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Ken

Networking or Relationship Building

By Leadership
Sometimes a small mind shift can make a big difference. It might be reframing a challenge in a way that opens up new solutions. Or, it might be asking a simple follow-up like, "Tell me more about that." These small actions hold great potential. If you're in a position of leadership, shifting your thinking from networking to relationship building is one of those mind shifts that will pay incredible dividends. Don't get me wrong. Networking isn't bad. In fact, I've been to those networking gatherings and enjoyed the free appetizers and drinks. In the "old" days before smartphones, I came armed with my business cards and a willingness to strike up a conversation with anyone. Networking is about creating connections that enable the traffic of ideas and opportunities to flow more easily. When we network with others, we're hoping to create a mutually beneficial partnership -- personally or professionally. To...
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How to Speed Up Your Team

By Leadership
Leaders are people who want to get things done. That's why we lead teams, organizations, or businesses. We have dreams and visions, goals and objectives, and a finite amount of time in which to operate (i.e., no one lives forever!). And it often means having to work with people to get things done. The question is: what is the best way to speed up your team? Because we want to get things done, we're constantly looking for better ways to do things. Not shortcuts - unless the shortcut produces a better result. Typically, we're refining our systems and structures to be more efficient. The idea is simple: the more efficient we become, the more we will be able to do - and quicker. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm no fan of inefficiency. I believe our organizations can always be more efficient. But there is one tool in a...
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How to Make Better Decisions

By Leadership
Do I start this post with a statistic or a gripping story? Should it be a short post or an expanded article? Focused on relationships, leadership, or organizational behavior? And when should I write it - today or tomorrow? So many decisions. Life is filled with decisions, ranging from simple decisions about having a second or third cup of coffee to more complex decisions that affect cities, states, and countries. Even when we've neurologically automated our decisions, they are still decisions. Hundreds of times throughout the day, I'm making a decision - to check email, when to use the restroom, or how to raise money for a project. With so many decisions facing us every day, you'd think we'd be experts by now at making decisions. But we're not. In some cases, we keep making the same bad decision hoping it will eventually transform itself into a good decision. But...
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Are You Interested or Committed

By Leadership
Years ago, I had a coworker who every Thursday afternoon would say the same thing at the same time: "I've hit my 32." As in 32 hours. As in "my work week is now over and I'm leaving." He would often update us on how many hours (or minutes) he had left before hitting his 32. The first time I heard it, I thought it was funny -- then I realized he wasn't joking. He was serious. In his mind, his job responsibilities expired the moment he hit 32 hours. One time he hit his 32 in the middle of a conversation. "It's your problem now" was his response. As you might imagine, his attitude didn't do much to "win friends or influence people" -- most noticeably among his coworkers. In the words of Ken Blanchard, he was interested but not committed. “There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When...
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Feeding on Jesus (video)

By Church
Jesus recognizes that the crowd has followed him for the wrong reasons. It’s not because of his teaching, but because he fed them. Jesus seizes upon this as an opportunity to teach about the cost of discipleship. By the end of the encounter, most of the crowd will have left. What Jesus does is redefine what it means to be religious. Rather than being a set of rules to follow, the work of God is to believe in Jesus. But what does that mean? Calling himself “the bread of life,” Jesus teaches us that true belief is finding our satisfaction in him. Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become a better communicator. Click here. My Background Professor at...
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