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Month: July 2020

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Growth Human Resources Negotiations Skills Women In Business

“This Is How To Conquer A Scary Negotiation Bully” – Negotiation Insight

“The scary thing about fear is whether you dare to conquer it.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

 

“This Is How To Conquer A Scary Negotiation Bully”

 

People don’t realize; they’re always negotiating.

She bullied me in that negotiation. Why did you allow her to bully you, was the question asked by the associate? I’m not sure. I think I did because she was tough, mean, and scary. I was intimidated by the tone and tactics she used and the berating she subjected me to throughout our talks. I know I lost the negotiation. But I just wanted to get away from her.

The preceding conversation occurred between two associates. They were talking about a buzzsaw of a woman that one of them had encountered during his negotiation. When dealing with a bully, you learn as much about yourself as you do the bully, especially when it comes to the actions you take to avoid danger.

It’s natural to avoid danger. That’s what cautions your brain when you sense it. But too much caution can paralyze you into a state of inaction. And that won’t benefit you in the long run. Thus, when dealing with a bully, consider the following ideas.

 

Assessing Power

  • Understanding Bully’s Self-View

Before you can understand a bully’s motivation, you must recognize how he sees himself. Does he consider himself to be a stable genius or some other praiseworthy phrase to represent himself? If so, that might be a sign that he’s riding high on his ego. Whether it’s warranted might be something to question. The arching point is, by understanding his self-view, you’ll have an idea from which to create a defense based on that perception.

  • Sources of Power

It’s always advisable to understand the source of a bully’s power. One way to identify his power sources is to observe who he follows, what the norms are of the followers, and to what degree he’s motivated to stay in favor with them. With that information, you can become better prepared to confront and conquer his forays against you.

  • Why You

Ask yourself, why is the bully, bullying you. Does he sense weakness that he can exploit? If so, what is that weakness, and how can you overcome his perception? The more insight you can gather about this aspect of a bully, the more understanding you’ll have to conquer his actions.

  • Bully’s Needs

Okay. You have a perspective about the bully’s sources of power. But the essential component of that assessment is why the bully seeks authority. And what needs does power satisfy for him? Most people become driven to have dominion over something. But most people temper the way they go about achieving it. A bully’s drive for such a quest can be born from feeling insignificant, the desire to live up to someone’s expectation, or the need for acceptance. By identifying his needs, you capture the ambitions behind his actions.

 

Assembling Allies

  • Your Best Allies
    • At some point, you must confront the bully. To do that, consider the allies you’ll utilize to assist you. Your best supporters will be those the bully fears, and those that’ll stand with you in confronting the bully.

 

  • Know Bully’s Allies
    • Having a sense of who supports the bully will help you understand his source of strength. It’ll also help when targeting those that might assist you. And that knowledge will allow you to be better prepared when you confront the bully.

 

  • Utilizing Influencers
    • While a bully’s supporters may be his influencers, there may be others that the bully would like to emulate. If you identify them, and they align with your thoughts, you can point to them as role models for the bully to follow. That would give him something to consider per altering his behavior.

 

Addressing The Bully

  • Confronting The Bully
    • Before engaging the bully, plan your approach, and determine which negotiation strategies you’ll use. Also, prepare for how you’ll inform him of his actions related to him bullying you.

 

  • In considering how you’ll approach the subject of his bullying, you must consider the best time to do it. You don’t want to engage him when others are with him – that might serve as energy for him to become more aggressive.

 

  • Once engagement occurs, attempt to control the narrative. The person controlling the conversation controls the discussion. Be polite, but firm.

 

 

  • Using Negotiation Tactics
    • A significant tactic that negotiators employ is to divide and conquer. And it’s one you should consider using. The point of gathering allies of the bully was to assess who might flip to your side. Thus, to utilize this tactic, give his supporters an incentive to flip. The more of them you can turn, the more leverage you’ll have when dealing with the bully.

 

  • Another strategy is to threaten the bully by challenging his power source. In some cases, his supporters may not know he’s using their cachet. By threatening to reveal his antics to those individuals, you might create the pressure needed for him to abandon bullying you.

 

  • Some bullies are so full of themselves that you can lure them into untenable situations by using bait. The bait could be getting him to secretly attempt to obtain something of which his supporters would find distasteful. Your goal is to create conflict amongst him and his supporters. To that end, you should use bait that’s almost too good for him to pass up. If he takes the bait, sound an alarm to his supporters without having it associated with you. That will keep his focus off of you.

 

Reflection

The information could have been simply titled, “How To Conquer A Bully” because whether one is scary or not, he can cause angst to rise in you. And since you’re always negotiating, regardless of whom you’re dealing with, you employ negotiation strategies in your interactions. Thus, the title intends to convey a pinpointed perspective from a broad point of view. Therefore, while dealing with a bully can be scary, if you employ the insights mentioned, you’ll have a better chance of thwarting a bully’s attempts to bully you. And everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/CSN3928767635?selected=CSN2004356661

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#BodyLanguageSecrets #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #Negotiation #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #negotiationPsychology #HowToNegotiateBetter #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Control #Conversations #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

Website Builder or Custom Website. Which is Best for You?

Website Builder

“What do you think of [insert the name of an online website builder here] websites?”

I could criticize do-it-yourself website offerings, but the reality is that the question above really needs to be answered by another question – “What are you looking to achieve with your website?” There is certainly a place for these website building platforms in the marketplace. It just depends on what you expect that website to do for you.

There are many reasons for having a website for your business. Your needs might be simple or more complex. If you want to put information online for people to reference, then building your own website could do the trick. However, if your goals are to get leads, set up appointments, or have customers to serve themselves online, a custom website is the way to go.

Which kinds of websites are best for you? Here are some comparisons to keep in mind as you research your options:

Analytics

Data is a crucial part of online marketing. Without it, you will be disappointed in not knowing who your audience is or how to appeal to them. Because of this, custom websites are truly the only way to get proper results. Otherwise, you are just hoping for the best, and hope is not a great strategy. Online website builders offer data but in a very limited sense, and sometimes not the specific data you need for your business.

Community and Support

Custom website platforms are going to have a huge user community and support teams that you can rest on. Remember that the point of a DIY website builder offering is that they don’t really want to have to stand up a big support team. They achieve this by having more of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ business model with pre-built templates.

Customization Abilities

The word “custom” says it all, but when you have an advanced business goal for the website, a custom website is likely the way to go. For instance, I have a client that needed their customers to be able to register warranties online. That is definitely a custom requirement. Website Builder templates are made to be simple, so when you need more functionality (if they have it), you will likely be charged to upgrade that functionality.

Unlimited Pages and Contributors

With a custom website, you can make as many pages as you want and have as many people helping you with it as you need. In the online website builder world, you’ll often be bound to having a limited number of pages and users (unless you pay more).

Own Your Domain and Content

The custom website world has always allowed you to own your domain (i.e. kakvarley.com), and even more importantly, own all the content you put on the website. Conversely, it’s rather common for these website builder platforms to supply a vanity URL (i.e. kakvarley.squarespace.com) which can cause legitimacy concerns, and then require you to electronically sign off on them owning any content you put on the website (claiming they can even do whatever they want with it).

Currencies for eCommerce

This is pretty simple. Custom websites will allow you to sell in different currencies if you sell globally.

Hosting

Hosting is the place (a server) where your website is housed for public access. Website builder platforms include hosting because they have to supply templates. That would seem like a selling point in terms of consolidation, but not all hosting companies are good. If a hosting service goes down, your website is not available to the public. If you want to move the website to a different hosting company, you will have to rebuild your website from scratch. With custom websites, you can move your website to different hosting companies at will.

Features

Because website builders own the features of your website, you have likely signed their electronic terms and conditions. This means they can pull features away without notice. Furthermore, if you compare the number of features available, take WordPress as an example. They have a massive catalog of features (up to 49,000 plug-ins currently). The online website builder programs are only going to offer just enough features to appeal to a small-sized customer.

Online Presence

Part of the reason you are even online is for people to find you, but how easy is it for people to find you? One of the most popular ways of getting attention online is through SEO (otherwise known as Search Engine Optimization). It is a technical craft that improves search rankings and drives traffic to websites. Do not let website building platforms or hosting companies fool you into thinking they offer SEO until you know what is truly involved. To get a better understanding of what is involved, sign up for this Free SEO Trial.

One Last Note…

I hope that this information helps you choose which website direction you want to take. However, there’s one last point I really need to express. As your business grows, you will likely need a Custom Website anyway. Website Builders are a great way to get a website up quickly at a rather reasonable monthly price. But as soon as your business grows to a point of needing more from a Website Builder, costs will go up and limitations will become apparent. At that point, you’ll be in a position of creating a whole new Custom Website.

We hope you found this valuable. For a free digital assessment, reach out to us at Ask Kak.

#kakapproved #KTip.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Leadership Sales Skills

Stop Waiting to Be Picked (And Kick Some Prospecting Butt)

STOP waiting to be picked…

Are you tired of playing the waiting game… hoping that a good-paying client will drop in your lap from out of the blue?

Are you submitting “calls for speakers” and waiting to be picked?

Are you sending out consulting or coaching or training proposals that are met with deafening silence?

Are you searching for the next cool tool, directory, or service that will magically open doors to more leads… only to be let down and disappointed when yet another “guru” doesn’t deliver the goods?

I’ll tell you what makes me sad…

Watching great speakers (like you, perhaps?) waste YEARS thinking they’re building their business… when all they’re really doing is playing the waiting game that will keep you stuck, powerless, and reactive.

You know what I hear as the most common complaint among speaking-driven entrepreneurs like you?

Here it is — “I just can’t find enough good leads who have budget to hire me!”

Problem is… that’s not REALLY the truth.

Your problem might be even bigger, namely…

If I gave you 10 great leads right now – the right people at the right companies or associations who have the right budget and who OWN the problem you solve…

You wouldn’t close a single sale.

Why? Because either:

a. You wouldn’t reach out at all… (you know who you are)

OR

b. You would cold call them or pitch them or send some generic marketing material that they’d instantly delete…

OR

c. You would try some overly elaborate, complicated CRM sales sequence and send them all sorts of canned messages, emails, articles, PDFs, videos, and other nonsense that is totally irrelevant to them and would quickly become a nuisance.

Frankly, I’m sick of watching smart, dedicated entrepreneurs let go of their dreams because they didn’t have the right strategies, tactics, and tools to make it.

I’d much rather see you choose yourself – get back in the driver’s seat of your results – and kick some serious butt!

Categories
Body Language Human Resources Leadership Negotiations Sales Skills

“This Is The Best Way To Read Body Language Secrets Better” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“The knowing of a secret lacks value when the secret’s value remains unknown.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 Click here to get the book!

 

“This Is The Best Way To Read Body Language Secrets Better”

 

People don’t realize; they’re always negotiating.

 

As she spoke about her desires, she stammered for a nanosecond as she began to pronounce the letter ’b,’ before shifting the word to millionaire. And at that moment, he heard her thoughts changing, even though she’d not said the word, billionaire. So, he asked why she’d altered her perspective based on her word change. She said becoming a millionaire was a lot easier than becoming a billionaire, and that’s what prompted the modification. Then, she asked how he knew she was thinking of the word billionaire. He said, “I read body language. And that ability allows me to uncover someone’s secrets, even when they start to utter one word and change it to another.”

There’s an aspect to reading body language that consists of more than noting what someone says when they speak, and the manner they carry themselves. Deciphering someone’s body language also consists of observing the actions they emit and the utterances they make when speaking. To unlock their secrets, you should also be aware of the emphasis they place on certain words and their pace of speech – noting in particular when it changes. You can uncover lots of secrets based on someone’s body language if you’re aware of what to observe and recognize what you’ve detected when it occurs. And the way to accomplish that is what you’re about to discover.

 

Listening Closely

Did you hear what she did? If the question was about something said by someone, instead of their actions, at first, that might sound like an incoherent question. Did you hear what she did?

But when it comes to reading body language, you must attune your hearing to the words someone speaks. Even more important, you should listen to what someone says after they alter what they were going to say. And thus, when the lady in the opening section began to make the ‘b’ sound in billionaire, before changing it to a millionaire, the escaping ‘b’ sound revealed her thoughts.

Since a person emits words from their mouth, and that’s a part of their body, while not a standard gesture in the traditional sense of reading body language, word emittance bears witness to disclosing someone’s thoughts. And that’s the value born from listening carefully to what and how someone makes pronouncements. At the slightest indication of a word change, the thrust behind it is a change in thought. The reason for the change is what you should note.

 

Observance

Did you see what she said? Not only should you listen to what’s said, but as stated, you should also pay attention to how and what someone says. A secret can ride inside of their message based on how they pose their statement or question. In the question, “did you see what she said,” that person is speaking from a visual modality. With that insight, if you chose to bond with that individual, you’d speak from the same perspective (i.e., using words that conveyed a visual context.) That would increase the probability of them revealing secrets.

Based on how someone makes a statement, it can sound like a question. And if someone intends to convey a strong sentiment, pronouncing it in almost an inaudible tone or one where the tonality lifts at the end, it’ll sound like a question, which will weaken it. Little insights like that can assist you in uncovering someone’s secrets based on the small verbal gestures they emit when speaking. Pay attention to such gestures, and you’ll become rewarded with incredible foresight.

 

Word Choice

While the word choices someone uses to represent their thoughts don’t fall directly under reading body language, it does leave clues to that person’s thought process. Even if their word choice conveys a slightly different meaning, the nuance in the slightness can allow you the opportunity to sight the difference in their mind and mood.

As an example, if a person said, “I’ll try to keep up. I don’t want to be left behind,” they’re conveying a different sentiment than if they’d said, “I’ll keep up. You’re not going to leave me behind.” In the last case, the person is displaying a definitive state of mind versus the first statement indicating that they’ll try to keep up, which sounds like they’re unsure of their ability to do so. Again, it bears stating, by observing the word choices that people make, you gain insight into their thought process. And that insight can give you an advantage when dealing with them.

 

Pace of Speech

The pace that someone speaks is governed in part by their geographical area, the topic discussed, and how that person feels, stressed/nonstressed, while speaking. Thus, as an indicator, when someone’s speaking pace becomes altered, the meaning they’re conveying is slightly changed too. You might note that action when someone is attempting not to reveal a secret, or when they’re in the process of concocting a story that’s not the truth. They’ll slow the pace of their speech to allow more time to think about what they’re saying before they speak.

Therefore, if you’re attentive to when someone increases or decreases their speaking pace, and note if it stems from just excitement or dread, you’ll have more information to assess the cause of the change. And once you’re aware of that, you can hone in on the purpose of that person’s alteration. While your assumptions may not be conclusive, the insight will give you an additional perspective from which to build a greater understanding of that individual.

 

Reflection

When reading someone’s body language, you still must look at a cluster of actions to accurately assess the meaning of their acts. That means, you must take into account when they speak while covering their mouth (i.e., holding back their words), the degree they focus on you versus the surroundings, what’s done with their feet while speaking, and the signs that indicate whether they’re stressed or calm. That cluster of actions will give you a peep into their inner thoughts.

But, to make that process more complete, and to unveil someone’s secrets, you must incorporate the ability to discern a deeper meaning of their thoughts. You can do that by listening more extensively to the word choices someone uses and when they alter the pace of their speech. That will give you a greater depth from which to uncover their secrets, which will also enhance your body language abilities. And everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/CSN3928767635?selected=CSN2004356661

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#BodyLanguageSecrets #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #Negotiation #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #negotiationPsychology #HowToNegotiateBetter #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #Howtowinmore #self-improvement

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Scrivener: The Program Designed for Writers

Check out Scrivener, a versatile and multifaceted program, for these reasons:

  • It’s low-risk, with a 30-day free trial program.
  • You can buy it for $49 in either Windows or Macintosh version.
  • If you need a form of tutorial assistance in learning it, you can find courses at Udemy and other sites.

Full disclosure: I don’t own Scrivener, but I have writer friends who rave about it. Between their acclaim and what I learned in my research for this post, I’m giving it serious consideration.

Below are highlights of what Scrivener offers.

Goal Checking and Focus

You can set goals for both individual project sessions and for the whole project and periodically check on how you’re doing. You can also avoid distractions by using a full-screen mode that only lets you see your writing screen.

Writing Styles

You can choose between MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago styles of writing. Scrivener also has tools for including scientific or mathematical data.

In addition, you can use it for script writing.

Organizational Features

Use Scrivener to import, notes, links, images, and other information in connection with research.

Scrivener’s storyboarding feature creates virtual index cards that you can use to organize sections of a chapter or chapters of a book. A tool called the Corkboard lets you look at them all together.

The Outliner Feature can help you organize your text with folders for sections, chapters, and divisions within chapters.

Help with Self-Publishing

Scrivener is especially useful when it comes to handling the final manuscript. If you choose to self-publish on Kindle and/or elsewhere, you can avoid more expensive formatting routes. Instead, you have the option to export your document to MOBI (Amazon), EPUB (Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and other platforms), or PDF, TXT, RTF, and DOC.

You can also import from Scrivener to Vellum, which provides the opportunity to create an attractive type design for your book.

Downsides

Overall, Scrivener does have a learning curve, and some users describe it as steep. It can take two hours to learn the basics, depending on your general technological agility. On the other hand, many writers feel that you don’t need to learn more than the basics. In addition, even those who complain about the learning curve also rave about the program.

Free Help is Available

 https://medium.com/@EmilyFox/the-best-free-scrivener-resources-f4d32fb47c0c

 Emily Fox, author of Scrivener for Dummies, gives a detailed account of her own challenges in learning this program and provides an invaluable list of free resources to help you with your own learning curve.

It’s also, of course, free to check out what the Scrivener program looks like. Go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview to see screenshots of the various features. You can also browse through the features section, testimonials, and the FAQ.

Paid Help is Also Available

 Udemy offers low-cost courses to learn Scrivener in both Windows and Mac formats.

Joseph Michael, a Scrivener expert, offers classes ranging from $127 to $297. He also, from time to time, gives free and useful seminars. If you don’t want to commit at this time, you might want to sign up for his mailing list so you’ll know when a course is available. Go to https://www.learnscrivenerfast.com/?r_done=1#_tcil2ra05

Is Scrivener the best thing invented since moveable type? I don’t know, but in summary, it’s clearly affordable, worth the trouble to learn, and has fervent fans.

It also means you can say good-bye to index cards.

Pat Iyer is a C Suite Network contributor who serves authors as an editor. Reach her though her website at patiyer.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Growth Human Resources Personal Development

Hunting for Self Worth: Less is More

 

The Fifth Step of the Faremouth Method is “Be a Hunter.”  Lately, I’ve really been trying to hunt for meaning and purpose during these challenging times with COVID-19 among us. Not only for myself but to impart understanding and meaning for my many clients and candidates who are trying to cope with reductions in staff, job losses, and changing identities.  This step really leads me back to the First Step of the Faremouth Method which is “Do A Self Inventory.”  In searching deep inside of myself, it led me to the words of wisdom my grandmother always imparted, which was:

 

“Less is More.”

 

The origin of the phrase “Less is More” is a 19th-century proverbial phrase credited to Robert Browning’s poem which later was made famous by the architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe in reference to his simplicity of style, and the beauty of it.

 

Not having so much going on in the design of structures allows one to see the creation of the building and its beauty.  When we are able to strip away the excess and what is not necessary, then we are able to see the value of what we have.  As we simplify our lives and surroundings, we have a much better gauge of our value.

 

Maybe we can all translate that into how when we change our thinking on this matter, we are able to see a different kind of beauty within ourselves that is not so much tied to STUFF, possessions, titles, and material things. That is not to say that trying to become our best self and seeking to improve and grow and contribute to the world isn’t a good thing.  It is, for sure.  In my 30+ year career as a career consultant, I have been dedicated to helping people find the best jobs that compensate then well, have the potential for growth, and allow them to contribute their talents to the world in a meaningful way.

 

Maybe in these tough times, we are able to come to an appreciation of a new way of looking at things and, in so doing, we are able to craft a new way of being that allows us to grow in a different direction.   A new direction that even if our previous identities have changed, i.e., loss of a prestigious job tile, not able to afford to go out to eat at our favorite restaurant because money is tight and the fear of being in a crowded place is too risky these days, etc.  When we are changing our thinking on this matter, we free ourselves to pursue a life worthy of esteem and respect and are not restricted to a life we used to know.  We can improve our self-worth regardless of our net-worth.  We don’t make judgments about our own life value by the possessions that we own, and the wages we earn.  The wages we have earned in the past have provided for our lives, but they do not define our lives.

 

There is newfound importance on our self-worth where we shift our focus on our true intrinsic value. While high paying jobs can provide extras, we really have to evaluate what’s really important in our lives and what becomes a filler.  Those fillers do not provide happiness, self-worth, and healthy self-esteem.

 

Consider the following steps to improve your self-worth regardless of your net-worth.

 

1. Live a life of strong integrity. There is no greater feeling than to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of the reflection you see looking back at you.  Make sure your dealings with others are always filled with strong integrity.  Always give more than you take.

 

2. Cultivate worthwhile endeavors. There is no limit to the amount of love and consideration you can show to others, the amount of hope you can spread, or the number of encouraging words and advice you can speak.  Cultivate these things in plentiful supply as they will be well-received and remembered.

 

3. Take Calculated Risks to Expand Your Sense of Self. If there is a job description that isn’t a direct match but would utilize your transferable skills, make sure the keywords in your resume highlight why you might take the risk and be a possible candidate for the job.

 

4. Don’t be afraid to take a step down now to take a step up later. Don’t get hung up on what was, but be realistic about what is.  If you have to take a job that you consider beneath you in tough times to pay the bills and provide food and benefits for your family at a reduced salary, do it.  When things turn around and a prospective employer sees that you did what you had to do to survive, they will applaud you.  It’s the people with big gaps on their resumes during these tough times who will have a harder time explaining their reasons than those that hustled.

 

5. Live courageously. Find the mental strength to accept new challenges without regard to the fear that may lie beneath.  If the prospective new job might involve new challenges, do what you have to do to be able to take them on.  The strong always are the ones to survive.

 

6. Be humble and kind. Call that old boss who gave you that great promotion and tell them how much you learned working for him.  Show gratitude every chance you get.  Call your Mother and check on her, and don’t forget that persnickety Uncle Bill who always makes you crazy.  He might need some help in these tough times, too.

 

Hunt for what you can do now to prepare for your future. Your true self-worth is up to you.  Don’t allow your life’s purpose to be only caught up in the acquisition of material things, etc.,   Its in the doing of those things that might be considered “less” that might end up being “more.”

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

Can I be Mindful and Use My Technology?

This is among the top five questions I get asked as a mindful leadership authority.  The answer is well… in the definition of mindfulness itself.  Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment without judgment. So, if that is what we are practicing then I cannot judge if you can or can’t be mindful with your technology.  If you have ways to be fully present with your technology and be productive then you are practicing mindfulness.

So, with that said the answer for me is an unavoidable yes, and.  Yes, in today’s world where we are connected to technology 24/7/365 I sense for humans to practice mindfulness it may in fact start with a piece of technology.

Top 3 Mindful Technology Apps:

Insight Timer:  Knowing as the #1 Free Meditation app for sleep, relaxation, and more we are proud to have our podcast, www.EverydayMindfulnessShow.com included on this app.  Here you will find more than 7,000 mindful teachers with courses, meditations, and playlists to help you focus on the now, reduce anxiety, and re-connect with yourself.

CALM:  Looking to quiet your mind?  Millions use CALM, named an Apple Best Of App their mission is to make the world happier and healthier.  On this app, there are meditations, stories, and more.  CALM also has a business app to build a resilient workforce for mental fitness.

10% Happier: Do you get fidgety just thinking about meditation? This is the app for you.  This app hosts expert teachers to walk you thru the basics one breath at a time. Based on the book and work of Dan Harris former ABC News anchor where he shares his journey from skeptic to the daily meditator.

While these apps each have different features and benefits they all are an invitation to mindfulness or meditative practice.

As C-Suite network readers, I know you want to be at the top of your professional performance, so I’d add these two tools to consider.  These tools offer ways to turn down your other technology to become more fully present with yourself.  We use website blockers to block our ability to access social media sites that may be distracting. We love the tool Freedom.to that has several lockdown features.  We also use the chrome web store extension StayFocusd helps you do just that, stay focused. StayFocusd increases your productivity by limiting the amount of time that you can spend on time-wasting websites.

Questions to check your mindfulness with technology:

  • Is this technology, phone, app, webpage tool supporting me?
  • Is this technology supporting my ability to be present with others?
  • Does this technology tool make me mind less?  Or bring me back to the moment?
  • How many hours am I on technology?

The use of technology is a necessary part of life in 2020 as such to be a mindful leader with technology you need to become aware of it if it is a support to the life you want to have or a distraction from it.  There is no right or wrong answer, it’s the right or wrong answer for you.  You know in your heart if you are on your devices too much.

And, it’s good and healthy for your eyes, hands, back, and body to take mindful breaks through the day and even a technology vacation once in a while.

Holly Duckworth, CAE, CMP, LSP, is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and coach for mindful leadership.  Her company Leadership Solutions International work with stressed-out leaders to create profits, peace, and presence.  Look for her podcast www.EverydayMindfulnessShow.com on C-Suite Radio and library of award-winning mindful leadership and sales books at C-Suite Book Club.

 

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Free yourself from distractions when you write

You want to write, and you have a plan in mind. Experts have assured you that you need to practice discipline and block out areas of time during which you will only write.

You look at your weekly schedule, determine that you’re a morning person, and decide that you’ll get up extra-early and write for two hours. You assure yourself that this is dedicated time.

However, once you’re sitting in front of your computer, you think it would probably make sense to clear your mind by checking your emails. You’ll only scan the headers and only answer one if it’s essential. Otherwise, you’re not going to get involved in responses.

Or maybe a news site calls you. You’re a responsible citizen who needs to know what’s going on in the world.

Or you’ve been writing for a full half-hour. Don’t you deserve a reward? Why don’t you see what your Facebook friends are up to?

Whichever Internet outlet you choose, the odds are good that the simple checkup will evolve into an extended visit. Time passes in a blur, and you don’t meet your writing goals. In fact, even if you make a brief detour from writing to visit social media, it can take you an average of 23 minutes to refocus on what you were writing.

You might need Freedom.

What is Freedom?

Freedom is a software program with over one million users that allows you to block internet usage selectively.

You can, for example, use it to block Facebook and Twitter from 5 to 7 AM if those are the hours you’ve designated for writing. Freedom is designed so that you can set up any kind of schedule that suits you.

Why Isn’t Will Power Enough?

It is enough for some people, but we’re seeing more and more evidence that social media has effects on our brains that are similar to those of highly addictive drugs. It’s designed to be addictive, and most people aren’t immune to it.

The people who designed Freedom recognize that even setting up a block may not be enough. They have an additional feature that lets you lock yourself out from removing a block. This means that if you’ve set it up to prevent you from accessing Facebook, for example, during your designated times, you’ll be blocked.

You Can Still Go on the Internet

In the past, I’ve tried programs that initiated a total lockout from the Internet. It sounded good in principle, but I found that it prevented me from doing needed research. If you write any kind of nonfiction—and this issue can also come up with fiction—you often need to fact check or look up the meaning of a word to make sure you’re using it correctly.

Freedom allows you to do this. For your part, don’t try to convince yourself that you’ll find the facts you need on Facebook or Twitter.

Pricing

A year’s subscription to Freedom costs $2.50 a month.

On a monthly basis, you pay $7 a month.

The best deal is lifetime access for $130. Obviously, don’t do this until you’ve had a significant test run of the product.

Visit Freedom at https://freedom.to/?rfsn=410732.cca35 for more information.

One of the original 100 C Suite Network Contributors, Pat Iyer is an editor and ghostwriter and the host of Writing to Get Business Podcast. She is working on reducing her time on Facebook and news sites. Connect with Pat at Patiyer.com

 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

How Good is Grammarly

You’ve probably heard of the editing tool, Grammarly. If you go to its web site, grammarly.com, you will read claims that the app ensures that what you write is easy to read, effective, and mistake-free. It presumably detects grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and style mistakes in your writing.

The free version checks spelling and grammar, and from my experience, it does a pretty good job. However, I must note that I did decide to double-check its accuracy by running a document through Word spellcheck, which found a spelling error that Grammarly hadn’t caught.

The paid version checks for readability, compelling language, tone detection, confidence, and other subtle elements. When I use the paid version, Grammarly chides me for too much passive writing. If Grammarly criticizes you, don’t take it personally.

Overblown Claims

Where I part company with Grammarly is in its claims that “anyone can be a great writer” and that “brilliant writing awaits.” These are not comments buried in text; they’re headlines. Folks, I would consider dialing it back.

Some people will never be great writers, and that’s fine. I believe that people who use Grammarly can get a useful education in the technical elements of writing and get to see repeated errors they make. They can then become good or at least competent writers.

Case Histories

In researching this article, I asked two writers their opinions of Grammarly.

The author with whom I spoke trusted the paid version of Grammarly to take care of the grammar part of her writing. She uses it for her blog posts for the sake of finding better words, incorrect tense usage, and passive voice. She then gives the manuscript to her content editor, who will look for flow and related issues. She made it clear that Grammarly does not replace the need for a good editor.

I asked a second author whether he felt that with Word spellchecker and Grammarly he didn’t need an editor.

He said, “Not even close because they’ll help you with some of the overall ideas. And, yes, Grammarly, I love the product. It checks a lot deeper, but you still have to pull out the nitty-gritty meaning and the true intent of your words. Unless you have somebody asking you, ‘Hey, what do you mean by this?’, you’re never going to have crafted your message as well as you could.”

In response, I said, “And I think Grammarly may correct the sentences it sees, but it doesn’t say, “Hey, wait a minute. This doesn’t make sense,” or “You said the same thing on page 32 in Chapter Five, and now you’re saying it again in Chapter Eight.” It won’t pick up that kind of repetition or nonsensical sentences that are correct grammatically.”

He agreed. “It’s the limitations of the tool, and they’re great for ’Okay, I’m writing a quick essay or blog post or something.’ Yeah, I just want to make sure that’s correct, but if I truly want to build something that is going to impact people, keep people involved in it, I need an editor.”

Grammarly is Worth a Try

I would recommend that you play with the free version. If you find that it’s benefitting you, you may or may not want to move on to the paid version. You can try it for a month. If you decide you really like it, you can move on to an annual subscription, which will save money.

Overall, though, my unscientific survey seemed to indicate that for blog posts and similarly short documents, Grammarly is useful. If, however, you have anything longer, you need the human touch.

Visit grammarly.com for more information.

Pat Iyer serves as the safety net for authors by providing professional human editing. Reach her through her website at patiyer.com.

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Turning Your Manuscript into a Book

It’s done. You’ve finished the last edit, and your book is now ready for publication.

Except that it isn’t. Whether for ebook or print publication, your manuscript needs to go through some significant computerized transformation.

A number of methods are available to engineer this transformation, too many for this blog post. I will cover five methods, two of which are best for those who intend one or possibly a few books, and two for the person who feels they have loads of books waiting to be written (or who have interest in doing a side business in book design).

The final method is an in-between one.

The One-shot Deal

You can hire a professional book designer who will do both your print edition and ebook layouts. Some designers charge thousands of dollars, and that price is based on a highly complex layout that may have charts, illustrations, and a quantity of other design elements.

If your book has a simpler design, you can go to Fivrr, Upwork, or a similar business, and see the available price ranges.

No matter who you hire, do vet the interior designer. You can judge a book by its interior.

Another approach is to upload a Word document to Kindle Direct Publishing or the appropriately named “Meatgrinder” at Smashwords. Then pray.

I’ve had success at Smashwords, but they have a rulebook for manuscript preparation that will terrify some people. You have been warned.

The Long Haul

Just the word, “Calibre,” will frighten some people almost as much as the Meatgrinder does. It’s a very powerful ebook software program, but many people feel that it’s meant for programmers, not authors. I managed with Meatgrinder, but Calibre mystified me.

Another method is to learn, and I do mean learn, to lay out your book in Adobe InDesign. This desktop publishing app will give you fine-tuned control over your book design. However, you have to invest lots of time and a monthly subscription in a product you might not often use. This is why it’s a long-term investment.

InDesign has a steep learning curve. I found it difficult to use because It Is not Intuitive. A function called one thing In a Microsoft product is called something entirely different in an Adobe product. I do not recommend attempting to learn it unless its use will be a regular part of your job or business.

Vellum

With Vellum, you can format both a print and an ebook version of your manuscript. The cost for this is $249.99. An ebook-only version is $199.99.

That may sound like a lot, but you’re unlikely to pay less to have a book designer format your book. If you have two or three books on your to-do list, you will save. If time to you is money, you’ll save that way, too.

Full disclosure: I have not used Vellum, but I’ve consulted with those who have, and they say that the program is easy to learn and use and that it turns out a nice product.

Caveat: Vellum is for Macs, and the developers of the program have no plans for a PC version. However, a workaround exists. You can buy time on a virtual Mac at a rate of $30 for 30 hours. Even if you add that amount to the purchase price of Vellum, you’re still saving money over hiring a professional.

This link goes further into the use of Vellum by PC owners. https://paulteague.com/how-to-use-vellum-on-a-pc/

Some other pluses of Vellum include the ability to assemble boxed sets of a series, produce advance copies for early feedback, format ebooks for Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and other retail platforms, and a lot more, including a wide choice of book styles.

I consider it worth visiting the Vellum site to read more about its feature. Go to https://vellum.pub.

C Suite executives hire Pat Iyer to help them turn out professionally written and edited books. Contact her through her website at PatIyer.com