November 2006 - Posts

• Focusing on success can generate positive results

  From Real Business Network - written by Richard Donkin. This article doesnt offer any conclusions really or any solutions but for some reason it struck a cord with me...  CAN there be anything more calculated to ruin Monday mornings than a chirpy colleague full of the joys of spring, particularly in the autumn when those dark nights are just around the corner? As a semiprofessional Yorkshireman, genetically programmed to spot the cloud that smothers every silver lining, I was unsettled last week at a London seminar to find an expert in happiness sending ripples across my personal pool of gloom. I enjoy my misery, founded, as it is, on a deep distrust of happiness. So it was reassuring to be told by Robert Holden, a psychologist who specialises in happiness, that I am not alone. It is probably true most of us seek some comfort in negativity and misfortune. It explains why we laugh at people who slip on banana skins. There is a sense of relief in witnessing misfortune. A colleague makes a mistake and we console ourselves inwardly: “I’m glad it wasn’t me.” Holden, director and founder of Happiness Project, told human resources managers at the seminar, held by Xancam Consulting, a business psychology company, his years studying psychology had been almost wholly focused on conflicts and disorders. “For six years I studied the psychology of how to screw up,” he says. “I studied every line of misery, low self-esteem, boredom, suffering and psychosis. The theory seemed to be that if somebody is happy they are probably in denial and deep down there is some pain and suffering to work on.” Even language reflects caution. “We say: ‘how’s things?’ In reply we hear: ‘not so bad, mustn’t grumble, could be better, can’t complain, soldiering on’.” Holden has identified more than a theory. His observations could be applied across a broad spectrum of the workforce. Doctors do not spend time looking for evidence of sparkling health. They look for furry tongues, rashes and swollen joints. Police officers look for crimes, insurance assessors seek out disasters, and journalists wallow in bad news. Happy events, good deeds and heart-warming stories attract no more than a passing interest while philanthropy, largesse and benevolence are viewed with a cynicism in the belief no one does anything for nothing any more. None of this, however, alters Holden’s conviction that identifying things that bring us success is a better approach to life and work than problems. This is easier said than done. Most of us tend to be diffident about our successes. We are reared as children to recognise that pride comes before a fall. The same lesson reminds us that happiness is no more than a side-step away from smugness, and that both these qualities can be related to complacency. But the instilled caution that informs perceptions can prove self-fulfilling. “Be careful what you look for because you just might find it,” he says. “If you look for problems you will find them.” Conversely, a focus on success is more likely to generate positive results. Studies in the US tend to support this conclusion. A 30-year study by the Mayo Clinic there found optimistic people had a much lower risk of premature death than pessimistic ones. We might therefore conclude that pessimism is a workplace liability. But there is at least one exception for such a conclusion — the legal profession. A recent study by Francoise Moscovici and Averil Leimon, directors of White Water Strategies, a London consultancy, argues a “structural pessimism” among lawyers lends a professional advantage. A cynical eye is best equipped to find hidden catches. Unfortunately, the same quality that breeds cynicism breeds neurosis and anxiety about long-term success. “The strengths that allow you to foresee and manage every possible snare in a contract also make you doubt about your abilities outside your immediate area of expertise,” they say. No wonder the law society and the bar council, uniquely among professions, funds a charity, LawCare, dedicated to helping lawyers overcome stress, depression, alcoholism and drug abuse. The study calls for a transformation of attitudes and management approaches in law firms. Individually, it is possible, with time and practice, to turn pessimism into a cautious optimism. But do people want to change? Even if we recognise pessimism, it is unlikely we can shed our ingrained jaundice with the ease of a chameleon. Nor can we deal easily with the symptoms of this workplace malaise. Part of our problem, says Holden, is that we spend too much time rushing about in a manic society that confuses what he calls “hurry sickness” with genuine achievement. Why do we have to do everything at breakneck speed? Even careers have accelerated to such a degree that it is possible to be propelled from trainee to boss in a few years before the system ejects us in our mid-forties. Among Holden’s pet hates are “to-do lists”, particularly those packed with trivial items. An alternative is: “Am I adding value? Am I the sort of person who lights up a room when I walk in or out?” He quotes management writer Peter Drucker: “There’s nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done.” Lily Tomlin, US comedian and actress, once said: “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” But pressures on billable hours in law firms remain. Doctors emphasise cures more than prevention. Newspapers continue to give us bad news. Perhaps it is time, Holden says, to talk about what we, as a society, should equate with success and happiness at work. Is success a 70-hour week; is it your salary; the number of people you manage; your daily e-mail count; the size of your departmental budget; a long marriage; a clean driving licence; or a knighthood? Or could it be something as simple as a state of mind, accessible to all? Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it! Posted Nov 10 2006, 12:19 PM by jason with no comments Filed under: General rambling

• Building the business of blogging

  From Real Business Network -by Penny Haw  BLOGGING is for the lonely techie who, unable to find a benevolent ear in his real world, pours his heart into cyberspace in the hope that somehow, somewhere an eager googler will happen upon his unsolicited dissertations and acknowledge them — and thereby his existence — by responding with a comment or two. Blogging is for people like Belle de Jour, the mysterious London call girl whose blog has evolved into a famous genre of erotic fiction (http://belledejour-uk.blogspot.com). Blogging is for friendless souls desperate to swap dog stories. (You can find my blog at http//.ilovemydog.blogspot.com.) Right? Not so, say experts, who claim that online journaling via a blog can be a great marketing tool for businesses, particularly those that want to establish themselves as niche experts and engage in online conversations with readers by regularly posting entries and responding to comments. According to Technorati, a resource website with a search engine that covers the world of blogs (termed the blogosphere), there are about 42-million blogs in existence. More than 75000 new blogs are created every day, only a third of which are written in English. More people post blogs in Japanese than in any other language. Technorati’s biggest blog, as measured by the number of people who had made it a favourite, was Bionic Buddha (at http://thebionicbuddha.blogspot.com), which is dedicated to content for multimedia devices downloadable from the blog. While a large percentage of the blogosphere consists of personal journals, a growing number of businesses recognise that blogs offer a much more accessible and user-friendly online presence than an ordinary, static and one-way information provided by a website. In many cases, business owners establish blogs — which are inexpensive to create and maintain — alongside their existing websites and blog with the objective of creating more personal relationships with customers. “Blogging is a good way of adding a personal voice to a business and building a relationship with an audience,” says Andrew Smith of new media marketing company, World Wide Creative, which has offices in SA and the UK. Successful business blogs often review industry-specific books and conferences, and point out relevant articles and websites. The idea is that this type of service prompts loyalty, and brings readers back to the blog on a regular basis. As a blog takes off, it can develop a wider audience and potential customer base for your business. This is further assisted, says Smith, by the fact that search engines favour blogs because engines like new online business. Cape Town business-owner and blogger Sophia Lindop added a blog to her culinary and tourism website, www.capetable.com in February. “Even though it’s early days, it has been an amazing journey,” she says. “Not only has the blog introduced my business and I to new clients, more so than the website, but it has also enabled me to engage in dialogue with clients, to build trust and to chart issues, trends and developments around the company.” Lindop introduced her blog on the recommendation of the marketing business that established and manages her website. Although she is now solely responsible for new postings, the blog was professionally designed. “While blogging enables me to advance the personal touch, I want my online presence to uphold the business’s professional style.” Another South African company that is building great business via blogging is a little-known Wellington winery called Stormhoek. “With blogging and the internet, there is no reason why small businesses cannot compete for a share of the online conversation,” wrote Kim Maxwell for wine news website, www.wine.co.za, recently. She reported that Stormhoek's sales doubled in the UK in 12 months after “they left traditional pick-up lines behind” and began blogging on www. stormhoek.com. According to Smith, blogging has a low entry barrier in terms of technology and cost. There are many low-cost and even free blogging tools available, and publishing is very easy. But, he says, when companies see the potential of blogging as a marketing and public relations vehicle, many accept that it is worth investing even a small amount in having them professionally created. But that is only the start — successful bloggers need to be committed to the long slog. “One of the major drawbacks to blogging is time,” says Smith. “Blogs must be updated frequently (numerous times a week, if not each day or even several times a day) to hold readers’ attention and keep them coming back. “Someone, preferably a person with good writing skills and the ability to spot worthwhile information, has to be assigned this task and needs to attend to it diligently.” Benefits aside, blogologists agree that not all companies need a blog and for some, the time and effort commitment is not worth it. Businesses, they say, need to consider their markets. If you are trying to reach a specific geographical area, blogging is unlikely to be the best marketing route. You should also have something to say beyond your standard two annual press releases. If yours is an ever-evolving business — such as a technology-based organisation — your blog could follow trends and talk about issues worth discussing on a regular basis. But if you are a supplier of cement, it may be more difficult to sustain a blog. (On the other hand, if Belle du Jour — in the world's oldest profession — has one of the world’s most frequented blogs, who is to say bricks and mortar will not build a great blog?)       Share this post: email it! | bookmark it! | digg it! | reddit! | kick it! | live it! Posted Nov 10 2006, 12:10 PM by jason with no comments Filed under: General rambling