Bridges Edition of 9/7/2006

Welcome to Bridges, a monthly newsletter published by Robin Fogel, Executive and Career Coach & Consultant. My goal is that these newsletters include practical information that you can use in your work and in your life. If you enjoyed the newsletter please forward it to your colleagues, friends and family.

If you would like to take advantage of a business consultant or executive coach, please email me at robin@coachrobinfogel.com for a complimentary coaching session or visit my website - www.coachrobinfogel.com

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Happy September. I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy the slower pace of summer and have renewed energy for the fall ahead. This month kids return to school, businesses kick back into high gear, and professional and business organizations resume their meetings and networking events. Before jumping back into activities, take a minute to plan out the month and ask: What do I want to accomplish? Having a goal in mind for each event, activity or business meeting that you attend will help you use your time wisely and be more effectively.

You might also consider using September to try something new - market a new product or service, look for a new job etc. Change, trying something new, is a scary prospect for many of us. The main reason is usually a fear of failure. In an article in a July issue of BusinessWeek, "How Failure Breeds Success", the author suggests that breakthroughs come from attempts, even those that fail. And, if your efforts aren't as successful as you'd like, what can be learned from an attempt that didn't work out. The article concludes that in this global economy, it is the risk-adverse businesses (and individuals) that will ultimately become stagnant. So use the month of September to try something new or make that change you've been contemplating.

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WORKPLACE UPDATE
Shortly after I wrote last month about the importance of taking a vacation there was an article in the New York Times about the rise of the shrinking vacation and mentioned a company with a different approach. The accounting firm of PriceWaterhouseCoopers shuts down twice a year, at the Fourth of July and at Christmas, to insure that employees stop working and take time off. They were looking to "create an environment where people could walk away and not worry about missing a meeting, call or email". More importantly they report that employees are returning to work with their batteries recharged. One can't help but wonder if, as companies struggle to recruit top talent, PriceWaterhouseCoopers isn't on the cutting edge.

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GOOD READ
In an earlier newsletter I mentioned, "Love is the Killer App", by Tim Sanders, formerly of Yahoo. Over the summer I read his second book, "The Likeability Factor". Based on extensive research, Mr. Sanders found that being well liked counts in every forum. People who are well liked "tend to land jobs more easily, find friends more quickly, and have happier relationships". In business they outperform less likeable colleagues and get the recognition and reward for their efforts.

Finally, Sanders says that likeability can be learned and shows how to build that likeability factor by enhancing four critical elements:

1. Friendliness: the ability to communicate liking and openness to others
2. Relevance: the capacity to connect with other's interests, wants and needs
3. Empathy: the ability to recognize, acknowledge, and experience other people's feelings
4. Realness: the integrity that stands behind your likeability and guarantees its authority

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And now, a word from our sponsor. For those who ask what is it that you do, my business has evolved and I have been offering coaching and business consulting in the following areas - Career Coaching for career advancement, change or transition; Business Consulting & Executive Coaching - working as an independent sounding board providing advice on staffing issues, developing emerging talent and helping managers sharpen their communication and management skills; Not for Profit Consulting - providing Executive Directors with independent sounding board, consulting on staff issues, board relations and staff development.

I appreciate your comments and feedback on this newsletter, please
keep them coming. If there is a topic you would like to hear more
about send me an email at robin@coachrobinfogel.com

FINAL THOUGHT
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. - Andy Warhol
COPYRIGHT: 2006, Robin Fogel & Assoc., LLC. All Rights Reserved. May be distributed and reprinted in its entirety with copyright, subscription instructions, and contact information intact. However, you may not copy it to a website.