Day 3 on the challenge to describe what I do.

I hope you are well and taking time out to recharge on a regular basis. I was very lucky last week-end to attend a family party to celebrate my Auntie receiving her MBE. As we sat and listened to all that she had achieved I realised how you think you know someone and yet you often don’t, because you don’t take the time to be interested long enough to find out. 

One of my cousins said “how is business?” “What is it you do? None of us really know”.

This is my goal this week to ensure people know what I do and that I can say it succinctly.

 Ironically what I do is listen to people, using a Powerful Communication Process that ensures that I really hear and understand them and their business. This kind of listening enables them to unravel what is holding them back, overcome fears and increase their confidence in achieving success. I also then look to partner them with people who could support their growth.

So how do you say that in a fast snappy line???? 15 seconds or 60 seconds? How do you get someones attention in the first 15 seconds they look at your website?

I rarely have to say it that short because I usually listen to others, when I have heard their challenges I can recommend someone I know, or myself if that is appropriate. But I want my website to work for me and that has to have an attention grabbing statement. Or at least I think it does?

This week with your help it is my goal to have found the sentence that sums me up. I thought if I shared with you what my clients say it is like you could comment below with any suggestions thank you

When I asked Claire Godwin of The Coaching Works;

 A Power Group that’s like what? she said

“It is safety, non-judgemental, I can really be me, I can tap into my honesty. It is a massive support structure that is so much more than 6 people meeting in a house in Gosport. I just can’t tell you the difference it has made to me in just 3 months. It is like I have turned down a road of on going change and it is amazing.

When I asked and what kind of structure is that?

Claire said ” it is being part of team, they are there when you need them, not intrusive, not getting in the way, what you need when you need it. It is like a heart and soul business team, Business with a heart, it is lovely. We are all supporting each other but maintaining autonomy.

It feels like we meet up on this road and we are skipping along hand in hand. We are heading for success together and the great thing is that success feels inevitable.

And you can let go and come off that road whenever you want, you are not tied into or stuck but it is a great place to return to.

How would you describe my company now?I look forward to hearing your responses?

Sheryl

I had the pleasure of meeting with David Cuddace of Synergy Sailing who was telling me how he has partnered with a trainer who specialises in induction training and they now run a programme that incorporates a sailing day to physically demonstrate how important induction is.

Imagine setting sail with no instructions at all. But also David shared his business card that has the meaning of Synergy on it:

Synergy: combined effect of elements that exceeds the sum of their individual effects. f. GkNergos working together.

For those of you following my blog will know that I am working on a personal goal to succinctly say what I do. Well I help you create this kind of partnership where both partners end up being able to provide more than they could alone. Increasing their value and worth. Synergy Sailing and the trainer can now introduce to each other and they both win.

Would you like more synergy in your business?

 Who could you work with right now? Someone that you could genuinely enhance their business and they could enhance yours.

How would you describe a company that helps you work at your best and helps you connect you with people that would create a synergy?

Sheryl

I hope you had a great week-end, this week I have set myself a challenge to write every day and share with you  my journey as I explore how to describe what I do succinctly.( so many of my clients work with me to help them achieve this and now it is my turn as I am updating the website I want to get it right) Do you have your message clear or do you find yourself waffling when someone asks you what you do?

Please let me know if you can relate to any of the posts this week. Please sign up to receive the updates I would really like to hear your thoughts.

Are you self-employed? Do you sometimes feel like a ship lost at sea in bad weather?

Don’t worry you are not alone, I asked one of my clients what Step by Step Listening was like she said ”You are like a lighthouse to business owners that feel lost at sea with all the information and learning. You guide them into a safe port where they meet with other sailors, some new and some more experienced. Together they learn how to navigate the waters as a team, quickly they find themselves on  a steady flowing river. On this river money and clients are plentiful and the sailors jump from one boat to another, sometimes popping into the water for a swim on their own. The programme requires commitment because it takes time to build relationships but you change from being scared to asking for business, to being able to chat and build relationships naturally. I have now reached a point where building relationships is a joy and business just happens”

She also said that when she see’s people on the shore or still out there lost at sea she calls them and says come join us. But they are scared to move, they don’t know how to jump. A 6 month programme seems like such a great big leap.

With this in mind I asked;

“What needs to happen for them to leap? ”

She said they need to know it is safe and that they won’t waste their money. 

What needs to happen for that to happen I ask? 

She said they would like to come and try it first. 

With this in mind I have decided that anyone interested in booking for The Listening Post – Team Support and Networking Skills training for small business owners. Can book for 1 session and come trial it. I am confident this one session will reassure them that the investment of time and money will be worthwhile. 

The 6 modules can be taken in any order book your trial one now.

By Listening to my clients I have discovered some valuable feedback. This same client also has introduced me to 3 new clients this week.

Listening pays are you doing enough of it?

Do you know what I do now? 

Still not sure, how does this sound?

 “Step by Step Listening helps you create and convert all your online and offline connections into profitable partnerships. Profitable emotionally as well financially. Partnerships that will enhance and benefit you and your business.”

The Listening Post is a safe place to learn the vital skills to create build and maintain powerful connections. Module 1 starts this week, in Gosport Hampshire.

Module 1 Listening Skills starts February. Two dates  10th and February 7pm to 10pm or  18th February 9.30 to 12.30.

Now you know that what would you like to have happen now?

Sheryl

In my Chiropractic practice, I try to help people involved in sports, like ice skating improve their performance.  How does a person put together all the various pieces of this beautiful and daring feat? Certainly not by thinking about them. The timing of the triple axel, as with all figure skating “tricks”, happen in a matter of seconds. The individual moving parts happen in split seconds. So thinking about what’s coming next will cause the skater to fall and ignominiously sprawl on the ice.

How can we bring a skater’s level of excellence in their sport, to our own training? Whether we’re lifting weights, doing yoga, riding a bike, walking, running, or swimming, a high level of commitment is needed in order to get the results we want. A half-hearted effort won’t get the job done. If we truly want to be healthy and well, regular exercise is required. Our commitment involves planning our time efficiently so we can exercise at least 30 minutes each day.

Also, we need to be sure we’re getting as much as we can out of our exercise time. We’re exercising to train our heart, lungs, muscles, bones, and joints. If these various body parts and systems aren’t communicating well, some or much of time spent exercising will be wasted. The best way to ensure optimal functioning of all our physiologic systems is to make sure our nerve system is operating at full capacity. Chiropractic health care is directed at fulfilling this need.
Regular chiropractic care restores and maintains full functioning of the nerve system. All body systems then function effectively and you’re able to derive maximal benefit from your exercise. Your body becomes smarter and able to perform at high levels. You develop new physical skills and abilities. You may become more creative, you may sleep better, and you may have more fun in life. Visit our website to find out more about us. http://www.southingtonchiropractor.com

What kind of client is your ideal client?

Whereabouts is that client?

Is there anything else about that client?

When a client like that what happens to business being credible and viable?

I hope these questions help you stay focused and track. It is easy in the early days to work with anyone who will pay. But the truth is you have to work with kind of people you love working with to make your business credible and viable. Save yourself time and money and gain that clarity now. Feel free to share you ideal client in the comment box I would love to keep an eye and 2 ears out for them. What kind of things would your client be saying? How would I know they were your client?

Have a great week

Sheryl

Let no one say "all was cleanliness here, until you came..."

 

I recall when a colleague was given a “battlefield promotion” from inside sales manager to plant manager at a steel plant that was closing. My colleague confided in me by saying, “I don’t know how to run a plant; I don’t know this; I don’t know that.”

My comment to her was simple: “I’ve been to your home. It is a clean and safe place. Think of the mill as your home. Does it meet your standards for safety? Does it meet your standards for housekeeping? If you don’t tolerate dirty laundry on the floor in your home, why would you let your crew put debris or rags on the floor of the shop — your home away from home?”

During the period of time that she was plant manager, her plant (despite the stress of imminent closing) had the top safety record, the top on-time performance record and the best crew attitude.

There was no uncertainty in her crew. They knew that she expected an orderly, free-from-trash, no-waste work environment (and lunchroom). That’s how she managed. Along with that came improved safety, attitude and performance. Those are not bad side effects from just focusing on one area.

Is housekeeping an area you choose to focus on in 2011?

And what do you expect as the side effects of your choice?

Original Article: Production Machining

Photo credit: Floating Branch Products

Acer has canceled the Aspire One 532g netbook. It would have been the first to use second-generation Ion-based graphics from NVIDIA but the company has canceled it worldwide. There is no explanation given so far, but driver issues are incriminated. Optimus graphics switching has been used to flip to Intel or Ion graphics for either ten hours of battery life or speed. People who

I found it quite easy to recommend others, I would use my listening skills to work out, who they wanted to meet and do my best to help.

However I use to fail regularly to get reciprocal business back.( it is no longer a problem)

I started to ask my clients who loved the service why that might be. It turned out that I had confused people. So I thought I would share with you the questions I was asked to help me explain to my clients who I wanted to work with.

In essence people did not know who I wanted to be referred to. Here are some questions that might help you.

Who would you like to work with?

How would I know them, what kind of things would they say ? Where am I likely to find them?

Do your clients know how to introduce you?

What needs to happen for you to know and for clients to know?

Please let me know your responses and I will do my best to keep an ear out for your clients.

Sheryl

Erica PG

we were discussing the" listening look" how do you know when someone is listening?

Have you been sitting on an idea for weeks months or even years?

Do you understand what it is that is holding you back?

Do you find yourself worrying about money, running out of hours and conscious that there must be an easier way?

If you could put that idea out of your head and into action how much difference would that make to your performance, your profit, your success and your well -being?

Would you like to have clarity, focus and direction?

check out this blog http://pennygregoryinteriors.blogspot.com/ a success story from our Power Groups.

Power Groups are a team support for sole traders, small business owners and team leaders where you can find solutions to the challenges that hold you back.

Thank you for the mention. 

Are you a sole trader finding it hard to make that leap to the next level in your business?  

Please do share your experiences together we will grow.

Sheryl

For those who know me you will know that I consider my life to be a bit like F1, a mum of teenagers, a new business etc. can result in the odd crash/clash.  Like F1 drivers I take breaks and create opportunities to celebrate.  

This week I took some time out away from the track of life and did some planning and reflecting. I am lucky to have surrounded myself with people who do listen to me, that help me understand what I need for maximum performance.

it has resulted in 81% increase in sales this quarter and we now have even more stretching and exciting goals ahead.

Who is listening to you? Well I am? and of course you can educate yourself to listen to you more effectively.

It is crucial to every high performer to have breaks, for them to have people they trust to pour out some thoughts to allow room for some new thinking to come in.A space to reflect and learn without judgement, criticism. Someone kindly shared with me this week that their head was like an overcrowded commuter train where all the ideas and energy are being pushed out the windows.

Can you relate to that ?

 Is your head is feeling like it is reaching maximum capacity?

Would you like a slick first class electric train that peacefully, efficiently glides into and out of each station knowing exactly what needs to happen next and where it is heading.

Where passengers excitedly jump on and enjoy the journey with you, bringing their friends along the way. ( none of that begging at the station please come and play on my train for you the slick electric train)

No none of that!! people have heard about your wonderful train and they are on the platform just waiting for their turn.

Want to know how to be a slick electric train try these questions.

  Only do this if it appeals to you to:

•  work harder and smarter not longer
•  increase your capacity to earn more
• grow your company organically
• get better balance between work and home
• reduce stress and improve health and well-being
• love working
• live with confidence and not fear of failure
• have no guilt

Then it is all in the questions you ask others and yourself.

• Make no assumptions, ask questions to check out what you really want and mean.
• Ask more questions of those around you. Gaining complete understanding.

Here have a go:

What would you like to have happen?

What needs to happen for that to happen?

Anything else about that?

Can you?

Then what happens?

Do let me know which kind of train you are right now and what happens next?

Thanks for Listening

 Sheryl

Managing at their best?

Teaching at their best?

Or say Parenting at their best?

We saw 5 and 6 year olds self organising because the teacher had helped them establish what it was like when they are learning at their best and she had worked out what she needed to teach at her best. The bravery of this teacher really touched me, she overcame her fears that she may not meet the curriculum requirements. Motivated by the thought if she could not teach at her best in the way that suited her then she probably would have to quit teaching.

That was 3 years ago and now she is teaching at her best with Clean Language questions in the classroom and enjoying teaching again. She has happy content pupils who love school, fewer behaviour issues and she is meeting the curriculum with less stress and in less time.

I have to confess at one point I felt like I was drowning in academic words and evidence about how the human mind uses metaphors not only to describe but also we think metaphorically. I learned that people like Daniel Casasanto a senior scientist at the Max Planck Institute for psycholinguistics, a fellow of the Donders institute for Brain, his list goes on but you get the idea. Anyway he has been paid lots of money to prove or disprove that people not only talk in metaphor they also think in metaphor.

I was extremely grateful at this point to sit there thinking you know what that is great, when you have finished proving that to everyone and they realise the best way for us to sell, understand and connect is by understanding our own metaphors and those of others because we as humans not only talk but we think metaphorically then I already know that because my communication skill works to help people develop metaphors and understand the ones they already have. How exciting to have the solution the world top scientists are working to prove we need……….or at least that is what I understand from the day.

James Geary author and speaker confirmed that on average a person utters a metaphor every 6 words. They are everywhere.

Are you making the most of the metaphors in your life, are you able to develop them as a resource and support system for you to manage, influence, support yourself and those around you.

Try these questions:

When I am (insert something that interests you to explore) at my best that’s like what?

Is there anything else about ……..?

What kind of………… is that……..?

Where is ……………..?

Or try drawing when you are ………..at your best that’s like what?

Do let me know how you get on..

Thanks for listening Sheryl

Initial attempts at boosting magnetic hard-drive performance with a dose of flash memory fell flat; those so-called hybrid hard drives, released by Seagate and, in smaller quantity, by Samsung, didn’t deliver on their promised speed gains. Now, nearly three years later, the concept of the hybrid drive gets new life, with the Seagate Momentus XT, the second generation of hybrid drive that mixes flash and hard disk. But does this drive deliver a measurable performance boost over its standard hard-disk cousins?

In case you want to learn more about this product please watch the video on my fuenfamtag/blogspot.

or visit www.pcworld.com

In talking with Bill, a manger at the local wholesale auto parts distributor, he reminded me that the dirty in your engine has only two ways to get into your engine, through the fuel or through the air. Bill said that it is unlikely that most cars have dirt introduced through the fuel system, most dirt is introduced through the air system, passing through the air filter. The primary defense in keeping dirt out of your engine is a good air filter.

What the Air Filter Does

Air filters can be easily overlooked. They often don’t get replaced until they are absolutely clogged with dirt and soot. To help keep a vehicle running well, and to protect the intake system from premature wear, it’s important to change the air filter in your vehicle at the proper intervals. The air filter removes soot, carbon, abrasives and other contaminants from the air before the air mixes with fuel in the engine induction system. If allowed to get inside the engine, even microscopic dust particles can damage cylinder walls, pistons and piston rings. Since as much as 10,000 gallons of air must pass through the air filter for every gallon of fuel the engine burns, Quality air filters lengthen engine life by preventing the introduction of damaging foreign particles to the fuel mix.

What the Oil Filter Does

You may take your oil filter for granted, but this small, inexpensive part of your vehicle’s lubrication system plays a vital role in protecting the engine from premature wear. Each moving part in the engine and the cylinder walls requires clean oil for proper lubrication and lasting life. The oil filter cleans the oil as it passes through the filter element or filtering media. This prevents abrasive contaminants in the engine lubrication system from damaging engine parts.

The better you understand your engine’s lubrication system, the more you’ll appreciate the vital role your oil filter plays. When the engine is running, oil enters the oil pump through a screened intake. The screened intake — or oil pick-up — is located in the crankcase near the bottom surface of the oil pan. The oil is drawn through the screen intake and forced by the oil pump through the oil filter.

Oil from the main gallery is also fed through vertical passages to the crankshaft main bearings and through the crankshaft to the rod bearings. Oil thrown from the crankshaft, or sprayed from the connecting rods, lubricates the pistons and cylinder walls.

In a typical full-flow type oil filter, the oil flows into an inlet passage and then through the filtering element. After flowing through the filter element, the filtered or “clean” oil passes directly to the main oil gallery. In a partial-flow type filter, the oil returns directly to the oil pan.

Oil from the main gallery lubricates the camshaft and the camshaft bearings (and feeds hydraulic valve lifters if used in the engine). On non-overhead cam engines, oil is metered through the valve lifter to a hollow push rod that carries oil for the lubrication of the push rod pivot point, rocker arm pivots and valve guide. Oil Filter Media The media is the filtering material in the oil filter element. It essentially determines the efficiency, performance and useful life of the oil filter.

There are two basic types of filter media: the “paper” media and the “depth” type media. The primary features of the filter elements are:

Particle size retention (filtration efficiency)

Particle size retention is the measure of the degree to which the filter can retain particles of various sizes. Our supplier has developed optimum particle size retention quality in filter media by extensive engine wear tests including exhaustive testing of filters used in racing, and sophisticated laboratory tests. The media in the automotive full-flow oil filter is able to trap and hold essentially all the contaminant particles larger than 25 microns. (A human hair measures approximately 70 microns in diameter. An object that is 1 micron in size is .000039 inches in diameter.) Our filters also capture a high percentage of even smaller particles.

Dirt-holding capacity

Dirt-holding capacity is the amount of contaminant that can be removed and held by the filter until the filter ceases to function. The capacity of the filters we use are significantly larger than the minimum requirements to efficiently filter all the oil during the oil and filter change periods as specified by vehicle manufacturers.

Resistance to oil flow

Our full-flow oil filters for automotive applications use arch-pleated, prescription-blended media. When new, the media with a maximized number of pleats has less than 2 psi pressure drop when filtering oil at a rate of 4 g.p.m. at normal operating temperature. This low initial restriction to oil flow protects the vital engine parts more effectively.

Parts of an Oil Filter

• Gasket – provides exterior seal between the filter and engine at the engine mounting surface.
• Mounting Plate – prevents deflection (movement) at the gasket sealing surface. Heavy gage steel plate provides for threaded attachment to the engine.
• Inner Element Support – provides inner element stabilization and a positive seal between the inner element and the mounting plate to prevent the bypass of unfiltered oil.
• Upper End Cap – retains element end sealant and filter media, provides an outlet for clean oil, and provides structural rigidity to the pleated media.
• Lower End Cap – retains element end sealant and filter media.
• Arch-pleated, Prescription-blended Filter Media – provides a more than adequate filter area. The element has a controlled porosity blended media to assure complete filtration of the oil.
• Spiral-wound Center Tube – provides internal element support. The spiral design greatly reduces initial flow restriction when compared to other designs.
• Coiled Spring – ensures a constant load on the inner element to maintain the seal between the upper element end cap, the inner element support, and the mounting plate even during pressure surge situations.
• Filter Canister – encloses the assembly with a mechanically-locked double seam. The canister provides “flutes” at the closed end for ease of removal with an oil filter wrench.
• Silicone Anti-Drainback Valve – Stays flexible in extreme temperatures, improves oil flow and keeps oil in filter to prevent engine destroying dry starts. Also provides lasting protection to meet new vehicle manufacturers longer recommended oil change schedules. Nitrile valves can harden and become ineffective over time.

Our full-flow filters include anti-drainback and/or filter by-pass valves. These types of filters are identical to full-flow filters, except that a by-pass valve replaces the inner element support and an anti-drainback valve has been added. The Anti-Drainback Valve prevents oil from draining out of the filter inlet holes when the engine is shut off. It also provides seal between clean and dirty oil at the upper end cap. This is necessary in applications where the oil filter is mounted in a horizontal or inverted position.

The Filter By-Pass Valve If one of our full-flow filter becomes “clogged”, or excessively restrictive to oil flow, the filter by-pass valve ensures continued engine lubrication by allowing the oil to by-pass the filter. Some vehicle manufacturers have the by-pass valve built into the oil filter mounting unit (located on the engine).

Other vehicle manufacturers require full-flow filters have the by-pass valve built into the filter itself. All of our oil filter types recommended for these particular applications include the by-pass valve assembly in the filter.

• By-pass Valve Assembly — spring loaded valve assembly that allows oil to by-pass the element under high-differential pressure conditions such as cold oil and/or excessively contaminated media. This allows lubrication of the engine, but without full-flow filtration.

The Oil

The oil we use is formulated from a combination of synthetic and conventional quality base stocks combined with modern performance additives, including an advanced cleaning additive system to provide excellent engine cleanliness, protection and longer oil life at oil drain intervals up to 7,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. These oils help protect against sludge, piston deposits, engine rust and corrosion under severe and low-temperature operating conditions. Pour depressants and a viscosity index (VI) improver are included, where required, to provide the optimum viscosity and fluidity over a wide range of temperatures.

The Economics

Did you catch that the life is up to two and half times what is recommend by the franchise oil changers. Having you pay a little less on each oil change but making you return two and a half times more often makes good economic sense for them, especially when inferior filters and fluid are used. They fail to recognize, as well, your cost (down time) and the hassles of getting your car to them every 90 days.

Conclusion

The next time your car is due for an oil change, ask questions:

• What kind of filter is being used? What kind of oil is being used?
• What is the interval between changes?
• Will you do a “no pressure” free auto wellness check to insure that the vehicle is free from impending repairs?

If you don’t like the answers come see us.

A vehicle that is out of tune or fails an emissions test can use considerably more fuel and emits more harmful emissions. Performing a TERRACLEAN™ treatment will help significantly reduce the volume of dangerous gases released by your vehicle.

Unlike competitive products that can take several weeks for results to be realized, TERRACLEAN™ is proven to help you pass your test immediately after. Vehicles that fail an emissions test can receive a TERRACLEAN™ treatment and pass the same test only minutes later.

See an example : http://www.terraclean.net/testresults2.htm

Call today for your appointment – 801 467-4710

Benefits of TerraClean….
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

As carbon builds up within a vehicle’s engine due to incomplete combustion, drivers often experience a gradual decrease in the car’s overall performance. By burning off the carbon on the injector heads, within the combustion chamber and on the oxygen sensor, a TERRACLEAN™ treatment restores the engine’s responsiveness and peak performance which provides a drive-away difference.

INCREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY

As the cost of crude oil continues to escalate and gasoline prices reach record levels at the pumps, consumers need to find ways of lowering the cost of operating their vehicles. A TERRACLEAN™ engine decarbonizing treatment can significantly improve fuel efficiency by restoring optimal combustion conditions within the engine. The treatment pays for itself through fuel savings within a short period of time.

EMISSIONS REDUCTION

TERRACLEAN™ reduces the volume of harmful emissions that are released into the environment by your vehicle engine. As governments worldwide step up efforts to enforce emissions standards and reduce air pollution, TERRACLEAN™ is establishing itself as an industry leader in the automotive emissions reduction market.

1. Does your car have over 15,000 miles (25,000 km)?
2. Does your car hesitate or feel sluggish on acceleration?
3. Has your fuel consumption increased?
4. Have you missed an oil change or a recommended tune-up?
5. Are you due for an emissions or have you recently failed one?

If you have answered YES to any of the above questions, then your vehicle probably has Carbon Build-Up!

What is TerraClean?

 TERRACLEAN™ is a new and revolutionary way to clean your car’s engine and restore it to peak performance. This patented process combines breakthrough technology and science to clean more efficiTERRACLEAN™ is very different from all other chemical cleaning agents on the market. It cleans the complete fuel system, does not damage any engine components, takes effect much quicker, and most importantly does not emit any noxious fumes!

Essentially, TERRACLEAN™ is a specially formulated fuel that is distributed in small canisters to service centers that offer the TERRACLEAN™ service. It works by first processing the fuel through a special unit that negatively charges the molecules before entering your engine. Your car then runs on TERRACLEAN™ fuel while cleaning your entire fuel system, which helps remove years of unwanted carbon build up (engine residue) from your cars various parts and components.

The benefits of this superior technology are numerous. A TERRACLEAN™ engine is proven to improve fuel efficiency, significantly reduce emissions, and improve performance. This means that you SAVE MONEY by getting better gas mileage out of your car and as a result, the TERRACLEAN™ treatment will pay for itself in the long run. It is also proven to help you pass an emissions test immediately after the treatment, and at the same time help reduce exhaust fumes that are harmful to the environment.

Call for an appointment TODAY 801 467-4710

There is a money back guarantee, the treatment will either improve gas mileage or performance.

The first stage of the breakout process begins with a hard mental or physical struggle.  It may be concentrated problems analysis, demanding physical training or an involuntary event such as an assault on your emotional well-being.

The next stage involves “pulling the trigger.”  The same mind-body device operates in every breakout trigger:  you must first cut completely your previous train of thoughts and emotions.  The critical distraction of prior mental patterns will enable you to shift your focus into new and more productive directions.  This event has been described as a “letting go,” or “backing off” or “releasing” your mind from the hard-work mode.  A wide variety of activities and thought patterns can act as a trigger, including walking, jogging, sewing, meditating or sitting in a beautiful setting.

The third stage in the process is the actual breakout, coupled with a “peak” experience.  The breakout is always accompanied by a greater sense of well-being and relaxation and often leads to peak creative experiences.

The cycle finishes with your returning to a “new-normal” state—including an ongoing state of improved performance and mind-body patterns. Those who have enjoyed a breakout must always re-enter the world of struggle and stress.  But now they are in a stronger position to rise to greater achievements or generate more deep ideas and insights. – Herbert Benson, M.D., and William Proctor

We maximize the ROI of direct digital marketing through process automation, increased relevance and improved performance.

It seems the first question that gets raised is: “Please tell me what direct digital marketing is!” It’s a legitimate question, so here’s a pragmatic, three-part definition:

1. We all have a solid idea of what “direct marketing” is, right? Boiled down to its essence “direct marketing” is commonly understood as: One printed piece sent to a single postal address (this is where the term “addressable” marketing comes from).
2. When we insert “digital” into this phrase, we’re simply tweaking the term to include the “addressable” channels of digital marketing.
3. Today, the addressable channels of digital marketing include:
   • One piece of web content sent to a single site visitor identified by a cookie.
   • One email sent to a single email address.
   • One SMS message sent to a single mobile phone number.

These three addressable channels provide the key ingredients for any direct digital marketing campaign. Unlike traditional direct marketing, you can track everything. And, it’s two-way – allowing for ongoing dialogues (versus one-way campaigns). To see an example of this, click here.

When all is said and done, we hope everyone understands that “direct digital marketing” is a digital marketing method that provides relevant marketing communications that are addressable to a specific individual with an email address, a mobile phone number or a Web browser cookie. With this come all the advantages inherent to digital marketing – ease of segmentation, speed and efficiency of delivery, accountability, flexibility, responsiveness, and technology that provides easily variable, relevant, and personalized content, regardless of channel.

As a psychology student, my honours year dissertation looked at the topic of “the effects of frenetic, motivational, oudeterous and favourite music on anaerobic athletic performance“. Or, in layman’s terms, the effects of differing types of music on sporting performance, specifically in the field of weight lifting.  While the findings from my own study were not statistically significant enough to support the hypothesis that music improved performance, there have been a variety of studies which suggest that music can significantly improve performance on a variety of tasks.

So, while listening to my ipod on the train to the Objective Associates offices this morning, I began to wonder how listening to music while at work might effect the performance of certain tasks. Now obviously if your making phone calls for a large part of the day then the Steve Miller band’s “Joker” blaring in your ear isn’t exactly going to help (unless people really do call you “the Space Cowboy” and you feel the need to share this).

Steve Miller Band

However, if your performing tasks such as software development and coding, or designing the skin for a website (or even writing the content for a plumbing and heating website!) then would it have any beneficial effects on performance?

One study, conducted by management consultancy Case and Company on the effects of music on productivity at the Brooklyn factory of the American Machine Foundry Co. provides some interesting results. The study found a 4.1% increase in efficiency of the 40 workers whose performance was minutely measured.

Therefore, although AMF co. went bust (due to circumstances other than music in the workplace I hasten to add!), it would seem its not entirely impossible that music could credably emerge as a future tool for increasing productivity in the office space too. Most likely to be introduced by savvy, early adopting business managers….

…. or maybe not.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… C: wait… SD: wait…

As a former teacher who entered teaching later in life and had a plan to quickly earn a Masters, I had a two unique benefits that many of my colleagues have not had. The first one was my professor who taught elementary (K-8) science. On the first day of this senior level class, he asked the following question: How do you write learning objectives that match testing objectives? After much discussion from the 20 plus college seniors in the room and with no agreement as to the answer, this very wise professor simply said “You write the test question first.” By taking this action, he continued, you will always be sure that you are teaching exactly what you will be testing so that you don’t discourage your students and you will be using your limited time to the best of your control.

The second unique benefit was that my Masters of Science focused on creating engaged instruction. Within this course of study, I invested a lot of time studying how people learn whether they were young or old as well as how to evaluate that learning. In this process, I learned that an assessment was just as much as evaluating the participant’s performance as it was my own. This is when another professor introduced me Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels of Evaluation.

This model demonstrates how to evaluate the effectiveness of learning or training. Most learning is conducted at Level 1 – Reaction and Level 2 – Learning. Yet, when learning shifts up to Level 3 – Application and Level 4 – Impact, results also shift up.

By incorporating Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels into daily instruction especially at the third and fourth levels, performance increases from both the student and the teacher. A simple example is when students learn how to write words to construct sentences and paragraphs. The teacher evaluates them on the effectiveness of his or her teaching such as identify the three basic components within a sentence. Then the students are asked to take what they have learned and write an essay – Level 3 – Application. The essay is part of a state assessment and is evaluated accordingly. The outcomes from the students’ effort are now reviewed as to the overall impact the teaching is having on the organization as a whole.

From these two unique experiences, I learned that any assessment that I created was not only a measurement of the students’ learning, but more importantly a measurement of the quality of my instruction. If a test question was missed by over 50% of the students, I realized that I had either written a poor test question or that I had failed to convey the correct learning objective. In either case, the fault was not the students’ and the students shouldn’t be punished by receiving a poor grade. Also, until the students had learned the concept, they couldn’t advance to applying the concept. Hence, it was my responsibility as a quality teacher to review the learning objective and repeat the instruction to ensure that the concept was learned by the students.

Additionally, I learned that by focusing my efforts on application, students were having new opportunities to perform the previously learned concepts. (Research tells us that individuals need more than one opportunity to retain a learned concept within long term memory.) My change in focus improved both student outcomes and the quality of my teaching performance. This focus is still with me today as I work with young people and adults because quality instruction helps to deliver exceptional results.

This is really exciting in terms of simulating swarms and other group-based projects. As part of the release, robotSim will include a roboCup field environment.