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Write You - A Winning Way to Handle New Ideas
How to Survive the Office Christmas Party present an
idea they thought might improve the organization, smooth out the work flow, or make more money.It is nearing the end of year and the season of office parties has begun. This could be your big chance to smooze up to senior management and vie for future promotion opportunities. It could be your chance to make a move on that hottie in accounts or just a great opportunity to relax, enjoy the company of your colleagues in a social setting and celebrate the year.But the office Christmas party is often far from an innocent social event and fraught with potential drama. So how can you survive the office Christmas party, below Following are some tips from Lisa O’Brien, our CareersCoach.Dilemma 1:I want to look really sexy at the Christmas party… Is this possible without compromising my professionalism?Lisa our CareersCoach says:Yes, you can turn all the heads at the party, by looking sexy but do it without compromising your corporate image. That said turning up at the Christmas partly looking like a Tara Reid outfit is going to turn heads but not in the way that you want. Dress appropriately for the occasion and think ‘accidentally sexy’ or ‘sophisticated career woman sexy’. Then you will turn every head the right way.Dilemma 2:A senior manager that I have been trying to meet all year will be at the Christmas party. This could be my one chance to meet and impress him an idea. Is it appropriate for me to approach him?Lisa our CareersCoach saysYes, but don’t bowl him over, remember this party is for him to relax and let off some steam as well. Allow your target to settle into the party, then when the time is right approach him, smile broadly then introduce yourself. Start with some general chitchat, then when a conversation opening comes up, tell him that you have some fantastic business ideas that you would love to share with him. Do not give away too much information at the party but hint at how your ideas can assist him with a business challenge that he is currently facing (senior managers love people who can solve problems for them). Then give him a couple of options for times to meet to discuss your id The president became all ears. In contrast to his counterparts in many other companies who perceived new ideas as threats, he saw them as opportunities. He knew that this was the stuff that made his business better. When someone proposed an idea, the president would respond by enumerating the PLUSES (strengths or advantages) of the idea. He would then discusses its POTENTIALS (possible spin-offs or future gains which could be realized if the idea were implemented). Finally, he would address CONCERNS posed by the idea. Even when addressing concerns, however, instead of saying: "This idea will cost too much", he would throw out a challenge by asking: "How might you reduce the cost?" or "How might you raise the money to develop this idea?". Instead of offering a prophecy of doom by saying: "Management will never accept this idea" he would inquire: "How might you get management's support?" The seed which was planted in the minds of this corporate president's "shadows" that week led to the development and fine-tuning of a tool that was to have far reaching effects in the business and organizational world. The PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) Technique was developed by Dr. Firestien and two colleagues, Dianne Foucar-Szocki and Bill Shepard. If you were to propose an idea to this company president, and he evaluated it together with you in the manner outlined above, how would you react? Wouldn't you be inspired by the friendly challenge thrown out at you to find a way of Job Side Story Janet DiClaudio, who was charge of medical records at two large American hospitals, had an unusual problem.We all need job.... Everyone wants it, needs it, but what makes a job a Great Job? Obviously, different people will give different answers. It's impossible to account for individual taste and personality traits and how each might fit into a particular job. What makes a great job opportunity is much easier to gauge. How much do you get paid? What kind of professional development opportunities are available? How much room for innovation does a role offer? What makes it a stable place to stick in?Clearly, one would want to pick a career that is high on demand.In a job GROWTH is an important factor, personal and professional growth of the employee and business growth for the employer.We base our salary range -- an indication of the opportunity for growth. If the business grows so does the employee.A great job, in our opinion, also requires a good deal of investment in education.Finally, a great job needs to give you room to run. How innovative and creative can you be? How open to new ideas are people in your profession? This is often not worked upon by most small scale business. Here management comes into action.Doing the Job -- we have interviewed few leaders actually working in some of the exciting positions. Most find themselves working at the intersection of business and technology, which keeps things fresh. They all give the same advice about being successful at work, to stay flexible. These jobs are not for the rigid of mind, and you need to accept that they might take you places you do not expect to go. But, the past master in finding creative solutions to work related problems that she was, she found an equally unusual solution. Of course, proper record keeping is critically important in any hospital. Moreover, if it is run on a commercial basis, medical records will determine how and what the institution gets paid. On the other hand, filling out medical records is not the most exciting pastime in the world. It can be a big pain, in fact. Doctors would prefer to do other things with their time. But records have to be completed, properly and promptly. So what do you do about it? Janet DiClaudio got down to work and developed a highly "sophisticated system" :) Janet called her system "Tootsie Roll Pops". Every time a doctor completed a medical record on time, he or she was awarded a Tootsie Roll Pop - apparently a cheap candy you buy by the bagful - and his or her name went into a drawing for a magnum of champagne. Now, you don't have to feel sorry for most of these worthy doctors, thanks very much. Some of them can afford to buy a Tootsie Roll Pop factory. Many have case loads of the best champagne in the world back home in their cellars. Yet Janet's system worked like a charm. The "Tootsie Roll Pop" campaign led to a doubling in record-completion productivity at the General Hospital in Buffalo, New York, where Janet was working. She then took a new position at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia, and found that her new institution had a backlog of about 300 medical records. No problem! In Savannah, she rewarded each doctor who completed a record from the backlog with a handful of animal crackers. Two weeks later, the hospital had gone through twenty pounds of animal crackers, but the record backlog had been all but eliminated. As a result, the hospital was able to collect more than four million dollars. For that return, I hardly think the accounts department would have complained about the expenditure on the crackers! Basic need that moves the most sophisticated..Roger Firestien recounts this delightful medical saga in his Leading on the Creative Edge which I quoted in a previous article. What has it do with us? Well, I bring it here not only because it is such a beautiful illustration of creativity in problem solving, but also - and this is what really concerns us - it forcefully demonstrates the power of praise and recognition. After all, the doughty physicians in our story weren't children; it couldn't have been the handout of a few measly goodies that motivated them. There's a more basic need, however, that apparently doesn't fail to move even the most sophisticated amongst us. In a landmark work In Search of Excellence researchers Tom Peters and Robert Waterman ask readers to imagine that they are sales assistants in a store who are being punished for failing to treat a customer well. If you are in this situation, you might feel yourself to be in a frustrating dilemma, because you still don't know what to do to receive approval. In fact, you might well react by avoiding customers altogether, since you have come to associate customers with punishment. Now, supposes a manager would tell you that a "mystery shopper" has complimented you on your outstanding courtesy and helpfulness. What would you do now? Most likely, you'd rush back to the floor to find more customers to treat well, for now you have associated them with praise and recognition. Your self-esteem has been enhanced immeasurably, and you want to keep living up to expectations of you.. I would have thought that you don't need to be a university professor to work this one out, but Peters and Waterman report: "Our general observation is that most managers know very little about the value of positive reinforcement. Many either appear not to value it at all, or consider it beneath them, undignified, or not very macho. The evidence from the excellent companies strongly suggests that managers who feel this way are doing themselves a great disservice..." But positive reinforcement should be dispensed not only when someone whom we lead does something we wanted him to do. Encouragement is also the appropriate response when someone suggests a novel idea or solution to a problem. And this brings me back to a subject we have discussed before. Inhibitions to the winds...About 30 years ago, a creativity consulting firm on the American East Coast was conducting creativity seminars for large corporations. The leaders urged participants to throw inhibitions to the winds, unleash the power locked up in their minds, and to throw up all the ideas they could manage, however wild they might appear to be. Their peers were then asked to evaluate the proposals and see if they could be used to solve company problems. Inevitably, seminar participants could only see negative aspects in most of the suggestions, and swiftly tore them to pieces. As the sessions ended, the more discerning amongst them sometimes confided in the organizers: "You know, we had the beginnings of some pretty powerful ideas in this session. But by the time we got done evaluating them, all we had left were the same worn-out, old concepts." Then it happened that at one seminar, several people from the same company noticed the idea slaughtering. They approached the two leaders conducting the session and suggested they talk to the president of their company. "This man," they explained, "has a unique way of dealing with ideas. And it seems to pay off. Our company is growing by leaps and bounds, has excellent relationships with customers and suppliers, and is a great place to work." Of course, the two consultants were intrigued. They asked for a meeting with the company president. "I obviously must be doing something right," he told them, "but I'm darned if I know what it is...I'd love to find out." In short, the consultants shadowed the president for a week. They sat in on meetings and strategic conversations and walked through the plant with the president. The visitors soon realized that when someone approached the president with a new idea, the latter became very conscious of what was about to occur. Someone in the company was about to present an idea they thought might improve the organization, smooth out the work flow, or make more money. The president became all ears. In contrast to his counterparts in many other companies who perceived new ideas as threats, he saw them as opportunities. He knew that this was the stuff that made his business better. When someone proposed an idea, the president would respond by enumerating the PLUSES (strengths or advantages) of the idea. He would then discusses its POTENTIALS (possible spin-offs or future gains which could be realized if the idea were implemented). Finally, he would address CONCERNS posed by the idea. Even when addressing concerns, however, instead of saying: "This idea will cost too much", he would throw out a challenge by asking: "How might you reduce the cost?" or "How might you raise the money to develop this idea?". Instead of offering a prophecy of doom by saying: "Management will never accept this idea" he would inquire: "How might you get management's support?" The seed which was planted in the minds of this corporate president's "shadows" that week led to the development and fine-tuning of a tool that was to have far reaching effects in the business and organizational world. The PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) Technique was developed by Dr. Firestien and two colleagues, Dianne Foucar-Szocki and Bill Shepard. If you were to propose an idea to this company president, and he evaluated it together with you in the manner outlined above, how would you react? Wouldn't you be inspired by the friendly challenge thrown out at you to find a way of Who's Got The Monkey Now? Part 2: How To Make Delegation Work For You dical records. No problem! In Savannah, she rewarded each doctor
who completed a record from the backlog with a handful of animal crackers.
In my earlier article “Who’s Got The Monkey Now? How To Find Out How Well You Manage Your Time” (http://www.nationallearning.com.au/index_files/HowToMakePeopleFeelBetterAtWork.htm) , I suggested that you may be caring for a cageful of monkeys (other people’s problems) unless you are managing your time effectively, and in particular delegating.For managers, there are two key aspects to successful delegation: Having people to whom one can delegate, andSelecting the most appropriate tasks to delegate If you are not a manager, or do not have anyone to delegate to, then I suggest the excellent article by Beth Schneider (http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Delegate-When-There-is-No-One-to-Delegate-To&id=141500).The key to delegation is to develop within your people, the "initiative to take action" so that they learn to develop their skills and knowledge to their full potential.Managers who are successful are always good at delegating. Less successful managers, when asked why they don't delegate more, often reply "If only my staff were more experienced" or,"I don't have enough faith in my staff to do the job properly" or,"Delegation. Sounds great in theory, but I need to have fully trained staff and I don't have the time to train them". If some of these comments sound familiar to you, then the following steps will show you how to: Identify the current "level of initiative" of each of your team members.Use the “level of initiative” ranking with your team to further develop their skills and knowledge. When delegating, it is important to fit the task to the person and to ensure the reason for delegating is appropriate.Firstly, let's look at the person. Is it possible to delegate to all your team members? For delegation purposes, team members may be classified as those who:Wait until he or she is told what to do.Do what is necessary, but refer to their ma Two weeks later, the hospital had gone through twenty pounds of animal crackers, but the record backlog had been all but eliminated. As a result, the hospital was able to collect more than four million dollars. For that return, I hardly think the accounts department would have complained about the expenditure on the crackers! Basic need that moves the most sophisticated..Roger Firestien recounts this delightful medical saga in his Leading on the Creative Edge which I quoted in a previous article. What has it do with us? Well, I bring it here not only because it is such a beautiful illustration of creativity in problem solving, but also - and this is what really concerns us - it forcefully demonstrates the power of praise and recognition. After all, the doughty physicians in our story weren't children; it couldn't have been the handout of a few measly goodies that motivated them. There's a more basic need, however, that apparently doesn't fail to move even the most sophisticated amongst us. In a landmark work In Search of Excellence researchers Tom Peters and Robert Waterman ask readers to imagine that they are sales assistants in a store who are being punished for failing to treat a customer well. If you are in this situation, you might feel yourself to be in a frustrating dilemma, because you still don't know what to do to receive approval. In fact, you might well react by avoiding customers altogether, since you have come to associate customers with punishment. Now, supposes a manager would tell you that a "mystery shopper" has complimented you on your outstanding courtesy and helpfulness. What would you do now? Most likely, you'd rush back to the floor to find more customers to treat well, for now you have associated them with praise and recognition. Your self-esteem has been enhanced immeasurably, and you want to keep living up to expectations of you.. I would have thought that you don't need to be a university professor to work this one out, but Peters and Waterman report: "Our general observation is that most managers know very little about the value of positive reinforcement. Many either appear not to value it at all, or consider it beneath them, undignified, or not very macho. The evidence from the excellent companies strongly suggests that managers who feel this way are doing themselves a great disservice..." But positive reinforcement should be dispensed not only when someone whom we lead does something we wanted him to do. Encouragement is also the appropriate response when someone suggests a novel idea or solution to a problem. And this brings me back to a subject we have discussed before. Inhibitions to the winds...About 30 years ago, a creativity consulting firm on the American East Coast was conducting creativity seminars for large corporations. The leaders urged participants to throw inhibitions to the winds, unleash the power locked up in their minds, and to throw up all the ideas they could manage, however wild they might appear to be. Their peers were then asked to evaluate the proposals and see if they could be used to solve company problems. Inevitably, seminar participants could only see negative aspects in most of the suggestions, and swiftly tore them to pieces. As the sessions ended, the more discerning amongst them sometimes confided in the organizers: "You know, we had the beginnings of some pretty powerful ideas in this session. But by the time we got done evaluating them, all we had left were the same worn-out, old concepts." Then it happened that at one seminar, several people from the same company noticed the idea slaughtering. They approached the two leaders conducting the session and suggested they talk to the president of their company. "This man," they explained, "has a unique way of dealing with ideas. And it seems to pay off. Our company is growing by leaps and bounds, has excellent relationships with customers and suppliers, and is a great place to work." Of course, the two consultants were intrigued. They asked for a meeting with the company president. "I obviously must be doing something right," he told them, "but I'm darned if I know what it is...I'd love to find out." In short, the consultants shadowed the president for a week. They sat in on meetings and strategic conversations and walked through the plant with the president. The visitors soon realized that when someone approached the president with a new idea, the latter became very conscious of what was about to occur. Someone in the company was about to present an idea they thought might improve the organization, smooth out the work flow, or make more money. The president became all ears. In contrast to his counterparts in many other companies who perceived new ideas as threats, he saw them as opportunities. He knew that this was the stuff that made his business better. When someone proposed an idea, the president would respond by enumerating the PLUSES (strengths or advantages) of the idea. He would then discusses its POTENTIALS (possible spin-offs or future gains which could be realized if the idea were implemented). Finally, he would address CONCERNS posed by the idea. Even when addressing concerns, however, instead of saying: "This idea will cost too much", he would throw out a challenge by asking: "How might you reduce the cost?" or "How might you raise the money to develop this idea?". Instead of offering a prophecy of doom by saying: "Management will never accept this idea" he would inquire: "How might you get management's support?" The seed which was planted in the minds of this corporate president's "shadows" that week led to the development and fine-tuning of a tool that was to have far reaching effects in the business and organizational world. The PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) Technique was developed by Dr. Firestien and two colleagues, Dianne Foucar-Szocki and Bill Shepard. If you were to propose an idea to this company president, and he evaluated it together with you in the manner outlined above, how would you react? Wouldn't you be inspired by the friendly challenge thrown out at you to find a way of Only Good Guys Look For Jobs? voiding
customers altogether, since you have come to associate customers with punishment.
- Resume Lies and Half Truths -According to the resumes that are distributed to large corporations and small businesses, only good guys look for jobs. This seems to be especially true in the Information Technology field. You will never see a resume that shows that a project was cancelled, or that the programmer was removed from a project due to his inability to meet the needs of the company or a client. Instead, the resume's all show that only the best of the best are looking for work.If they are the best of the best - then why are they seeking work? Why have they had so many different jobs? Why aren't these companies treating these IT professionals better? Well, the fact is that the majority of resumes submitted are full of lies and half truths. Unfortunately, when a company checks a potential employee or contractors work history, they are very limited in the questions that they are allowed to ask - and past employers are often reluctant to give information, sticking with employment dates and starting and ending salary information.Work history and performance aren't the only lies and half truths that you will find on a resumes. People also tend to lie about their education and accomplishments. They know that even though their education can easily be checked, most employers won't take the time or use the resources to do this. They also know that accomplishments are rarely checked - so they can easily get away with stretching the truth, or telling a straight out lie.Personal references are also useless when it comes to finding out about someone. Do you really think that they would list someone that would say negative things about them? Of course they won't. They are only going to give you the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of people who will make them look good - and then they are going to coach those people about what to say and what not to say before you call.With all of these resume lies and half truths, it is almost impossible to find IT professionals that can handle the job that you are trying Now, supposes a manager would tell you that a "mystery shopper" has complimented you on your outstanding courtesy and helpfulness. What would you do now? Most likely, you'd rush back to the floor to find more customers to treat well, for now you have associated them with praise and recognition. Your self-esteem has been enhanced immeasurably, and you want to keep living up to expectations of you.. I would have thought that you don't need to be a university professor to work this one out, but Peters and Waterman report: "Our general observation is that most managers know very little about the value of positive reinforcement. Many either appear not to value it at all, or consider it beneath them, undignified, or not very macho. The evidence from the excellent companies strongly suggests that managers who feel this way are doing themselves a great disservice..." But positive reinforcement should be dispensed not only when someone whom we lead does something we wanted him to do. Encouragement is also the appropriate response when someone suggests a novel idea or solution to a problem. And this brings me back to a subject we have discussed before. Inhibitions to the winds...About 30 years ago, a creativity consulting firm on the American East Coast was conducting creativity seminars for large corporations. The leaders urged participants to throw inhibitions to the winds, unleash the power locked up in their minds, and to throw up all the ideas they could manage, however wild they might appear to be. Their peers were then asked to evaluate the proposals and see if they could be used to solve company problems. Inevitably, seminar participants could only see negative aspects in most of the suggestions, and swiftly tore them to pieces. As the sessions ended, the more discerning amongst them sometimes confided in the organizers: "You know, we had the beginnings of some pretty powerful ideas in this session. But by the time we got done evaluating them, all we had left were the same worn-out, old concepts." Then it happened that at one seminar, several people from the same company noticed the idea slaughtering. They approached the two leaders conducting the session and suggested they talk to the president of their company. "This man," they explained, "has a unique way of dealing with ideas. And it seems to pay off. Our company is growing by leaps and bounds, has excellent relationships with customers and suppliers, and is a great place to work." Of course, the two consultants were intrigued. They asked for a meeting with the company president. "I obviously must be doing something right," he told them, "but I'm darned if I know what it is...I'd love to find out." In short, the consultants shadowed the president for a week. They sat in on meetings and strategic conversations and walked through the plant with the president. The visitors soon realized that when someone approached the president with a new idea, the latter became very conscious of what was about to occur. Someone in the company was about to present an idea they thought might improve the organization, smooth out the work flow, or make more money. The president became all ears. In contrast to his counterparts in many other companies who perceived new ideas as threats, he saw them as opportunities. He knew that this was the stuff that made his business better. When someone proposed an idea, the president would respond by enumerating the PLUSES (strengths or advantages) of the idea. He would then discusses its POTENTIALS (possible spin-offs or future gains which could be realized if the idea were implemented). Finally, he would address CONCERNS posed by the idea. Even when addressing concerns, however, instead of saying: "This idea will cost too much", he would throw out a challenge by asking: "How might you reduce the cost?" or "How might you raise the money to develop this idea?". Instead of offering a prophecy of doom by saying: "Management will never accept this idea" he would inquire: "How might you get management's support?" The seed which was planted in the minds of this corporate president's "shadows" that week led to the development and fine-tuning of a tool that was to have far reaching effects in the business and organizational world. The PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) Technique was developed by Dr. Firestien and two colleagues, Dianne Foucar-Szocki and Bill Shepard. If you were to propose an idea to this company president, and he evaluated it together with you in the manner outlined above, how would you react? Wouldn't you be inspired by the friendly challenge thrown out at you to find a way of Goal-Setting Tips for Achieving Success in Your Cleaning Business the ideas they could manage, however wild they might appear to be. Their peers were then asked to evaluate the proposals and see
if they could be used to solve company problems.
Why is it some owners of cleaning companies build successful businesses, while others fail? Do they work harder? Are they smarter? Are they really well-connected? No, not usually...Listed below are some of the things successful cleaning business owners do to ensure their business is successful. And don't worry... these are things we can all do. It's simply a matter of determination and follow-through when setting your business goals.1. It's important to write down your goals and put them in a place where you can always see them, read them, and reaffirm your desire to achieve them.2. Make goals that are realistic and achievable. If you decide to start a cleaning business and have a goal to make $100,000 in your first six months, you might be making a goal that is not realistic or achievable. How about making a goal of gaining one new account each month -- something within reach.3. Along with your goals, make a list of the benefits you'll receive when you achieve your goals. (I'm going to make more money than I would working at a job. I'm going to have more freedom and independence. I'm going to have my mornings free to spend with my children.)4. Make a plan to achieve your goals. Yes, you have to actually do some work if you want to achieve your goals. Simply writing them down and reading them isn't going to do the trick.5. Work on your plan in short steps that are achievable. Too many of us are easily overwhelmed when we create lofty goals. So create a list small daily tasks that you can easily achieve in order to reach your goals.6. Write down the obstacles that you'll have to overcome in order to achieve your goal. When you know the obstacles, you'll be prepared when they happen.7. Make a list of people who can help you achieve your goals. How many of you think you need to do it all on your own? Nonsense! People are willing to help. This is exactly why we created The Janitorial Store. We enjoy helping cleaning company owners become successful in their business. Our motto is, "being independent doesn't mean going it alon Inevitably, seminar participants could only see negative aspects in most of the suggestions, and swiftly tore them to pieces. As the sessions ended, the more discerning amongst them sometimes confided in the organizers: "You know, we had the beginnings of some pretty powerful ideas in this session. But by the time we got done evaluating them, all we had left were the same worn-out, old concepts." Then it happened that at one seminar, several people from the same company noticed the idea slaughtering. They approached the two leaders conducting the session and suggested they talk to the president of their company. "This man," they explained, "has a unique way of dealing with ideas. And it seems to pay off. Our company is growing by leaps and bounds, has excellent relationships with customers and suppliers, and is a great place to work." Of course, the two consultants were intrigued. They asked for a meeting with the company president. "I obviously must be doing something right," he told them, "but I'm darned if I know what it is...I'd love to find out." In short, the consultants shadowed the president for a week. They sat in on meetings and strategic conversations and walked through the plant with the president. The visitors soon realized that when someone approached the president with a new idea, the latter became very conscious of what was about to occur. Someone in the company was about to present an idea they thought might improve the organization, smooth out the work flow, or make more money. The president became all ears. In contrast to his counterparts in many other companies who perceived new ideas as threats, he saw them as opportunities. He knew that this was the stuff that made his business better. When someone proposed an idea, the president would respond by enumerating the PLUSES (strengths or advantages) of the idea. He would then discusses its POTENTIALS (possible spin-offs or future gains which could be realized if the idea were implemented). Finally, he would address CONCERNS posed by the idea. Even when addressing concerns, however, instead of saying: "This idea will cost too much", he would throw out a challenge by asking: "How might you reduce the cost?" or "How might you raise the money to develop this idea?". Instead of offering a prophecy of doom by saying: "Management will never accept this idea" he would inquire: "How might you get management's support?" The seed which was planted in the minds of this corporate president's "shadows" that week led to the development and fine-tuning of a tool that was to have far reaching effects in the business and organizational world. The PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) Technique was developed by Dr. Firestien and two colleagues, Dianne Foucar-Szocki and Bill Shepard. If you were to propose an idea to this company president, and he evaluated it together with you in the manner outlined above, how would you react? Wouldn't you be inspired by the friendly challenge thrown out at you to find a way of Researching A Business Opportunity present an
idea they thought might improve the organization, smooth out the work flow, or make more money.When researching a business opportunity, it is essential to make sure that the business opportunity complies with the business opportunity statutes of the state in which you are doing the transaction. Also, check to see if it is registered. If the business opportunity comes under the FTC rule that it is mandated to disclose specific information regarding the business, ask if they are offering a prospectus to potential buyers.How To Research A Business OpportunityIt is necessary to study the history of the parent company, to determine if it is a successful company. It is necessary to be very sure that it is the right opportunity that suits your skills and one that you are capable of handling. Determine whether it will indeed be a better business opportunity for you than the present business you are engaged in, or if it will compliment the current business you are engaged in. Make sure that the price asked for is acceptable and determine if there is a scope for negotiating with the seller to reduce the rate somehow. It is necessary to be familiar and know how to run the business; otherwise, you may require training. Determine whether the parent company will provide you with the necessary training and coach you or provide you with a detailed operational manual. Do market research and determine if there is a current market for the product or service that the business opportunity provides.Conduct a thorough competitive analysis.Seek the competitor’s opinion about the company, as it may give you insight about the company. Ask for reference of other buyers and evaluate their success. Check with them about the seller. Ask them about any problems they face and how they solve it. Check out the parent company’s policies and plans to see if they are compatible with your policies and plans. Analyze if the business will have good ROI. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have received any complaints against the company.Seek guidance from an attorney as well as an accountant. It will help to have the accountant check the financi The president became all ears. In contrast to his counterparts in many other companies who perceived new ideas as threats, he saw them as opportunities. He knew that this was the stuff that made his business better. When someone proposed an idea, the president would respond by enumerating the PLUSES (strengths or advantages) of the idea. He would then discusses its POTENTIALS (possible spin-offs or future gains which could be realized if the idea were implemented). Finally, he would address CONCERNS posed by the idea. Even when addressing concerns, however, instead of saying: "This idea will cost too much", he would throw out a challenge by asking: "How might you reduce the cost?" or "How might you raise the money to develop this idea?". Instead of offering a prophecy of doom by saying: "Management will never accept this idea" he would inquire: "How might you get management's support?" The seed which was planted in the minds of this corporate president's "shadows" that week led to the development and fine-tuning of a tool that was to have far reaching effects in the business and organizational world. The PPC (Pluses, Potentials, Concerns) Technique was developed by Dr. Firestien and two colleagues, Dianne Foucar-Szocki and Bill Shepard. If you were to propose an idea to this company president, and he evaluated it together with you in the manner outlined above, how would you react? Wouldn't you be inspired by the friendly challenge thrown out at you to find a way of overcoming even the smallest concerns? It makes you think, doesn't it?
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