Want to Succeed in Consulting? 3 Ways to Get Paid for Your Wisdom
www.bnet.com
By Tom Searcy | September 13, 2011
Through writing this blog I recently made a friend all the way over in Jakarta, Indonesia. Ben Whitaker is a U.S. expat and reader who is running a company focused on selling high-end IT services to the mining industry.
Here’s what Ben wrote to me:
One topic I’m concerned about is my current strategy of doing analysis and recommendations as a proposal, then seeing that 4-page document get sent out the door by the prospective client as more or less an RFP to my competition.
Have you written a piece about that? Or transitioning from selling implementations to selling analysis and recommendations only?
OK, how many of us have had to deal with the problem of free consulting that Ben’s describing? Judging from the comments I get from my reader base… it looks like just about everybody.
In the world of selling expertise, you must show your expertise first in order to prove that someone should pay you for it.
Ben is describing a really thorny, but frequent challenge. Here are my basic thoughts:
1) Create a custom, self-branded assessment process. For example, we built one for a client in the advertising industry services business called, “The 6 Facets of Brand Exposure.” Under each of the facets were 3-5 best practice clusters, which covered about 25 categories of evaluation. This process produces a final report that evaluates the company’s brand exposure process, (substitute your area of expertise) by category and ranks the company in top quartile, bottom quartile or the other two quartiles of performance against their competitors. Based upon the wealth of my client’s experience, he set the standards of what the quartiles are, what they mean, what is considered best practice for the industry. It’s somewhat arbitrary, but these rankings typically go unchallenged.
2) The assessment is valuable and therefore carries a fee. We develop the evaluation and offer three types of recommendations:
Strategies that the company receiving the report can implement themselves without assistance.
Strategies that will require an outside technology or resource to implement, but not one provided by my client.
Strategies requiring the hiring of my client to implement.
This creates the strong sense that the recommendations have stand-alone value.
3) The assessment tool usually requires a broad base of interviews, observations, and data transfer. This gives my client access to people, opinions, and relationship-building time, all of which increase the potential of getting hired for implementation later.
I always insist that the assessment come with a fee proposition. As my client explains to his/her clients, “If you don’t pay for the ideas, you won’t value them or implement the ones that you can implement yourselves.”
One of the real tragedies of consulting is that your clients hire you for your wisdom, but they pay you for your transaction. For this reason, even if you are in the wisdom business of providing your assessments and ideas, the real money is in the implementation. That does not mean, however, that you shouldn’t be paid for both.
In my subsequent exchanges with Ben we mapped out some additional guidelines for delivering this. They include:
Give your prospect a sneak peek of copy of a finished assessment from a non-competitive engagement, but never leave it.
Give the prospect a sneak peak of the information capture tools, (questionnaires, punch lists, assessment tools), but never leave them.
Leave a copy of the assessment requirements with them. This includes a list of the people you will need to meet, the materials to which you will require access, the basic schedule for the assessment process.
Establish the date of delivery of the assessment, (in person, by presentation with supporting documentation).
Never send completed documents of the assessment without the ability to provide an executive summary face-to-face in a presentation format.
Ben’s going to do very well with this — he’s already gained traction on a few very large accounts to add to his current customer base. The difference now is that if they won’t step up with the fee for the value-providing assessment, he knows that they are not serious in their consideration of what his expertise can bring and they are milking him for free consulting.
MY THOUGHTS
Unfortunately, some companies do make 'milking cows' of work at home entrepreneurs who provide consultancy services. They request for proposals without the serious intention of getting into a project with the consultant. They just want a 'free meal', getting ideas as to the recipe and then do the cooking themselves. Frustrating, to say the least. If you're a work at home entreprenuer who provides consultancy services, better get cracking with those assessments.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
HOME OFFICE WINS
In the Office Debate, the Home Office Wins
By Jeff Haden | March 14, 2011
If you have the choice, should you work from a home office or an outside office?
The always insightful Michael Hess recently wrote a great article, 6 Ways to Make Your Small Business Look Bigger, but I respectfully disagree with his take on a home office: “Unless your business is designed to be run from home,” he says, “get yourself an office of some kind as soon as you can justify and afford it.”
I think that approach is wrong. Of course if you meet with a number of clients a home office may not work, for business and family reasons, but in a number of industries technology makes meeting clients in your office less necessary.
Plus, the words “home office” don’t carry the same negative connotation they once did.
Let’s break down the home office debate into personal and business considerations:
The Business Case
A home office is much cheaper. For start-up or established business, paying rent, utilities, and other costs for an outside office create a significant monthly revenue threshold. Plus, while tax guidelines are fairly strict, you can deduct some portion of expenses you would have paid personally, prorating utilities, some maintenance, and even depreciating the portion of your home you use for a home office. (Keep in mind taking depreciation can make accounting and tax considerations a little more complicated when you sell your home, so look before you take the depreciation leap.)
Increased (and convenient) availability. I have clients around the world, so I often adjust my schedule to their time zones. With a home office I don’t mind phone calls during non-office hours since walking down two flights of stairs beats driving to an external office every time.
Show never equals go. A fancy space at a prestigious address may initially impress potential clients, but eventually you are judged on the quality of your products or services. If you do great work no one cares where your office is located.
Your home office can be a home-court advantage. An outside office is to a home office what an apartment is to owning a home. If you rent or lease you’re limited in the changes you can make to the space, and when your lease is up those improvements are often lost. With a home office you call the shots and the money you save on rent can go to improvements. My home office is about 1,300 square feet, has a great view of the mountains, and the office dog can hang out with me. I hate to think how much a similar commercial space would cost.
A home office is like an entrepreneurial litmus test. Many people feel they will lack self discipline and focus if they work from home. Sure, you may feel you need the motivation (and validation) that comes from having an outside office… but when your paycheck is based solely on your output motivation shouldn’t be a problem. If it is, owning your own business probably doesn’t make sense.
The Personal Case
Adds value to your home. Turning your dining room into a home office could negatively impact the value of your home, but if you re-purpose unused space, or better yet add on, you benefit personally. Plus home offices are very popular with home buyers. A local real estate agent told me at least 2/3 of her prospective home buyers list a home office as a “must have,” even if only for personal use.
It’s greener. No commute = fewer emissions.
A home office creates more family time. One person left this comment on Michael’s article: “I just didn’t have the heart to turn away my 3-year-old daughter who was excited to have daddy at home all the time.” I understand the feeling, but think about it: Home office or external office, you’re not available. The only difference is you don’t have to face the fact your daughter misses you when you work from an external office; either way, she misses you. On the other hand, time spent commuting is family time lost. If your one-way commute is twenty minutes, that’s at least 160 potential family hours gone — forever.
Is a home office appropriate for every business? Of course not. But, if you’re creative and disciplined, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. What do you think?
Photo courtesy flickr user ReneS, CC 2.0
MY THOUGHTS
Find out how you can work from home by clicking these links:
Jomar's Affiliate Program - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1336839
Online Mentoring Club - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272657
Cebu Virtual Assistant Seminar - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4273835
Manila Virtual Assistant Seminar - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349
Virtual Assistant Downloadabe Seminar - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351
Social Mentoring Club - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4278581
By Jeff Haden | March 14, 2011
If you have the choice, should you work from a home office or an outside office?
The always insightful Michael Hess recently wrote a great article, 6 Ways to Make Your Small Business Look Bigger, but I respectfully disagree with his take on a home office: “Unless your business is designed to be run from home,” he says, “get yourself an office of some kind as soon as you can justify and afford it.”
I think that approach is wrong. Of course if you meet with a number of clients a home office may not work, for business and family reasons, but in a number of industries technology makes meeting clients in your office less necessary.
Plus, the words “home office” don’t carry the same negative connotation they once did.
Let’s break down the home office debate into personal and business considerations:
The Business Case
A home office is much cheaper. For start-up or established business, paying rent, utilities, and other costs for an outside office create a significant monthly revenue threshold. Plus, while tax guidelines are fairly strict, you can deduct some portion of expenses you would have paid personally, prorating utilities, some maintenance, and even depreciating the portion of your home you use for a home office. (Keep in mind taking depreciation can make accounting and tax considerations a little more complicated when you sell your home, so look before you take the depreciation leap.)
Increased (and convenient) availability. I have clients around the world, so I often adjust my schedule to their time zones. With a home office I don’t mind phone calls during non-office hours since walking down two flights of stairs beats driving to an external office every time.
Show never equals go. A fancy space at a prestigious address may initially impress potential clients, but eventually you are judged on the quality of your products or services. If you do great work no one cares where your office is located.
Your home office can be a home-court advantage. An outside office is to a home office what an apartment is to owning a home. If you rent or lease you’re limited in the changes you can make to the space, and when your lease is up those improvements are often lost. With a home office you call the shots and the money you save on rent can go to improvements. My home office is about 1,300 square feet, has a great view of the mountains, and the office dog can hang out with me. I hate to think how much a similar commercial space would cost.
A home office is like an entrepreneurial litmus test. Many people feel they will lack self discipline and focus if they work from home. Sure, you may feel you need the motivation (and validation) that comes from having an outside office… but when your paycheck is based solely on your output motivation shouldn’t be a problem. If it is, owning your own business probably doesn’t make sense.
The Personal Case
Adds value to your home. Turning your dining room into a home office could negatively impact the value of your home, but if you re-purpose unused space, or better yet add on, you benefit personally. Plus home offices are very popular with home buyers. A local real estate agent told me at least 2/3 of her prospective home buyers list a home office as a “must have,” even if only for personal use.
It’s greener. No commute = fewer emissions.
A home office creates more family time. One person left this comment on Michael’s article: “I just didn’t have the heart to turn away my 3-year-old daughter who was excited to have daddy at home all the time.” I understand the feeling, but think about it: Home office or external office, you’re not available. The only difference is you don’t have to face the fact your daughter misses you when you work from an external office; either way, she misses you. On the other hand, time spent commuting is family time lost. If your one-way commute is twenty minutes, that’s at least 160 potential family hours gone — forever.
Is a home office appropriate for every business? Of course not. But, if you’re creative and disciplined, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. What do you think?
Photo courtesy flickr user ReneS, CC 2.0
MY THOUGHTS
Find out how you can work from home by clicking these links:
Jomar's Affiliate Program - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1336839
Online Mentoring Club - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272657
Cebu Virtual Assistant Seminar - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4273835
Manila Virtual Assistant Seminar - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349
Virtual Assistant Downloadabe Seminar - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351
Social Mentoring Club - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4278581
Friday, April 22, 2011
10 Things You Don't Know About Working From Home
10 Things You Don't Know About Working From Home
1. You'll suddenly realize that housewives are totally busy people -with hardly any breaks.
2. You'll be challenged not to work because your cute baby is staring at you, saying "play!".
3. You'll be asked constantly, "What do you want to eat today" by your spouse.
4. If you're not careful, that DVD collection will be your #1 distraction from work.
5. You don't remember when was the last time you took a bath/shaved.
6. You're suddenly more interested in nice looking shorts and pajamas in the mall.
7. Your cellphone isn't getting much use unlike before.
8. When you walk to the neighborhood park, pool, all you see are yayas and their wards.
9. When it rains, you're happy you're indoors and won't be going anywhere!
10. In the hot months, you're happy that you can afford an aircon for your room!
-Jomarhilario.com
So there it is --the honest good and bad. Find out how you can work from your nice bahay --even if you're already abroad: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272658
P.S. Don't worry, this is no s-c-*a-m. I know the guy. Read and judge for yourself: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272658
1. You'll suddenly realize that housewives are totally busy people -with hardly any breaks.
2. You'll be challenged not to work because your cute baby is staring at you, saying "play!".
3. You'll be asked constantly, "What do you want to eat today" by your spouse.
4. If you're not careful, that DVD collection will be your #1 distraction from work.
5. You don't remember when was the last time you took a bath/shaved.
6. You're suddenly more interested in nice looking shorts and pajamas in the mall.
7. Your cellphone isn't getting much use unlike before.
8. When you walk to the neighborhood park, pool, all you see are yayas and their wards.
9. When it rains, you're happy you're indoors and won't be going anywhere!
10. In the hot months, you're happy that you can afford an aircon for your room!
-Jomarhilario.com
So there it is --the honest good and bad. Find out how you can work from your nice bahay --even if you're already abroad: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272658
P.S. Don't worry, this is no s-c-*a-m. I know the guy. Read and judge for yourself: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272658
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
WHY SLAVE AWAY IN AN OFFICE WHEH YOU CAN EARN AT HOME
Work/Life Balance: A Career-Killing Phrase?
By Laura Vanderkam | April 19, 2011
http://www.bnet.com/blog/time-management/worklife-balance-a-career-killing-phrase/400?promo=713&tag=nl.e713
Sometimes words have more baggage than they should.
I was reminded of this recently when reading about a new Robert Half Management Resources survey. The company asked 1,400 financial officers from firms with more than 20 employees about the greatest challenge facing them these days. Some 38% — the highest amount — said “time management given competing work priorities.” This was a more popular answer than “staying current with accounting regulations,” which strikes me as pretty important.
Only 13%, however, chose “achieving work/life balance.”
I find these results fascinating. To me, “time management given competing work priorities” and “achieving work/life balance” mean exactly the same thing. If we’re trying to manage our work priorities, it’s so they don’t consume the entire 168 hours we have each week. In other words, so we can have a life. Perhaps even a balanced one.
Unfortunately, though, to many people, “work/life balance” has come to mean something else. Namely, it’s become a code phrase for women wanting to scale back and work part-time.
Yes, yes, this shouldn’t be the case. Work/life programs are for men too. And no, they don’t have to involve fewer work hours. The best work/life programs aren’t programs at all, but cultures that encourage people to work wherever, whenever, as long as the work gets done well. One recent study from Brigham Young University found that when people could work from home sometimes and set their own hours, people could work 57 hours per week before a quarter experienced work/life stress. Those stuck in offices during set hours could only work 38. In case anyone has trouble with the math, 57 is more than 38. A full 50% more.
But that kind of culture would involve such radical change for many managers that it’s easier to create part-time mommy tracks and assume that you’ve done your duty. Of course, a side effect of this pseudo-solution is that “work/life balance” becomes synonymous with such tracks. Anyone who wants to be seen as a go-getter will avoid using the phrase “work/life balance” at all costs.
And so, we say “yes” to time management and “no” to other words that describe the same thing. I can’t decide if that’s sad or silly, but until more workplaces treat people like grown-ups, it’s probably wise to watch our mouths.
MY THOUGHT
Believe me-you get more work done working from home than working in an office. Of course, this is probably circumstancial. But if you've managed your home office well and have oriented family members as to your working hours, working from homesdoes tend to allow you to produce more and better results. In my case, there's less stress-no traffic, no unscheduled meetings, no office politics.
I suggest you try it ourt part-time and see of it's for you. Here are some workshops yu can attend to get you started.
ONLINE WEALTH BREAKTHROUGH SEMINAR - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4274270
INTERNET MARKETING - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1336839
ONLINE MENTORING CLUB - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272657
CEBU VIRTUAL ASSISTANT SEMINAR - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4273835
MANILA VA SEMINAR - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349
VA DOWNLOADED SEMINAR (you can do it at home) - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351
SOCIAL MENTORING CLUB - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4278581
I've attended a couple of these workshops and I'm very happy with the results.
By Laura Vanderkam | April 19, 2011
http://www.bnet.com/blog/time-management/worklife-balance-a-career-killing-phrase/400?promo=713&tag=nl.e713
Sometimes words have more baggage than they should.
I was reminded of this recently when reading about a new Robert Half Management Resources survey. The company asked 1,400 financial officers from firms with more than 20 employees about the greatest challenge facing them these days. Some 38% — the highest amount — said “time management given competing work priorities.” This was a more popular answer than “staying current with accounting regulations,” which strikes me as pretty important.
Only 13%, however, chose “achieving work/life balance.”
I find these results fascinating. To me, “time management given competing work priorities” and “achieving work/life balance” mean exactly the same thing. If we’re trying to manage our work priorities, it’s so they don’t consume the entire 168 hours we have each week. In other words, so we can have a life. Perhaps even a balanced one.
Unfortunately, though, to many people, “work/life balance” has come to mean something else. Namely, it’s become a code phrase for women wanting to scale back and work part-time.
Yes, yes, this shouldn’t be the case. Work/life programs are for men too. And no, they don’t have to involve fewer work hours. The best work/life programs aren’t programs at all, but cultures that encourage people to work wherever, whenever, as long as the work gets done well. One recent study from Brigham Young University found that when people could work from home sometimes and set their own hours, people could work 57 hours per week before a quarter experienced work/life stress. Those stuck in offices during set hours could only work 38. In case anyone has trouble with the math, 57 is more than 38. A full 50% more.
But that kind of culture would involve such radical change for many managers that it’s easier to create part-time mommy tracks and assume that you’ve done your duty. Of course, a side effect of this pseudo-solution is that “work/life balance” becomes synonymous with such tracks. Anyone who wants to be seen as a go-getter will avoid using the phrase “work/life balance” at all costs.
And so, we say “yes” to time management and “no” to other words that describe the same thing. I can’t decide if that’s sad or silly, but until more workplaces treat people like grown-ups, it’s probably wise to watch our mouths.
MY THOUGHT
Believe me-you get more work done working from home than working in an office. Of course, this is probably circumstancial. But if you've managed your home office well and have oriented family members as to your working hours, working from homesdoes tend to allow you to produce more and better results. In my case, there's less stress-no traffic, no unscheduled meetings, no office politics.
I suggest you try it ourt part-time and see of it's for you. Here are some workshops yu can attend to get you started.
ONLINE WEALTH BREAKTHROUGH SEMINAR - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4274270
INTERNET MARKETING - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1336839
ONLINE MENTORING CLUB - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4272657
CEBU VIRTUAL ASSISTANT SEMINAR - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4273835
MANILA VA SEMINAR - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268349
VA DOWNLOADED SEMINAR (you can do it at home) - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4268351
SOCIAL MENTORING CLUB - http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4278581
I've attended a couple of these workshops and I'm very happy with the results.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Will your work still SUCK if you WORK AT HOME?
How to fix a workplace that sucks
By Malcolm Smith
How often do you hear it? "Work sucks." This week I‘ve heard it from academic colleagues, my mailman, my wife, my son and a host other of characters in my life.
Needless to say, I was intrigued when a new version of a book hit my desk this week titled "Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It," by Cali Ressler and Jody Thomson. First published in 2008, this wonderful little book has come out in an expanded paperback format. It really gets you thinking.
My intrigue with the book stems from a rising volume of literature that indicates that our families, our health and our productivity are suffering because of the disharmony that exists between our work lives and our personal lives. Americans are spending less time with their families, working longer hours and suffering more medical problems related to stress than ever in our history.
In addition, research shows that we are becoming meaner to one another in work environments.
Workplace bullying is at an all-time high and our workplaces are increasingly unhealthy. There are also indications that our spouses, children and friends are suffering from the effects of our work life.
According to Ressler and Thomson, the basis of this "suckiness" can be found in the very culture we create around work: Endless meetings that aren't productive; rigid schedules that don't mesh with our personal lives and the needs of our families; and a variety of rules and policies that serve only to justify a worker's existence and don't contribute to the bottom line.
Their solution? The Results Only Work Environment, or ROWE. The authors believe that, with the exception of those who must staff a sales floor or operate a machine, most "service" jobs should be performed in an environment where the only question that matters is, "Did this person get results?"
Obvious benefits
In the work world of "no suck," there's no concept of sick or vacation time, no tardiness, no gossiping about who is or isn't at work, and no worrying about when someone takes lunch or runs an errand. You work only when it helps you meet your assigned goals.
The authors say the ROWE model has been used successfully at the corporate end of Best Buy, as well as at a variety of other shops. Although there's a distinction between salaried workers and hourly workers who must perform their service at a particular time and/or place, ROWE certainly could work for many people in service, education, sales, and a lot of other industries.
Imagine a world where you napped if you wanted, as long as you met your goals. Imagine that as long as you produced quality work, no one snuck around your cubicle or your office door to see if you were "busy." Imagine being at home to greet the plumber and feeling no guilt when your child needs you to take her to the doctor.
In the ROWE model your time is your own, to manage as you see fit, from wherever you work best or need to be at the moment. In other words, under a ROWE structure, you would be considered a grown-up, rather than someone who needs to be "managed." If you need the team, you will meet with them. If you don't need them, you will proceed to do what you need to do.
The benefits are obvious. More work from home means less driving and less heating of office spaces. You control the clock, so the conflicts you encounter are your own. You have total autonomy, which has been linked to higher productivity and less stress.
What Ressler and Thompson are suggesting here is a revolution in the workplace, where everyone becomes focused on results, as distinguished from process.
Thus a college professor would worry more about his students and meeting their needs than impressing a review committee. An editor wouldn't feel guilty admitting that she does her best work on a laptop in a busy coffee shop with Wi-Fi.
This book was written by relatively young people - part of the new generation of American workers who will soon step into leadership roles in our companies and our board rooms. We may be just a step away from finding ourselves in a revolution in the corporate environment.
Work is taking a toll on our health, our families and our lives that's not sustainable. It would be nice if all of our work environments sucked a little less.
You can follow Ressler and Thompson's blog and get a copy of the book on their website, gorowe.com.
Dr. Malcolm Smith is family life and family policy specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension and teaches in the University of New Hampshire Family Studies Program. He can be reached at 603-862-7008 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 603-862-7008 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or malcolm.smith@unh.edu.
MY THOUGHTS
It's working! If you have been introduced into the world of home-based work, you should look into it. Seriously. Remote employers don't care where you graduated, what happened in your previous work nor whatever issues regular employers will look into before hiring you. Remote employers only care about your skills and eventually the results that you would produce. Applying for work-at-home jobs also provides less hassle - you're invited (or you apply),they send you on-line tests (monitored via webcam and screenshots), then you get interviewed via Skype. Once you're hired, it's purely results based. Go check on oDesk. You'll understand it better.
By Malcolm Smith
How often do you hear it? "Work sucks." This week I‘ve heard it from academic colleagues, my mailman, my wife, my son and a host other of characters in my life.
Needless to say, I was intrigued when a new version of a book hit my desk this week titled "Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It," by Cali Ressler and Jody Thomson. First published in 2008, this wonderful little book has come out in an expanded paperback format. It really gets you thinking.
My intrigue with the book stems from a rising volume of literature that indicates that our families, our health and our productivity are suffering because of the disharmony that exists between our work lives and our personal lives. Americans are spending less time with their families, working longer hours and suffering more medical problems related to stress than ever in our history.
In addition, research shows that we are becoming meaner to one another in work environments.
Workplace bullying is at an all-time high and our workplaces are increasingly unhealthy. There are also indications that our spouses, children and friends are suffering from the effects of our work life.
According to Ressler and Thomson, the basis of this "suckiness" can be found in the very culture we create around work: Endless meetings that aren't productive; rigid schedules that don't mesh with our personal lives and the needs of our families; and a variety of rules and policies that serve only to justify a worker's existence and don't contribute to the bottom line.
Their solution? The Results Only Work Environment, or ROWE. The authors believe that, with the exception of those who must staff a sales floor or operate a machine, most "service" jobs should be performed in an environment where the only question that matters is, "Did this person get results?"
Obvious benefits
In the work world of "no suck," there's no concept of sick or vacation time, no tardiness, no gossiping about who is or isn't at work, and no worrying about when someone takes lunch or runs an errand. You work only when it helps you meet your assigned goals.
The authors say the ROWE model has been used successfully at the corporate end of Best Buy, as well as at a variety of other shops. Although there's a distinction between salaried workers and hourly workers who must perform their service at a particular time and/or place, ROWE certainly could work for many people in service, education, sales, and a lot of other industries.
Imagine a world where you napped if you wanted, as long as you met your goals. Imagine that as long as you produced quality work, no one snuck around your cubicle or your office door to see if you were "busy." Imagine being at home to greet the plumber and feeling no guilt when your child needs you to take her to the doctor.
In the ROWE model your time is your own, to manage as you see fit, from wherever you work best or need to be at the moment. In other words, under a ROWE structure, you would be considered a grown-up, rather than someone who needs to be "managed." If you need the team, you will meet with them. If you don't need them, you will proceed to do what you need to do.
The benefits are obvious. More work from home means less driving and less heating of office spaces. You control the clock, so the conflicts you encounter are your own. You have total autonomy, which has been linked to higher productivity and less stress.
What Ressler and Thompson are suggesting here is a revolution in the workplace, where everyone becomes focused on results, as distinguished from process.
Thus a college professor would worry more about his students and meeting their needs than impressing a review committee. An editor wouldn't feel guilty admitting that she does her best work on a laptop in a busy coffee shop with Wi-Fi.
This book was written by relatively young people - part of the new generation of American workers who will soon step into leadership roles in our companies and our board rooms. We may be just a step away from finding ourselves in a revolution in the corporate environment.
Work is taking a toll on our health, our families and our lives that's not sustainable. It would be nice if all of our work environments sucked a little less.
You can follow Ressler and Thompson's blog and get a copy of the book on their website, gorowe.com.
Dr. Malcolm Smith is family life and family policy specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension and teaches in the University of New Hampshire Family Studies Program. He can be reached at 603-862-7008 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 603-862-7008 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or malcolm.smith@unh.edu.
MY THOUGHTS
It's working! If you have been introduced into the world of home-based work, you should look into it. Seriously. Remote employers don't care where you graduated, what happened in your previous work nor whatever issues regular employers will look into before hiring you. Remote employers only care about your skills and eventually the results that you would produce. Applying for work-at-home jobs also provides less hassle - you're invited (or you apply),they send you on-line tests (monitored via webcam and screenshots), then you get interviewed via Skype. Once you're hired, it's purely results based. Go check on oDesk. You'll understand it better.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
PATHS TO ENTREPRENEURIAL BLISS
Three Paths to Entrepreneurial Bliss
By Donna Fenn | May 3, 2010
What makes for a blissfully happy business owner? Soaring revenues, hefty profits, and fabulous cash flow? Guess again. Srikumar Rao, author of Happiness atWork: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful - No Matter What (McGraw-Hill, 2010), has an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. He is probably best know for his course “Creativity and Personal Mastery“, which he has taught at Columbia Business School, and several other prestigious universities. The course is so popular and transformative that it even has its own alumni association. I recently spoke with Rao (who is one part management guru, one part philosopher, and one part swami) and asked him how his ideas might apply to entrepreneurs. Courtesy of Rao, here’s your road map to entrepreneurial bliss:
Invest in the success of your team. “No entrepreneur is ever going to succeed individually,” says Rao. “He or she has to work through a team - the customers, vendors, and other people who support what they’re doing.” But entrepreneurs have a habit of viewing people as “mechanisms” to help them achieve their goals and, says Rao, “in a subtle way it demeans the relationship.” Instead, he suggests “entrepreneurs should think ‘is there anything I can do to help that person do the best he or she is capable of doing as a human being?’ If they can stat thinking along those lines, it makes them tremendously more efficient as managers. If you want success, help everyone reach their highest potential, and your own success will be a by-product and come effortlessly.”
Emphasize process, not outcome. “Entrepreneurs all think in terms of the “if-then” model,” Rao notes. The brass ring might be a revenue goal, landing a big customer, or having enough cash to move into new offices. The trouble with focusing on outcomes, says Rao, is that they are totally beyond your control. “The point is that even if you do achieve your goals, wonderful things may or may not happen,” he says. And those wonderful things will always be replaced by something else you think you need - like an even bigger office and more customers. “But you’re not going to enjoy the journey,” cautions Rao, and that’s the one thing you can control. His advice: “Focus on outcomes only to the extent that it gives you direction. Then forget about outcomes and focus on the process.”
Be mission-focused, not me-focused. Entrepreneurs who live in a “me-focused” universe fall into the trap of evaluating everything in terms of its immediate impact on them, says Rao. If a major customer has a problem and cancels an order, or a key employee suddenly quits, it helps enormously to remind yourself of your company’s larger mission. “You need to start thinking in terms of the value that you are delivering to the world, and that has to be more important than what you want from an ego standpoint,” says Rao. “If you define what you do in functional terms, you are either burnt out or you will be burnt out soon,” he warns. And everyone, from garbage collectors to stockbrokers, can articulate a way in which they somehow make the world better. Focus on that larger mission, says Rao, and in tough times “forces that you can’t image come to your rescue. And your employees become much more engaged.”
Do Srikumar Rao’s concepts strike a chord with you? Tell us about your own path to entrepreneurial bliss.
MY THOUGHTS
You don't need to have your own business to be thinking along these lines. Successful managers/leaders are those who have the entrepreneurial spirit. These tips will work for you even if you're working for someone else.
BTW, if you're wondering what a SWAMI is, click this link - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/swami
By Donna Fenn | May 3, 2010
What makes for a blissfully happy business owner? Soaring revenues, hefty profits, and fabulous cash flow? Guess again. Srikumar Rao, author of Happiness atWork: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful - No Matter What (McGraw-Hill, 2010), has an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. He is probably best know for his course “Creativity and Personal Mastery“, which he has taught at Columbia Business School, and several other prestigious universities. The course is so popular and transformative that it even has its own alumni association. I recently spoke with Rao (who is one part management guru, one part philosopher, and one part swami) and asked him how his ideas might apply to entrepreneurs. Courtesy of Rao, here’s your road map to entrepreneurial bliss:
Invest in the success of your team. “No entrepreneur is ever going to succeed individually,” says Rao. “He or she has to work through a team - the customers, vendors, and other people who support what they’re doing.” But entrepreneurs have a habit of viewing people as “mechanisms” to help them achieve their goals and, says Rao, “in a subtle way it demeans the relationship.” Instead, he suggests “entrepreneurs should think ‘is there anything I can do to help that person do the best he or she is capable of doing as a human being?’ If they can stat thinking along those lines, it makes them tremendously more efficient as managers. If you want success, help everyone reach their highest potential, and your own success will be a by-product and come effortlessly.”
Emphasize process, not outcome. “Entrepreneurs all think in terms of the “if-then” model,” Rao notes. The brass ring might be a revenue goal, landing a big customer, or having enough cash to move into new offices. The trouble with focusing on outcomes, says Rao, is that they are totally beyond your control. “The point is that even if you do achieve your goals, wonderful things may or may not happen,” he says. And those wonderful things will always be replaced by something else you think you need - like an even bigger office and more customers. “But you’re not going to enjoy the journey,” cautions Rao, and that’s the one thing you can control. His advice: “Focus on outcomes only to the extent that it gives you direction. Then forget about outcomes and focus on the process.”
Be mission-focused, not me-focused. Entrepreneurs who live in a “me-focused” universe fall into the trap of evaluating everything in terms of its immediate impact on them, says Rao. If a major customer has a problem and cancels an order, or a key employee suddenly quits, it helps enormously to remind yourself of your company’s larger mission. “You need to start thinking in terms of the value that you are delivering to the world, and that has to be more important than what you want from an ego standpoint,” says Rao. “If you define what you do in functional terms, you are either burnt out or you will be burnt out soon,” he warns. And everyone, from garbage collectors to stockbrokers, can articulate a way in which they somehow make the world better. Focus on that larger mission, says Rao, and in tough times “forces that you can’t image come to your rescue. And your employees become much more engaged.”
Do Srikumar Rao’s concepts strike a chord with you? Tell us about your own path to entrepreneurial bliss.
MY THOUGHTS
You don't need to have your own business to be thinking along these lines. Successful managers/leaders are those who have the entrepreneurial spirit. These tips will work for you even if you're working for someone else.
BTW, if you're wondering what a SWAMI is, click this link - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/swami
Friday, April 8, 2011
BE PRODUCTIVE AT HOME
Home Office: 9 Smart Ways to Be More Productive
By Amy Levin-Epstein | Mar 21, 2011
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/career-advice/blog/on-job/home-office-9-smart-ways-to-be-more-productive/395/?tag=content;col1
Whether you’re self-employed or telecommuting, an efficient home office is critical. At the very least, designate a room (or at least a specific section of a quiet room) in your home for work. Because if you’re working in your bedroom, you’ll be thinking about the next day’s tasks while you’re trying to sleep — basically, an insomniac’s nightmare. And if you’re working in the kitchen, you’ll be reviewing the contents of the refrigerator rather than what’s on today’s agenda.
For my own home office, I’ve invested in a good laptop (backed up with Backblaze), a solid all-in-one printer and a landline, so I never suffer with static and I can record interviews. Of course, your own priorities might be different.
I asked some self-employed folks for their finest tips, and these were nine of the best. Do you have any to add?
1. Take Advantage of Technology
“I have found that the use of cloud computing resources for my home office and business is helpful. The tools [I use most] are: Evernote for keeping track of information, Manymoon for project management (links with my Google apps), Google apps like Google Documents, Google Calendar, Google Voice, Nudgemail (to keep track of To Do items that need consistent follow up), Free CRM (the most malleable customer relationship management tool on the web) and Mailchimp (for newsletters and email blasts).”
– E. Allen Knight, Ann Arbor, Mich., consultant, small business owner and professor
2. Block Out Distractions
“Buy some heavy blinds or drapes to block out sun, heat, cold and noise. If it’s a nice day outside, you can close the blinds, and you’ll be more likely to stay inside and work! Plus, it’s a great way to block outside noise from neighbors, traffic and gardeners.”
– Melanie Rembrandt, owner of Rembrandt Communications in Redondo Beach, Calif.
3. Get Good Furniture
“The biggest mistake home office workers make is buying particle board furniture from the office supply store. Search out office furniture stores instead. Real office furniture is made for work. [That could mean] a keyboard tray that’s wide enough for a keyboard and a mouse or an office chair meant for supporting you for eight or more hours, not the occasional hour or two on the weekend.”
– Kathryn Weber, freelance writer and publisher of the Red Lotus Letter E-Zine, Austin, Texas
4. Prepare Your Pets
“If you are planning an important phone interview or phone conference and you own a dog like I do, try to make arrangements to have the dog outside or in another room and shut your office door. An unexpected UPS or Fedex delivery can set the dog to barking and interrupt that call.”
– Christel K. Hall of ProWrite Public Relations, Minden, Nev.
5. Protect Your Privacy
“Keeping your business life separate from home life is not just sanity saving (a client won’t walk in on you doing aerobics to Donna Summer), but a safety concern, especially if you work online. Make sure you use a business postal address, and be careful about where you post your personal information.”
– Sarah Clachar, Healthy Marketing Ideas, Rochester, N.H.
6. Invest in a Separate Office Phone
“One of the first thing I realized that I needed to do was get a separate number for my office so that my son, who was then 5 years old, did not pick up the phone when reporters called. I still keep my line in my office as I prefer to receive calls from clients and reporters on my business line rather than my cell phone. That way I can let it go directly to voice mail if it rings after hours or on weekends.”
– Julie Phillippi-Whitney, owner, Phillippi-Whitney Communications, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. Keep Regular Hours
“Set work hours and stick to them. Do nothing but work during that time, as you would with an office job. Then when the time is up, stay away from the computer!”
– Margelit Hoffman, social media manager and strategist, Allentown, Pa.
8. Pack a Snack
“I’ve learned to always keep snacks at my desk, usually healthy ones like nuts, a granola bar, or brown rice cakes (sometimes chocolate sneaks in, too!). It’s easier for me to stay focused on work if I’m not wandering down into the main part of the house when I get hungry.”
– Susanne M. Alexander, president of Marriage Transformation LLC, Cleveland, Ohio
9. Focus on Feng Shui
“Make sure you can see the door from the place where you sit. If this is not possible, strategically position a mirror so that you can see behind you. Because we, as a species, like to feel “in the know” about our environments, this will make you feel safer and therefore more grounded, focused, and empowered.”
– Tess Whitehurst, feng shui consultant and author of Magical Housekeeping, Los Angeles, California
Got more tips for building a better home office? Please sign in below and share your thoughts. And for more career advice, follow @MWOnTheJob on Twitter.
MY THOUGHTS
It's a home office. You are literally at work. You merely changed location. The biggest challenge would be separating your business from your personal life. Especially if you're just starting. Kids (and the rest of the family, for that matter) will naturally assume that you're on vacation since you're at home.
By Amy Levin-Epstein | Mar 21, 2011
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/career-advice/blog/on-job/home-office-9-smart-ways-to-be-more-productive/395/?tag=content;col1
Whether you’re self-employed or telecommuting, an efficient home office is critical. At the very least, designate a room (or at least a specific section of a quiet room) in your home for work. Because if you’re working in your bedroom, you’ll be thinking about the next day’s tasks while you’re trying to sleep — basically, an insomniac’s nightmare. And if you’re working in the kitchen, you’ll be reviewing the contents of the refrigerator rather than what’s on today’s agenda.
For my own home office, I’ve invested in a good laptop (backed up with Backblaze), a solid all-in-one printer and a landline, so I never suffer with static and I can record interviews. Of course, your own priorities might be different.
I asked some self-employed folks for their finest tips, and these were nine of the best. Do you have any to add?
1. Take Advantage of Technology
“I have found that the use of cloud computing resources for my home office and business is helpful. The tools [I use most] are: Evernote for keeping track of information, Manymoon for project management (links with my Google apps), Google apps like Google Documents, Google Calendar, Google Voice, Nudgemail (to keep track of To Do items that need consistent follow up), Free CRM (the most malleable customer relationship management tool on the web) and Mailchimp (for newsletters and email blasts).”
– E. Allen Knight, Ann Arbor, Mich., consultant, small business owner and professor
2. Block Out Distractions
“Buy some heavy blinds or drapes to block out sun, heat, cold and noise. If it’s a nice day outside, you can close the blinds, and you’ll be more likely to stay inside and work! Plus, it’s a great way to block outside noise from neighbors, traffic and gardeners.”
– Melanie Rembrandt, owner of Rembrandt Communications in Redondo Beach, Calif.
3. Get Good Furniture
“The biggest mistake home office workers make is buying particle board furniture from the office supply store. Search out office furniture stores instead. Real office furniture is made for work. [That could mean] a keyboard tray that’s wide enough for a keyboard and a mouse or an office chair meant for supporting you for eight or more hours, not the occasional hour or two on the weekend.”
– Kathryn Weber, freelance writer and publisher of the Red Lotus Letter E-Zine, Austin, Texas
4. Prepare Your Pets
“If you are planning an important phone interview or phone conference and you own a dog like I do, try to make arrangements to have the dog outside or in another room and shut your office door. An unexpected UPS or Fedex delivery can set the dog to barking and interrupt that call.”
– Christel K. Hall of ProWrite Public Relations, Minden, Nev.
5. Protect Your Privacy
“Keeping your business life separate from home life is not just sanity saving (a client won’t walk in on you doing aerobics to Donna Summer), but a safety concern, especially if you work online. Make sure you use a business postal address, and be careful about where you post your personal information.”
– Sarah Clachar, Healthy Marketing Ideas, Rochester, N.H.
6. Invest in a Separate Office Phone
“One of the first thing I realized that I needed to do was get a separate number for my office so that my son, who was then 5 years old, did not pick up the phone when reporters called. I still keep my line in my office as I prefer to receive calls from clients and reporters on my business line rather than my cell phone. That way I can let it go directly to voice mail if it rings after hours or on weekends.”
– Julie Phillippi-Whitney, owner, Phillippi-Whitney Communications, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. Keep Regular Hours
“Set work hours and stick to them. Do nothing but work during that time, as you would with an office job. Then when the time is up, stay away from the computer!”
– Margelit Hoffman, social media manager and strategist, Allentown, Pa.
8. Pack a Snack
“I’ve learned to always keep snacks at my desk, usually healthy ones like nuts, a granola bar, or brown rice cakes (sometimes chocolate sneaks in, too!). It’s easier for me to stay focused on work if I’m not wandering down into the main part of the house when I get hungry.”
– Susanne M. Alexander, president of Marriage Transformation LLC, Cleveland, Ohio
9. Focus on Feng Shui
“Make sure you can see the door from the place where you sit. If this is not possible, strategically position a mirror so that you can see behind you. Because we, as a species, like to feel “in the know” about our environments, this will make you feel safer and therefore more grounded, focused, and empowered.”
– Tess Whitehurst, feng shui consultant and author of Magical Housekeeping, Los Angeles, California
Got more tips for building a better home office? Please sign in below and share your thoughts. And for more career advice, follow @MWOnTheJob on Twitter.
MY THOUGHTS
It's a home office. You are literally at work. You merely changed location. The biggest challenge would be separating your business from your personal life. Especially if you're just starting. Kids (and the rest of the family, for that matter) will naturally assume that you're on vacation since you're at home.
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