Six Sigma Blogs

The traditional approach to branding, as far as I can tell, goes something like this:

1. List your key strengths and abilities
2. Define what it is that you are offering
3. Define your market
4. Link steps 1 and 2 to step 3

Voila! Sounds logical enough - the one problem is that there is one key ingredient missing - you!

The other day I was having lunch in a very charming, atmospheric, French restaurant in Toronto, and struck up a conversation with its owner/creator, Ellie. We got on to the topic of branding. In the case of Ellie’s restaurant, taking a broad brush approach one might describe it as French country. If we were to get a little more specific, we could highlight some of his specialty dishes. Taking it to a more sophisticated level we could take an integrated approach to the dining experience- describing it as creating an authentic French atmosphere, being in France while still being in our own city, etc.

But in the end what makes his restaurant so very appealing, the experience so enjoyable - Ellie, himself! It is the Ellie-ness of every aspect of the restaurants - the dcor, the cuisine, and the eccentric, yet professional, service staff- that makes the experience uniquely pleasurable.

The beauty of this approach is its simplicity and its honesty. I firmly believe that it is the only approach that makes any sense. It maintains your integrity, you are always giving what you are promising- which is you. It makes you happy, as there is nothing more fulfilling than having those around us acknowledge our own special-ness. Finally, it is the only approach to branding actually sustainable in the long run.

As self evident as this may sound, trying to be something else, or someone else, is absolutely crazy. It is stressful. It is tiring. It is not fulfilling. It is impossible to keep up. Yet for so many people, when they go about trying to make themselves presentable and marketable, that is precisely what they do.

The beauty of this approach is that those customers who buy your offering are buying something that you, and only you, can deliver. This means that you are competing in a micro-market where yours is the sole offering. So long as you continue to place your passion and energy into what you are doing, your brand can only strengthen over time.

In my next instalment in this series I shall describe how to begin this process; drawing upon the best reference I can think of - my own personal experience!

I would like to close with my favourite quotation from Shakespeare-

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man. .

John Berling Hardy has dedicated himself to providing his clients with effective strategies with which to deal with the Players they encounter in both the personal and business lives www.playingtheplayers.com

If there are a lot of different schedules in your workplace, consider the use of employee schedule software. This type of software comes in numerous titles and can be used in many different ways to make scheduling easy. If you think that this may be a help to you in your business or work area, consider some of the following.

Software such as this can be popular with both employers and employees themselves. Employers can use this to organize employee schedules in their workforce. As a result, it can make changing and arranging shifts much more convenient and easy than it was before. You can also configure shifts for multiple employees or make changes as needed. Making the software available to employees allows everyone to be aware of their schedule change.

Because of this, adding shifts or picking them up as an employee can be more convenient as well. Employees may prefer logging into software or on software equipped sites to access their schedule whenever they want. This is better than the alternative of having to call into work to discover what shifts are available or what their schedule is for the week. There is also no concern for losing printed schedules or missing voice mails about shifts.

Using the employee schedule software can improve your ability to keep track of any hours and days that you or your employees have worked as well. If you need to keep track of information for documentation in your workplace, this can be a good way of organizing those statistics. It can also be useful to employees that have to take care of their time sheets or other paperwork.

The price for software systems such as this usually then varies depending on the software style and uses itself. Usually the employer will take care of this cost. However, if the work requires that the employee also needs the same software for use, then sometimes the cost may also be applied to the employees as well. It depends on the work policy of the company or business.

Since there are many variations of software, it is important to consider the options that are available. Researching different types and realizing the strong points and assets of each can help you to narrow your choices. More specifically, once this has been done, software costs can be compared for the best value.

In general, the use of this style of software can greatly benefit both workers and their employers. It allows both to organize their schedules more clearly and effectively. In this scenario, there is likely to be less confusion about shifts and their times, and days in the schedule are less likely to be missed.

This is basic information regarding the use of employee schedule software. If this seems like an option you may be interested in for your business, you should research the different styles that are available. Consider what your scheduling needs are and try to find a software title that will best suit those needs ultimately.

This online employee scheduling software is an efficient and innovative method for managing your human resources. The interactive employee schedule maker allows you to organize the available employees, times, and back-up resources at the convenience of your fingertips.

We all work very hard trying to achieve our goals. Lots of effort goes into creating the goals, and then even more effort goes into trying to bring these to fruition. But if you just work tirelessly with no break then you are very likely to suffer from burn-out, which is the successful persons worst nightmare. But relaxation should not be something you should feel guilty about.

Some people view relaxation as a reason to feel very cautious. They worry that being relaxing, and unplugging from the daily hard work we all endure means that they are lazy, unmotivated, and unproductive. They become tense at the very mention of the word relaxation. These people believe intense and unrelenting hard work is the only way to get to our goals. However relaxation is very important part of our quest to become more successful.

For the sporting fans you may watch MMA or mixed martial arts. These fighters have an incredible level of intensity due to the nature of their sport. They are carefully trained and an important part of this training is not to do too much. They can lose power, and timing if they try too hard. Desire can sometimes cause us to be unrelenting in our pursuit of our goals.

Whether we are sports or business people, relaxing holds importance to us all. By slowing down and allowing ourselves recovery time we can maximise what effort we can give the next day. We will not suffer from a slow down as a result of overwork. The effort we need to succeed demands a combination of rest and hard work. Working too hard for too long does not help you.

The optimul method of relaxation is not to simply sit quietly. People who are stressed out can sit quietly their minds awash with what is stressing them out. On the outside they seem relaxed, but they are suffering turmoil inside and are not relaxed in any way. Some people are so stressed out all the time that they have been that way for years. Some people do not even notice it because it is almost a part of them.

I find the best way to relax is to indulge in my favourite hobby, Pool. I find this therapeutic because this is something I do well, something I enjoy and something that makes me move my effort into something that I do purely for myself, under no pressure from anyone. I also use relaxation tapes to help intensify my relaxation to levels I could not have otherwise.

If you are not used to relaxing, then using a relaxation CD will probably work well for you. You can choose when you use the material, therefore you are in control and can give your all to putting that time to good use. The benefits will surprise you, and it will likely become an important part of your life as you enjoy the benefits. Hopefully you should see yourself become calmer, and better at carrying out your daily tasks.

Ensure that you always prepare the correct conditions for using a relaxation product. Certainly you should never use a relaxation CD whilst driving or in any area where you could subject yourself to danger. I only use them in the house where I can lie down and know I am safe. As you begin to put maximum effort into relaxing in the right conditions, you will see the benefits.

You will be far more productive if you stop worrying, relax and let the positive effects transfer into real self development.