In a competitive marketplace every decision trickles down to the bottom line. Of course, no one is perfect, we've all committed ourselves to decisions we later regretted. Unfortunately, once the ball is out of the pitchers hand there is no turning back. However, bad decisions do provide us with significant learning experiences.

If sales are slow you may be tempted to take on a bad client. While the deal may look nice at the end of the day you most likely will end up getting burned. the big lesson here is simply to trust your instinct when tasking on new clients and always draft contracts with specific terms that leave nothing to interpretation.

Along similar lines: a business can lose a good deal of money as the result of a bad hire, much like trusting a bad client, a bad hire spells nothing but trouble. Be sure the people you hire understand your business. Someone with an impressive track record from another sector may not be able to apply those skills to your business. For example, a sales manager with a great deal of experience selling tangible products for a large company may falter when asked to sell a business service to smaller companies.

Another crucial mistake to avoid is in the area of product development. Is your new product ready to go? Are you sure? If you have doubts its more than worth it to re-examine your position. jumping the gun by putting your underdeveloped product into the marketplace only translates into lost customers and credibility. Once that kind of damage is done it can be difficult if not impossible to recoup those lost sales. Wait. Redesign, retool, re-engineer, whatever it takes to assure that your product is the absolute best it can be at the point of entry into the marketplace will pay off. Quite simply, customers will always notice the difference.

This is a short introduction to how performance management can support the implementation and succes with lean manufacturing.

The 5th principle of the 5 lean principles, is the concept of continuous improvements. But how do we handle this in a structured and controlled manner?

One of the most important tools to drive continous improvements is performance management. In many organizations, working with performance management is natural, while this can be very difficult, and even scary for others.

When working with goals in a lean organization it is essential to involve the employees in the proces.

Also visualization of goals should be given attention together with a process for frequent meetings and follow up on goals.

But how do you define goals, that are effective and drive improvements?

First of all we need to define what we want to measure, but more importantly take into consideration on what level in the organization the goal shall be implemented.

On the executive level, goals should be related to the strategy of the company, but when we move down in the organization we need to diversify the goals to achieve ownership. For example net operating margin, can be a relevant goal on executive level, while it doesn't make much sense on the shop floor. So we need to define goals that will support the top-level goals, but can be influenced and are relevant by teams elsewhere in the organization.

When implementing performance management in a lean organization we often need to define goals that are very close to the primary core processes of the company.

In general we can use the SMART model when defining goals. So what makes a goal SMART?

S = Specific

M = Measurable

A = Accepted

R = Realistic

T = Time

Specific, means that the goal must be defined accurately and simple enough to make sure that everyone understands what we measure. Measurable, means that we need to define goals that can be quantified and expressed in a simple number Accepted, means that you need to build acceptance of the relevancy of the goal in the team Realistic, means that the target should be set at a reasonable level, while still stretched to drive improvement Time, means that it must be clear, and part of the definition of the goal, when we expect the target to be reached.

If you use the SMART check-list when defining goals you should be in pretty good shape.

When you start the process of using goals in the daily management process on the shop floor, management must be prepared to work closely with the team to ensure that goals are measured and that corrective and preventive actions are defined and implemented. This process is best driven by stand up meetings, preferably every day. When implemented correctly, performance management can be an extremely effective way to get ahead of your competition.

Over the past 10 years email has become one of the most utilised means of communication, in the office and the private. It is a fantastic way of corresponding, because you do not have to wait for the post to be collected and delivered and in many cases it's even better than the telephone, because you do not have to wait for the other person to be at their phone at the very same time.
Therefore it is quiet logical that the amount of emails in the past few years has increased dramatically. According to statistics by the Radicati Group from the first quarter of 2006 the number of emails sent per day to be around 170 billion - thereof 70% are spam or viruses!
This relentless bombardment of one email after another on a day-to-day basis results in distraction, stress, addiction and over all in reduced productivity at the workplace. Each new email brings you off focus and away from your important projects and tasks. This problem does not only effect large organisations where the normal workforce gets between 100 and 250 emails a day. All the professional people, business owner and self employed with 50 emails per day are facing the same problems. The cost for the whole Australian economy in lost productivity is far beyond 10 billion dollar.
If you want to work proactively on your business and on your projects you must change your habits. Otherwise you end up doing the real work after hours and spending the day only to respond to seemingly urgent but not really important messages.
One of the main reasons for this email addiction is the lack of training. When emails started to sneak into our lives about ten years ago it was so easy to send and receive an email. So literally nobody took the time to learn the basics of those programs. During the years this hasn't changed, but the environment has changed dramatically (see above) and the software tools are much more powerful and sophisticated today.
Three important tips to save you time
Here are three tips you can apply today to detach yourself from your inbox and give the control over your messages back to you
1. Use rules and folders. .
First you create a folder with the person or projects name on it. Then you simply make a right click on the actual message, and chose "create rule". Here you decide which folder you want this and all following emails to go into. You see, a Rule is really just the direction you want your incoming message to go. It by-passes the Inbox and arrives straight into the folder. The bold title and the number in brackets shows you how many unread items you have in each folder.

2. Turn on manually send and receive
Instead of automatically download every message that's waiting for you and distracting you, from now on you are in control when to look for new emails. And besides getting back into control of your inbox there is a secondary gain: now you can review an email before it's really leaving your computer. That might save you some important relationships.
To turn on the manual send and receive you simply go to the Tool-Options-Menu and look for Mail Setup.
3. Sort out SPAM before it reaches your inbox
You can either use the Junk-Mail-Folder in Outlook® 2003 or buy yourself a useful program like Mailwasher. The principle is the same in both programs: every incoming email is black-listed by default and you learn the system by white-listing your contacts and friends. An additional tip concerning SPAM: do not leave your email address visible on your website - hide it behind a form or link.
Master Your Inbox
If you want your system running with German precision you might consider to learn more about Outlook® or Outlook Express®. We are not only delivering enjoyable courses, workshops and presentation we have also developed an unique email-course "Master Your Inbox".

I am going to throw this out there right now, I do not have a college education and I graduated from a small town high school. When I made a decision to take a corporate position, I really thought my options were limited to how high I could go on the corporate ladder. Never would I have thought a small, green icon on my desktop could have proved me so wrong.

In order to improve my position, I taught myself programs other individuals in my field didn't even want to look at and I increased my skill set in the programs that our upper management needed. Most importantly, Excel. I learned to create dynamic charts and discovered ways to tell the financial stories everyone needed to see. Not only were my graphs unique, I also added my own personal flair to them. Anyone looking at a chart would immediately know it was create by Suzanne. Not only that, once they saw it they felt confident that the information was correct.

The graphs in question were wonderfully colored, simply told, and were completely ME! In two months time, I doubled my salary, I was given a promotion, and my sole purpose in life was to create metrics for our executive staff and to present them to our customers.

As simple as it sounds, becoming an expert in a specific program that is NEEDED at your place of business can set you apart not only where you are right now, but it can also increase your value to where you want to go. For me, it was Excel and its graphs. I didn't stay with the default charts and colors and I didn't settle for the status quo. What I did was set myself visually apart from everyone else and kept a smile on my face and helped where I was needed!

Determine where your company is lacking, identify what is needed, and then make yourself indispensable!

In this fast paced, high stress, highly competitive marketplace, individuals and organizations are looking for avenues to increase productivity and decrease stress. As technology and information overwhelms us, we often need to go back to basic answers to solve our most complex issues. Mentoring is one of the basic foundations that can address both the individual and organizational needs of our time.

Since the beginning of time, mentoring has been a key to passing on knowledge and developing talent for the future. Mentoring is beneficial to the individual and the organization. It can also be a relatively simple process to implement given a few guidelines to launch the process.

Three reasons why organizations support mentoring programs:
1. Mentoring programs help attract and retain Superstars.
2. Mentoring programs help develop future leaders.
3. Mentoring programs set organizations apart from their competitors.

Three reasons why individuals choose to be a mentor:
1. Create a Legacy – The knowledge and values a mentor imparts to a protégé can inspire new ideas, growth and value-based decision-making for many years to follow.
2. Improve Coaching and Leadership Skills - A necessary ingredient for successful organizations of the 21st century is the increase of leadership and coaching skills in the organization. Mentoring can provide experience in working with a variety of personalities, skills, work styles, aspirations and assist in enhancing coaching and leadership skills.
3. Enhance Performance – To teach something, you must know something. Mentors repeatedly report the mentoring relationship brings them to a new level of awareness about their own performance. Often, this leads to their own professional increase of knowledge.

Three reasons why individuals chose to be protégés:
1. Heightened Self-Awareness – Obtaining accurate information about how one is perceived by others on a professional and personal level can move an individual to a more successful career.
2. Improving Operations Skills – The knowledge and wisdom from others can bring theoretical learning to practical applications without the pitfalls of learning through trial and error. Professional effectiveness can be streamlined through the mentoring process.
3. Career Insights – Each career is unique. Issues such as work/life balance, career management and organizational effectiveness can be clarified and developed through the mentoring process.

The reluctance to enter mentoring relationships often revolves around the uncertainty of how to get started. “What will we talk about? Will I have anything to share?” are common questions that prevent the process from beginning. The shift needs to be from worrying about the “what” to knowing about the “how”. In other words, “how do we establish the relationship?” Once the relationship is established, the “what will we talk about” often takes care of itself. Here are the key ingredients in establishing the mentoring relationship.

The mentor’s roles and responsibilities:
 Develop clear expectations and specific goals, using these as a foundation for the conversation and relationship.
 Be available and responsive. You may not have all the answers but probably have access or connections to others who might.
 Listen effectively to ask pertinent questions and provide sound advice.
 Create a positive learning environment by providing encouragement and constructive feedback.
 Maintain confidentiality.
 Share relevant experiences, including successes and failures.

The protégé’s roles and responsibilities:
 Establish a meeting timetable with specific agendas.
 Share specific goals, hopes and expectations for the mentoring relationship.
 Be open and receptive to constructive feedback.
 Listen effectively to learn from the mentor’s experience, background and perspectives.

Mentoring relationships can be tremendously rewarding and beneficial to the individual and the organization. Mentoring can be a key foundation to help navigate the changes of a challenging business world.

Cheryl Leitschuh, Ed.D. is a coach and consultant creating environments of success for individuals, teams and organizatons.

Practice services include:
*Career Development assessment, retreats and coaching.
*Professional Practice Development coaching and assessment.
*Key leader development and assessment.
*Executive Coaching.
*Team Coaching.
*Performance Improvement Coaching and Assessment
*Speaking and training on key aspects of workplace development.
*Succession Planning.

How we understand organizational design is in the midst of radical change. Just as the industrial revolution in England and the Unites States changed predominantly agricultural societies to urban societies forever, so is the availability of knowledge markets changing the industrial landscape. Defined, design blends plan with a proposal for a look or function. Design is also the art or action resulting in conception of a plan or idea. Design, in light of this definition, presumes structure in a physical sense. However, design is not a word that means specifically structure. One origin of design comes from Latin that means designate. A designation includes such meanings as an appointment to a position, an assignment of status, or an ascribed meaning. If we ascribe meaning using ascribe as a transitive verb, we enter the realm of cause and effect.

History supports the lure of industry pulling large population groups away from farming. Industry made the growth of cities possible. Industry provided job security over the long term that farming did not. Industry relied on physical structure, command and control over generally uneducated workers. Industry supported the wealth of nations. These multiple causes had their multiple effects on what we know as organizational design. Industrial age organizational design employed strict hierarchy, workers delivered only product and the boss ruled supreme.

To search for the spark that caused the radical shift away from industry, one may find it with a small group of professors and students at Stanford University who sent the first binary message from one computer to another over a wire. Now we know that they created not only a spark but a firestorm that has not subsided and continues to burn on a global level. As a consequence, not only do we now have virtually instantaneous connections to people everywhere, but work no longer dependents on structural design. Therefore, this paper looks at organizational design in 21st century business operations with a focus on design function and its role in the changing structure.

This discussion, while acknowledging that physical infrastructure is important, suggests that traditional brick and mortar structure does not necessarily provide the best environment for accomplishing work. In addition, this discussion accepts an operational design including leadership and management hierarchies but in roles that do not stifle innovation or idea generation.

1. Create a plan. This may sound like a statement of the obvious but far too many people go into business without one. You must have a plan or you will fail. That is a guarantee. If you fail to plan you plan to fail.

2. Set goals and write them down. This is essential. In addition to this you must also read your goals daily. Make your goals specific, clear and achievable. An unwritten goal is just a wish. If you need help figuring out what goals are realistic and achievable try asking someone who is already in the same business or one similar to yours.

3. Be realistic. Realize that it will take to be successful and be willing to do it at any and all costs. Have the mentality that quitting is not an option.

4. Set and keep a budget. It is imperative that you know how much money you can afford to spend on a monthly basis and that you do not spend more than this no matter what. It can be tempting to get carried away spending too much on advertising or other unnecessary items. In the beginning as long as you have business cards and a basic website that is really all you absolutely must have.

5. Get and stay organized. Disorganization makes running a business difficult for anyone. It is much easier to take the time in the beginning to do this and to make a commitment to stay that way. Everything is easier when you are well organized. Be willing to take the time to do this in the beginning and you will be glad you did.

6. Pick a few aspects of the business to focus on and concentrate on for the long-term. It is fine to experiment with many different ideas but trying to do everything or to be the best at everything is a recipe for disaster. It is much better to become great at two things than to be mediocre at five things.

7. Realize when you need to take a break or get help. Running a business is difficult and everyone needs a break or some assistance from time to time and that is ok.

It is a sizzling summer day; the mercury is rising. You are hot, tired and hungry and looking for a healthy snack to eat. You want to keep active but unsure how. How does a refreshing slice of watermelon sound to you? A crisp, juicy slice of watermelon is undoubtedly what you are looking for. Watermelons are truly one of summertime's sweetest treats. It is fun to eat, and good for your health too. An all-American favorite, watermelon is highly nutritious and packed full of essential ingredients. Although available throughout the year with all its benefits, producing a good watermelon is a bit tricky in many parts of the nation.

Today there are more than 100 different varieties of watermelons. The sweetest ones usually grow during long hot summers. Harvesting is particularly critical because watermelons do not continue to ripen after they have been removed from the vine. Watermelons prefer a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting. Plant 4-6 seeds, 1-2 inches deep, in mounds 4 feet apart when soils are warm. Transplant watermelon 2 feet apart through black plastic for early maturity. Do not forget to use row covers to protect the plants when planting before the frost-free period. After the vines develop runners, side dress with additional nitrogen fertilizer. Irrigation should be deep and infrequent. Harvest watermelons when the tendril is dry, the ground spot is yellow, and the skin is dull colored.

Watermelons can be grown from seed or transplants. Watermelon fruits take 35-45 days to mature from flowering. To determine the maturity of the fruit, look for the curly tendril opposite the fruit which should be brown and withered; the ground spot under the fruit changes from white to yellow; and the skin color changes from shiny to dull. The rind color should be right for the variety with a waxy bloom. Probably the most important indicator of ripeness is the underside, which sets on the ground. Pick watermelons as they ripen. Watermelon will store for 1-2 weeks if held at 45-50ºF. Uncut watermelons have a shorter refrigerator life, so store at room temperature until ready to chill and eat. Tightly cover cut pieces in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Watermelons are generally warm-season crops that achieve prime quality when grown under warm, sunny conditions. Cool, cloudy weather may result in watermelons with inferior quality. Soils with a history of watermelon diseases should be avoided or fumigated to avoid problems. Litter from previous crops should be disked and deep turned with a plow two to four weeks prior to planting to ensure its decomposition. Diseases are important in determining the success or failure of watermelon production. Certain diseases have destroyed entire watermelon crops in some areas even when the weather conditions favored their development. If disease control practices are not followed, some loss can be expected every year from foliage and stem diseases. There even lies the risk of attack by a variety of insect pests. Certain insect management practices can be used to ensure cost-effective control decisions.

Watermelons require great attention and care to develop into the best variety. The methods adapted for their cultivation depends on the growth and amount of production. Demand for watermelons is particularly high in the US, where 136,400 acres of watermelons had been harvested in 2005! In fact, demand for watermelons has constantly been on the rise. People are acknowledging its health benefits and are keen to intake all the goodness that it provides.

Working in an office can be a great way to keep your bills paid and generate funds for recreational time, but whether you are a corporate CEO, the administrative assistant, or the mail room clerk, it is important to your personal well being and to your level of productivity to have an inspiring work environment.

Decades ago, companies like Hewlett Packard found that the use of color therapy would promote higher production levels as well as fewer health risks and decreased sick days in their employees. Along with removing the "drab" from their workplace, they increased the health of their work force. They had their lounges, foyers, and cubicles painted a soft plum shade and placed soft off-white office furniture throughout the entire building; thereby, increasing employee performance and their edge in the workplace.

Similar tests conducted today show that employees confined to office spaces for eight to twelve hours a day have fewer sick days, increased problem solving skills, and better idea generation when fresh flowers or plants are present. That's right, Mother Nature still knows best. It appears we are at our brightest and best in the presence of nature. Maybe it's the fresh air plants generate stimulating our brains or maybe just the colors. Whatever it is, flowers and plants give workers an edge in productivity.

There has been a lot of research studies done regarding thinking skills. In fact a recent study done by doctors at Texas A&M University shows that problem solving skills and creativity were enhanced by adding flowers or plants to the setting. Regardless of age or gender, skills such as innovative thinking and formulating solutions improved. Better yet, there were signs of increased motivation and achievement satisfaction in the presence of flowers.

A study conducted at the University of New Jersey sited that, "When gifts of equal monetary value were given, people had a more favorable response to the gift of flowers." The folks just felt good all over days after receiving floral gifts. There's another benefit; the affects of receiving flowers lasts for days.

It seems simple really, but as in all things, the simplest things are sometimes the hardest to grasp. Put a vase of flowers on your assistant's desk and reap the benefits of new attitudes, ideas, and productivity. It isn't just a way to get more work out of your employees, it is a way to say, "Thanks for a job well done." It is a way to say, "Welcome to all who enter your doors." Or, maybe it just says, "We are connected to our environment." What ever the message, it will be a positive one.

So, the old adage," Say it with flowers" really is true. It works, and you can't argue with what works. We all need inspiration in our work environments, and flowers and plants are naturally endowed to inspire.

Generating new ideas is easy if you know the right techniques. Here are five I came up with while watching the snow fall outside the window. Those are followed by a few suggestions for creating new ideas.

1. A new kind of answering machine. Answering machines have our own messages, prerecorded messages, and funny messages. How about an answering machine that has different messages depending on who is calling? The idea here is to have the machine connected to the caller ID. If no data is available a generic message plays. But if it is one of the numbers you programmed to hear a certain message, the caller gets a personalized response. "Hi mom, I'm not here right now, but don't worry..."

2. Could mosquito blood solve a crime? This idea may be more suited to a fiction story than real police work, but the idea is logical. If a suspect says he wasn't in an area and the police need to prove he was, they could test the blood collected by mosquitoes for the suspect's DNA. Since mosquitoes don't travel far, determining that he was there by finding his DNA in this way would be fairly conclusive.

3. Power naps have been shown to reduce stress and increase productivity. The problem if you work in a busy office or busy city is finding a quiet place to take one, and being able to fall asleep quickly. A storefront operation that has something like tanning booths may be the answer. With proven brainwave entrainment CDs to listen too, sleep would come easily and quickly.

4. Withdrawn children were found to permanently change their behavior and join in activities with others, after watching a video of similarly withdrawn children joining the group. Why not apply that idea to a series of videos. Make motivational "story videos" in which someone like you learns to do whatever you want to do (learn to dance, speak in front of a crowd, or whatever). Done with many types of people, so you could choose one with a character most like yourself, to make it more realistic and motivating.

5. Multiple plot-line novels. The new idea here is to use the internet to publish a novel that is really a dozen or more stories in one. The reader chooses which way the story should go, and so clicks through to the pages that complete that version of the story. This has been proposed for books before, but with paper books it becomes too cumbersome.

Learn a few good techniques, and you can come up with a hundred new ideas in an evening of brainstorming. Some of the best are the simplest as well. Getting the new answering machine idea, for example, involved nothing more than looking at my answering machine and asking what could be changed.

Another simple technique is to simply find a new application for an existing idea, which is how I arrived at the idea for the motivational videos. There are dozens of these techniques. Of course some of the ideas above may already be put into use by others by the time you read this, which points up another important fact about new ideas: It is a lot easier to have them than to do something with them.