When was the last time you visited a high street coffee shop?



In the last 5 minutes?

In the last hour?

Yesterday?

Last week?

Last month?

Never?

Over the last 10 years coffee shops are one of the fastest growing retailers.

More and more are being established.

I know in my local town whenever a shop closes, it often re-opens as a coffee franchise. Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Tchibo, Nero…there are many to choose from.

And no matter how many there are in each town, you always have to queue. So many people are now finding the time and money to have a coffee with friends. Relax a bit, have a good gossip and simply enjoy each other’s company.

Or maybe, you go there to work on the free wi-fi offering.

I’m lucky enough to live by the sea and often my wife and I go out for a cup of coffee overlooking the sea. You know spur of the moment thing.

“Fancy a coffee?”

“Yes, I’ll put the kettle on”

“No, let’s go to Costa’s”

“Great idea…”

A few years ago you would never have guessed we would pay $3 or $4 for an ordinary cup of coffee. But we all do, don’t we?

This weekend just gone, we decided to take a visit into town just for a cup of coffee.

“We’ll go to…”

“Yeah, sounds good”

When we arrived we changed our minds on where to go.

We saw a ‘better’ coffee shop open.

So what do you look for in your favourite coffee shop?

What makes you go back time and time again?

Some would say – “simply good tasting coffee”

Others would say – “a wide selection of great tasting coffees and cakes”

Others want -  “a wide selection of great tasting coffees and cakes plus well trained staff, a smile and an efficient service, maybe with free wi-fi”

What about – “a wide selection of great tasting coffees and cakes plus well trained staff, a smile and an efficient service with free wi-fi and they know your name”

Which statement would make you give 10 out of 10?

My wife and I go to relax, so the following is important to us:

1.    A nice comfy sofa
2.    Great tasting coffee
3.    A good selection of cakes to choose from
4.    Service with a smile

And if we can see by the window ‘people watching’, even better.

That’s it – we are easily pleased. But so many coffee shops just don’t provide all 4 of our needs. They may just offer points, 2, 3 and 4 but point 1 is so important!

Or 1, 2 and 3, but point 4 is also important to us!

So what do you look for in a coffee shop for you to go back time and time again?

I wrote this post in under 7 minutes (from scratch) using Robert Plank's latest product...Time Management On Crack

Public speaking is a challenge in itself, let alone being effective at it. However, if you are going to make a speech you should strive to make it an effective one.


In London's Hyde Park you can just get up
and speak about any subject you wish!

Public speaking is both an art and a science. There are specific steps that can be taken to command attention and results. A scientific means of presenting your speech will have a lasting effect on your audience.

The following is a precise procedure that will enable you to make an impact in the lives of those listening to your speech.

First and foremost be properly prepared.

Do your home work!

Make sure that you have content and that your content is worth knowing. Once you have completed ample research for your topic familiarise yourself with the material.

An absolute must is that your topic is presenting only one main idea.

Your whole speech will be arguing for this one specific topic. If you have more than one idea you take the chance that your listeners will not remember what you said.

One way to know whether or not you have a proper grasp on your subject is, "Could you have a Q&A session after your speech and adequately answer their questions"?

Next, you will want to organise your findings in a logical sequence.

It must flow for your audience to be interested, understand, and retain it. Your organisation of your points should continuously support the big idea. Providing evidence and reasoning are a strong part of the persuasive process!

Once you have completed the previous tasks you are well on your way to an effective speech.

Now, it is time to consider going to the podium to present your message.

Write out your opening and closing remarks.

You want to be sure that you know how you are going to get started and how you will end. I don't suggest that you write out your whole speech, but do write out these two areas.

At this time you should have the opening remarks on paper, the outline of the message, and the ending written out.

Now begin to practice your speech.

Determine if you are able to complete the speech within the allotted time given and/or you have enough material to take up the time frame.

People love real life stories!

At this point you have a feel for the speech, now, it is time to add some illustrations or life stories to each point. Illustrations will enable your audience to relate to your subject and remember it. After you have added your life stories practice it again to get a feel for your speech and to check the timing again.

You are ready to present your message.

If possible take only one sheet of paper with you. If you take too many notes you will have a tendency to read or pay too much attention to your notes.

Speak, don't read.

Present your material in a conversational manner, but be sure to speak up so that everyone is able to hear you. Speak to the furthest person away from you.

Ensure that you are giving the whole audience eye contact. It is not necessary to look everyone in the eye, but you must be scanning them so that they get a feel that you are conversing with them.

It is time to wait for the results of your presentation!

During my ‘on-line’ life I have established a vast number of friends and colleagues, one of which is Adam Wong.

Adam Wong is a typical example of how anyone, regardless or age and experience can realize their dreams if they simply just use the right strategies and take massive action.

In his early years, he invested in himself and attended several ‘Wealth’ programs.

But Adam didn’t do what 99% of individuals do when they finish learning about a topic. He did what only 1% of the population do…he took took massive action and applied everything he’d been taught.

He did not hesitate at all. He decided that he did not want to get stuck in a normal 9am-5pm job like everyone else and eventually decided that he would become an entrepreneur as an Internet Marketer.

When he applied himself wholeheartedly, the results he got were truly inspiring. Within two weeks of launching his business, he generated US$10,011 worth of sales. Within a year and a half, he hit a record US$21,154 a month in December. He continued to build his online business until today, it generates a six figure income while he just works four hours a day from his home.

All his friends call him a LUCKY BASTARD to have such a great life with a great income. So, he decided to write a book (which honestly is a VERY GOOD READ) to teach people exactly how he did it and how anyone can achieve the same success he has on the Internet.

A few months a go, Adam gave me a ‘draft’ copy of his book to read. I couldn’t put it down. I know Internet Marketers who charge $2,000 a month to tell you the same stuff as what Adam has included in his book, Lucky Bastard!

And right now, Adam is giving you the chance to download the first chapter right here:

http://www.greatmanagement.org/luckyb.html

Although I will say that Adam is a LUCKY BASTARD (he won’t mind me saying that!), he is also a very clever one.

Read more about my thoughts on Adam’s new book:

http://www.greatmanagement.org/luckyb.html

Article source: http://www.webuildyourblog.com/53/the-lucky-bastard/

Just found this on YouTube.com. Very inspiring...everyone jumping for joy...and all for one courageous individual. Hope you like it...hope it inspires you...

Story 1:

The door slams hard.

Your partner has just got home from work.

“we are doomed” they say.

They go on “We are going to have to tighten our belts. This is the worst situation we have ever faced. I’ve been made redundant”

You reply, “Oh really. Are we still going out for dinner as planned?”

“NO!”

Your partner sleeps badly. The 7am alarm goes off and they just can’t get out of bed.

Story 2:

The door shuts

Your partner has just got home from work.

“I’ve been made redundant” they say.

They go on “But we’re going to be so successful. It’s going to be great”

You reply, “Oh really. Are we still going out for dinner as planned?”

“Absolutely but we are going to upgrade the restaurant and celebrate”


Let's celebrate - I'm redundant!

Your partner sleeps like a baby. They get up at 6am.

Who would you rather be?

The person in story 1 of story 2?

Is your life:

Predictable or uncertain?

Organised or chaotic?

Faster or slower?

Easier or tougher?

Simple or complex?

According to research fear, stress and unhappiness is at an all time high and 93% of illness is stress related.

How many issues, hassles, problems do you have to deal with in a normal day?

Research shows, 20 years ago the average was 3.

20 years ago you would have to deal with 3 ‘changes’ to your plans each day. And a ‘change’ can be defined as something that YOU weren’t expecting to happen.

How many do you think the average is today?

5, 10, 20?

29 is the answer.

29!

That gives us the opportunity to procrastinate 29 times every single day.

What could the implications of that be?

It is becoming harder and harder to predict the future.

Change is happening faster and faster.

Procrastinating will only make it harder for us all to be successful.

As you are reading this are you thinking:

1.    29 – I don’t have that many every day. If so, I suggest you start recording them. The 29 is made up of any thing you weren’t expecting to happen and causes you to make a decision and take action.

It could be the vending machine at work is no longer working – do you decide to not have one or climb two flights of stairs to the other vending machine. Or your car breaks down on the way to work. Or you receive an unexpected bill from the postman…

2.    I don’t procrastinate. Well sorry, we all do – at different levels.  You may not think you do, but you do.

How quickly you deal with these 29 daily interruptions determines your level of success.

The winners and successful people in this world do not procrastinate.



If you take just one thing from this post simply admit you could reduce the amount of times you procrastinate and along the way improve your chances of success.

So today when one of these 29 unexpected issues, changes, problems hit you, immediately make a decision and take action. You will feel so much better. 

I shall assume that the majority of us have worked for someone (i.e. a Manager).

And no doubt some of those Managers you worked for were great and some should…well let’s just say…should never have been appointed Managers.

There are numerous skills to being a Manager…communicating, delegating, controlling, co-ordinating, staff management, public speaking, decision making, managing meetings…and I could list many, many more.

But what makes a Great Manager?


Is Obama a great Manager?

Great Managers not only excel at some of the above skills but they fundamentally know the difference between ‘inputs’, ‘outputs’ and ‘outcomes’.

They take ‘inputs’ (i.e. what they do, what action taken) and ‘outputs’ (i.e. the effect of the action, the product) and create outcomes (i.e. the intended result, the performance or service targeted).

Great Managers take time out and think about ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers strive for ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers plan for ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers organize themselves and others to produce ‘outcomes’.

Great Managers implement the right and appropriate controls so the ‘outcomes’ are delivered.

Great Managers communicate and discuss the future ‘outcomes’.

So let’s take a simple example…

Many Managers at this time of year are thinking, planning, organising, controlling and communicating the staff annual performance review.

So the inputs may be…the individuals previous achievements, feedback from customers and peers, any development undertaken, objectives, written evidence of praise…

Outputs being…the actual written performance review, the staff members rating and future development needs, the following years objectives.

Many Managers stop there. That’s it. It’s over and done with. The review is typed up. The staff member has agreed with their written performance review and it gets filed away. Now we can carry on with our day jobs.

The Great Manager will be encouraging the individual to strive for major change in their performance (the ‘outcome’) as a result of the performance review.

Great Managers will work with the individual and put in place a plan to enable the individual to ‘grow’ in their role.

Great Managers organize themselves and the staff member to have the time to develop their learning, maybe go on some self-improvement courses.

Great Managers will implement monthly one-to-ones with the individual to discuss and amend their improvement plan.

Great Managers will ‘paint a picture’ of the future for the individual.

In fact, before the performance review Great Managers will have answers to the following questions:

What difference will the review make?

What would we like the staff member to do differently?

How will the difference be measured and monitored?

How will the department or company benefit?

What controls should be in place to monitor progress?

How will we know if the progress is successful?

Give yourself every opportunity to succeed as a Manager and start thinking about ‘outcomes’.

Here’s a little brain teaser I recently came across…can you beat the record?


The record is 6 minutes – can you beat it?
 
The following clues will help you find the profession, the favourite sport and the home town of Christine, Anna, Paul and Vincent. You have 20 minutes to discover who does what and where.

The record is 6 minutes – can you beat it?

1.    One of them is a school mistress

2.    Christine doesn’t come from Paris

3.    Anna is from Berlin and practices rock-climbing

4.    Charles is a civil engineer

5.    Paul likes windsurfing

6.    Vincent does not come from London

7.    The Parisian says he likes swimming, the man from London is a keen walker and the cyclist is a Chemist

8.    The student comes neither from Amsterdam nor Berlin nor Brussels

9.    The gentleman from Amsterdam is a professor but does not like swimming

The average time to complete is 12 minutes and 6 minutes is the record.

Go on have a go!

Here in the UK, job seekers are facing major competition for vacancies from as many as 50 other applicants, market research recently revealed.

The number of unfilled vacancies has fallen by 58% over the past 4 years, as well.

And on top of all that, the number of people without jobs is growing by 100,000 per month.

The worst economy since 1946

The next 12 months will see the UK economy suffer its largest contraction since 1946 and predicts unemployment will soar to 3.4 million by 2011.

The job queues are getting longer

These figures show the very real challenge of unemployment across the UK today.

And it’s not just the UK. Many other countries across the world are experiencing the same turmoil.

Redundancy...

Of course, there will be some individuals who will welcome the redundancy (getting resonable payouts) but they will be few. The vast majority will not.

And many will not get much support form the companies that are now letting them go.

It may be the first time they have had to write their own resume or go for an interview or, maybe, even start their own business.

They will feel alone, scared and wondering what to do first.

There is an abundance of free information to help you through the torrid times right here on the internet, from your local library or from numerous employment agencies.

What will you do?

You have many options open to you but you must take action.

Go to your local library and take out a book to help you write your resume.

If you are in the unfortunate position of being without a job, don’t waste time. Spend your next morning or afternoon researching the job market, writing your resume or joining a few employment agencies.

Back in my teenage years, I was a huge fan of the group Earth, Wind and Fire (and I still am!). I love all their songs / music and always go to their show when they visit the UK.

During this current world crises listen to one of their songs and take in the words - Keep Your Head To The Sky:

Words and music by maurice white
Earth Wind and Fire 1973

Master told me one day
Id find peace in every way
But in search for the clue
Wrong things I was bound to do
Keep my head to the sky
For the clouds to tell me why
As I grew, and with strength
Master kept me as I repent
And he said
Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky
He gave me the will to be free
Purpose to live his reality
Hey, and I found myself never alone
Chances came to make me strong
To step right up and be a man
cause you need faith to understand
So were saying for you to hear
Keep your head and face atmosphere
Keep your head to the sky
So the clouds
Keep your head to the sky
So they can tell you why, lord
Keep your head to the sky
Surely, the clouds are gonna tell you why
Gave me the will to be free
Purpose to live his reality
Ooo, and I found myself never alone
cause chances came, they came to make me strong
Hey, to step right up and be a man
Ooo, you need faith to understand
So were just saying for you to hear
Keep your head and face atmosphere
Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky
Dont walk around with your head hung down
Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky
Surely, surely the coulds are gonna tell you why
Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky

Following my post Christmas shock of weighing myself and finding out I have never weighed so much, in the past week I’ve cut down on my food in-take and increased my exercise activity.

 

Last Saturday my wife and I decided to walk into town (3km each way). Not that my wife needs to lose weight – she eats anything but can’t actually put on weight!

 

I’ve exercised every day for 30 minutes.

 

My wife and I attended 2 Ballroom/Latin dancing classes.

 

No biscuits or cakes have passed my lips – I’ve been eating lots of soups.

 

And I have really enjoyed the exercise. I am starting off quite light – only 30 minutes per day.

 

My clothes still feel tight but all my efforts have paid off by losing 1kg this week, so I met my weekly goal and am really pleased.

 

This coming week, I intend to increase the daily exercise routine to 45 minutes.

 

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.