Be Prepared to Answer Your Prospects’ Questions and to Sell Your Services

The Boy Scout motto applies to any marketing strategy where you are dealing with a potential client — always be prepared.

When making contact with prospects, Howard Shenson says, there are three key questions everyone (you and your staff) must be prepared to answer quickly, confidently and succinctly.

1. Why should I listen to you?
2. What’s in it for me? (WIIFM)
3. Why should I use your services now?

Why should I listen to you?

You must figure out what sets you apart from everyone else that would benefit the client enough to listen to you.

What’s in it for me? (WIIFM)

Your prospects must understand why they should do business with you. What’s in it for them? Will you make them wealthier, successful, more productive, work less, etc? Avoid your selfish motives and focus on them.

Why should I use your services now?

This is a tough one. You must figure out how to get the client to act now instead of putting off the problem and letting it grow even bigger.

If you have staff talking to prospects, make sure that everyone is singing from the same song sheet when answering these three questions. Where appropriate script your replies. Hold discussion and role-playing sessions with your staff. You may only get one chance to answer these three questions for your prospect.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help 

Sometimes you can’t be politically correct when dealing with the media

My friends and colleagues Mark Prosser and Todd Erskine, members of the law enforcement team in Storm Lake, Ia. recently shared a video with me that really does an excellent job of putting into perspective the challenges associated with speaking your mind when dealing with the media.

Some of you reading this realize that for years I worked daily with the media. I was one of those government spokespeople. Even today I work closely with my media friends through our business on behalf of many of our clients. However, long ago I gave up the responsibility of being the “media spokesperson” for any client or organization.

Today, I teach workshops that help folks learn how to best position their statements and survive media onslaught during a crisis. You can read all about this at our web site http://www.armstrongandassociates,org/

Back to my point. Todd and Mark shared a video interview where a representative of the police in San Francisco expresses his “real opinions” of the way the media has handled the death of a fellow officer.

Now, before I proceed let me explain a very important point.

I have known and worked with law enforcement, the military and intelligence agencies for many years. I have a background in military intelligence operations. Doug Bailey, a dear friend of mine who was killed a few years ago in an auto accident, was a police officer for Vanderbilt University and I had the honor to deliver his eulogy. I am not without prejudice and basis when it comes to helping law enforcement officers learn how to deal with the media.

The video that I reviewed violates a number of the key issues associated with “political correctness” and even falls over into the areas of “speculation” a couple of times.

However, IF the information this officer delivers is correct — and that is the key — then more power to him.

He says what many of us — myself included — have wanted to say more than once.

I only hope that his facts are correct and that he understands that it is true in the political and media arena “for every action there is an equal an opposite reaction.”

I suggest you watch the video at: (cut and paste)http://mfile.akamai.com/12948/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0728/9591734.300k.asx

Now, for my thoughts and commentary on this as a professional media trainer and a consultant who has 35-years experience in the field:

1. This man in the video representing the SFPD shows unbridled passion and expresses his opinion very clearly.

2. However, I know for a fact that his superiors are “quaking in their boots” because he is being politically incorrect. Yet, I believe he has every right to be justifiably outraged at how the media has “cast” this case into the public arena. This is something a media spokesperson would not normally do — show his passion and his emotions and voice such an unabashed opinion.

3. However, he clearly states that this is his opinion and if you have ever lost a man under your command you can clearly identify with his position.

4. As long as he has his facts correct - and this is critically important and the key - he has every right to his opinions and can state the position he holds as long as he understands the ultimate consequences.

5. You would not, of course, never want to put yourself in the position of jeopardizing a case the District Attorney has to carry forward - and the FACTS must always be accurate IF you are going to step out such as this.

6. We must always remember that in government and public service there are consequences when we get off the reservation - it is just the way the business works and that for “every action in the political world there is an equal and often opposite reaction.”

7. I say he is RIGHT ON TARGET except that IF he is in a nonmerit position his job is at stake most likely because of his comments directed about and towards the judges - there will most likely be HELL to PAY but I don’t fault him the least - and everywhere BUT in San Francisco he would be loudly applauded for his honesty and candidness.

8. I quite suspect this man slept better the night after this than any night of his life! And YES sometimes we just have to do what is right and let the chips fall wherever they may.

And that is my assessment.

My appreciation to Todd and Mark for sharing this insightful video with me.

Let’s be careful out there.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

Identifying “Driver” Personality and Management Styles

So you think/feel that your boss, your significant other, or your employee is a driver.

But how do you know that they are drivers?

Well, let’ s look at some of the “descriptors” - those things that accurately describe “drivers”.

Drivers are “dominant” in their actions; they are high control; tend to want to manage process; are very self-reliant; like to direct things; are often over achievers and can be volatile.

If you compared them to an animal they would be elephants, and if you compared them to a vegetable they would be garlic. They are often “big mouths” - and can be seen as “Sherman Tanks” running over other people. They always want to “finish” it.

Now, bear in mind how you see them and how they see themselves are totally different. Drivers see themselves as being results-driven, action-oriented, very focused, direct and self-reliant.

However, if you have to “partner” with them you may seem them as intolerant, short-term, insensitive and always wanting to win and have someone else lose.

The greatest single fear a driver has is — failure.

Under tension they will lose control or fall back to being indecisive. And their response to tension is to dictate.

Do you know some drivers? Are you one?

Probably the most intense and “famous” driver I have ever personally known and worked with was Marvin Runyon, former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

Understanding Personality Styles: The Secret To Your Success In Getting Along with Challenging Co-workers, Managers and Employees

By H.J.D. Stimpson - Special Correspondent

Behold the salesman stereotype-the smooth-talking glad-hander wearing a flashy tie, white belt, and sporty shoes with a routine of jokes to entertain all of his prospects.

Expressive people like to talk and laugh but it’s important to relate to people on their own terms, which is the very basis of understanding public relations. Therefore, to be truly successful in business you must learn to size up your customers. Some of them may just want numbers-just the data, without a lot of fluff. With analytical clients, you have to learn to sit on your hands and keep your mouth shut.

If you apply these principles you will be more successful in all your relationships.

You can’t treat all people alike.  You must evaluate them as individuals and in terms of their personality types. Then deal with the situation according to their needs, not yours.

This approach works for hostage negotiators, sales people, and just folks like you and me, according to Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong, a public relations counselor and consultant from Eddyville, Ky.

Armstrong and his wife, Kay operate ARMSTRONG and Associates (http://www.armstrongandassociates.org/) a consulting and counseling firm located on Lake Barkley in western Kentucky.

“The key is being versatile and resilient, so that you can adapt your style to someone else’s style to achieve a mutual outcome,” Armstrong says.

“People like to interact with people who are like them and who understand how to develop rapport and sustain it. Most of the time for example in sales, you’re not selling your product, because there’s little difference between products. You’re selling your relationship with the client. If I’m a salesperson and I can get you to like me and trust me, then you’re probably going to buy from me. If I am a hostage negotiator and can develop rapport with you I may be able to resolve the situation amicably,” Armstrong says.

Like converts testifying to the congregation, his clients frequently refer to Armstrong’s lectures and workshops to back up this personality-style approach to predicting, preventing or resolving conflicts, or even selling Bibles!

“It’s worked for me for 35 years,” Armstrong chuckles. Armstrong is a trained behavioral psychologist with degrees from Murray State University and AIH and has applied his training in the government and corporate world for more than 35-years.

“Sometimes in the most difficult of situations,” he adds.

Forever the puzzle - but what fun you can have analyzing the situation

Using a “social style” four quadrant matrix with a horizontal and a vertical axis, Armstrong has his clients place themselves in quadrants as “drivers,” “expressives,” “amiables,” or “analyticals.”

Social Styles Quadrants

The horizontal line denotes degrees of responsiveness; the vertical line degrees of assertiveness. At the top of the matrix in terms of non-responsiveness are the controlling drivers and the task-oriented analyticals.

Below the horizontal line are those more responsive to people-the assertive expressives and the nonassertive amiables.

Armstrong says social styles are easy to spot.

Amiables and expressives wear warm colors and furnish their offices with personal items-family photos or kids’ artwork. Their work areas are often littered with papers. If there’s room, they may shove their desks against a wall and sit next to visitors.

Analyticals and drivers dress conservatively and use their furniture as barriers or space dividers. Art prints or sales charts decorate their walls.

“Drivers may not have anything on their desks except a calendar or clock, because they’re very time-oriented,” Armstrong says.

“Color preferences in cars, as well as dress, are cues to personality,” he continues.

“Drivers and analyticals like neutrals, black, and ivory, while amiables and expressives are more into pigment. Amiables like softer colors, while expressives prefer bold ones.”

In class and his many workshops, Armstrong has his participants do self-evaluations to identify their personal styles. Then they practice various situations.

“Students do videotaped presentations, and we view them in class so that we can learn from each other,” he says.

“The funniest videos are those with two drivers: It’s like watching a Ping-Pong match.” 

Personality styles emerge at birth or shortly after

Armstrong says that personality types emerge soon after birth.

“One of my ‘daughters’ is an analytical driver with a strong amiable backup, so I have to deal with her differently from the way I deal with the other ‘daughter’, who is a mixture of both amiable and expressive,” he says.

Emphasizing that most people are mixtures of several styles, Armstrong says that sales representatives can draw on different elements of their own personalities in dealing with others.

 ”To be successful in sales, presentations, surviving mergers of companies or everyday conflict resolution, you can’t stick completely to your own personal style all of the time and be successful. It just doesn’t work that way. Resiliency is critical to being successful in the business world,” he says.

“You must be resilient, adaptable and flexible. You must be able to ‘flex’ yourself to fit the situation.”

One of my colleagues, who graduated a few years ago with a business degree, says he was able to use what he learned very quickly.

The young man had been going to school full-time and working for the local cooperative as a marketing intern, Armstrong says.

He deals with some farmers, but mainly with their farm managers or their wives. He tell us that he found that identifying social styles is a great tool not just in selling, but also in developing and keeping good client relationships, which in turn prevents conflicts.

Cowboy boots and business suits and western shirts - don’t forget the bolo tie

Walk in Darryl Armstrong’s office, and it’s pretty easy to peg his social style as amiable and a driver with hints of being expressive. His smile is wide, his handshake firm. He wears jeans and dress T-shirts or other casual clothes often. Books and papers cover his desk and floor, and children’s drawings, awards and certificates, news clips and doodling adorn his walls. Yet, there is his “To Do List” right there in front of him keeping him focused on the tasks at hand. 

Armstrong notes that, in most interactive situations, social-style “signals” can work both ways.

For example, customers also often “read” salespeople, making it important for those trying to make sales to fit into customer environments. The way salespeople dress is the most obvious and immediate way to achieve this “fit.”

“When I worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority, we had a senior manager from west Texas who wore cowboy boots and Western shirts,” Armstrong says.

“Everybody else wore business suits. However, he was always out in the field checking how things were going on the lines and he would have been totally out of place wearing suits. He would throw a sport jacket over his western shirt and jeans when he wanted to be more ‘formal.’”

What if you sell John Deere tractors but have an afternoon appointment at the bank to get a loan?

“Adapt, be flexible and resilient,” Armstrong says.

“Maybe you can wear khaki pants and a knit shirt at a farm, but put a jacket in the car to wear to the bank. Or, if you’re wearing a suit while at the bank, remove the jacket and tie, then roll up your sleeves at the farm.”

Once you learn to do it - it’s like riding a bike

Armstrong says that evaluating social styles becomes automatic in almost every situation-business or social.

“It’s almost like riding a bicycle,” he says. “Once you learn the basic skills, you do it without thinking.”

It’s always important, he adds, to remain open to social-style cues as situations evolve.

Never, he cautions, assume that you know someone’s social style beforehand.

“The other day, I had an appointment with the vice president for network operations at a major corporation,” he says. “I assumed I was going to be talking with an analytical. He wasn’t.”

“Every detail of your person, every nuance of your speech-all of those signals combine to create an important impression in a client’s mind,” Armstrong stresses.

“Those are the cues that can make or break a deal or help you prevent or resolve a conflict, get along better with your colleagues, make a sale, survive a merger, or resolve a hostage situation. It is all about understanding how psychology, consultative analysis and public relations fit together to make us successful in life and work,” Armstrong says.

You can learn more about the use of personality styles or arrange a consultation or workshop by contacting Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong toll-free at 1.888.340.2006 or at his website at http://www.armstrongandassociates.org/

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

Part Two of Two - Generational Marketing – Do you serve ALL your customers? — The Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y

BABY BOOMERS: 1943-1960

Baby Boomers are ages 38 to 55. The first Baby Boomer in fact applied for their social security yesterday on line and like so many of us doubts they will ever see a payout. They have an idealistic personality and tend to be dreamers. They are the country’s most nurtured generation. They had stay-at-home mothers who tended to their every need.The generation was born after World War II, when the population exploded. As Boomers aged, job markets grew increasingly crowded. Never before had so many people been competing for the same jobs at the same time.

Boomers’ are nicknamed “The Me Generation” because it partially reflects their early, nurtured status and partially the fact that they were forced to focus on their own needs in order sustain themselves in an overly competitive environment, Ann Fishman says.

This generation had to ask themselves: “How can I be different?” and “What must I do to separate myself from the pack?”

Boomer personalities include Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Spike Lee.

Thanks to their nurtured, protected childhoods, Boomers have an overwhelming sense of entitlement. They have been taught that they can and should have it all. They are also better educated than any generation before them.

Marketers can appeal to Boomers’ sense of entitlement with campaigns that reinforce “You deserve it” ideas and themes. Essentially, Baby Boomers want the answers to two questions from marketers: What’s in it for me? and How do you see me?Boomers’ purchasing habits are values-driven.

Example: Saturn automobiles captured this in its commercial spots that discuss the company’s values and the good folks in the Tennessee town who make the Saturn car.  

Boomers also respond to nostalgia. 

Example: Mercedes Benz made an effective appeal to Boomers with a commercial built around the Janis Joplin song, “Mercedes Benz.

This generation is busy. They are juggling kids, parents, jobs and spouses, so anything that will help make their lives easier or more convenient will appeal to them. Yet as you know, this generation also gets a lot of mail. In fact, they probably get the most direct mail of any generation ever. They don’t have time to read lengthy, misdirected marketing efforts. If you don’t capture their attention within seconds, you’re going to lose them.

GENERATION X: 1961-1981

Gen Xers are age 17 to 37 and have a reactive personality type. They are most widely known for rejecting the status quo to create something new, and are also our most misunderstood generation.

They include such personalities as Eddie Murphy, Brooke Shields, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael J. Fox, Whitney Houston and Tiger Woods.

Historians have nicknamed this “The Street-Savvy Generation” because they’ve endured divorce, one-parent families, step families, working parents, latch-key lives, violence on television, violence in the streets, and a breaking down of traditional values and sources of comfort.

They’ve grown up in a world in which sex can kill you and in which government entitlement programs for older generations will make their taxes go sky-high.Yet this is also the most surprising generation, because they are creating their own generational patterns. They don’t want to work the long hours set by their predecessors, because they want to spend time with their family and friends.

They’ll accept a lower salary if it means taking a job that fits their interests. They want to succeed because they are doing what they love.

Gen Xers are doing this not just for the sake of rejecting tradition, but because they believe that the older generations have made a mess of things.So what does this generation want from you? They want pared-down lives that work. They want real-life fundamentals. They long for a sense of belonging and family, because they have been unfairly short-changed in this area.

The best metaphor for this generation is derived from one of the toys that they cherished: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The tale behind these turtles starts when people, who did not have time to care for a group of baby turtles, flushed them down the toilet. The turtles grew up in the sewer system, where they lived on a diet of nuclear waste and junk food, and not only survived but became stronger. Gen Xers identify with these turtles.

The ramifications of generational differences really become clear when you imagine the difference between communicating with a person (The GI Generation), who as a child identified with Superman  — able to leap tall buildings in a single bound — and a person who relates to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!Generation X is also a multicultural generation, which is key to understanding them.

Once again, Saturn provides a great example of how to use what you know about a generation to reach them.

For example, one Saturn commercial features Jenny, a white Xer who comes to pick up the keys to her first new car. An African-American salesman gives her the keys, congratulates her and brings over the sales staff, who also applaud and congratulate her.

In an earlier era, a family would have been depicted gathering around Jenny to celebrate this occasion. Here, the Saturn company and its employees act as a substitute.

Have you ever wondered why Xers date in groups? Why friends are so important to them?

Friends have become the support system that family wasn’t quite able to be. Think about the popular television shows that feature Xers. The program “Friends” is just one example of how this generation has substituted friends where family has failed.In other words, if you want to market to Generation X, treat them like family. Yet, you’d better make sure that your approach is honest and straightforward, and that your product or service is sound.

Gen Xers are the savviest generation of shoppers.

This group began shopping at a young age, to help out working parents. They want value and quality for their money. Malls were, and still are, a central part of their social lives, but they also shop off the Internet and over television. Marketers who try to use traditional tactics or tricks with this group will fail. Xers see through all such attempts, and are repelled by hype and phoniness. If you burn them once, they’ll walk away-and it will be a long time before they’ll consider coming back.

They want practical information about what your product can do for them. Will it improve their lives? Will it give them quality and value? Xers hunt for quality investments. They read the small print.

Having been raised with a lot of stress, Gen Xers also respond to genuine initiatives that help them reduce anxiety and retain peace of mind. Guarantees and easy cancellation policies should be staples for publishers targeting this group.At the same time, this generation craves new experiences, which help them create their self-image. They’ve always looked past traditional limits to seek out the new.

This is the generation that went beyond bungee jumping, to extreme sports. That’s why J. Peterman offers Xers a new twist in the form of stories that accompany each of its products. Xers say that they love this catalog because it gives them a new shopping experience.This cataloger, and other companies that are successful in marketing to Gen Xers, also recognize that these people, who grew up in front of the television, need visual stimulation and expect great visuals.

They appreciate the work that goes into exciting Web sites and printed materials. Smart marketers have Gen X employees critique their Web sites, direct mail and other promotional vehicles, and follow through on their feedback.

GENERATION Y: 1982-PRESENT

Like their GI Generation forbears, members of the newest generation, age 16 and under, are characterized by a civic personality orientation and a “can-do” attitude.

The major differences are that they tend to view the world more positively, and growing up in a globally connected world has molded their behavior.

This “Millennial Generation” is accustomed to receiving the same messages across many media. They talk across oceans and cultures through the Internet and email. They converge in “chat rooms,” in addition to malls.

If this generation likes your product, people around the world will know it. What’s hot in Beverly Hills today will be hot in Buenos Aires tomorrow.

This group loves fashion and dressing up. Rejecting the Generation X “grunge” look, they have gone to the opposite extreme. As Barron’s recently noted, “Generation Y girls have had it up to their carefully plucked eyebrows with flannel shirts and grubby jeans.”

Members of Gen Y also have the money to demonstrate their fashion sense. In fact, they have more financial power than any previous young generation. According to Women’s Wear Daily, their number-one choice for spending their discretionary income is clothing. For these reasons, it’s a big mistake for marketers to assume that they can use the same approaches with Gen Y as they do with Gen X.

For example members of Gen Y are attracted to publications and other products that have an image of being cool and cutting-edge.

Influenced by their brand-conscious Boomer parents, they are attracted to brands at an earlier age.

For example, they seek out teen fashion catalogs such as Dellia’s and Zoe and also favor clothing by Wet Seal, Abercrombie and Fitch and Old Navy.

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES

I hope that these insights and examples have driven home the very real and very significant differences among the various generations to whom we are marketing today. While these differences certainly make marketing challenging, the marketer who understands them and creates tailored, coherent strategies for each group will thrive in the years ahead.

Until next time.Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

Tea Thyme and Toast - Customer Service, Quality Food and Good Guerrilla-Marketing Lead to Success for Pam Reed

Pam Reed, owner, baker and cook at Tea Thyme and Toast Eatery in Eddyville, Ky has developed a cadre of “raving customers” the past few years by offering good food and personalized service. Not bad for an “eatery” housed in an old one-room schoolhouse that still has George Washington’s framed photo above the door.

Now, we all know that location means everything in business, however, Reed demonstrates clearly that you when you offer consistently good food combined with friendly service that you can even make a restaurant successful in a small village of 2300 people in a county with only 8200 people. Of course, during the tourist season the county at times can be ten-fold in population but it is just seasonal and Reed is open year-round.

The almost three-year old establishment serves sophisticated food in a casual-style and right here in River City. It is only open four days a week and has only six tables. Service is available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for lunch.

So, how does Pam Reed run such a successful business?

We would contend that it is all about a quality product and more than exceptional service. Visit here for the first time, or again and again, and you will always find Pam, and her helper and local artist Mark Holsclaw, eager to serve. They treat each customer with respect and are friendly, as is the nature of being in the South.

Customers will rave about this restaurant because there is consistency in quality on all fronts. If Pam or Mark are having a bad day you don’t see it, sense it, or know it as a customer. Think “Cheers” where everybody knows your name and you will get a sense of feel of how welcomed you will feel.

From the local county judge and medical internist to the little ladies I met there last week from Indiana, Tea Thyme and Toast combines the best of all worlds for all customers.

Reed is just as good a guerilla marketer as she is a baker and cook. Recently she received front-page coverage in the Evansville Courier and Press Spectrum section. The return on her investment of time has been a hundred fold. She even had to cancel a scheduled appearance at the Taste of the Pennyrile, an annual hospice fundraiser because of the demand on her time by customers that had read the article.

As you know, we advocate g-marketing for small businesses and securing media coverage is one very important tactic. Also, I can attest to the “word-of-mouth” tactic and how well it has worked.

Frankly, I would have never gone to the eatery had it not been for my wife insisting that it was one of her favorite places. After all, I just couldn’t see myself eating “finger foods.” And finger foods are not the course of the day!

My favorite is the Tomato Basil soup with a curry chicken sandwich, and maybe one of the cherry cookies or blackberry scones. Hearty appetites will not be disappointed.

And as part of the g-marketing plan the eatery will have “date nights” — special dinners monthly. Needless to say, they are already booked up for the foreseeable future.

If you get to Eddyville, Ky ask just about anybody and they can tell you where the one-room school is and there you will find Tea Thyme and Toast!

We offer our congratulations on your marketing effort Pam and a great big thank you for providing an excellent model of customer service and quality products.

If you are interested in reading the news clippings on Tea Thyme and Toast click here and look under Customer Service Excellence at our web site.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

Dogs can teach us many things about ourselves and others

(Thanks to my friend and fellow dog lover Anne McDowell for sharing this.)

We feel tremendous love for our dogs, and our dogs sure seem to love us.

Yet, we must ask is a dog really capable of emotions?

Or are we just projecting our feelings onto our dogs?

Scientists tend to avoid this subject because part of what sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to experience feelings. To say that animals actually have feelings, in the same way we do, would change everything –perhaps disrupt our entire position and standing in the animal kingdom.

However, any dog owner knows that dogs love completely and have a greater capacity for love than most people.

If one were to describe the main characteristics of a dog, they would have to be:

A strong inclination to show affection
A warm attachment to those they love
And unselfish loyalty and benevolent concern for others

Wait a minute – those are the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definitions of love.

This is probably why the author of Dogs Never Lie About Love, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson writes, “dogs are love.”

So there isn’t a question of whether dogs love, the mystery is how they have such an enormous capacity for it.

Dogs, who are neglected or abused, still show love for their human companions and wag their tails in hope of a little affection. Dogs taken from abusive situations hold no grudges toward the human race. A half an ounce of kindness from a new person results in an abundance of affection from the formerly mistreated dog. Humans rarely have the capacity to so completely forgive and love under those circumstances.

Yet, probably the biggest reason the dog has become man’s best friend is because we know that when it comes to love, a dog can always outdo us.

The highest form of love, agape love, which is completely unconditional, is something that people often have to work at or grow into.

Agape love seems to come naturally between parent and child, but it’s more difficult between husband and wife, and harder still between friends. To love someone, regardless of what wrongs they have done you is very difficult for humans. A dog, however, is born with an endless capacity for agape love, and doesn’t even have to work at it. You can be a complete grouch, ignore your dog, and refuse him your love. When you decide you’re ready to be sociable again, your dog doesn’t pay you back by ignoring you too. He’s just happy you’re there.

More amazing still, is that the love that dogs and owners feel for each other lasts a life time. This is the ideal love humans strive for, but often fail at.

As Mr. Masson so beautifully writes , “Learning to know somebody intimately is often the beginnings of dislike, sometimes even of contempt. Among humans, love often does not survive a growing acquaintance, but in a dog, love seems to grow with acquaintance, to get stronger, deeper. Even when fully acquainted with all our weaknesses, our treachery, our unkindness, the dog seems to love strongly – and this love is returned by most dog-loving humans. We, too, seem to love our dogs the more we get to know them. The bond grows between us and our dogs.”

“This is why we need dogs. They do something for us that rarely a human companion can do. No matter how much you mess up your life, or how much wrong you do, no matter how many mistakes you make or how often you make them, regardless of your looks, income or social standing, your dog never judges you. He always thinks you are wonderful and loves you with all his heart.”

And for that I have always been grateful.

(Dedicated to my three “boys” — Stempy, Little Bit and Max.)

Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

"The hard part is over right now," Bonds said.

The hard part is over … not yet Mr. Bonds not even close

So, Barry Bonds is now even with Hank Aaron in the number of career home runs - 755.

However, that is the only semblance he has to the great Hank Aaron. No, Barry the “hard part” hasn’t even begun.

The time has come for you to come clean with whether or not you have used enhancing drugs of any kind. More importantly, the time has come for you to rehabilitate your image and that my baseball “hero” will be the “hardest” thing you have ever done.

To compare your ability and your standing in baseball to “Hammerin’ Hank” is to lessen the importance and value of baseball as a tradition to this great country — that is until you clear your name and reputation of all the lingering questions about how you achieved this goal.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

… without a vision we will simply perish

 

Whether an organization, community or a person without a vision we will simply perish

Saturday, August 4,2007

No vision and you perish;
No ideal, and you’re lost;
Your heart must ever cherish
Some faith at any cost.
Some hope, some dream to cling to,
Some rainbow in the sky,
Some melody to sing to,
Some service that is high.
-Harriet Du Autermont

For the past 30-years I have worked with a variety of organizations, communities, and individuals to help them in their strategic planning processes.

There is nothing magical or mystical about strategic planning. Strategic planning is simply a management tool.

As with any management tool, it has specific purposes: to help an organization do a better job - to focus its energy, to ensure that members of the organization are working toward the same goals, and to assess and adjust the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment.

In short, strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future.

Simply, a strategic plan is built on consensus and is an agreed upon way to move forward.

One of the first and one of the most critical parts of developing an effective strategic plan of action is to understand the importance of having a vision. A vision is what you want to be “when you grow up” and what it is you want to accomplish as you walk your path.  A vision helps you define what it is you want to be like and look like when you arrive at your final destination.

A vision is important whether you are a small firm of two people, a chamber of nonprofit association or a community of 30,000 diverse people.

A vision is developed only after there is significant conversation among the various parties that must create it and then go about doing those tasks necessary to make it a reality.

When you begin the process of strategic planning, visioning comes after this dialogue and after there is an understanding of the need for change and how difficult change can be.

 What is our preferred future?

“When we are tired enough of doing the same old thing or our pain is intense enough… we will seek change.” Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong, ARMSTRONG and Associates

When visioning change, we must ask ourselves, “What is our preferred future?”

To effectively do this we must be sure to draw on the beliefs, mission, and environment of the organization; describe what we want to see in the future; being very specific to the organization; be positive and inspiring; not assume that the system will have the same framework as it does today because change is always underway; be open to dramatic modifications to current the organization, or the current methodology, teaching techniques and facilities.

What are the key components for a vision?

“Be sure to choose what you believe and know why you believe it, because if you don’t choose your beliefs, you may be certain that some belief, and probably not a very creditable one, will choose you.” Robertson Davies, The Deptford Trilogy‘

This means is that a person should embrace ideas and beliefs that sit well with him or her at the present time, while keeping in mind that as awareness about reality expands with the advent of new experiences, so must one’s concept of reality change accordingly.

Therefore our vision must encompass our belief system. Our beliefs must meet our organizational goals, as well as community goals; be a statement of our values; be a public and visible declaration of our expected outcomes; be precise and practical; guide the actions of all involved; reflect the knowledge, philosophy and actions of all that participate; and be a key component of our strategic planning.

These are examples of vision statements:

• The Bluegrass Community & Technical College District will be the premier provider of educational opportunity and a leading force for social and economic vitality in the region.

• The Kentucky New Era will be the first choice for reliable news and information in the Pennyrile region.

Benefits of Visioning

The process and outcomes of visioning may seem vague and superfluous. However, the long-term benefits are substantial.

Visioning:

• Breaks us out of boundary thinking.
• Provides continuity and avoids the stutter effect of planning fits and starts.
• Identifies direction and purpose.
• Alerts stakeholders to needed change.
• Promotes interest and commitment.
• Promotes laser-like focus.
• Encourages openness to unique and creative solutions.
• Encourages and builds confidence.
• Builds loyalty through involvement (ownership).
• Results in efficiency and productivity.

Vision Killers

As we engage in the visioning process, we must be alert to the following vision killers:

• Tradition
• Fear of ridicule
• Stereotypes of people, conditions, roles and governing councils
• Complacency of some stakeholders
• Fatigued leaders
• Short-term thinking
• “Naysayers”

Strategic planning doesn’t attempt to make future decisions

Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities.
-Sue Atchley Ebaugh

Strategic planning is about fundamental decisions and actions, but it does not attempt to make future decisions. Strategic planning involves anticipating the future environment, but the decisions are made in the present. This means that over time, the organization must stay abreast of changes in order to make the best decisions it can at any given point - it must manage, as well as plan, strategically.

Strategic planning is not a substitute for leadership

Strategic planning has also been described as a tool - but it is not a substitute for the exercise of judgment by leadership. Ultimately, the leaders of any enterprise need to sit back and ask, and answer, “What are the most important issues to respond to?” and “How shall we respond?” Just as the hammer doesn’t create the bookshelf, so the data analysis and decision-making tools of strategic planning do not make the organization work - they can only support the intuition, reasoning skills, and judgment that people bring to their organization.

Strategic planning doesn’t usually flow smoothly

Finally, strategic planning, though described as disciplined, does not typically flow smoothly from one step to the next. It is a creative process, and the fresh insight arrived at today might very well alter the decision made yesterday. Inevitably the processes moves forward and back several times before arriving at the final set of decisions. Therefore, no one should be surprised if the process feels less like a comfortable trip on a commuter train, but rather like a ride on a roller coaster. Yet even roller coaster cars arrive at their destination, as long as they stay on track!

The time is now

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
  — Margaret Mead

There has been much discussion over the years by organizations and communities about the need to create a vision and mission for themselves. Many times organizations go into retreats and hammer out such a plan and then forget about it or get tired of trying to implement it. In reality, only a small group of people will ever make a strategic plan happen. There is nothing “magical” or “mystical” about finding an organization’s path. It simply requires committed leadership that is willing to involve all the key stakeholders and a focused dedication.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

ARMSTRONG and Associates

Spread the word

del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help

Hillary Clinton Will Not be Defeated — That Way

Sunday, July 29, 2007

I know there are lots of you out there that love to bash Hillary and Bill Clinton. Some of you actually will believe that by dredging up all their sordid past history will some way defeat her in the Presidential election. However, I got news for you IT WON’T WORK!

Last year, I reluctantly agreed to advise a local mayoral candidate that had been advised by others to “run against” the building of a city funded and to be city run water park, which by the way was going to be built whether he wanted built or not.

(The park has been built and is being enjoyed. No, it is not making money and never will, however, I digress.)

By continually pushing against his opponent with the negative position on the water park and, unfortunately, coming across to the voters as an “aginer” he lost the election 2-1 to a decent fellow, who was not inspiring but who also wasn’t negative.

Now, I know that being against something, dredging up the dirt makes some of you feel good.

However, as conservatives, we are never going to win a campaign by using this tactic. We will not beat Hillary Clinton and the vast political machine she and Bill have established by going negative, we will only win elections against the Clintons, or anyone else even in our in local elections by presenting better ideas and solutions to problems, based on better values, that inspire and motivate our voters and that shows them a new vision of what can be.

Did we not learn anything from President Reagan?

Ronald Reagan offered an alternative future to 21% interest rates, gas lines, and a 444-day hostage crisis. President Reagan inspired us to see the “shining city on the hill” and for goodness sakes let’s not forget that we can return this great country to that vision — greatly scaled back government, lower taxes, and greater opportunity for everyone,

We can and we must offer a successful vision of a future to the voters in this election and we must inspire and excite them to follow us, or otherwise we are in for 8-years at least of a Clinton re-run.

Until next time.
Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates
Spread the word
del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help