Number 1, February 1999
Published by Celebration Presentations
…your Personal and Professional Development Resource
The CELEBRATION news”E”letter is a monthly electronic newsletter distributed to our clients, human resource personnel, and colleagues. Celebration Presentations works with organizations that want to maximize their greatest asset---people---and create more effective employees and members. Our programs provide the personal productivity, communication, and professional development skills needed to improve performance on the job and create organizational growth.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Article Excerpt from “Toot Your Own Horn”
* Time Tips and Traps
* When Information Overload Hits
* Words of Wisdom
* Featured Program
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ARTICLE EXCERPT FROM “TOOT YOUR OWN HORN”
BY LAURA WOLOCH
Learn how to communicate your value to new contacts. When you meet someone for the first time, that person will invariably ask you, “So, what do you do?” Most of us answer with our job title and company name. This does absolutely nothing to enhance your value. A title can mean many different things, and that person may not be familiar with your company. Instead, tell them how you bring value to your work or organization. What contribution do you make and what are your special talents?
I will never forget two individuals I met who used this technique very successfully. They were able to plant a picture in my mind of them at their very best. For example, instead of, “I’m a marketing rep with ABC,” one said, “I help people get the word out about their products and services. Last week one of my clients was featured in the Washington Post.” And instead of, “I work for XYZ Company in customer service,” one woman said, “I make angry people happy. Last month, I made sure 23 disgruntled people stayed with us.” I say, “Hi, I’m Laura Woloch, I am the President of Celebration Presentations, a training and development firm in Denver, CO. I work with organizations that want more effective employees and people who want to lead more fulfilling lives.” Great greetings grow into great connections!
If you want to go far in your career, you must be able to communicate your value and toot your own horn when you succeed. Management, in most cases, doesn’t take enough responsibility for recognizing peak performers. The onus, instead, falls on YOU.
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TIME TIPS AND TRAPS
1. Stop wasting the first hour of your workday. Having the chat and first cup of coffee, reading the paper, and socializing are the three costliest opening exercises that lower productivity.
2. Think of yourself as a postage stamp---stick to one thing until you get there! Focus on doing ONE thing at a time until you complete it. It takes valuable time to start and stop work on each activity.
3. Eat a frog first thing in the morning---the rest of the day will be great! Knock out those high-priority, yucky tasks first thing. Don’t procrastinate and put them off, or you’ll end up working late. Throughout the day, ask yourself, “What’s the best use of my time right now?” As the day grows short, focus on projects you can least afford to leave undone.
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WHEN INFORMATION OVERLOAD HITS
Try team or cooperative reading. Everyone in your department is probably facing information overload. Instead of each person trying to keep up, assign one key periodical per staff member. Co-workers can write a synopsis of important ideas for the rest of the group, or hold a monthly brown bag luncheon to share “keepers” from each publication. You can also watch for articles of interest to others, then route them to others, or summarize and e-mail key information to colleagues. Then if something merits their time, they can choose to read more about it.
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WORDS OF WISDOM
“The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: ‘I did not have time.’” ---Franklin Field
“Our two greatest gifts are time and the freedom to choose---the power to direct our efforts in the use of that time.” ---Stephen Covey
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FEATURED PROGRAM
Receive a 20% discount on the following program by mentioning this newsletter through 1999:
“Managing Time and Multiple Priorities”
Program Description: “Do you find yourself continually racing against time and constantly buried by tasks, responsibilities, and projects? Do you feel that you have so much to do that it’s difficult to get anything done? This course will teach you the skills of setting priorities, so you focus on what’s important, and the skills of controlling your day, so you handle things that waste your time. You will discover new ways to focus your energy, get back to basics, and create more time in your life.”
For more information about “Managing Time and Multiple Priorities,” simply hit “reply” and enter your request or call 303-471-7401.
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CONTACT US
Visit Celebration Presentations on-line!
http://www.laurastack.com
On-line information includes: Program Descriptions, Articles, Laura’s Schedule, Live Video Demonstration, Client Testimonials, and Pricing
Please send your comments to Laura@laurastack.com
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