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2010-05-08T12:03:00.000-04:00

Is there an international kind of humor ?

2010-04-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

How do you use jokes in multicultural environments?

Using humor in an international networking event can be very difficult even if you are fluent in the language. Humor requires an in-depth understanding of culture.

Recently I have seen Seth Godin, an American "Marketing Guru", who made a great presentation in front of more than 1,200 people in Antwerp, Belgium in April. Godin used many self-mocking jokes, playing also with stereotypes about American culture, a sure way to win a European audience.

If you are not a professional speaker, be careful on how you use humor in front of a multicultural audience.

Here are the comments about that topic on the Expat Web Linkedin Group: http://bit.ly/ExpatHumor

Career tip: If you are not on Linkedin you are nowhere

2010-04-12T05:56:00.011-04:00

If you don't have a profile on LinkedIn, you're nowhere says a recent article from Fortune magazine "How LinkedIn will fire up your career": http://bit.ly/bBo6In . The article mentions that more than 60 million members have logged on to create profiles, upload their employment histories, and build connections with people they know. For the companies hiring, Linkedin is also a must cheaper way to find good candidates than hiring an executive search company.

Your contacts in your network, the way you use Linkedin , participating in Q&As, groups or showing events you attend is a way for a lots of potential candidates to be found without actively searching. As a small business owner, I agree that it is also very true for clients to find you. If you are proactive, energetic and show that you are not lazy and passive, you stand out of the crowd.

Even if many people say that Twitter is not a good tool for professionals to find a job, I always recommend to try it long enough to see who are the people active in their fields, get new ideas and show that you make an effort to stay up to date with the technology.

To build a professional image or personal brand on line or off line, the very first step is to define the story that you want to communicate about you that will attract recruiters or potential hiring companies. Being able to summarize a 25 year career on a Linkedin profile in half a page is more than just making a resume. You must be concise, attractive and show your strengths and achievements.

TOP 10 Seth Godin's Quotes Made in Antwerp, Belgium. April 1, 2010

2010-04-02T11:29:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, when I entered the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp to see a presentation by Seth Godin, I was shocked by the number of people there, maybe 600? more? I am not good at numbers so if you know please tell..

What struck me first is that he is so professional that he was able to make people laugh by using local icons or local brands. So with Seth you can say great professional speaker can make jokes for a very diverse crowd. Mocking a lot himself and Americans in general was a sure way to get his European audience on his side. OK, that paragraph above is to continue some conversations we had on Linkedin about International humor.

So did I learn something from this event ? not really as I ams already doing what he was saying, but he has such a great energy that I was really inspired and made me write this post today.

TOP 10 QUOTES that I found worth mentioning:

1-We are in a new industrial revolution: nobody will ever be the only one on the market AND people have an infinite ways to access information. Humans evolved from Hunters, Farmers, Workers and now they have to be Artists

2-You have to lead people where they want to go

3-People don't talk to boring people, make a difference by choosing to be different

4-Kids and Genius are people who solve problems in a way other people never did

5-Art has nothing to do with being good at drawing

6-Artists are people making connections, interacting with other human beings and creating something new

7-Compliance is no longer a scarce commodity, there is an infinite number of people who can do a job and do it cheaper: easy job to get = easy job to loose

8-Linchpin: people who invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos.

9-The people who will be the most afraid will be the first to lose, be curious, conquer your fears and if you fail ask what would be the worst thing that will happen to you then ?

10-On social media : The ocean is made with drops

Please start being an artist and share your ideas and comments on Twitter @AnneEgros

You can subscribe to Seth's blog or follow him on Ttwitter and receive daily quotes from him.

Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your Network

2010-04-01T05:38:00.003-04:00

I found this title in an article that inspired me. Giving first before asking for a favor or a job, is not only a nice way to create deeper relationships on the web but it is best networking practices. The idea to cross-post on friends’ blogs, websites or other social media is easy, cheap and can make a great difference.

Start today to recommend one person a day !

Quote from the article: Effective networking is all about giving. And although the holiday giving season is far behind us, when it comes to your network, giving is a year-long activity. One of the best gifts you can give to members of your network is help in building their personal brands. When we make others look good, we look good – to them! So consider these free or very low-cost, Web 2.0-focused personal-branding presents. It’s time to demonstrate your personal-brand attribute of generosity and your knowledge of social media.”

See more here: Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your Network .

The 7 habits of highly effective expat women

2010-03-31T03:23:00.000-04:00

From Blog "Expat Women in Brussels, published Wednesday, September 9, 2009

There is no recipe to make an expatriation a great moment in your life but here are some of the tactics I have been using for 20 years to get the most of my life abroad:

Habit 1-Do not reinvent the wheel: browse the internet to find expat and international web sites and chat with people who are in the same situation as you are or have been there and ask them how to get what you want.Here some informative web sites, general and focused on Belgium:
http://www.expatica.com/
http://www.vlan.be/
http://www.brussels.angloinfo.com/
http://www.awcb.org/
http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english

Habit 2: Attend information sessions for new comers at your kids' school or women groups in your area and do activities you like while making new friends.
Here some information about international women groups in Belgium:
http://www.awb.com/
http://www.blogjump.eu/
http://www.expatwomen.com/countries/expat_women_living_in_belgium.php#2
http://www.accueil-bruxelles.be/Accueil des Francaises a Bruxelles: Journée Portes-Ouvertes : Jeudi 17 septembre 2009 de 9h30 à 16h

Habit 3: Take some time to define your personal goals for the next 2-5 years you will be living in your new home. Learning a new language, starting a business or volunteering for example.

Habit 4: Have fun! Whatever your plans are, try to stay around positive people and stop the negative self-talk. Start reading "the power of positive thinking" and other books by Norman Vincent Peale.

Habit 5: Be adventurous; if you live in cities like Brussels walk and get lost, it is the best way to find new shops, cafés or restaurants. By car try using different routes, you can beat your navigator by finding roads without traffic jam and save time with round abouts instead of traffic lights. If you are not good with orientation, just read a paper map.

Habit 6: Be fit: find a fitness center for you and family. For mothers with young children, look if they have childcare so you can enjoy your salsa class while junior is playing. Do what you want and enjoy 2 or 3 hours of physical activities per week.

Habit 7: Reward yourself for the hard work. Living abroad is taking a lot of your energy so take time for yourself: Go for a massage, a hair cut or whatever is making you feel good.

If you have other tips to share thanks to add them in the comments.

Be well and have a great day.
Anne

Procrastination May Be Good For You

2010-03-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

"Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today" -Benjamin Franklin.

How many times have you heard stop procrastinating ?

I think procrastination can be good for you. Too often we get caught in the "everything is urgent" vicious circle and we try to do our "never ending" to do list of the day. There is a smarter way to deal with the urgent: Stop, Think and Procrastinate.

First try to get reasonable deadlines and priority level and check how long it will take for you to do the job before answering. Maybe you can delegate to someone else. Wait and group similar tasks such as checking e-mails rather than to deal with them one by one and get disrupted every 5 minutes. Multitasking is not effective! Like computers we can switch our focus very fast from one thing to another but unless you are in an automatic mode, you can only do one thing at a time. If you respond to your emails while listening to a conference call you may not get all the information you need and miss the opportunity to ask the right questions. Plus you are at risk to send an important email to the wrong person and that could cost you your job !

Second, "urgent" is not equal as "important " and you may think to postpone an urgent , non important task for a non urgent, more important job. Never over promise, do not react immediately to a request especially if you are upset. Be realistic, don't use your full capacity, keep some time for when real urgent things happen that require immediate attention.

Plan in your daily to do list some relaxing activities, such as walking outside, go for lunch as important and urgent. By the way, do you know that if you eat at your desk, you have more bacteria than in the public toilettes ? How many times do you clean you keyboard after eating your sandwich or apple ?

You may have an open door policy but if you want to be effective you need to close your door when you need to think alone, and when you cannot afford to be interrupted.

In Conclusion : Some false urgent matters can be postponed. You have to track them by recording your activity, deal with interruptions by organizing your time in advance and be realistic on priorities and schedule, using procrastination as a tool to help you better load your day.

5 Tips on How to Connect With People You Don't Know

2010-03-30T10:40:00.009-04:00

Building a strong network of friends, relatives or colleagues is one of the most powerful tools that you can develop for being resilient, especially for the expat 's "following spouse". Expatriation is a great experience for most people but usually it is not so easy for the "trailling spouse", a majority of them being women.

Here some tips about effective networking for developing professional connections and making new friends

Tip #1: Attract People
You cannot control what people think, but you can create energy that draw people to you by being authentic, establish credibility, convey self-confidence, tell personal stories, anecdotes and your passions in life.

Tip #2 Ask for Help
Usually people are very happy to share what they know especially with new commers, but do not abuse, for example do not ask for a job directly to someone you don't know.

Tip # 3 Do Not Sell: One of the worst behavior repulsing people rather than attracting them is trying to excessively sell your services or products and over-promote yourself. You can share resources you created and when appropriate tell about your company and your services, but be subtle.

Tip# 4: Focus on the Other Person's Interests
The best way to build a strong relationship is to be genuine and try to understand the other person's perspective. Listen actively with all your senses by concentrating totally on what it is said, the body language and by asking powerful questions. I hate the "elevator speech" technique to tell all about yourself in 60 sec, I think it is better to try to understand the person first before being understood .

Tip #5: Learn How to Make the Most of Linkedin and Other Social Media
For people who had to quit their jobs or want to take the opportunity of an expatriation to start a new carreer or learn new skills such as learning a new language, I recommend to start by linkedin.
Participate in groups, Q&A, create you own linkedin groups, make a blog or a newsletter with content focused on your passions and interests. Use slideshare for importing Powerpoint presentations, see events your connections are going, read recommendations etc. Look for advices and webinars about using Linkedin, there are tons of them available for free. Attending multiple networking events and using social networks is hard work, but it will pay off.

It is important to meet people in person when ever it is possible. Use online tools carefully as you cannot see reactions, emotions and feelings of people.

Most of all enjoy doing it.

Posted by Anne Egros at 3:18 AM 1 comments

Me Inc, Brand Yourself and Find your Ideal Job

2010-03-26T05:44:00.000-04:00

Me Inc, Brand Yourself and Find your Ideal Job: "

How do you brand yourself for success?

# 1: you must understand your target audience
#2: you must create value for your prospects

There are 5 steps to build your brand:

1. Make a personal vision: Writing a personal vision helps you identify your ideal job that reflects WHO you really are and who you want to be in the future. The vision must inspires you and also your prospects. People need to see their personal benefits from your vision.

2. Define a personal mission statement: a mission helps you define your life purpose: what do you really want to do, with whom would you like to work ? what type of working environment do you like ?

3.Identify your values, strengths and weaknesses: build self-awareness, identify your motivation and learning styles, your typical reactions to stress, what are you good at? What makes you in the 'flow'

4.Know your prospects and define your target audience: identify industries, company profiles, job titles, your ideal boss and how to reach and communicate with your prospects.

5. Set Goals, Objectives, Strategy and Action Plans

How to Craft your Brand Proposition:

1. Values shape actions: Your brand should communicate your deeply rooted values. Your image should be consistent with your values: check the way you dress, be aware of the energy you project and your body language.

2. Change bad habits and negative self-talk for winning attitudes

3. Imagine your ideal work day and your worst working day, craft your ideal job description, define what can you offer

4. Focus on what you LOVE to do

5. Revisit your networking skills: Are you consistent with your brand values and target audience? Cold calling is not fun... people love to help but don't like to be asked for a job by a stranger. Networking is about building relationships. Ask for information instead and for people who know your target fields.

6. For each potential job define what is your Unique Selling Point (USP): what you can do for this prospect that is unique and better than your competition ? focus on creative solutions you can bring to solve their problems, increase their revenues, etc...

7-Don't post your resume on career websites ..it does not work! but you can use online social network groups, make an informative blog or website that communicate the value of your brand

CONCLUSION:
The difference between where you are (current status) and where you want to be (Vision and Goals) is what you do (objectives and actions)

How to Stay Afloat After Being Laid Off

2010-03-25T15:50:00.008-04:00

Being laid off can destroy your morale and you may even get burnout after one year of unsuccessful job hunting, especially if you are the main or only income in the family, you have kids, mortgage, or chronic sickness.

But you can suffer less by using some free strategies:

Think like an entrepreneur. Define who you want to work for with multiple criteria to narrow your search. geography, company size, industry etc...

Make an inventory of your current strengths, expertise, people you know and analyze the gap between what is required to get that job you want.

Work on yourself, read books, learn new skills, new tools, meet people who offer almost free training courses or attend free webminars and other networking events where you can meet people who are in your target.

Make one daily phone call, be patient, persistence will pay off but do speak to your contacts and even cold calling is better than being paralyzed by your fears.. What can happen anyway?

Meet one new person weekly or attend a networking event

Communicate how you can solve your target companies’ problems or help them grow. Put that on a separate document like a leaflet that you can give as handouts and build a blog (so easy, you have no excuse to not have one) Share your resume only if asked and use a lot of bullet points and white (means keep words at the minimum).

Build your network continuously every day, add a minimum of one new contact in your Linkedin network or other network you use.

Get Noticed: Build a personal brand online or off-line using social media that are used by your target audience. Be an expert in your field.

Use professional business cards: using the back of your contact business card to give your contact information is not really giving a good impression. To avoid the stigma of being unemployed when going to networking events, I usually recommend to make a business card. Put contact information, eventually a business name that you like (you do not need to be a business owner to have a company name and register a domain name). Add a fancy job title that describes your ideal job, a link to your blog. You can get online, free business cards or for very low cost.

Do You Think That Being Laid Off Can Bring Positive Change ?

2010-03-24T12:43:00.002-04:00

When you lose your job, you go through all stages of the grieving process.

Once you have accepted the situation you are ready to move on. This is the perfect time to reflect on your past successes and failures, think deeply of what options you have, explore what you really want to be and do, what are your motivators and needs : financial, emotional, developmental, family support etc and discover what makes you happy when you start your day.

For a lot of people being laid off means more quality time for themselves to restore mental energy and physical stamina. Then change bad habits for good ones. When it happens to people around their 40s and 50s they may have a "mid-life" crisis as well so having a break helps people to take time to focus on the positive and the important elements in their life. Usually those people have enough financial reserve to go back to school, change career, solve family issues or become business owner.

E-mail is Making You Stupid - Entrepreneur.com

2010-03-24T11:58:00.001-04:00

E-mail is Making You Stupid - Entrepreneur.com

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Three Simple Strategies to Avoid Burnout

2010-03-04T07:53:00.014-05:00

Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. A lot of people make the confusion between burnout and other mental health problems such as depression. Burnout is not considered as a mental illness by the DSM IV, but rather "A state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations.” - Ayala Pines & Elliott Aronson

The origin of a burnout varies depending on people but it is usually the results of high demanding work environment combined with a high performer who is working too hard to meet expectations (self-imposed expectations or from the job requirements). The symptoms are extreme fatigue, lack of energy, exhaustion then people become disinterested by their jobs, they become aggressive or cynical and blame others for disillusionment with their work.

With today's highly wired working environment, people are constantly bombarded with information and demanding requests from a global organization where, like Victoria Queen said about the British empire "the sun never sets." pretty much the same as our global economic development in China India and Western Countries.

Burnout is not only the privilege of global workers who receive more than 100 of emails per day, working on Sundays until 1am or the jet-lagged travelers abusing the "red eye" flight from San Diego to New York. It can happen to the so called "Blackberry Moms" who are aiming high to prove the world that they can do everything at home and at work. Your kids too are at risk with high expectation from their parents, pressure of exams and peer pressure to participate in social media.

HOW TO AVOID BURNOUT:

1-BE SELFISH:

Make sure your needs are met first before your help others.

Identify your natural working style and preferences as well as things you don't like and check the gap with what you want to project at work. The higher the difference between what you really are and what you want to show to others the higher chance to get a burnout. consider working with a personal coach to take a psychometric test to identify your profile.

2-DO NOT BE AFRAID TO SAY NO

Just say no in a very calm tone, not given detailed excuses. If you are afraid to loose a relationship or a job because you say no, then it is time to think to either drop your friend or change career that is a better match to your profile if you can afford it or if you have been recently laid off. Otherwise try to explain to your boss with facts and logic rather than emotions that you can do only certain amount of work and offer options (delegate, change priorities, use a different system, use technology to help you )

3-TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY and MIND

Eat Well (plan your meals one week in advance and shop accordingly, do online shopping for groceries to save time, increase your intake of fruits and vegetable, use apples rather than highly refined junk food. Do not skip breakfast.

Exercise: no time ? try to avoid using your car whenever possible, just 30 minutes per day of walking or using stairs is already beneficial for your health.

Sleep Enough, know what is the right number of hours for you maybe between 6 and 8 and try to go to bed before 11pm, the quality of the sleep is better. Use meditation or other kind of stress-relief techniques like essential oils, yoga, healing/new age music...Actually you can download free podcasts on guided meditations on iTunes.

Since burnout starts by physical and emotional exhaustion those 3 simple tips will help you stay on the safe side and do not hesitate to check with your doctor if you experiment intense fatigue, feeling down or loosing appetite and interest in life, it could be depression that needs to be treated.

BE WELL and don't forget to have fun

Are you Taking Things Personally and it Hurts ? so Don't

2010-02-24T05:31:00.006-05:00

It would be nice if we could not take things personally so we could stop worrying, be less stressed and not dependent on perceived approval or rejection. In fact most of the time our feelings and bad stories we tell ourselves are often not true.

Let me start first by telling a recent story:

A friend of mind did not respond to my email , after one week I thought she was angry at me because the tone of my email was a bit sarcastic. After another week I tried to contact her again and send another email, no response. I started worrying that I will loose that friend because I thought she was really upset! Later my friend finally responded and told me she had to go to hospital for emergency and her recovery was a long painful process. Nothing to do with ME (as it is often the case).

Once you have checked that your message is delivered and there is no answer, move on , people are busy, receive too much information, have other priorities or very good reasons that have nothing to do with you personally.

If you are living and working abroad, it might even be more complicated as you have cultures that use direct communication like the U.S. or indirect communication like in France or Japan.

If you deal with people who are not native English speakers do not assume they understand your English and your accent. Some people might tell you that they did not understand but most people are ashamed of their lack of English fluency and won't ask clarification, especially in Asia. To avoid complete misunderstanding, check with your local partners if the way you communicate with people is culturally correct : words, sentences, tone etc.

Then apply same as above: if there is no reaction from your colleagues or clients, move on once you checked your message has been delivered AND understood.

Resources:

Harvard Business Review on How to Handle the Silent Treatment

Email Etiquette

Can managers coach their employees?

2009-12-22T08:04:00.015-05:00

The word "coaching" is often misused. When it is about learning new skills this is not coaching , this is "training" and managers should be able to identify with their employees which types of training suit best the candidate to achieve defined individual objectives. This is often do during annual performance reviews.

Coaching is also different from "managing ". Managing is when you show an employee what to do or how to do a task. Managers can give the solutions to problems that cannot be solved by the employee alone like getting appropriate resources, explaining the company goals and annual objectives.

"True coaching" , helps employees identify their own solutions, removing what is on their way to achieve desired performance and what changes need to be done. Coaching helps to bring awareness on behaviors, attitude, communication style, leadership style, needs, values or beliefs and then by encouraging and supporting the employee to move into action and be accountable for what they do. This is called "empowerment" and it is the basis of coaching. It requires a specific set of skills that can be learned. There are several accredited programs by organizations like the ICF or ECA for Europe that guarantee the coach has learned the basic coaching skills and is following the guidelines and code of ethics.

Some managers use the term coach for themselves but they actually never learned the fundamental coaching skills even if they have great experience about the job.

In coaching you do not "fix" people and it takes time but you see long lasting results, it varies from one individual to another. It is usually more effective to focus on positive reinforcement, developing strengths and bringing awareness to weaknesses to minimized their impact on the desired objectives.

So I do not think that managers are in the best position to coach their employees even if they have learned coaching skills. Managers have to define expectations, give clear instructions on what to do and define business goals at the company, business unit or individual levels.

The Expat President, Obama a"Third Culture Kid"

2009-11-23T11:26:00.013-05:00

President Obama is not only multiracial, he was raised outside America; he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew up in Indonesia and Chicago and as such might share some common psychological traits with other "Third Culture Kids " (TCK) who was raised in more than one culture or one country. Ruth E. Van Reken, an expert on global family living and co-author of "Third Culture Kids" has written an interesting article about Obama's third culture team.

I think expat adults and TCK tend to be open to new ideas, creative when looking at problem solving and with a global view. Often tolerant to diversity and socially flexible, The TCK who became adults are usually good mediators and able to se the "big picture" and the win-win outcome of a negotiation.

Do you think TCK make good leaders or presidents?

For additional information on TCK go to this web site:
http://www.tckid.com/what-is-a-tck.html#youknow

Motivating Employees To Think and Act Like Entrepreneurs

2009-11-19T15:40:00.003-05:00

I came across an interesting article about the raising entrepreneurship spirit not only among the baby boomers seeking a second career but also young generation aged 14-19 year old showing interest in becoming entrepreneurs. This is a true paradigm shift on how to motivate employees.

During the recession, more and more people are looking to start their own business because they are loosing control over their career and are threaten to loose their job even if they are high achievers. People are under a lot of stress in corporate world during economic turmoil, making easier the choice to become an entrepreneur. Literally your skin and sanity are at stake.

The Internet and the E-mobile technologies are getting more and more affordable and the number of Internet users is growing exponentially. Not only it is cheaper to start a business but it is also easier do get free information, find partnership and reach your target customers on a global scale via social networking and other E-Marketing tools.

Are you an employee motivated by entrepreneurship ?

Read more in this article Motivating Employees to Think and Act like Entrepreneurs from http://hrpcenter.com/

Building a Strong Personal Foundation™ for Success

2009-11-05T07:50:00.006-05:00

The first time I heard about the concept of building a strong Personal Foundation™ was during my coaching training at CoachU. Without a strong Personal Foundation™, nobody can really be successful at work and live a happy, fulfilling life. By building a strong personal foundation, people move away from constantly worrying about the fundamentals of their life, and be free to focus on tasks at hand while exploring and creating their dreams.This is becoming an evidence in my coaching practice, people who have been laid off recently or those preparing a plan B in case this will happen to them, all ask me as a coach to help them looking at their own personal development and growth before looking for a job.

It seems that under the increasing pressure at work due to the economic crisis, people are more willing to deliberately invest in their Life and Self-Care. For them this is becoming more evident in today's fast-paced environment. Look at yourself and around you, people are so busy dealing with all the information they receive and send that they barely take the time to stop, think and then look inside themselves to find their life purpose and use their skills and resources for personal development.

Here are some examples of things to look for:

o Having Zero Tolerations (Eliminating things that waste your time, energy)
o Clear of the past (“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein)
o Needs (Usually needs condition your behaviors)
o Boundaries (Protect yourself by putting limits)
o Strengthen your family
o Re-orient around your values
o Improve your Attitude
o Handle the Money
o Making Mental, Physical, and Financial Reserves

Marketing Strategy: New Tools, Old Rules. by Bambi Gordon

2009-11-01T11:14:00.001-05:00

This is a very clear presentation about new communication tools to support your marketing strategy.

Marketing Strategy: New Tools, Old Rules. by Bambi Gordon

View more presentations from Bambi Gordon.

Anatomy of a False Networker

2009-10-19T06:58:00.003-04:00

Thanks Terry for the article

I think that certain people have not noticed yet that there is a dramatic change in the way customers get information on products and services. There is huge shift from classic mass media communication to social media where the media are the people. A brand or a company reputation can be built or destroyed in second and at a global level just by the individual power of word of mouth. Networking has change the same way, you need to initiate meaningful conversations on line or face to face, look at what you have in common with your potential customers and bring information they value. Offer them to try your services and give them platforms to let them vent their frustration or getting their praises. Use online forums, blogs or other Facebook groups depending on which media your ideal clients use. Read more here...Anatomy of a False Networker

I Love Brussels and This is Why

2009-10-15T13:25:00.004-04:00

I am still in the very beginning of my cultural adaptation to Brussels and I am doing according to the expat book. I am in the phase 1 of the culture shock roller coaster, the honey moon spirit. I am enthusiastic, positive, open, curious and accept some frustrations like dealing with the bureaucracy or really bad customer services.

People are more prone to share bad experiences so I will make an exception and share with you my top 5 good reasons why I love Brussels:

1-The Art Nouveau Buildings: For me it is like when I was in New York City, I had my head looking up to admire the architecture while walking. This literally cheers me up!

2-So many nice, cozy, good food restaurants: It is very lively at night in Brussels, people seems to enjoy being in groups or romantic couples dinning "aux chandelles"

3-Open Markets: I live near place Flagey where an open market is there every Saturday. The farmers market in the Place du Chatelain is also very nice on Wednesdays. You can talk to the producers directly, taste some products, lovely.

4-The International Community: There are so many events for expats, I enjoy meeting new people every week. People respond quickly to new ideas and a lot of businesses are owned by independent consultants. Being a foreigner here is relatively easy even if you don't speak French of Flemish as English is spoken everywhere inside the Brussels Capital.

5-The "A la Magritte" surrealistic ideas like closing totally Brussels to cars on the Sunday of the "mobility" I found that funny to see bikes, rollers and hear no noise except children playing in the streets.

Author’s Choice: What Is — and Isn’t — Micromanaging?

2009-10-03T09:07:00.002-04:00

The ability to use questions to illuminate vital issues and avoid micromanaging is a particularly valuable skill. Micromanaging is looking at details that have no impact on the big picture. The manager who is drilling down into details that help reveal a higher-level issue — detecting a structural change, getting at the root cause of a problem, or questioning the effectiveness of a process is not micromanaging, it is good management practice.

Author’s Choice: What Is — and Isn’t — Micromanaging?

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Networking and People

2009-09-23T05:06:00.001-04:00

Networking and People

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Do not put a "closed" sign on your business

2009-09-15T07:37:00.004-04:00

When you relocate to another country, you probably think you do not have to keep your brand alive during the transition; too busy with packing and unpacking, trying to be involved in your kids' school, finding the right fitness club etc,

BEFORE you move tell everybody in your network your new destination, what will be the best way to keep in touch with you, ask for help to get introduced to people living and working in your new location. Then every day, keep an eye on what is said in blogs, websites, conversations and groups. Subscribe to local networks/groups and get information you need to speed up your installation and get read of your cartons faster.

Do not put a "closed" sign on your business just because you have been relocated. Take advantage of the mobile technologies and stay available for your customers.

This strategy worked for me, I met new people, learned great tips and potential partners through Linkedin and started working again with clients only 4 weeks after my furniture arrived in Brussels.

Anne the "happy expat in Brussels"

Announcing NEW BLOG

2009-09-07T08:45:00.003-04:00

Do you have a burning question and did not find the answer yet ?
Ask other expat women who have the answer:
http://expatwomenbrussels.blogspot.com

Returning Home and the Grief Cycle

2009-07-18T05:54:00.028-04:00

For every change, positive or negative, people go through various emotional stages. Dr Kubler-Ross described those stages as the "Grief Cycle (On grief and grieving By Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler). Those stages are the following:

Shock stage: Initial paralysis at hearing the bad news.
Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion.
Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions.
Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.

Most people resist changes, it is part of our primitive brain which triggers the release of all the stress hormones to prepare the body for the unknown and the fight or fly mode.

For example, repatriation can be very brutal and stressful, much more difficult than expected. In my experience, very few repatriation cases are success stories. Usually, returning “home" equal loss of status and independence, lower salary and benefits. Beside the materialistic losses, it is really hard for the repatriate to "fit in" again in an organization that does not care about your experience abroad despite all the positive changes you made for your company and yourself. It is not rare that the repatriate quits his job or get fired within the first year of repatriation.

The emotional roller-coaster described in the Grief Cycle can be very similar if you loose a loved one or your job. It is important to recognize and acknowledge where you are in the process and seek specific help.

Planning ahead is not always possible however if you are aware of the risks before embarking in your expatriation journey, I suggest you start the first days of expatriation identifying and cultivating your existing connections, build new networks, seek for friendship and professional support, look at added-value trainings and keep good relationships with colleagues left “home”. When expatriation is over, maybe take this as an opportunity for a career change or consolidate your value proposition among recruiters and people in your networks. With unemployment rates skyrocketing, lay-off can happen to anybody, expatriate or not and knowing the Grief Cycle may help you getting the right support.

Getting to 'Wow': Consumers Describe What Makes a Great Shopping Experience - Knowledge@Wharton

2009-07-09T13:30:00.001-04:00

Getting to 'Wow': Consumers Describe What Makes a Great Shopping Experience - Knowledge@Wharton

Shared via AddThis

Stop Selling Start Living

2009-06-11T12:04:00.002-04:00

When you go to a networking event face to face, have a conversation on the the phone or use social media, you don't have to tell all about the services and products your company is offering. Potential clients won't listen to you, they want to be heard not told.

Most people I know don't buy after receiving a cold call or a pitch from a stranger. What works, is building relationships and the very first step is to discover what you have in common with the person you are having a conversation with.

Forget about the 30 sec elevator pitch or the 140 letter self-promoting twitts !!!

Learn how to make connections, I mean genuine ones.

Ask powerful questions share free information and tips. If trust is everything, then you need to demonstrate you walk your talk. Don't spam for example. You can use a "pull" technique that allow your potential friends or customers to read an article or a discussion if they choose to. For professional communication I suggest to use blogs Yahoo and Likedin groups. I find very irritating to receive a "free" newsletter and then get spammed without the possibility to unsubscribe.

Building a rapport with a person can take as short as a blink of an eye and sometimes years. If you care about your connections, keep nurturing them. Think win-win on a long term. Be authentic, don't try to sell, just be yourself and live a life with a purpose centered around the values you share with your connections.

Trust is Everything

2009-06-06T14:57:00.003-04:00

Stephen M.R. Covey has written a book called : "The Speed of Trust" saying basically that trust in organizations and in any relationships "is one thing that changes everything".

Lack of trust increases costs, destroys the economy and make you loose valuable relationships.

But its is possible to rebuild trust that can help you make decisions quicker and avoid the long pathway of mistrust with bureaucracy, endless lists of rules and checking.

Although I recommend you read the book you can watch a video about it: Stephen R Covey - The Speed of Trust video examples - JobingVideo

Social Media: To be in or to be out ?

2009-05-26T18:16:00.000-04:00

What is happening with all those online social media ? who are using what ?

It seems to me that more and more, the barriers between the different parts of our life are becoming thinner and thinner. Some people are already wired with others from every country on earth, 24/7 with Twitter. Why spending so much time to "Twitt" with perfect strangers ? Is it a sign of an inflated ego to get as many followers as possible ?

Since the "Susan Boyle"story posted on almost every body's networks, ( I tried only Linkedin, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter) I realized that the classic media have been almost replaced by individual power and all that for FREE and almost without advertising. Amazing!

I am very curious to get more data about usage of social media. I would appreciate if someone could point to me a reliable source of data giving the types of users, the types of content and the data by country.

Meaningful Coincidences

2009-05-23T13:40:00.011-04:00

Three weeks ago, I cancelled our vacation to Cancun planned for our 20 year wedding anniversary the first week of May, because I thought I had too many projects to complete. It happened that the Porcine flu from Mexico started the exact same week I cancelled. I also got an unexpected event that forced me to stay in Europe the same week. So, did those events happened by pure chance ? Is there a link between all of them that contributed to the very positive outcome ?

There is a theory made by Carl Jung, called "synchronicity", explaining that the coincidences that happen to us are often meaningful and connected. Various books have been published on that topic and fascinating stories are supporting this theory. As a scientist, it is hard for me to believe that synchronicity has a power in my life. Yet I did experienced those meaningful coincidences too many times to believe they are just accidents. However I do think that most of those coincidences are the results of our brain and body picking up pieces of information and processing them so they become meaningful.

When you live abroad and do not understand the nuances of a different culture, listening to your intuition and paying attention to those events that seems to be connected by chance is sometimes the only way you have to make the right choices.

I think that we can learn to open our mind and listen to our body to experiment synchronicity to live more meaningful lives.

Reference: There are no accidents by Robert H. Hopcke

Job Kernl: Job Advice from Tory Johnson

2009-05-21T18:45:00.001-04:00

Strategies For Women To Get What They Want !

2009-05-19T15:25:00.015-04:00

Only four of the Fortune 500 companies are headed by women, 6.2 percent hold positions in the C-suite. Three things can hold a woman back from becoming successful : (1) failure to understand biological differences between male and female brains; (2) stereotypes about women; and (3) negative self-beliefs.

Most women have the natural ability to create bonds and effective relationships, however few know how to use this in a smarter, more purposeful way to get what they want.-seeking a promotion, higher salary or proposing a new idea.

Here are some strategies for Women to get what they want:

1-Ask for what you need ! Stop the fear of asking. We are all been educated to be nice girls that do not ask. So use a direct communication way and start asking for what you want

2-Negotiate ! Men are four times more likely to get higher salaries than women because they are not afraid to negotiate. As Ronna Lichtenberg says in her book "Pitch like a girl ", you have to find your negotiation style and use it to negotiate everything and anything.

3-Personal Branding! Me, Myself and I Inc: define your values, skills, strength and what makes you unique and valuable on the market. Create a mission statement and a compelling vision. Investigate your target audience and reach people through networking. Focus on people who are potentially willing to hire you, do business with you or help you reach your goals. Get all your marketing strategies on line with your brand's values. Drop activities that do not serve you but take too much of your time. Focus on the 20% that brings 80% of your results.

4-Plan to Succeed! Make a strategic plan that inspires you. Write down your dreams in a journal, know where you want to be, what you want to accomplish and start by the end to list your goals backward to get you there. List your personal objectives for each year, review your life goals and mission statement as often as needed to adapt quickly to changes.

5-Be a Risk taker and compete: take realistic challenges but stretch them to get out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to promote your ideas. Practice shameless self-promotion but with cultural sensitivity.

Why Branding Works?

2009-04-18T15:15:00.005-04:00

Why paying $3 for a coffee at Starbucks ? Why paying more for a Diet Coke than a store brand Cola ? Why calling back someone you met at a networking event and ignoring the others ?

Well, logic rarely wins over emotions: our behaviors are most of the time dictated by our subconscious mind, feelings and emotions. We think we are in control and that we are making rational choices but in fact logic has usually nothing to do with our first impulse, we make a rational to justify our irrational choices.

Dan Ariely in his book "Predictably Irrational" take several examples of what influences our irrational behaviors. You can access to his free Videocasts on his website Predictably irrational

So branding yourself is about choosing consciously the image you want to project to attract potential employers, clients, dates or friends for example.

Branding is more like a science than an art. By being aware of your true values, principles and things you really love, by eliminating things you tolerate that do not serve you, you become more authentic. Like "Susan Boyle" in my previous post, you must know what you are excellent at and confident that given a chance, you will win people's emotional reaction. Not pretending what you are not is also very important.

Personal Branding is knowing what you have to offer, what you want the most, who you want to attract. Being aware of who you really are inside creates an appeal and project good energy to people who are like minded or have something to share with you.

Ask your friends, family, colleagues and boss what they really think about your attitude, strengths and skills. Focus on the positive, people are usually more prolific on criticisms and negativity, so do not allow them to do that to you.

JUST AMAZING !!!

2009-04-15T10:31:00.007-04:00

An incredible performance to watch on UTube :

I almost cried, and you ? Share your opinion on that

Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your Network.

2009-04-13T15:27:00.004-04:00

Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your Network.: I found this title in an article that inspired me (see the excerpt and link at the bottom). Giving first before asking for a favor or a job, is not only a nice way to create deeper relationships on the web, but it is best networking practices. The idea to cross-post on friends’ blogs, websites or other social media is easy, cheap and can make a great difference.

Start today to recommend one person a day or reply to one dicussion on Linkedin. Today, I'll recommend this group: Atlanta Women In Business

Summary from the article: Effective networking is all about giving. And although the holiday giving season is far behind us, when it comes to your network, giving is a year-long activity. One of the best gifts you can give to members of your network is help in building their personal brands. When we make others look good, we look good – to them! So consider these free or very low-cost, Web 2.0-focused personal-branding presents. It’s time to demonstrate your personal-brand attribute of generosity and your knowledge of social media.”

Link : Top 10 Ways to Use Social Media to Give Back to Your Network

Web 2.0. Tags: Networking

Wha'ts Your Google Quotient ?

2009-04-13T13:53:00.000-04:00

The online identity calculator measures the effectiveness of your online identity and places you on our digital scale: Take the test to find out : http://www.onlineidcalculator.com/index.php

The results of my test is the following : You are digitally distinct! This is the nirvana of online identity !!! A search of your name yields lots of results about you, and most, if not all, reinforce your unique personal brand. Keep up the good work, and remember that your Google results can change as fast as the weather in New England. So, regularly monitor your online identity. That way, if something negative, such as an anonymous ad hominem attack on your character on a blog, crops up, you can address it quickly, before it gets out of hand.

Are you happy with your results ?

Check this article for more : What's Your GQ? Build Your Google Quotient

The Expatriate Tool Kit-Tip 1 Websites

2009-04-11T11:11:00.006-04:00

Here some online resources that might be useful, if you have other to share please let me know

Global Expatriate Websites

Expatriate Websites by Country

Online Expatriate Communities: Blogs, Forums, Groups

Expat Global Network: Are You Cyber Global Smart?

2009-04-09T12:53:00.000-04:00

Expat Global Network: Are You Cyber Global Smart?

How Resilient are You ?

2009-04-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

How do you adapt to economic turmoil, crisis, disruptions, changes, transitions and stress ? I think it is a pretty complex topic and what makes you thrive and happy may be stressful for somebody else. However, no matter what the nature of the change, positive or negative, resilience is a skill that can be developed and defined according to The Global Resilience Network as : “the capacity of individuals, organizations and nations to survive and thrive amidst ongoing change, disruption and adversity.”

How do you react to stress and adversity ? The impact of external changes on individuals such as unemployment, switching to a new career, moving to a new country or going through a merger can create stress, fear, anger, depression, feeling like a victim, confusion, decrease in performance, ineffective problem solving or poor decision making. Coping skills are very personal and usually are learned from your past experiences and healthy habits. Resilience is not only overcoming setbacks, it is a mind-set inducing positive attitudes and behaviors to enlarge your vision of your life.

What are the Characteristics of Resilient People?
-Ability to "bounce back" and "recover from almost anything"
-Tendency to see problems as opportunities
-Have deep-rooted faith in a system of meaning
-Have a healthy social support network
-Help their communities
-Are prepared for the worst
-Have a balanced life
-Are confident and develop strengths to take new challenges
-Able to recover from experiences in the panic zone or of a traumatic nature

Developing Your Resilience :

Awareness : Learn what your hot buttons are; Who are toxic people in your life? what stresses you ? under what circumstances,? how do you feel ? what emotions do you have? look for negative self-talk, self-blaming. What coping strategies do you use? What energizes you? what activities are giving meaning to your life ? what do you like to do ? what are the positive emotions when you do something your really love?

Be in Control: When things go out of your control, focus on part of you life you can control like changing your own perception and perspective, developing healthy coping strategies such as exercise, journaling, talking with friends, suppressing negative self-talk. Be confident, take new challenges, stop playing the victim, develop a 'I can I will" mode

Create a support network: deepen your relationships with people in you network, share a hobby with friends, help other people

...Click to get More Tips (From the Mayo Clinic)

Reference: The resilience factor: 7 keys to discovering your inner strength and overcoming life's hurdles (Karen Reivich & Andrew Shatte, Random House, 2003)

Are You Cyber Global Smart?

2009-04-07T18:54:00.002-04:00

The ability to develop both personal and professional networks across borders, establishing trust and cooperation globally is not only the recipe for business success it is a survival strategy for each individual who wants to survive the current economic crisis.

So, If your company is sending you to another country, if you have to lead and build credibility across cultures or deal with clients overseas, what should be the skills required for global business effectiveness?

Beyond the traditional intercultural and interpersonal communication skills, today leaders face a much more complex world than their pairs and mentors.

For example, the explosion of free information available on the internet is overwhelming. Companies are often requiring that you stay connected 24/7 with technologies like Blackberries and you cannot resource yourself. Your kids, your employees, your employers (present and future), your clients and your competitors are on Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin, Twitter or Utube to name a few social media, creating a level of intimacy with anybody on the planet and sharing personal information. By the way, everything you said on the web yesterday or 15 years ago when you were a teenager will stay on the web forever if you like it or not!

I see personal branding the ultimate marketing strategy for companies, the individuals are the media and effective global leaders must know how to create this type of cyber-intimacy with teams, clients and other stakeholders. Your personal communication and leadership strategy should be aligned with your vision and everything you do on the internet has to be consistent with your personal brand. and evolve as your brand mature.

Making a Successful Repatriation

2009-04-04T17:09:00.019-04:00

For my first expatriation in Tokyo in the early 90's, I spent about two years of total immersion in the Japanese culture. Before leaving, I prepared very well my expatriation with excitement, learning Japanese, reading books on the Japanese culture or studying maps of Tokyo. Everything was different in Japan but it was such a great experience. I did not prepare my return to France thinking that it would be very easy. It was actually very difficult. For example I was very disappointed and shocked about the total lack of interest in my Japanese experience. I had no real job definition for couple of months, I discovered that my years of working in Japan would not count for my pension. I did not like the apartment that was chosen for us as we could not do the choice ourselves.

In fact, moving back home can be more stressful than the expatriation and can result in emotional distress and physical symptoms. To avoid this kind of emotional roller coaster, what I call a reverse-culture shock, it is important to be prepared mentally as well as being extremely organized to deal with the taxes, housing, money, schools, employment contract, loss of material benefits and loss of social status. When you are abroad, especially true for Japan, you are treated extremely well, you have a lot of support for opening a bank account, having your utilities set or tax management for example. The loss of social status is about loosing the opportunity to meet all kind of people that you would not meet otherwise in your home country. Just because you are part of a minority when you are living abroad, it makes you feel special, curious and eager to communicate with other expatriates or learn from people in your host country.

So to make a successful repatriation, be prepared to be on your own, plan in advance as much as you can, make an action plan with small steps to avoid being overwhelmed and look at all the positive aspects of being back "home".

Effective Problem Solving In Multicultural Teams

2009-04-04T16:37:00.015-04:00

The Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats method is a very practical approach to problem solving, making decisions and exploring new ideas. Although it has not been specifically designed for multicultural teams, this tool is very effective for making the most of various thinking modes from people having different cultural backgrounds.

The Basics: There are six different imaginary hats that you can put on or take off. Each hat is a different color and represents a different type or mode of thinking. • Everybody wear the same hat (do the same type of thinking) at the same time. • When you change hats - you change our thinking.

The Benefits of Six Thinking Hats: 1. Provides a common language, 2. Allow diversity of thought , 3. Use more of our brains, 4. Removal of ego (reduce confrontation), 5. Focus (one thing at a time), 6. Save time, 7. Create, evaluate & implement action

The Coach Role : The coach or facilitator wears the Blue Hat. He defines the focus of the thinking, by asking questions like: Why we are here • What we are thinking about • Definition of the situation or problem • Alternative definitions • what we want to achieve • where we want to end up • What is the background to the thinking What we want to take away • What we want to achieve • Outcome • Conclusion • Design • Solution • Next steps •The coach plans the sequence and timing of the thinking • Ask for changes in the thinking • Handle requests from the group • Form periodic or final summaries of the thinking for consideration by the team

Participant’s Role • Follow the lead of the coach:• Stick to the hat (type of thinking) that is in current use • Try to work within the time limits • Contribute honestly & fully under each of the hats.

White Hat Thinking: 1. Neutral, objective information 2. Facts & figures 3. Questions: what do we know, what don’t we know, what do we need to know 4. Excludes opinions, judgments 5. Removes feelings & impressions

Green Hat Thinking :1. New ideas, 2.Concepts, 3.Perceptions 4.Deliberate creation of new ideas and Alternatives. 5- New approaches to problems • 6. Creative & lateral

Yellow Hat Thinking 1. Positive & speculative 2. Positive thinking, optimism, opportunity 3. Benefits 4. Best-case scenarios 5. Exploration

Black Hat Thinking: 1.Negative, critical judgement, 2.focus on errors, 3.Pessimistic view, 4. focus on why it won't work

Red Hat Thinking :1. Emotions & feelings 2. Intuitions, impressions 3. Doesn’t have to be logical or consistent 4. No justifications, reasons or basis 5. All decisions are emotional in the end

Hats sequence in meetings: Hats can be used in different sequences depending on the expected outcome of the meeting. For example , you can use this sequence to explore a case:

1. Coach (Blue Hat) Open the discussion, Clarifying the problem •
2. Present the facts of the case (White Hat). •
3. Generate ideas, how the case could be handled (Green Hat). •
4. Evaluate the merits of the ideas, List benefits (Yellow Hat). •
5. List drawbacks (Black Hat). •
6. Get everybody gut feeling about the alternatives (Red Hat). •
7. Summaries, action plans, what’s next ? (Blue Hat).

We Know the World is Flat, But is it Getting Bigger ?

2009-03-29T16:23:00.016-04:00

I enjoyed reading the book "the World is Flat" from Thomas Friedman a couple of years ago and for those who have no time to read, you can look at the video at the end of this post.

Everyday we have evidences that the world is more and more interconnected and what happened in previous recessions has nothing to do with the global economic crisis we observe today.

Every country is affected, developed and developing countries, yet more people are moving from extreme poverty to middle class. The consequences are very well described by the Maslow's hierarchy of needs : The basis of Maslow's theory of motivation is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that lower needs must be satisfied before higher needs can be addressed. At the bottom of the pyramid are physiological needs like food, then safety, love, and at the top self realization.

In theory, by allowing free trade, more wealth is created in the developing countries to expand the global market. Despite this logic, some people still think local jobs can be saved by having more protectionism and increasing importation taxes from foreign countries. I guess the answer is not that easy ?

Click here to see a Video about "The World Is Flat" or download from Apple’s iTunes U.

Delivering Bad News With Cultural Sensitivity

2009-03-29T09:27:00.000-04:00

Global Leaders have to be aware that employees perceive bad news differently and the way to cope is very cultural. During bad economy, people handle stress and fear of failure with various strategies.

Regarding self-esteem, there is a huge difference between Westerners and Asians. The Japanese culture for example, places the group’s interests first and individuals that stand out of the crowd will be “hammered down like pointing nails”. On the opposite side you have the American way of praising kids all the time, at school, at sports, on the playground even if children perform average, they get a lot of ”Great”, “Good” and “Fantastic”, maybe the best way to produce great entrepreneurs ?

So International leaders, be aware how you deliver feedback: without cultural sensitivity,you are at risk of putting people self-esteem down and demotivate employees, the last thing you need during a recession.

Increase Leadership Performance by Stress Management

2009-03-13T21:39:00.000-04:00

Stress is created from events people have no control over such as :

Economic recession
Wars
Terrorism
Being bombarded with too much (negative) information
Dramatic climatic changes
and so on...

In the work place, uncertainty, role ambiguity, increased performance demand with less resources or lack of vision can make leadership stressful and create anxiety. Leaders under pressure can develop various physiological and emotional responses such as back pain, headache, lack of sleep, weight gain, irritability, anger and also alter their quality of life with family.
Leaders need to manage their stress level and improve their effectiveness by including the following habits in their daily routine and sticking to them no matter how busy they are:

1-Exercise: increases the level of endorphins, improve clarity of the mind and body relaxation. Stop exercising 2 hours before going to bed as it can create excitation. Exercise every day for 30 minutes. Do something you really LOVE to do or buddy with a friend.

2-Sleep: Get minimum 6-8 hours of sleep. Go to bed before 11:00 p.m. as early sleep is deeper than later at night. Read a novel or do anything that is not connected with the news or your work. Make your bedroom a clean, neat and relaxing place.

3-Increase positive energy: Do what you are good at and be with people you like. Identify what drains you down, what you tolerate from other people and eliminate those tolerations as much as possible.

4-Set boundaries. Do not multitask. Set personal and family time with no work interruptions.

5-Listen to your body signals: Recognize signs of stress such as anger, irritability or physical troubles. Learn cool down techniques such as meditation, Tai Chi or listening to relaxing music.

6-Organize and simplify your work and your life. Put in place systems, eliminate old documents or file them. Eliminate anything and everything you don't use anymore and make space in your closets and in your mind.

7-Create a personal mission statement and a vision: Knowing what is your purpose in life and what are your dreams for the future gives you a strong guidance and help you adapt to changing environments without changing your destination in life.

When to Coach Employees and When Not

2009-03-13T11:59:00.000-04:00

Providing training to employees to develop skills and knowledge they need to perform their job is not employee coaching. Coaching is not about giving advices, consulting or giving solutions. Telling employees what to do is not coaching and that is why managers usually cannot coach their employees themselves.

Coaching provides support for the employees to help them identify areas for growth, what is holding them back and discover how to improve their performance and excel in their work. Coaches also help employees to become aware of their behaviors, attitude and generate their own solutions by identifying internal and external resources. Most business and executive coaches integrate what is happening in the life of the employees that can impact their work.

When to consider coaching for your employees ?

o They have all skills and knowledge to perform their job but get stuck on what they really want to do next and how to reach their next career goals.

o They are excelling technically in their current job but their managers think they should be aware of and improve their communication style.

o When someone has behavior problems that impact the rest of the team: negative attitude, not following the rules.

o They have just been promoted to a new job and need to gain confidence.

o When the company decide to promote a good manager into a leadership function

To obtain significant changes and lasting results, coaching is an on going process that can last typically from 6 to 12 months. It is important for the employees to understand that they are investing in themselves and for the managers to understand that each employee has its own learning pace and need time to identify and reach their goals .

At Zappos (Zappos.com ), they even take a step further by having an in house Life Coach: Check out this video interview of the Life Coach: http://www.zapposinsights.com/public/103.cfm

Positive Thinking

2009-02-27T23:10:00.000-05:00

Power Thoughts and Inspirational Quotes:

Shoot for the moon, if you miss… you'll still be in the stars.

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head almost nothing. -Marc Chagall

No man is hurt but by himself. Diogenes.

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

Every person is the creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing. As individuals think and believe, so they are.

Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them—and then you destroy yourself.

TEAMS - Together Everyone Achieves More Success.

I am optimistic and confident in all that I do.
I affirm only the best for myself and others.
I am the creator of my life and my world.
I meet daily challenges gracefully and with complete confidence.
I fill my mind with positive, nurturing, and healing thoughts.

FEAR - False Evidence Appearing Real

The future cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented.

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.

Leadership Transition: The First 90 days

2009-02-22T15:13:00.000-05:00

Whether a manager is hired by a new company or promoted from within, organizations have high expectations for the first 3 months of the new appointee according to Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels.

Cross-cultural communication skills are expected to be known by the new leader to deal effectively with multicultural teams and a global network of clients and stakeholders .

In fact some researchers found that the very first days are critical to build credibility (see : Harvard Management Update: New Leaders: Stop Downward Performance Spirals Before They Start January 16, 2009 by Jean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux )

Here are some tips for making the most of those early 90 days:

THE DO:

1-Meet your team and listen to each direct report individually, ask their opinion on why they think things work or do not work. Ask what are their career plans for the next 3 years.

2-Ask for suggestions and identify people who can partner with you

3-Listen and understand others before being understood

4-Learn the company values, vision, mission, strategies and rules as they might be very different from “home”.

5-Meet with your boss often and ask for a weekly feedback session

6-Prioritize actions you can do in 90 days that will have an impact on your long-term success

7-Volunteer for an internal new project, do as much team building exercises as possible

8- Do effective networking inside and outside the company. Contact your local chambers of commerce, look for cultural events, be part of local social networks.

9-Think positive and enjoy your knew situation

10-Hire an executive coach

11-Look for a mentor

THE DON’T

1-Do not rely on your past experiences and behaviors that were successful as they might not apply to your knew situation

2-Do not tell people all about your past experiences but share future vision

3-Do not make negative comments about your former boss or company or your current host country

Me Inc, Brand Yourself and Find your Ideal Job

2009-02-22T10:43:00.000-05:00

2. Define a personal mission statement: a mission helps you define your life purpose: what do you really want to do, with whom would you like to work ? what type of working environment do you like ?

4.Know your prospects and define your target audience: identify industries, company profiles, job titles, your ideal boss and how to reach and communicate with your prospects.

2. Change bad habits and negative self-talk for winning attitudes

3. Imagine your ideal work day and your worst working day, craft your ideal job description, define what can you offer

4. Focus on what you LOVE to do

7-Don't post your resume on career websites ..it does not work! but you can use online social network groups, make an informative blog or website that communicate the value of your brand

CONCLUSION:
The difference between where you are (current status) and where you want to be (Vision and Goals) is what you do (objectives and actions)

Resilience: How to Connect With People

2009-02-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

Having a strong network of friends, relatives, colleagues or clients, is one of the most powerful tools that you can develop to become more resilient in difficult times.

The best way to build a strong relationship is to be genuine and try to understand the other person's perspective. Start the conversation by focusing on the other person's interests. Listen actively by concentrating totally on what it is said, the body language and by asking powerful questions.

Here some tips I would like to share with you about effective networking for your business:

1-Define your target audience: It is very important to start with the end in mind.
1. Set a personal mission statement and a vision
2. Define your goals and objectives
3. Select networking groups based on your mission/goals
4. Use Online Social Networks such as Linkedin
5. Make a blog, or a newsletter with content focused on your prospects' interests

2– Focus on the positive:
1. Recognize good chemistry instantly
2. Notice when there is no fit, and no sync
3. Look for commonalities and shared interests
4. Be aware of energy you project,
5. Practice positive behaviors and thoughts
6. Celebrate success

3- Attract people: You cannot control what people think, but you can create energy that draw people to you:
1. Be authentic
2. Establish credibility
3. Practice introducing yourself to convey self-confidence
4. Exercise every day: it boosts your brainpower, lowers your stress level and increases your energy

4- Effective Public Speaking:
1. Understand who your audience is
2. Focus your messages to your target audience
3. Keep your speech short and simple
4. Don’t read your slides
5. Ask questions to your audience
6. Reinforce the key message and follow-on actions at the end
7. Ask for feedback from peers, listen to recordings, and plan on how to improve and practice

5- Keep it simple: Attending multiple networking events can be energy draining, here some tips to keep things manageable:
1. Prioritize - use the wheel of life
2. Plan and stay focus
3. Set deadlines
4. Set boundaries,
5. Zap tolerations
6. Keep time for yourself
7. Just Say No
8. Stop procrastination
9. Think of what you are grateful for

Promoting Women’s Leadership Globally

2009-02-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

For leaders that attended the World Economic Forum 2009 in Davos, some of the messages they took home were clearly about developing talents, diversity and getting more women into senior leadership positions.

Lynda Gratton in her article in Harvard Management Update, “How to Foster a Collaborative Culture”, is suggesting that “working with others--closely, creatively, globally, and productively--drives organizational and personal effectiveness.” I cannot agree more! Leading multicultural teams effectively requires to be innovative, flexible and patient. I think these types of nurturing attitudes are generally more frequent in female leaders than in male leaders.

The World Economic Forum is supporting the idea that gender parity leads to better economical, political, social and health care outcomes. The World Economic Forum uses the Global Gender Index to quantify the magnitude of gender-based disparities. The top 10 best countries for 2008 were 1-Norway, 2-Finland, 3-Sweden, 4- Iceland, 5- New Zealand, 6-Philippines, 7-Denmark, 8-Ireland; 9-Netherlands, 10-Latvia. It is interesting to note that USA ranked 27.

Do you think that part of our current financial crisis has something to do with too much testosterone at the executive levels? “Wall Street is one of the most male-dominated bastions in the business world” Says Nicholas D. Kristof In the New York Time ; Of course, it is hard to have objective studies. Kristof mentioned one study measuring the testosterone level in saliva in traders and its relationship with profit they were making. The findings of this were that higher testosterone meant more risk-taking and, usually, more money. Maybe too simplistic and a bit sexist!

The International Women Day is March 8, 2009 and the official web site, shows more than 300 events organized worldwide to celebrate women’s past, present and future achievements. Do you think it is important to celebrate International Women Day ?

WHICH LANGUAGES OUR CHILDREN SHOULD LEARN ?

2009-02-07T13:35:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama said in July 2008, that he was embarrassed he was not speaking another language. His concern was that in order for America to be more competitive globally he wanted every child to learn a second language, Spanish preferably.

So which language our children should learn? You can test your global awareness by getting a quick test on: YouTube-Pop Quiz from the author of the 2 Million Minutes, http://www.2mminutes.com/, Robert A. Compton, comparing China and India with US education system. I extracted few facts: In years 2020, the world largest English speaking country will be China. The CIA thinks Farsi, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin will be the most important languages to learn. So one can ask, why today Spanish and French are the most common languages taught in America ? What does it take and how long Amrican parents will see French replaced by Mandarin starting from preschoolers and up to Grade 12 ?

There is no quick fix but I think education is like the global warming issues, America needs to take action quickly in order to develop more cultural awareness in the education system. Knowing other languages and understanding other cultures is one skill that prepares American students and future leaders to live and work in a global society.

In addition, experts say that children, who are learning a second language from preschool, no matter which language, develop more their cognitive function.

USING THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING TO THRIVE IN BAD ECONOMY

2009-01-31T15:25:00.000-05:00

YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK!

There are various recipies to live the life you love. One of them is visualizing your dreams. On January 1st, 2006, I started writing my dreams on a notebook, one dream on one page without thinking if they were possible or not and no time frame. That year I wrote about 25 dreams, and then I moved with my family from Tokyo to Atlanta and forgot that notebook for 2 years, the time it took me to settle in Atlanta. I found that book recently and realized that I actually achieved to live 10 dreams out of the 25 without reading them again. One explanation is that once I wrote those dreams and forgot about them, they were still alive somewhere in my mind and my heart and therefore I attracted opportunities to make them realities. I will start again writing my dreams on this notebook, maybe up to 120, so I can have enough dreams for the rest of my life.

Getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t is a question of where you focus your attention, what your beliefs are and about keeping, your integrity by living a life centered around your values and dreams.

There are more than 9,000 books on Amazon.com about “Law of attraction” which became a very popular topic with the release of the movie, the secret. This is however a very simple concept that whatever you give your energy and focus to will come back to you. Therefore, if you stay focused on the positive aspects of your life, you will attract more positive things in your life. Like attracts like.

During economic recessions there are two types of people: Those who are watching anxiously the news every day to see companies bankrupting, people loosing their jobs, their houses all around the world… even in China! Those people are more likely to become anxious, fearful, paralyzed and desperate even if their own situation has not changed. Then you have the second category of people who don’t pay that much attention to bad news, stay enthusiast and full of positive energy and who see opportunities to create new things even if they have been laid off.

The Power of Positive Thinking is the result of the Uplifting Power of our thoughts, Optimism and Enthusiasm, combined with the Driving Power of what we do with Determination, Confidence and Courage.

BECOME INCREDIBLY SELFISH

2009-01-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

I found this title in the resources for Coachinc' students and think it is very thought provoking .

Most women put other's needs before their own needs: children, husband, old parents, siblings, bosses, team members and so on ...

To be selfish is about taking the time to focus on your needs, listen to your emotions and to take care of yourself no matter how busy you life is. To be selfish is not being needy or egoist, it is a very healthy habit that helps create both emotional and physical well being. You create more inner peace, joy and a natural balance.

How to become unconditionally selfish? Start to listen to your inner signals, trust your emotions, if it feels wrong you are probably right. This skill can be developed by acknowledging your feelings rather than dismissing them. You can start making a journal where you write about the situation (facts), the thoughts that was triggered by the situation and how did you feel about it. After a couple of months, you can start to identify patterns, people and situations that drain your energy down, things or persons you tolerate that are not aligned with your values and principles. You gain also more self-confidence that makes you excited, happy, and full of positive energy.