In this issue:

· Performance Improvement Partner™ PIP Tip

· Message From the President

· Combating Firefighting in Organizations

· Upcoming Events

Message From the President

Recently, during a 'Partners in Business' radio interview, I was asked if there were one key message I could leave people with, what that message would be. What a great question! The message I believe would expand and enrich each and every one of our lives is for us to recognize that we have more control over our experience and the quality of our lives than we give ourselves credit for. No matter how enlightened we are or how highly accomplished, we all operate within personally designed and self-imposed constraints.

Every day, and many times throughout the day, we are faced with choice points, opportunities to impact the future of our professional and personal lives. What we consider in those moments and what we ultimately end up choosing to believe, think, feel and act on, are our levers of control.

5 powerful questions to consider as you go about your days…

• How does this action (or conversation) I'm about to start fit in with what's really important to me or am I just about to tick something off my to-do list?
• What do I really want or need from this situation or this moment?
• If I were 10% more courageous, what would I do or say right now?
• If I were granted one wish related to (X), what would I ask for?
• Of whom could I make that request or what can I do to get the desired result myself?

Next time you find yourself at a choice point, ask yourself these questions and then move powerfully forward into the future of your choosing.

Combating Firefighting in Organizations

For most people, there are more problems at any given moment than there is time to deal with them. Employees, leaders and business owners rush from task to task, rarely completing one before another interrupts them.

Fire-fighting occurs when:

Read on...

Upcoming Events

Phoenix, AZ Wednesday, April 20, 2005
ASU Downtown Lunchtime Lecture Series
Dissolving Disputes
Downtown Center at ASU
To register: asulectures@asu.edu or call (480) 727-5266

Phoenix, AZ Sunday, May 1, 2005
Caring for Your Soul in Matters of Money™
For more information or to register, click here

Phoenix, AZ Wednesday, May 15, 2005; 2:00p-4:00p
Caring for Your Soul in Matters of Money® teleclass
For more information or to register, click here

Performance Improvement Partner™ PIP Tip

Acknowledge and celebrate accomplishments - In addition to letting employees know THAT their individual work has made a difference, tell them HOW their work made a difference to the department, company and community at large (e.g. created a model others could follow, increased revenue potential, increased visibility, created positive image, etc.)