questioned over 1,000 employees to ask what they would most like to use the extra working day for, with training coming top.

A Way To Get A Pay Rise…

LSC's previous survey has shown that employees can increase their salary by $4,000 to $6,000 per year by getting the right training.

Employers overlook training because: 

1.	Everyone is too busy and can’t find the time for Training and Development

2.	During hard times the Training and Development budget is slashed

So what’s the alternative?

To develop and enhance your skills you have to take accountability and put the effort in yourself. The days have long gone, whereby employers provide Training and Development on a plate. You are much more alone these days.

So what can you do?

1.	On the job. Learn new things as you actually carry out the job.

2.	Get yourself a mentor.

3.	Visit your local library

4.	Find free resources on the web

5.	Invest in yourself with self-help material

I do all five because I believe there is a direct connection between how much you learn and how much you earn.

Successful individuals are constantly learning, hungry for more knowledge to better themselves and attract more money.

I have a great mentor who helps, advises and directs me so I stay on track to meet my goals and dreams.

I go to the library every month to see what new self-development books there are. I love reading.

Also check out the big sellers on Amazon and then see if you can buy the book cheaper on eBay.

I sign up to over 50 self-development type blogs and receive articles covering the latest ideas, etc every day. I comment and share by advice of those I wish to and share the best ones with my client list.

I purchase self-development material and books, all  ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/42/3372/Training-is-overlooked-for-most-workers.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/42/3372/Training-is-overlooked-for-most-workers.php</link>
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      <title><strong>Beware Gangs Of Time Thieves Are On The Prowl</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…

Right. No time for hanging around today.

Lots to do, so let’s get organized.

First things first.

Make a list.

Now where’s my note pad. I know I left it here somewhere.

Isn’t it amazing how things just disappear around here?

I can’t find it. This little scrap of paper will do.

Right, my list.

Number 1.

I must do that costing for Jenny.

Number 2. 

Call John about the sales meeting.

Number 3. 

Chase up Bill to see if he has that information I asked for.

The phone rings.

Who’s that now?

“Andrew, It’s Jenny. Have you started that costing?”

“It’s on the top of my work list” I reply.

“I need it by tomorrow morning”

“I thought the deadline was next Tuesday”

“No”

“Well I am sure that’s what you told me”

“Well I need it for tomorrow morning”

“No matter”, sighing, “I have all the figures in my head. Bye Jenny”

You put the phone down. You let out an even a bigger sigh.

Now where was I?

Oh yes, the to-do list.

Number 3.

Chase up Bill to see if he has that information I asked for.

Number 4.

Ring the Customer Services department – something about complaints! What was it? Oh never mind it will come back to me.

Jim appears, next to my desk.

“You coming to this departmental meeting, then?

“Oh no, it completely slipped my mind”

“Where’ the agenda? Do you have one, Jim?”

“Yep”

“Oh, let me copy it on the way – thanks”

Quick slurp of the cold coffee.

“I hope it’s a quick meeting – I have so much to do”

3 hours later.

“What a waste of time that was”

“Why did you take on all those action points, don’t you have enough to do already?” Jim asks.

“Well if I don’t do them, who will?”

“I can help. I have some capacity”, says Jim

“Thanks for the offer but by the time I have explained to you what to do, I would have completed  ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/33/3371/Beware-Gangs-Of-Time-Thieves-Are-On-The-Prowl.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/33/3371/Beware-Gangs-Of-Time-Thieves-Are-On-The-Prowl.php</link>
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      <title><strong>How To Write A Brilliant Speech In Under 5 Minutes</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[The boss’s phone rings.

You happen to be passing and you pick it up.

“Is Gary there?”

“No, he’s not around”

“Well, it’s Andrea here, the HR Director and Gary is due to present his department’s roles and responsibilities to the new Graduates in 30 minutes. Can you hunt him down? Otherwise, I need someone else to stand in for him. Ring me back in 5 minutes and tell me what’s going on”

The phone goes dead.

You don’t know where Gary is.

Panic and fear set in.

Your heart starts racing.

30 minutes!

What shall you do?

Where do you start?

You’ll have to do the presentation, after all you are Gary’s deputy.

Can you just imagine it?

In 30 minutes, you have to write a presentation and stand up in front of an audience of strangers.

Could you do it?

Many successful public speakers and presenters can make speeches with very little notice.

There is a proven system, here it is:

1. Identify your main objective.

Every speech has a specific purpose and that’s why you are publicly speaking. It could be to sell your services, communicate and get buy-in on a new idea or simply sharing exactly what your services are.

What’s was Gary’s main purpose?

Andrea said, “communicate the departments’ roles and responsibilities”.

But it’s more than that, isn’t it?

We want the Graduates to know the type of service this area offers. That will help them with their induction to the company, make them feel wanted, give them a great first impression of the department and company.

You may be trying to attract some of them to join your department.

Find out the main purpose of the presentation.

2. What do you want your audience to do at the end of your speech?

It might be to buy your services – so maybe give them something for free first.

It might be to agree the next steps to implement a new idea.
Or in Gary’s case, it may be to get them to join your department.

Whatever it ..]]></description>
      <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/33/3370/How-To-Write-A-Brilliant-Speech-In-Under-5-Minutes.php">http://www.buildyourownbusiness.biz/post/index/33/3370/How-To-Write-A-Brilliant-Speech-In-Under-5-Minutes.php</link>
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      <title><strong>The Power of Words</strong></title>
      <description><![CDATA[In the business world and in real life, the words you use matter.
Words are powerful. They can inspire confidence or they can have the exact opposite effect - create a lack of confidence.
Let me give you an example, using the current presidential campaign.

And please, this isn't intended to start a political debate. That's not what this article is about. It's about the power of words. Nothing else.
At 9:00 a.m. on September 15, 2008, John McCain uttered seven event-changing words...&amp;quot;The fundamentals of the economy are strong.&amp;quot;
The Lead Is Widening
With that single sentence, a presidential campaign race that had been relatively tight broke decidedly toward Obama and his lead is widening each passing day.

Now we could argue that other events also played a role in McCain's declining poll numbers. For example, the economic crisis and Obama's impressive debate performances are all contributing factors.

But no one can dispute this one simple fact. McCain's campaign has not been the same since September 15, when he uttered that now infamous statement.

So what happened?
Why did that one sentence tilt the race more favorably toward Obama?

Here's what I think happened: When McCain said that the fundamentals of the economy were strong, people wondered what economy he was talking about. Because surrounding events suggested the economy was anything but strong.

Worse yet, people felt McCain was out of touch with what they were feeling. They felt he didn't &amp;quot;get it.&amp;quot; In essence, McCain lost economic credibility with the American people.
Lost Confidence
As a result, people lost confidence in McCain's ability to handle the economic crisis, and they drifted toward Obama for leadership. And the polls are overwhelmingly reflecting that.

Here's another example of the power of words, using the current economic crisis. When it was announced that the government was going to bailout Wall Street to the tune of 700 billion dollars, the American  ..]]></description>
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