Newsletter 54 - March 2008

A monthly newsletter to conduct you on the way to successful performance and harmony in your work and personal life. Every issue brings you tips for interviews, resumes, networking, and strategies for career advancement.

Welcome!
Welcome to all new and continuing subscribers! I am thankful for your support in reading, sending me your comments, and passing the newsletter to others. Please forward it today and help us increase our circulation to include even more friends.

Life in New Mexico
We are enjoying the beauties of spring here with sunny skies and warm temperatures, flowers and blooming trees (Achoo!), and later gorgeous sunsets. My lovely cat Sabrina loves basking in the sunshine and munching on leaves and grass. Life is good. Like they sing in the Shaker hymn:

"And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'twill be in the valley of love and delight."

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you haven't learned anything."

- Muhammed Ali

The common view of business networking is that it is a numbers game. It must be. Many people have told me that with great conviction. And yet I am not convinced.

So, what happens when you approach it as a matter of numbers? You go to one event after another at the chamber of commerce and professional associations. You follow the standard custom, handing your business card out to as many people as possible and collecting theirs. You get home, and what do you have? A pocket full of cards from strangers! Who are these people? How long do you keep their cards? Many of us discard those cards as soon as we remove the jacket we wore to the meeting. At the same time, we have the stunning realization that our cards will have the same fate - tossed in the trash within two weeks if not sooner. And this kind of "networking" was a good idea?

This experience is a superficial "hit and run" encounter with too many people. It may have been data overload as well. There was no leveraging of the opportunity - no depth.

What is the antidote to this insanity? How about setting an intention before each networking event that you will seek out substantive conversations with only a few people so that you will actually have a fighting chance to remember who they are. Know whom you are looking to meet. Listen carefully to learn about them and clearly articulate what you have to offer as a business or social connection. Write notes on the back of your card when you present it to someone else and add notes to theirs. Request a follow-up meeting when you find someone you want to know better. Schedule it then and there.

For a more focused approach to forging deep relationships, try informational interviews. Take one of my classes or get the informational interviews tips book.

As you gain from each new friendship, remember that you can also become a valuable resource for others. The benefit goes both ways. One good contact can lead to the next and the next and the next. As you do this intentional building of your network, you will gain "bench strength." Treat each encounter as the beginning of a relationship that could be for a lifetime and you will set a positive, productive tone. From personal experience, I can tell you this works. Enjoy!

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."

- George Washington

Teleclass at 8:00 PM Eastern time
(7:00 PM Central, 6:00 PM Mountain, 5:00 PM Pacific)

New Master Mind Groups
Are you in a Master Mind group? I am collecting interested (and interesting) people who want to join a new Master Mind group. Specifically, I have a writer/coach and a leadership consultant who are looking for a couple more people to join them in a Master Mind Group. They would like to meet regularly by phone, at least bi-weekly or monthly. Would you like to join their group?

To learn more about Master Mind groups and how you can benefit by belonging, contact me at info@one-e-anna.com

3. Career Coaching Sessions
I coach people who are looking to enjoy their work, whether that means moving up in a current job or building a new career. It doesn't matter where you live - I can coach you by phone. Want to find out more? You can easily arrange this.

Please contact me at info@one-e-anna.com and I will follow up with you to schedule a free consultation - no strings attached!

4. Humor from Resumes
My sister sent this collection of excerpts from resumes and cover letters, printed in a 1997 issue of Fortune magazine. This is the second in a series. There were plenty of regrettable quotes!

1.

I was working for my mom until she decided to move.

2.

Marital status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved. No commitments.

3.

I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.

4.

I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail.

5.

I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and absolutely nothing.

6.

My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.

7.

I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant.

8.

As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments.

My Books!
Two of my books are now available in the Resources section of my website:
www.one-e-anna.com

Please click on the link to go there and purchase these useful and inexpensive guides: 64 Tips for Informational Interviews and the Master Mind Moderator Toolkit. Thank you!

Reminder - Amazon Associate!
I am an Amazon Associate. That means that my website visitors can order books from my website. I am an Amazon Associate. That means that my website visitors can order books from my website. So, if you have been meaning to get specific books that I mention in the course of my newsletters or coaching sessions, please go to the Resource Links on my website and buy a book. www.one-e-anna.com/resources.htm

By the way, once you have arrived at the Amazon site, you can order any books you like, not just the ones I have listed.

Thinking about retirement? Check into the great resources and coaching available with Laurie Geary, Certified Retirement Coach at www.ingearcoaching.com Laurie also offers coaching for people in transition of all kinds.

A Map for Joy by Teri Johnson contains lessons and exercises that truly lead you to a joyful life. Go to www.intrepid-communications.com to purchase your copy

A terrific site for business owners - Maria Marsala, former Wall Street trader and now business consultant, coach, and trainer has classes and other resources that are well worth the visit to www.coachmaria.com

Attention, Trainers!
Many of our readers are in the training profession, so I am happy to tell you about a new ezine for you. Please visit the website of Ellen Dowling and subscribe to her monthly newsletter, "The Standup Trainer." www.standuptrainer.com

Every issue will provide you with valuable training tips and a dose of Ellen's signature sense of humor. Enjoy!

I recommend
Jay Block Presents "Any Idiot Can Make It Through a Good Day" - a set of two CDS with Jay's program on how to think positive in difficult times. Learn the proven techniques of emotional channeling and the 10 Principles of Success. Go to www.jayblock.com for more information and to order.

Tips Booklets Online
Too many heavy books cluttering up your house or office? Paulette Ensign offers a vast array of tips booklets online for only $4.77 each! When you order an online book, it often arrives in your e-mail within minutes! No waiting for the mail to arrive every day and watching for that book you wanted. And - you won't have to search for it on bookshelves if you save it into a folder on your computer. Check out her website at www.tipsbooklets.com and peruse the titles there. Examples: 101 Travel Tips for Women, 113 Ideas To Secure Your Financial Future, and Presenting Your Message Like You Mean It

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Click on the link here to read past issues of the newsletter at
www.one-e-anna.com/newsletters.htm