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The Power of a Penny Invested Well By Bonnie Dean "Two men looked through prison bars.one saw mud, the other saw stars." Have you ever noticed what we focus on in our lives tends to expand? Two decades ago, before I started on a journey of personal growth that lead me to professional speaking, my life was somewhat in a funk. Simultaneously, a devastating divorce and a diagnosis of skin cancer had surfaced in my life. I found myself continuously focusing on the negative aspects of my life and was in danger of heading in a downward spiral. To this day, I do not know whom to credit for the simlpe tool that helped me re-focus on the positives. It's a simple idea. Every morning when you leave your house put five pennies in your left pocket. As you go through the day find people to compliment, from your heart, on things that make a difference to them (I.e. a winning smile, a new haircut, beautiful eyes, a new outfit). Each time you compliment someone, you take a penny from your left pocket and shift it to your right (one down, four to go). The goal is to have all five pennies in your right pocket when you return home. At first this exercise of looking for the positive around me was awkward...uncomfortable... forced, so I started looking for people with small children because if their children were't cute...their clothes would be!!!! Easy to start investing my fisrt penny of the day! Banks, gas stations, grocery stores and shopping centers are now my favorite hunting grounds for investing my 5 pennnies a day! catching people being good parents, a server in a coffee shop doing an exceptional job, a service provider doing that little extra is now an extra blessing in both of our lives because as we compliment another person on making a difference it makes a huge difference in our life too! We both walk a way feeing better and the ripple effect that creates throughout both of our days is tremendous! Spending time daily on "compliment hunts" taught me to focus on the positives around me, which resulted in a more positive, me! When we truly compliment others from our heart we walk away filled with the wonder of the power each of us has to put daily deposits in the emotional bank accounts of others that pay BIG dividends in our own! Slowly, life was full of joy for me again as I took the challenge of the five pennies out into the community daily. Now, I take my grandchildren on compliments hunts with me and get to see the immediate dividends that pays in thier emotional bank accounts. Who do you know who, in your circle of influence, would benefit from the five-penny challenge? How much more supportive would offices, schools, factories, associations and families be if we all practiced the five-penny challenge daily? Stephen Covey says, "Just because something is common sense doesn't that it is common practice". The five-penny challenge changed my vision of my own life. I share it with you. We have the power to change this world.one penny at a time! 1. Deposits for Achieving Healthy Returns in Personal Performance By Bonnie Dean 1.· Define success for yourself, them go for it! Success means different things to each of us. For some it may mean a happy healthy life, for others wealth and fame, for many a meaningful relationship with family, friends and God. As long as you are happy with your life and your journey you are successful! 2. Know Who You Are Ask yourself three basic quetions: A. Who am I? B.. Where do I want to go in life? C. How do I get there? Then spend some quality time in designing a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly gameplan to decde how you are going to get there! Remember, people don't plan to fail...they simple fail to plan! 3. Listen to Your 6th Sense Everybody has an inner voice that focuses on hopes & dreams. Unfortunately, most people don't listen; instead they follow the path of least resistance or do what someone else expects them to do. Success only comes before work in the dictionary. See it. Believe it!. Achieve It!!! It says in the Bible that without dreams and visions we perish! Remember, a dream becomes a goal when you put a time frams on it and our goals pull us forward in our lives! 4. Strike a Balance Between Personal & Professional Life Going full bore at work while your personal life dwindles or vice versa isn't real success. None of us getto the end of the road and say "Wish I ahd worked more, wish I had cleaned the house more!" Make sure you play as hard as you work and work as hard as you play! 5. Be Willing to Fail
to Grow! Our greatest successes often come after our biggest disappointments.
Keep that old show tune in mind. pick yourself up, dust yourself off and
start all over again...for what it does for you! 6. Learn to View Success on Other Than Material Things Money in some degree is a measure of success, but it doesn't mean you're happy. We can't take a Uhaul w/ us when we go. Perhaps success is measured in what we leave behind our legacy in the hearts of our friends & families & co-workers. 7. Be a Goal Setter You're not going to hit anything unless you take aim. One of your first steps toward success in putting your goals on paper. Referring to your goals is the best way to measure your success. What kinds of things do you want to see and taste and experience in your life. Spend an evening with your family with each member making a life list of the places they would like to go, the things they would like to do, the rivers they would like to cross, langauages, learned,different foods eaten, clothes worn, people met, sunsets seen and lifes touched because they were on this planet. 8. Push Yourself Courageously Goals should be pursued with passion and commitment. The greater the risk, the greater the rewards. But remember the journey is what's important. It is who we become in pursuit of our dreams that is important. The process is as important as the desired results. 9. Use your 7th Sense Sense of Humor Mark Twain said :A day is wasted in which I don't laugh". If you can keep your sense of humor you can make it through just about anything" Laughter is on e of the greatest gifts we can share with the people in our lives we care about. 10. Let Your Feelings Guide You There are basically two kinds of people on this planet MENTORS and TORMENTORS. We can be part of the solution or part of the part of the problem. Don't wait for something tragic to happen in your life to get you in touch with your feelings or to let others know that they are important to you. I this high tech/low touch world that we are living in only YOU can bring the high touch back! It takes so little, a smile, a paton the back, taking time to listen and acknowledge others to make this world a healthier enviroment. Don't hold back. The greatest exercise any of us can do is reaching down and pulling others up! WE are here to learn, to laugh, to live to love and to leave a legacy. What's yours?
Choosing A Conference Speaker By Bonnie Dean There are three major factors to consider when selecting a conference speaker, says Bonnie Dean, international speaker, trainer Past President of the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the National Speaker's Association. For new meeting planners and bureaus it can take several years to the realization that there are two distinctly different types of speakers. Task speakers are the people who teach the nuts and bolts, the how-to-dos necessary to gain the skills to move forward. Maintenance speakers are the people who focus on re-energizing and re-focusing their audiences on the value they bring to their jobs, their customers and in turn their companies. Many variables fall into place when a bureau or meeting planner is selecting a speaker for a sales rally, regional meeting or national convention. There are three major factors to consider in making the best match possible: PLACEMENT Where on the program are you going to put the speaker? Your choices could be: § Opening keynoter When selecting an opening speaker consider a high energy, maintenance speaker who can set the tone for the rest of the conference. The speaker who is thought provoking, inspiring, and with a "call to action" will challenge the participants to glean the most value for their time invested and the event. Even at the most technical conferences the importance of right brain activity in the opening keynote is well documented, the audience departs to attend their first breakout ready to inhale the nuts and bolts that are being presented there. The closing keynoter is perhaps the most important speaker at the event. The most value to the meeting planner comes when this speaker is able to attend the entire conference. This allows them to tie in all the high points and key elements of the conference in a fun and energetic manner, and to instill in the audience a belief that they now have the power to take the information they have gathered and incorporate into their daily routines. The closing keynoter, for the highest impact, needs to be a maintenance speaker. Maintenance speakers involve the audience, put the focus on the audience as they honor and acknowledge the people present, filling them with the belief that they are important to the company they work for and the customers they serve. When selecting a speaker for a lunch or dinner venue the safest bet is someone, who brings energy and laughter to the meal, involves the audience and is entertaining. This allows mental break for participants to revive their brainpower so they can return to the next sessions and be ready to absorb more complex information. Studies show that people learn more, retain more, and participate more when they are having fun! The breakout session is the perfect venue for the task speaker. Participants select the speaker and content based on processes and skills they want to learn; communication skills, technology, sales skills, customer service, management, leadership, or industry specific. At these sessions the participants are prepared for an in-depth, left brain exercise with concise handouts and workbooks. All of these options lend themselves to using task and maintenance speakers for further ongoing training through individual companies. Many speaker/trainers are available for "coaching calls" and quarterly "uptraining" in their areas of expertise. In an age of relationship marketing this partnering is a natural way to teach in an ongoing arena of accountability and mentoring. INVESTMENT Most speakers won't turn down a booking at a lesser fee if the meeting can compensate them in another manner, i.e. by video taping their presentation with audience accolades following, a free ad in your association magazine, multiple bookings for the year, anything creative and "all-win". It is also a possibility that the speaker will throw in "add-on" value by doing a breakout or breakfast program for your board of directors at no additional fee. Don't fail to consider a speaker you are truly interested in because of budget restrictions until you have negotiated with them on their fees.you may be pleasantly surprised. Experience The last factor to consider in speaker selection is experience - are they experts in their field or merely speaking from theory? Has this speaker been down in the trenches and out on the playing field with the people they will be addressing? Are you in the market for a celebrity, a national hero, a top sales star or a best selling author? Are you looking for a speaker who is industry specific or someone who speaks to a cross culture of society? Would it be beneficial to your conference to go the extra mile and bring in an international expert or would a speaker better meet your needs from your own backyard? Will name recognition fill the convention hall or is there a hot topic that will have them arriving at your event in droves towing their friends and family along? When was the last time you surveyed your association, sales team, or team leaders and managers for their opinions on which they would like to hear at the next big meeting or event? In this "info-glut" age of high tech - low touch, we have audiences walking around wearing invisible buttons that read, "Make me feel important about myself", being inundated with task speakers from the beginning to the end of a conference. Task speakers are necessary for companies to grow and expand. Maintenance speakers bring added value in time of rapid change and financial uncertainty. Maintenance speakers provide the mortar that hold the teams, associations and relationships together and show them ways to refocus and release their individual power to reaffirm to them that they make a difference! A balance of the two types of speakers can enhance the events long- term application of the information gained at the conference and the belief system of each participant they can achieve the results they desire!
Two Words that Can Change Your Life! By Bonnie Dean Did you ever wish you had a "No Problem" life? Fantazied about "No Problem" customers...internal and external? Wanted to be part of a "No Problem" team? Dreamed of having a "No Problem" manager? How about just owning a "No Problem" attitude? WAIT a minute... Do you even know what I mean by a "NO PROBLEM" attitude? Before I take you forward let me take you back. about four years back. Over the years I've made it a habit to pick up a gift for my husband David when I'm working , especially out of the country, to let him know I am thinking of him. About.four years ago in Banff, Canada, between programs, I was searching for the perfect gift for David When I passed the store windows of a shop called Non Fiction Clothing I knew I had FOUND IT! There it was in the store window! A stonewashed navy blue sweatshirt that read: "Banff-where the Earth touches the Sky!" Embroidered across the front were the Alberta Rose, A native Indian figure, an elk, a raven and a deer! It was a work of art! The perfect gift! So in I went and asked th emanager if she had it in David's size. "No Problem" She said I"ll go downstairs and get it for you!" While she was gone I found one that was BLACK that was even MORE perfect for David because he's tall w/ dark hair . So when she came back up I said "Oh... I like this one better do you have in his size and she said "No Problem" I'll get you one and headed back downstairs. Of course as soon as she leaves I DISCOVER they have them in a deep dsutyrose, which was perfect for me and uopn herreturn immediately requested one and was rewarded with a smile and a "No Problem" again! Now it gets even better because the next one I find has a zipper and if you're a sweatshirt connoisseur like I am you know that you can wear a turtle neck under a sweatshirt w/ a turtleneck and it looks totally awesome! So when she reappears from down below I now timidly hold up the zippered shirt and of course she smiles and sings the ever familiar phrase (can you guess?) Right! "No Problem". I'm trying it on I am loving it until I notice that there was just this little Canadian guy on the front and only Banff Canada. I said this would be perfect if it said "Banff where the Earth touches the Sky and had the Alberta Rose & the elk and the raven on the back."And once again she says "NO problem" I can have our embroider put that on the back for you. Like a typical American I say "How much is that going to cost? And she says "$10...Canadian ( about $6 US) and I say "NO PROBLEM! I want it!" How long will that take I say thinking in terms of hours and she says 2-3 days. Bummer! I tell her I am staying in Canmore and speaking in Jasper for 3 nights, returning back to the condo in Canmore late and out early the next morning to catch the plane home in Calgary. I won't be able to get back to pick it up. And she says "No Problem" I live in Canmore I will deliver it to your condo! It will be there when you get back" I TREASURE my "No Problem" so much... I don't even wear it! I now carry it all over the world with me to show it off when I tell my "No Problem" customer service story. Wouldn't YOU refer everyone you know to her store? I DO!!!!!!! Wouldn't you like to have her on your team, be one of your customers, be a manager in your company, or more importantly someone you would spend/invest your time with. Here is the challenge I leave my audiences with: What can you do on a daily basis to implement that "No Problem Attitude" into every aspect of your life..the life of your business & the business of your life! So you will be the person other people want to have on their team. You'll be the customer others want to do business with You'll be the person a company is proud to have as a manager More importantly, you will be the person you will want to spend time with and so will your friends and family! Ghandi once said "WE must be the change we want to see in the world" Let all of us be the ones who say "No Problem"
Leadership is an Art. Not a Position! By Bonnie Dean The true sigh of a good teacher is not how many students she has rather how many begin to teach. Just like the sigh of an effective manager is not how many follow.it's how many begin to lead. During the past two decades of training staffs, professional speaking, facilitating retreats, and conducting PowerTeam events, I have discovered some universal truths from the library of thought in leading a team. People join, stay and flourish within any type of team structure (i.e., career/office, board of directors, church, and family) for three basic reasons: 1. The sense of belonging
to something bigger than themselves. When any of these three reasons falls away, so does the team member from his career, job, and other personal and professional affiliations. Managers of staff offices, sales teams, committees, and households are eager for ways to communicate more effectively with their team members and to focus on creating prosperity through people in all arenas of their lives. We live in a high-tech/low-touch world: however, as the amount of information and technology that enters the workplace doubles and triples, the need for the human element increases as dramatically. Here are some thoughts to ponder. If you could have one skill, one talent, to survive and thrive in this new millennium, what would you want it to be? How about the talent to communicate well with others? Webster's defines communicating as connecting. I believe that the quality of our careers is the quality of our communication. With that thought in mind.here is a simple, four-step system that embraces the elements of nurturing any type of team member, on a professional or personal front: 1. Focus on relationship power and its impact on your bottom line. According to Tom Peters, every day we have a thousand opportunities to affect others through our communication with them. We affect them whether we are aware of it or not. Just as we know that people want to do business with people and like and trust, people flourish when working in an environment with people that like and trust them as well. Imagine that all of us on this planet walk around with invisible buttons that say "Make me feel important." A good question to ask yourself is, "What can I do to make my team feel important today?" 2. Focus on keeping it simple. Acknowledge people for the role they play daily in making the team work so they feel part of something bigger than themselves. Acknowledging others can be as simple as a smile, a nod or a word of praise.(do you know anyone who suffers from too much praise?) The best way to acknowledge people is in front of their peers. A little bit of praise goes a long way in making others want to be a part of your team. Don Peterson, the former CEO of FORD says, "the most important ten minutes of your day are the ones you spend boosting the morale of the people around you!" 3. Utilize the art of delegation. This means to share the knowledge of how to do it rather than trying to do it all yourself, even if you think you can do it better or faster. Find other son your team who will grow personally and professionally on the road to becoming future leaders in your organization. The first question you need to ask yourself is: "Who else could do this job?" The second, more important question is: "Who on my team could benefit from learning how to do this, and who would enjoy doing it?" Utilize team members so they are constantly learning and growing from their association with you. 4. Never dwell on past problems. Take a lighter attitude of the whole process. We cannot move forward when we are stuck in the past. Set the example as the leader with a positive outlook. Most of us know when we haven't done something well.Catch your team doing things right and let them know you caught'em! The number one rule of superior management is this: behavior that is rewarded will be repeated. Be careful what you reward. A good question to ask yourself in this area is: "How can we get better?" not, "Who is to blame?" or other negative thoughts. How can we move forward as a team? Who would be a champion in this arena? Lead your team to constructively solve challenges and acknowledge those who played a role in the end result. By now, you've probably noticed that the first letters of these steps spell F-U-N! Your team will want to emulate a leader who exemplifies an element of fun in their business and in the business of their lives. Don't forget to include your "seventh sense" in your daily routine .your sense of humor. Mark Twain said, "A day is wasted in which I don't laugh." The best way to compete and win in this ever changing marketplace - and world - is to lead in a value-driven, integrity-based and nonmanipulative manner to embrace, teach, and acknowledge your team members on their way to understanding the art of leadership in all areas of their lives. Qualities of a definitive, standout leader 1. Communicates well
About the Author
Her company, W.O.W. Presentations specializes in PowerTeam events, taking teams to deeper levels of understanding throgh creativity and play. She can be reached at 1 800 915-4668.
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