Blog
Employees: Asset or Expense?
A recent study by Consumer Reports gives some interesting results about what is really important to customers. Here's the data: Isn't it interesting that "treats employees well" is #4? The old adage, "happy employees make happy clients," must apply here. Customers can...
Who Owns What?
Near the end of 2011 there was a large legal case looming that got the business world's attention. Here is the question: Can a company cash in on, and claim ownership of, an employee's social media account, and if so, what does that mean for workers who are...
Out with the “Old”, In with the “New”
2012 is now officially here. Welcome! The Washington Post publishes a list of what's "out" and what's "in" each year. This year Apps, Hoarding, Greek yogurt, Google+, and "How I Met Your Mother" were listed as out. What's in are Naps, Cleaning, Icelandic skyr,...
Goodness Abounds
If you haven't seen, I AM, a film produced and directed by Tom Shadyac, we'd suggest that be on your list of videos to see. It's a great "paradigm shifter" as we turn to a new year. The film begins by asking "What is wrong with the world?" The director turns to...
Best Reads of 2011. What’s on your List?
The annual list of Best Business Books 2011 is out by the Harvard Business Review. There is something for everyone so we thought we'd share the list with you. Best Business Books 2011 List Click here to read the short synopses of all the books. FYI - You will need to...
A Fresh Perspective Helps Everyone
If we work with people long enough, we tend to form certain beliefs, assumptions and biases about them that sometimes can hinder our ability to be objective when working with them. Let's look at some examples of this: A manager who has worked with an employee for 18...
Take a Trip with Us
Time seems to fly by, yet it is often marked by special occasions. Our annual Enneagram Conference is held each Fall and it is one of those "special occasions". It's lovely to be able to share time with fellow Enneagram teachers, and the actual conference is always...
Hope is Not a Strategy
This is the title of a sales book that is about how to win complex sales deals yet the title lends itself to so many situations that we thought we'd look at it as this week begins. "Hope motivates virtually all human activity. Hope is the powerhouse internal trigger...
Take the First Step
Recently, we were privileged to spend time with David Wythe, a poet, storyteller, and business consultant. Not only is he very charming (with a British accent) but incredibly gifted in his ability to capture the human spirit and story in poetry. In his poem, Start...
What’s your Organization’s Compelling Story?
I (Theresa) just finished reading High Altitude Leadership by Chris Warner and Don Schmincke. What an adventure that was! Chris Warner is the founder of EarthTreks, a Maryland-based rock climbing gym and mountaineering company and Don Schmincke is founder of SAGA...
Words of Encouragement and Inspiration for Leaders
For Leaders by John O'Donohue May you have the grace and wisdom to act kindly, learning to distinguish between what is personal and what is not. May you be hospitable to criticism. May you never put yourself at the center of things. May you act not from arrogance but...
Don’t Forget to Tell the “Why”
"No matter what business you are in, everyone in the organization needs to know why." Frances Hesselbein, President, The Drucker Foundation It's that time of year when attention turns to the new year approaching and the internal wheels begin to turn and churn as...
Selling is Not About Relationships …. What?
This article offers an interesting point of view, based on research, that I think individual salespeople should take a look at to see what holds/doesn't hold true for them. Personally, I'm in the Challenger category but that's not a newsflash. But, I don't think...
The Power Of Your Energy
Heard the expression, "actions speak louder than words?" Well we believe that your energy speaks even louder than your actions. So what is energy? Energy is your life force. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, refers to energy as the silent force that...
The Only Constant Is “Me”
For those of us on the East Coast, last week proved to be interesting and memorable. Tuesday brought a 5.8 earthquake and Saturday brought a Category 1 Hurricane. Luckily there was minimal damage and injury. In retrospect, as is often the way we learn, this last week...
Do you practice what you preach?
The talent in your organization will grow and thrive only when you establish a clear set of high standards, display a strong belief that those standards can be achieved, and then demonstrate by your own actions that you practice what you preach." Barry...
Active Listening
Active listening requires a disciplined effort. What does that mean? Active listening is...
Self Mastery As a Way of Life
Download a PDF of this article Old habits die hard, as the saying goes. And one habit that most of us share—and find difficult to both notice and shake—is our tendency to run “on automatic.” Unconscious patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving are often the silent...
A Proactive Approach to Dealing with Conflict in Organizations
Download a PDF of this article Conflict is inevitable in business and relationships. How you manage it determines its impact on your company, yourself and your employees. At a recent Leadership Day in Frederick, Maryland, we asked an audience of 80, “how many of you...
Selling and Doing What You Love: A Professional’s Guide to Success in Sales
Download a PDF of this article An attorney says to his colleague “when I was in law school, nobody told me I’d have to sell”. A financial planner laments “What I really want to do is advise people on how to get the most out of their money . . . what I have to do is...
The Enneagram Advantage
Download a PDF of this article Study and use of the Enneagram in organizations significantly impacts both personal and organizational results. This cutting-edge technology describes nine distinct personality styles that have a distinctive way of thinking, acting and...
Want maximum results? Get to know…really know…your sales force.
Download a PDF of this article Don’t be fooled, experts say. Money isn’t the only motivator in the workplace. To find out what gets your sales team going, you must first understand how each person views and experiences his or her job. What you learn just might...
Ordinary or EXTRAORDINARY: It’s Your Choice!
Three brick masons were working side by side when a passerby stopped to admire their handiwork. "What are you doing?" inquired the onlooker. "Laying bricks," replied the first mason. "What does it look like?" Not taken back, the curious one asked the second mason,...
The courage to do something in the face of fear …. priceless!
"Courage is all about taking action. Courage requires discipline, vitality and guts to face those tasks in your profession which make you feel uncomfortable. Accepting a "no" isn't an act of courage, unless you take a "no" personally. Calling a communication...
“Where there is freedom, creativity abounds.”
In celebration of our freedom this 4th of July, we share with you a TedTalk video that demonstrates the incredible power of the human mind to create wonders.... even 'virtual' wonders that not only reveal the possibilities that abound but remind us that freedom is not...
A Message From Mary Anne
Here's what's been "waking me up" this week. Well, it's been a week full of learning for me and hopefully for a few others. There are three themes that are clearly in my awareness this past week. They landed in my heart, where so very many of my personal life lessons...
Think Before You Click
We are often asked by our clients about Best Practices for sending emails. This is a really comprehensive list of questions to ask before sending an email offered by Seth Godin who gave permission to pass it along. We've added a few of our own at the end. Feel free...
Quantum Leap
While in Ireland visiting my son, I, Theresa, stumbled upon an artist, Anna Nielsen. Her work tells a story using "silhouette people" and pen and ink. I loved it and found the one below to be particularly appealing and provocative. Quantum leap Anna Nielsen...
Client Advisory Boards Increase Profits!
You've tweaked your business plan several times in the last year. You know that the business is out there... What else can you do to gain market share? How can you improve? Who knows best about your clients' experience with your company than your clients? Most...
It’s an Inside-Out Approach that Really Works
By Mary Anne Wampler While consulting and training in many organizations, I've noticed for some time now that leaders are understandably entrenched in "survival mode" - showing up every day truly believing that "if I, and my people, just work hard enough, things will...
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What is the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is the most effective tool we’ve found for catalyzing personal and professional success. Transform has been using this powerful, transformational tool for more than 20 years to redefine organizational cultures and to create highly functional and effective leaders, work teams and employees.
wake up and sell
Are you tired of feeling stuck in your sales career? Wake Up and Sell by Theresa Gale and Mary Anne Wampler, will help you overcome your motivational and behavioral blind spots to get you unstuck and on the road to sales success.
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