Author: Lena Benjamin, MBA 🌍 25+ Years | Global | Multi-Industry

All too often we are far more enthusiastic about talking than we are listening. Yet it is so vital if we are to communicate effectively. Most break downs in relationships are caused because people talk at each other without really making contact. Unless someone hears what has been said including the subtext the words have little value.

When we are actively listened to we feel valued and are far more likely to engage in negotiation and compromise.

Listening is about far more than words. Watching facial expression and body language is often a far more accurate barometer than the words that are being used.
Nice things being said where the smile doesnít reach the eyes is an obvious example.

To be an effective listener it is vital that you listen actively.

10 tips to becoming a more effective listener

1. Make eye contact.
2. Read the body language of the talker. Are they relaxed, anxious, angry? Extremes are easy to recognise but often the message is much more subtle
3. Mirror the talkerís body language- subtly, a gentle dance rather than a caricature.
4. Show that you are listening, nod, make appropriate responses
5. Ask relevant questions, ask them to clarify if you are not clear about their meaning
6. Summarise: so what you are saying is xxx.
7. Use open-ended questions, the who, what, where, when,
8. Be careful of the tone of your voice when you respond or ask questions. It is all too easy to come across as judgemental or as an interrogator from the Spanish Inquisition
9. Use empathy. Acknowledge difficulties, but be careful not to fall into the trap of going into anecdotes from your experience. I sense that you are finding this rather difficultî rather than “Oh I know, it happened to me but mine was bigger, more difficult, etc”
10. Take a real interest, if you are simply going through the motions the lack of sincerity will be obvious to others. Leave your ego behind, concentrate on the other person.

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The key to life is to be around the people who will empower you to reach the next level in life! In order to exceed your present reach, you need to be around people who will help you stretch a little farther. The secret to a productive mastermind team is for you to surround yourself with people who you can always learn from. A sign of a very intelligent person is to be smart enough to realize that you need to learn from others who can contribute to your WHY in life.

As you may know, one of my goals is to develop an online global community for female entrepreneurs that provides action focused and educational content, connection, collaboration to empower and nurture female talent. Each and every day I strive to immerse myself in material and people who will enable me to achieve our corporate mission.

As you look at your own mission in life, you need to ask yourself a very honest/straightforward question ….is my personal development engine in Forward, Neutral or Reverse? The answer is very simple. All that you need to do is to write down the top 10 people you regularly associate with. As you review the list, realize that you will become an exact duplicate of those 10 people — financially, spiritually, physically and psychologically. Once again, be honest with yourself. If you are not 110% happy about what you see yourself becoming due to your present relationships, you need to take ACTION immediately! Make a decision to develop a mastermind TEAM! Unfortunately, 95% of people will never take the action needed in order to become part of a mastermind team. They will continue to live their lives and wonder WHAT HAPPENED to their LIVES and all of their DREAMS. You need to stop whining and begin working on yourself to become part of a Mastermind Team!

I am proud to say that each and every day I associate with people who are either at my level of enthusiasm, excitement, and intelligence or even more so than I am, which is the key to a personally productive mastermind team. You need to be a part of a group of people who make you want to exceed your present reach. Be honest with yourself and know that you need to change your associations in order to achieve your God-given dreams! You will be amazed by the results. Your life will SOAR like an EAGLE to the ends of the earth if you change your associations!

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Even if the speech you have is already prepared and you know everything about it, public speaking can be difficult. Many people are very nervous when they speak in public. Here are some tips for you to overcome your nervous feelings when you speak in front of many people.

Preparing your presentation

1. Center on yourself. Try practicing standing properly ñ with your feet under the hips directly. This position is the best and most stable for speaking in public. Rehearse this position with somebody or in front of your mirror.
2. Your shoulders should be relaxed. The muscles in the shoulders support directly your larynx, so it has a fast effect on your voice. Shoulders should be rolled out.
3. Warming up the voice. You should treat all your presentations as if they were performances. Prepare yourself by rehearsing. Deeply breathe into the bottom part of the lungs. You feel your rib cage is expanding slightly higher than the navel. You should thrice sigh. Sighing is your signal to the body that everything is okay and it is just perfect to relax. Then make a siren sound, starting from a high note to a lower note at the bottom part of the voice range you have. With enough practice, you will be able to find the low note connecting to the place located right above the navel. This is the natural voice pitch that you have.

Managing meeting skills

1. Directing your voice. Every time you speak, imagine that each word you say is like a beam of laser traveling from your mouth to the end person listening to you. Practice this outlook to be able to reach to many people at the same time.
2. Directing your thoughts. Pay attention to your thoughts, especially their beginnings and endings. Make your communication complete and fully rounded.
3. Diction as well as articulation. Convey clearly your message.

During questions

1. Give yourself time and space in breathing.
2. Before answering, slightly breathe out first. When you are flustered or nervous, you usually take in more additional air than you need, and you hold onto that air while you try to think. However, this is not helping you. Usually, this method causes you to panic. Remove this habit by breathing air first before you speak, allowing you to relax and thoughts to come in clearly and more logically.

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Communication is essential in building good relationships with your employees or contractors. It could be bit challenging, though, for employers or business owners who are managing remote workers or a virtual team. You don’t share and work in a physical office and you don’t see each other in person.

Fortunately, there are ways for you to effectively communicate with your virtual team and establish a good relationship with them. Here are some of them:

Use Different Channels

Technology plays a big and important role in today’s businesses, especially for those that operate virtually. You can connect to your team electronically and send messages in multiple ways. Regular correspondence, particularly related to work, can be done via email. You can keep them informed by using various internal communications tools. For more immediate communication, you’ll find instant messaging apps like Skype or Facebook messenger very useful. The whole team can even access and use these apps through their smartphones, which makes mobile a great communication channel too!

Remember to observe email, chat, and phone etiquette. Make sure that you are able to convey the right messages and express the right emotions to avoid miscommunication or conflicts.

Set Regular Meetings

Keep your team always informed and develop your relationship with them by setting regular meetings. You can hold video calls or conferences using different communication technologies. If possible, you can also set a meeting in your physical office, a co-working space, restaurant, or café. This also gives everyone the opportunity to meet the other team members in person and talk about work and anything under the sun.

Engage in Small Talks

Communicating with your team doesn’t always have to involve work-related matters. If you wish to improve your relationship with them and better manage them, it’s best if you also engage in small or informal talks. This is one great way of getting to know your virtual team. Try talking to them about their family and hobbies, as well as sports, entertainment, and politics.

Listen to the audio of the Tips for Managing a Remote Workforce delivered on 2 May 2018

It does not matter if you are within a career or running a business, networking is essential part to building business relationships. Now as a micro-business owner of projects and side-hustles my past corporate experience empowered me to consult and network with other employees in order to develop those relationships and deliver an outstanding service. I’m not saying it was easy but persistence and tenacity saw me through!

If you are new to business or a career and you want to get to know how to increase your net worth, speaking to people is essential and networking is one such way you can do this. As we move further into the twenty-first century, networking has expanded into the realms of using technology to establish connections. Social media, messaging services and online platforms and your own websites are ways you can now network. Either way networking is essential to professional growth and making more money.

Here are my 5 Reasons why networking is so important:

1. Builds Character

Networking in a variety of different environments and for a number of well-known networks has built my character. I am now able to go up to anyone in a room and just have a chat while mentioning my business. This in itself has built my character into the confident and resilient human being that I now see in the mirror today all be it slightly older! It can be daunting but actively going to as many networking events as you can will empower you to learn more about yourself. See every event you go to as a continuing professional development pursuit.

2. Helps Refine Proposition

Networking events and connecting with your ideal contact can be used as a focus groups to further develop the services offered to clients. All the services I now offer taps into over 20 years of business and startup experience and the absolute necessity to sustain business in a more interconnected and global economy.

3. Increases Confidence

When building your character a direct cause and effect of this is an increase in confidence, you suddenly lose that nervousness and feel able to go up to absolutely anyone. I always think to myself that we are all humans and one human is not any more important than the other – we all have a contribution to make (this internal talk enables my confidence to increase and could do the same for you!)

4. Masters Business Pitch

Speaking to a number of people at networking events you can start to master your business pitch. I am now able to ask questions and unpick quickly what skills set I can talk about (if applicable) and convey that in 30 seconds, simply by networking and having a general interest in people you too can see how there may well be mutually beneficial opportunities.

5. Widens Circle of Influence

Due to the number of years I have been networking I now have a wide network. As you become more known you too will start to widen your circle of influence. You’ll be able to talk to anyone and feel confident in who you are and how you can empower business and have an impact. With the level of power, you will gain, the influence will increase and the ripple effect will be felt.

Business relationships may lead to tragedy. Sometimes, even longtime friends have fought in the name of a business. And even family members that are partners in business also end up becoming mortal enemies. This is why it is very, very important to make sure that before entering a joint venture, you know what you want for a partner.

Choosing a joint venture partner is both personal and non-personal issue. Personal in the sense that you can relate to your partner freely and non-personal in the sense it is purely on the field of business. These make it very difficult to decide who will be best suited as a partner. Nonetheless, if you need a partner to help you succeed and grow, you have to take a risk. Though it may be difficult, you still have to choose a partner for the joint venture you are planning to form. Here are the tips that can help you find a joint venture partner best, if not perfect for you.

Know who you are. This may not make sense since your goal would probably to find a partner who gives you extra financial resources or probably who can have access to a wider clientele. But knowing who you are will exactly make it easier for you to know what you need for a partner, on the personal side. Since a good relationship and trust are very important in a joint venture, you have to find a partner who suits your personality.

Now, this may not be a big issue for you in the beginning since you and your co-venturer’s aim is to establish immediately. The fact is, good business success starts on the relationship of both parties. This may be a shot to the moon but it pays when you find one perfect for you.

Know what your business lacks. Identify the things where you need to grow which can be supplied when you enter a joint venture. This will enable you to find better co-venturer since you exactly know what you are looking for.

Find a potential partner. Finding a potential partner can both be done online or in a traditional way (phone calls and referrals). Do not waste your time talking to the people who are not really the one you need. Instead, concentrate on the persons that will answer the question, why do you want to the joint venture?

Check and verify. Once you find a co-venturer, it is just the beginning. Screening plays an important role to make sure that your future partner is what you need. He will tell you the truth, that’s for sure, but in the business world, it pays to verify the veracity of the things he says.

Compatibility issues. It is reiterated that you need to find a joint venture partner that will answer your business’s need and your personal preference. Bottom line: compatibility is important.

Agreements. limitations, participation, organizational structure, income allocation, share, compensation, disputes, and everything that you need to disclose must be agreed upon by both parties.

In business, you find a partner who can offset what you lack and vice versa. This will effectively yield a good result. Though it is still a long way up, it is best to start your search here.

If you are serious about the idea of making money through home based business then here are tips which are a beneficial tool for those who want to begin to work at home based business. A simple solution is to start with a business from home focused on the internet arena i.e. where the work is based on Internet.

The market is teeming with numerous ideas of home based internet business launched by innumerable companies. Every single day new schemes come into the market under the garb of legitimate home based internet businesses. Sadly, most of these so called top home internet business are pure pyramid scams.

Home based internet businesses can be a good opportunity provided you are serious about it. With increasing unemployment & rising costs, having a steady income has become a critical issue nowadays. This has a direct bearing not only on the security and well-being of their children but also on the security of their retirement days. If you work at home on internet, not only will you be able to earn a steady income but also be with your kids in their growing years. Moreover, the more you earn now, the more secure their future will be. In such circumstances, if you plan to start a home based internet business, it makes perfect sense.

But the problem lies in how to select the right internet home based business opportunity? The different ideas of top home internet business often confuse the mind and stop us from taking a quick and concrete decision regarding the best home businesses. Then there are questions regarding the viability of these top home internet business opportunity. Then, you are also doubtful whether the income generated from the work at home on internet opportunity be able to replace that from a fulltime job?

In addition to the reliability factor there is another question regarding the amount of investment. What would be the costs of starting work at home on internet business initiative? When the monetary return from top home internet businesses is uncertain, then there is no logic in starting one. Hence, selecting the right internet home based business is of critical importance.

One such work at home on internet business opportunity is internet affiliate marketing. There are innumerable companies offering reliable affiliate programs. And in most cases, the affiliate fees are either free or a basic minimum. The benefits of these home based internet businesses are many. There are tensions regarding inventory build up, or issues such as commercial property, licenses and other related chores. You will be able to keep your total focus on how to market the product or business concept on your website.

After selecting the right affiliate program to start your internet based home business, you should go about building your own website which will mark foray into home based small business.

Do not leave your internet home based business midway and change to stable but permanent job. This is the mistake most people in the work at home on internet do. Also don’t expect that you will become successful in your top internet home internet business in a short span of time. So stay put and works hard at your internet home business.

There are various benefits associated with internet based home business. They also require a smaller investment than offline ones. But it requires equal dedication, ethics and hard work to make it successful in this competitive world.

Starting your own business is no easy feat. Naturally, innovative and strategic business owners like you would do a lot of research before finally launching it. While it is one thing to start a business, growing it is a different thing. You’ll be in on a different set of challenges as more time, energy, skill, resources, and research go with this process.

It is every business owner’s goal to achieve greater heights and have a successful company. Regardless of the size of your business and the industry you are in, you can take the next step and grow it! Here are some of the most basic yet most effective ways to do that:

Hire an Outsourcing Team

There will likely be an increase in demand for your product or service as you grow your business. At this point, it would be smart to delegate some tasks so you can focus on development plans. You can hire an outsourcing team that can do virtual assistance, copywriting, and other administrative and marketing tasks for you.

Create New Products and Services

Diversification is a great growth strategy that you can apply to your business. Why not add supplementary products or services in your line or introduce a new range of offerings? This way, you’ll have more to offer the market and at the same time, have multiple streams of income.

Build a Referral System

Referrals help increase your customer base. If you develop a solid referral program, you’ll be able to target the right customers, generate more leads, and increase your profits.

Collaborate and Merge with Other Businesses

Working in collaboration with another team and merging with or acquiring another business can also be part of your growth process. Through this strategy, you can utilize and offer the services or products of the other team and gain the customers of the other brand. It also presents a good opportunity for global expansion.

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As in all things, the future promises an array of new ways and new understanding in the practice of leadership and leadership development. These are critical role-changing contexts which will play an important part in leadership development.

Several trends will assume major roles in the days to come, changing perspectives and changing premises of old assumptions and general thinking.

Leadership competencies

First, leadership competencies (requirements) will still matter. However, they will change as the competitive environment changes.

A study indicates five critical forces will shape leadership in the future: 1) global competition, 2) information technology, 3) the need for rapid and flexible groups, 4) teams, and 5) differing employee needs.

Globalization

Future leaders will have to be familiar and fluid in doing business on a global basis. Globalization, in effect, will require leaders to deal with more and more complex groups outside the realm of their organizations.

There will be more components involving international markets, global economic trends, and outside regions like the Asia Pacific rim, the Southern Hemisphere, etc. There will be an extensive use of the internet in the marketing of products and services.

Technology

The revolution in technology has drastically altered organizational life. It has changed the ways information and knowledge are obtained and spread.

One of the most important changes is in the way people communicate. This had produced some deep implications in terms of effective leadership. In the future, technology will have a vast participation in leadership development.

Leaders will have to be more knowledgeable with technology and its uses. As a matter of fact, technological savvy is slated to become an integral factor in leadership.

Character and integrity

The 90s had produced some of the most blatant corporate arrogance among executives of certain huge corporations. (Think Enron and WorldCom.)

This had triggered and accelerated sentiments among governing board members of companies that character and values shall be made more prominent in the leadership business.

There is a trend among the new crop of CEOs to be self-effacing and modest. (This is in direct contrast to the self-promoting styles of well-known business leaders before them who did not have enduring positive impacts on their companies after they exited.)

Return on investment

The strongest pressure of leadership practitioners in the future would be to demonstrate ROI (return on investment). Leadership development may be strategically important, but it is altogether expensive.

Today’s leading-edge companies have been quantifying the benefits of spending time and resources on leadership development for years.

In the future, it is likely that leadership development investments will be a priority of organizations committed to this end. However, plans are afoot to maximize ROI for leadership development efforts by way of effective planning, implementation and evaluation.

New thinking

Some time from now, the thinking would be that leadership and leadership development are going to be inherently collaborative, social and relational processes. It shall be understood as a collective capacity of all members of the organization.

This kind of leadership development is more difficult to design and implement. This is because it is in direct contrast to the popular notion of the past decades where the focus is to train individual leaders.