Systemization secures steady results. The New Year is the
perfect time to review the processes and systems you have or need in your
office. As a management consultant, I am often brought into organizations to
increase capacity and improve outcomes. I do this through developing systems to
help organizations run smoother. Having processes in place creates consistency
of results and increases productivity. I just read a book addressing this
issue, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. In The Checklist Manifesto, Dr. Atul Gawande
reviews the role of checklists in different settings and then applies it to his
field of surgery. Checklists rose to prominence with flight checklists
developed by test pilots in 1935. The checklist for test pilots of the B-17 was
short enough to fit on an index card, with step-by-step checks for each
activity – takeoff, flight, landing, and taxiing.

Dr. Gawande proposes two types of checklists: do-confirm and
read-do. In do-confirm checklists, team members perform their jobs from memory
and experience and then run the checklist to confirm that the needed steps were
completed. In read-do checklists, team members perform the tasks as they check
them off – like following a recipe.

While Dr. Gawande does not discuss the application of checklists
to business settings, I have found much success using checklists in my business
and with my clients. Organizations can develop do-confirm checklists based on
the expectations of their team members. In an organization with clients, have a
checklist attached to the file with all of the needed components of the file
listed. The team member fills out the appropriate paperwork and then confirms
the information is included.

One read-do checklist that is helpful for a range of
businesses is a simple incoming call checklist. On it, include information
such: demographics/contact information of the caller and next steps. The key to
effective checklists is for them to be edited ruthlessly down to the essence of
what is needed. If something so complex as flying a plane can be made into a
checklist that would fit on an index card, any organizational process can be
distilled into its essence. By systemizing your organizational processes, you
will create consistency.

To think about: Which activity in my office could most
benefit from being systemized using a checklist?

Checklists for Non-Profits and Businesses is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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1.  Send out the newsletter quarterly. Since others do this also, send yours the second month of each
quarter – February, May, August, and November.

2.  Brand the newsletter with your logo, colors, and look. The goal is that when they see the newsletter
before reading it, they know it’s from your organization.

3.  Use a newsletter template –from your software: Word, Publisher or from a service such as Constant Contact,
who will at no charge assist you with developing a customized template.

4.  Develop a content template and use it for every newsletter. You may want to include the following:
executive director’s column, program updates, volunteer spotlight, employee spotlight, and how to help column.

5.  For each story or column, have 2 paragraphs and 1 photo. Keep it short and to the point.

6.  For photos – use photos you have taken, Microsoft downloads, or purchase a CD of royalty free photos at an
office supply store.

7.  Use clear, easy to understand words. Stay away from the multitude of acronyms used in non-profits.

8.  Proofread, edit ruthlessly, and revise. The newsletter represents the best of your organization. Readers
will have a negative impression if there are typos and bad grammar.

9.  End the newsletter with a call to action. Let people know what you would like them to do as a result of
reading your newsletter. Examples include: nominate people for your Board of Directors, make a donation, volunteer, etc.

10.  Have a subscribe/unsubscribe option at the bottom of the newsletter.

to think about: how can a newsletter help me build new relationships or strengthen established relationships?

10 Tips for Terrific Non-Profit Newsletters is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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In this week before Thanksgiving, my thoughts are brought to being thankful for those
aspects of my life that bring me joy. Thankfulness is a 2 step process: feeling
gratitude (helps self) and expressing gratitude (helps relationships).

Focusing on gratitude creates a positive self-fulfilling prophecy in one’s life. The
more one focuses on what one is grateful for, that area of one’s life is
expanded.  I begin each day with meditation on personal and professional areas
of my life for which I feel grateful.

While you may feel grateful for your client with whom you enjoy working, if you don’t
share it with him, you have missed out on strengthening that relationship. I’m
a big believer in thank you cards. I carry stamped thank you cards with me so I
may jot a note while traveling. Thank you e-mails and brief phone calls are
also quick ways to connect with others. Saying thank you to two people each week is a great place to start.

Here’s a simple template for saying thank you:

Dear  ____________,

Thank you for being such a great client/colleague/leader. I have enjoyed working with
you on _____________. Your energy and enthusiasm are infectious. I really
appreciate the personal attention and  commitment to excellence that you bring to this project.

All the best,

Taking a few minutes each week to thank others will help you create deeper connections and meaningful relationships.

To Think About: Which relationships am I most thankful for? Have I let them know lately?

Thankfulness in Creating Meaningful Relationships is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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The goal in presentations and in day to day life is to create a feeling of openness and likability. Author Shellie Rushing Tomlinson says “I’m like a stray dog, unless you’re throwing sticks at me, I’m gonna assume you like me.” By projecting happiness even when things are not in your favor, you create a space where it’s easy for people to like you and want to help you succeed. Albert Einstein said “the most important question any human being can ask themselves is, ‘Is this a friendly universe?’”

To think about: are you assuming this is a friendly universe and how is that impacting your communication with others?

How Assumptions Affect Communication is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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In 1997, Just Between Friends was created in a living room in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when President Shannon Wilburn, a mother of two young children, and her friend Daven Tackett hosted a sale, while inviting 17 friends to be consignors. Promoted only in their neighborhood, the gross sales reached approximately $2,000. That’s when the idea caught on. Each season, a new, larger event was held. In 2003, Wilburn and Tackett formed Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc., and began developing and selling franchises. Just Between Friends Sales are huge twice a year consignment sales events held throughout the country. Currently, they have 108 franchises in 21 states.  They have received national attention on several national television shows including ABC News, Good Morning America, CNN, Headline News, Inside Edition and CNBC’s The Big Idea.

I met Shannon Wilburn in Tulsa at the Spark and Hustle Conference. Shannon is one of the featured speakers on Tory Johnson’s Spark and Hustle Tour, 3 day intensive business development conferences for women entrepreneurs. Her energy and enthusiasm are magnetic. As a communication skills consultant/trainer, I was greatly impressed with her excellent presentation skills and her ability to engage and connect with each person she met. I interviewed her about how communication skills play a key role in her success as a business owner.

1.  Thea: What are the characteristics of a successful Just Between Friends franchise owner?

Shannon: The same characteristics of other successful business owners. Someone is who relational in personality, with a strong sales background, who is not afraid to talk about the business. It is also important to have someone who is analytical and detail-oriented. The person needs to be a “doer,” someone who will execute activities. We tell our franchisees, “if you build it, they will NOT come.” Franchisees have to market the sales and spend significant time behind the scenes doing work. We provide support to the franchisees to create strong relationships with their consignors.

2.  Thea: What is your communication plan for your franchisees?

Shannon: We strive to keep connected to our franchisees. We send out regular e-mail newsletters. Franchisees receive 32 hours of national training, an operations manual, monthly/bi-weekly webinars, 18 hours of on-site training, and an annual conference to support their success. We have a support staff of 8 team members who work with our franchisees. We have created Yahoo groups to foster relationships among the franchisees. This is especially helpful for our new franchisees who post questions and receive answers from more experienced franchisees.  We are in the business of making others successful.

3.  Thea:  How do you maintain a successful business partnership and what role does communication play in your partnership?

Shannon:  My partner and I are complete opposites and that helps. Daven is analytical and views things in black and white. I’m more vision oriented and see all of the sides of a situation. We have a clear division of responsibilities and we trust the other in her responsibilities. In communication, we know the traits of the other person. We each share our expectations with the other and strive to meet the other person’s expectations.

4.  Thea:  What communication tips do you have for building relationships with a customer base?

Shannon: Be very aware of how you are coming across, particularly in your writing. I always advocate “putting sugar on top.” I use smiley faces and lol in my e-mails. Since it’s a woman based business primarily working with women, I think it works. This allows people to take bad news more easily.

5.  Thea:  How important are training and conferences for your franchisees?

Shannon: They are huge! Each new franchisee receives 4 days of national training on how to run their franchise. Also, we have an annual conference at the end of each year. We time it so the franchisees can plan for their next year. When someone takes a risk and buys a franchise, they need to put in the time and effort to make the business successful. We can tell a big difference between those franchisees who attend the annual conference and those who don’t. Not only is the conference incredibly motivating, it also puts an emphasis on learning, training, and highlighting the practices of the top achievers.

6.  Thea: When I met you, I was struck at what an ideal brand ambassador you are. What are your tips for others on how to share their brand/product?

Shannon: If you are a part of a company and you don’t have the passion to share about it, you are in the wrong business. With Just Between Friends, we are in the business of making others successful. I help people save money and make money. I am very happy to share about this with others. Don’t feel guilty about telling others about your business, if the business you are doing is worthwhile.

I’m always looking for ways to share information about JBF. Recently I went to the mall with my children. I brought 100 promo cards of the JBF Tulsa event with me to hand out. After we finished shopping, I told the children “we have to give all of the cards away before we can leave.” If you can’t sale your business, you shouldn’t be doing it.

7.  Thea: What other communication tips do you have for business owners?

Shannon: You know your business and you need to focus on customer service. We’ve grown our business by word of mouth. You want your customers and partners to spread the word. If someone has a complaint about your business, address it. Recently, we had someone write about a negative experience on facebook. I responded personally and suggest that she follow up with the franchise owner. The franchise owner also provided an immediate response. It’s easier and cheaper to keep the customers you have than to get new ones.

Shannon Wilburn’s answers were consistent with what I have found working with clients over the years, she highlighted the importance of creating successful relationships. Annual sales of over $15 million are proof that her ideas and approach work. Communication along with hard work is the foundation upon which to grow a successful business.

To Think About:

Good communication comes from doing and taking action. What are you doing today to create relationships with customers, partners, and colleagues?

How communication skills help Just Between friends have annual sales over $15M is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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First, make direct eye contact. We make connections with people through eye contact. I know that if I can make eye contact with a rider on a float, I will make a connection. It is the same principle with networking events. So many times, people are focused on meeting many people. They are constantly scanning the scene and looking around. This is not effective. It is much more effective to focus on making meaningful connections with two or three people. When speaking with people have sticky eyes, only looking at the person with whom you are talking. Let the whole event and other people, fade out of your awareness. People appreciate being provided with your undivided attention.

Second, ask for what you want. I think rubber chickens are funny.  I keep a small rubber chicken, Lurleen, in my office desk as a pick me up. On Sunday night, I saw a parade rider with some necklaces with rubber chickens. I made direct eye contact with the rider and then asked for a rubber chicken necklace.  He threw me the necklace.

Making connections with others is great. However, you have to take the next step if you want to be successful. In professional and personal communication, ask for what you want. It is not others’ responsibility to psychically know what you are thinking. It is your responsibility to share what you would like. If you have a business, ask for the sale. If you work for others, ask for the raise. If you want to get closer to your friends, ask for a monthly dinner out.

Good communication can be really simple: make eye contact and ask for what you want.

To Think About:

What do I need to ask for today?

Mardi Gras Communication Tips is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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Girlfriends 2.0 is an excellent memoir and Girlfriend guide by Cindy W. Morrison. The book launches nationally this week.  After a series of life changing events: job layoff, medical emergency, and a house lightning strike, Cindy depended on her Girlfriend Support Network to thrive during her changing times. The book is a memoir of Cindy’s life going back to her pageant days through her 20 year TV career as an anchor and investigative journalist.

The theme throughout the book is upgrade and reboot your Girlfriends now. In the book, Cindy distinguishes between Girlfriends (capital G) – those who will always be there when it matters most and girlfriends (lowercase g) -those who are wanna be friends. We are the average of the people with which we surround ourselves. While the concept is something I remember hearing as a child, as an adult, it’s not something I’ve given much thought lately.  Cindy states that you should surround yourself with the best Girlfriends possible – 10’s, so you can be the best person you can be. The process is two-fold: drop the negative friends and nurture positive relationships with real Girlfriends. She talks about using positive communication strategies to develop and maintain friendships.

I especially appreciate her chapter titled “Dump the Wanna-Bes!” While I’ve spoken about dealing with difficult people including Nosey Ned and Angry Angela, her wanna-bes – Sabotage Suzie, Helen Hater, and Competitive Cathy, had me laughing out loud and seeing “friends” from my life. The biggest a-ha moment I had reading her book was about being friends with women who have no other friends. Cindy states that if someone doesn’t have other friends, be very wary. Over the last 10 years, I have had 2 negative girlfriend experiences with women for whom I was their only friend. One ended up being an Abigail Agenda and the other was a Needy Nancy. Before reading this book, I never put together that I should be wary of women with no Girlfriends.

Cindy details her strategies for developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with her Girlfriends. Strategies include: regular calls, e-mails, texts, monthly girls’ night out, and yearly Girlfriends vacation or weekend get together. She details 10 Keys to Having Lifelong Girlfriends. Two of them include: No hidden agenda and always share your best secrets.

The book is a quick and enjoyable read. I have found myself quoting Cindy almost daily since I finished the book. It has led me to cultivate some new friendships with women who have the potential to be part of my own Girlfriend Support Network. It is a great read for adults and would be a perfect present for a young woman in high school or college. I think of the girlfriend mistakes I made that could have been avoided by reading this book.

I will be giving away a copy of this book to people who like my facebook fan page and answer my girlfriends’ fill-in-the-blank.

To think about:

Are the people in my life Girlfriends or girlfriends and what am I going to do about it?

Review of Girlfriends 2.0 by Cindy W. Morrison is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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Each new year is full of possibilities. The key to success is follow through. Follow through is based on self motivation. Self motivation has two components: motivation and self-discipline. Motivation needs to be replenished on a regular basis.  Zig Ziglar captured it with his quote, “people often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Self motivation involves setting yourself up for success. It’s important to surround yourself with reminders of your past success as well as the goals to which you are striving.  Hang your diplomas, certificates, and important photos in your office to reinforce your self image as a successful person.

Surrounding yourself with your goals is motivating. Each new year I take some time to develop my theme for the year. I choose a theme, song, quote, and 5 goals for the year. The photo above is of a print I purchased in New Orleans recently that inspired my 2011 theme of Live Out Loud. I’ve posted information about my 2011 Goal Sheet to share for your inspiration. I place my goal sheet in a prominent place in my office, where I see it every day. This repetition motivates me to take the steps needed to achieve my goals. I listen to my theme song  for the year whenever I need a boast of motivation.

There are times when self motivation is absent, despite your best efforts. At these times, success is a result of self-discipline. It has been my experience that motivation comes from taking action rather than the other way around. After establishing goals, the next step is to develop action steps with a timeline. These action steps provide a road map for daily activities. Self-discipline involves following the plan you have set up regardless of how “motivated” you feel on any given day. By cultivating self motivation and self-discipline, you will set yourself up to achieve your goals for 2011.

To think about:

Write down your top 5 goals for 2011 and start taking action to reaching them.

Goal Setting in 2011 is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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Most business messages these days are always about do your best, be the best, etc. Like many people, I internalized this message.  While striving for the best and perfection sounds great, the consequence is perfection paralysis.  With perfection paralysis, you think “I don’t know enough or have the skills or the time to do it perfectly, so there’s no point in even starting right now.”

This is flawed. Every activity does not require perfection. Embrace good enough. There are times, we naturally embrace good enough. For example, the last time you were caught without an umbrella in the rain. Did you go off in search of the perfect umbrella – checking consumer reviews, analyzing fabric strength, etc.? No, you ducked into the closest shop and purchased the first umbrella you saw. One that was good enough.

I began to embrace good enough around 3 years ago and have seen my productivity soar. The beauty of good enough is that it doesn’t require the time, energy, or effort of perfect. There is no need to stress about or procrastinate when the goal is to do something good enough. Good enough is freeing.

Good enough is not permission to slack off but rather it’s a call to action. Good enough invites persistence. The goal is to take action free of future judgment on those actions. By making some activities good enough, you will free up time and energy for activities that require intense focus.

It has been ironic. Since giving myself permission to embrace good enough for some projects, the quality of my work on other projects has improved.

To Think About:

An old adage about writing goes “ you can’t create and edit at the same time.”

I believe:

You can’t create and be perfect at the same time.

embrace good enough is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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The mission of your coalition is best accomplished by branding yourself and your organization as the subject matter expert on your topic for your state.

Where branding is about crafting an identity, marketing is about spreading a message. The primary message of an awareness month is raising awareness of your issue. It gives your organization a natural reason to contact the media and promote your coalition. You can visit http://www.healthfinder.gov/nho/nho.asp to see the awareness months for health and social topics.

The NSVRC provides great materials for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). You can find information about child abuse prevention awareness month at http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/res_guide_2010/.

Stacie LeBlanc, Executive Director of the New Orleans Children’s Advocacy Center, uses a multi-prong approach during April’s Child Abuse Awareness Month. The CAC plants trees in honor of the children who die as a result of abuse and neglect in the Trees For Life program. The CAC also has pinwheel plantings, display tables and handouts at Children’s Hospital, and prevention training for the public, professionals, and hospital staff.

If your national association does not provide awareness month materials, develop materials in-house or retain a consultant to develop relevant materials. While fall prevention is an issue of national importance, with a generally agreed upon awareness day (the first day of autumn), there are no nationally produced materials. So, the State of Louisiana contracted with me to develop materials (http://drthea.com/pages/downloads/louisiana-fall-prevention-coalition/) and provide grassroots coalition training to leaders from across the state.

Use the materials in spreading the awareness message. While marketing, look for ways to share your brand.

• Always include your logo on all of the materials: advertisements, PowerPoint slides, brochures, fact sheets, etc.
• When sponsoring presentations, have large signs with your logo placed on both sides of the presenter.

Look for ways to include information about your brand in every aspect of your communication.

• Craft a signature line for your e-mail relevant to the awareness month and include your logo.
• If you have a facebook page, post information about the awareness month. During the awareness month, have updates at least once a week.
• Develop sample facebook status updates and twitter updates for fans to share during the awareness month that include a shortened URL link to your website.

Your brand should be consistent both internally and externally. You want to share the same message with your member centers as well as the community. Look for ways to assist the local centers for the awareness month.

To share the awareness month message, schedule regional presentations across the state. When I’ve been retained to do this, we call them road shows.

• In each region have 3 presentations targeted to different groups: community members, social service professionals (for CEU credit), and your member organizations’ employees. Regionalization increases participation and allows for the local centers to develop their branding also.

Host a preparation workshop in a month or two before to prepare the centers for a coordinated effort for the awareness month activities. Grassroots coalitions are most effective when there is high-quality effort on the local level.

• Share information on effective presentation skills and how to work with their local media.
• Coach the center directors to always mention the state coalition in their interviews.
• Recommend that the centers have a copy of your logo (with an active link) on their websites.

By planning in advance and coordinating efforts statewide, you will be able to successfully raise awareness and position your coalition as the experts for your state.

To Think About:

What steps can I take before the end of 2010 to assure success of my awareness month in 2011?

How To Use An Awareness Month As A Branding Opportunity For Your State Coalition is a post from: dr. thea lobell: communication skills speaker, trainer, and retreat leader

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