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Table of Contents

1. Editor's Musings
2. Article: Enhancing Productivity by Kathleen O’Connor
3. Recommended
4. Internet Sites Reviewed
5. Freebies and Other Good Deals
6. Joke of the Week

1. Editor's Musings

Greetings, all. First, an open message to the yound man who sent me an email last week, and to all those who behave as he does.

Apparently dissatisfied with an item he purchased from my web site, "Frankie" fired off an email message that was rude, abusive and peppered with cuss words. I issued a refund, naturally, but I've done some thinking about Frankie and his ilk. I have something to say to them:

"Frankie, there isn't a product in the universe that's going to make you the successful businessperson you apparently want to become. Your attitude makes you a bad risk, both as an employee or as an entrepreneur.

Employers rarely keep staff members who communicate so poorly. They find you troublesome in the work place and know that you're likely to offend both customers and other employees. If you are self-employed, you'll discover that other business people avoid entering into business arrangements with people whom they perceive as being 'loose cannons'. And belive me when I say this, you'll never keep customers or clients if you curse them out the moment you perceive a problem. People skills are where it's at, Frankie. Change your attitude and watch for good things to start to happen."

Back to business.

2. Enhancing Productivity by Kathleen O’Connor

Here are a variety of tips from one of my recent seminars that will help you enhance your productivity. They’ve all been used by top managers with great results.

Steer clear of these appraisal mistakes. Don’t make common mistakes when rating your staff’s performance. Keep these tips in mind:

**Don’t grade on the curve. It’s wrong to assume that only a few employees can receive outstanding evaluations. Base your appraisals on set criteria. Measure employees against expected performance, not each other.

** Don’t turn a customer-focused employee into a boss-focused employee. Your staff shouldn’t worry more about what you think of them than what customers think of them. Solicit customer feedback when evaluating a staff member. You may find out that your customers love someone you consider a mediocre performer.

** Don’t focus on the short-term. Like kids before the holidays, employees often improve their performance right before an evaluation, rather than thinking of their jobs as continuous, evolving endeavors. Don’t reward them for a burst of productivity. Emphasize the need for long-term growth and improvement.

**Offer Training – Even If They Don’t Ask If you have a staff member who has trouble performing certain tasks, he/she may simply need more training. But don’t expect employees to ask for the training they need. Many hesitate to seek training because:

** They’re afraid to reveal deficiencies.

** They believe they should already possess the skills and knowledge to do their jobs.

** They don’t want to call attention to themselves by asking for approval to take a course.

So what can you do if you suspect an employee is afraid to bring his/her lack of skills to your attention?

Offer training in a way that allows him/her to maintain dignity but makes clear that poor performance can’t continue. Example: "John, I’ve noticed that you’re still doing your reports by hand. I’ve arranged for you to take a computer course, because I will require that all reports be computer-generated starting next quarter."

Encourage Employees To Expand Their Horizons Managers who help employees develop their careers are rewarded with satisfied, productive staff members who benefit the organization.

Here are some ways to help people reach their potential:

** Encourage them to develop realistic career plans. Meet with employees and tell them what opportunities and assistance your organization can offer.

** Practice job enrichment. Not every employee can move up in an organization, so creative managers have to find ways to expand current positions.

** Offer career-planning workshops. Use in-house specialists or call on outside consultants. Workshops should help employees clarify their goals, pinpoint their aptitudes and identify career development options.

Just small efforts on the part of a manager can bring big results when staff feels that they are respected and have a place within the organization.

#3: Recommended Products: Nelson Email Organizer

If you're using Outlook, do yourself a favor and check out this simple little email organizer.

I say simple because its simple to download and install, affordable to purchase and easy to use. Satisfied users say they'll never go back to trying to sort their email the old way.

Steve Bass of PC World called it "Outlook as it should have been." Jeremy Wagstaff of the Wall Street Journal called it "a godsend."

Try it for 30 days before committing. What's to lose?

Find out about Nelson Email Organizer here.

4. Internet Sites -- reviewed by June Campbell

*** India Telephones
Search for a phone number in India.

*** Lingo Translator
The new "shorthand" for chat rooms, cell phones, etc. Translate English to Lingo and Lingo to English.

*** Kount Sucks
Clickbank has a new tracking system for affiliates. Some people don't like it; this explains why.

*** Interview with an Ebay Scammer
A scammer brags about how he bilks people out of thousands of dollars and tells how he does it.

*** Escape Cell Hell (US)
In November, legislation is due to come into effect making cell phone numbers portable. This means you keep your number if you change carriers. However, special interest groups are urging Congress to repeal the legislation. Information and petition at this web site:

4. Freebies and Good Deals

a. Where Writers, Publishers & Online Entrepreneurs Connect
Looking for the best ezines to subscribe to? Searching for great articles? Need some awesome content for your web site? Marketing-Seek.com has got it for you! We'll also update you monthly on the latest submissions into the article database - plus, we'll give you two versions to choose from! Just highlight or save the print copy and paste it into any ezine, magazine, or web page. Nothing could be easier! What'cha waiting for? Signup today.
Marketing~Seek.com
http://www.marketing-seek.com/newsletter/index.shtml

b. Sell on eBay, Own a website, Work from Home.  If these things interest you, please join the Sellers Tools website and Newsletter.  We have a vault of tools, articles, tips and solutions to assist you.  www.SellersTools.com

c. I Love It!. Travel, Money, and no traffic, no boss, 3 easy sales=$3,000; Work from home. Visit: http://www.getaheadwithcoastal.com/cgi-bin/d.cgi/jeannie/index.htm or go to: jambizzy@myway.com

6. A Sports Injury

A man entered the bus with both of his front pockets full of golf balls, and sat down next to a beautiful blonde/brunette/redhead (select your preferred hair color here).

The woman looked at his bulging pockets quizzically.

Finally, the man said, "It's golf balls."

"Oh," replied the woman sympathetically.

"Does it hurt as much as tennis elbow?"

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