Laura Benjamin's Newsletter

LAURA'S LETTERS(TM)
It's never "just business", it's ALWAYS personal!
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Vol. 7, Number 11 - November 2006
Editor: Laura Benjamin
http://www.LauraBenjamin.com
We don't accept advertising
We don't share your email address and we don't hound you with cold calls!
Published continually since the year 2000
Copyright©Pinehurst Press Ltd.

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QUOTES OF THE MONTH:

Growth is a legitimate source of motivation, for growth is the nature of
life itself. Growth means experiences. Growth makes employees and managers
more marketable. (LEADERSHIP, The Inner Side of Greatness, by Peter Koestenbaum)

"There’s only one problem with instant gratification - it takes too long."
(Carrie Fisher, American Actor from Star Wars)

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't
want, to impress people they don't like." (Will Rogers)

Teamwork Quotes and Funny Quotes at:
www.LauraBenjamin.com/teamworkquotes.htm

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Open Door Communication Policy is a Joke
2. C.A.R.L.A. Concept(TM) News
3. Size Does Matter
4. What Moms Want
5. How to Get People Talking
6. Quick Hits & Tips
7. Useful Resources
8. Shameless Advertising

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1. Open Door Communication Policy is a Joke
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It's true, didn't ya know? Most companies have them written down
somewhere or ingrained in the "tribal culture" of the organization. It
goes something like this: "We believe in an open door communication policy
where the opinions of all employees are welcomed and encouraged. Our door
is always open to employee suggestions because the free exchange of
information makes us a stronger, more competitive organization."

That's the policy anyway. The practical reality goes more like this:

- We may ask for your feedback, but probably won't do much about it
- If you offer a contrarian opinion, we'll know who to keep an eye on
- People who rock the boat earn the nickname "Not A Teamplayer"
- If you don't like that nickname, how does "Wet blanket" or "Negativist" sound?
- We're going to spend a ton of money doing a climate assessment to get
your opinions on how to improve things around here, but don't hold your
breath if you expect to see any changes in this century
- Oh, and once we get the feedback from the expensive consultant who was
hired to conduct the survey, we'll probably sit in a boardroom somewhere
and disagree with the results. We'll say, "They don't really mean THAT!"

Harsh? Cynical? Outrageously untrue? Perhaps, but run it by a few of your
folks and see what reaction you get. If they scoot out the door without
answering, you may have an issue.

QUESTIONS:
- Would you like to put some teeth behind YOUR Open Door Communication Policy?
- Want get your managers to REALLY listen and get employees to open up?
- Want to dig down deep and get at the information that will make your
company more resilient, more informed, using better practices and avoiding
more potholes? (Hint: your employees have the answers, but they're not
going to stick their necks out and risk rocking the boat without your help)

If you care enough to want more information, better information and help
your managers learn what to do with it once they get it, you really do need
the C.A.R.L.A. Concept(TM). Click here for more info.

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2. C.A.R.L.A. Concept(TM) News
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Know a reporter or editor who's screaming for newsworthy article ideas or
needs fresh content for their next magazine or radio talk show? Send 'em
here: www.CarlaConcept.com. Tons (I mean TONS) of reporter article ideas
on how the C.A.R.L.A. Concept is turning communication upside down.

Like Toyota's continuous process improvement culture (see Fast Company
Magazine, Dec 2006, p.82) "Problems first" and "What didn't go well so we
can make it better?" is what the C.A.R.L.A. Concept(TM) is all about. Why
are we satisfied with scratching the surface of problem solving? How do
we know we're getting ALL the information we need? Are we doing anything
constructive with "lessons learned"?

Here's more ways the C.A.R.L.A. Concept(TM) can help you get results:
- to debrief or conduct an "after action report"
- to help kids learn self-determination skills
- to improve communication between you and your spouse or significant other
- to prepare to meet with your lawyer, your doctor, etc.
- to identify & build leadership abilities in your emerging leaders
- to overcome sales or service objections
- to shrink the line outside your office door
- to prepare for that most important job interview
- to facilitate better team meetings where people tell you what's really
going on! And the list goes on and on!

THREE WAYS YOU CAN BENEFIT from C.A.R.L.A.:
1. Contact Laura at 719-266-8088 to schedule a workshop for your group
2. Get your hands on the CD that describes the entire model plus the Top 10
Mistakes Communicator's Make. Click here. (Free shipping)
3. Order the book for everyone on your team. The earlier version sold out,
so you can now get 25% off pre-publication orders of the newly revised book
plus a FREE laminated "How To" C.A.R.L.A. Card. Click here.
(Free shipping)
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3. Size DOES Matter
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Here's a great article on how small business operations paid attention to
what was happening in their markets and opted to stay small or serve narrow
slices of the pie: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061001/
For more specifics on this, click here to see my blog posting on the topic
Also check out the blog posting on Starbucks while you're there

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4. What Moms Want
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Ever wondered what the moms in your workforce REALLY want? Turns out that
most of them are pretty satisfied. Here's the scoop from todaysmama.com:

-78% of working moms describe themselves as fulfilled
-62% describe themselves as "very ambitious"
-69% had asked for changes at work and of those, 74% got what they asked for
(mostly flextime, shorter or modified hours, etc.)
-70%+ made changes in their work after having their child - mostly commonly
shifting hours or working from home (25% made arrangements to work from home)
-Of those who left the workforce for a period of time (28%), one third found
it easier than expected to find a new job and about one third found it harder.
-58% of those who left the workforce were back to work within a year
-46% use a daycare as primary childcare solution for pre-school aged kids
-On average, working moms spend $700/month on childcare
-6% say their husband is the primary childcare solution
-For those who listed a secondary/backup solution, 21% rely on their husband
-For moms whose kids ARE in school, 20% use an aftercare program at school,
and 20% use an aftercare program through a childcare center

Find out the rest of the story at http://www.todaysmama.com/buzz.php

Also check out http://www.babycenter.com, a 2006 Webby Award winner and the
most visited family resource site online. It helps parents find information
and support during pregnancy and while caring for a baby, toddler or young child.

On a similar note, PriceWaterhouseCoopers launched their Full Circle program
in July, designed to retain and attract working moms. They offer a full 5 year
leave of absence to increase the likelihood that when moms decide they're
ready to come back to work, they'll come back to PwC.

Another company that have put cutting edge retention programs in place is
Booz Allen Hamilton

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5. How to Get People Talking
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Sammy Payne, Training Manager with Hewlett Packard in Colorado Springs
offers these tips to help people overcome their hesitancy to speak up,
especially during webinars or teleconferences:

Instead of asking questions that require people to go out on a limb, let
them know that the time they spend together today will be used to:
-Remind you of some things you may already know
-Reinforce some things that may already working for you
-Refine existing ideas with new information

If you're trying to get people to open up and answer the question, "What
would YOU do?" you may end up with the "I don't know" answer. That because
most of us are hesitant to stick our neck out and give the wrong answer.
(Remember what it was like in school when you gave the wrong answer?)
Instead, you may wish to relieve the pressure and ask, "If you were king
for a day, or in a perfect world, what would YOU do?"

This approach relieves the pressure people may feel of having to provide
the RIGHT answer and breaks down the barriers to effective communication.

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6. Quick Hits & Tips
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MATURE WORKERS A GROWING RESOURCE
The number of working Americans age 55+ is at 24.6 million. Of those,
almost 25% are age 65 or older. Employment among 55+ workers grew by
10% from 2003-2005, faster than ANY OTHER AGE GROUP!
(Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.)

BATTLES OF THE SEXES TEAMBUILDER
The Moot House Restaurant in Fort Collins Colorado uses a fun, competitive
game to boost morale and understanding between staff. They use the game
"Battle of the Sexes" and post scores on a whiteboard in the back room.
The men get a little more understanding of the women and vice versa! Go
buy one and give it a try. (http://www.themoothouse.com/)

NEW PHONE APPROACH REFLECTS POSITIVELY ON THIS BUSINESS
I called a company today and their answering service told me they were
not available to take my call. In a very calm voice, the receptionist
then asked, "May I offer you their voicemail?"

Instead of the typical rushed voice saying, "Let me transfer you" or
"I'll connect you to their voice mail", the words MAY I OFFER YOU sounded
so darned nice! Perhaps I'm one of the few who notices the small things.
But at a time when businesses are looking for ways to set them above their
competitors, this would be an easy way to raise the bar and make an extra
positive first impression.

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7. Useful Resources
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WANT TO SAVE MONEY ON HEALTHCARE? Check out 55 insider tips for
saving money on drugs, doctors, hospitals, dentists and eye care
http://www.aarpmagazine.org/health/affordable_health_care.html

WANT TO SPIFF UP YOUR PRESENTATIONS? Replace the funky clip art
with photographs and larger, more colorful text. People are tired
of squinting at tiny text. You can find reasonably priced photos
at sites like www.Fotolia.com. I found the process to purchase and
download quite easy. They also give you details on how you can use
the photos you purchase. I only paid $1.00 for the one I wanted.

GO TO THE BLOG: http://laurabenjamin.wordpress.com
For short, fun, interesting posts on small business owners tools and communication tips

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8. Shameless Advertising
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No need. Life is good! You won't see this segment in future issues.
We need the space for inspiring, encouraging, informative content!

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Laura Benjamin International Inc.
Colorado Springs CO USA
Phone: 719-266-8088
Fax: 719-785-5768
http://www.LauraBenjamin.com
http://www.CarlaConcept.com
(C)Laura Benjamin International Inc. 2006
Reprints upon request and with attribution please