Written by Joe Curcillo

When you are preparing to speak to an audience of one, or one thousand, you will stand alone. You will not be squaring off against a visible adversary. Instead, the adversary that we face lives within us and within our audience: doubt. That hesitation that exists when we are asked for the very first time to accept the unknown is the enemy, and the enemy must be vanquished. Conquering doubt is the key to success, and we conquer it through education and preparation.

In late 2017, I watched a newbie lawyer argue a case before a judge. He had mastered his research; he knew his stuff. Unfortunately, the fear and confusion in his eyes as the judge began to question him was reminiscent of a small rabbit in the talons of an eagle.

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

The adventure of life is quite a thing. For me, it means ever-questioning, ever-looking within to see if I am in alignment with my values, with me, and with my purpose. 

As a businesswoman, I try to stay clear on what that purpose is. Why am I here? What good have I come here to do? Does my business reflect that? Am I actively working to make a difference in the world? Like most of us, I can question. Some days we are in the zone and we know everything is as it should be. 

Written by Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville

In speaking with two prospective clients today, I was reminded once again that what we know is irrelevant. What we believe and what we practice is what has the greatest impact on our lives.

One “knew” that she was the problem in not achieving her dreams. She has worked tirelessly yet at the same time has been treating her business as if it was a hobby. She was charging far less than she needed to if she was going to make any real profit. When I mentioned to her that one factor of a business is actually making money she just laughed. It was a ridiculous thing to say; something she knew and yet something she hadn’t really considered when looking at the costs of what she was offering compared to what she was charging.

Written by Stephen Trimboli

Do the federal or state constitutions prevent a New Jersey business owner from terminating employees for their off-duty speech? According to a new state court decision, the answer is “no,” at least when the off-duty speech is harmful to the business owner’s interests.

McVey v. AtlantiCare Medical System Inc. involved a medical system’s Corporate Director of Customer Service. The medical system’s social media policy warned that social media activity, even outside of work, “has the potential to affect AtlantiCare employee job performance, the performance of others, AtlantiCare’s brand and/or reputation, and AtlantiCare’s business interests.” It further warned, “When you identify yourself publicly as being employed by … AtlantiCare, ensure your profile and related content is consistent with how you wish to present yourself with colleagues and clients.” The policy specifically warned employees to avoid “topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory – such as politics and religion.”

Written by Robert DePalo Jr. JD, CExP,
Director of Business Planning,
National Financial Network

Successful business owners may face a conundrum as they pursue success. “Though my competitors do something similar, they don’t do it the way I do it. So, how do I know the right way to achieve success, especially if I don’t do things their way?”

It’s a bit of a paradox: how can you build and enhance your company’s unique qualities while adhering to commonly followed best practices? The key is having a planning process. Here are some of the things you should consider to position your unique business to achieve generally agreed-upon standards of success.

Written by Dr. Dorothy A. Martin-Neville

Have you ever noticed that whenever you feel the least bit insecure, someone shows up to convince you that you shouldn’t even think about taking that risk or doing that “out of the box” thing? Or, how do you become the leader of your own life when it feels as if so many others have opinions that challenge you every step of the way?

Taking risks, reaching further than ever before, or having the audacity to create a new path, whether for you or your company, can be frightening, exhilarating, and life-giving. It’s a calling.

Written by Garrett Grega - Transforming Business Cultures and Leaders from the Inside Out

Have you ever hired the wrong person? If you could identify the characteristics for success in a position in advance, would you make the commitment? What if you had access to an assessment process that can compare “success” characteristics across multiple candidates, would this make it easier to hire?

Many companies approach their hiring process the same way. They cast a job description out and receive resumes from recruiters, employment sites, or their own career sites. As the hiring manager, you then need to filter through the list of resumes to find the perfect candidates for the role. Even after interviewing, you still may not know if the candidate will be a long-term fit for the organization.

by Garrett Grega

As your team progresses through its own performance curve, you notice that some people are reaching for that next stage in career development. Are you prepared for what happens in the next stage? For that matter, do you recognize the career stage that you represent as a leader? How can you continue to develop people that are “rapid risers” in the organization?

Last time we discussed The “Four Stages Model” by Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson. You will recall that the model describes four different stages of career development: Dependent Contributor, Independent Contributor, Coach / Mentor, and Visionary. The 2 stages we will address today are Stage 3, Coach / Mentor, and Stage 4, Visionary.