Personal and Professional Development

When people ask me about my business, I tell them Im in the learning business that we help organizations, teams and individuals reach their potential through learning. This is a fine statement and it does describe the breadth of what we do, but it often leads to the follow-up question like . . . Do you do personal development stuff or just business skills training?

My answer is yes.

Because I dont believe there is a significant difference between personal development and professional development.

Why do I say that?

The Reasons Why

Since my opinion might differ from yours, or perhaps youve never thought about it this, it makes sense to explain myself. There are at least five major reasons why I think personal and professional development are the same thing.

Learning is Learning. We were granted an amazing potential for learning at birth. Most of us havent used very much of that potential. Its like we are mowing our lawn with a jet engine. Sure the jet engine has enough horsepower to turn the blade, but it has virtually unlimited potential that isnt being used. When we are learning we are increasing our 5A8capacity to learn more because we are flexing and exercising our learning muscles. In other words whenever we are learning we are increasing our capacity to learn even more.

All Experience Counts. One of the powerful ways that we learn is by connecting new learning to what we already know. As we continue to build our knowledge and experiences, it allows us to make new connections faster. In other words, the more we learn, the more successful we will be at learning new things and in most situations; more quickly with deeper understanding.

Were a Whole Package. It isnt like we go to work and dont use anything we know from our personal life to be more effective professionally. And while we may not need to know how to repair rotating drum equipment at home those skills might help you diagnose the problem with your washing machine. And even though you dont have to back up the system database at home, you might be able to deal with your home PC better because of what you learned at work. And while you hope youll never need to follow the new Customer Service procedure at home, that procedure might teach you something a following a process, or being more understanding when you are the Customer.

The bottom line is that we are complete humans, and as such we take our entire work knowledge home, and bring all of our personal knowledge and experience to work. So any form5B4 of growth or development will benefit you both personally and professionally.

The Most Important Skills are Always the Most Important. Where does being a better listener help you at home or at work? Both, of course. When you learn how to coach more effectively at work does it make you a better parent? It sure can!

We could make a long list of these valuable skills, from communication to dealing with conflict, to learning how to learn, to giving better feedback to being more creative you get the idea (and have probably thought of five other examples yourself by now). There are many skills that we might learn as self improvement that will help us at work, and vice versa. So why label it one or the other?

Serendipity Rules. Because our learning grows based on connections, you never know when something you learned on the Discovery Channel might give you an aha at work, or that the insight shared by the seminar leader at work helps you solve a vexing problem at home. Again, all development, all learning, all growth helps us in all parts of our lives.

But Wait

Does all of this mean that as I become a better knitter or bowler, Ill be more productive and successful at work? Yes, for the reasons I described above (and some others too).

That doesnt mean that your organization should send everyone to knitting class or bowling lessons, but it does mean that t53Chere is substantial merit in supporting any form of learning regardless of the content.

In the end, my goal is to help you view all skills more broadly in their application instead of classifying some things as personal development and therefore they dont matter at work.

Learning is learning. Personal development is professional development.

When you stop worrying about the distinctions, but rather think about the applications, you serve yourself and others much better.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

How To Help People Think Better - The Nitty Gritty of Listening

You know how to listen. You do it every day. In fact, you spend a good portion of the time you're interacting with others in listening. You're good at it.

And, we find that leaders who are remarkable listeners are always looking to expand their listening skills. So let's really make a study of listening today; let's take a look at the nitty gritty.

Helping people to think more deeply is the highest purpose, the best reason, for a leader to listen more deeply. When people think more deeply, when they make their own connections, they get a jolt of energy, and they're inspired to action. David Rock in his book Quiet Leadership (Appeared, 2006) describes the neuroscience of the process of coming to one's own insight. Then he says,

When people make deep, new connections in their own mind, there is a tangible release of energy, a discernable "aha" moment that fills us with a desire to take action. On a physical level, this aha moment releases chemicals in the body to prime it for movement. The energy created by insight is an important energy source to be harnessed. In the workplace there are many drains on our energy, including restrictions, policies, politics, long hours, and hundreds of emails every day. We should be harnessing every possible energy source that might inspire better performance. Letting people come up with their own ideas is a deep well of motivation to tap. (pp.39-40)

We have found that people get excited, become more conscious, and solve their own problems when their leaders and colleagues employ the skill of listening for. When you are listening for my potential, my strengths, or my skills mastery, I can sense that and I respond to it. When you're listening for what's important to me, for my goals, for what I value, for what I believe is possible or not possible, you help me become more conscious of these myself. When you're listening for how I feel about the subject I'm discussing - whether my energy is high or low, whether I'm excited or worried - I know I am truly heard. When you're listening for the real issue, maybe the question behind my question, then you help me to see so much more. When you're listening for what I'm not saying but is clearly present, then you give me permission to bring it out.

So how do you do it, this listening deeply and listening for? Here are some of the nitty gritty techniques:

Say less than you think you need to. Give lots of time for the person to think or to frame what they're saying. Resist the urge to jump in.

Summarize, paraphrase, and mirror back what you're hearing to be sure you understand clearly and to give the person a chance to hear what he or she is thinking.

As you reflect what you're hearing, use their language. It will have more of an impact. As you reflect, use language that indicates "I heard" rather than "You said."

Notice the difference between the person's words, tone of voice, and body language.

Practice setting aside your own judgments of what you're hearing.

And finally, just practice hearing some of what we've already mentioned: potential, goals, values, strengths, mastery, possibility, point of view, feelings, what's underneath.

Now let's look at an example. Your employee, Bob, comes to you and says, "Sandy is alienating everyone around her." For many, the automatic response is to look for a solution. The leader who is listening for starts by asking for more information and listening for what's important to the speaker.

As you listen, you reflect what you're hearing, giving Bob the chance to become more aware of the elements of the situation and what's really going on. You use language that tells Bob what you've heard. You listen for possibility, for Bob's strengths and for Sandy's. You listen for how Bob is thinking about the situation and what he may not be saying about it. And you assume Bob's competence in being able to solve his problem.

As you reflect what Bob is saying, he begins to see possibility, too. Now may be a good time to ask Bob what he'd like to see and how he'd like to move forward. You continue to see him as competent and creative. In this collaborative conversation, Bob feels heard, and he taps into his own resourcefulness. Your deep listening allows Bob to harness his own energy and to solve his own problem, to become a leader in this situation.

We have all experienced the power of being truly heard. It is one of the highest gifts we receive in this life. In the business world, it encourages deeper thinking, energized action, and greater connection to the work at hand. And it invokes the leader in everyone.

Jennifer Sellers is the Chief Energy Officer of Inspired Mastery, a leadership development company that helps people see inside their own blind spots to become powerful communicators, powerful leaders, and powerful in their lives. She is a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation. Her background includes teen and adult education, project management under contract to NASA, a year as a ski bum in Telluride, Colorado , and 5 years as a coach, facilitator, and speaker. She has practiced Zen meditation for almost 20 years and is passionate about tapping the highest potential in each of us. http://www.inspiredmastery.com

Reach The Success You Truly Desire

Ever have those days where no matter what you try life seems to be a series of one step forward and two steps back?

Well today is the very best day to take charge of your life and develop strategies to achieve personal success. You will need to work hard and make a commitment to your personal success plan, but once you break the inertia you will find that small achievements will help you gain momentum, and each step forward will attract more success.

1. Take a look at the one and only person responsible for your success- YOU. To be successful you must take complete responsibility for your actions. You can't pin your success or your shortcomings on anyone else.

2. Develop and nurture a successful self- Start by smiling more, look to the positive side in everything. Don't list all the reasons why something is hard and you can't do it, find the reasons even if it is only one to start with of why you can do something. You must develop a successful persona to become a successful person.

3. Make the decision today- Decide today that you will be successful. Praise yourself for past accomplishments, take stock of your strong qualities and work to nurture and improve those that are underdeveloped. You have a purpose and a mission you must sweep aside the negative clutter and defi5B4ne this purpose and begin today to fulfill yourself.

4. Always begin with the positive- every morning you wake up, every time you speak with other people. Always stick with the positive. Associate with positive people. People who have also made the commitment to success. Avoid negative people at all costs. They will not only drag you down. Their negative actions and thoughts, their pessimism, whining, and complaining is a toxin and you need to steer clear of it.

5. Visualize and write down how you desire to live successfully- think of the things that are meaningful to you. Things that give you pleasure, comfort, and fulfillment. Then being as specific as possible write down how you want to live. Don't listen to any of the negative, just concentrate. Write down every detail, where you live, what your house is like down to the decor. What you and your friends are passionate about, what kinds of community projects do you donate your time and money to. After writing everything down copy the most vivid and important things into a new journal. One you have chosen just for this. Make the journal come to life with drawings, photographs, magazine clippings, articles, and poetry. Images and words that will help your vision of a successful life crystallize in your mind. Look through this journal several times a week. Every day visualizing living that life. Make all of your actions in accordance with that successful life.

6. Defin4Fe what success means to you- Concentrate on what you are best at and what bring588s you satisfaction and fulfillment. Using your vision of how you want to live, write down and then read out loud what success means to you. Otherwise you won t know when you have achieved it.

7. Study and make the commitment- Read books and magazines about people who are successful in your eyes, and ways to become more successful. Develop a daily methodical systematic approach to reaching your goals and take one step towards your success.

Keep your mind in the moment don't let it wonder to negative discourse. Focus your attention on your vision of success. With a resolute attitude you are well on your way.

About The Author

BZ Riger-Hull. www.in-spiros.com For valuable free articles, assessments, & practical success tools mailto:A1@smartautoresponder.com Certified as a Success Coach, Four Agreements Facilitator, & Tele-Course leader We help you communicate powerfully, reduce stress, Strategically Attract success, & increase your financial well-being.

bz@in-spiros.com

How Easy Is It To Stop Foreclosure On Your Own?

Since the meltdown in the real estate markets and the increasing foreclosure rates, several new websites have popped up offering free foreclosure help and marketing self-help packages and programs. Many of them do not describe much of the contents of their products, but similar ones have been around for years. They almost always consist of some sort of self-help package, with forms and instructions designed go guide homeowners along the path of avoiding foreclosure in several different methods.

For homeowners who want to try to stop foreclosure on their own, they can do a lot worse than buying a product that will guide them through some of the steps in the legal process. Several of these products also offer worksheets to help homeowners evaluate what options they may qualify for, as well as form letters that can be customized for a variety of purposes. These might include working with the mortgage company, explaining the foreclosure when applying for a new loan, or requesting the sheriff sale be postponed for a period of time.

Homeowners should not expect magic from any product or source of foreclosure help, though, unless they are willing to put in the hard work necessary to save their homes. Stopping foreclosure is not easy, it takes time, and the other parties in the process (banks, attorneys, courts, and so on) may not be entirely receptive. If the foreclosure victims pay for the self-help package, and then fail to follow the guides or instructions, there is a strong possibility they will lose the home, regardless of what products 5B4they have purchased. Unfortunately, when homeowners are unable to prevent foreclosure, they blame the product itself, rather than their efforts in putting it to its most effective uses.

Homeowners who are serious about saving their homes on their own could also probably find mostly similar documents that are used in the foreclosure help packages for free through various sources online, as well. Many websites now offer form letters, worksheets, and simple calculators to help foreclosure victims examine options that may be used to stop foreclosure. Of course, finding these tools online through many sources would extra take time to do the research, put together form letters and worksheets to match the situation, and would generally involve more work than just buying a kit, which has all of the information centrally located. But in either case, the homeowners will have to work with the information and their banks in order to make the most effective use of any program.

Many of these self-help packages are often relatively cheap, costing less than a few hundred dollars -- some even cost much less than $100, which causes some homeowners to suspect they will not be getting much for their money. But a low price does not necessarily mean the products are of low quality; instead, the relatively cheap price should indicate that working out the solutions to foreclosu58Fre will be entirely in the hands of the foreclosure victims, who will be solely responsible for putting in the work to save their homes. The owners do all of the work in negotiating with the bank or finding alternate sources of assistance, with minimal guidance from the providers of the information.

If they are expecting to have their hands held and for someone else to contact the mortgage company for them after paying for a self-help package, then they may be better off hiring a professional loss mitigation company or bankruptcy attorney. But if the homeowners really are willing to work on finding a solution on their own with the kit and some extra background information, then this solution can be very cost-effective in providing them with extra options to save the house.

The ForeclosureFish website has been created to provide homeowners in danger of losing their houses with relevant and important foreclosure help and advice. The site describes various methods that may be used to save a home, such as delaying a sheriff sale, avoiding eviction, how to qualify for a home after foreclosure, and more. Visit the site to read more articles about how foreclosure works and how the process may be avoided before it is too late: 25Bhttp://www.foreclosurefish.com/

3 Simple Keys to Eliminate Fear

Fear is your enemy no other way to describe it. Im not talking about that natural life preserving action along with a major boost of adrenalin that happens if a wild animal is coming at you. Im talking a2227bout the fears people live with day in and day out.

Fear is your enemy. Someone once described fear as, Sand in the machinery of life. Fear doesnt help you, it hinders you. Fear doesnt get you through an open door; it keeps you in the hallway. Fear never helps you put your best foot forward; it just keeps both of your feet in cement.

The psychology of today is, Learn to live with your fears, Embrace your fears, Its normal to have fears everybody does.

Its true; lots of people do have fears. And there are people who are trying to learn how to live with their fears, and embrace them.

But if its normal to have fears, then why would the Bible talk about being delivered from all your fears?

Think about it - if its normal to have fears, and you had no fears, then you would be abnormal, right? Well why would God want you to be abnormal?

He doesnt. He truly desires for you to be set free from all your fears.

There are many facets and aspects of fear. One of the big ones is having fear of what others think of you. People do things, say things, and even buy things because of the fear that they have of what others think.

Many times people join clubs or organizations because they are afraid that if they dont, others might think badly of them.

People say things and talk a certain way because they are afraid that they might not say the right thing in front of the right people.

People purchase items because of fear not measuring up to those around them. And on and on it goes.

You dont have to live with fear. Here are 3 simple keys to getting rid of fear.

First, start by realizing that God truly loves you and that His love for you is unconditional. The Bible teaches that nothing can separate you from His love. Nothing. His love for you does not change, ever!

Second, ask God to help you to get rid of all your fears. He has promised to deliver you from all your fears. That is His desire for you a life without fear.

Third, make decisions based on what is best for you, not how it may or may not appear to others. Youll never, ever be able to please everyone, so stop trying to. Youll never, ever be right in everybodys eyes, so stop trying to.

When you make a decision, ask yourself, Why am I making this decision? Is it based on fear? Make decisions based on what is right and best for your life, regardless of what others think.

You can live without fear.

Want To Get Motivated And Stay Motivated? Michael A Verdicchio has produced, Inspirational Pep Talks. Daily audio messages that come right to your PC! Its 3 to 5 minutes of inspiration and motivation every Monday through Friday. For a FREE Pep Talk and more info, Click the following link: http://www.InspirationalPepTalks.com

Self Improvement Videos: Quality Tube Time Or Popcorn Chasers?

Before you spend another dime purchasing the latest self improvement video release, take a moment to read the following article. Within it, you will find several tips to help you get the most value out of the money and time you invest. Self improvement videos can be worth their weight in gold, but only if you extract all you can from them. Here's how.

Plan a good time and place to watch the video. Just as you wouldn't attend a class or lecture with screaming children or a nagging spouse, the time and place you choose to watch your video should also be free of distractions. A quiet time in a private room with the understanding that you are to be left alone will allow you to concentrate on the information in the video.

Make watching the video an active experience. Most of the time when we watch TV, we just sit there and passively observe the screen. This does not encourage retention of the information. If you really want to learn and absorb self-improvement information, be sure to keep a notebook and pen handy and take notes during the video. Also be sure to write down any new ideas or questions that occur as you are watching.

Review. After watching the video for the first time, read through your notes. Review in your mind the information and ideas that were presented. Tell yourself outloud some of the things you learned. As you do this, be sure and keep track of any new ideas or questions that you think of.

Rewatch. Now, sit back and watch the tape or dvd again. This time you'll not only discover information you missed the first time, but you'll also find answers to some of your questions and even a few more self-improvement ideas.

Apply. Don't let your new knowledge go to waste. If there were practical excercises and good ideas introduced in the video, start putting them into action right away. This will help you to quickly make these new skills second nature and speed up your journey.

Remember, your path of self improvement is a really a course in "You 101". Treat watching self improvement videos like a class and you will be more likely to graduate with honors.

James B. Allen is the goal-oriented webmonk behind PowerLivingPress.com. Before you rent or purchase yet another self improvement video, stop by his site. It's packed with free articles, tips and resources to help you become a better person - starting today!

Low Self Esteem And Pleasing People

Because I grow up believing that I had to be the "good girl"; therefore, a pleasing person, I suffered low self esteem most of my life.

What is the meaning of pleasing people? . Pleasing people are not able to say "no" because their self-worth depends on other's approval. They will not set healthy boundaries and will try to seek other's approval all the time.

Pleasing people fear rejection, they avoid conflicts at any cost, they feel inferior to others, and insecure about their abilities, skills or knowledge. Because they seek constant approval they deny their own needs. These are all signs of low self esteem.

I used to try to please everybody and I was always "available", even if I had to go against my own needs. This behavior lead me to a lot of suffering and resentment because at the end my questions was: "What about me?". When I became aware of this behavior I got so mad that I became exactly the opposite, and everybody was asking: What is the matter with her? She used to be so nice? And now.... This common reaction happens when you feel anger and feel victimized and you try to overcome this feelings by behaving in the opposite way.

It took me some time to realize that this behavior was not other's people fault, nobody was talking advantage of me, they were just responding to my messages and my fears. I had to learn to put myself first and try to remember this all the time. I had to learn to overcome my fear of loss of approval and rejection. And accept the fact that nobody was going to like me, anyway. How to recover from this pleasing behavior?:

Know yo5B4urself. Become aware of your feelings, thoughts and needs.
Learn to live with a balance were you can respect your own needs and at the same time consider others' need.
Always place your needs first , your own approval is more important than other people approval.
Be your own friend. Treat yourself with respect, self acceptance is the key.

Pleasing people suffer low self esteem because of their inability to set boundaries and say "no" to other's request. For more free information and tips about self esteem please visit: http://www.selfesteemawareness.com

Carla's professional background includes 15 years working as a Software Developer and Technical Writer with import-export and manufacture companies. Her passion about self-esteem issues had leaded her to write about her personal experiences.

Since she was very young she spent a lot of time researching and interviewing close friends and family on this subject. She has been examining alternative ways of dealing with life on many different levels.

She studied Metaphysic, Buddhism, and participated in several workshops to work inside herself. She's been using several techniques since the last 10 years like Hoponopono, Emotional Freedom, Rebirthing, Shadow Work and Meditation.368

She published her first book when she was 23, "Let's love ourselves as we are".

Her passion: "Give her personal experience to others", her expression: "My life is my teaching".

Spiritual Advice