1. Editor's Musings
2. Article: TEAM MISSION STATEMENTS (c) Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
3. Internet Sites Reviewed
4. Recommended
5. Freebies and Other Good Deals
6. Joke of the Week

1. Editor's Musings

Have a Spooky, Scary Hallowe'en, North American subscribers! I read in yesterday's paper that in Vancouver, Hallowe'en is second only to Christmas in terms of home decoration. The colorful fall leaves and pumpkins do make for an impressive display, no doubt about it.

Now, a gift for you.

I've written the script for an audiobook that has been published by Drive2learn, a newly launched publishing company.

Drive2Learn publishes non-fictional audiobooks suitable for playing in your vehicle. To celebrate their launch and the launch of my audiobook, I have negotiated with Drive2learn to offer you, my subscribers, one free audiobook (shipping charges apply). Please scroll down to the Recommended Product part of this newsletter to get your special code that allows you to collect your free title.

While you're on site, consider purchasing a few other titles as well as collecting your free one. They are budget priced and make great stocking stuffers for the fast approaching Holiday season.

2.Article: TEAM MISSION STATEMENTS by Roberta Shaler, Ph.D.

A team is not a team unless it knows why it's a team. Teams, according to Jon Katzenbach* are "small groups of people with complementary skills committed to a common purpose, approach, and performance goals for which they hold themselves mutually accountable". The first thing that small group of people has to do is to establish that common purpose.

A team purpose is usually shaped in response to a request, opportunity or demand from management. If you ARE management, then your purpose as a team may be more urgent, more open-ended, and more difficult to capture. The parameters of a team purpose are usually framed by the performance requirement of the company. If you are a peanut-dicer maker, your team will likely have a mission statement that will enhance production, market or function of peanut-dicers. Pinpointing the mission is essential. Only then can every team member focus clearly.

Clear statement of purpose establishes the character, rationale and performance challenges for the team, but allows for creativity and 'wiggle room' for the team to set specific goals, timing and approach. Most teams do not spend sufficient time defining their purpose. It is somehow assumed that everyone knows it! Take, for example, the software development industry. They are known for the "Fire, Ready, Aim" approach to creating software. There is even a cartoon that shows a project manager telling his team, "You go upstairs and start writing code. I'll go and find out what they want it to do!" On a more serious note, research shows that much time, energy and money is saved in the technology industry by working groups and teams that take the time to explore and clarify their requirements. In fact, statistics suggest that spending at least 40% of the project time is efficient and effective! Compelling information, isn't it?

An example closer to home would be how you use goal-setting in your own life. Do you have a fuzzy goal such as "I want to be healthier"? Unless you know clearly that you want to have more energy, be stronger, more flexible and resilient, and cough less, you will not be focused enough to find solutions that match your goals. "I want to be healthier" is the impetus for creating the mission statement. In the same way, "We need more profit" is the impetus for creating the team. Then the team goes to work!

Sometimes a team mission statement is straightforward, for example, to recommend the best solution to a specific problem and little time is required for all to understand the mission. Team members can immediately develop their approach and performance goals. Other times, teams have a fuzzy idea about why they have been brought together and need to make delineating that the first order of business.

Teams run things, recommend things or make and do things. Every member needs to know the purpose of the team, and needs to be able to state it in twenty words or less. How is your team doing?

* Quote from The Wisdom of Teams by Jon R. Katzenbach, New York: Harper Collins, 1993.

(c) Rhoberta Shaler, PhD All rights reserved worldwide.

Internet Sites -- reviewed by June Campbell

*** Hallowe'en.com
Links, resources, scary tales, games, fun things to know about Hallowe'en.

*** Money Origami
Have some money you don't know what to do with? This site shows you how to make cool origami shapes out of your folding cash.

*** Money Origami
Have some money you don't know what to do with? This site shows you how to make cool origami shapes out of your folding cash.

*** Credit Card Planner
Organize your credit card payments by using this online credit card planner.

*** Big Class Action
Enter your complaint about a company and it will be forwarded to the class action lawyers who advertise on the site.

*** Famous Trials
Read up on famous trials including the Salem witchcraft trials to the trial of Jesus and a whole lot more.

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Your code, which expires on December 15, is 695off123102

6. Joke: A Woman's Perfect Breakfast

She's sitting at the table with a tall, vanilla latte' . . .
Her son is on the cover of the Wheaties box.
Her daughter is on the cover of Business Week.
Her boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl,
And her husband is on the back of the milk carton.

From my friend, Joan.
Sentiments expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Nightcats Multimedia Productions. :-)

To subscribe to this newsletter, visit this link.

"How to Booklets"-- topics include business proposal writing, business plan writing, brochure writing,an independant contractor's agreement, a sample joint venture agreement and more. Click www.nightcats.com