MVP Seminars - All Blog Entries

Communicating with Ease

Communication is easy. All you need to do is say what you mean and mean what you say. Right! How many of us are able to truly do that? And, when we finally do say what we intend to say, why is it that the people we say it to are not always happy to hear our words?

Whether we want to believe it or not, there definitely is an art to communicating effectively. First, of course, we need to really know what we think, feel, believe, and want to communicate to others. Right here, many of us run into problems. We may have some idea about what needs to be said, but we may not be clear about how we feel and we may have no idea how the other person or persons might respond. So, first, we have to gain clarity about our own thoughts, ideas, needs, desires, beliefs and intentions.

Next, it is important for us to know who we are communicating with. How does this person tend to receive and interpret information? Do they often&n

The Secret to PM Success

Project Management is a process. Project Management Professionals know how to use the process to have a positive impact on project outcomes and organizational profitability. The utilization of the tools and techinques must be thoroghly understood and implemented if the benefits and return on investment are to be realized. The secret to success is sound, pragmatic education and dedicated attention the people in the process. A growing PM professional never stops learning. He/she is always looking for a way to improve their contribution through effective use of the concepts of PM.

February 12, 2008 Posted by Lee R. Lambert, PMP | time management, success, professional development, personal development, performance, management, business success, business coaching, business | Comment (0)

A Discussion About Job Dissatisfaction: Whose Fault is it Anyway?

You may or may not know this about me, but I was a federal officer for several years serving the U.S. Courts and its judges. While I am happy I have left this career behind, I still keep in contact with some of my former colleagues and judges who tell me, sadly, that many of the management techniques and administrative operations remain the same.

I say "sadly" because it is many of those same order of operations that catapulted me into finding a new career as well as a new lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets about leaving the government-world behind and starting anew but had things been a bit different, I may have stayed until retirement. Afterall, I felt I had developed a good reputation; I was working in a career that matched my credentials; I felt cerebrally challenged; and I had created some incredibly strong friendships. However, when I noticed that I and many others were being continuously ignored when attempting to communicate what I felt woul

[Read More]

December 17, 2007 Posted by Laurie Santos | turn-over, systems, management, leadership, job satisfaction, heavy workloads, communication | Comment (0)

Rx: For 'the blah's'...some 'Aha's!'

The holidays are over. You might think that putting the end-of-year frenzy behind them would mean your staff and team are revving up for the first quarter.

But instead, they have 'the blah's:' a mix of diminished enthusiasm and stress that seems to hit each year after the holidays. The good news is: 'the blah's' are cyclical. When business picks up, so will your staff's energy and productivity.

But why wait? Sure, all things change and this, too, will pass. But what if you could take charge of 'the blah's' with a few "Aha's!" ?
In other words, use this low cycle for teambuilding and motivational activities.

Set aside time to meet with your managers and brief them on the inevitable peaks and valleys of the coming year. Even experienced managers sometimes forget that post-holiday stres