Six Sigma Blogs

In my last post, I talked about the importance for managers manage performance in their organizations, not ignoring performance issues. In this post, I want to go into establishing the performance improvement plan and putting someone on a “measured mile.”

With another global multinational, I saw an enormous flow chart and decision tree. First, it took a whole wall in their offices, so it was a convenient tool for sales people. Second, it tried to anticipate every single outcome from each activity, then mapping the next actions based on each outcome. You know what happened with this process. Finally, and this is what I see most often, the organization has adopted the “out of the box” process from it’s CRM vendor or it’s sales training vendor. Can you imagine this-the same process is used for a major multinational bank, a semiconductor start-up, a retail store, a marketing research firm… Something seems wrong here.

More often, managers just tend to push offending performers to the side. Not really addressing the issues, perhaps isolating them, but leaving them on board-serving as a distraction to everyone on the team. Often, these poor performers may not really know they are poor performers or may never know how to improve performance. When the opportunity comes to do a lay off (or the opportunity is created to lay off people), these non performers are quickly given an exit package. They go off, find another job, probably perform marginally, and the cycle repeats itself.

Developing the process is easy and fast, here’s how to do it: - Every top sales professional has a process they use, it may not be conscious. To develop the sales process, the quickest, most effective starting point is to lock a few of your top sales people in a room-people who are in the front lines, calling on customers every day. I also like to add the “laziest sales people, who consistently make their numbers.” They have reduced selling to the essence. These are the people that know how to sell and produce results. They have the knowledge of what works-in developing the sales process, leverage their knowledge, experience, expertise and pragmatism to develop your first draft of the sales process. Let them develop the first draft-give them no more than a day!

- Next, engage your customers. Talk to them about how they buy, ask them how they want to be sold to-believe it or not, customer want to be sold to, they just don’t want their time wasted. They want sales people to help solve their problems in a meaningful, effective manner. It’s in the customer’s best interests that you have a sales process that’s aligned with how they want to buy-that even helps facilitate the way they buy! Make sure your draft sales process is aligned with your customers’ buying processes.

Putting someone on a “measured mile” is difficult. It’s an emotionally charged time, both for the sales person and the manager. It requires time and focus. Ideally, the coaching managers do pre-empt the need to do this, but there are times when a performance improvement plan is necessary.

In my next post, I’ll talk more about the “measured mile.” When the manager and sales person enter into this process, both must be committed to a successful outcome-otherwise both are wasting time.

If you want an effective sales process-it can’t be developed in a dark room, it has to be developed by and in front of sales people and customers. It’s actually much easier, much faster, and produces profound results. If you want more help in developing your sales process, get our Free Sales Process eBook. It also includes a Self Assessment - look at your current process to see how good it is.

Yuki sano is a well-known author who writes blogs and articles. Debt Consolidators personalized debt consolidations quote reduces your debt up to 70% can avoid debt mount & bankruptcy! Should you get a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit?

I adore gadgets.

I’ve nabbed pretty much every sort of smartphone straight from the Treo thru Windows smartphones to my glossy new iPhone 4.

And I love tools too. I must have acquired each available to-do manager on the market.

So with all of these productivity enhancing tech and tool purchases you’d have thought I’d become more productive, right?

Well, in that I can now fill my quiet time with activities, yes.

If i’m on the train or in a cab I am able to read my email. Using my online CRM I am able to browse my customer and prospect details anytime, anywhere, anywhere. If i’m in the no man’s land I’m able to still keep in contact with my Twitter chums.

But the reality is that none of these activities are especially crucial for my business. They’re not trivial. But they are not vital.

In essence, the tools have made me more productive at the mundane. They’ve allowed me to do admin when I wouldn’t formerly have been doing anything.

Or would I?

If I look back at what I actually used to do when I was sitting on a train, or in a taxi it turns out I wasn’t doing nothing.

If I was on a train then typically I’d be reading. Learning useful stuff. Or thinking about a client or project perhaps planning or taking notes.

And in fact this is crucial stuff. Actually bothering to consider my work and my clients or to enhance my knowledge and skills.

Way more significant than answering emails, tweeting or doing admin.

The indisputable fact that I’m always online with my iPhone has meant that I now spend some more time reacting to events ( email, tweets, even phone calls ) than I do proactively thinking and planning. My ability to obtain access to this steady electronic stimulation has squeezed out the quiet time where I used to actually do some of my best thinking.

And it is getting worse.

Being consistently online has conditioned me now to check my email when I’m a little bored to work out if something interesting has come in.

And usually it has.

Not something significant. Potentially not nearly as crucial as the document or the plan or the concept I was supposed to be working on when I got a bit stuck. But fascinating.

And if there’s nothing fascinating on e-mail I’m sure there will be on Twitter. Or I could always check my website statistics for the 20 th time today.

Lord help me, I’ve even just checked e-mail now while I was in the middle of writing this blog post.

And who knows how bad I’d be if I had a Blackberry with that horrible red light that tells you when you get a new email. I don’t know I’d ever be strong enough to resist checking what had come in.

In truth, we’ve got more productive at the things which are not particularly critical and less productive at the thoughtful tough work that truly is.

We’re obsessed by real time. I had to giggle lately when otherwise-sensible social media guru David Meerman-Scott lauded the new development in Tweetdeck that meant you got instant updates rather than every 30 seconds. ‘Cos being Twenty-nine seconds behind the times is going to kill ‘ya

Now here’s the thing : I am not saying all these productivity tools and technology are a negative thing. Regardless of whether they were, it’s too late the genie’s out of the bottle.

But what we want to do me particularly is learn to become their master, not their slave.

To use them when it actually is productive not to oust otherwise productive activities because checking email is intellectually simpler and more stimulating.

So next time you find yourself checking email more than two times per day or whipping out your Blackberry in a cab to check Twitter. Think to yourself if this really is the optimum use of your time.

So how about you? Have you managed to tame your tools and use them really productively?

Ian Brodie is a Marketing Coach and Speaker who helps consultants, coaches and other professionals attract and win more clients. To discover the secrets of how to attract and win more clients your business. Get free access to his Client Breakthrough Report and Video Training and learn how to Get More Clients in Less Time.

Some things are embedded in the very nature of human beings and cannot be altered. However, there are ways to control some of these natural habits and conditions. A part of human nature is the tendency to not remember events, facts, and other information in one’s life. The good news is that the 21st century technology has come up with something called appointment reminder software which gives a person the control over this forgetful part of nature.

Through this software, people no longer have to panic about the embarrassing situations caused by the forgetful part of human nature. Different types of applications designed for persons with varying needs provide successful solutions. For instance, there are programs designed for individuals who cannot master punctuality and even the so called successful, yet ultimately human businessmen who confuse business trips in their exciting schedules.

Commonly recognized devices like the phone and computer can be actively utilized for the reminding purpose since they carry the suitable functions. From digital alarm clocks to remembering individual appointments, these two resources are affordable and productive. The data put into them can be saved for years to come and the holder is reminded via attractive, often obnoxious, ringtones and sounds.

Furthermore, digital calendars are also a part of phones and computers. They allow the organizers to input events on a particular day along with little messages giving further details to make it simpler for people to remember.

In addition to letting people input and organize appointments and events with great ease, phones and desktops have features that save the organizer much time and energy. One unique feature that allows people to set events as recurring is also available. This way, a person does not have to redundantly add in information. The events can be set as recurring for years to come.

Affordable, and usually free for users, these organized programs can make one better equipped in today’s fast-paced world. However, if one is a complex professional or businessman wishing for advanced systems to better organize large amounts of information, he or she may buy reminding facilities and packages.

A bonus feature of the appointment reminder software is that they make it possible for one to reach out to many other people at once. Whether it is planning large family reunions or business trips, one can access the whole audience at once which makes the job easily and swiftly accomplished. Furthermore, regular users of these facilities gain the confidence of never missing out on important dates in the future.

When you need a reminder program to ensure you are on time for social or business engagements, there is help for you. Use your computer appointment software to let you know whenever you have an appointment.

If you want to achieve more and have less tension in life it is important to acquire better time management to reduce daily stress. It is something lots of people rarely have enough of, although it’s vital if you want to get thing done and progress in life. The process of time management is a simple one but relies on looking at how you currently live your life then making some subtle but highly useful adjustments.

Managing things a lot better helps things to be less stressful as you can relax and have space for you. You might actually be drawn to a lifestyle that is hectic and fast moving but even if that’s the case relaxation is required to enjoy life. It can help you physically and psychologically if you prioritize yourself.

If you’re always in a rush then at one point in time you’ll just crash and burn. If you’re even close to that then stop and go over the decisions that are made and think about what is being done. People often are totally unaware of what they are doing and won’t be able to change until they analyze things properly.

The first adjustment involves structure. Implement this into your life and you’ll find there’s more of everything in your life. Don’t go overboard on this one but make sure that you respect the principle which is that using your current methods you’re not getting the best out of your life and by utilizing a structure you can achieve more.

It does not mean being an obsessive bore, it simply means that you have implemented a structured approach which makes your life easier. If you work and sleep at the same times each day and want to spend more time doing things you enjoy, look at what you have left over. From this you can make plans that will see you make improvements to the overall quality of your every day existence.

To help do this list everything you do in life. In doing this you’ll be able to see ways that it is wasted and then eliminate them or make little changes. Some people have a tendency to spend too much time browsing the internet or answering emails and. You don’t have to abandon this completely but ask yourself honestly is this the best way in which to spend hours of your day.

List things that matter to you and work around these things. People can tend to go with the program and forget all that matters to them. If there are things that really interest you then make them what your life is centered around. If health for example is of importance to you but you don’t eat right or make time to exercise you may want to reconsider your current approach to this.

Once you figure out the right way forward you have the tools to improve so many aspects of your life and can have more relaxations hours that will make things better in so many ways.

Reduce daily stress with better time management! Get inside information on the best time management techniques now in our comprehensive overview of all you need to know about time management system benefits

Time management is an important skill that everyone could benefit from. Whether it is a working mother who has too many activities going on, or the average student trying to study for several exams at once, doing things in a timely manner is vital. Individuals who fret and worry about getting everything done, often find themselves suffering from health issues. Thankfully, there are several things to do which will make everything more manageable.

Making Changes

It is typical for people to find themselves scrambling to get things finished. However, doing this too often can lead to health issues like an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Luckily, there are several techniques that will eliminate these problems and make life a lot less hectic.

One particularly helpful skill is organization. Some individuals are naturally wired to be organized, but others find that they struggle with the technique. The fact is that making a list of thing that need to be done or creating a simple schedule will make things easier.

Carry around a pocket organizer or use an app that is easily downloaded to a mobile phone. When at home, use an online service or calendar to keep track of things. Use sticky notes to remember dates and special occasions.

Setting deadlines to get things done may also be helpful. Manage assignments by setting up scheduled study blocks. Work for one or two hours each day to get something done quickly and efficiently. Many people find that they work better when they have a set goal.

Time management is a vital skill to anyone who has a lot of tasks or activities to do each day. By implementing these techniques, things will get done in a more efficient manner. The best thing is that all the stress will be gone.

Get the complete and comprehensive details and information on the advantages and benefits of using efficient and effective time management tips that you will find today! When you are looking for fast ways to prioritize time visit http://www.timemanagementadvantage.com/ now!

One common complaint among many people is that there simply are not enough hours in the day. We all constantly search for ways to be more efficient, create more time, and cut out needless tasks. Task & time management software provides one easy way to help do this. But there are so many out there it can be hard to choose, or even see why they can be helpful. This is an overview of popular or helpful features to look for when considering this software.

Group Planning

This can be a very important feature if you require cooperation with others to complete tasks, such as in a business environment. This feature allows multiple users to look at the same calendar or schedule at one time, and updates it for all users. For example, if someone else has to start a project before you do your part, they will be able to see that their part must come first, and you will be able to see when they have completed it, and the program can direct you to other tasks until such a time.

Automatic Prioritizing

One thing many people have trouble with is deciding what to do first, or in what order entirely to do anything. With automatic prioritization, the software will look at your task list, calendar, and schedule and calculate the most efficient order to do things in. Some software is even able to continually adjust this list if anything about your schedule changes.

Reminders and Alarms

Perhaps one of the simplest features included in a time management program is that it can remind you to do something. It is very easy to lose track of time and forget about something, or get so busy and caught up in other things you forget you even had an appointment to keep or a phone call to make. This feature can eliminate that problem by popping up with reminders when you have something scheduled. Sometimes you can even tell it to remind you fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, or even an hour ahead of time if you feel you need that much time to prepare or travel.

It is easy to see how helpful and useful task & time management software can be, both for office life and home life. It allows your time to be spent accomplishing things instead of wasting time planning how or when to get them done. By doing all this automatically for you it gives you everything you need to simply get started. Naturally, it will not do the work for you, so personal diligence is still important. However, task & time management software can greatly aid this process.

If you are one of those people who likes to prepare a time management software program to track your schedule, you can find task management software to computerize the task. The software is efficient and flexible to use.

When you’re talking about time management, it is an issue that can affect anyone in the entire world.

It does not matter who you are, as issues such as this do not understand how old you are or what race you are. The positive in this circumstance is that you can work on this through many different avenues for it to be resolved in your life.

This is something that many people have to work on to conquer and complete in their life, but it is something that can be done easily and effectively with some different complementary and alternative types of therapies in their life today.

There are many different reasons that people face time management issues in their life, but what is your own issue with this?

Because there are so many different issues, we have to find the underlying root cause of your own time management problems so that we can work on healing them.

When you start learning this type of alternative complementary healing work for your time management issues, it is all about finding what you are drawn to in resonates within your own energetic and vibrational fields, as we are all our own unique energetic beings.

To really understand how all of this can work and come together for your healing session, you have to understand that we are energetic beings living innate human body, experiencing a spiritual journey, on this physical planet. Once you understand this concept, it is all about balancing these energies through a mind - body - spiritual type of healing.

There are many different types of alternative medicines, complementary therapies, and healing approaches to working with your time management issues in your life today.

You can work with energy healing, Reiki healing, crystal healing, sound vibrational healing, and other holistic healing types of methods for this to be cured successfully and completely.

An easy way to start working with time management issues in your life is through the power of crystal healing. You can work with an amethyst crystal for this type of healing session in your life. It is important to make sure to find one that resonates within your own energetic vibrational fields.

You can also incorporate a healing charge onto this amethyst if you so choose, as this will increase the vibrational frequency level output for your healing session.

There are also some other tips and techniques you can work with such as sound healing. When you incorporate the use of specific Tibetan bowls, or even drumming techniques, this can help ease your issue as well.

When you’re working on your own time management issues, you really have to understand is about balancing everything on an energetic level for this healing.

Remember each person is can work on their own issues a little differently, as it’s all about finding what resonates with in your own energetic fields of life.

Work with these new tips and techniques today to work on curing your own time management issues on a day-to-day basis so that you can have a more balanced and energetic lifestyle today and every day in the future.

Nicole Lanning, founder of Holistic Healing Minute & Healing Art Forms, has a passion for helping others with her expert certified distant healing abilities. Check out all of her services in distant healing, holistic healing, & natural health today!

These days, everyone seems to have tons of responsibilities to carry out daily. The hands of time move faster and people are a lot busier. Setting their schedule effectively is important; otherwise, they can lose track of time and fail to meet deadlines. It’s because of such why having a to do list planner software comes in handy nowadays.

With such around, it’s easier to keep track of time so you can meet your schedule and responsibilities promptly. It serves as your constant reminder, helping you stay organized and in control of everything. Time waits for no one; once you miss something, it’s gone forever. For someone who leads a very busy everyday life, being able to sort out tasks properly helps reduce stress and procrastination effectively.

Having such tool around helps you climb up the corporate ladder a lot faster. When you can maintain proper schedule and attain goals on time, your boss will surely take notice. Even if you’re home as a full-time parent, it’s just as important to stay organized. Looking after the family isn’t an easy task. You also need to be punctual always.

This kind of application helps you keep track of things you need to carry out today, tomorrow and in the future. Although there are all sorts of them existing these days, they basically do the same thing: help you meet all your tasks on time. Of course it’s important to go for something which has an easy-to-use interface. That’s because if it isn’t complicated, you’ll be actually using it everyday.

Many of them carry different functionalities as well. Other than enabling you to create lists, you may also generate plans, schedules and save notes and contacts. Some allow you to split up your to do entries, as well as sort them out, assign them to saved contacts, indicate durations, create sub-tasks, etc.

Many of these applications too may be integrated into a variety of technologies - laptop, mobile phone, portable media player, etc. This way, it can always be with you and prevent a disorganized and cluttered up life. If you’re able to check out your list and create updates as necessary, everything ends up smoothly. Point out what your needs are so you can pick the software that’s best for you.

You can purchase a to do list planner software on the internet. The price depends on the features available and the manufacturer. Some of them come in trial versions, enabling you to test them before actually getting the full version. But there are freewares also around, letting you be more organized at no cost.

If you are one of those individuals who likes to prepare a to do list program to organize your schedule, you can find planner software app to computerize the task. The software is efficient and flexible to use.

Keeping yourself organized has gotten so much easier over time. Technological advances have made it possible to track our lives electronically, rather then by attempting to keep track of filing cabinets full of papers. Personal organizer software can keep all of your important info at your fingertips and easy to access - without searching through your business or home office.

A very effective and secure method to keep your personal thoughts can be managed by the journal feature. Diaries are a thing of the past with this function - complete with password protection keeping it more secure than hiding it under your mattress. The journal can also be used for other note taking or personal entries, too.

Most people have a list of addresses kept somewhere. These may be for business associates, or friends and family. That little book may look a bit disheveled with pages of old addresses and arrows pointing to the now newest entry. This online version is much more organized, easily readable, and at your fingertips. It can be printed and forwarded when needed, without the need to tidy it up beforehand.

The calendar utility keeps you where you need to be. It is very effective for logging meetings, and personal or business appointments. In addition, it can be utilized for tracking dates to be remembered - birthdays, anniversaries, and parties.

Emails and instant messages sometimes contain information that you want to keep in an easily accessible format or place. Many email programs archive older messages when space limitation becomes an issue. This can sometimes be cumbersome for users to retrieve. Keeping these records in your personal organization software adds to their ease of use.

Telecommunication systems have the same issues with space that exchange server do. Thus, older voice mails are often deleted after predetermined thresholds are reached. This software allows you to keep voice mails for future access, without fear of deletion. It also allows the keeping of faxes - preventing the old method of saving paper files and then searching fruitlessly for the one needed.

Organization is also most important when working with project management. Juggling multiple tasks with different due dates can quickly become a mess. This program can help you to track all of these duties effectively and help you prevent failures at any level.

Finally, one of the most attractive features of this personal organizer software is the ability to synchronize it with other computers. You can link together all your technical devices periodically to maintain accurate, updated info across your network.

Click here for more information on Day Planner and Planner Software

A lot of debate has happened in recent years in America over the topic of overseas outsourcing. It can be a sensitive topic and one which is worthwhile of consideration. In this post I really hope to eliminate a number of the most common myths on each side of the argument. Once we do this we will be able to clearly see and make wise decisions about whether or not outsourcing is right for our particular situation (and there’s not just one correct answer to that question).

It hurts the job market in America. The most typical argument in opposition to overseas outsourcing is that it steals from normal Americans. This is an honest concern, especially in light of the tough economic recession that Americans have experienced in recent times. The issue with this argument is that it fails to take into consideration the net result of what actually happens when those jobs go to another country. In the end outsourcing forces Americans to do what Americans do best, create and innovate. This country has thrived to some extent thanks to it’s stunning ability to innovate. So when basic programming jobs begin moving overseas, it forces the computer programming workforce identify new methods to make money in the computer industry. They’re compelled to generate new industries and therefore, new jobs. The immediate damage of job loss in the U.S. is canceled out by the creation of new market sectors and the subsequent jobs that are created by those new industries. It’s also offset by the advantage it gives to competent and bright people that are stuck in poverty because they happened to have been born in a third-world country. The truth is outsourcing generally helps lift poor people out of poverty. It’s a good thing for the U.S. and a good thing for less well off countries around the world.

It lowers quality . Another typical argument is that offshore outsourcing degrades the quality of the services or products that are being outsourced. There are some valid concerns in this area. All of us have experienced irritating customer service phone calls with a person in some other country whose English accent was unintelligible. That is one example of outsourcing gone wrong. Way too many companies have too quickly risked their good reputation among their clientele for the sake of decreasing costs. This is dangerous. But there are many other examples of outsourcing that don’t result in a reduction in quality. In fact the complete opposite is true. You can end up getting a better quality considering your money goes a whole lot farther. You can work with the most skilled person because they are still more affordable than the everyday professional in the States doing the same task.

The Three-Question Test. In the end, outsourcing can be a win-win if it is used in an appropriate way and in the right areas. While customer care offshore outsourcing could very well be detrimental to a company’s name, hiring a graphic design company to create excellent quality graphic design work is not. In the end you really should ask yourself three questions: 1) Can I outsource this specific service without endangering my reputation or my business’s reputation? 2) Can I end up with the same or better quality products and services at less cost by simply outsourcing it? 3) Does this particular sort of outsourcing give opportunity to people in a much more challenging economic situation than the average American rather than exploit them?

If the response to these three questions is yes, then it could be that outsourcing is the ideal choice in your situation. If the reply to any of them is “no,” then you shouldn’t use outsourcing for it.

Read this article for additional tips for becoming a more effective business.