Monday Mornings with Madison

Category Archives:
Life Skills

September 30, 2013

Dressing for Success

Issue #299

While it’s been said many times that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, marketers know that people do just that. That’s why product packaging plays such a pivotal role in product sales. Product packaging designers know that looks matter, and without a properly designed package a product is hard to sell regardless of how good its other attributes might be. Indeed, packaging design represents what the brand stands for as much as other elements of the brand visual identity do, and in certain cases the packaging is almost as important as the product itself.

This applies not only to the sale of products. It also applies to the most valuable resource any business has… its employees. Career coaches and HR experts agree that applicants should dress for the job they want, not the job they currently have or last had. Applicants are evaluated first by their appearance, which is a key part of body language. Employers want to hire someone who ‘looks the part.’ But ‘dressing the part’ applies not only to those seeking employment. Dressing for success is a personal philosophy that everyone in the workplace should adopt. While office attire has certainly changed over the years, giving rise to ‘business casual’ and ‘casual Fridays’, how employees dress for work still matters. Here’s why. Continue reading →

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September 16, 2013

Untying the K”nots”

Issue #298

What is standing between you and success? Is it a person, place or thing? For many, a person is the biggest obstacle to achieving their greatest dream. It might be an enemy or nemesis. Or perhaps it is a competitor. Or it could be a coworker. It might even be someone much closer, such as a friend or family member. But for some, it is someone even closer than that. For some, the most daunting impediment to achieving their goals is their own face in the mirror. That’s right. For some, the biggest barrier to achieving their dreams is themselves and the negative self-talk inside.

For some, the knots binding them from achieving their wishes and dreams are in their mind and heart. They are bound by the have nots, can nots and do nots in their own minds. They are anchored by the will nots, may nots, and might nots that have affixed themselves to their hearts. They are tethered by the could nots of the past, the should nots of the present and the anticipated would nots of the future. The “nots” in their thinking become the actual knots that bind and obstruct their path to happiness and success. Most importantly, the am nots, especially thoughts such as “I am not good enough” hold people down. And if you think that positive thinking and positive self talk is just a bunch of nonsense, think again. There is scientific proof that positive thinking has a powerful positive effect and negative thinking has a powerful negative effect. Continue reading →

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September 3, 2013

Warning: Selfishness Is Bad For Your Health

Issue #296

In a dog-eat-dog, competitive marketplace, many people develop a ‘me first’ mentality. Those adopting this mentality choose to do what is best for himself or herself first and foremost and then — if time, energy and resources allow — might deign to help others. And, it seems that this ‘looking out for number one’ attitude is becoming increasingly pervasive in today’s modern society. To many, this egotistical approach to life is justified as the best way to ‘get ahead.’ The question is: does selfishness pay?

Religious and spiritual leaders have forever warned about the perils of selfishness and touted the virtues of altruism. But now there is mounting scientific evidence that selfishness is actually bad for your health. Instead of a ‘me first’ approach to life being beneficial, scientists are finding that selfishness is actually harmful not only to society as a whole, but also to the individual being selfish. Inversely, doing nice things for others and putting others’ needs first actually is not only good for society but also for the do-gooder. Continue reading →

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August 26, 2013

Embrace Office Organization

Issue #295

Organization and time management are two of the biggest challenges that people face day-to-day. Busy lives often result in messy lives. This is true both at home and work. In fact, lack of time often leads to clutter. At home, it might be the medicine cabinet that needs tidying. Or it might be the utensil drawer in the kitchen that needs sorting. Or it might be financial records that need organizing. For some, clutter is confined to one area. For others, mess is found in every drawer and closet… every nook and cranny. Lack of organization is not just irritating to the eye and stressing to the mind, it can actually cause real problems. For example, a person can’t take medicine if they can’t find the medicine. Bills not paid on time can result in a lower credit score or worse. Cluttered closets can hide resources that result in unnecessary purchases.

At work, lack of organization can also cause problems. A cluttered or messy desk can waste time as an employee searches for a needed paper or file. A disorganized supply room can cause staff to order additional supplies needlessly. Cluttered or misplaced records can even result in lost clients if key work is overlooked or deadlines are missed. Disorganized accounting records can wreak absolute havoc during an audit or at tax time. Given that organization is key to efficiency, economy of motion and effectiveness, how does a leader or manager ensure that all staff get and stay organized? How can a busy employee stay organized despite a heavy workload? Continue reading →

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July 29, 2013

The Power of a Winning Smile

Issue #291

It used to be that a salesperson or company employee could deal with a client for months or years by phone, mail and (most recently) by email and never know what they looked like or vice verse. The advent of social media, digital photography and video has changed all that. Most businessmen and professionals now have a profile on at least one social networking site (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, etc.). Such profiles often feature the person’s picture. Suddenly, a salesperson or employee is not just a faceless name and a headless voice. A picture makes the person ‘real’. Seeing an actual face establishes a deeper connection. And, arguably, the most important part of a person’s facial expression is the smile.

Ironically, if you Google the term “winning smile,” the top ranking results are for dental services. In the world of search engines, smile equals teeth. But in the world of business, a smile actually equals trust. A person’s look / expression can either inspire trust and confidence or conjure doubt and misgivings. A genuine smile (not to be confused with a grimace or fake smile) generally denotes pleasure, sociability, happiness and/or amusement. Smiling is something that is understood by everyone despite culture, race, or religion. Internationally known, cross-cultural studies have confirmed that smiling is a positive means of communication throughout the world. There is even evidence that smiling actually has a positive effect on business, sales and ultimately the bottom line. Continue reading →

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July 8, 2013

The Best Time To Work: Early Birds, Night Owls and Intermediates

Issue #288

Virtually every organism on the planet — from bacteria to humans — has a circadian clock, a biological timing mechanism that oscillates with a period of about 24 hours and is coordinated with the cycle of day and night. And while it runs independent of external cues, it is influenced by sunlight, temperature and food availability. This internal ‘body clock’ guides the best time for many activities. The observation of this process in humans was mentioned in Chinese medical texts dating back to around the 13th century. Referred to as the circadian rhythm – from the Latin ‘circa’ meaning “around” and diem meaning ‘day’, this timekeeper guides activities of the body including the best times to eat and sleep.

Almost every function of the body oscillates during the day according to this clock. For example, body temperature is regulated in part by this internal clock. The body’s temperature is lowest around 5am, just before waking in the morning, and highest in the late afternoon. This may have some bearing on heart attacks, which are most common in the morning hours. There are indications that the circadian clock also helps to regulate metabolism. When altered or hindered, that biological clock can wreak havoc in the body. For example, people can experience fatigue and dizziness, known as jet lag, when crossing time zones. Others suffer from depression when living in places with minimal daylight/sunlight such as Alaska.

This internal clock seems to also impact a person’s chronotype; that is whether the individual is a morning person, a night dweller or somewhere in between. A person’s chronotype affects their productivity at work. How so? While a person’s chronotype may not seem like an important employment variable, it has a profound impact on every employee’s creativity, attitude, problem solving skills, and ability to socialize. And those variables have a direct impact on the bottom line of every business. It helps to understand how a person’s chronotype should fit with their work hours and demands.
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June 17, 2013

Mind Matters – Part 2

Issue #285

Everyone wants to have a good memory. It is essential for career success. But there are a multitude of factors that impede memory. Common memory reducers include things like lack of sleep, stress, vitamin deficiency and trauma. Less common memory cripplers include such factors as illness, diseases such as Alzheimers, poor blood flow to the brain, brain hemorrhages or injuries, and tumors. Beyond all these, there are a multitude of additional variables – such as ways that the brain works — that impact memory. Often memory is affected in ways that neurologists haven’t even begun to understand. Indeed, scientists agree that memory is one of the functions of brain that is still not well understood.

However, every day, researchers are learning more about memory…. How memory works and how it can be helped to work better. While memory research had previously been focused on what happens when a memory is first formed and on what happens when a memory is retrieved, it is the in-between time when it appears many aspects of memory storage happens. Numerous studies are finding that sleep is actually an important tool in the memory retention process. Here are the latest strategies and research on sleep and how it may be the key to improving memory.
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June 10, 2013

Mind Matters – Part 1

Issue #284

Professionals are always looking to have an edge over their competitors. Most people want to be successful, and bring their “A Game” to every endeavor. A big part of performance in any career is mental capacity, acuity, and agility. Memory plays a big part in that. However, until the last few decades, scientists and doctors understood very little about how memory works, where memories are stored, and what might improve or harm memory. But in the last 50 years, science has made great strides in understanding memory and the human brain.

Indeed, memory is one of the purposes of the brain, and it is described as the ability to protect acquired information consciously and connect it with the past. Having a good memory is a crucial ability in everyone’s life. History is peppered with scholars and leaders whose memories were so remarkable that they never forgot any information they learned in the past. Simonides of Ceos who lived 5th century BC was able to keep in his memory thousands of poems. Cicero was known for his ability to remember names. Ferdinand Marcos, the former Philippine dictator, claimed to have memorized complicated texts in one glance. He could recite the Philippine Constitution forward and backward. He also passed the Bar Exam in 1939 with an almost perfect score at 98%. When his score was contested and he was forced to retake an oral Bar Examination, he got a perfect score.

Everyone wishes they had such a good memory. However, many people complain about forgetfulness and weakness of memory. Nowadays, forgetfulness has become a very common problem among both young and older people. There are many variables that can impact memory. Let’s dub them memory killers. Here are just a few. Continue reading →

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April 29, 2013

Servicing the Internal Customer

Issue #278

Customer service is a topic that strikes a chord (often a sour note) with many. Some industries, such as air travel and cable / internet providers, are riddled with complaints about poor customer service. Their reputations for mistreating customers are the stuff of nightmarish legends. Other industries or companies are known for their excellent customer service. Apple. Ritz Carlton. Mercedes Benz. These companies consistently provide customers with five-star service. In fact, Ritz Carlton prides itself on delivering six-star service! Regardless of what a company does, builds, makes or provides, the ability to meet the needs of the client or customer is key.

However, if you ask most business people to identify their ‘customers’ or ‘clients’, 99% will inevitably point to the folks spending money to purchase their products or services. Those are the ‘external customers’. Most will not identify their own colleagues and coworkers as ‘customers.’ But, indeed, many of the people who work for a mid-sized or large company don’t actually deal with the external customers or clients who are buying the products or services. Most of the staff of any company are actually ‘behind-the-scenes’, cogs in the machinery that allow companies to function, such as accounting, marketing, HR, IT, production and operations. These people seldom, if ever, speak to or meet an external client or customer. Instead, they provide services that make it possible for others in the company to meet the needs of the external customer. They service the ‘internal customer.’ Unfortunately, internal customer service is even more replete with bad service. Yet, the internal customer is as important as the external customer. Why is that and how does one go about improving a company’s internal customer service?
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April 15, 2013

Is Pride A Quality or Flaw at Work?

Issue #276

Pride is one of those puzzling traits that is seen at times as a positive and sometimes as a negative. On the one hand, we are encouraged to be proud of our accomplishments. Training seminars tout the need to take pride in the work we do. From a very young age, we are told that we should be proud to be Americans. We are expected to be proud of our accomplishments and of the accomplishments of our children and family. We hear things like: “Show some pride!” “Stand Up for yourself!” “Walk tall!” “Don’t be a doormat!” “Be proud of who you are!” “Stick out your chest and hold your head high!”

On the other hand, haughty pride is seen as the opposite of the spirit of humility. The proud are seen as so blinded by their pride that they think there is no higher power. So is pride a quality or a flaw? For example, is it wrong for an Olympic athlete to know they’re good at their sport? What is the dividing line between recognizing the truth about oneself and being prideful? Is it okay to have pride in one’s work or be proud of one’s accomplishments? How does pride impact a person’s work? Where is the line between being appropriately culturally confident and being prideful? Continue reading →

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