Author Archives: Kim Clark

Business Strategy , , Leave a comment

Raise Prices? In This Economy?

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An effective pricing strategy is essential to every business,  because one goes into business to make money.  Freelancers and business owners deserve to be paid just as every worker expects payment for services or labor performed.  Determining how to price products is fairly straightforward  (what is the cost of materials? what is the price of labor?),  but pricing services,  especially intangibles,  can be daunting.  Many Freelancers operate in the knowledge economy  (e.g., providing leadership training)  and it’s not always possible to benchmark your prices against that of competitors’.

Add to the mix that clients are well aware that they have the upper hand in nearly all fee negotiations.  Exploitation is alive and well and there can be shameless manipulation to obtain your top-drawer services at bargain-basement prices.  The smug assumption is that if you refuse to work dirt cheap,  then it will be easy enough to find someone else who will.

Then there are the  “clients”  who request free services in exchange for  “opportunities for exposure”  or  “future paid work”  that I strongly suspect never materializes.  (Why would it?  Once you’ve built their website for free,  they no longer need you.)   In my experience,  nonprofits are the worse offenders and they do it with a clear conscience.  They rationalize their disrespectful behavior because their budgets are thinly stretched and their organization is all about doing good.  Ha!

Yes,  there is risk to raising prices in this climate of hyper cost-consciousness,  but every once in a while one must raise prices and there may be compelling reasons to do so now.  Your price increase may be in response to any number of factors,  not the least of which is to synchronize the value you bring with the fees you charge.  Or maybe you just plain old need more money to maintain your preferred standard of living as you hand over more money than you should for groceries and gasoline.

The art of pricing is to charge a fee that simultaneously reflects your perceived value to clients and allows you to achieve your desired bottom line.  To that end,  you can discover useful competitive intelligence at http://gsa.gov/mobis and learn what others in your specialty charge the US government for consulting services rendered.

To access,  see the search box at top right and enter a professional category  (e.g. project management).  Scroll through the businesses listed until you find one based in your geography.  Look to the right,  click  “terms and conditions”  and view the services and prices revealed.

If you learn that your prices are rather low by comparison,  then it might be time for a price increase.  Additionally,  if clients remark that your services are a wonderful bargain,  then it’s definitely time to give yourself a raise.

Be aware that billing practices can either help or hinder the introduction and acceptance of a price increase.  It’s easier to bill by the hour and for small jobs that may suffice.  But hourly billing can expose you to haggling over your hourly rate,  making a price increase unpalatable for those who’ve worked with you before.

A flat project fee holds many advantages and typically benefits both Freelancer and client.  A project fee also makes it easier to institute your price increase.  To make sure that you don’t lose money on a job,  obtain written project specifications  (to avoid  “mission creep”)  and calculate the number of hours/week it should take to successfully complete the job.

Be sure to add in at least 2 – 3 hours extra per week to accommodate unexpected delays.  You may even choose to discount your  (discreetly increased)  fee somewhat,  in exchange for the stability of working on a long-term project  (because those extra hours allotted may not all be used).  Furthermore,  you should also specify a weekly cap for hours worked and set an hourly rate for time worked in excess of the cap.

Your mission,  should you decide to accept,  is to get paid what you’re worth.  Investigate MOBIS to learn how your prices compare to competitors’.  Whatever your pricing,  if you feel that an increase is in order,  be strategic about your approach.

Billing a flat project fee whenever possible is likely to be helpful to you and your clients  (they’ll know the project cost up front).  A modest price increase may be best,  or perhaps increase only the prices of selected services.  Most of all,  as discussed in previous posts,  you must work with the right clients and sell the value of your services.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Technology / Office , , Leave a comment

Mine Your Search Engine Data

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What are interested parties interested in when they visit your website?  That very critical marketing intelligence is often not quite obvious when we plan and contract to build our website. We know to include a description of the products and/or services we sell.  Those who sell products on their site know to include an e-commerce function.  Those who schedule on-line appointments know to include a booking function and perhaps also a pay online feature.

But what information,  surveys,  videos,  white papers or whatever grab attention and keep visitors on a certain website page and convey details that prospective customers need to make a decision about doing business with you,  helping to convert prospects into customers?  Well,  you have to build the thing before you figure out the nuances of what information and features best serve your prospects and business,  but once you’ve done that Google Analytics can help in a big way and as of September 29,  even more than before.  Let’s take a look at Site Search Analysis (SSA) and two new Google offerings,  Real-Time Analytics and Analytics Premium.

SSA functions as  Search Engine Optimization  (SEO)  for your website,  extracting  and reporting valuable data about  site visitors that will provide clues on how to effectively fine-tune the sales tool that is your website.  This is not inbound lead generation  (nor is it actual SEO).  SSA analyzes data generated by your website’s own search engine.  Analytics Premium and Real-Time Analytics will make the information more timely and comprehensive.

The big advantage of Real-Time Analytics is that it will produce a set of reports that show what’s happening on your website as it happens.  You will receive instant insight into the visit count and much other valuable information about what resonates with visitors directly from the search engine of your website.  Real-Time will also measure the activity of social media linked to your website and it will allow you to monitor the impact of new content and marketing campaigns.  Once you’re registered with Google Analytics,  you must enable the Real-Time feature by clicking “new version.”

The more traffic your website receives and the more search queries occur,  the more extensive and revealing the story.  The data from this internal search process will identify what prospective customers want from your website and your business.  What are they curious about?  What information do they seek?  SSA internal search data lets you know the ways your website does and does not deliver information and answer visitor’s questions.

You will be able to evaluate website content—do you provide enough of the right information,  do you tell the right story in the way that prospective customers can understand?  Or you may have the right content,  but analyzing search data can tell you if visitors to your site somehow become frustrated and wind up exiting the site,  perhaps because the desired information is hard to find because it’s buried somewhere that prospects don’t expect to find it,  meaning you need to re-arrange and re-configure pages.  Maybe your information needs to be presented in a more eye-catching fashion or the text and terms used should be clarified,  expressed in language that your clients use and will better understand?

Analytics Premium is a paid service that reportedly will produce more specific website traffic data than the free service.  Premium will offer more customizable variables and downloadable reports.   There will also be guaranteed service level agreements for data collection,  processing and reporting,  plus  24/7  customer service reps available to assist with installing the program.

In closing,  I offer you a caveat:  SSA provides much intriguing data about how prospective customers respond to your website,  but you have to interpret the meaning of it all and decide what smart thing to do with the information.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Survival Strategies , , 6 Comments

Pick the Right Clients

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As a coda to last week’s post about understanding,  communicating and being rewarded with money and respect for your value, I add thoughts about how to recognize good and bad prospective clients so that you will be positioned to sell on value and avoid being treated as a mere commodity.

As mentioned last week,  it’s important to develop the confidence to understand and accept that your services are not meant for every possible prospect.  Those who intend to exploit and devalue Freelancers will get us nothing but a knot in the stomach and lousy pay.

I know all too well,  however,  that sometimes it’s about paying the rent and keeping the phone on.  Who among us has not worked with a client who was a complete jerk early in the game,  but we kept telling ourselves that we’re pros,  we’ll make it work,  just get the frigging money and pay the g-d bills?

Other times,  it’s about getting the right name on the client list and catapulting yourself to the next level.  So you roll with the punches and vow never to work with the SOB ever again.  Even billionaires wind up doing business with those they’d rather not, so they can stay billionaires.  Business is like that.

Yet we do have some measure of control over the clients we work with,  no matter how dismal the economy.  It starts with our very own business model and whom we envision as our target clients: Fortune 1000s and large not-for-profits,  arts or social service organizations,  medical device and biotech.  Perhaps you decline to pursue chemical companies that create seeds for genetically engineered crops,  or tobacco companies,  or start-ups of any kind.

Whoever your target clients,  you must avoid like the plague those who display disrespectful or unethical behavior.  The sorting process takes place in the initial meetings.  First,  pay attention to how the particulars of the project and its scope are presented.  There should be attainable goals,  specific deliverables,  a clear idea of what your role will be and a reasonable project time-table.

The client should probably do 70% of the talking in your first meeting,  but there should be space for you to add your insights to the discussion as well.  Your second clue is,  have you been invited to add your thoughts about possible solutions and strategies,  or is your prospective client the supreme expert who casts you in the role of supplicant?

Several months ago,  I spoke with a prospect who had one set of goals during a phone meeting and our first face to face and a rather different set of goals in our second meeting.  Our first meeting was great,  our second meeting was revealing.  The prospect did all the talking and blocked a true dialogue.  Goals had changed and they seemed unattainable to me.  My perspective was not sought and my value seemed unappreciated.  Further talks were postponed as the prospect decided to take a vacation.  Eventually,  she opted to shelve the project. I was furious at the time but  now realize that she did me a favor.

As you get to know your prospective client do not ignore how he/she speaks in reference to other Freelancers with whom he/she may have worked.  Very early in Freelancing,  I met a prospect who was oh,  so charming in meeting #1.  But in the second meeting,  he showed his true colors by making frequent references to how he was reliably able to hire Freelancers to work  “cheap”.  Also,  as he described the project,  my role and the deliverable,  he stipulated ridiculously scant hours and short time frame for project completion.

Definitely,  I should have walked right out of that clown’s office after politely suggesting that it might be best if he contacted one of his  “cheap”  Freelancers for that assignment  (I wanted to, believe me).  But I was needy and desperate for both money and a better client list,  so I meekly sat there and sucked up the attack on my professional value,  signed the contract and began work.

The whole impossible task was going nowhere and I was not even close to producing the deliverable as scheduled when lucky for me,  a ranking staff member realized the whole thing was untenable and stepped in to work with me.  That staff member understood my value and appreciated the contributions that I made to setting the stage for the project’s eventual successful completion (and also ensured that I was paid on time).

So what is the moral of this story?  As always,  learn to appreciate and communicate your value as a competent professional and insist that all who aspire to work with you do so as well.  It’s the only way to be a successful Freelancer.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Sales , , 1 Comment

Sell on Value

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According to business experts,  it costs 5x more in resources to acquire a new client than it does to retain an existing client.  That cost is probably greater for those of us who specialize in providing intangible services,  where relationships and reputation exert a huge influence on the ability to attract clients and generate billable hours.

It is therefore imperative to 1.) Expertly communicate a strong value proposition and 2.) Unfailingly meet client expectations,  even when the client doesn’t really know what the expectations could or should be.  Those of us in the service business,  tangible and intangible,  must learn how to make the customer feel as though he/she has won by doing business with us.

To successfully compete as a service provider involves confidence,  reputation,  personality and selling skills.  Have the confidence to believe in your value as a highly qualified expert in your field.  Develop the selling skills to communicate your value with self-assurance  (but never arrogance)  in a way that is easily understood and targets the needs of your prospective clients.  Make clients and prospects feel as if doing business with you is a very smart decision.

Accept that you are not mass market and that your services are not a fit for every potential client.  It’s been estimated that 1/3 of customers are focused primarily on price.  Do not waste your time with such individuals because they are not for you.  Most are negative and difficult to work with,  because they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Sell your unique value by building a portfolio of success stories to trot out and demonstrate the excellent results that you reliably deliver.  Use those stories to inspire confidence in your abilities  (in both the client and yourself).  Turn your client list into your sales force by obtaining word-of-mouth endorsements whenever possible.  Build trust in your professional capabilities.

Continue to demonstrate your value by fine tuning your listening skills,  so you will hear and understand both what your client wants and also what he/she really needs  (and that may not be the same thing)  and how you can best apply your talents to the project in a way that the client will come out feeling like a winner,  believing that hiring you was a smart decision.  Express your answers by using the client’s own words and phrases when possible,  using language that the client will relate to and appreciate.

Emphasize the customer service that you are known to provide,  the prompt response to client questions and needs and also your sensitivity to costs  (despite your premium pricing).  Let clients know that it’s actually less costly to travel first class.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Survival Strategies , Leave a comment

Make the Right Decisions and Do the Right Thing

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I’m back with more on decision-making because in this perilous economic climate,  which shows no signs of abating,  the ability to make good decisions is so crucial.  Our survival depends upon being able to size up a situation or puzzle through a dilemma and make wise choices that will put us on the right path,  whether we are Freelancers,  business owners or employed/unemployed professionals.

But then again,  when in history has good decision-making not  been an important skill? The results of wise decisions made by the pharaohs in Egypt gave the world a magnificent civilization that thrived for 3000 years and the architectural wonders that are the Sphinx and the pyramids.  Doing business has always been about making decisions,  in ancient times and the present.

Often,  we must make decisions fast and on the fly.  Data available may be incomplete and possibly unreliable.  The ground shifts underfoot and the clock is ticking.  We’re anxious and stressed,  maybe borderline panicky.  Critical thinking is probably clouded by our biases,  born of preferences,  fears and past experiences that we pass off as intuition or gut feelings.  It’s disturbingly easy to be blind to the smart decision that is staring us in the face.

But if we intend to survive and maybe even thrive,  we have to learn to play the had that’s dealt and that means making the right decisions in a timely fashion because time is money.  We can get some much-needed assistance from author Guy Hale,  who provides useful guidance on how we can learn to make credible decisions in an imperfect world in his book  “Think Fast: Accurate Decision-Making, Problem-Solving and Planning” (2011).  Hale recommends the following:

I.  Figure things out
Analyze your situation and see the big picture.  Gain an understanding of how and why you are faced with this decision.  Did your actions,  or inaction,  bring you to this point,  or was it circumstance? Discover the root cause.

Maybe your decision is a positive one,  like you’ve been invited to work with a new client or form a strategic partnership with a colleague.  You’ll need to determine whether the arrangement is likely to be a good fit and that means weighing your options and making a decision. 

II.  Plan and act
Identify the time frame in which you must respond.  Identify potential obstacles and risks and the unknowns that may impact the outcome of the decision,  to the best of your ability.  Identify factors in your favor and how you can best employ and magnify them to your advantage.  Draw up a list of people who will become your allies,  willing to help you if needed and do the same to identify those likely to oppose you.

Use scenario planning to project possible outcomes for the decision: best-case scenario,  worse-case scenario and a couple more that split the difference.  Consider the short and long-term consequences of your choices and think also about who and what will be impacted by what you decide and how they are likely to react.

III.  Factor in Murphy’s Law
Do whatever you can to prevent events from turning sour by controlling everything that you can control,  while recognizing that some things may not go according to plan.  Have Plan B  (and maybe also Plan C)  ready to roll,  just in case.  Know that you’ve been thorough and diligent in your decision-making process and have faith.  Try to relax and roll with the punches and learn from any errors in judgment.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

Survival Strategies , Leave a comment

Decisions, Decisions

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We’re in business and all day long there are decisions to make.  Which business strategies look the most promising?  How should I price my services for this project?  Is the money they want to attend this conference really worth it?  If I pay this guy to make my website more interactive am I really going to get more billable hours out of it,  or will Mr. Web Developer be the only one getting paid in this deal?  Everyone in business had better have sharp decision-making skills,  because everything we do hinges on our judgment,   including how to interpret the data used in data-driven decision-making.

Eventually,  decision-making makes our brains tired.  Our thinking gets fuzzy and we might even become irrational.  We’re unable to stay focused and we make careless errors.  We sometimes do and say stupid things.  The name of this condition is called decision fatigue.  We bring it on by making too many decisions.

By the end of the day,  we’ve waded through so many choices and options that we get punch-drunk.  We don’t realize it,  but the more choices—i.e. decisions—we make throughout the day,  the more difficult it becomes for the brain’s cognitive processes to efficiently make another,  and still another,  choice.  Return emails now or at the end of the day?  Finish the report that’s due tomorrow or listen to a webinar? Green salad or fruit salad for lunch?

Energy and willpower eventually become depleted,  we lose self-control and we screw up.  We blow off the diet and the gym and dive into a bag of cookies instead.  We forget our budget and buy shoes we don’t need.  We ignore the report that’s due and read the Onion.

To get some rest,  our tired brains prod us to look for shortcuts and we become sloppy or reckless.  We may act impulsively because we don’t have the mental energy to consider the big picture and weigh the consequences of our actions.  We are prone to taking the easy way and that can mean doing nothing—which is a decision in itself,  but it doesn’t feel that way to the brain.  Of course,  avoiding a decision can cause problems in the long run but in the here and now,  we may just decide to  “table”  the decision.

But we have work to do and decisions to make,  so what should we do when we need to do the right thing?  Social psychologist Roy Bauminster studied mental discipline at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.  His work indicates that it’s best to make important decisions in the morning after eating a light,  nutritious breakfast.  Our brains derive energy from healthy food and that helps us to comprehend and value long-term prospects and bolsters decision-making ability.  In the morning we have enough willpower to exercise the self-control needed for making important strategic or financial decisions.

Bauminster advises that we tackle the big decisions first,  before we have to make numerous smaller decisions that will sap energy and lead to decision fatigue.  In practice,  schedule your client meetings for early in the day,  before late afternoon whenever possible.  Write and pitch proposals early in the day.

But then again…Bauminster’s findings indicate to me that it’s possible to get a proposal slipped into the budget late in the day, when your client is a bit tired and defenses are down.  You may alternatively have a good proposal rejected because the client is too tired to decide and it’s easy to turn you down.  It’s a roll of the dice,  I suppose.

Also,  where does this leave the night people?  The energy derived from nutritious food holds the key.  Bauminster found that decisions and choices made immediately before lunch were often less than optimal,  so if you’re more of a night person,  making decisions and seeing clients in the two hours after lunch may work.  Discussing business deals over lunch or dinner can also be beneficial  (for any of us, actually,  even morning people like me).  You must decide.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Professional Development , , Leave a comment

Get Power Point Right

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All right,  we’re concluding the  “make the most of summer”  theme by taking a look at Power Point and how we can buff up our expertise.  As we all know,  a vital ongoing business goal for Freelancers is staying visible within our client and referral pool.  That means one of your objectives as we approach September and the fourth quarter is to nail down a speaking gig at a business or professional association that is frequented by potential clients and referral sources.  That could cause you to use Power Point.

The technology has been around for 20 years but most people,  including frequent users,  still get Power Point wrong.  We put too much stuff on our slides.  Someone tells us we should liven things up and recommends that we use Clip Art,  so we throw that in plus some cheesy slide transitions,  too,  to make sure that our audience stays awake.  We use too many slides because we depend on Power Point like a crutch to move our presentation along,  rather than using our words and insights to create the flow.

I understand that when teaching a course there will be perhaps many slides and more text than in a presentation for a meeting or conference.  Nevertheless,  instructors and presenters need to unchain themselves from Power Point tyranny and learn to use the technology to its full advantage.  Here are a few guidelines that will help you to finally get Power Point right:

  • Tell a compelling story that the audience will value and understand.  The story must have a beginning,  middle and end.
  • Frame the big issue that you must address at the beginning; then discuss the major challenges and opportunities that will impact that challenge; state the solution at the end.  Conclude with a summary of key points to wrap things up.
  • Distill the major points: give broad strokes and avoid complex details.
  • Sprinkle in a few relevant charts and graphs that support your story.  They also provide visual interest.
  • Use bullet points.  Communicate in short and powerful statements,  not paragraphs.
  • Do not clutter your slides with text.  Do not use  “busy”  charts or graphs.  Make the slides clear and easy to read.
  • Check your spelling and grammar.
  • Keep the fonts consistent and background colors and designs appropriate to your topic and audience.  Avoid Clip Art and distracting slide transitions.
  • Practice your presentation and ensure that your dialogue and slides work together smoothly.
  • Be enthusiastic,  be confident and engage your audience.  Have fun!

 

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Administrative , , Leave a comment

Take a Vacation

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It’s a counterintuitive approach,  but if you want to work smarter and be more productive,  then take a few days off and go away on vacation.  I realize that can be easier said than done for Freelancers and others in the billable hours universe.  Especially in a soft economy,  many of us are doing all we can to cover the monthly bills and the thought of slacking off on business pursuits is almost unthinkable.

Yet,  numerous researchers have demonstrated that vacations are comparable to a process improvement in your business,  resulting in increased productivity and efficiency.  Vacation does not mean that you no longer value the clients.  In order to avoid burnout and keep your batteries charged,  taking time off and traveling to a place that allows you to relax and unwind is a wise business strategy that pays personal and professional dividends. 

Every once in a while,  humans need to forget about work and relax and enjoy ourselves.  Recent research has shown that  a three to five day mini-vacation,  rather than the traditional two week time frame,  gives the most enjoyment.   As luck would have it,  that is exactly what fits well into a Freelancer’s often erratic project-based schedule.

A 2010 study by Jeroen Nawijn,  a lecturer at Breda University of applied Sciences in The Netherlands,  found that for most people,  the planning activities and anticipation provide more satisfaction than the actual vacation.  Nawijn suggests that if possible,  several three to five day trips should be scheduled throughout the year to reap the maximum benefits of the vacation experience,  starting with the fun we have doing the planning and enjoying the anticipation of the big adventure.  As further evidence,  psychologists Leigh Thompson of Northwestern University and Terence Mitchell of the University of Washington came to the same conclusion in their 1997 study of the psychological effects of vacations for workers.

Thompson and Mitchell suggest that vacationers participate in activities that completely absorb their attention.  Lolling on the beach and drinking pineapple rum punch is very nice,  but activities are more effective in helping us to disengage from work and business pressures and get the process of true relaxation underway.  That could be visiting museums,  touring the city,  hiking,  touring vineyards,  browsing at the bazaar,  or whatever else strikes your fancy.

It’s also recommended that you unplug your electronic toys and take a break from email and voicemail.  You might miss something,  but you’ll get over it.  In exchange,  you’ll receive the many benefits our brains and psyches derive from decreased stress.  A 2009 Boston Consulting Group study showed that taking time off results in improved communication skills,  decision-making ability and problem-solving ability,  plus decreased burnout and stress and higher productivity. 

I guess we can sum it up by saying that if we don’t take a few days off work every now and again,  we’ll just get tired and cranky and less effective.  We also won’t absorb information or learn as well,  which is why public schools give students 5 days off every three months or so.

I’m happy to tell all of you that I finally took a vacation myself,  after not taking any time off in about three years.  I spent 5 days on the coast of Maine.  I did not check email or voicemail.  I also missed my friend Jeremiah’s party (damn!),  but what can I say?  I had a great time soaking up sunshine,  drinking wine,  eating lobster,  visiting art galleries and taking in the sights.  I feel so much better!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Professional Development , , Leave a comment

Business Books to Read Summer 2011

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Our Summer idyll will end in just a couple of weeks, but there’s still time to squeeze in some all-important professional development and maybe a meeting with a promising prospect, too.  Freelancers cannot afford to merely work hard when September rolls around.  We must also work smart.  I’m lucky to have discovered a trove of worthwhile business books that will make me smarter and I’m happy to pass along my take on what I’ve read.

The books will teach us effective ways to turn prospects into clients (sell only to VITOs),  how to devise business goals and strategies that will ensure our long-term success (because the red ocean is where you’ll drown)  and that  y=f(x) —and how to apply that formula to make both our own and our clients’ business processes operate more efficiently and profitably (what’s your sigma?).

The Borders book chain is going out of business, so why not make the most of that sad event and scoop up a few titles on the cheap? What’s not left on the shelves at Borders can be checked out of your local library.  Get started now on creating both a strong fourth quarter and laying the groundwork for a financially healthy 2012.

The Secrets of VITO: Think and Sell Like a CEO (2002)  Anthony Parinello
If Freelancers expect to convince decision-makers to award us assignments,  it is imperative that we understand what motivates them to hire us.  This astute and sophisticated book helps Freelancers understand the standard concerns,  priorities and mindset of the typical CEO or organization leader.  Learn how to win trust and convey expertise.  Learn smart ways to approach, persuade,  negotiate with and sell to those who can either veto or green-light our projects.

Blue Ocean Strategy (2005)  W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

Blue Oceans represent untapped markets and undiscovered customer preferences.  Who knew they craved Sony’s Walkman or Apple’s iPod until the marketing campaign told them so?  Red Oceans represent mature,  shrinking and highly competitive markets.  Remain there and your business will surely operate in the red and perish. This classic guide to innovative strategy development shows Freelancers,  business owners,  corporate execs and nonprofit organization leaders how to pursue fearless, rational and uncomplicated approaches that will redefine and energize strategic direction,  articulation of the value proposition, the business model and marketing.

Six Sigma for Dummies (2005)  Neil DeCarlo, Craig Gygi and Bruce Williams

Six Sigma is a highly sophisticated and exacting data-driven process improvement system that was originally designed for manufacturing companies.  However,  the system can be successfully applied to service delivery as well,  from hospitals and health clinics to restaurants and financial institutions.  Six Sigma will substantively minimize errors and inefficient practices in product manufacturing and service delivery systems.  The material is complex,  but the book is well-written and very clear.  I found that anyone whose work involves operations,  strategy or finance will benefit from exposure to the basics of Six Sigma, whether or not you become formally trained in its tenets.  You’re bound to gain useful insights on how to accurately measure, assess and streamline the delivery of your organization’s products or services.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

Professional Development , , Leave a comment

Summer Reading List

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For just about all of us,  the school year Summer Break meant having fun: hanging out with friends,  going on picnics and trips to the beach,  summer camp and family vacations.  Yet Summer was not all fun.  When I reached high school,  Mom and Dad made sure I got a job every year,  so I would earn some money and learn the habit of saving when they insisted that I bank half of my paycheck each week.

Also,  students at my college-prep public high school were required to read two books  (from the school’s list)  over the Summer and submit a book report for each when we returned to school in September.  I’ve always been an avid reader,  so the reading assignment was never a chore for me  (although I disliked writing the book reports).

This year,  I decided to renew that tradition and get into some business-themed books.  It had been a while since I’d mined that category and I had the appetite to make up for lost time.  Here are three books I’ve read since June.  Maybe you’d like to suggest a few titles that you’ve found to be useful?

TouchPoints  (2011)     Douglas Conant and Mette Norgaard

Freelancers,  corporate execs,  nonprofit organization leaders and business owners all require leadership training.  This excellent and informative book provides first-rate lessons for experienced leaders and those new to the club.  Learn how to create a leadership model that reflects your unique style and values,  rather than merely mimicking a cookie-cutter template.  Learn how communication skills promote leadership skills.  Explore the existential question of why you choose to lead.

Knowing Your Value  (2011)     Mika Brzezinski

Although this book’s intent is to confirm that women deserve to receive appropriate financial reward for their professional gifts and teach them how to successfully negotiate a raise,  salary or contract fee  (and other perks)  that accurately reflect the value they bring to the organization for which they work,  I recommend this useful and enjoyable book for both genders.  The Haves are shamelessly using the weak economy to withhold money from the Have-nots and that means we all need to learn how and when and under what conditions we can respectfully request money and recognition  (plus a good title!).

Black Faces in White Places  (2011)     Randal Pinkett and Jeffrey Robinson

The title of this book is misleading.  It is not primarily a book about survival strategies designed to assist people of color who work in Euro-American dominated environments.  Randal Pinkett was the winning contestant on  “The Apprentice”  in 2005  and he is the only African-American to be named the winner.  The authors do speculate as to why no other  “Apprentice”  winner has ever been asked to consider sharing the prize.  Was it subtle racism?  Only Trump knows.  But who among us has not been treated unfairly at some point?  The authors posit that the most reliable way to triumph in life and business is to deliver excellence and that is the subject of this well-written,  dense and absorbing book.  Pinkett and Robinson  (who run a lucrative consulting firm)  provide a detailed roadmap that is applicable to Freelancers,  business owners and all professionals of all races.  Learn to identify your passions and your purpose,  nurture beneficial relationships,  develop and consistently deliver excellence and give back generously,  to pay it forward and mentor others.

I’ll be back next week with the rest of my Summer reading list.

Thanks for reading,

Kim