Posts Tagged ‘Personal Development’

Service is good for business

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

Being a Rotarian has been good for business

Being a Rotarian has been good for business

The recession has forced businesses to find creative ways to keep their doors open.

It turns out that joining a service organization such as Rotary, the Optimists, Kiwanis or the Lions can be very helpful in garnering new customers, improving business networks, increasing referrals and even retaining employees.

And oh, yeah, you’ll be giving back to your community, too!

That’s why I’m so proud to be a lifetime Rotarian and member of Rotary Club of Troy, Michigan.


Here’s how being a Rotarian can help your business

Rotary thrives on talented volunteers.  When you do what you’re good at in front of more people, word will get out that you know what you’re doing.  This usually gets your company extra attention in the form of more business, build your network and generate referrals.

If you introduce the joys of service others at your company, they will quickly look at their Rotary membership as a perk and possibly stay around longer.

If necessity is the mother of invention and your business needs to innovate, consider joining a service organization.


My latest volunteer effort

The Troy Rotary Club asked me to present the leadership seminar, “Effective Leadership – Getting People to Do Stuff,”  on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at Walsh College at 3838 Livernois Road in Troy.

Specifically designed for supervisors, managers, team leaders, and upper level management, the seminar offers motivation and reward techniques for employees, strategies for overcoming negativity and ways to deal with challenging personalities in the workplace.

The three-hour presentation will explain how to be a better role model by being less of a boss and more of a coach.  Attendees will also learn two things that motivate almost every time, why money is not a motivator, five ideas for dealing with under performers, a special question to ask job applicants and more.

Registration and networking begin at 8:30 AM and the program runs from 9 AM until Noon.  This seminar normally costs $125, but Troy Rotary has negotiated a cost of only $45 per person.  You’re encouraged to bring your entire leadership team.  Seating is limited.

More information and an online registration form are available at visit www.troyrotaryevents.org/leadership.htm.

This fundraiser for Troy Rotary is sponsored by Citizens Bank, Walsh College, DBusiness Magazine and Mullin & Associates, CPAs, PC.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

When does “new” become comfortable? (Part 2)

Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Ed Futa, General Secretary of Rotary International

Ed Futa, General Secretary of Rotary International

Twitter has recently suffered a serious blow to its image.  People are talking (and tweeting) about how many folks sign up for the social media platform and then fall away in the first few months of membership.

This lack of involvement is a problem for many other organizations, as well.

I recently delivered a keynote speech for Rotary in Nashville.  The talk was on leadership, with an accent on membership retention.

Ed Futa, General Secretary of Rotary International and another speaker at the conference, reminded me that the first year of  membership in Rotary is critical because Rotarians who become actively involved during the first twelve months tend to become valuable members.  These people also remain members longer.

Getting people to become active in the organization is a problem that exists for many employers, too.

Employers all over the country are frustrated when they hire new workers only to have the newbies assimilate slowly or not at all.

It usually goes like this:  A first year-employee doesn’t engage because he is new.  The newbie doesn’t engage during the second year because he made it through the first year without really being involved.

During the third year that employee has developed a full-fledged pattern of non-commitment and in the fourth year, he starts looking for another job because he “doesn’t really fit in.”

Ironically, the solution is to raise expectations of the new person and communicate those expectations in no uncertain terms.

Rotary clubs can insist that new Rotarians attend their annual District conference.  Currently, only President-elects and other club officers are expected to attend the conference.

Employers can make certain types of employee involvement mandatory or a condition of employment.  For example, the employer might tell a job candidate, “You’re hired under the condition that you sign up for one of our work committees within the first 30 days of employment. ”

These types of measures help new people become comfortable faster, which is good for business.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Communication, Creativity, Growing Your Business, Leadership, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Success, Uncategorized | No Comments »