- Write your big dreams and read them daily
- Create a vision board with images that coincide with your dreams
- Review, envision, and mediate daily of you achieving your dreams
- Surround yourself with people who have what you desire
- Strive for purpose and not security
- Live by faith and not fear
July 23, 2021
Don't Live Within Your Means
July 15, 2021
Don't Shoot The Messenger
July 8, 2021
Management Essentials
- Giving Clear Work Priorities
- What Employees Need
- Reinforce Great Teamwork
- Valuing Employees
- Listening to Others’ Ideas and Opinions
- Problem Solving Expectations
- The Right Workload for Employees
- The Great Things Employees Do
- An Ethics and Integrity Discussion
- Perform a Performance Review
- Creating Challenging Work
- Receive Feedback From Your
- Creating a Great Work Situation
- Evaluating Performance in the Right Way
- Perform a Departure Review
July 31, 2019
Stop Thinking Like an Employee
- Trade your gifts, time, and talents for money
- Your boss, coworkers, and vendors are your customers
- Do more than what’s expected, and make things happen
- Be a problem-solver
- Use diplomacy to get along with people who don’t look, think, or act like you
- Work to make a difference
- Operate with integrity and flexibility
- Build or engage in a network
- Be a Power Broker to help others achieve their goals
- Stay focused on your goals; not your feelings
- Be accountable, and
- Build your brand from your work ethics.
July 21, 2016
You Can Have a Great Career
- Take Inventory of Your Strengths - What are your current strengths and how have you added value to your clients through your place of employment or business? If you can't answer these questions with clarity or certainty, a career assessment can help you develop a framework to discover your true passion, personal, or vocational traits.
- Develop a Contribution Plan - Once you’ve discovered your passion and strengths, create a plan to determine the contribution(s) and impact your passion and strength will make in the lives of others.
- Invest in Your Strengths – When you invest in yourself, your strengths will come into fruition and grow stronger as you elevate others. You can read books, periodicals, take an online course, enroll in a non-credit course, or join a networking group. Just don't tell yourself you don't have time or money to invest in your greatness.
June 8, 2015
Feelings vs. Facts
If you’ve experienced an offence at work, think before you respond or react. And if you want an apology or resolve from the offender, here are a few things to consider:
- Was the offence intentional? If so, can you prove it?
- What was your emotional state when the offence occurred?
- Are you viewing the current offence through the lens of your past?
- What impact does the offence have on you and the company as a whole if it’s not addressed and resolved?
November 10, 2014
Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID)
A group of AVID middle school students completed their assignments fifteen minutes early and wanted to watch YouTube videos which were unrelated to AVID. When asked to turn off their videos, a student responded with: "My mom watches YouTube videos all the time at work, so why can't we watch them at school?"
What legacy are we leaving our children in reference to work, finances, or service? Students need role models to coincide with their lessons to advance academically, socially, or economically. And their parents should be their first point of reference.
The industrialized workforce is depleting and individuals that choose to watch YouTube videos instead of seeking opportunities to serve will be challenged to advance via individual determination.
October 31, 2014
Things or Experience?
In addition, 72% of millennials shared they would like to increase their spending on experiences, and 69% say that their experiences make them feel more connected to their communities, other people, and the world.
In 1998, B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore published an article - The Experience Economy. In this article, they state businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers, and that memory (i.e., experience) itself becomes the product. Savvy businesses use this model and charge for the value of their "experience" product because they know if they create experiences that are exciting and transcendent, they can build a community of fans that will rave about their 'experience.'
Jesus Christ created a community of raving fans because He always gave people what they needed - a spiritual transformation. Example, a Samaritan woman went to Sychar to draw water from a well where Jesus was sitting. Her encounter with Jesus transformed her life when He told her about herself and offered her a drink of 'living' water that would quench her spiritual thirst forever.
After her encounter and transformation, she returned to her town and told everybody about her 'experience' with Jesus. As a matter of fact, she left her pail of water at the well.
Matthew 6:19-21, states, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Experience is what transforms, things pile up. What are you willing to invest in that will lead to your stronger 'inner' being?
October 28, 2014
Skeptics of The Poor
- Why were they evicted?
- Are they tithing members of a church?
- They must be irresponsible women to be evicted from a shelter.
- Why can't they move to another shelter?
- I don't believe in giving my money to people that don't want to help themselves.
- Why can't they go and stay with relatives?
March 12, 2014
Hate your job, what are you doing about it?
Staying at a job you hate may seem logical with the high percentage of unemployed and underemployed people. But if you choose to stay, why hate it? Why waste your time and your employer's? It’s challenging to have a servant attitude through hatred. If you’re not willing to serve, you’re not willing to work at your best capacity.
Work isn’t solely about us! It’s about service. If we’re filled with hatred about our work, does it mean we’re too full of ourselves? Sure, people can be difficult and challenging, but their actions should not contribute to our hatred. Every day we show up for work, we should know our purpose and the contribution we will make on our employer's bottom line and their clients.
Don’t allow finances and fear hold you hostage to a job you hate. You have the power to transform your job into a career you enjoy and love. If you're ready, you can start here.
September 5, 2013
Self-Servants Not Wanted
June 12, 2013
Take the Secret out of Doing Business
- Who are your clients and how do they find you?
- What’s your strategy to deliver your product and/or service to prospective clients to meet their needs, solve their problems, or enhance their lives?
- Who are your ideal business clients?
- How well do you know your prospective and current clients?
- What’s your strategy to keep your clients happy and transform them to raving fans?
- What resources will you need to support your strategy?
- What’s your strategy to handle disgruntled clients and build their trust?
- What’s your strategy to continue moving your business forward when funds are low?
- What method(s) will you use to stay connected to your clients for repeat business or referrals?
- How will you demonstrate your appreciation for your client’s business?
- What strategies or tools will you use to measure your client's satisfaction?
Stop seeking secrets; just create and build your strategies. You’ll be amazed of the results you will reap and you will not need to keep this a secret.
June 3, 2013
Training is a waste of time and money
Government waste didn’t start in this Administration; it has been a normal way of business to avoid a decrease in appropriation dollars for each fiscal year. When an agency learns that it has an excess in appropriation dollars towards the end of their fiscal year, many government employees reap the benefits of training, conferences, and/or new equipment.
Training should never be used as a last resort to save appropriation dollars that will result in waste. This strategy decreases the value of education and training. If a government agency can operate on less money than originally appropriated, this money should be returned to Congress to bring down the deficit.
March 26, 2012
Who's Tooting Your Horn?
- When we’ve closed the deal on a sale? Toot!
- When we’ve written a book? Toot!
- When we’ve made our first million? Toot!
- Appeared on TV or radio? Toot!
- When we’ve been embraced by an elite or exclusive group? Toot!
- Received a degree from an Ivy League college? Toot!
- Best Business of the Year Award recipient? Toot!
If our clients aren’t tooting our horns, is our horn tooting in vain? Who's tooting yours?
October 21, 2011
Ten P's of Business Success
- Prayer – Spiritual guidance from God to ensure your work will bring glory and honor to Him
- Passion – The enthusiasm to serve others through your business
- Purpose – Clear business vision, existence, and desired outcomes
- Perseverance – Determination to achieve success regardless of obstacles or setbacks
- Patience – Ability to deal with difficult people and tasks
- Partnership – Business relationships that strengthens your capacity to better serve your clients
- Publicity – Life-changing services and/or products that create excitement about your business
- Power – The power of God when you run out of your might to succeed
- Performance – Criteria to evaluate and measure the effectiveness and impact of your work
- Purity – Absence of activities and/or people that can taint your business existence or expansion
October 6, 2011
Can't Find a Job - Create Your Own
- Develop a winning attitude and embrace the challenge to take charge of your life.
- Define and create your dream job description without thinking about your bills or the economy. Just dream big!
- Make a two-column list and write the required skills/resources needed to fulfill this dream job on the left side and your skills on the right.
- Create an interim dream job description if you don’t have 80 percent of the required skills for your ultimate dream job.
- Create a target-list of people/businesses that can benefit from your skills.
- Identify your working/business relationship (e.g., contractor, W2 employee, consultant)
- Make a list of people currently working your dream job and define what makes you stand out from them.
- Write and send a one-page letter to business owners with your knowledge and interest, passion and skills, a value statement, and business quote from someone that has experienced your work. Also, keep a log of businesses you sent letters to.
- Send a note or post card expressing your gratitude for business owners taking time to read your letter. Do this repeatedly until you receive a response.
- Network with people that are employed and have winning attitudes.
- If you’re low on funds consider the library, churches, community colleges, or volunteerism as resources to acquire the needed skills to create the job of your dreams.
September 13, 2011
Don't Knock it Until You've Tried It - Online Learning
The SOFEI Group, Inc. has become perplexed of the apprehension towards online learning from people who have never tried it. And, as a training provider, we believe training is as legitimate of the trainees’ learning and development needs. Here’s our take on the benefits of online learning:
- It’s a cost savings for trainees and the environment (e.g., less paper trail associated with traditional training methods)
- It’s flexible and great for working parents with children
- It’s an egalitarian way to acquire skills and enhance knowledge
- Individuals currently serving in the military can take online classes while serving their country
- Individuals can take online courses from institutions worldwide
- Courses not offered at local colleges or universities can be accessed online
- Employees can participate in online seminars and classes without missing time from work
- Business owners can grow their business when they increase their business skills through online learning