Corporate Events & Team Building Ideas

If your business, or a department within your business, is suffering from lack of teamwork, it is inevitable that a change is needed for your business to survive and be profitable.

Even though on the outside it may seem that all of the parts are working, it is probably evident to you that it is not working like a well-oiled machine. Companies become stagnant, lack of productivity prevails, employee morale suffers and eventually profits plummet. It’s time for a change!

 But change is often met by employees with great resistance and usually with the mindset that they refuse to change because “everything is working just fine the way it is.” Or is it?

Explaining to your teams that change is something that is needed to help the entire company succeed is usually a difficult task for company leaders. And, if you’re the company owner, it’s sometimes even difficult to get the buy-in from your leaders. Few of us are comfortable when we hear that a change is in our future. We have created our own comfort zones and usually dig our heels in playing the blame game as to why the company is not as successful as it should be.

One of the greatest challenges you can experience as a business leader is having your teams agree that a change is necessary…..each and every person must participate for the change to be effective, complete and whole.

Jerald M. Jellison, Ph.D, points out in his book “Managing The Dynamics Of Change” some very innovative methods for getting team members to understand how allowing change within the work place can easily ramp up employee performance and result in higher morale and ultimately more profits for the company. “If you’ve managed during a merger, downsizing, reorganization, outsourcing, or tried to set up new processes and procedures, you know that the greatest challenge is dealing with the human dimensions of change,” Jellison writes.

Somewhere along the way, teams lose their focus. They lose the meaning of camaraderie and forget how much easier it is to work as a team rather than struggling individually. Teams balk at change because they think it means more work on their individual self. However, they tend to forget that working as a team can be more organized and members can focus on their individual strengths to help the team move forward toward success.

In Jellison’s book, “Managing the Dynamics Of Change” he shows us how change undergoes a 5 stage process by using the J Curve principle:

Stage 1: The Plateau

Stage 2: The Cliff

Stage 3: The Valley

Stage 4: The Ascent

Stage 5: The Mountaintop

Most team members fear change because they think since there is a possibility that something can go wrong…..it will definitely go wrong…..that’s part of the change. Things will get worse before it gets better. But, you must go through these steps to get to “The Mountaintop” of a successful business.

In Stage 1 of Change, The Plateau, team members will be made aware that change is inevitable and you are expecting their participation. You can expect much discontent and anguish during this time. But, most of all, because everyone is waiting on the change instead of helping make the change…..nothing new will happen. For a short time, during The Plateau stage, you will find that really nothing seems different. You will see the same bad habits, the same employee cliques, the same lack of enthusiasm for change. Everyone is anticipating and fearful of The Cliff stage but everyone is avoiding being the first one to step off The Cliff!

Stage 2 is where everyone starts to feel the symptoms they had been anticipating and fearing…..The Cliff…..the place where productivity drops, morale seems to bottom out. Everyone is saying “I told you so. This will never work. Look how much worse things are!” Stage 2 is the level where team members start attempting to go back to the old way of doing things because it was easier and seemed to have a pattern of success for them. Old habits die hard and this is the stage you bury those old bad habits. Team members comfort level will drop as they try new processes, work with new tools, report to new supervisors…..this is expected and a component of the process. The stress level seems almost too much to take to your team members. And then, Stage 3 begins to emerge!

In Stage 3 of Change, The Valley, team members begin to notice that even though job performance is still declining, the decline is not as rapid. The changes are still occurring, but everyone is beginning to adapt and the changes don’t seem so prolific…..they are more tolerable of the new change! It is in this stage that team members begin to understand the new programs you’ve initiated, they begin to recognize that the change does not affect their comfort zone as much as they had expected. But most importantly, they realize that the change is really beginning to become easier, employee morale is improving and the team is beginning to work together toward the common goal. “The Valley” stage is where it is vital that you as the leader begin to praise your team. Let them know YOU see a difference and that things will continue to get better and easier. Full participation from the leader is required in this stage to make the team members realize their participation in this stage is beginning to pay off. Keep your team motivated in this stage and you will soon advance to “The Ascent.”

Stage 4 of Change “The Ascent” is when you and your team members begin to experience the pay off. You begin to notice a change for the better. In the J Curve, you begin to start climbing toward the top and everyone begins to notice the successes of the changes you have implemented. As performance improves, employee morale begins to climb the J Curve. You will begin to sense a feeling of teamwork between your employees again. They will begin to realize that the change has actually started to not only make their jobs easier as they work together in a more structured environment, but they will begin to display a sense of pride for their accomplishments. And, as team members begin to enjoy their new found job descriptions, they will also begin to herald the leader for bringing on the change for their successes. In my opinion, the best part of this stage is when the team members begin to promote the change themselves. Now you have a team working together for the success of the changes. Once they hit this level of change, you will begin to notice they will start talking about how beneficial the changes are to the entire team. That’s when you know you’re ready to progress to the next stage: “The Mountaintop.”

“The Mountaintop” is the fifth stage of change…..the pinnacle of success. In Stage 5 the team members will begin to experiment with their own successes and be willing to stretch their imaginations for new ways to make the changes even more abundant. They will rejoice in how easy the changes have made their day-to-day life and wonder why they didn’t do this change earlier. Productivity will begin to surge and team members will be working together as one team with a new sense of excitement for building the company. Just as when you’ve reached the mountain top on a long, rigorous hike, once you make it to the top, nothing is more exhilarating than knowing you accomplished your goal. Stand at the top of the mountain alongside your team members and shout as your successes echo in the valleys below. You’ve earned it!

Change is inevitable in all companies whether it’s due to an economic downturn, company relocation, a new CEO, or a company sellout. But, if you follow the 5 Stages of Change and learn to manage the dynamics of change, as pointed out by Jerald M. Jellison, you will realize that change always has a workable solution. But you, the leader, must be willing to take the most uncomfortable steps and guide your team one step at a time from The Plateau to The Mountaintop.

Jerry W. Williamson is the president of Teamworx Procuctions, http://www.teamworxproductions.com, a team building training company that focuses on helping companies retain excellent employees through practicing good team building practices. Jerry is a business consultant and professional speaker and he uses brain teasers and audience involement to help your employees increase your bottom line.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/team-building-articles/managing-change-within-your-team-use-the-j-curve-as-a-tool-for-success-1628239.html

I have always been a big fan of 2×2 matrix programs.  I have done many a conference call where I explained the “you plus two” matrix structure and how easy it is to succeed.  When I became aware that LGN was opening a 2×2 matrix program, I was very happy to hear that.  I am now a member there and will do my best to make you understand why I feel a 2×2 matrix is a very good compensation plan.

1.  Easy to understand — The pay plan is easy to understand for just about any experience level.  ”You get two”.  ”You help those two get their two” is very easy to imagine.   It is also easy to diagram — even for the beginner.  If a prospect does not understand how they will get paid, they are not going to join.  If the task that leads to getting paid is easy enough to understand, the person is more likely to remember how it works.   When a person feels they can succeed with a compensation plan, they have a tendency to work the program.  This leads to success for the person and the whole team.

2.  Easy to explain —  I am a  proponent of members being able to explain the basics of the program they are in.  If a person can not explain the basics of the compensation to their friends, associates and prospects, they clam up and do not share the program.  When the program can be shared easily, the sign up rate goes up dramatically.  This causes excitement and this really helps the team grow quickly.

3.  Minimal spillover —   This may seem like a problem, not a feature to many.  I do not preach spillover.  It causes people to not act and wait for spillover to come.  The simple, small 2×2 matrix has very minimal spillover.  This causes people to roll up their sleeves and take action.  If people can have a clear “line of sight” to a payday, they will work towards that.  The 2×2 matrix in LGN Prosperity provides that line of sight.

4.  Follow me can lead to big bucks —  People want to make money over and over from the work they do one time.  While a 2×2 matrix is not true residual income, the follow me feature can provide for solid, ongoing income.  The key to any program is having each member do their share.  When you have a team of people cycling a 2×2 matrix program, there can be a great amount of momentum developed.  When people are excited about a program, they can’t keep their mouth’s shut about it.  This can lead to very healthy paydays, with just a few people sponsored by you directly.

5.  Everyone can get two —  Most people say they can not recruit two people.  This is simply not the case.  Most people can not lead their friends into failure.  This is especially true for people that have “burned up their warm market”.  Every person can get just two people in a 2×2 matrix.  This can be done when the members understand the compensation plan and can see that the program and system are solid and work.

6.  Very little pay plan “noise” —  The 2×2 matrix pay plan has very few “moving parts” and does not take a lot of thinking to understand it.  There are no “legs” or fast start bonuses.  There are no ranks or pins to earn in LGN prosperity.  The pay plan is understandable and any member can pick up all the nuances and jargon very quickly.  I have found that when people get lost in a compensation plan, they never come out of it.  Lost members do no prospecting , and this slows the progress of the entire team.

7.   Simplicity leads to action — People just like simple a lot better than complex.  When a prospect thinks the program and plan is simple, they have a much greater tendency to embrace it and learn it.  Once people are engaged in the program, you are way ahead of the game.  When people think the program and compensation plan are too hard to understand, they quickly start looking for something that is simpler and easier to understand.  Action provides results.  Inaction provides no commissions and unhappy members.   Which one do you prefer?

I hope you can see why I like the 2×2 matrix pay plan in LGN Prosperity so much.  If you would like more information about the program or our team, you can check out our team site.

Patrick McTigue is a full time network marketer that has six years of experience. Patrick enjoys coaching people to success in their home based business and specializes in assisting people new to the home based business area. You can find out more information on Patrick and his team at <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”““>http://lgnprosperityteam.blogspot.com/””> http://lgnprosperityteam.blogspot.com/.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/team-building-articles/lgn-prosperity-2×2-pay-plan-a-simple-success-plan-1576356.html

In many communication situations, you send a message, unprompted, because it’s a normal part of your job, For example, you might prepare and send a weekly report to several people or you boss might ask you to handle a particular communication task, such as following up with a vendor or another department in your company.

In either case, you usually are aware of what your assignment is, and what the basic content of your message might be. However, those pieces of information aren’t enough to ensure that your communication will be successful. Before you broadcast the message, you’ll need to analyze the specific communication goals of the message, the receiver, the channel to send it over, and even yourself as sender.

Every message you send will have one or more of the following four communication goals:

1. To inform : you might need to communicate key information or statistics, such as the result of a customer survey or the outcome of product testing. With this communication goals, you’re providing information for use in decision-making, but aren’t necessarily advocating a course of action.

2. To request : Messages that make a request ask for a specific action by the receiver. Requests may be simple or complex.

3.  To persuade : Persuasive messages are intended to reinforce or change a receiver’s belief about a topic. In some cases, you may also want the receiver to act on the belief.

4.  To build relationship : This goal is often overlooked in business communication. Some messages you send may have the simple goal of building goodwill between you and the receiver.

This article helps you define the communication goals for a message and understand how that communication goals may have an impact on the content of your message.

This article helps you define the communication goals for a message and understand how that communication goals may have an impact on the content of your message. more info on http://www.leadership-quality.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/team-building-articles/define-your-communication-goals-and-communication-approaches-1577084.html

HOW TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH DEVELOPING YOUR STAFF

Recruitment, motivation and training are the key word for getting your staff members to work in your business as if its theirs because without getting their mindset to change from being an employee to a business owner, you will not get their maximum performance. 

Virtually, you have to make them feel comfortable with your company, you have to go out of your comfort zone as an entrepreneur to be their friend, their colleague and their leader, you have to see them as individuals with different needs, as your inbound customers because these people are the ones who are going to make you rich.

These  Are The Three Major Secrets To Grow Your Staff.

1. Recruitment… Employing the best staff and paying them equal to their abilities and expertise will save you money in the long run instead of recruiting  cheap candidates, you have to have the right minded people to interface with your customers.  Most of them are the first contact to your organization and if they don’t know their products, are arrogant, doesn’t have telephone manner, doesn’t know that businesses exist because they are there to serve customers, your profits would struggle. Hire the best and cry only once because if that person can deliver value to your customers, you are bound to recoup your investment sooner than later.

 2       Motivation. Every body needs motivation including your staff, you cannot get them to give you 100 percent effort when you don’t motivate them, when they don’t feel like part of your company, motivate your staff by appreciating their contributions to the company, by giving them bonuses, incentives for their hard work. Surprise them with gifts, have a picnic, take them out for an event where everybody brings their family or spouse so that they all can see how you care about them, a little caring will make a difference to the way they see you and your company.

 See your employees as you extended family as well as your customers and make them see you in that fashion. Issue them shares in the company if you have any to appreciate their contribution to the organization. It is also important that you have things like recognition day to celebrate things like birthdays, achievement day to celebrate how many years an employee has being with the company. Can you see that if you start doing these things, your staff will be working harder and smarter for you without you knowing, that extra effort could generate thousands of dollars in sales

3   Training. Train your staff on daily, weekly or monthly basis on new innovations, new       product, new standard of work or new marketing strategies that you came across to boast sales. It is also very important that every staff understands how to serve and add value to your clients or customers so that you will have repeat business,   ensure that you are seen as reliable and honest people to do business with

 As you train your staff, it will become easier for you to delegate duties around the work place instead of you trying to do everything by yourself. Don’t think that they are not as good as you are because repetition is the mother of invention, meaning that as they do those functions on a daily basis after a while they will become as good as you if not better than you.

 When they are all trained and have your mindset and your entrepreneur philosophy, it becomes easier for you to work on your business and in your business because you will have capable hands that can run your business without you. It should be then more possible for you to concentrate on how to use marketing strategies to lure clients from buying from you and this is why your 60 % effort should be geared towards building your business and not sitting in your office or store waiting for customers to come in.

 If you require more free advise on how to increase the sales and income of your business, visit them on line at www.globalmarketingenterprises.com.au

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/team-building-articles/how-to-grow-your-business-by-developing-your-staff-1620222.html

Building money from article marketing is as simply as a - b - c! Really, it is not that hard to create cashflow online if you plug in to a simply 3 step strategy that I will summarise for you here today. If you will follow this system, then you too will be building cashflow in next to no time at all.

OK, let’s do it. I will assume for the sake of simplicity that you already have a little knowledge of internet marketing. However, should you be totally inexperienced, then the following will still make sense (hopefully) although you may need a little more directions which is freely available for you.

The first thing is to write an article using notepad of approx 300-500 words. I saying notepad because it takes all the editing concerns away and you can simply focus on the job at hand which is to create a quality article that has fresh content,Google loves this. Be sure to place your keyword phase at least 3 times in a natural way as this definitely helps with your SEO.

Second, paste this article to any high traffic online article directory under an appropriate category. If this is your first time, now take a few moments to create a free account for yourself. It is also worth while at this time to complete the profile page as you will for sure want prospective viewers of the article to know a much more about the author.

The final step in order to create income online is to post your article to a blog or blogs that you have about your opportunity,product,business, that you are busy writing this article about. Repeat, this gives you another marketing piece and even more chances to be seen by your target audience while all the while building credibility in yourself to your audience. This part of marketing should never be taken lightly. Remember, people do business with people who they either know or trust, period!

Ok if I did this correctly, this gives us a easy 3 step system in order to make revenue online. By following this simple, no cost, duplicatable plan,system, you can be up and running and driving traffic to your website, blog, whatever in no time flat.

And if you would like to explore more about this and other great methods for online marketing, then I ask you to take a look at the information available here today.

To your continued marketing success…

Don’t go out there and try 1 million things at once because you’re not going to see any real results come out of that. Focus on something you like to do in a way to bring traffic to your site. Become the best at that. Learn all you can from it. http://www.CoastalFreeLeads.com Dale Dupree

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/team-building-articles/make-cashflow-on-the-web-quickly-easy-as-a-b-c-as-long-as-youre-using-article-marketing-1622307.html