Articles by Marsha Egan on ArticleSnatch.com

The Art Of A Great Apology

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:27:45 -0400

No matter how hard you try to be perfect, I can guarantee that, at some point, you'll have the need to apologize to someone! I find it interesting that a lot of people think that having to apologize is a sign of weakness, when it is really a sign of humility, self confidence, caring, and strength. Here are a few points to consider: 1. Sincerity. An apology is a waste of words unless you mean it. Apologies which are made because someone else thinks you should, because you feel it's 'the right thing to do', or because you're hoping to get something in return aren't apologies at all. They're meaningless social devices and, sooner or later, people will see them for what they are. 2. Responsible. Taking responsibility and 'owning up' to your part in whatever triggered the need for the apology is a fundamental part of properly saying sorry. An example of this is "I can see how what I said hurt your feelings". 3. Unqualified. No apology should have conditions attached to it. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, but you shouldn't have raised your voice" is not an apology. "I'm sorry I raised my voice" is. 4. **End Summary** Topics: perfection]]> blame]]> responsibility]]> sincerity]]> integrity]]> leadership]]> humility]]> self-confidence]]> caring]]> ]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

The Blame Game

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:57:24 -0400

"I'm sorry I didn't call, I didn't have your number in my phone. "I'm sorry I'm late, I got stuck in traffic and didn't know any detours." "I'm sorry about that report. My PC crashed and I lost the supporting information and the replacement files were back at the office." Excuses. We all have them. It starts early in our lives with such gems as "The dog ate my homework". Have you ever noticed that the vast majority of our excuses apportion blame to an absent third party, or some type of 'force majure' outside our control. Whether it's an errant phone, traffic jam, PC or even the family pet, it was their fault. They had the power in this situation. Excuses weaken your integrity and perceived personal power by attributing that power to the wrong stuff. If your phone or PC has more power than you, then what does that say about you? There's a rule they follow at West Point academy. For the first year, cadets may only respond to their seniors with four responses - "Yes sir," "No sir," "I didn't understand the question, sir" and "No excuse, sir." That's it. **End Summary** Topics: Learning]]> development]]> business development]]> leadership]]> accountability]]> responsibility]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com.

Praise Is A Free Gift That Keeps Giving

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:49:45 -0500

I'll bet you could tell me exactly when the last time someone gave you a meaningful compliment. In fact, I'll bet you can remember exactly what the person said that made your day. Sadly, one of the main reasons these moments stick in our heads is that they're all too infrequent. So when someone does make the effort to acknowledge something you've done, it stays with us a long time. However, a proverbial 'pat on the back' is more than just a memorable occasion. It's also hugely motivating. I'm sure that, as well as remembering what was said, you can remember the energized, positive and warm feelings that the acknowledgement gave you. If you translate all this into your business, organizational, or home environment, it becomes a no-brainer to realize how you can easily inject energy and positively motivate the people around you - it costs nothing to motivate someone with genuine praise, so why are we so reluctant to do it? Recognition of someone's efforts and achievements is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways to reinforce positive behavior patterns and to empower people. **End Summary** Topics: motivation]]> encouragement]]> management]]> marsha egan]]> pat on back]]> leadership]]> self esteem]]> recognition]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

Is Positive Politics An Oxymoron?

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 07:27:31 -0500

When we think of the word 'politics', we can't help but think of political rallies, scandal and confrontation. Regardless of which side of the political divide you identify with, as a nation, politics has a very negative connotation. Of course, the word 'politics' means so much more than whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, and who's currently coming out on top on Capitol Hill. Politics can also describe 'the complex or aggregate of relationships of people in society, especially those relationships involving authority or power.' As you head up the corporate ladder, or any organizational structure, you'll almost certainly find that, the higher up the chain a person is, the less they tend to take part in what I'd call 'negative politicking'. Negative politicking is where the overt 'back stabbing' occurs. I'm sure we've all seen examples of this in our work lives - where people drop hints about peoples' shortcomings or mistakes, where people form 'cliques' and gossip behind others' backs. People who are inexperienced in organizational dynamics have often yet to learn the inherent risk of tattle tailing, or talking someone else down. **End Summary** Topics: politics]]> management]]> corporate ladder]]> marsha egan]]> positive politics]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

Let's Keep It Simple

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 08:38:15 -0500

How Leading a Simple Life Can Help you Enjoy Your Life We've all heard of the KISS method. Keep It Simple Sam. In this over-committed lifestyle we all seem to be leading, there are a number of good reasons to "keep it simple." So, let's think about this… The simpler the system or process, the less it can break down. And when it does, the simpler it is to fix. A good example of this is when a company has multiple people or departments touching a product before it is released to the customer. The more people or touchpoints, the more potential for error and/or delay. The simpler the procedure, the more likely people will use it. Many of us tend to avoid or put off complicated processes, whether they are personal or business. By keeping things simple, you'll increase the use of the system and help its effectiveness. Technology can be a great tool in this arena. Less is better. Think about the last lengthy email message you received. Did you read it all, word for word? Most likely not. But if that message you received had only one sentence, chances are, you'd read the entire thing. **End Summary** Topics: organization]]> management]]> email]]> email productivity]]> Marsha Egan]]> Inbox Detox]]> leadership]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

Email Efficiency: The 'Touch It Once' Rule - How's That Working For You?

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 02:00:34 -0500

We've all heard of the 'touch it once' rule - where smug associates with seemingly empty desks tell you they owe their serenity to never allowing paperwork to touch their desk more than once. Have you ever tried it for yourself and found yourself no better off, if not worse? Likewise, if you told everyone in your office that they could have one wish, how many of them would opt for 'a 30-hour day', an '8 day week', or some other such device to cram everything they need to get done into the time available? So many of us have so much going on that the greatest source of stress for most of us is the sheer volume of tasks and information we feel we have to cram into each day. We all need more time every day, as we look at our bulging 'to do' lists and wonder how we'll ever get to the bottom of them. Well, firstly, we need to accept that, sometimes, it just isn't going to get done - the day remains 1,440 minutes long, and it simply doesn't add up. **End Summary** Topics: email]]> email productivity]]> organization]]> management]]> productivity]]> email overload]]> inbox detox]]> marsha egan]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

Stop The World, I Want To Get Off!

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:06:08 -0500

Almost every day, I hear someone remark how fast the world is changing - and it's true. It's almost unrecognizable from our parents' days, and even from the world we grew up in. We live in a world far more touched by a constant state of change than any generation which has gone before us. Global communication and sharing of ideas combined with ever-increasing technology has given us a world that moves incredibly fast. Add to that the increasing world population, increased global competition and the pressure we all have on profits, and we have a world with its foot stuck firmly on the gas pedal! Mind you, it's almost certain that the current break-neck speed at which our world turns is the slowest rate of change we'll ever have; things can only speed up even further from here - pretty scary, isn't it? Just to reinforce this, the compounding reality is that there's nothing any of us can do to slow the rate of change - whether we like it or not, the roller coaster is here to stay! The more change we have to deal with, the greater is the potential for us to feel stressed out. **End Summary** Topics: change]]> resistance]]> organization]]> management]]> stress]]> stress management]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

Goals Work Better On Paper!

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:02:30 -0500

New Year is the time that many of us assess where we are both professionally and personally; and often make resolutions for the coming year. The single most effective tool in making sure your goals last longer than the Christmas chocolates is so simple, but far too few people put it to use: Get Your Goals on Paper! We've no idea why such a little thing works so well, but evidence shows that people who commit to their goals in writing are much more likely to achieve them. This is reinforced when people talk about their goals with other people. It's almost as if that, once it's shared, with your notebook, with your neighbor, as much as possible, it makes the goal a living, breathing thing - it becomes more real to the person who wants to achieve it. So as you're planning your New Years' resolutions, whether you want to quit smoking or get that big promotion, write them all down! To keep those goals alive, keep them somewhere you'll see them regularly. It could be on your nightstand, your day planner, in the front of your diary, or even make it into a screensaver. **End Summary** Topics: New Year's Resolutions]]> goals]]> priority]]> goal setting]]> organization]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

Do You Promote A Culture Of Creativity?

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:10:40 -0500

In today's fast-paced culture of constant change and innovation, organizations that want to grow and prosper need to be flexible and malleable to keep up with the pace, especially if they not only want to stay with the pack, but be leaders in their field. The rigid command and control structures of yesteryear are a barrier to moving with the times. I firmly believe that the companies that will lead the way now and in the future and truly 'hit the jackpot' are those who promote flexible and creative thinking and action at all levels within their organization. To work in this way, leaders must not only practice this way of thinking themselves, but encourage it in ALL their staff. Leadership theory models give us a lot of 'types' and characteristics for leaders. Here are some of the characteristics of leaders who take a 'creative thinking' approach, while empowering their staff to do the same: - They have respect for everyone. If people feel valued and respected, they're more likely to articulate their ideas. - They are visible. Their working life isn't spent in a remote office with the door shut. **End Summary** Topics: leadership]]> leaders]]> respect]]> culture]]> organization]]> management]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.InboxDetox.com .

How Are You at Building Reserves?

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 02:13:12 -0500

How are you at building reserves? And we're not just talking about money, although the concept is the same. Do you have reserves of time, resources and energy? Are you running your life, or is your life running you? We are all familiar with the concept of building financial reserves. Your family advisors tell you to put funds aside for emergencies; they give you advice on how much you should put away (A half year's salary? A full year's expenses?) They work with you to regularly put aside specific amounts for that unanticipated emergency. All this is great advice, and advice you should put into practice. But there are other areas of you life where you can (and should) set up reserves. By setting up other types of reserves you take a huge step in controlling your life, rather than having your life control you. These reserves can be set up in three major places: * Resources * Time * Energy Resource Reserves: Building reserves of your resources can save you money, time and stress. **End Summary** Topics: Energy]]> Resources]]> time management]]> finances]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of InboxDetox.com a division of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.inboxdetox.com

10 Ways to Send 10% Fewer E-mail Messages

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:08:52 -0400

Information Overload Awareness Day is fast approaching. Yes. We all struggle with the barrage of information that we receive and is available to us daily. And one of the ever growing sources of that information is e-mail. Consider the world productivity impact if everyone sent 10% fewer e-mails than their average -- every day from this day forward. Not sure what that number is? Simple. Just go into your Sent Mail over the last few days and check how many messages you sent. Take 10% and that will become your goal. Here are 10 ways for you to send 10% fewer e-mail messages: 1. Avoid using Reply All. You can just about guarantee that when using Reply All, someone receiving the message didn't need to see it. Go the extra mile and select recipients. 2. Copy fewer people. Resist the temptation to add Suzie or Sam just because they "might" need to see the information. Copy only the people who are in critical need of the information. 3. Stop using BCC. Blind copies are secretive. They are often used to "rat out" others. They create clutter and emotion, and usually generate more e-mail traffic. 4. Call a meeting. **End Summary** Topics: Information overload]]> email]]> email productivity]]> marsha egan]]> email overwhelm]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of InboxDetox.com a division of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified workplace productivity coach and professional speaker, and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.inboxdetox.com

Three Little Words - The Secret to Making Meetings Work

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:36:17 -0400

You've wanted to know the secret to meeting management success? Look no further... Here is YOUR answer to getting things DONE at alllll those meetings we attend. All it takes is three little words. Here are the "three little words" that will change your meeting life forever. Who knows, they may even bolster your career! 1. WHO 2. WHAT 3. WHEN Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest. This is one of those times. Read on... We all think we spend toooooo much time in meetings. Maybe that's true. But maybe it's because they are unproductive... or confusing... or rambling... or (fill in your favorite blank)... Our negative feelings may be because of the ineffectiveness of the meetings, rather than the fact that there IS a meeting. Try to remember the last meeting that you attended that you felt was a truly productive meeting... While this exercise could be taxing on your memory, try to think of the elements that made it a "good" meeting. It's likely that the usual elements of starting on time, having an agenda, and having "right" people participate were all there. But it had to also include initiating clear and definable actions, didn't it? **End Summary** Topics: meetings]]> leadership]]> organization]]> management]]> challenges]]> expectations]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Remember the I in Leadership

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:34:16 -0400

Leadership is about having a vision and inspiring others. This has been and will always be true, but modern leaders face the challenge of processing information faster than ever before. Managing today means making the time to lead and knowing when, not just how, to share your ideas with your team. This ability to "self manage" or "self lead" is critical. Self-management enables leaders to focus on those actions that are most important for the business. Self-management is the ability to set the right priorities for tasks, to focus on the issue at hand, to run on all cylinders and to muster the self-motivation to do it. It means WE take the reins. Many times, the difference between successful people and those less so is that the more successful ones have used their time more wisely. The return on investment of time is much greater. We all have only 24 hours each day, and a plethora of distractions, requests and projects continually competing for attention. The ability to work on the right tasks at the right time requires thoughtful self-management. We must take a proactive approach to selecting how we use our time. **End Summary** Topics: leadership]]> time management]]> organization]]> productivity]]> communication]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Five Great Ways to Sabotage Your Career

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:20:59 -0400

So many times, people don't realize how easily they can sabotage their careers, unknowingly, they will do or not do things that hold them back. Here are five cautionary behaviors: Pretending that there are no politics: sometimes people take the view that they are not going to acknowledge or participate in the political framework of their organization. This is definitely career limiting. People need to be aware of the political aspects; they do not necessarily have to be political. It is important to know who has what power, and to understand the organizational culture, and to maximize connections and networks. Backstabbing and end - runs: especially at the lower levels of organizations, you will find people talking negatively behind people's backs and circumventing structural hierarchies to get ahead. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Gossip and backstabbing is a surefire way to stop your advancement. It is much better to confront issues positively and with the person who can impact the result. Believing that hard work is the sole reason you will get ahead: too many people think that the organization will find and recognize them for working 12 hours a day, and doing good work. **End Summary** Topics: meetings]]> leadership]]> career]]> promotion]]> relationships]]> strategy]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Say No - Set Your Boundaries, Get More Done

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:49:26 -0400

Feel like you're on a treadmill that will never stop? Too much to do? Too much to get done? Just as with how the overlap between our work and our home lives has become blurred, and technology has connected us to people and tasks around the clock, we could all be working 24/7 and still feel overwhelmed. How can we get it all done? You're not alone. Millions of Americans are frustrated with their growing to do lists, their constant connectivity, in their seeming inability to get anything accomplished. On top of that, a lot of us try to do everything for everyone else. We care. We want to help. We want to nurture. We are not only overwhelmed with our own action lists, but others around us have given us theirs! Boundaries to the rescue! In the current environment, we all need to set boundaries. By setting clear boundaries at work, and at home, we are enabling ourselves to find the balance it will actually provide energy to each aspect of our lives. Setting boundaries will enable us to get the important stuff done. The first step in this process is to decide what boundaries are important to you. **End Summary** Topics: goals]]> overwhelm]]> boundaries]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Break the Ice to Get Your Meeting Going!

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 06:14:30 -0400

Icebreakers are great. When you get people together to work on things, getting them to know each other will spur on other positive results. I make it a habit to have an icebreaker at just about every volunteer meeting I conduct, whether the group is large or small. After all, these people chose to volunteer, let's make it fun for them. These ideas also thrive in a working environment; they help people build the relationships that can move an enterprise forward. Believe it or not, adults like to interact, and play. By getting your meeting or task force off to an energetic, fun, and interesting start, you'll see a more positive aura in the meeting. So, why do Icebreakers work? - They set a positive tone for the meeting - They give the speaker or chairman an approachable aura - They loosen things up - They help build relationships - They give people something to talk about - They give people something to look forward to - They give folks an "excuse" to get to know people they don't know - They're fun Sooooo. What is stopping you from using them? **End Summary** Topics: leadership]]> meetings]]> management]]> icebreakers]]> productivity]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Are You Doing The Right Stuff?

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:09:20 -0400

These days, it seems like we are being pulled in so many different directions. Priorities compete with each other, and it just seems like we can't get everything done, doesn't it? What's worse, it seems like our daily "to do" lists grow much faster than our abilities to check them off. No wonder the world is showing more stress. Sometimes it is helpful to step back, and evaluate all those things we're doing, to make sure that the important "stuff" is being addressed. OK, so what's the important "stuff?" A lot of that is up to you to decide. I like to challenge my coaching clients to decide which "mountains they want to climb" (goals), and when they want to climb them. Then, we check their daily "to do" lists to see if their activities are related to climbing one of those mountains. Funny thing about goals... You have a much better chance of achieving them when first, you HAVE them, and second, you write them down. And only 2% of the world has goals! Do you? Let's get back to those mountains you want to climb. Mountains are our analogy to life goals. **End Summary** Topics: management]]> priorities]]> goal setting]]> organization]]> balance]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Little Things You Can Do to Greatly Reduce the Amount of E-mail You Receive

Wed, 12 May 2010 09:04:08 -0400

People complain about all the e-mail they receive, and how much work it is for them to handle. And it is true, the number of e-mails being sent is definitely on the increase. The reality is there are quite a number of things that you can do, personally, to keep your e-mails to a minimum. Here are a few tips: Be very clear. By making sure that the content of your e-mails is very understandable, you can avoid people e-mailing you with questions. Taking a small amount of time on the front end to read through the e-mail you are about to send can go a long way in avoiding a return question. Make the subject line detailed. By including detailed information in the subject lines, your recipients will be able to sort and respond with the right priority. The detailed subject line will also help YOU sort and handle responses because you know exactly what the item entails. Use only one subject per e-mail. The reality is that most people skim. If you put in two requests, there is a strong likelihood that only one of the requests will be responded to. **End Summary** Topics: email]]> e-mail]]> organization]]> productivity]]> management]]> leadership]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

If Your Employees Were All Taking Two-Hour Lunches, Wouldn't You Address It?

Sun, 02 May 2010 18:37:11 -0400

In these trying economic times, we are all looking for opportunities to save costs and increase productivity. Businesses have a huge opportunity to increase productivity staring them in the face that unfortunately has gone virtually undetected. What is that opportunity? The reclaimed productivity comes from changed e-mail habits. You think I kid? The research firm Basex recently estimated the cost of information overload to the world economy $900 billion annually. E-mail handling habits are among the top offenders. Have you ever stopped to observe or consider what your organization's e-mail culture is? How do your employees use it? How do they manage it? How do they send it? How do they save it? The habits they adopt, whether they are positive or negative, can be contagious and suddenly your business has its own e-mail culture. Habits? Contagious? When you consider how many impressions these messages have all in each person in your organization daily, you can quickly understand how e-mail practices can become cultural and pervasive. Here is just one example of how an e-mail culture can evolve. A boss realizes that he needs to call an urgent meeting with 3 of his managers. **End Summary** Topics: management]]> leadership]]> email]]> culture]]> organization]]> time management]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

If You're Thinking of Checking that Blackberry in a Meeting, Don't!

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:27:57 -0400

We've all done it. The meeting is going on and on. Your boss is rambling. You "get" the gist of the concept. You're bored. Your mind drifts. Hmmm. Wonder what newfound treasure has appeared in my PDA? Who will notice if you sneak a peek? Your boss will. Others in the meeting will. Don't do it. You could be committing career suicide. Robert Half & Associates recently conducted a study of 150 senior executives, which showed that 31 percent of them found it inappropriate for employees to check PDAs during meetings. Despite this finding, 86 percent of the senior executives polled had witnessed people engaging in this behavior. So, if nearly one out of three execs in the study saw that behavior as inappropriate, the odds are against you. And the others in the meeting, who could be future executives, could also have an impact on your professional future. Behavior in meetings can be career enhancing or career busting. People draw conclusions about people's leadership styles, preparedness, communication, and value by how they participate in meetings. So if you want to short cut your career, just pull out that PDA. **End Summary** Topics: management]]> smartphones]]> career]]> business etiquette]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Five Tips on Dealing with Change

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 07:46:16 -0400

Everything is changing so fast! I hear this comment almost daily. And the reality of it is, -- it's true! The changes that we are experiencing today are significantly more than the changes that our forefathers had to embrace. The world is moving at an extremely fast-pace. And the illuminating thought, or should I say reality, is that today's pace of change is probably the slowest rate of change we will experience ever again. Yikes! And to compound that thought, the second reality is that there is very little any of us can do to slow the rate of change. Consider these influencing factors: - technology - globalization - pressure on profits - competition - more people... The more changes we have to deal with, the more potential stress we feel. Our human nature is actually resistant to change. Most people want predictability, and most people gravitate towards routines. Therefore, it is somewhat natural to appreciate why many of us hang on to the past, or what worked "last year." When we have to change, it is understandable that dealing with it can create stress. Even positive changes can create stress. **End Summary** Topics: change]]> stress]]> organization]]> attitude]]> behavior]]> positive thinking]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Email Management: Forget the "Touch it Once" Rule!

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:24:01 -0400

So many of us have so many items on our to-do lists, it can be a source of stress to just about everyone! We need more minutes in the day... How will we get it all done? Well, first of all, we need to give ourselves permission to not get it all done. Instead we need to look at setting the right priorities, and working on the most important stuff. That, in and of itself, is a subject that would take much more than this column to solve. Instead, let's start small with a suggestion that may add a few minutes to each of your days. Here is one little piece of time management that may help save each and every one of us several minutes each hour. Yet, you guessed it -- how to process your in - bin. Whether you are in business or not, everyone has the equivalent of an in-bin. This is where information and work comes to you. It can be in the form of a mailbox, e-mail, work assigned to you, stuff dropped on your desk. We all have to process that "stuff. **End Summary** Topics: email]]> organization]]> time management e-mail overload]]> productivity]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Think About Networking in a NEW Way...

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:41:56 -0400

Instead of thinking about a network, let's envision a net. If you place yourself at the center of this net, you can see how your direct links, or connections, extends outward. And each of those links extend outward as well. Yet they are all interconnected. This is what we want our net to look like, and even more, to "work." I meet too many entrepreneurs and business people who believe or act as though their selling efforts are all direct one on one transactions with their prospects and customers. What they don't realize is that when they build a network, much of the selling and prospecting can actually be done by other people. A network helps you multiply yourself. In my networking workshops, I ask the question, " How many friends and acquaintances, conservatively, do you think you have?" The answer usually ranges between 200 and 500. My next question is, "How many people do you think each of those people know?" Then we do the math. Conservatively, if each of these people knows only 200 people, that person is " connected" to 40,000 people, only one person removed! **End Summary** Topics: networking]]> relationships]]> communication]]> leadership]]> organization]]> management]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Playing GOTCHA Doesn't Work

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:33:14 -0500

If I could wave a magic wand, and change something about how human beings interact with each other, I would eliminate "gotcha" forever. What is "gotcha"? Before we talk about eliminating "gotcha", it is important to clarify just what "gotcha" is! "Gotcha" can come in many forms. In the verbal form, we know it more commonly as "I told you so," but "gotcha" can take on many other forms. "Gotcha" is not only noticing that someone makes an error, but using it against them. Sometimes the intent of a "gotcha" is to try and make someone feel bad about doing something. Or forgetting something. Or even breaking something. Regardless, a "gotcha," or an "I told you so," is essentially one person trying to exert power over another. Here are a few examples: Your sales manager promised to forward a report by Tuesday. After the due date on Thursday, you are in a meeting with the sales manager and his staff, and you point out to him or her that the report was not turned in on time, to make sure that he knew you knew. This embarrassed him in front of his staff. Gotcha! **End Summary** Topics: partnership]]> business]]> collaboration]]> relationship]]> leadership]]> management]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .

Career Strategy: Ask For Help!

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:54:51 -0500

People who have more luck than others aren't afraid to ask others for help. While some might think that this is a sign of weakness, it really isn't. It is a signal of success. Asking people for help in terms of a referral to someone or opening the door for a possible meeting with someone is totally acceptable behavior. Asking others for constructive criticism is another form of requesting help. The same goes for asking for assistance in an area where you are not an expert. People who are successful do this, not regularly, but at the appropriate times. Think about this: You have been working towards something for a long time. You haven't been able to make headway in whatever it is that you are trying to achieve and you find out that a certain person that you know knows someone in the organization that you want to be involved in. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking people to make a referral or to contact the person on your behalf. **End Summary** Topics: career]]> strategy]]> weakness]]> help]]> referral]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Marsha Egan, CPCU, PCC is CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a Reading, PA based professional coaching firm. She is a certified executive coach and professional speaker, specializing in leadership development and can be reached at marsha@marshaegan.com or visit http://www.marshaegan.com .