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Spring 2010
Dear
Colleague,
Happy Spring! The warm weather seems to finally
be upon us with the snow and rain storms behind us. It is also very exciting to
be starting the second decade of the twenty first century! The first quarter of
this year has brought an uptick in the economy and in our marketplace. There
has been renewed energy and enthusiasm to move forward with plans that had been
put on hold during the last half of the past year. Companies have released the
tight controls that had been placed on their budgets, however doing so with
careful planning and caution. My experience has included a lot of current
demand in the areas of executive coaching, team development, employee
engagement and change management. There has been much need over the last
few months and I'm very happy to say there has been a rapid increase in
business within these areas in particular.
We have all encountered challenging times
throughout our careers and will no doubt experience continued uncertainty even
as the market and economy rebound. The best way to empower ourselves is to
recognize our value-add and continuously work on enhancing and marketing our
brand within our chosen fields. Every January many people select their new
year's resolutions with great intentions. Several years ago, I decided a better
use of my time would be to revisit my goals every December - review, reevaluate
and adjust as necessary - then start the new year with incredible focus and
determination. In fact, one of the key areas that I apply in my coaching model
with clients is around goal setting. We all need to have a mission for our
career and specific goals we want to accomplish - personally and
professionally. Without a plan, we do not have direction nor any criteria
for accountability.
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I recently read about a Harvard Business
School Study that supports my theory. It researched their graduates over a
30 year period and found that written goals can translate into earnings of
10 times more than those who fail to establish goals or put their goals in
writing!
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Another recent study conducted by
Dominican University over a period of a month (on short-term goals)
concluded that those who wrote down their goals with specific action steps and
follow up fully realized their goals at a rate of 50% more than those
who did not.
As we begin a new decade in 2010, getting back
to basics and revisiting our goals is an effective way to clarify our vision
and set the stage for success. I believe this quote says it best,
"Success doesn't come to you - you go to it", Marva Collins.
Organizations strive to attract the right mix of talent, develop them and keep
them engaged to fulfill their business goals and objectives. Leadership can and
should be developed at all levels of a company. Each individual can have a plan
that empowers themselves to initiate their development and take charge of their
careers.
Five Strategies for Achieving
Success in 2010:
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Focus on building
relationships Having long lasting and solid relationships is the
key to sustaining a fulfilling and successful career. It requires a long-term
process to be viewed as laying a foundation and planting seeds for future
growth and success. Do not expect immediate gratification - gain momentum and
don't stop! There's a formula to establish which involves 30% planning, 20%
sincerity, 20% visibility & outreach, 15% credibility and 15% patience
& resilience. Please read more about this formula from my recently
published article in the March 2010 issue of the Boston Women's Business
Journal, "Get to 100-percent Return on Your Business
Relationships".(PDF file)
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Identify the barriers holding you
back Consistent self-reflection and assessment allows you to build
inner strength and unleash your fullest leadership potential. Identify your
passion and purpose - stay true to your goals and motivations. I am excited to
say I have recently become a Certified Partner of Motivation Factor
which is a ground breaking methodology, developed by Helle Bundgaard, that
provides a simple and effective framework for clarifying objectives, developing
emotional and social intelligence, identifying individual resources and
passions
and understanding how these contribute to personal, team and
organizational goals. It uses a Hierarchy of Motivation® as the focal point
for managing change. I would love to share more and invite you to view the
website at www.motivationfactor.com and contact me to discuss further.
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Mentor and be mentored
Seek out potential mentors and trusted advisors throughout the
different phases of your career. In addition, welcome opportunities to mentor
others throughout their careers. Having and being a mentor are two of the major
milestones during a career and represent a critical part of managing a
successful and sustaining career. Follow my five-step model for developing
mentor relationships: Identify what you need; reach out to a variety of mentors
to meet diverse needs; create a strategy that offers value-add and keeps
mentors engaged; stay true to your vision and your goals; and communicate,
communicate, communicate! Please read more details in another one of my
published articles from last October in the Boston Women's Business Journal,
"Mentor and be Mentored: Both are Critical to
Success".
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Develop communication strategies
We can never be too comfortable or confident with our
communications skills and our interpersonal abilities. The rules keep changing
with the technological advancements and multifaceted resources that are
introduced to us every day. Can it be possible to learn, master and get the
maximum usage of all of these options all of the time? Probably not
we
can, however, create a reasonable and achievable strategy that works for us and
accomplishes our objectives. It takes discipline, time management and a focus
on quality rather than quantity. Create communication strategies that require
high standards of excellence and most importantly exude enthusiasm and energy!
As Dale Carnegie said, "Excitement radiates through your eyes, your face, your
voice, your soul and your whole personality." I continue to be a strategic
partner with Dale Carnegie® Training and invite you to visit the
website at www.boston.dalecarnegie.com and contact me with any
questions or interest in their various talent management offerings.
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Celebrate accomplishments and express
gratitude! There are many victories we do achieve - some small and
some more grand. Be sure to acknowledge and celebrate these victories when they
do occur. Sometimes they are milestones, sometimes they are full
accomplishments, and sometimes they include helping others achieve their goals.
Recognize these victories and be happy to celebrate them! It's also just as
important to reach out and express gratitude and thank the people who played a
role in helping you do so. During these times, there are so many abundances
with which we are blessed and to be thankful. Optimism and gratefulness are
part of the celebration process.
Keeping in that spirit, I feel very grateful and optimistic
to share that I just celebrated my fifth anniversary in business! I
could not have done so without the help of so many of you! I feel fortunate and
especially thankful for the opportunities that have come my way as my practice
continues to grow in the areas of executive coaching, leadership
development, management training and career development. I continue to have
a nice mix of corporate clients as well as individual clients across a range of
industries and disciplines. Please visit my website to see some of my upcoming
programs, articles and events at www.ritaballenassociates.com.
In closing, many thanks to you for your continued support,
business opportunities and referrals. I welcome the opportunity to be of
assistance and continuing to provide a variety of talent management/career
management consulting and coaching services. Please reach out and share some of
your recent updates and challenges with me. I look forward to speaking!
Best Regards,
Rita B. Allen
Rita B. Allen Associates
| 460 Totten Pond Road, Suite 110
| Waltham, MA 02451 781-890-6803
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rita@ritaballenassociates.com
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www.ritaballenassociates.com
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