Navigator #173

The Navigator is published by Greg Smith,
Lead Navigator, Chart Your Course International Inc.

View this newsletter on our website:
http://www.chartcourse.com/Enav-173.html

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PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE LEAD NAVIGATOR

I am always amazed how one person can make a powerful difference to the bottom line and in the lives of others. Just the other week I was staying at a large conference hotel in the heart of San Francisco. If possible, I try to avoid hotel restaurants. Most hotel food is bland, boring and overpriced. Every hotel restaurant in the world looks basically the same. If you spend as much time in hotels as I do, you want to see something different, so I like to venture out and find quaint places to eat—something with personality.

On this trip I allowed myself some free time to explore this great city. I stumbled across this diner called Lori's just a block from my hotel. It looked like a place where the locals ate, so I popped in and took a seat. I liked it so well I ate breakfast there twice during my stay. One server captured my attention. His name was Humberto Ortiz. You could tell he was one of those guys who took pride in what he did. He buzzed around the diner like a lightning bug. He had an energy about him you don't often see. The other employees respected him and he had a compelling sense of authority about him. His friendly manner made you feel good and welcome. The food was good, but the reason I came back was Humberto. He was the primary factor that transformed the restaurant from being just average to exceptional.

How many Humberto's do you have working for you? Have you identified your high performers? Whether you hire servers in the restaurant business or sales people for your pharmaceutical company it all begins by identifying and hiring the RIGHT people. Research shows high performing employees out perform their average coworkers by a huge margin. Humberto was one of those star employees. In this economy you cannot afford to hire just average people. It is laughable to me when I see organizations who still base their hiring decisions only on a resume/job application and an interview. You have to go the extra step. You must identify the personal skills, motivations and experience needed for success in each position.

It would be short-sighted of me to end here by saying the process stops once you hire them. You can't just hire them and then forget them. You have to develop, reward and recognize them and provide them opportunities for growth and development. This is part of the talent management process.

Top performers have more options. If you don't take care of them, they will be the first ones to quit. Hire good people and help them reach superstar status so they stay with your company as long as possible. As a result, your business will be rewarded with happier, more productive employees who in turn keep customers coming back to spend more money. The quickest way to destroy your business is to surround your good people with low performing managers and coworkers. It is not rocket science, but so few businesses apply the process.

Let us know if we can help you identify, hire and retain top talent for your organization. Make sure you don't miss the How to Retain Your Top Talent webseminar coming up on December 16 detailed in the newsletter below.

Agony and Anticipation

On a personal note, many of you are aware of the emotional roller coaster we have been on with my grand children. My daughter Heather had triplets on September 8. They were four months premature. Oliver died three days after he was born. Charlotte passed away three weeks later. It has been a very difficult couple of months, but we are proud of our miracle, our surviving granddaughter Eliza. After several months in the Neonatal ICU she is growing! She is a whopping 2.5 lbs! She is strong and a real fighter. I appreciate all the kind words. We are blessed to have family and friends like you in our lives.

For those interested, feel free to visit their blog.
http://heatherandglenn.blogspot.com

To your success,

Greg
President and Lead Navigator

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UPCOMING EVENTS

How to Retain Your Top Talent Webseminar
Strategies to Retain and Engage High Potentials

Research shows as the economy rebounds, organizations will see their most promising talent abandon ship in high numbers. In a recent article that appeared in Harvard Business Review, the authors indicate:

>One in four plans on leaving within the year
>One in three is not putting their entire effort in their job
>One in five believe their personal goals are quite different from what the organization has planned for them
>Four out of ten have little confidence in their senior leadership and coworkers

The key to success for any organization is the ability to attract and retain skilled and talented people. Those that fail to make employee retention a priority now risk losing their top talented people to the competition. This webseminar shows you how to design an effective employee retention strategy that provides a comprehensive road map for not only attracting and keeping talented employees, but for motivating and engaging them to achieve a higher level of performance. This session is jam packed with tips, ideas and easy-to-implement advice for creating a high-retention culture.

Thursday, December 16
3:00-4:15 p.m. EDT
$125

For more information:
http://ow.ly/3hCXh

To register for the webseminar:
http://ow.ly/3hCVH

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DISC Webseminar Certification Program
3:00 - 4:15 p.m. EDT
January 6, 10, 13, 20, 25

$795 for new attendees
$300 for alumni

More information
http://ow.ly/3hCZ7

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Master Certified Professional Behavioral Strategist Program
Two-days in Atlanta or onsite at your organization

December 14-15
January 25-26

Cost: $1950 per person

More information
http://ow.ly/3hCZ7

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Dynamic Teambuilding:
How to Enhance Communication and Build Effective Teams

If you want to build cohesion within your group or team, consider this onsite workshop.

Individual behavior styles and preferences have a direct impact on our interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Team members differ from each other in fundamental ways including their values, behaviors, talents, temperaments, wants and beliefs. Our workshop will help individuals understand each other better and appreciate the differences each person brings to the job. As a result, you will become a more successful leader and make interactions with others more rewarding and effective.

More information
http://www.chartcourse.com/team-building-workshop.html

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The Dark Side of Using Facebook

A key research report was just released today from the National Psychiatric Association (NPA) revealing the dark side of individuals who make more than three postings a day on Facebook. The research shows these Facebook users tend to be less productive than their non-Facebook counterparts. Dr. Hans Finklestrauder said, "The research indicates these people suffer from lower self-esteem and feelings of self-worth." Key indicators reveal they also tend to be less comfortable and able to adapt in normal social settings; therefore, they attempt to find meaning and some kind of significance in their lives by making postings.

Researchers were careful not to call this a social deviancy, but many people are now recognizing this problem and have named it, Facebook Addiction Social Syndrome (FASS). Many businesses are finding those employees addicted to Facebook are 30% less productive which is resulting in a loss of $30 billion a year in productivity. The medical community is wrestling with this growing problem and finding Facebook addiction most difficult to treat. Other findings from this ground breaking research show Facebook users may tend to abuse their spouses, suffer from bad breath, psoriasis, ingrown toenails and are gullible enough to believe this is true.

Join Greg's Facebook fan page
http://ow.ly/3hEpg

Join him on LinkedIn
http://ow.ly/3hEyt

Subscribe to our Blog
http://chartcourse.wordpress.com/

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TOOLS, PRODUCTS & RESOURCES

Management E-Learning Courses

We offer the award-winning Leadership Series curriculum in a convenient, interactive online format. Vital E-Learning provides supervisors, team leaders and managers with the best skills-based training from any computer, enabling leaders to work at their own pace as time allows. With these courses, organizations can provide their employees with valuable training in leadership skills, sales proficiency, productivity, customer service and talent management.

Sign up to take a free demo course:
http://www.chartcourse.com/supervisory_training.html

Customer Service Training Video Library

Train your entire workforce in the art of exceptional customer service. The Service First Video Library is a powerful video-based training system making it easy to train any number of employees - with no limits and with immediate results. The program includes 12 videos, slides, facilitator guide and handouts. The videos are appropriate for any industry.

Includes free shipping globally
$1495
http://www.chartcourse.com/servicevideo.htm

401 Proven Ways To Retain Your Best Employees

This book is packed with loads of practical advice, tips, case studies, suggestions and examples that not only retain, but also engage and make your people as productive as possible. Unique from other books on the market today, it provides tried and true practices that will quickly transform your place of business. The book is divided into eight sections, each focusing on a key element of employee retention.

http://www.chartcourse.com/401-provenways.html

Bright Ideas Employee Suggestion Campaign

The high-powered process captures hundreds of cost-savings ideas from your workforce. This is a self-contained program that makes idea collection easy and effective.

http://ow.ly/3hDjB

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ASSESSMENTS TO HIRE, DEVELOP AND RETAIN GOOD PEOPLE

Have you ever made a bad hiring decision? Did the person you hired turn into someone different than how he or she presented themselves during the interview? A properly designed interviewing and hiring process could have prevented the mistake and saved you time, frustration and money.

Assessments provide you an unemotional evaluation of a candidate's behavior, attitude and motivations – qualities difficult to judge in an interview alone.

We provide a comprehensive portfolio of hiring and development assessments. Please contact us if we can provide a customized solution to your hiring and
development needs.

Contact us at 770-860-9464 for additional information.

http://www.behaviorprofile.com

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WHAT WE DO: HELPING ORGANIZATIONS CHART THEIR COURSE

Greg Smith is a dynamic keynote speaker, author and organizational improvement consultant. He is the CEO and Lead Navigator of Chart Your Course International located in Atlanta, Georgia.

We help clients in the following areas:

--Leadership Keynotes
--Strategic Planning
--Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness
--Employee Engagement
--Job Satisfaction
--Employee Retention
--Selection and Hiring Solutions
--Creating a Customer Service Culture

http://www.chartcourse.com/whatwedo.html

Contact us to arrange a complimentary discussion on how we may be able to assist you.

http://www.chartcourse.com/contactus.htm

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FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS

If you find our information interesting, please send it to your friends. The Navigator newsletter is received by over 35,000 subscribers in 60 countries.

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http://www.chartcourse.com/emailnavnews.htm


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Copyright 2010, CYC International Inc.

Published by Greg Smith
Chart Your Course International Inc.
Phone: 770-860-9464/800-821-2487
Address: 2814 Hwy 212, Conyers, GA. 30094

http://www.Chartcourse.com

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Posted by Chart Your Course International We show businesses how to hire, retain and engage the workforce. http://www.chartcourse.com 770-860-9464