Meeting & Management Essentials

Saying "no" is in print again! "5 Ways to get Better at saying no" was in TIME magazine in the last few months. And..."Just Say No" was in Town and Country magazine. On a related note, a recent magazine ad says "Quit waffling." which is discussed in my book NO - How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life. Saying "no" may be an old concept, however, it is a timeless skill!

NO is back in discussion. Why? because setting reasonable boundaries is always healthy, productive, and useful. A recent newspaper article titled "Saying no can be empowering. Here's how." by Terri Schlichenmeyer proves my point. Where have you said "No" or "no, thanks for thinking of me" recently?

We've been forced into hiatus over the last two years.
If you could choose your own hiatus, what would it be?
Here's more:
http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-hiatus/

Workplace: Hiatus - Jana Kemp "Hiatus" means to take or create "a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process." The worldwide effects of COVID have forced hiatus experiences in all walks of life, all career areas, and even areas of innovation and creativity.

Work tips surround us every day. What have you seen today that gave you pause, caused you to reflect on the message and apply it to your life?
http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-seen-elsewhere-33/

What do you have in storage? Is it time to let it go? Check compliance issues. If there are none, clean out the storage spaces in your life!
http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-storage/

Just how "Fly" are you and your workplace? Here's more: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-fly/

Do you take the elevator or the stairs? There are good reasons for both - and some work productivity related questions too. http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-elevator-or-stairs/

Make 2022 meetings more productive and meaningful than ever! YES - it is possible. http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-meetings/

Pacing ourselves as the year winds down is important for workplace and life-at-home wellbeing too. Time to enjoy each other and gatherings is here. Whether at work, or at home, slow down long enough to really see the people around you, to enjoy a conversation, a board game, a meal together, or a night out. Reconnecting moments feed our own souls and our collective humanity. How's your pacing? What would you change?

Here's more: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-pacing/

Ready to make powerful decisions? To determine what deserves your YES and what should receive your NO? Here's more: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-power-decisions/

"'No' is my favorite word." says Ariana DeBose, Steven Spielberg's pick for Anita in the current West Side Story movie. She actually told Spielberg she wouldn't read/audition when he wanted her to (one day later) because she wanted enough time to prepare. She said "no" and still got the part! Go Ariana!

What exploring have you and your team done lately?

Here's more: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-explore/

Thanksgiving week 2021: What are you and your team thankful for?

http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-thanksgiving/

Does your company story communicate how you were founded; how things are managed today; how products are made and/or selected; how employees feel about working there; what the product/service will likely make a customer feel like; what a customer can do with the product/service; and does the story create a feeling of "I want that", or "I want to be a part of that" ?

Once you've refined your story, you are ready to determine where to tell the story. The more costly your product or service, the more places your story must be told for sales success to be achieved.
http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-stories/

What or whom do you follow? No, not in/on social media - in life!

For more: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-follow/

Workplace: Follow - Jana Kemp Follow the directions. Follow someone's lead. Follow along to learn and understand. Each day we follow. We may lead too, yet we follow in some way every day. What or whom are you following each day?

Business cards in the last century were THE way to share your contact information - short of taking out a newspaper ad, or maybe a radio/television ad. This century, sharing contact information includes business cards - though less and less - radio, television, social media, websites, video channels and all must be coordinated images and messages.

Which brings us to, what should be on today's business cards?
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Annual surveys determine best places to work, top workplaces, and customer-choice bests in our communities. Consider what the results would be if your employees were asked about: alignment; coaching received; connection and feeling appreciated; engagement for productivity and staying with your company; having confidence in the company's leaders; performance standards such as innovation and open-mindedness; and the basics of pay, benefits, work/life balance, and ongoing education. What might you hear?

Would survey results at your company or organization put you at the top of a good or great list? Start celebrating if the answer is yes. However, if the answer is "no", get busy. Identify what needs to be done to improve one - or many - categories of being a good place to work; or a good place with which to do business.

Heavy on the minds of people in Boise this week is a shooting that happened in a shopping mall full of customers and employees. Kudos to the employees who knew what to do with an active shooter situation - who knew how to get people safely behind locked doors and away from the gunfire. Kudos to the teams of first responders who showed up to help the injured and to capture the suspected shooter.

Much work remains to be done to discover what happened and what needs to happen from here. We're still not clear when the mall will re-open. We're still not clear how our community will move forward.

Do your team members know what to do when danger beyond their control happens? Have you prepared everyone for worst-case scenarios while hoping to never need them? Schools have practice drills for weather events, for active shooter situations, for fires, and for lockdowns meant to keep danger from entering. Workplaces too need safety-plans; evacuation plans; and clarity on steps to take in various weather-caused and human-caused dangerous situations.

Get to work - build your best place to work plans and safety plans this week!

"What's the stealth power in Rose Tarlow's design arsenal? Try 'no.'" - Town and Country magazine, October 2021

Ready for something NEW? What "new" thing are you looking for?
Here's more...http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-new/

Workplace: New - Jana Kemp Explore what the use of the word "new" means on a product, in the workplace, or in conversation. Ready for a new workplace conversation?

Back from a road trip! What discoveries have you made while traveling this year? http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-road-trip-gems/

Workplace: Road Trip Gems - Jana Kemp Road trips are a great time to look and listen for gems that improve our daily lives. See the world anew! Refresh yourself and your energy levels. Find new ideas for organizing projects and exploring possibilities. Discover approaches that are tried and true, but new to you. While on a recent Pacifi...

When staff time is not available for all of the work that needs to be done, how is your team prioritizing work? Dividing up tasks for completion?

27 years ago, my first book Moving Meetings came out in English, then in Italian. This morning's mail let me know that McGraw-Hill still has an open account for my book royalties - WOW and hooray! Changing the world one meeting (or book) at a time!

Workplace tip: When things seem complicated - pause, step back. Review. Revisit. Look anew. Discover the path straight through, the less complicated. Ask for insights from people doing the daily work - managing the daily processes and interactions.

Flashback - two years ago!

Sometimes, saying nothing is the best course of action. Here's more:
http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-no-comment/

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Have you heard of Slot Canyon Thinking? If not, what do you "think" it is?
Here's more: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-slot-canyon-thinking/

Listen to the stories in your workplace. Listen in the neighborhood to the stories your customers are telling. Are you in good shape? Or, is a big change needed? More at this week's blog: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-storytelling/

Workplace: Storytelling - Jana Kemp Listen to the stories in your workplace. Listen in the neighborhood to the stories your customers are telling. Are you in good shape? Or, is a big change needed? Want to analyze the stories in your company? Or explore how to improve morale? Perhaps you are ready to review your business practices. Co...

Think about the meaning of words...contemplate FORCE as a word. http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-force/

Workplace: Force - Jana Kemp Individual words can carry many meanings or be included in phrases that create new meanings. When capturing language for internal teams and action, a set of words might be used that only makes sense internally, can only be understood by people in your industry, or can potentially create misunderstan...

Is your company shipping functional or memory-making? Here's More: http://www.janakemp.com/workplace-shipping/

Support for saying "no" in July 19/26, 2021 TIME magazine!

"You get better at whatever you practice. (i.e.) Maintaining so much clarity about my life's work that others' agendas don't become mine. Being generous with no. Saying yes only when I actually want to do something. The value of these gifts cannot be easily measured." - author Koritha Mitchell