1.

4 Trends That Will Change the Way We Work

As many working professionals know, the way people communicate with each other and conduct
their daily jobs has taken a dramatic turn in recent years. The introduction and development of
mobile technologies, wireless Internet and cloud software gave birth to a workforce that can
perform tasks from anywhere, at any time, from any device. Amid these rapid technological
advances, many workers and business leaders wonder: Where will we go from here?
On June 16, Microsoft hosted an interactive panel discussion entitled "Future of Work" at its
New York City office. Bryan Goode, Microsoft's senior director of product marketing for
enterprise social, facilitated the conversation among the seven speakers, whose companies are at
the forefront of the new American workplace.
Based on their own internal operations and experiences, the speakers identified four major areas
that they believe will change the status quo for how people work. While some of these trends
have already started to enter modern workplaces, the panel agreed that their full effects will be
seen over the next three to five years. [What the Workplace of the Future Will Look Like]

Information overload
Today's workers are inundated every day with more information than they know what to do with.
Companies know that analyzing the right data is the key to harnessing its power, but it's often
difficult to get started, especially with limited resources. David Peterson, enterprise collaboration
manager at bicycle manufacturer Trek, believes that the answer lies in stepping out of the
departmental silos that often exist within organizations.
"[Companies need] internal collaboration across departments," Peterson said. "It's about the
marketing person who can help the engineering department, or the salesperson who can help the
marketer."
"Effective collaboration is about getting strangers to work together," added Alan Lepofsky,
collaboration software analyst with Constellation Research. "The biggest change is that we'll be
getting answers from anywhere."
Internal networking
Related to the increase in collaborative work is the development of beneficial internal company
relationships through technology. Encouraging these relationships will create a

networking system from which the company can pull the real-time feedback and insights
necessary for effective strategic planning.
While some companies discourage nonwork conversations via workplace technologies like chat
services and message boards, it's going to become increasingly important to allow friendships to
flourish via social networks and internal communication tools.
"People share [information and ideas] because they like the people they're sharing with," said
Charlene Li, founder of research and consulting firm Altimeter Group and author of "Open
Leadership" (Jossey-Bass, 2010)."You have to have relationships."
Grace Chanpong, manager of communication and technology at Jamba Juice, said that internal
feedback has been especially beneficial in helping her company make its processes and
operations more efficient.
"We're collecting feedback from Jamba Juice stores in the field," Chanpong said. "We're asking
questions and using knowledge from across the franchise system to improve."
Location independence
Cubicles and landlines are quickly becoming a thing of the past in many offices, where workers
are opting for remote or flexible work locations. In an age when the desks at headquarters are
frequently empty throughout the day, it no longer makes sense to build and design traditional
office spaces.
"Twenty years ago, you would build [an office] for the number of people you had," said Ryan
Anderson, director of future technologies at office solutions provider Herman Miller. "You knew
the return on investment because people had to come into the office. Now, people aren't doing all
their work at their desk."
Anderson noted that, in terms of office structure, companies will move toward mobile-ready
spaces focused on work "modes," such as chatting or creating, rather than individual
workstations. While the physical environment of a workspace still matters, companies will need
to prioritize and determine what infrastructure they will need to accommodate for face-to-face
and digital interactions.
Distributed workforce
The rise in the number of mobile workers also means that many employees within the same
company are scattered across different geographical locations. The challenge in the coming years
will be figuring out the best way to get work done efficiently and well, wherever employees are
located.

"Companies will need mobile-ready platforms, especially for travelers and [employees who]
work from home," said Andrea Siudara, vice president of information technology at automotive
technologies provider Delphi."The cultural norm of, 'I need to be at my desk,' is starting to break
down. It's not about desk time, it's about results. Younger workers are comfortable with and
expect that kind of work environment."
As this type of distributed work environment becomes more commonplace, a subsequent shift in
leadership mentality will have to occur for workers to truly succeed.
"The consistent 40-hour work week doesn't work for anyone anymore," said Adam Pisoni, cofounder of enterprise social network Yammer. "There needs to be trust for the boss to say, 'I don't
need to see your punch card.'"
While this may be a difficult transition for some leaders who come from a more structured work
background, Anderson believes it will ultimately lead to a more productive, innovative
workforce:
"Distributed work is going to be the biggest catalyst for breaking down barriers, and shifting
from the world of information to the world of ideas."

2.
How To Write Thought-Leadership
Pieces That Get Published And Don't Make
Editors Want To Die
If entrepreneurship is, as Harvard professor Howard Stevenson calls it, the pursuit of
opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled, then business builders have a lot in
common with journalists. And whereas entrepreneurs can learn much from the journalism trade
itself, some of todays top business leaders are actually participating in journalism, with
enterprise-worthy results.
The way they do it is through guest writing, and the point of attack is the Opinion section or
other places where publications print expert commentary. Whether its the governor of New York
guest writing a persuasive essay on climate change in a daily newspaper or this guest column
youre reading right now in Fast Company, most magazines, newspapers, and blogs allot space
for industry experts to share their points of view.
But most publications wont take just anyone. And they wont print thinly veiled marketing
messages with no takeaway. Here are four tips for getting printed and breaking through the fullto-bursting inboxes at your top-choice publications:

Establish Credibility
Editors are busy people who are constantly badgered by pitches that are far off the mark, and
they are the gateway to publication through which you must pass. So dont waste their time.
Convince them to give you a shot through at least two of the following three:
Show youve got a track record of writing for legitimate places (the editor will infer youre a
good writer, and probably easy to edit). Your pitch email itself is another opportunity to show
your writing ability, so let a little personality in. If your email bores them, why would they want
to subject their readers to a longer version of it?
Write a concise story pitch that shows you can write well in few words. (I recommend keeping
your story idea pitch to 300 characters or less.)
Tout relevant credentials or expertise in the subject matter (CEO of a relevant company, Albert
Einsteins apprentice).
These will make a wary editors leap of faith a little easier to make.
Have Something To Contribute To A Larger Conversation
To get the gig--and the audience respect that comes with it--you have to truly be a valuable
source of information, says Michael Lazerow, CEO of Buddy Media and frequent guest writer
for Advertising Age and Fast Company.
A former journalist, Lazerow understands that his industry--social enterprise software--is full of
people hungry for information and fearful of being left behind. His guest posts about Facebook,
advertising, and social marketing help his audience make sense of the industry, while
establishing Lazerow (and his company) as a thought leader.
Think about who you are trying to reach, and then think about the top questions those people
would ask about the topic you're writing about, Lazerow says. Try as best as you can to answer
those questions.
For the social media newspaper The Daily Dot, guest writing is a way to simply get on peoples
radar.
We wanted to find opportunities to tell our story to audiences we weren't already reaching,
says founder Nicholas White. Whites stories at places like PBS discuss the future of
newspapers, using The Daily Dots experiences as conversation starters. To be successful, says
White, it has to be a real contribution to a conversation, not just an ad for your site. Telling
compelling stories about your personal experiences or citing case studies from your own
company in some instances can help illustrate points about your industry or area of expertise and
give you material that no one else has.

Use Journalistic Rigor

As the prestige of a publication increases, so does the credibility and rigor necessary to be
published. For example, in a recent Op-Ed I wrote about Americas freelance economy for The
Washington Post, I researched and interviewed economists, business professors, advocacy
groups, and man-on-the-street freelancers, and pored over dozens of government reports in order
to back up my point, that the growing number of freelancers in the U.S. is helping the economy
and needs infrastructure.
Thorough research, reporting, and proper attribution of sources prevents writers from being
dismissed as self-promotional gasbags. And with all information publishing--whether objective
news or content marketing--be ethical. Never betray your readers with misleading material.
Take A Stance, If You Have One--And You Should
Guest writing, says White, often best succeeds when its opinionated. It can't be like, no, duh,
he says.
In many cases, thats exactly the reason publishers will print expert commentary; youre bringing
something to the discussion that a traditional news story cant. Your business should stand for
something anyway. Why not leverage your unique point of view?
Focus On What You Can Contribute, Not Self-Promotion
Too many founders think about guest posting in terms of, How can I translate my sales deck
into a guest post? Lazerow says. If you're just going to use a guest post to plug your widget,
it's useless and people will see through it.
Guest writing ought not to be thought of as marketing. The likelihood of directly tracking ROI
(e.g. someone clicks on your byline in a guest post, then immediately buys something on your
site) is very low, and not the best use of guest writing opportunities. For young companies with
small footprints, or established organizations wishing to align with certain topics, guest writing
raises awareness, builds brand equity, and cements the idea that a company cares about an
industry, topic, or cause.
Being a good source--through speaking with journalists and writing guest columns for
publications--is one of the best ways to create value, Lazerow says.
And in the long run, it can drive business. As White puts it, guest writing is like giving out
samples in a grocery store. You get a taste and hopefully you decide to buy a bottle.

BIG RESULTS COME FROM LOTS OF SMALL DECISIONS

I heard a speaker colleague of mine, Dov Baron, say in a seminar that "a smoker doesn't make a
decision to die of lung cancer, he just makes a thousand decisions to smoke lots of cigarettes, one
at a time."
Life and business works the same way. Successful businesses, successful relationships, fat bank
accounts, healthy bodies - they all come as a result of a small but daily commitment to do what
needs to be done. When it needs to be done, how it needs to be done, whether one feels like it at
the time or not.
Dale Carnegie courses teach their sales course graduates to make 5 new contacts per day. That's
it. It isn't much but it makes a big difference. It may not always be fun but the rewards are always
there. Far better than the long-term results of NOT making the calls!

6 Impressive Gift Ideas for Your Co-workers

Typically, a large part of your day is spent in the office, so it is quite natural that you and some of
your co-workers become thick friends. But, even though one may feel that they know their
colleagues really very well, one is stuck when it comes to choosing a gift for them.
You cannot just pick any gift; you need to pick something they will find useful and which will be
in line with their interests and preferences and wont offend them in any way.
There is a very thin line differentiating colleagues with other friends.
One cannot be as friendly with a co-worker as one would be with a friend from outside of work;
but you are not formal and distant either. And, colleagues come in different types; they range
from the back slapping mates to the ones with whom you share a moderate level of comfort. You
need to keep all this in mind while choosing a gift for them.
Before you begin looking through the various gifting options, make sure you keep in mind these
considerations:

To begin with, make sure the office policy allows gifting co-workers, seniors and juniors.

Planning the budget is extremely important. Budget depends on the friendliness quotient
you have with the colleague and his/her position in the company.

It is strictly advisable to stay away from anything personal- the list can include anything
from clothing, shoe wear, perfumes, and inner garments.

When gifting a colleague, give those items a complete pass that may offend the colleague
such as a deodorant, a set of nail filers, etc.

One should also not be gifting anything that conflicts their religious or sentimental values
such as gifting non vegetarian pies to a strictly vegetarian co-worker or gifting a person
stuff like cookies, cakes, pastries while she or he is trying to lose weight or a bottle of
wine to a teetotaller.

Six best gifts your co-worker will love having from you
1. Picture postcards- While postcards may not be the mode of communication
anymore, picture postcards always steal ones heart. Getting a picture of your
co-worker and his or her spouse and children is any day a welcome idea. Or if
you share a great rapport, then the colleague wont mind a picture of you two
as a postcard on his desk board.
2. Artwork- A painting for the one who has a taste in art will be most
appreciated. Get a little more innovative and go the picture to painting way.
Get their picture painted on a canvas and make them feel truly special.

3. Small indoor plants- Plants are something that are always appreciated and
the freshness and green that they bring with them is always soothing to ones
senses. It can also be a symbol of the growing friendliness between you two
over a period of time.
4. Stationary items- Stationary items are another popular pick. They are never
out-dated but only keep upgrading with times, are of most value, and easy to
look for. Branded pens are the most popular choice followed by diaries,
planners, and set of funky coloured marker pens.
5. Business card holders- Business cards are something almost every person
has but, people usually dont have a nice case to stack them in. While there
are umpteen designs ranging from quirky to the personalised, gifting a coworker a sleek and simple card holder will always be put to good use for a
long period of time.
6. Supporting their cause- Having the knowledge of a cause a co-worker
supports can let you buy a gift from the brands or agencys merchandise like
a postcard, diary, T shirt, hand bag, wallet, photo frame, lamp, etc. The list is
a long and exhaustive one. You know that this is a cause close to his or her
heart so the gift can be expected to stay dear to them as well.

Making the Transition to Cloud Services

Businesses are discovering the advantages of switching to cloud services. These benefits include
factors such as guaranteed security and software updates, backup services that eliminate the need
for redundant tasks, controlled costs, and a simpler management process. By aligning themselves
with a cloud service provider that offers flexibility, for both growth stages and periods that
require a business to scale down, companies can gain access to a customized level of service.
However, it can be a process to determine the best time and method to transition your business to
the cloud. Lets start by examining several of the benefits that can be gained through switching to
cloud services.

Why Your Company Should Look into Cloud Computing

There are numerous ways that your business can benefit from virtualization. A few of these
conveniences are increased flexibility and security, the ability to better organize resources,
improved productivity and time and cost savings.

When you transition your business from physical to virtual servers there is
the potential for increased flexibility. With cloud computing you can transfer
resources in moments and adjust your virtual assets such as disk space and
RAM according to your immediate needs.

With a private cloud the proper physical and network security ensure that
your data is secure.

Virtualization allows you to gain the most benefit out of your physical servers.
You have the ability to virtualize five servers on a single physical server
rather than take up space with multiple physical servers that have limited
storage capacity.

Businesses that transition to cloud services tend to have a simpler time

training employees and determining compatibility. This allows all employees
to gain access to the same tools and resources, which eliminates the
problems caused by outdated software and formatting issues.

Saving time and money is another advantage of switching to the cloud. This
is because it can be more cost effective and less time consuming than using
multiple physical servers.

What to Look for before You Move to the Cloud

The top cloud storage services for business make the process of sending your files to the cloud
simple, safe, and economical. Once your information has been stored they should continue to
back up the work of your organization for the duration of your stay with them. The best cloud
service providers make it convenient and secure for you to share files with the members of your
company and other business contacts. Before you select a service provider you should evaluate
several key features:

Security Sending private information about your business and clients to the
cloud should not expose your company to risk. Extensive precautions should
be taken with cloud services to protect that information and the best
providers should encrypt your information and allow you to produce your own
encryption key as well. Having your own key in place will aid in further
protecting your information so that even employees for the business cloud
service will not be able to access it.

Storage Capacity There are a great number of different storage needs, and
your cloud service provider should be able and willing to customize storage

options for the specific needs of your business. The ability to expand or scale
down storage capacity and plan ahead for future business needs is ideal.

Ease of Access While your information should be secure, it also needs to be

accessible to you, your employees, and even clients that may need to access
the information remotely. This should be a simple process with syncing
capabilities and branding instruments that leave a good impression on
clients.

Features The components that make up your cloud storage service should
function to make both your transition and the ongoing backups of your data
smoother. The leading cloud storage firms use the newest technologies to
make the most of storage and bandwidth capabilities.

Support Any questions or concerns that come up with your cloud storage
should be responded to in a prompt and effective manner. The best service
providers will give you access to support through the phone, live chat, and
email during times that are convenient for you.

Switching over to Cloud Storage

Although your business will be able to benefit in many ways by transitioning to the cloud, there
is a good deal of change that will need to occur within your company. In order to make sure that
you switch over successfully, it is helpful to ease into the transition with clear communication
and an effective training process. The following are several ways that can support your move to
the cloud:

Work Within the Framework of Your Company Culture Every organization has
cultural influences that can impact their ability to move forward with change.
Keep this in mind and use it to your advantage when you are beginning the
process of a transition.

Put out the Message Taking the time to communicate with those who will be
influenced by the change will help reduce apprehension and resistance. This
can be achieved in many ways and should be done in a manner that is
harmonious with your company culture.

Seek Executive Support Administrative assistance will give you the benefit
of a communicator with the authority to gain understanding and support
within the company.

Everyone in your company that will be impacted by cloud computing should be aware of three
things:
1. The reasons behind the companys switch to cloud services.
2. The benefits that the organization will gain through the move.

3. The specific impact that the move will have on each individual.

Once the message has been communicated the next step is to train your staff. Even if the move to
cloud computing will only have a minimal impact it will still require a degree of training. The
specific training will vary by job function but if any of the following are taking place then you
should create a plan for the necessary preparation:

A large portion of the company workload will be moved to the cloud.

Processes within the company will change after the move.

Your staff will require the use of your cloud providers tools.

When should you make the Transition?

Today there are numerous business software companies that offer affordable cloud service
solutions, which make it an ideal time to determine if cloud services are right for your business.
If the following factors impact your company it may be time to look into transitioning to the
cloud:

If youre facing the prospect of spending money to purchase additional

equipment and paying employees to put in the hours to install it, then it may
be more cost effective for you to pay for only what you need with a cloud
service provider.

If you dont want productivity to be stifled as your business grows then the
simple process offered by cloud services to increase your resources can
support your business during its growth phases.

If you want to avoid the hassle of installing updates, your cloud service
provider can take care of this.

If your business would benefit from the mobility offered by cloud services,
which would allow you and your employees to access information anywhere
there is an internet connection.

If you want to reduce the workload of your IT department then this something
you can achieve with the cloud.

Business cloud storage is a good move for any organization that wants to protect their data from
theft, a natural disaster, or any potentially detrimental event. Essentially, it is a good idea for
almost any type of business. By evaluating the structure and needs of your company it is possible
to work with a cloud service broker to find the best fit for your business.

GOT A MEMORY BOOK?

Perhaps only hopelessly sentimental people like me have memory books and, even then, I forget
to use it at times. When I remember to look at it, I get upset I don't use it often enough to get
entries from all the people who have meant something to me.
What is a memory book? I like to think of it as a reverse autograph book. You are the famous
person and all the people who mean something to you get to write or draw something in it for
you. I had a memory book as a child - a couple of them, in fact. One of them got lost as our
apartment and everything in it got confiscated after our escape from Czechoslovakia, but an
earlier one got found when I visited the country after the fall of the communist regime. I sat on
the floor in my Grandma's house and leafed through the book. I cried as I was reading through
the entries and looked at the sometimes clumsy drawings. There was even an entry from my
Mom who gave me the book, from February 24th, 1980. It said how much she loved me. I
rediscovered the memory book and started to use it again.
Now there is an entry from Grandpa - a poem he made up, just for me. A couple of drawings
from my sisters. An entry from a friend who passed away since. An ex-boyfriend or two. Lots of
memories and people passing through the pages. Have you got your memory book yet? Get a
hard-cover book with clean pages! Price is about $10 when empty and totally priceless when
full!

HOW STRONG IS YOUR FOUNDATION?

Buildings built with a strong foundation have a higher chance of withstanding environmental
factors, even earthquakes. Those built without a great foundation or much planning end up like
the leaning Tower of Pisa at best (well, at least it's famous) and perish completely at worst. For
example, there are the leaky condo projects of Vancouver which were built with the right kind of
planning but for the wrong kind of climate. People are the same - those with a strong foundation
do better than the ones with a weak foundation.
Just like with houses, you often cannot tell by looking at a person if the foundation is strong. You
can only tell when the hurricane blows by or the earthquake strikes - and then it's too late to do
something about it. The time to build a foundation is BEFORE you build the house. Often, you
will spend more time on the foundation than the house itself - that isn't good news for impatient
people who want to see results yesterday! If you build the house and notice later that you should

have built a stronger foundation, you may need to tear everything down and start over again.
Even patchwork will be tricky and very costly.
As people, we need a strong foundation with strong pillars which, in my mind, are made up of
health, relationships, finances, and work. These, in turn, must be strong.
Strong health means strong physical, emotional, and mental health. It means being in that state
now and it means working on maintaining that state. Everyone may come in contact with
disease, but generally those with a stronger foundation of health will combat the disease faster,
often even before you know you are sick. Building strong health includes working on a positive
mental attitude, working out regularly, positive eating habits, regular time off work, and some
form of spiritual work. This may include going to church, meditating or volunteer work to
benefit others.
Strong finances don't only mean a lot of immediate cash flow. It means good cash flow and the
knowledge that if the cash flow stopped (due to injury, divorce, downsizing, changes in market
conditions), there would be a cushion made up of insurance and income from various sources
like businesses and investments. Strong finances are built for the short term as well as the long
term.
Strong relationships mean clean and happy, satisfying relationships with others. It has been
proven that people with social interactions and married people, on average, live longer than those
who are alone. Strong relationships mean that there are no outstanding issues with the people in
your life. All family secrets have been dealt with, all the times that your spouse has left the toilet
seat up have been forgiven and forgotten. Of course, it wouldn't be human to never have any
disagreements, but it is human and possible to have such disagreements cleaned up quickly.
Strong relationships feel great and provide an incredible opportunity for support when needed.
Strong work environment, to me, includes a number of things. Relationships with coworkers,
owners or partners, and customers need to be good. There needs to be a sense of purpose,
meaning, and appreciation for the work being done. The work needs to "fit" your particular
personality and nourish you financially and otherwise.
How strong does the foundation need to be? That depends on the kind of house you want to
build. A doghouse doesn't need much of a foundation. A tall apartment building does! What kind
of a foundation does YOUR dream life need?

IT AIN'T EASY BEING RESPONSIBLE

A few weeks ago, I had an embarrassing moment which again reminded me of taking
responsibility and how it easy it is to take credit for the glory and how tough it is to admit to
making a mistake. As it often happens, life's powerful lessons show up in the most mundane of
tasks.
One night, I was taking my dog for a walk. At the same time, I was taking some letters to throw
in the mailbox. My dog needed to go to the bathroom and I, as a responsible dog owner, took out
my plastic sandwich bag and deposited the smelly result of my dog's effort into the bag. It was a
beautiful sunny night and I was busy admiring the beauty. I marched on towards the mailbox,
deposited my letters and happily kept walking to the beach.
I walked a couple of blocks away and then put my left hand in my left pocket. Something
seemed very odd and it took a few seconds to get to my brain. My hand touched the letters in my
pocket, at first with no thought of what that meant. Then I thought "didn't I just walk by the
mailbox? Didn't I just..." And then I understood what happened. "Oh no!" I realized that I had
deposited the smelly bag right into the mailbox.
My mind raced back and I was at least very sure that the bag was sealed and nothing would get
out. Then I started to imagine what may happen, especially if there was something sorting the
mail automatically. It wasn't a pretty sight but I didn't know what I could do about the situation.
Obviously, I couldn't just get the matter out of the mailbox. At the same time, I wasn't too excited
about admitting my mistake. Frankly, I was quite afraid that I might get in trouble. Imagine the
news headlines - "Idiot destroys innocent citizens' letters"
My conscience got me and I called Canada Post the next day. Thankfully, the operator had a
sense of humor. She asked me to post a note on the mailbox and said that a real person always
pre-sorts the mail. I felt better for telling the truth. The consequences are rarely worse than the
lack of truth.
I should say one more thing though - I did call from a payphone...

LINK AND GROW RICH

In this new economy, networking is the name of the game, in all sorts of forms. As Susan Niven,
Vancouver's speaker on networking, says "It isn't just what you know, or even who you know, but

it's who knows you". I would say it's about all three but, definitely, linking with others is
extremely important.
The power of the Internet is in its ability to reach a huge number of people, but also in its crosslinking ability. The same is also the case outside the Internet. Network marketing programs,
however bad taste some past situations have left in many people's mouths, are just rewards for
referring. Amazon.com is based on the networking concept. Any type of a "refer a friend to us
and we'll give you a gift" program is based on that concept. Even a simple, "do you know a great
accountant?" question Is networking at play.
As an immigrant from a communist country, networking has been easy for me to understand. In
Czechoslovakia, knowing someone in the meat shop meant an early warning of a shipment,
knowing someone in a bike shop meant waiting for only a year to buy a bike, rather than five.
In the free world, word-of-mouth referrals and networking are more a matter of convenience
rather than necessity, but still people like to get recommendations. It works in the job market,
dating, business or finding a home. Do YOU know enough people?

WHAT GLASSES DO YOU SEE THE WORLD THROUGH?

Have you ever gotten a great and exciting opportunity, only to say to yourself, "This is too good
to be true"? Have you then managed to muster enough doubt and suspicion about this great
opportunity that, perhaps as an act of self-fulfilling prophecy, this great opportunity really did not
turn out?
I certainly have done that very thing a number of times, figuring that when great things happen,
they often come with obvious or hidden negative strings attached. Then I listened to a tape by
Les Brown, a motivational speaker, recently. He said, "whenever you think that something is too
good to be true, change that throught to saying that the opportunity is good and... That it is
happening to the right person. YOU!" How simple.
I have watched this difference in negative and positive expectations in my dog and my Mom's
dog. My dog was brought up in an environment of love and total security. Her power of positive
expectation is absolutely astounding. Whomever she meets, she assumes she will be liked and
that she will get what she wants. I will admit that she might not have much going on in her brain
other than how to raid the next garbage can without getting caught, but that's perhaps besides the
point. Her expectation of the world is positive and, funny enough, it is only rare that her
expectations aren't met.

My Mom's dog is different. He was abused as a puppy, before Mom got him. Although the abuse
was almost 10 years ago, his expectations of the world are still doubtful and suspicious. When a
stranger offers love or food, he either won't approach at all or approach very slowly. The
difference between him and my dog isn't at all in the environment around them, it is only in the
interpretation of it.
How do you expect the world to treat you? Do you face the world expecting red lights, mean
bosses, and difficulties? Or, do you face your environment expecting great things to happen?
Whichever we expect is what will likely happen - expect goodness!

CUSTOMERS CARE TO KNOW THAT YOU CARE

Customers, no matter how small or large their order is, want to feel important and respected by
you and your business. One of my coaching clients used to refer to all his clients as "accounts"
and was surprised that these "accounts" had no loyalty to his services. I prompted him to ask his
"accounts" for feedback and he started to change his attitude as a result of this feedback. His
"accounts" ceased to be mere entries in his accounting system and became human beings.
Interestingly enough, his client loyalty increased dramatically.
Making customers feel important is more a question of intention than of committing huge
resources to the task. A smile and kind words cost nothing, yet they carry a lot of weight. Respect
for customers' time and concerns costs nothing other than greater awareness of our own time
planning and how we run our business. A mailed thank you note costs a little more: 46 cents for a
stamp plus some letterhead and an envelope. Yet the rewards as a result of increased trust can be
enormous.
Next time someone in your business laments about lack of customer loyalty, take that as an
opportunity to brainstorm. Think "how can my business make my customers feel more
important?". Ask "how can I increase the trust my customers feel towards my products, services,
or reputation?" Whatever steps you think of, TAKE THEM. Ultimately, your customers do not
know you care unless you TELL them so!

"To Resolve Differences, Look for Common Ground"

The ever-increasing conflict between Israel and Palestine may be very far for most of us, even
for those with Jewish or Muslim roots. Most of us may have become numb to it and say "so

what, I don't care anymore!". I wonder, though, if there is something out of that whole mess that
we can all be reminded to do in our own lives.
I listened to a short radio interview with a couple of consultants to the Palestinian negotiating
team. The reporter prefaced the show by saying something like "Israelis and Palestinians rarely
meet. They rarely talk to each other. So, for two Palestinians to come to an Israeli home to talk,
even if the home belongs to left wing Israelis, is very uncommon." The reporter also mentioned
that the two consultants were only allowed to go to the area because they held foreign passports,
so were not seen as "true Palestinians".
The interview then proceeded with the consultants saying things like, "well, if they expected us
to thank them, we had to tell them they failed in their efforts." The Israelis then could be heard
saying they had the power in the conflict and that was that. At the end, it was too late for the two
consultants to drive home and two Israelis offered to put them up in their homes. The
Palestinians flatly refused and went to a hotel . Unfortunately, both sides squandered this rare
opportunity to meet. Again, they focused on their differences.
I think that the reporter hit the nail on the head when she commented that the Israelis and the
Palestinians never talk to each other. Of course not. That's how they cannot relate to each other at
all. The only thing they can see is how the media in their own region bashes, depersonalizes and
demonizes the other side. They are unable to see their similarities; only differences matter. This
is exactly what happens in any conflict. Watch a couple getting a divorce. Watch a conflict
between union leadership and company management.
The unfortunate part in all conflict is this lack of seeing the other side as a person - as someone's
child, wife, husband, grandmother, coworker, neighbour, friend, mentor, uncle, or any other role
that make the other side more human. In my experience, when we can see each other for our
similarities, our differences either go away completely or, at least, they allow us to like each
other enough to be able to negotiate through our differences.
Being born in Communist Czechoslovakia in the middle of the Cold War, I remember this type of
polarization very clearly. As young kids in Grade 8, we ran around in gas masks and learned
about what to do when (not "if") the nuclear attack came from the big bad NATO countries. I was
rather shocked when I came to North America and found out that similar paranoia existed here
about being attacked by the Communists. Who was then attacking who?
Also, having grown up in a country in the middle of Europe, I had very little access to non-white
people. As a result, my society taught me that "all Gypsies were thieves", and that "Oriental
people have lice in their hair and they will kill you if you upset them." Not having access to
information to disprove these types of statements, I didn't quite question them. Imagine, then, my
horror of arriving to Vancouver, Canada. I was put in an English class for new immigrants - and I

was the ONLY white person. There were 2 East Indian kids, all the others were Orientals. I was
honestly terrified. It seems silly, very silly now, but I was terrified of speaking to them.
Somewhere, somehow, I was afraid of catching lice and ending up with a knife in my back. I was
rather surprised when I started discovering my classmates for who they were. Kids who, just like
myself, were trying to learn a new language and a new culture. Kids who, just like myself, left
their friends and families behind. Kids who, just like myself, tried to get good marks, get rid of
teenage pimples, and get invited out for a Friday night date to the movies. We were a lot more
alike than I would have ever thought. I lost my fear, and gained a few friends.
You and I may not have much ability to directly affect the conflict in the Middle East or any
major war. I do believe, however, that we can have an effect by what we are willing to
understand around us. Do you have a boss who you cannot stand? Invite her out for lunch and
just ask some questions about her life. What does she like to do? What is her background? Are
you Catholic? Sit down with a Jehova's Witness and ask questions about their religion. Don't
talk, just ask and listen. Are you a middle class professional who has judgements about punk
teenage kids? When you see one on the street next time, ask if you can chat with him for a bit.
Not to patronize or to convert, but just to chat. Again, ask a few questions and listen. You may
find growing closer to the very people who you thought you'd never, ever understand.
And, please, do let me know what you've learned...:)