Finding Time For Marketing! - How To Have Time To Market As Well As Deliver Your Coaching Services

Introduction

How do coaches find time to market when we are busy delivering our coaching services? My research indicates that this one of the biggest problems faced by coaches who are beginning to get clients.

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When I asked coaches, they expressed the problem like this:

o "...creating a balance between spending time selling and marketing and actually coaching."

o "Finding the time to win the business as well as deliver."

o " ...getting the 'Marketing and doing' balance right."

o "Finding the time to do everything myself (produce product, market, deliver)."

You Must Market Your Coaching Services

Of course, unless we're actively marketing, our flow of work is going to dry up. So marketing is vital - it's the lifeblood of our business. If we are not working on our marketing every waking hour while we're not actually delivering, what are we doing in business?

To paraphrase Dan Kennedy, from his book No BS Direct Marketing - "Your business is the business of marketing of your coaching practice".

So we must deliver and we must market. But how can we do both?

The EASED Process

The key is in my EASED process. EASED stands for Eliminate, Automate, Simplify, Execute and Delegate. It allows you to categorise the work you do and find more effective solutions for its completion.

What Do You Spend Your Time Doing?

First, let's see what you're actually doing. Take a look at a typical week and see where you spend your time. Write down all the major tasks you undertake. This includes your delivery of coaching services, your marketing activities and everything else that doesn't contribute to your business.
Look at your list - it's probably quite long. For each item, we're going to be asking - "Do I really need to be doing all of that?"

So let's start the EASED process with Eliminate.

Eliminate

Firstly, what can you Eliminate from your stack of work with no impact to your marketing or delivery? In this category you might find time spent watching TV, playing video games, surfing the 'net - stuff you like but that doesn't contribute to your business. Also in this category is low value activities - stuff you don't get paid for and that would have no real impact if you didn't do it.

So, once you've identified what these activities are - just stop doing them! You will probably find you will immediately have more time on your hands.

Automate

The next category is Automate. Have another look at the remaining tasks you perform. The increasing numbers of online and PC-based tools available mean that today many tasks can be automated. What are your marketing and administration tasks that you can automate? Talk to other coaches to see what systems they use.

The secret here is to find automated systems that do the work for you. Examples here might be 1shoppingcart or other autoresponders to keep in touch with your client and prospect list. It might include having an online system to take booking requests and accept client payments automatically.

As this area of technology moves fast, it pays to check often on the current position.

Simplify

Once you've Eliminated and Automated tasks, what tasks can you Simplify? How can you make what you have to do easier and have it take less time?

Simplifying means organising your resources so they're close at hand. It means reducing the standards for completion of non-essential tasks. It means making processes easier to operate and taking out non-essential activities from them.

You can simplify not only marketing and coaching delivery tasks, but also your home management activities. For example, can you use online shopping and delivery to save yourself two hours a week?

Execute

Now we come to the remaining and core activities of your business. These include tasks only you can do and tasks that could be completed by others.

Execute tasks are those you must do yourself - this naturally includes the delivery of your coaching services. But it also includes a proportion of your marketing tasks. Here, it's helpful to distinguish between content and process. You need to provide the content for your marketing - the text for your sales letters and your website content.

But others can manage the processes of marketing for you. This might include setting up your website or blog in the first place, uploading your sales pages to the internet, sending out your weekly newsletter, managing your autoresponders and making telephone calls to arrange coaching sessions or meetings.

The key is being ruthless about what do you HAVE to do. If a task is not focused around your core skills, and high-value added activities, you shouldn't be doing it.

And that leads us to the final part of the EASED model - Delegate.

Delegate

After you've gone through the Execute phase, you'll have some tasks that are candidates for delegation. These will probably include aspects of the administration of your business and aspects of the process of your marketing. They may also include elements of your home-life like childcare or cleaning.

Your potential task list may be quite long, and you know there are many tasks that you could usefully delegate. But, I also know what you're going to say next.

But I can't afford to pay staff...

No, not many start-up coaches can afford to pay full-time, permanent staff. But you don't need to do that yet. Just look at the list of tasks you had from above, and the ones that you could delegate.

Now consider these options:

o Get yourself a cleaner, order groceries online and delegate other non-business related time-consuming tasks.

o Consider getting part-time typing assistance from a temp agency or from personal contacts.

o Hire a VA - a Virtual Assistant.

o Use resources for specific tasks from http://www.elance.com .

But, But... Don't All Of These Cost Money?

Yes they do. And that's the wrong question. The right question is, if this frees me up and allows me to get one paid coaching session extra per week, what is that worth?

Let's say it costs you £15 per hour for admin support - for a VA perhaps. And let's say your coaching fees are only £80 per hour. You could pay for five hours of your admin and marketing time a week, if you got just one ongoing coaching session per week.

Now, what would five hours of marketing per week, every week give you, or get for you? Hmmmm... Just a thought...

Summary

This article has outlined my EASED process for categorising tasks in your coaching practice that can be Eliminated, Automated, Simplified, Executed by you or Delegated. What from this article could you put in place in your coaching practice this week?

Finding Time For Marketing! - How To Have Time To Market As Well As Deliver Your Coaching Services

Top 8 iPad Games You Should Play

If you're a fan of iPad games, then you'll be glad to know there are tons of them in the App Store. Be it an action, strategy, card, adventure of RPG game, you'll definitely be spoilt for choice.

I've consolidated below a list of the top 8 iPad games that you should not miss playing. Check them out and maximize the usage of your iPad!

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1. Angry Birds
This iPad game has been in the top of the chart from the time it had been released and is much similar in concept to the usual two dimensional physics puzzles.

The main goal of the game is to destroy the evil piggies in every stage with the help of birds each possessing its own unique power. This game is a perfect fit for your iPad screen and is a great game to start with.

2. Babylonian Twist
If you are in search of a challenging game, then this is the one for you. Originated in the 90's, the game is filled with art and puzzles and is a fun ride from start till the end.

3. Battle for Wesnoth HD
You would never have experienced a strategy game this deep in its features and elements. The game combines levelling systems, bonus mechanisms and military technique methods from various games providing an overall gaming experience.

4. Broken Sword
This is one excellent interactive work among point-and-click games in the adventure genre for iPad games. The game allows the user to play along the shoes of any of the two characters in the story. It also contains mesmerizing animation work and numerous user-friendly features including a hint providing system.

5. Civilization Revolution
This is the version of the Classic City franchise and has been a hit from the time it was launched. It is one game on the Apple iPad that you should look at buying if you are looking for a very high quality product.

6. Dizzypad
This iPad game is available for free in its classic modes though the multi-player version is charged. The game revolves around the plot of basic survival where you (the frog) need to jump obstacles and land on lily pads to ensure your safety.

7. Fieldrunners for iPad
This is a more easy-to-handle and interactive version of the fieldrunners game designed for iPhone. This popular tower defence game also has a good amount of post-release support with new maps and hence provides you more and more game contents.

8. Flight Control HD
If you think you are quick in deciding and guiding, then this is the game for you where you need to plan quick and control the path for the many flights enabling a safe landing. You also have the options of 3D mode and multiplayer options in this time management game.

Conclusion
The iPad games listed above are all bound to keep you glued to them and you would find even the slightest reason for disappointment and this is just the beginning. You can find a plethora of games online and in the gaming stores that can suit your needs and taste.

Top 8 iPad Games You Should Play

Bipolar Disorder in Children - A Call For Caution

Introduction
Most treatment professionals working with children and adolescents are acutely aware of the rise in the rate at which children and adolescents, but most significantly pre-pubescent children, are being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. While estimates vary from article to article, it is interesting to note several recently reported statistics. The New York Times, in an article released in September of 2007, noted that in the 10 year span from 1993 to 2003, there was a forty-fold increase in the rate at which this population was being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, while a more scholarly article (Youngstrom, 2005) noted that marked increases had been found in the rate of diagnosing in children of those involved with Child Protective Services in Illinois. Other writers have pointed to this sharp increase in the rate, some positively (NYT, 2007, Papalos and Papalos, 2006), even saying that there needs to be even more of an increase. Others, however, have expressed alarm at this sharp increase, and have pleaded with professionals to have a more conservative approach to diagnosing this in pre-adults. There is much debate in the field, hotly opinioned views, and contention in the field brought on by the huge gulf between the most liberal, and the most conservative, in terms of this diagnosis. To some extent, this divide is evident between Psychiatrists and Psychologists, and indeed, the previously noted NY Times article pointed out that 90% of the diagnosing of Bipolar Disorder in children was being done by psychiatrists. However, there are many other mental health professionals, including psychologists and other non-psychiatric folk in the field, who take the liberal approach shared by many psychiatrists.

What Drives us to Diagnose Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents?
For those who advocate earlier diagnosing, one of the most commonly quoted reasons is prevention: prevention of a poor childhood, prevention of academic difficulties, prevention of social failure, prevention of kindling, etc. The risk, proponents of earlier diagnosing opine, is that failure to act is a disservice to the child, and to those involved in the child's life. This has been the stated reason driving such professionals as Dr. Dimitri Papalos and his wife, Janice Papalos, and of others, and indeed, any professional with any modicum of empathy has most certainly considered this when reflecting on a case of possible Bipolar Disorder in a child or adolescent. For, if indeed, allowing a child to pass through their childhood without appropriate treatment sentences them to a substandard future, who among us would hesitate to act? The problem is that it is not entirely clear that we have gotten this right, and it is most certainly not clear that what appears to be Bipolar Disorder in children will follow the child into adulthood.

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What is this animal we call Childhood Bipolar Disorder?
In adulthood, it is well-accepted that Bipolar Disorder involves discrete periods of Mania, and discrete periods of Depression. Of course, there are the murkier cases involving Mixed episodes, though it is well-accepted that such cases do indeed occur in adulthood. However, as we descend retrospectively into childhood, the waters become murkier and murkier. What does Bipolar Disorder look like in early adolescence? What about late prepubescence? And what about the very young? A review of the literature (Papalos and Papalos, 2006, Youngstrom, 2005, Danner-Ogston, et al, in press, Geller, 1997, etc.) reveals opinions that span the spectrum from the very conservative (let's keep things as they were), to the very liberal (let's diagnose in infancy). Each opinion is justified in some sort of logical argument or another, but most importantly, there is no consensus, and strong evidence supporting a call for caution.

Conservative Approach
The conservative approach to diagnosing Bipolar Disorder in children is to keep things as they are. In other words, the child/adolescent must meet the criteria for Major Depression, and for Mania, in terms of severity of symptoms, and duration of the moods. In this approach, the child would need to evidence severe depression for a week, in most cases, and would have to evince chronic mania for the better part of a week, before they could be considered for the diagnosis. In instances in which there was thought to be a Mixed Episode, these duration criteria could be waived, but the severity criteria could not.

Liberal Approach
In the more liberal approach, opinions vary, but there is a general relaxation of the duration and frequency criteria, to the point that in the most liberal approach, children can cycle from minute to minute! Also noted in the more liberal approach is the tendency to re-define what comprises depression or mania in children, with the most liberal approach defining mania as consisting primarily of chronic and severe irritation, or general anger issues. Depression, in this approach, may primarily manifest as anger, or social withdraw.

Interim Conclusion
The problem with the conservative approach, in some professionals' views, is that we are potentially missing children who should have the diagnosis and treatment. And indeed, when a child or adolescent has significant emotional or behavioral issues, and is not treated, their life does often go from bad to worse. The problem with the liberal approach is that treatment, which is led by the medical approach, involves the introduction of potentially toxic psychotropics into the child's body. Most of the psychotropics used to treat Bipolar Disorder in children and adolescents are prescribed 'off label,' without the sanctioning of the FDA, and without knowledge of the potential long-term side effects of such treatment on the developing body and brain.

Current Research
Because of the saliency of this particular area of mental health, there has been a great deal of research in the past decade or more. NIMH, NAMI, and other organizations have funded multiple studies to answer questions related to this debate. Books have been written on this, including the infamous The Bipolar Child (Papalos and Papalos, 2006, and earlier editions), The Everything Parents Guide to Children With Bipolar Disorder, and others. So what is the state of the science? What do we know?

According to Papalos and Papalos, in an informal research study which involved polling parents who had identified their child as Bipolar, there was a great deal of diversity in what might be seen in a child or adolescent with Bipolar Disorder. Papalos identified traits of moodiness, nightmares, sleep problems, sensory integration difficulties, extreme temper tantrums, depression, food sensitivities, anxiety, hyperactivity, impulsivity, distractibility, oppositional traits, and other traits. Indeed, they were of the mind that because Bipolar Disorder spanned such an array of symptoms (many of which were found in other childhood mental disorders, such as Autism, Asperger's, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, etc), one should diagnose this disorder first, and then consider additional diagnoses if the symptoms were not fully explained by the first diagnosis. While Papalos and Papalos's conclusions were by far the most extreme, there are many researchers who feel that a much more liberal interpretation of what Bipolar Disorder is in children, is needed, though they do not go to the extremes that Papalos and Papalos do. The consensus seems to be that children with Bipolar Disorder will not have the same measures of frequency and duration noted in adulthood. Most liberal diagnosticians maintain that children and young adolescents could 'cycle daily, and that they may not demonstrate traditional mania, and that their depression may not necessarily be debilitating. Most liberal diagnosticians also maintain that irritability is part of what may be mania, and that Bipolar Children seem to have severe anger problems. Questions that have not be definitively answered center around differential diagnoses (is it Bipolar Disorder, or PTSD, or both? etc).

What if the 'liberals' are right?
If the liberal approach holds up to the scrutiny of time and research, then there are many children who have been provided with attention and treatment, rightly so, which may prevent future problems. Such a proactive approach may well improve public opinion of the mental health field, as well, and may increase funding directed towards mental health problems, or insurance recognition of mental health problems.

What if the 'conservatives' are right?
If the conservatives are right, then we potentially have a public disaster on our hands. Treatment of children and young adolescents with Bipolar medications is unproven, sometimes-to-often ineffective, and marred by the many side effects and potential long term damage that could occur. Bipolar medications can cause agitation, increased behavioral difficulty, moodiness, weight gain, shaking, tiredness, and potentially more serious problems, such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a sometimes deadly skin disease, tremors, seizures, and death. As well, it may be that teaching a child that they have less control over their emotions and behaviors than a typical child, or that they have no control, could cause them to give up and to actually worsen in their behaviors. Also, there are some that opine that parlaying medications on children at a young age imbues in them a strong belief that substances are the answer for their ills ... and how far down the road from that is the belief that illicit substances may be the answer?

How well are we doing?
Given all the concerns, how are we doing? What do we know about the effectiveness of the more liberal diagnostic and treatment approach? Reviewing the literature, the results are not encouraging. For instance, Dr. March, of Duke University, points out that we have no idea whether children diagnosed at the age of 5 to 7 will actually be Bipolar when they are older. In the NYT article, it is noted that most of the research suggests that these kids are most likely to have depression as they get older, rather than Bipolar Disorder. Generally, it appears that medications often do not address the bulk of the symptoms, and it does appear that their strongest effect is in the sedation category, which is a double-edged sword. Specifically, the child or young adolescent is more manageable, and less volatile, but they also are sometimes less able to focus on academics, and may experience major personality shifts with undesirable effects on their social success. Mood stabilization is often an elusive goal, even with heavy psychopharmacological intervention, and in some instances the mood becomes more unstable during pharmacological treatment. The side effects also often become an issue in and of themselves, necessitating additional medications, diet changes, changes in academic approaches, and even requiring adjustments in the general expectations of the child's ability to function in their world. In some instances, the medications make the child potentially eligible for disability benefits, because of the debilitating effects they have on their functioning. As well, in many instances the pharmacological interventions are being guided by overworked and overwhelmed child and adolescent psychiatrists, who cannot spend the time needed to fully evaluate the child and their needs, and who often are pressured by pharmacological companies, directly and indirectly, to prescribe a particular medication, or to identify a certain portion of their caseload as Bipolar. Overall, even if one accepts the thinking that Bipolar Disorder in children and adolescents is under diagnosed, and that they should be treated with medications, the end result is often partial to full failure in addressing the issue.

Are we missing something?
Researcher completed by Martin Teicher, M.D., Ph.D., (2000) suggests that early trauma, be it sexual, physical, or verbal, has a potentially long-term effect on the developing brain. Indeed, his research indicates that such trauma, and particularly (interestingly) verbal abuse, effects long-term changes in the corpus callosum, and in the precuses, as well as in the hypothalamus, as well as in other areas. The corpus callosum is important in balancing out the right and left brain, and those with underdeveloped corpus collosi tend to be very reactive or unbalanced in their approach to problem solving (interpret: overly emotional and emotionally reactive ... in other words, more likely to be angry, violent, or irrational). Those with underdeveloped precueses tend to be less logical, less integrated in their personality, and generally inappropriate in their reactions. Thus, in his view, many of the behavioral and mood issues that we see in the prepubescent or post-pubescent child may be a result of those early childhood experiences. In other words, he is proving something clinicians on the front line have thought all along: subjecting a child to abuse tends to cause them to experience major personality shifts, and they are often violent and emotional. If Dr. Teicher prevails at the end of the day, it may well be that what we thought was Childhood Bipolar Disorder was actually a trauma disorder. And the implications of that: The difference between labeling the child as potentially temporarily impaired, or permanently impaired.

Conclusion:
There is much debate about the frequency by which Childhood Bipolar Disorder occurs in children and adolescents. There is no questioning the conclusion that this is an important area to explore, as the implications for this disorder over the lifetime of a person are serious. However, we need to get it right, because if not, we will either have undiagnosed cases that permanently alter the child's/adolescent's chances for success, or we will have over medicated children struggling to progress under the weight of the side effects of unnecessary medication. Ultimately, it is science that should clear the air ... good, logical, replicable science that will show us what Bipolar Disorder probably looks like, if it indeed exists, in Children. Until we have a scientific consensus, however, caution seems advisable, and the more conservative approach would be to consider other, less long-term conceptualizations for the child's symptom set.

Bibliography

Allen, Michael H. Approaches to the Treatment of Mania. Medscape Today CME activity. Sept 2003, medscape.com
Boodman, S. - 2005 - Going to Extremes - Experts Question Rise in Pediatric Diagnosis of Bipolar Illness, a Serious Mood Disorder. The Washington Post, 2/15/05. pg HE01.
Carey, Benedict - September 3, 2007 - More Children Being Treated For Bipolar Disorder - New York Times.
Costello, E.J.; Angold, A.; Burns, B.J.; Stangl, D.K.; Tweed, D.L.; Erkanli, A.; Worthman, C.M. (1996). The Great Smoky Mountains Study of Youth. Goals, design, methods, and the prevalence of DSM-III-R Disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, V53, n12.
Danner-Ogston, S., Young, M.D. & Fristad, M.A. (in press). Assessment of bipolar disorder in children. In J. Matson, F. Andrasik & M.L. Matson (Eds.) Assessing Childhood Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities, NY: Springer.
DelBello, Melissa P, Strakowski, Stephen M, Zimmerman, Molly E, Hawkins, John M, Sax, Kenji W (1999). MRI Analysis of the Cerebellum in Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Study. Neuropsychopharmacology (1999) 21 63-68.
Dennison, Z.; Teskey, G.C.; Cain, D.P. (1995) Persistence of kindling: Effect of Partial Kindling, retention interval, kindling site, and stimulation parameters. Epilepsy Research, V21 (3), pp171-182.
Dopheide, Julia A. (2006). Recognizing and Treating Depression in Children and Adolescents. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2006; 63(3): 233-243.
DSM-IV-TR - American Psychiatric Association - 1994
Geller, B; Luby, J. (1997). Child and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder: A Review of the Past 10 Years. J. Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatry 36: 1168-1176.
Haugaard, Jeffrey J. (2004). Recognizing and Treating Uncommon Behavioral and Emotoinal Disorders in Children and Adolescents Who have been Severely Maltreated: Bipolar Disorders. Child Maltreatment, 9; 131.
Hazell, PL; Carr, V; Lewin, TJ; Sly, K (2003). Manic Symptoms in young males with ADHD predict functioning but not diagnosis after 6 years. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42 (5), 552-560.
Hlastala, S; Ellen, F; Kowalaski, Jeanne; Sherrill, J.T.; Tu, Xin M.; Anderson, B; Kupfer, D.J. (2000) Stressful Life Events, Bipolar Disorder, and the Kindling Model. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, vol. 109, n. 4, pp. 777-786.
Kowatch, Robert A. , Fristad, Mary, Birmaher, Boris, Dineen Wagner, K; Findling, Robert; Hellander, M (AND THE WORKGROUP MEMBERS) (2005). Treatment Guidelines for Children and Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder: Child Psychiatric Workgroup on Bipolar Disorder. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2005;44(3):213-235.
Lewinsohn, Peter M, Daniel N Klein, John R Seeley (2000) Bipolar disorder during adolescence and young adulthood in a community sample Bipolar Disorders 2 (3.2), 281-293.
MacReady, N. (2006). Mapping the Brain's Mysteries: At the forefront of today's imaging revolution, mind explorers use a futuristic atlas to discover how healthy and diseased brains work. Neurology Now. Vol 2 (3), May/June 2006, pp 10-13.
McNicholas, F.; Baird, G. (2000). Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder and ADHD: Diagnostic Confusion Due to Co-Morbidity: Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 5; 595.
Miklowitz, D. J.; Otto, Michael W; Frank, Elllen; Reilly-Harrington, Noreen A.; Wisniewski, Stephen R/.; Kogan, Jane N.; Nierenberg, Andrew A.; Calabrese, Joseph R.; Marangell, Lauren B.; Gyulai, L.; Araga, M.; Gonzalez, J.M.; Hierley, Edwin R.; Thase, Michael E.; Sachs, Gary S. Psychosocial Treatment for Bipolar Depression: A 1-year Randomized Trial From the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64:419-427
Papalos, D; Papalos, J. The Bipolar Child. Broadway Books, 2006 Third Edition.
NIMH Website: nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolarupdate.cfm
Trillian's Depression Page. concernedcounseling.com/communities/bipolar/trillian/lithium_2.htm
Tillman, R; Geller, B; Nickelsburg, M.J.; Bolhofner, K; Craney, J.L.; DelBello, M.P.; Wigh, W. (2003). Life events in a prepubertal and early adolescent bipolar disorder phenotype compared to attention-deficit hyperactive and normal controls. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Fall; 13 (3): 243-1.
Wagner, K (2000). Childhood Bipolar Disorder. Psychiatric Times, May 2000, Vol. XVII, Issue 5
Wikipedia - Occam's razor. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_Razor
Youngstrom, E.A., Findling, R. L., Calabrese, J.R., Gracious, B.L., Demeter, C., DelPorto Bedoya, D., Price, M. (2004). Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of Six PotentialScreening Instruments for Bipolar Disorder in Youths Aged 5 to 17 YearsJ. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc
Copyright June 2008. These articles cannot be used in any fashion without the explicit permission of the author, except for individual use.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition, and is for the sole purpose of providing alternate perspectives. If you feel that a mental health condition exists in yourself or the person you are reading this article for, you are advised to seek out psychological or psychiatric services.

Bipolar Disorder in Children - A Call For Caution

Is an Aircraft an Aeroplane Or the Other Way Round? The Importance of Proper Terminology

The word game

A lot of air traffic management related material passes through our hands, usually to be checked with a view to ensuring quality of content and consistency of the terminology. There is a disturbing trend that is becoming more and more evident with the passage of time. The documents show a deteriorating level of quality in respect of terminology use.

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Why is this a problem? Unless they have been sensitized to the issue, the authors of those documents may not feel particularly disturbed by the fact that they use the terms aircraft, aeroplane or airplane interchangeably in their text, they may even feel that the varied use of words reflects better writing style. But in technical documents, the terms used must all have their precise definition and it is not enough to find a given word in a Webster's Dictionary.

Let's have a look at these three words, aircraft, aeroplane, and airplane. They are all English words and they all mean something that flies. Very true. But there are many things that "fly", from hot air balloons to helicopters and, depending on how you define "fly", even hovercraft. So how do we know which exactly a given text refers to if it is not clear from the context?

If you see a piece of text that says "a flashing white light shall be displayed on all aircraft" and then another one that says "a flashing white light shall be displayed on all aeroplanes" and you own a helicopter, a glider and a hot air balloon, which one would you need to equip based on the first requirement? And the second?

Although I assume you know the answer without the explanation that follows, it is still interesting to look at these terms in more detail.

First and foremost, we have to say good-by to the term "airplane", at least in the international context. Only aircraft and aeroplane have been defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

An aircraft is any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reaction of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth's surface.

A aeroplane is a power-driven heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed under given conditions of flight.

So what do these definitions tell us? A hovercraft is not an aircraft (reactions of the air against the earth's surface) and a glider is not an aeroplane (power driven) but it is an aircraft. A balloon is an aircraft but it is not an aeroplane... and so on.

As you can see, expressing requirements, infrastructure suitability and services desired does need proper terminology use, otherwise things quickly become ambiguous, leading to misunderstanding and endless discussions.

We used the terms aircraft and aeroplane (the subject of the most common errors) as examples but there are scores of other terms which, if used improperly or inconsistently, can lead to serious problems of understanding.

A few simple rules can help

Proper terminology use is not rocket science. It needs good knowledge of the subject and a bit of discipline. Here are a few simple rules that can help.

• If there is an ICAO defined term for something, use it. ICAO has developed definitions for the terms it uses in the provisions aviation the world over follows. Using terms as defined by ICAO provides immediate benefits in terms of consistency with ICAO documents and documents derived from them. Those definitions are also consistent among themselves.
• If there is no ICAO definition but a definition from another big organization, use it. In some cases ICAO may be lagging behind developments and they may not have a definition (yet) for a term or the term is not used in the ICAO provisions. Some other organization may however have developed a definition that is widely accepted or even standardized. In such cases, this recognized definition should be used and the source clearly identified. There may be several definitions from different sources... use the one that appears to be the most appropriate but use it everywhere consistently.
• Create your own definition. In some cases you may find that a term that nobody has yet given a definition needs to be understood in a particular way and only that way. Create your own definition and use it consistently across your documents. It is also a good idea to try and promote your new definition. If you had a need for it, so might do others. The wider it will be used, the better for overall consistency.
• When a term has multiple meanings. A great example of this is air-side and land-side, two terms that divide an airport in two, one you might call the public area and one restricted to passengers and employees only. The trouble is, there are at least two schools of thought on where the dividing line is between the air-side and the land-side. Although the dividing line is always artificial and arbitrary, its actual position does make a difference to the processes that extend across the division. In such cases feel free to adopt whichever dividing line position is best for you, however, always state clearly where the boundary between air-side and land-side is (or any other aspect the given term requires). A clear indication mitigates the negative effects of this kind of multiple usage.
• Be consistent. Perhaps the most important rule is to be consistent. There is only one thing worse than using undefined terms or terms with the wrong definition and that is using terms inconsistently across a document. Inconsistent use of technical terms is the surest way of confusing the reader.

What about abbreviations?

Few disciplines in the world are so prolific with creating abbreviations as aviation. When we speak, the uninitiated may think we are using some kind of secret code language... Worse, we tend to assume that each of us knows all the abbreviations from every part of the business while in fact CUTE (Common User Terminal Equipment) may mean nothing to an air traffic controller while ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) may sound like a four letter word to a check-in agent. To managers higher up, who may have come from the financial world, neither CUTE nor ATIS may say much except if there is a price put against them... So what to do with abbreviations?

Here again the main rules are: use accepted abbreviations whenever possible and be consistent at all times. Include a list of abbreviations in all technical documents and consider writing the words full out (followed by the abbreviation) when first used in the text.

Avoid creating new abbreviations. Of course this is not always possible, if nothing else, there are new working groups, new processes, new equipment and they all crave their own, easy to remember names. So, go ahead and come up with new abbreviations but do try to avoid re-using abbreviations that already have a well established meaning. You may feel that your field is stronger and you will eventually squeeze out the other guy but believe me, not paying attention to this will only confuse everybody.

What if you are writing in your national language?

Whether you are writing in English or your national language, the guidelines are the same. But, they may not be so easily implemented if the terminology has not yet been introduced into your language to the same level of detail as it is in English. There may be opportunities to be a pioneer in enriching the local language with the required new terms... In some cases trying to force consistency and new terms onto the professional writing scene may not be easy or appreciated by your peers. Use good arguments and examples similar to those above to convince them of the importance of proper terminology use.

The responsibility of SESAR, NextGen and SWIM

Experts in Europe and the United States are busy writing the blue prints for the next generation air traffic management systems SESAR and NextGen respectively. Those systems will introduce new concepts, new technologies and new processes, each bringing with them their specific terms and abbreviations.

System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is something that draws heavily on ideas first put forward in the general information technology field, with SWIM applying those things in an aviation context.

All the above activities will be generating tons of new documents which must be consistent across the board, both in terms of the old definitions and abbreviations and the new ones they will be introducing. Their responsibility is huge if we consider that the SESAR and NextGen documents will determine for decades to come what is called what and what we mean by what.

Get it wrong or inconsistent and future generations will struggle with the inconsistent, diverging terminology for a long time to come.

The new documents we see to-day are cause for concern and show signs of people ignoring the simplest rules of terminology use. They must remember that at the end of the day, we will all need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt whether we need to bolt that flashing white light onto the particular flying machine we own. Only consistent, proper terminology can help in deciding...

Is an Aircraft an Aeroplane Or the Other Way Round? The Importance of Proper Terminology

Plasma Display and Its Advantages

What is Plasma? Plasma is an electrically charged noble gas (typically argon, xenon, or neon) pack in millions of compartments between two panes of transistor-covered glass. An electrical charge is applied to the gas to produce or make it glow red, green, or blue. Like a cathode ray tube where cells red, green, or blue are illuminated to create an image, Plasma works very much same with the cathode ray tube process . Some great improvements in plasma screens include longer life spans and anti-burn-in features. One drawback of plasma screens in the past was that, plasma could not generate the color black; it was more of a gray. New systems have overcome this drawback with new black drive systems and improved ratio contrasts.

Plasma is considered to be one of the most versatile media available today. Some of the advantages of Plasma displays are: The content for plasma displays is easy to create and manage, especially with a solid software program. The installation and maintenance are relatively simple. And digital signage is found everywhere - in shopping malls, airports, restaurants, convention centers, trade shows, and now even the health care industry making it a familiar medium to consumers.

Content Management System

Plasma display is used in retail environment to promote in-store sales of their products. To display enlarged images, multiple units are arranged in groups of four, six, or nine units. Creating a dramatic effect with multiple units is successful when displaying music videos, usually in shopping malls. Plasma signage is also known to larger viewers, usually representing multiple advertisers, when placed in venues such as airports, stadiums, trade shows, and theme parks. Plasma display is also used in professional settings such as banks, universities, hospitals, and offices where the messages are provided directly to the particular needs of the clientele.

Plasma Display and Its Advantages

An Overview Of Blackberry 6.0 On The 9800 Torch

The Blackberry 9800 Torch is one of a number of new generation handsets from RIM to sport the upgraded Blackberry 6.0 operating system. Let's take a look at some of the new and improved features and how they benefit users during day to day use.

When you take a look at the homescreen of the 6.0 OS, you immediately get the sense that it has been set up with convenience in mind. Large icons for the more commonly used features such as SMS and phonecalls functions as well as social networking feeds are all displayed on the homescreen, with a number showing any updates, or unread messages and missed calls etc. Additionally, users can also set web shortcuts. This is perfect for those who visit a particular website or websites frequently. Simply tap the screen on the appropriate shortcut, and away you go. This saves the laborious task of entering the URL into the web browser every time. Also, Blackberry Messenger contacts can also be assigned shortcuts, again ideal for those who regularly BBM the same contact(s).

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Another new feature of the Blackberry 6.0 OS, which is particularly suited to the Blackberry Torch, is the media folder. It contains shortcuts for a number of the multimedia functions of the handset, and with several on offer, having a separate folder adds to the convenience to regular users. Here you can find access to your music tracks and photos as well as video files and even games. Another folder which is included as standard is the Downloads folder. Everything that is downloaded is stored here by default, making everything easy to find. Of course, the content of this folder can be moved to other areas to suit the individual's needs, but keeps things simple and manageable throughout the entire process.

By tapping the bar at the top of the homescreen (where the date and time are displayed), a drop down menus is revealed. This allows users to manage their connections to various networks such as Wi-Fi and allows Bluetooth to be turned on or off. You also have to option to switch to aeroplane mode. It is rare to see these options available just one tap away from the homescreen, and many are sure to find this very useful.

A new and improved universal search option is also included. By tapping the icon on the homescreen, users can enter a search term either with the onscreen QWERTY keyboard which is automatically displayed, and a number of results will be shown from different areas of the handset. Another way to use this feature is to start typing on the Blackberry Torch's slide out keyboard, and this automatically opens the search feature. Being universal, results from all areas of the phone are included. For example, the handset will look for your search term in all the files stored on the phone, such as your MS Word documents, as well as search through your phonebook and Blackberry Messenger contacts. A shortcut for Google search will also be displayed, which offers instant access to the search results from Google. This makes it very easy to search the web, as you do not have to open your web browser before you start your search.

This article highlights just a few of the features of the new Blackberry 6.0 operating system. It is one of the most appealing attributes of the Blackberry Torch handset. The hardware of the device is perfectly suited to this advanced, versatile and easy to use software. If you have used a previous version of the Blackberry operating system, then you will hit the ground running with this software. There is nothing new to learn to make the most of Blackberry 6.0, whilst simultaneously offering a wealth of new and convenient features.

An Overview Of Blackberry 6.0 On The 9800 Torch

How to Resize Partition on Windows 7 System

Occasionally you would like to shrink the partition volume of your Windows 7 operating system as you have considered trying installing an additional operating system, otherwise you just need to split your files throughout different partitions. That it is very easy to shrink or boost the size of a partition within your Windows 7 system while not having to turn to using 3rd party tools.

Firstly, all you need to do is click the Start, and go on and click on the Control Panel. Then proceed to the utility identified as Administrative Tools, otherwise you can enter in the command "partition" inside the search box and after that click on the choice to "Create and format hard drive partitions" in the Administrative Tools. Once you are planning to finish up with the window for your Disk Management utility inside Windows. This utility will provide you with all of the different hard drives, optical drives, and flash drives you have in your system and their related partitions. Basically right-click on the partition you wish to change the size and choose "Shrink Volume." It will supply you with a dialog box which will show you it is analyzing the contents of the partition and in a couple of seconds or minutes, it will offer you a new dialog that will enable you to type in the new size you wish your partition to acquire.

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You'll have the whole size, in advance of shrinking, the space available to shrink, as well as the the volume to shrink it to. Before you decide to do this, it is always recommended that you defragment the partition for the reason that there'll be certain files existing all around the disk that wont be capable of being moved while doing this process that can only be moved while being defragmented. When you have selected to resize the partition, it will take a while, and then you will find that there is now some unallocated space next to your partition. Or, if you made a decision to enhance the size, any unallocated space that could have been completely needed, would have been absorbed from your partition. To boost the size of the partition, simple right click on the partition, and choose "Extend Volume" as an alternative.

Some situation calls for attention, problems may appear while resizing your partitions. This possibility is higher even further in the event that the drive is extremely fragmented. To keep yourself from this risk, it is always essential to backup your data before trying this action as well as defragment your partitions. It is advisable to resize partitions which contain files you are not concerned about. It really is even better if there is nothing in the partitions.

How to Resize Partition on Windows 7 System

Top Ten Tips to Rent Your Holiday Villa!

Renting your holiday home isn't easy. You would think with the volume of people doing so it would suggest it is. With the economy driving your custom away it is crucial you get your marketing mix right from day one to pull in your potential customers. So where do you start? Well by reading this you already have! My top ten tips are designed to get you started on where to look to research the market and how to get maximum exposure for minimum outlay. But remember, nothing is free in life and anyone telling you it is be wary of.

So here goes with the count down!

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1. Advertise.

There really isn't a need to have a huge budget to set yourself off on the road. Start with your family and friends. Make sure everyone in your immediate circle knows about your holiday home rental. Print off some appealing pictures of your new home and make up some posters for the notice boards that you have access to. You will be able to place them in lots of places, think about your work, social, family connections and wider public display boards you have access to. Get some business cards printed and hand them out to everyone you know or meet.

2. Get an online presence.

There is no need to go diving straight in for websites that charge you to be displayed. Many internet 'experts' will point you to Alexa.com for traffic statistics and Google 'page-ranked' websites that have huge traffic going to them. The problem with them is they also have huge volumes of villas! I always advocate dividing their traffic by the volume of villas and going by that ratio. If the area your villa or apartment is in is over populated on a website you are one of many competing for a very divided audience of visitors. Ask the website for the volume of visitors viewing your villas destination to give you a better understanding of the competition you face for the volume of visitors. If they won't tell you walk away because they do know the answer to this question! You will need to shine above all to get the visitors attention and it may prove very difficult for you. This is a reason many villa owners get lots of 'enquiries' but not many bookings from this type of site. You will find that enquiries consist of two or three lines with a basic question about your villa. You can bet the visitor has sent this to several villa owners and it is a 'cut and paste' enquiry.

I would advocate you go for a website that charges you when they have got you a booking!! That way 'no booking means no cost!' There is no risk to you other than the time it takes you to set it up.

There is a concept called the 'longtail' of the internet. Search Google for the term. It basically refers to the fact that many enquiries come from the same sources. The problem is that is exactly where the majority of villas will be displayed confirming the point above about your need to place your villa on websites that have a high ratio of visitors to a low ratio of villas to compete with you. It is niche marketing at its best. Place your villa where the visitors that visit the site are looking for villas in your 'class' of property. Is it luxury, standard or basic?

3. Get your own website.

This does not need to be all 'flash' but can be basic. Your guests are looking for images and descriptions not web tech!! You need to appeal to their 'psychographic being' not their technophobia. So high quality images are in, detailed emotive descriptions are in, flash, whistles and bangs are out! You need to display a value proposition to your potential customer. A holiday is exactly that so you need to appeal to the experience they are going to have through your descriptive writing and images that clearly show what they are going to get. Bang for the buck!

It is highly likely your web visitor will have searched for flights to their destination before finding your website. So if you can show them an availability chart that is very important because you may catch them there and then with your availability. It is also important to allow them the possibility to be able to book with you online. This is for two major reasons. Firstly, you will capture them and stop them from searching your competition. It is good to offer incentives to book online to encourage this. Secondly, it is good to offer credit card payment facilities because customers know this protects their cash should they have a problem. If they pay by cheque or cash its here today gone tomorrow and many will be put off by sending cash through the post to someone they have never met! Credit cards can be claimed back if the villa didn't exist for example so it reassures your customers.

You can get basic template websites that will get you online but you won't be able to load your own booking system or calendar generally. These type of sites are usually loaded with adverts and can distract your visitor from the delights of your holiday home. They can also annoy so be careful with them. After the hard work in getting your guests to your site you really don't want to lose them because of a distracting pop up or flash banner!

Go for a website that meets your needs and displays your villa in an attractive way with booking and calendar facilities and your half way there to securing your first booking!!

4. High quality images.

These are really, really important. Ever wondered why pretty girls advertise just about everything? It's because they appeal! Your villa needs to stand out from the crowd. Will it if you run around snapping with your Kodak pocket camera!? You need to set the mood, tone and emotion. 'Stage' your pictures to draw your visitor in. Make them imagine themselves in your villa sipping that glass of wine on display or eating the freshly cut melon! Take your pictures with lots of light and from interesting angles. Above all else, unless your married to Ellie McPherson do not have anyone in the pictures!

5. Accentuate the positives.

What is your villas USP? It's unique selling point may be it's quiet position. Do not assume everyone wants to be next to nightclubs and pubs. Some want solitude and peace for their break. This maybe what distinguishes your villa from the rest so emphasise the difference in a positive light.

6. Value proposition.

All villas offer a base to explore from. All have bedrooms and living space. Why is yours different? What furnishings and features does it have? What 'service' do you offer above all the others on offer? Welcome packs? Child friendly services, toys, pushchairs, car hire? Do you pick up from the airport, do you provide an advice pack in the villa, what if there is a problem what support do you offer in resort? Lots of villas explain the rooms and pool but what about the extras. Provide a value proposition and you will be above the rest.

7. Villa management

Only use a recommended villa management company do not at any cost put it with anyone that will guarantee you a rental return that you know in your heart of hearts sounds to good to be true. There are many that promise the earth and don't deliver. Ask for at least three clients of the company's to go and speak to. Do your homework. This bit ties in to your service levels. You will need this company to provide your welcome pack and service in resort so don't leave it to chance.

8. Get insurance!

Cover yourself for all eventualities. It can be expensive and time consuming having to visit to fix a boiler. It can be even more expensive if someone has an accident. make sure you are covered for public liability and buildings and contents. If nothing else you have piece of mind! Do not sign any agreement with a villa management company giving them autonomy to 'look after the maintenance of your villa. The pool yes the boiler and furnishings no, no, no!! It is too easy while you are at home for them to allege a flood or similar and you will be asked to pay out for things that quite feasibly havn't happened. If you do go down this route think about a cooperative between owners to look after each others interests and check for faults etc.

9. Views are essential.

If you've bought a villa that looks on to the local refuse department I am sorry but no amount of advice can change your mistake! Renting starts when you visit before you sign the deeds or pick up the keys. Thinking about it afterwards is too late. Your property has to appeal and if you are thinking of renting a property that is poorly positioned you will only ever rent to friends and family; and even then probably only once.

10. Retain your customers!

Make sure you keep in contact with your customers and send them emails and updates to your prices and offers. Get to know them. What do they like and dislike, what are their circumstances? Can they fly at the drop of a hat for short notice availability? Do they holiday in the peak or off peak season? What appeals to them saving money or additional services? A new customer will cost you five times more to obtain than to retain an original one. Keep them to save money!!

Luxury villas are advertised all over the internet. Many are poorly advertised with little in terms of thought to attract the right customers. It isn't about volume its about quality. Attract the right customers and you really don't need to be the biggest website in the world just the best at niche marketing. Happy renting!

Top Ten Tips to Rent Your Holiday Villa!

Get Ready For the Hybrid Worker

Pink is not my color. Especially when it comes in the form of a layoff slip. There's a whole world of hurt from the current economic crisis, not least of which is a maelstrom of maladies in our workplace with layoff at the forefront. It seems to be an equal opportunity caring not for educational degree, longevity, passion or initiative. Like a deadly airborne pandemic, layoff is a nasty, ugly, wretched thing in which you really aren't sure where it will land and who it will infect next. Still, not all is doom and gloom. Just as we saw the hybrid engine result from the convergence of sky rocketing oil prices, Middle East politics and eco-friendly policies, current global events are leading to a new type of worker - perhaps even more agile and creative than previous workplace generations.

According to Gerald Celente, CEO of the Trends Research Institute "Current events predict future trends." This brings me to the revolutionary pattern beginning to brew underfoot. Do you think people are likely to risk going through another market (and ensuing job) collapse like this again? For that matter, what about organizations? I doubt employers have enjoyed this miserable fare of terminating the very life blood that makes their companies tick. Think of the pain as akin to having a bad case of shingles. I had them and can safely say I'd rather cut off my toes, rub sea salt in the wound and pour alcohol on top rather than endure the pain of those itty bitty blisters. Which is why I believe there is a trend underway for both workers and companies alike (who currently find themselves faced with the rotten prospect of no work) to forge a new way of going about work. Get ready for the hybrid worker.

Content Management System

Hybrid Workers (like busy beehive dwellers) are already at the community level.

In the winter of 2007, the Centre for Creative Communities in London wrote about the increasing visibility around a type of social worker in our neighborhoods - one who could approach a traditional struggle with an unexpected remedy. The Centre asserted that:

(There are) a growing number of people who are using creative processes to confront the complex interests, talents and problems of people and communities directly. Artists are working with hospital patients, theatre practitioners are working with young offenders, and police are working with designers on public spaces. On the fringes of all sectors new, often creative hybrid workers are emerging who deal directly with the interdependent realities of contemporary problems. It is not surprising that sectors struggle to keep up.

A current example of this hybrid approach can be found in Southern California as reported in the Los Angeles Times, January 2009:

Fire chiefs in tinder-dry Southern California, faced with lean budgets while more people squeeze into the region, are starting to rethink long-standing policies on ordering mass evacuations in a wildfire, debating whether it may be wiser in some situations to let residents stay and defend their homes.

We don't have enough resources to put an engine at every house in harm's way," said Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper. "We figure, if people are going to stay, maybe they can become part of the solution."

Local fire departments are beginning to employ training and development skills launching new programs called "Evacuate or Stay and Defend." Who would have thought that our neighborhood firefighters would also become community trainers?

In essence, the innovative marriage of skill set know-how to an existing dilemma has been in the works for some time. However, with the current economic recession in full swing, we're more likely to see this creative choreography take on a blunt workplace interpretation.

Would you like a red couch with that Excel spreadsheet?

Disaster breeds imagination. Post war ruin and natural catastrophes have historically ignited resourcefulness and creativity with entire cities, industries and individuals seeking to rebuild or re-invent themselves. It's amazing how clever people can become when faced with adversity.

Likewise, this economic calamity is giving birth to savvy approaches for surviving (and even succeeding) in a shriveling marketplace. Workers are beginning to think about unusual ways to peddle their skills apart from traditional career paths and normal disciplines. For example, I just met with a professional who for the past 18 years has been up to her eyebrows in corporate management. How is she approaching current events? She's becoming certified in interior design. The goal? To invent a new workspace where knowledge is more readily shared among co-located employees and their virtual team mates.

One company or two?

Putting all proverbial eggs into one basket is a risk many workers will become increasingly averse to adopting. This isn't only a result of the current recession, but also the emerging role Gen Y'ers will play in our workplaces. Richelle Rivera, a former Human Resources Director for a large medical device company (and now a hybrid worker herself) says:

Gen Y saw what the recession of the 80's did to their parents and vowed never to be owned by a company. That's why turnover rates in the 20 something year olds is hugely disparate to other generational groups. They're thinking about their own stability - not the organization's ability to withstand change. Many think that two years with one company is more than enough. They're big believers in not becoming overly invested in one place.

Now book end the already wary to commit Gen Y'er with the Baby Boomer who finds themselves (after decades of 60%2B work hour weeks and forfeited weekends) standing behind their children in the unemployment line. What you find is what one recently laid off baby boomer colleague summed up "I'm nauseous at the thought of going to work for one more company where I work countless hours pouring my heart and soul into it, just to have them spit me out when finances turn sour. I'm in my 50's... I can't afford to be starting a career all over again!"

As a result of the resounding cubicle call of fed up workers, you're likely to see more and more adopt a quasi-consultant and contractor role of working for more than one company at a time. By doing so, risk is spread. So if that egg basket does get dropped, all income hope is not lost.

The company's reaction? Many will advocate a part time role to cut their own operating costs. With profitability streams narrowing and costs of health care and worker's compensation insurance premiums soaring out of sync with reality, companies will court the brilliant talent at a reduced work schedule, but also at a fraction of previous talent management costs.

Are we simply going to see a resurgence of the contractor movement? After all, the recession of the 1980's is believed to have prompted use of this worker role in the first place. The difference is that in this recession there's a twist - hybrid workers will labor in more than one company concurrently... not just work on more than one project at a time.

The hybrid choreography offers a sense of fulfillment in addition to an economic safety net.

Hybrid workers are finding that the dance between skill set mix and across company lines provides a keener sense of fulfillment and expression (not to mention a prudent economic safety net). For example, take the employee who works for a large manufacturing company as their facilities coordinator but also teaches music part-time to inner city youth on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Or consider the anesthesiologist who moonlights by playing flamingo guitar at a local Spanish restaurant. Increasingly, people will want their lives to be filled with memories and rewards that extend beyond the simple affiliation a company offers.

The Great Depression of the 1930's (while sparking an unbelievable number of black bean recipes) also pulled families back to hearth and home. Who can forget Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life?" Set during the Depression, Jimmy's character "George Bailey" struggled to learn that a life invested in others is where joy resides and real treasure is found. Since the film's debut in 1946, four generations have learned from Mr. Bailey. With this recession in place, I believe we'll see more George-like moments - real epiphanies that there is more to life than money alone.

It's a world of one size fits one... not all.

From the 1980's through the millennium our management classes have been teaching that the leadership ladder requires workers to start off as specialists and then expand their capabilities mix to the point of being a generalist. Today? According to Shannon Jordan, a senior career development facilitator at a prominent telecommunications company "It's about being both. Our workplaces will require a broad base of capabilities AND expertise in targeted areas. For the last several years, we've been stressing to our workers that they display agility - and this is going to be the biggest test to date of being truly adaptable in today's setting."

Our hybrid workplace will necessitate adaptation to people, projects and processes in ways we've not yet experienced. We're likely to witness a new advertising vocabulary "boutique-like service and agility with mammoth sized capabilities".

Whether telecommuting or working on site, it's all about transferring knowledge via mass collaboration at a virtual level.

When not sitting in their home offices the hybrid worker will be driving their hybrid cars to the local Starbucks where hybrid coffee and intranet access are served.

Obviously, with the price of gas all over the map (and the push for eco-friendliness so hot) there will be added momentum to the already coveted flexibility of working from home (or the coffee shop). Besides, according to Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams, authors of the best-selling business book Wikinomics:

Millions of media buffs now use blogs, wikis, chat rooms, and personal broadcasting to add their voices to a vociferous stream of dialogue and debate called the "blogosphere." Employers drive performance by collaborating with peers across organizational boundaries, creating what we call a "wiki workplace" customers become "prosumers" by co-creating goods and services rather than simply consuming the end product. So-called supply chains work more effectively when the risk, reward, and capability to complete major projects - including massively complex projects like cars, motorcycles, and airplanes - are distributed across planetary networks of partners who work as peers.... Indeed as a growing number of firms see the benefits of mass collaboration, this new way of organizing will eventually displace the traditional corporate structures as the economy's primary engine of wealth creation.

Frank Lynch, Ph.D. and organizational learning expert, underscores what our research in knowledge transfer over the past few years has found:

When looking for interpretation of key topics, collaboration, problem solving or morale boosting, people go to people- not heavy data systems. The trick for companies today is in finding a way for people to be able to tap into their co-workers who happen to be sitting across the ocean in Melaka, Malaysia the same as they might defer to their team mates 20 feet down the hall. Finding a system that is easy to use and affords workers a positive experience of reaching out to interact with their teammates (irrespective of geography) will be a central activity.

Seeing an end to the recession will not imply resuming business as usual. Mass collaboration and knowledge transfer (on a virtual level) will be the norm. There are scores of laid off workers who know this, which is why they (within days of being laid off) have created their own websites or posted responses to net based free lance marketing sites.

To manage or not to manage, that is the question.

Let's face it. With a lay-off comes down sizing which means that flat reporting structures are in and hierarchy is out. Add to that the recent economical debacle in which Wall Street firms (as well as our own Treasury Department) have been unable or unwilling to account for billions of bail out tax dollars and you'll find that the loose strings on the financial front will trickle down and eventually be construed as short leash accountability in the workplace. The new hybrid workers will be the ones who can manage people or be managed by someone, but most importantly they will be doing a whole lot of self- managing.

We'll see individual accountability right up there with organizational ethic mantras and poetic vision prose. As more and more organizations advocate quarterly business reviews, an increasing number of workers will find themselves frequently initiating individual action plans that align with department or organizational goals while making a conscious effort to tie to tangible business results.

Additionally, it won't be enough to just create and submit a plan's progress. Each hybrid worker will follow in the footsteps of the late vaudeville entertainer W.C. Fields (adding public relations expert to their growing list of capabilities):

Tell people what you're going to tell them... tell them and then tell them what you've told them!

We live in a world changing at warp speed which requires a workforce who can do the same. Barack Obama was inaugurated today. How amazing to bear witness to this historical event. In his speech, our 44th President reminded us of the great challenges we face.

They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met... We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

Indeed. Though faced with lay off and business restructuring, we may yet re-discover the better parts of our American work ethic and heritage - the DNA handed down from our business forefathers - the ability to imagine and persevere in our pursuit of purpose, contribution and contentment.

Get ready. There's a new type of worker in our midst.

Get Ready For the Hybrid Worker

Content Management System - Choosing The Best Developer

There are loads of benefits of choosing a content management system. If you have a website, you should definitely opt for suitable content management software. You can install such a software on the website. Such a system allows the website owner to change and modify the data present on the website as and when he wishes. He does not have to hire the services of a web developer every time there is a need to make changes or modify the information on a website. The website owner can use the password and user name of such system to make the necessary changes. So, if you are searching for a tool that can allow you to change and modify the data on a website regularly, you should opt for a web content management system. With the help of such a system, managing and maintaining the information on a website is easy and convenient. However, when it comes to choosing a suitable CMS website, the first thing you should do is to choose a suitable developer.

There are a number of developers of content management systems. Most of them have websites, from where you can find information about the. There are also sites of companies that provide CMS website development services. You should research well before choosing such a developer. Given below are a few useful tips to choose the best developer:

Content Management System

The first thing you should check while choosing a developer of CMS is whether the professional has valid registrations and licenses. You must check whether the developer you are choosing is accredited by the state. In addition to that, you should know that you should know that the professionals you are choosing should have permits to develop such software.

The developer you are choosing should be experienced enough. You should check whether he is competent enough to develop the best quality system for your website. Find out whether the professional you are choosing has been in the profession for a considerable number of years. Make it a point to find out whether the professional has developed software for reputed companies' websites. You must also find out information about the background of the developer.

Do not forget to compare the cost of hiring such a professional. As there are a number of developers, you should check whether the cost of hiring the professional is well within your affordability.

So, you can see that if you know what to look for, it is easy to look for a developer of content management system.

Content Management System - Choosing The Best Developer

Affiliate Marketing Tips - How to Make Money Online Without Your Own Products

Internet marketing can be a tough challenge without the proper strategies and skills. For you to be an effective marketer, you must know the principles to follow in order to become a success. This journal consists of affiliate marketing tips which will guide you on how to become a successful online marketer.

This article saves you time and hustle by providing you with 10 affiliate marketing tips which are key essentials for positive results.

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Know the real meaning of affiliate marketing and how it can help you.

· Starting a business requires great determination but all of the effort could go into waste if a company lacks an effective program or system. The size of the corporate does not matter most; what matters is how you start and progress. First of all, you have to lay out a plan which is crucial for the business you are about to start.

Know the right market.

· Each product is designed for a specific age character, while others are meant for one sex group. Before you select a product, you must first acknowledge your target market. You should understand what they expect and how they are attracted to a similar product as yours. This gives you an idea of what to feature effectively.

Keyword research

· To be an effective marketer, you need to incorporate keyword research. This helps your clients and business associates to access your information through search engines. This is one of the key essential points for affiliate marketing. It also generates a lot of traffic for your content which contributes to growth and development. Keyword research is not only used for Search Engine Optimization, but also for linking your customers and members to your blog.

Products

· Products differ in functionality and quality. So it is important to promote a top-notch product. A brand that has made a name for itself in the market is easier to sell and advertise because the brand is already accepted by the market and you only need to make a good impression in order to sell.

Prior Contact

· This is for customers and clients who prefer to shop for products in the local market. Not everybody is keen on shopping online, which is why it is important to bond with your customers, in order to convince them of your product. This affiliate marketing tip is not only for ensuring a successful growth but a stable one as well.

Planning

· For all the affiliate marketing tips to be effective, you need a good plan on how to introduce your offer or position yourself in the marketplace. First impression is very important so do not create a negative image for your clients.

Be patient and persistent

· It takes time for a business to expand; that is why it is important for you to deliver quality standards at all times and be consistent.

Content building

· Your data should be well-managed to create an attractive interface. It should also be informal to customers and fulfill their curiosity regarding any subject.

List building

· This is a key essential for premium customers who wish to subscribe for more information. This is one of the affiliate marketing tips which will accelerate your income. The secret is that a satisfied customer will be more inclined to purchase from you again.

Generation quality traffic

· This is achieved by having a wide range of advertising agents through social networks, videos, articles and other marketing means. You will certainly generate more targeted traffic by increasing exposure to your business.

With these strategies in mind, you are guaranteed to create and implement a successful marketing plan.

Affiliate Marketing Tips - How to Make Money Online Without Your Own Products

What Actually Is Mobile Marketing?

"Mobile Marketing" is nothing but using mobile as the medium for marketing communication purposes. It can also be described as the distribution of messages through wireless networks. The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) defines Mobile Marketing as, "the use of wireless media in a cross-media marketing communications program as an integrated content delivery and direct responsive vehicle." This implies that, mobile marketing includes channels with more number of media outlets and not a single marketing channel.

With a marketing practice, an organization could communicate and get hold of their clients in a relevant manner by means of a mobile device or network. An interactive wireless media provides customers with time and location sensitive, which thereby generates value for all its stakeholders. The most significant and primary factor for the success of marketing, lies in the proper integration of mobile portion with digital media elements and other traditional elements.

Content Management System

Mobile Marketing is achieved by anyone of the following five means: Mobile via SMS, mobile via MMS, marketing through infrared, marketing via Bluetooth, in-game marketing and mobile web marketing. With a Short Message Service (SMS), an organization could get connected to its audience. Here they promote their business through SMS, on enabling the user to send short codes, thereby giving a response. MMS mobile marketing practice includes image slideshows, text, audio and video options. Color screened model mobiles, which are commonly available now-a-days has this feature of sending and receiving MMS messages.

With a mobile web marketing practice, a brand can advertise its web pages, which could also be used as the means for customer engagement. The marketing association has put forward certain guidelines and standards, which brings out the format for presentations and ads that a brand uses for promoting their web pages. As per those guidelines mobile content providers are supposed to sell their advertising placements via web pages.

Next is in-game marketing, where mobile games are used for engaging customers. This can also be referred as "adver gaming". In addition to casual games, it also includes richer games like interactive real-time 3D games, massive multi-player games and social networking games.

Mobile Marketing via Bluetooth offers a content management system with Bluetooth distribution function. Though Bluetooth technology enables wireless transmission for a specific distance, it has higher transfer speeds and radio-based technology which is free of cost. Another special advantage of using this Bluetooth facility is that it offers a permission based system. The last type of marketing is via infrared, which is the oldest form of mobile marketing. It includes the transfer of only a limited form of data by means of infrared.

What Actually Is Mobile Marketing?

3 of the 5 Ways Real Estate Can Take Advantage of Blogs and RSS

Earlier this month, Realtor Magazine announced that they would be featuring an article about Tampa Bay Realtor John Mudd and the success he has been having in attracting prospects and media attention with his blog on real estate. Since then, many others in the Real Estate market have been curious about how to implement similar strategies to capture leads in their areas.

This article is part of a series that provides insight to the unique ways that the strategy of blogging and the use of RSS and/or Atom feeds can be applied as part of your web promotion strategy.

Content Management System

1. Capture better search engine positioning for your local market with a blog.

By now it's apparent that blogs with unique content can bring you better search engine rankings. This advantage is strengthened when you use a blog software tool that enables you to publish posts on your own server, which we'll go over in more detail in part two of this article series.

RSS and Blogs bring you special web promotional opportunities that can help your blog and the site where it resides rank higher in search engines, due in part to the way they are organized. Particularly for narrow local markets, this can both widen and deepen your audience within 3 - 8 weeks with proper implementation.

By far, this is not the only benefit of blogging or RSS - though if you're looking for better organic search engine ranking across a multitude of keyword phrases, this just may be the answer for you.

2. Dominate your local niche by becoming a resource for information for home buyers and sellers in your area

The ease of publishing content to a blog, coupled with one of the easier ways to implement RSS, its accompanying feed, gives you the ability to provide fresh and relevant information, often at the same rate of time it would take to write a short email.

With the proper blog publishing system, the speed at which you can now provide information means that you can publish updates more often, drawing more attention to your web site from search engines and visitors alike.

After landing in your blog, links to other relevant parts of your site can draw visitors to the areas you most want them to pay attention to, such as your updated listings - which can also be made available via RSS if you so choose.

Why RSS?

It can mean 100% delivery of your message to your prospects, in a fashion that they choose to have pulled to them. Rather than attempting to digest all the information at your blog in one visit, they can skim your headlines, read a summary or post, and then click through to your site upon finding information that draws them in.

You can supplement this with email for users who are more comfortable with receiving your information the traditional way.

While promotion and updates via email are not necessarily to be discounted, the use of RSS and other feed formats lend themselves to additional promotional possibilities.

3. Have yet another reason to remind prospects to return to your site - and shorten the sales cycle using a multiple feed strategy

With the combined power of blogging and RSS, you can construct multiple outlets for information that are each hyper-targeted to several segments of your market. Instead of attempting to force your static web site to capture home buyers and home sellers for your area, as well as provide the statistical information on your locale, you can build several focus areas and promote them side by side.

For example, if your local area is Frederick, Maryland, you can dedicate one blog and its accompanying feed to recent Frederick listings, and then have a separate feed that automatically provides updates on area schools, crime rates, cost of living and other statistical information home buyers consider when making purchasing decisions. Separate blogs and feeds on the same site could focus on the needs of home sellers in the area

The possibilities are truly as endless as the number of markets you wish to capture.

It is often said that it may take up to seven times for a prospect who comes across a marketing message to buy. Therefore, the faster the opportunity arises for you to contact your potential client, the closer they may be to a buying decision. If you are able to provide them with the information they need to make that decision with updates from your site, the likelihood that they may ultimately make that purchase decision through you increases.

Updates to blogs and RSS feeds can give you the power to make this transition happen at a faster pace, as the production cycle of the content takes only the time you would need to publish that information.

Rather than contacting your web content management department, forwarding content, and waiting for the page to be published, then picked up by search engines, with a blog, you simply log into your administration area, type and publish.

These pages can also get picked up by search engines faster through the power of syndication - those already following your feed receive your update instantly.

There are more ways that you can use RSS to draw more qualified prospects to your business which will be covered in part two of this series.

3 of the 5 Ways Real Estate Can Take Advantage of Blogs and RSS

Choosing the Right Mobile Application Developer Isn't for the Lighthearted

The mobile App ecosystem is experiencing tremendous growth and the demand to produce these valuable pieces of real estate on the Phone-top has created an abundance of new application development companies. Although the number of new developers is not in short supply, choosing the right one isn't for the lighthearted.

Unlike choosing a web developer where there is generally one accepted language, "HTML" and one platform, "World Wide Web" that reaches 99% of web users, mobile Apps are radically different. There are 7 languages and 4 major platforms that reach about 90% of Smartphone users collectively with each operating system having about equal share i.e. no one platform or language will reach more than 25% of users;

Content Management System

The most common type of mobile application developer is the one-off variety where a developer writes code in each different language for each platform (iPhone®, iPad®, Android®, Blackberry® or Windows® Phone) one at a time. If you wish your content to be published to all 5 devices, then there will be 5 sets of code in 5 separate languages. If your content will come from an integration to your existing content management system, then there are an additional 5 "integration bridges" to be maintained in 5 languages or 5X entry to update data through a portal or multiple portals manually. If you update the App in any way, each instance of the code has to be changed and then recompiled and resubmitted to each App store for approval. Unfortunately, this not only takes time, but often, end users never download and update the App so you can have multiple versions (some dated and some outdated) in the marketplace at the same time. Most firms only offer this type of development due to limited experience in the Mobile App industry or inability to invest millions into a platform infrastructure in advance of Mobile App demand.

The "platform" is the name of the game in this technological ecosystem. It's the engine that creates the App and keeps the App operating in a very dynamic environment. Of the latter, consider this. A significant hardware and/or operating system change occurs in the smartphone market every 90 days. How will the Apps consume these rapid changes in technology? After all, terms like "iPad" and "Droid" didn't exist just a few years ago so the question must be asked--what new device will consumers rush to buy to consume your valuable content? Answer: We just don't know. But we do know that the right platform can provide future proofing technology by shifting most of the content management into a cloud server to maintain hardware compatibility (present and future).

So how do you find a mobile application development company with the right platform? Simply ask the following questions without deviation. First, make sure they deploy their technology using a platform versus the one-off approach. Second, get references and actually call them. Yes, I know. References are usually self-appointed cheerleaders but with this technology, you'll be surprised by the conversational openness, especially since references were once App virgins too. Also, make sure the mobile app development company employs a partnership and consultative approach which can be easily determined by the number of clients that continue to work with them beyond the first App development project. Next, ask for a case study and certainly, ask if they've received any media recognition for their work. And by all means, make sure there's an ongoing support and maintenance program. While the fees associated with ongoing support plans are hard to swallow at times, think of the costs and headaches if the App fails or breaks.

The good news about the bursting marketplace is that there are reputable mobile app developers doing terrific and leading-edge work. So the extra effort spent upfront in qualifying will not only provide you with a rich, robust and sturdy piece of technology, but will also save wasted time, energy and money.

Choosing the Right Mobile Application Developer Isn't for the Lighthearted

How to Create a WordPress Website in Easy Steps

The usual process in building an online site through Web hosting services is that the Web host experts design and construct the site. The owner would always have to rely on them for editing, updating, and modifying the site. The use of WordPress as a content management system (CMS) came as a breaking wind. Users have instantly been amazed at the ease of ways on how to create a WordPress Website.

Now, Website users can directly design, create, and modify their sites on their own. There is no need to coordinate with Web masters anymore to update or make changes in the site. The procedures on how to create a WordPress Website are made simpler, faster, and easier.

Content Management System

Before Creating the Site

There are several requirements before anyone can proceed to create an online site using the CMS. First, there should be a Web hosting service supporting PHP and MySQL databases. These would facilitate faster testing. To begin, WordPress source code has to be downloaded.

For a custom design/stylesheet, HTML can be prepared. The entire page should be enclosed by a 'wrapper' div. Main navigation, which is to be included in the 'header' div, should be structured to include: tags. The 'footer' div should contain the credits, copyright notice, and other information. The entire page content should be included in a single 'page' div.

How to create a WordPress Website

Unzip the downloaded WordPress source code. Go to site URL using a browser and run throughout the installation process. Prepare to set an admin password. It would be necessary to enable you to regularly login in the setup. Unzip and download a WordPress theme and put it in: '/yoursiteroot/wp-content/themes/newtheme.' Using the WordPress control panel, set Appearance, Pages, and Settings. Don't forget to save everything.

Included in the ways on how to create a WordPress Website is the customization of the site's theme. Themes are readily available to be applied to any WordPress Website. If a custom design is preferred, here are simple steps for customizing themes:

1. Open the site in an HTML editor (TextMate or Dreamweaver).
2. Go to the theme folder. There should be several PHP files, an images folder, and a stylesheet. Edit the current stylesheet to meet requirements. 'Stylesheet.css' content should be replaced with pre-defined stylesheet. Glue different PHP files together.

The steps on how to create a WordPress Website are that simple. Any user could further explore the system to discover more ways to customize, modify, and redesign his online site.

How to Create a WordPress Website in Easy Steps