By Emma-Louise Smith
Everybody wants to have a successful relationship. Who doesn’t? Some people envy other people’s seemingly perfect relationship. You might be asking yourself, what’s their secret?

If you want to find out some secrets of successful relationships, read the following sentences.

Love. This is a no-brainer. No relationship will survive if there is no love. One-sided love is also not good, maybe even worse. This does not only mean that you have to love your boyfriend or girlfriend, it also means you have to love yourself.

Trust. Another foundation of a successful relationship is trust. A relationship with love but without trust will not work. it is very difficult to stay in a relationship if one person is always jealous while the other is untrustworthy.

Communication. This is somewhat related to trust. Open communication is very important. Couples shouldn’t hide anything from each other. This can destroy trust. Communication how you feel about certain issues in your relationship is a good idea instead of harbouring bad feelings to your partner.

Time. Despite busy schedules, couples should still make it a point to spend a few hours each day doing together. It need not be an all-out romantic date. It could be as simple as cuddling while watching TV at home.

Touch. It has been said that a man will not be able to live if no human being will touch him. Touching each other is a way to show affection. Even as simple as touching your partner’s cheek or caressing his or her lower back can say so much.

http://www.answerstolove.com/Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma-Louise_Smith

By Dave Ryan
Note: As you read through this, consider that it may be time to update your food program and review what really works.

If your body doesn’t get all the nutrients it needs, both macro- and micronutrients, it can easily perceive that as the start of a famine. Once the body perceives the possibility of a famine, it produces chemicals that are not present in a well-fed body. The job of these new chemicals is to convert food into fat to prepare for the famine.

How does any of this apply to you, or anyone else that you know? Since close to 80% of adult Americans are overweight, and since the ‘famine zone response’ is the primary cause of fat, it applies to a whole lot of folks!!

America starving?!?! Almost sounds ludicrous since the consensus is that most Americans are overfed. But overfed with what? Nutritious, health-building foods that are as close to nature as possible? Not on your life, and that’s the saddest part of all this – it is your life, and the quality of your life, that’s at stake!

Why does the body turn food into fat? The prevailing theory is ‘because heavy people eat too much.’ And at the same time they say that, scientists are discovering ‘new’ (weren’t they always there?) chemicals that affect how much food is converted into fat. They tell us that if one chemical is present, more of the food is made into fat. If another chemical is absent, more of the food is made into fat. And if there is another chemical present, there is actually fat loss; all while the same amount of food is being eaten in the different trial groups. Doesn’t that tell us right there that it’s not a matter of how much we eat, but the chemistry of the body that determines whether food is used for energy and to build health, or whether it’s stored as fat. If the ‘calorie-in, calorie-out’ theory is true, why can’t we just eat 1200 calories of anything we want, like Twinkies and Twizzlers?!?!? We all know that won’t work!

Then consider this. Each of the macronutrients, carbs, protein and fats, are assigned a caloric value. Every packaged product has the calories listed no matter what’s in the food. A calorie is a measurement of energy released when a substance is burned, even things like paper and coal. (Now those are calories to avoid!) The key here is that it has to be burned, and protein, even though it can be burned and used as energy, is not supposed to be burned. It’s supposed to be used to rebuild the body. Protein is to our body what wood is to building a home. If you burn the wood for heat, you don’t have anything to build the house with. If we burn protein as energy, we don’t have anything to build the body with! So protein eaten and used to rebuild the body does not release calories, which means it has zero calories! So one 500-calorie meal of chocolate cake and another 500-calorie meal of chicken over salad are not the same! The calorie theory is bogus! It’s the body’s chemistry that determines whether food is turned into fat or not.

So why in the world would the body make fat on purpose? It’s easy to understand. It wasn’t that long ago that getting enough food was hard to do. (And we have to remember, even if we’re only talking about a hundred or two hundred years ago, the vast majority of ‘food’ was natural, organic, and unprocessed.) The primary use of fat in the body is to keep us alive. Every cell of the body has to use fuel to maintain life, just like your car engine idling at a light. It’s not going anywhere, but it’s using fuel. Of course, in a car, the engine can be turned off so it uses no fuel. The only time the body uses no fuel is when it’s dead! And 70% of the fuel used at rest, to keep us alive, is fat!

So, the body has this tremendous ability to convert food into fat so there is always enough to at least survive. This is controlled by one of the most powerful genetic programs we have – the genetic program that made it possible for the human species to survive times when food was scarce – the perception of the possibility of a famine.

But how can this apply to our modern day when food is so plentiful? Easily! If even the quality of the food is poor and doesn’t give the body what it needs, this can be perceived as the ‘famine zone!’ If you skip meals or eat too infrequently, that can trigger the famine zone. And frankly, so much of what is called food today is so over-processed and lacking in value that it can’t give the body what it needs. Proof? Again, near 80% of adult Americans is overweight!

“But I have friends that lost weight restricting calories. Doesn’t that prove it works?”

Sometimes, if they ate natural foods in a quantity that met their body’s needs, but the vast majority of those losing weight from dieting are losing both fat and lean body mass. The loss of lean triggers the famine zone, which leads to the cravings so many have to battle, and even the slightest deviation, let alone going back to ‘the American way of eating,’ will cause fat gain, because they are in a chemical fat making mode – the famine zone.

So what’s the answer? Feed the body everything it needs. Convince it that there is no reason to carry lots of fat because there is no famine. If the body isn’t in a chemical fat making mode, you can eat anything you want on occasion, and it won’t make a large amount of fat.

That’s what Living Lean and Healthy is all about. We make every effort to accurately calculate how much food it takes to pull you out of the famine zone and convince the body to release the fat. That part is easy. Understanding how the body works and how much food you need is the easy part. It may be time to call and make an appointment to update your food program and review all this, and that will help.

Understanding all of what it takes is easy; implementing it consistently enough may not be simple. We tend to do what we have always done, and we tend to do what others are doing. The vast majority of the information we have about food has come from advertising and from the diet industry. We have been brain washed to reach for certain things based on criteria, thoughts, which have nothing to do with health and feeding the body properly. Our response to hunger and other stimulus is controlled by the thoughts and images implanted in our brains by decades of advertising and observing what everyone else is doing.

To make it easy, we need to replace those ‘hard-wired’ patterns with new responses that make it easier to choose wisely and lean. That’s where Directed Mental Dynamics comes in. You can learn how to beat those impulses and change the way you react. An individualized CD can be made using guided imagery and relaxation response training, similar to hypnosis, to gently retrain how you respond to food stimuli.

Living Lean and Healthy, 19355 SW Teton Ave, Tualatin, OR 97062
Dave Ryan (503) 516-5590

By Dr. Cheryl Guy
It is a fact that parent communication and teenage communication can be vastly different. When it seems as if neither party understands the other during the parent child communication process, especially between a mother and teenage daughter, I term this communication as momglish and teenglish.

The truth is, no one can better understand the plight of mothers as other mothers. Teenage girls feel the same comradery and security within their own friendship circles too. As mothers of teenage daughters, we have to be able to connect with our daughters on a more intimate-heartfelt level if we are going to maintain open communication.

If you are a mother and have been unable to tap into that intimate-heartfelt level with your teenage daughter and you find yourself questioning your sanity, intelligence, intestinal fortitude, and patience while attempting to communicate with her, you are not alone!

The parent child communication process reminds me of the dummy blocking sleds my husband’s football players used during football practice while coaching them. To teach the concept of effective blocking, the players would run up to the sled and push against it with all of their might in attempt to push the dummy backwards.

We as mothers sometimes feel that during our attempts of communicating with our daughters, we are the football dummy’s being pushed backwards, but on the same hand, we also have the ability to make our daughters feel the same way.

In the early stages of trying to reconnect with your daughter, choose a visual such as the football dummy blocking sleds or some other object. Not only is it important to form that mental picture in your mind, but print an actual visual picture of that object. Post it at your desk, beside your bedside table, in your vehicle or other locations where you will be sure to be reminded that you do not want to continue the same mode of parent child communication with your daughter.

The second way to improving communication is to actually talk with your daughter and explain how you have felt and how you intend to work towards a healthier way of communicating with her. Allow her to express her feelings as well. Give her a mental picture and visual pictures of your reminders and encourage her to either use yours or to come up with her own. Have her print her own pictures out for her use as reminders. You won’t believe how this concept can begin to move your relationship into a healthier place.

Don’t stop there though. There is no silver bullet or quick fix to sustaining change between a mother and her teenage daughter. The same can be said of the relationship between a husband and wife. It takes work and the payoff for your efforts will come in the form of life-long relationship changes between you and the one you love.

Dr. Cheryl Guy is author of “The Secrets to Having the Teenage Daughter You Actually Like” & Creator of the Relationship Renewal ProgramsTM. To learn more about her, her programs, services or to receive her FREE award winning “Parenting the Teenage Daughter” newsletter, visit her site at http://www.TheTeenageDaughter.com .
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Cheryl_Guy

By Carol Flagg
In our most recent workshops and training seminars we’ve been incorporating a video clip of a little girl who falters singing the national anthem at a NBA playoff game. As she’s standing there unsure of what to do, Maurice Cheeks, one of the team coaches, comes over and begins to sing with her. We use the video as a metaphor for how people may be feeling in the workplace – scared, uncertain of what to do, under pressure to perform, not wanting to make mistakes, etc. It’s also a metaphor for the possibilities that occur when a supportive presence is at hand. In today’s economic climate where everyone has to do a lot more with a lot less, creating a more supportive work environment has never been more important to prop up morale and keep work teams going forward. I’ve provided a link to this video in the resource box at the end of this article.

3 ways to create a more supportive work environment Creating a more supportive work environment means leader-managers model the following: 1) Show respect for each person’s strengths throughout the organization. 2) Acknowledge the contributions people make. 3) Be more ego-less so you’re free to step back and ask if there is a better way something can be done.

Respect. A respectful work environment is one where people truly know where they fit in and how they individually support the organization, no matter what their position. Each person in the organization needs to be seen as a link in a circular chain. If a link breaks, the chain falls apart. Creating a more respectful work environment begins by leader-managers putting the focus on each person’s strengths vs. their liabilities and progress achieved vs. mistakes made. Mutual respect among individuals, teams and departments starts with an awareness and an understanding on everyone’s part of what people bring to the table and their unique value to the organization.

Acknowledgement. Acknowledging a person is recognition of their role or contribution and thanking the person for the impact. “The work you put into this project this week was tremendous. Thanks for helping make it a success.” Building an acknowledgement-culture means spending a few seconds every day acknowledging people. It’s something that takes very little effort yet has huge impact. That being said, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone so the key is to think of acknowledging as a skill that, with practice, becomes ingrained, much like muscle memory for athletes. Practice builds the acknowledgement muscle. Just make sure you never follow an acknowledgement with the word “but” or “however” – it negates the acknowledgement you just gave. Let the acknowledgement stand on its own and find opportunities to give acknowledgements every day.

Being ego-less. Any supportive work environment requires that leader-managers work on putting ego aside. If a leader or manager is uncomfortable asking the question “is there a better way to get this done?” or “how would you approach this?” then their ego is getting in the way of creating an environment where individuals feel comfortable sharing new ideas or questioning existing paradigms and protocols. The ego could be tied to either the leader-manager’s need to be right or a fear of being perceived as a leader-manager without all the answers. In either case, both create an environment where people do what they’re told without questioning the outcomes or willing to bring new ideas to the table. An ego-less culture means letting go of the idea that as leader-managers we have to have all the answers and relies instead on the creative thought process and input from others around us.

If you watch the video then no doubt you’ll notice that Coach Cheeks (our leader-manager in our metaphor) drew both players and audience into the fold. The picture is now complete – a supportive work environment needs to encompass everyone in the organization.
YouTube video of Maurce Cheeks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em9wR9e5emY
Carol Flagg

By Joan Curtis
How many of us have walked into a room full of people and wanted to turn around and leave? When I think about networking events, my heart freezes. Didn’t our mothers teach us not to speak to strangers? Yet, in this article we’re going to examine how to talk to strangers. The first thing you need to know is we all hate going to networking events. Why? It’s hard to thrust yourself on someone else, no matter how “outgoing” you may be. Knowing that we are all miserable makes these things a tiny bit easier.

Second, your job at a networking event is to meet people. Your job is to learn as much as you can about as many people as you can. Your job is not to sell yourself. You can sell yourself in the process, but that is secondary and must be done with caution. The great Dale Carnegie said: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” What Dale Carnegie meant is that whether you are attending a networking event or your family reunion picnic, the rules are the same. Listen to the other person. Question the other person. Learn about the other person. When you do these things, suddenly, you will discover that you have a new friend, a potential associate or a possible client. How do you start? Let’s go back to that evening when you walked into the room full of people and looked around. This is what you saw.

Two people talking. Their heads bowed slightly toward one another as if to hear above the crowd. A group of people laughing and talking casually by the food. Another group talking casually by the bar. One person standing by the door, alone.

Which one of these three “groups” do you approach? If you answered the one person standing alone, you win the gold star. If you answered the group of people laughing and talking near the bar or food, you win the silver star. If you answered the two people talking with their heads bowed, you get the booby prize.

The main reason you go up to the person who is alone is that is a person who is looking for someone to talk to. They, like you, are feeling out of place. That person wants to talk to you. That person will be forever grateful that you approached them.

When to Hold ‘Em.

As soon as you walk into the room and spot a person, go introduce yourself. You do not need to wait for someone to introduce you.

Once you’ve introduced yourself begin questioning the person. Ask what they do. Give them a chance to tell you all about their business. Ask what brought them to this event. Search for things you have in common.

Do not ask personal questions, such as: Are you married? Do you have children?

If someone walks up, introduce yourself and your new friend. Tell the new person a little about the two of you and what you were talking about. Bring that new person into the conversation.

As you begin to draw the conversation to a close, if the other person has not asked for your card, ask for theirs. That may stimulate them to ask for yours. Do not give someone your card unless they have asked for it.

When to Fold ‘Em. After no more than 10 minutes and preferably 5 minutes leave the conversation.

If you notice the person you’re talking to saying less or their eyes darting around the room, excuse yourself gracefully, even if you have not been talking 5 minutes. Do not leave the person standing alone. Instead, offer to take them with you to join another group.

Thank the person for giving you their card and for talking with you.

If you approach someone, who clearly does not want to talk to you, then gracefully thank them for their time and move on. Do not waste your time with people who are truly uninterested. You can note their interest level by the way they respond to you, namely, they answer your open questions with one word responses. Their eyes dart around the room, looking for someone “better” to talk to. They do not look at you while they talk. They do not ask you any questions.

Networking, like everything else we do, takes practice. Try these tips and see if it’s a bit easier for you the next time you enter that proverbial crowded room.

Dr. Joan Curtis is a nationally known communications coach. She has over 20 years experience as a trainer and educator. She has taught communication skills and presentation skills to leadership groups throughout the country. With a doctorate in Adult Education and a Master’s in Journalism, she has a strong knowledge of what it takes to communicate successfully.
Her website is http://www.TotalCommunicationsCoach.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Curtis

By Copyright © http://www.coolquiz.com
One can bank on the fact that most coins derive from Latin words, and are named after people, places, or things.

Even the word coin, translates from the Latin “cuneus,” meaning wedge, and was thusly named because early coins ressembled the wedges the dies used to coin coins. Our cent, from the Latin “centum,” meaning one hundred, our dime, from the Latin “decimus,” meaning tenth, and the French franc, from the Latin “Franconium Rex,” meaning King of the Franks, are all examples of the naming of money, the root of all evil, which translates from the Latin word “mona,” meaning to warn!

On to a more weighty manner in which people named coins, that being physical weight. The English pound, translates from the Latin “pondo,” meaning pound, or, to get more heavily into detail, from the Latin “libra pondo,” meaning a pound of weight. This method of naming coins weighed heavily in naming of the Spanish peso and of the Italian lira.

A sense of fairness dictates that some coins bear the names of the metals of which they are composed. Thus, our nickel is made of nickel. Location, not Latin, sometimes figures prominently into the naming of sum (oops!), some coins. Our very own dollar, not always in paper form, originally hailed from the silver mines of Bohemia, where Bohemians extracted silver for the coins, and minted them in the town of Joachimsthal. Realizing that the coin they termed the Joachimsthaler, short of lacking in creativity, was rather lengthy, our Bohemian friends lost the head of the name, and kept the tail, with the end result being the thaler. The thaler eventually lost its lisp, and became our dollar.

Many countries used their word for crown, for example, crown, sovereign, krone, krun, krone, corona (not the beer), to demonstrate that some crown authority initially granted permission to mint them. Other countries named coins in honor of their heros, such as the Panamanian balboa, after the explorer Balboa, the Venezuelan bolivar, after one of it’s national heros, and the Peruvian sol, also not a beer, but the Spanish word for sun, after this ancient Incan object of worship.

By Robert H Davis
Habits – we are all too familiar with bad habits and the difficulty involved in trying to break them. For an action to become a habit, the action requires repetition. Thus, everyday life becomes a habit. Life becomes routine and unexciting. And, the stress that infiltrates all of our lives because of the current economic situation only makes matters worse. From the oldest family member to the youngest, everyone feels the crunch.

But, take heart. These difficult economic times are an opportunity to be creative, try new things, and create new habits.

Here are 5 simple suggestions to help you and your soul mate(s) weather the storm:

Say “I love you” to your soul mate(s) at least twice a day
Say I love you once in the morning to start the day, and once in the evening before going to bed. Hint: “I love you” can be used throughout the day, too: apply generously.

If your children are no longer at home, follow this same prescription. Get into the habit of contacting them twice a day either by phone or e-mail.

Make homemade pizza
Break the monotony with an inexpensive and fun meal that the entire family can help make. There are several pre-made pizza crusts available, but try the pizza crust mix. The simple mix allows you to be creative and make the pizza into any shape you can imagine. Try making a butterfly or a heart shaped pizza. Crust mix, spaghetti or pizza sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, pepperoni or your favorite toppings make a delicious, fun and inexpensive pizza your family will love.

Plan a weekly ‘at home’ family night
Rent a movie the entire family will enjoy or, better yet, dig a game out of the closet. Hint: the sillier the game, the more popular it will be. Recent discoveries that we have enjoyed are “Candyland”, “Don’t Break the Ice”, and “SORRY”.

Limit phone time
We are becoming increasingly mobile and the communications technology available today encourages us to spend more and more time in idle conversation. This creates distance between family members and wastes opportunities for bonding. We can set aside specific times for phoning friends that will not interfere with the time we spend with our soul mate(s).

Encourage creativity in your home
We all have a creative interest or talent. Make exploring these interests and talents the past time of choice when boredom sets in. Is there a budding actor, actress, or artist in the family? Here are a few suggestions for entertaining and creative activities that will cost little or nothing:

By Olwen Anderson
Seems odd, doesn’t it. Why would anyone abandon their recovery from illness or their weight loss program just because they’re making progress? But I see it happen again and again in my clinic.

Its All About Pain
If you have made a health resolution this year, or visited a health professional, I’m almost 100% certain that you did it because the degree of pain you were in (physical or mental) was bad enough to make you take action. We all possess a certain level of tolerance that will overcome any desire for change. For example, if you’re slightly overweight you might feel a little down when you are forced to buy clothes in the next size up, but then don’t do anything about it because there are so many other things clamouring for your attention.

Sometimes it’s only when you see yourself in a photo (particularly from the side or behind!) that you realise just how out of shape you’ve become. “That’s just not me!” So you decide to go on a diet, join the gym – and for a few weeks you’re making good progress.

Then a funny thing happens
You’ve lost a little weight, you’re feeling more toned and energetic than you have in a long time. And all of a sudden, that weight loss goal doesn’t seem as important. Or the pain of that chronic injury you’re having treated reduces. You find that you’re “treating yourself” more and more often; skipping treatment sessions. There’s a reason, and it’s all to do with your comfort zone. When you’ve made some progress, the pain isn’t so bad, it’s easy to think “I don’t have to work so hard now.” Or “I can live with this level of pain.”

We are all programmed to live within our comfort zone; where we’re not challenged, we don’t have to take risks, and our relationships with those around us are well defined. Move outside that comfort zone to become a new person and you can expect your subconscious to start ringing warning bells, prompting you to take action that pulls you back into your comfort zone.

But that’s not where you want to be – you want to actually achieve.

So how can you stay on track?
1. Line up support mechanisms when you start working towards your goal, and check in with them regularly. For example, if your goals are around fitness, it makes sense to have an introductory session with your trainer to work out a training plan; then regularly meet up with him/her again to ensure you’re on track. A well chosen support person will hold you accountable for your actions and help you stay motivated.
2. Review your goals regularly, especially the reasons you set them in the first place. (For example, ” I will lose 5kg this year so that I can fit into a smaller, sassier size of clothes”)
3. Don’t drive looking in the rear view mirror! Your inner critic may appear at this stage of change, reciting negative input such as “You’ve tried this before and it didn’t work….its not going to work this time either. You’re doomed.” Recognise your inner critic for what it is – just the rear view mirror – and then continue to move ahead with your gaze firmly in the future.
4. If you’re feeling uncomfortable with the speed of your positive change, start taking baby steps forward rather than big leaps in small timeframes. But keep moving forward!

Support and accountability are your keys to making it all the way to the goal posts. Olwen Anderson is a nutritionist-naturopath who combines the best of traditional natural therapies and modern scientific nutritional therapy so you feel more energetic and full of beans than you have in years!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Olwen_Anderson

For more information and support for creating habits, accountability, and support systems, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

By Janet Nusbaum
Devoting time to establish consistency and structure is often one of the biggest challenges that parents face when trying to teach responsibility to their children. Life skills are best learned by example and repetition, meaning that consistency is of utmost importance in building the skills that your children will need in the future in order to survive successfully in today’s society.

While imposing a daily home schedule may seem restrictive, the opposite is actually true. Children need to be able to depend on the adults in their lives and they feel safe and secure when they have a structure and routine to count on. Children do not yet have the maturity level to know how to structure their time on their own. They learn these skills from institutions like school and from the adults in their lives. For the parents, establishing a family schedule provides consistency and routine in a busy household. Consider our society in general, and you will find time schedules regulating most everything we do. Companies have standard hours, schools offer classes with a defined beginning and end, and mass transportation runs on a tight, proven schedule that is dependable to all who use it.

By establishing and posting a daily schedule in your home that includes chores and times that tasks are expected to be performed and completed, you are providing the structure and consistency that your children need in order to grow and mature. Schedules at home help regulate your children’s lives so that they have a model to learn from that they can take into their adult lives.

Start with a morning routine that includes daily tasks required to get ready for a new day. Have a set time to be out of bed and a list of preparatory activities, including getting dressed, brushing teeth, and combing hair. Give a reasonable time frame to complete these activities, and require the children to be at the breakfast table by a certain time.

After breakfast, allow time for checking that all school supplies and homework are properly stored in backpacks and any accessories – gloves, jackets, etc – can be donned in time to either get in the car or meet the school bus. Once you have set a morning regime, it is time to work out the evening plans, outlining homework time, mealtime, showers, chores, and any other activities that are involved in daily life, while still maintaining a consistent bedtime. We are a sleep deprived culture. Make efforts not to pass this way of life on to the next generation.

Establishing a visible daily schedule for your children to follow provides consistency and a foundation from which they can build on. It will also help you with organizing your own day because you will now have a structure and schedule to manage your time effectively and efficiently as well. With a daily schedule in place for the adults, prevents you from having to reinvent the wheel every day. All family members know the routine and in that they learn and can trust. Providing these routines and structure for your children while they are young not only provides them with a model of how to manage a home and how to perform routine home tasks, but it also helps them develop critical time management life skills that are essential to later life success.

Copyright (c) 2009 Simplified Spaces
Janet Nusbaum (AKA the Organizing Genie), WAHM of two, is an Organizing Consultant, Speaker & Author of ‘Mom, Can I Help Around the House? A Simple Step-by-step System for Teaching your Children Life-long Skills for Pitching in & Picking up’. Grab a FREE chapter of her book & household chore system by visiting http://www.KidsandChores.net. Get even more organizing & family management help by visting her blog: http://www.TheOrganizingGenie.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Nusbaum

For more information and support for creating what’s important to you, visit http://www.GalileoLS.com/consult.html for a free coaching consultation.

Print Chore Charts Free – It’s never been more important to teach your kids to be responsible. www.handipoints.com

By Steve Larkins
WHEN THE GOING
GETS TOUGH….SHOULD WE NOT BE MOTIVATING OUR STAFF?

Does it not seem a bit bizarre that just when staff, departments and teams need morale boosting and team building the most – then that is just the time when company bosses and senior managers decide that is the time to stop doing just that!

There is no question that over the last 10 years team building as a concept and tool for developing and building teams has worked very well and is an accepted part of any overall company morale policy and indeed in many cases part of Mission Statements and Values.

With redundancies and the general economic situation causing great disruption to work forces, this must surely be the time to motivate those lucky enough to still be in their jobs. Nothing is more unsettling than seeing fellow workmates lose their jobs. It sets an air of fear, concern and worry and this is the time for management to step up to the plate, spend some money and reassure those still working for them.

There are many messages than need to be effectively put across by management in these turbulent times and a simple company or departmental meeting with some fun element to it will certainly help the cause no end.

Why should values built up over so many years and respected by those that work for such companies go out of the window now? We all know it’s tough but business must go on and those still employed must work even harder in a tough situation. The moment cries out for motivation, morale building and team building.

Paint a picture, build a chariot, do a treasure trail, whatever suits your people. It really does not matter what, but just do it! It’s a buyer’s market even in the events industry and there are plenty of deals to be had from events companies with empty order books so why not capitalise on that and inject some fun into a bleak moment?

Kaleidoscope Event’s offer a range of fun team building activities in the United Kingdom, specialising in corporate fun days, themed parties, meeting icebreakers and team building events. Kaleidoscope have an expanding client base including companies in the public and private sector including finance, NHS, DIY and local government to name but a few.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Larkins

For more information and support for creating team building activities, call toll free 866-846-9228 or email us at mail@GPS-4Life.com.