Facilitate for Group Results

Facilitation by definition means to make easy for others. Facilitation is about helping a group experience "discovery" and "application" while moving forward toward improved performance. An effective facilitator will help participants learn from each other through guided discussion and other methods. Often during openings, activities, coaching, questioning, and closing, the presenter is really facilitating a process rather than presenting information. An effective facilitator draws from the group and leads people to a higher level. Here is how you can be a great facilitator.

Pacing

• Keep a sense of urgency for yourself and for the participants.
• Use a countdown timer for some exercises and activities to ensure the group stays on topic and on time.
• Start and end on time.
• Look for signals from participants that they are bored. Change the action.
• Put people into small group discussions to drive up pace and energy.
• Get people on their feet.
• Mix people into different groups.
• Change the room setting. Shift the front of the room by ninety degrees or use a different layout for the tables or chairs.
• Do something unexpected, like a pop quiz or team competition.
• Take a break every 90 minutes.
• Never mention breaks unless you are about to take one.
• If participants know it is time for lunch or time to end the day, just stop. Nothing you say or do will keep everyone's attention.

Encouraging Discussion

• Before we begin our session on..., let's go around the room and get some words that describe this topic as you understand it.
• Describe a time when you were encouraged to....
• Describe a time when you were discouraged from....
• Describe a time when effective...paid off.
• Describe your worst experience with...
• Describe your best experience with....
• What is your definition of...?
• What lessons have you learned about...?
• If you had to offer advice about..., what would it be?
• The word...means many things to people, what does...mean to you?

Summarizing

• Don't tell people what you can ask them.
• Briefly review key learning points.
• Confirm the benefits and value of being in the room.
• Discuss application opportunities and coach people to identify specific upcoming situations where they will use what they learned.
• Have participants discuss learning and applications in small groups and report back.
• Create a sense of urgency. Coach participants to act immediately, like at a break on the phone, rather than a week or month from now.
• Have participants get into teams and do "teach-backs" of key points to the full group.

Alex Zaborenko
Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado of Southern Wyoming
http://www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com/

Presenting to Gain Input

One of the most common and critical types of business presentations is the presentation to gain input. Rather than being a one-way delivery of information, this presentation seeks involvement from the participants and relies on getting productive outcomes to move processes forward. By its nature, this type of presentation requires flexibility on the part of the presenter and a willingness to allow the process to unfold without dominating the discussion. In planning a presentation to gain input, carefully consider the people who will attend the meeting. Who is your audience?

Knowledge of the topic. To gain input, you typically invite participants who have a thorough knowledge of the topic. Sometimes, however, you want an audience that has little or no experience with the topic, as in focus groups or market research.

Previous experience with the topic. Does your audience include individuals who have had a range of experience with the topic? How have they reacted: positively or negatively? What specific examples do you know?

Level of preparation required for the meeting. If you are looking for informed input, you may need to ask your participants to prepare for the meeting. Consider what they may need to bring with them to the presentation in the way of documentation, homework, research, or planning and let them know in advance.

Individual bias concerning the topic. Are you aware of bias for or against your topic? Does this audience include individuals who either champion this topic or who are antagonistic toward some aspect of it?

Attitudes of open-mindedness and cooperation. Review the individuals participating in the presentation. Do they include people who are open about exchanging their ideas and opinions? Are there participants who are reluctant to speak up? Will this audience cooperate with your agenda and purpose?

Degree of detail preferred by participants. Some audiences want only the basics about the topic under discussion. Others need more details before they are willing to express themselves. Consider preparing levels of detail from broad to specific that you can bring into the discussion as needed.

Supporting evidence needed to present the topic. Present basic evidence in the body of your presentation. Be prepared to reveal additional evidence in response to questions and requests for clarification.

Alex Zaborenko
Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming
www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com

Twelve Tips to All-Win Negotiations

Negotiating is the process of attempting to agree on a solution. Compromising, or settling on a mutually agreeable solution, is the result of successful negotiations. Compromise is all about being flexible. It means being able to generate alternate solutions when you've "hit the wall." Whether it involves a person you can't get along with, an idea you know will work but that others are reluctant to embrace, a change in office systems, or a turf war that needs ending, learning to negotiate and compromise is essential to your success.

1) Have a positive attitude. Your attitude is essential to the outcome. You improve your chance of achieving a mutually rewarding solution if you approach the negotiation as an opportunity to learn and achieve an all-win outcome.

2) Meet on mutual ground. Find a mutually agreeable and convenient physical space to meet that is comfortable for all involved. Agree on when you will meet and how much time is available to devote to the process. Whenever possible, deal with negotiations face-to-face. Be careful about negotiating over the phone or in e-mail. A lack of facial expressions, vocal intonation, and other cues can result in a negotiation breakdown.

3) Clearly define and agree on the issue. Agree on a statement of the issue using simple and factual terms. If the situation is multifaceted, search for ways to slice the large issue into smaller pieces and deal with one issue at a time.

4) Do your homework. Take time to plan. You must not only know what is at stake for yourself, but you need to know the other side's concerns and motivation. Take into consideration any history or past situations that might affect the negotiations. Know the must-haves (non-negotiable items) and nice-to-haves (negotiable items). Determine the best resolution, a fair and reasonable compromise, and a minimally acceptable deal.

5) Take an honest inventory of yourself. Determine your level of trust in the other person and the process. Be conscious of aspects of your personality that can help or hinder the process.

6) Look for shared interests. Get on the same side by finding and establishing similarities. Since conflict tends to magnify perceived differences and minimize similarities, look for common goals, objectives, or even gripes that can illustrate that you are in this together. Focus on the future, talk about what needs to be done, and tackle the problem jointly.

7) Deal with facts, not emotions. Address problems, not personalities. Avoid any tendency to attack the other person or to pass judgment on his or her ideas and opinions. Avoid focusing on the past or blaming the other person. Maintain a rational, goal-oriented frame of mind. This will depersonalize the conflict, separate the issues from the people involved, and avoid defensiveness.

8) Be honest. Don't play games. Be honest and clear about what is important to you and communicate why your goals, issues, and objectives are important to you.

9) Present alternatives and provide evidence. Create options and alternatives that demonstrate willingness to compromise. Consider conceding in areas that might have high value to the other person but are not that important to you. Frame options in terms of the other person's interests and provide evidence for your point of view.

10) Be an expert communicator. Nothing shows determination to find a mutually satisfactory resolution to conflict more than applying excellent communication skills. Ask questions, listen, rephrase what you heard to check for understanding, and take a genuine interest in the other side's concerns. Reduce tension through humor, let others vent their concerns, and acknowledge their views. Focus less on your position and more on ways in which you can move toward a resolution or compromise.

11) End on a good note. Make an all-win proposal and check to make sure that everyone involved leaves the situation feeling they have won. Shake on it and agree on the action steps: who is responsible for each step, how success will be measured, and how and when the decision will be evaluated. Be open to accepting an impasse for noncritical issues; agree to disagree.

12) Enjoy the process. Look at the benefits of learning other people's point of view. People report that after overcoming conflict and reaching an agreement, the relationship grew even stronger. Reflect and learn from each negotiation. Determine the criteria to evaluate the process and the solution.

Alex Zaborenko
Managing Partner
Dale Carnegie Trainnig of Colorado & Southern Wyoming

Managing Customer Expectations

It is important to manage expectations from the first moment of interaction with a customer. To do so effectively, utilize the following process.

1. Set Expectations

Cushion with empathy. A cushion is a verbal statement that tells the customer in various ways that "I hear what you are saying, and what you are saying is important." Being empathetic simply acknowledges your customer's emotion and experience.

Understand the priorities. Ask questions of the customer to ensure that you understand their priority needs. For example, a customer may need to have their new payroll system set up by the start of their fiscal year or a company may need to have their phone system installed in the next thirty days.

Ask the customer for their expectations. Often their expectations may be more reasonable than you anticipate, and it may be quite easy to satisfy and resolve the situation.

Use headlining. Headlining is explaining your "train of thought" to the customer -- telling a customer what you are going to do before you do it. For example, you may say, "First, I will ask questions so that I understand exactly what is needed. Then, I will place the order. I will give you a realistic estimate of delivery time. I will call you immediately when it comes in."

Under-promise and over-perform. This guideline simply reminds you to set expectations with your customer at a reasonable level, but at a level that allows you to consistently exceed their expectations.

Check for agreement. After explaining an expectation or headlining a process, check with the customer for agreement. For example, "How does that time frame sound to you?" or "Will that process work for you?"

Policies and procedures. Policies and procedures are in place to protect you. When it comes to invoking a policy, it is not so much what you say as how you say it. Company policy rarely makes customers happy, so try to use policy as a last resort.

2. Monitor Expectations

Unless the situation is resolved immediately on first contact, your goal should be to have regular and appropriate communication with the customer. Continue to use the process to set expectations.

During an open situation, if the customer contacts you, that contact effort should be acknowledged within the guidelines set by the organization. Typical guidelines for most companies are to respond within one to twenty-four hours of the customer calling or sending a message. The reply should match the customer comment, response, or statement, and it should utilize the same process you used to set expectations initially.

Examples of monitoring the process:

• Acknowledge any information that the customer provides.
• Indicate where your organization is in resolving the situation and explain the next steps in the process. To gain trust, include an expectation of when they can expect the next communication.
• Respond to a customer request to talk to a manager or transfer the situation to a product expert. Respond by headlining the process for the appropriate action and setting an expectation for the next communication. For example, "Your issue will be turned over to our service technician. She will call you by the end of the day."
• Respond to requests for additional information. Respond by relating when you or one of your co-workers can follow up on that requested action. Then follow-through and follow up!

3. Influence Expectations

Influencing expectations is usually the meaning of "managing expectations." When you influence, you are the one who modifies or changes your approach and style. People are influenced by:

People who they trust. Trust is earned. You must follow up on what you hear to gain trust.

Education. The more you educate your customers, the more they understand the complexity of the situation and can align their expectations more accurately. For example, you may propose a higher quality solution that will take longer, but if you educate the customer about why it is a higher quality solution, that customer can better understand the solution and they will not have unrealistic expectations.

Situations where they can save face. Most people will not change their minds and have difficulty admitting their lack of knowledge in public. Allow them to easily move beyond a difficult situation without additional embarrassment.

Ease Public Speaking Anxiety Through Preparation

Prepare, prepare, prepare. You can never be too prepared to present. Knowing your presentation through and through can help boost your confidence while easing your fear and anxiety. Preparation does not just include knowing what you are going to say, it also includes how and why you are going to present the information. Here are some tips to help you create an effective speech or presentation.

1. Open with Confidence. Your opening gives your audience a first impression. Know the audience and the purpose of the presentation. Find out what they might expect from your remarks and what they may already know about the topic. Consider how you will grab the audience's attention. If you need to deliver bad news, consider ways to connect with the audience from the beginning of the presentation. Be well prepared for the opening because it sets the tone for your entire presentation--leave nothing to chance.
   
2. Focus on a Few Key Points. Know the major points you want to make. This will help ease your worry and increase your confidence. Outline the key concepts in your electronic visuals, on a note card, or better still use a memory technique such as stacking so you remember your key points. Avoid trying to memorize your presentation because it will sound canned and stiff and you want it to sound comfortable and real.
   Support Ideas with EvidenceIt is always important to provide evidence to support your main points. Supporting evidence will reinforce your points to the audience and give you a chance to explain your points more fully.
   
3. Close with a Call to Action. This will be the last impression your audience has of you and your presentation. It is important to look at the purpose of the presentation and then determine a proper close. Emphasize the key action or actions that you want the audience to take after hearing your presentation. This serves as a nice summary of your content and assures they leave with a clear direction.
   
4. Remember, Anxiety is Normal. Most people have some presentation anxiety. Remember that people who don't feel some stress may appear to be taking their audience for granted. Replace negative thoughts that creep into your subconscious mind with positive affirmations from yourself and others.
   
5. Be Human. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Do not try to be a perfect presenter. A brief pause to collect your thoughts may feel like eternity, but it's not. Tell stories from your personal experiences. Conduct your presentations as if you are having a conversation with people rather than talking at them.
   
6. Ask for Feedback. You will be surprised how much will be positive. Accept and internalize compliments you receive without minimizing them. Remind yourself about what went well rather than what didn't. Focus on one or two key improvement areas for the next time. Not ten or twenty.
   
7. Prepare for Future Success. View each presentation you give as a development opportunity. Enjoy the experience. Use each presentation as an opportunity to enhance your confidence and skills for the next presentation.

Alex Zaborenko
Managing Partner
Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern WY

How to Encourage Your Team Members to Stand Up and Lead

To win in today's market, team members have to step up and be ready to take a leadership role. It is not easy to develop leadership skills in others. It's very important to also understand that some people do not share your goals and aspirations. Keep an open mind and learn to use different techniques to inspire different team members to stand up and lead.

Throw down a challenge. - In today's market environment, you probably have many challenges to issue. Some people need a specific challenge to motivate them. By laying down a challenge, you also create a very clear and measurable goal for a staff member to achieve.

Appeal to noble motives — Many employees think that their work does not make a difference. By appealing to a team's noble motives, you can increase morale while also setting higher standards for your staff members.

Be sympathetic — Never tell someone that they are wrong. Even when you disagree, listen and be empathetic to another person's ideas and desires. Listen to what your staff members have to say. Some employees may not want to reach top corporate positions; instead, they may simply be content if their opinions and ideas are valued. When people feel that their ideas or concerns are being heard they will be more engaged.

Dramatize your ideas - Back up your ideas with proof. Use stories to explain why you have the right idea. By providing evidence, you can give instant credibility to your ideas. If you have evidence, even staff members who have a different perspective will take notice.

Ask questions — Instead of giving direct orders, ask questions to guide your staff members to think through the issues and come up with their own solutions. When your staff tells you what they should be doing through effective questioning, they will have bought into the idea.

Make your staff members feel genuinely important - Faced with the market challenges today, your employees must be reassured that their contribution and leadership DOES have a huge impact on the company's survival, stability, and growth.

Alex Zaborenko
Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming
http://www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com/

Meet and Greet: The Most Common Mistakes

The last thing you want is for your customers to get turned off in the first few moments of their interaction. Yet, it happens all the time. Someone makes a mistake at the start of the customer service transaction, and the customer simply chooses to take their business to someone else. At all costs, avoid these relationship-damaging mistakes:

Ignoring waiting customers: Sometimes you are too busy with current customers to be able to help a waiting customer immediately. Even in those situations, you should never ignore a waiting customer. Establish eye contact, give a wave, or say a word or two to let the customer know that you are aware of them and will get to them as soon as you can.

Getting distracted: It is easy to become distracted by other customers, other responsibilities, and the variety of activities involved in customer service. When customers see that you are distracted, they sense that they are not your first priority.

Answering questions or taking calls while assisting a customer: It is a challenge to make every customer feels equally valued, and some customers try to push their way to the head of the line. But don't let these customers overstep earlier customers. Instead, say a few friendly words to the individual to indicate that you will help them when you are finished serving the current customer.

Giving a bored, trite greeting: Put some energy into your greeting and come up with something more creative than, "May I help you?" Make it a personal challenge to say something specific to each customer. It will make the meet and greet portion of the sales process more interesting and rewarding.

Alex Zaborenko

Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming

www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com

Effective First Impressions

The critical first step in the customer service process is meeting and greeting the customer. Those vital first moments with the customer set the tone for the entire interaction. By energetically and professionally welcoming your customer, you make successful customer interactions not only possible, but probable. Customers want to be recognized, appreciated, and treated with courtesy and understanding. For this to happen, you have to be at your best in the meet and greet stage of the service process. You need to know what your customers want.

Each customer is different, but certain basic principles apply to nearly all customers, and you can safely assume that most customers are looking for the same things in their interactions with you.
To be treated with courtesy:Even rude people dislike being treated rudely. Common courtesies go a long way towards expressing respect to your customers. Good manners, like saying "please" and "thank you," listening attentively, and expressing understanding, are courtesies that nearly everyone appreciates.

1. To be heard: Every customer has a unique situation, issue, and desired resolution. Even though a customer's circumstances may seem identical to the circumstances of many other customers, each customer typically still wants to talk through their issues, and your role is to listen.
2. To get what they want quickly: Customers are on the move today, and you are just one stop on their list of errands. While there are exceptions to this preference, you can assume that the faster you address the customer's issues, the happier they will be.
3. To be satisfied with their transaction: Every customer wants a satisfactory end result and a hassle-free encounter with a customer service professional. Your primary goal in serving the customer is to leave them feeling positive about your organization.
4. To deal with someone who is knowledgeable: Customers come to you for your expertise, advice, and experience, as well as for the products and services that you provide. They expect you to be able to answer their questions or know where to find answers.
5. To deal with a decision maker: A customer's life is easier if one person can provide answers and make decisions about the resolution of the problem. Customers don't want to have to repeat their requests over and over as they are referred to other people for decisions.
6. To be appreciated: Customers have a wide range of options. You should never take for granted their willingness to do business with your organization. It takes little time to express your appreciation for their business, and it sends a positive, reinforcing message to the customer.

Alex Zaborenko

Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming

www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com

Presenting with Visual Impact

You have the opportunity to be a better leader, mentor, educator, and more refined communicator when you use the strength of visuals and graphics. Human beings possess separate thinking systems for processing visual and verbal material. Your capacity for meaningful learning increases when you tap into the power of both. When selecting and preparing visuals, keep the following general guidelines in mind:

Clarity - Is the visual understandable within a few seconds?

• As a rule of thumb, use no more than six lines with six words or fewer to a line.
  If the visual is a mixture of text and drawing, remember to keep 60 to 70 percent blank space.
• Font size is extremely important. Text that is too small and cannot be read becomes a point of distraction and possibly frustration to participants. The absolute minimum font size is 24 points, but larger is preferred.
• A rule of thumb is that for every 12 feet of depth in audience seating, there should be one inch of height on the screen or flip chart.
• Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters. Avoid all capitals in the body of the text. All uppercase letters are hard to read. Words in lowercase letters are easier and quicker to read. Ninety-five percent of all reading material is in lowercase.
  

Relevancy - Does the visual support and reflect your point?

Remember, just as visual aids can enhance a presentation, they can also compete with the message. Don't create competition with irrelevant and distracting visuals. Even if something is highly entertaining or funny, do not use it unless it clearly makes a point.

Eye Appeal - Is the visual aesthetically pleasing?

• Lines, borders, boxes, and shapes add interest to a visual and make it more interesting, eye-catching, and desirable.
• Experiment with fonts to find the ones that best match the presentation's style.
• Don't overdo type-style variations on a series of visuals. Too many varieties of styles can be distracting, confusing, and amateurish.
• Because people form judgments from first contacts, the acceptability of visuals can be enhanced by the thoughtful use of art. Make sure that the image portrayed generates the reaction desired.
• Visual layouts should be landscape rather than portrait because the eye finds it more natural, comfortable, and pleasing to look across rather than up and down. Likewise, some professional presenters feel that projection screens, flip charts, etc, should be to the audience's right, when they are facing the speaker. This allows audience members to focus on the speaker first and then "read from left to right" to see the related visuals.
  

Quality - Does the visual look professional?

Use all the professional help and tools available to ensure your visuals look professional. Get an unbiased person's opinion before using them. Remember, your visuals will reflect your image, and simple mistakes like misspelled words can undermine your professional image.

Memorable

Well-chosen graphics can have a significant impact on the success of a visual because we think in pictures rather than in words. Many research studies indicate that the use of color increases retention and impact.

Visibility - Can everyone see it?

• Use presentation enhancements that are large enough for the audience. Even the person farthest away must be able to see it.
• Be sure the font size is legible. As stated previously, the absolute minimum font size is 24 points, but larger is preferred.
• If projected visuals are used, place the screen where everyone in the room can see it without having to twist into an uncomfortable position. The corners of a room are usually the best choice.
• Check the lighting. When possible, dim room lighting so that it will not shine on the screen. However, avoid making the room so dark that participants can't read or write. A darkened room can reduce the amount of participation and the level of enthusiasm within the group.
  

Background - Does the color scheme enhance visibility?

• A clear or light background with dark text is best when the room is bright or the lights are on and/or the projector is of a lower intensity.
• A medium color background with dark text (shadow text adds contrast) is acceptable for light rooms and small audiences because it adds interest.
• A dark background with light text is best in dark rooms with large audiences. It is usually limited to slides on computer-generated projection. It requires high-quality equipment and is not suitable for overhead transparencies or LCD panels.

Alex Zaborenko

Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming

www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com

Leading Strong Teams

Are you a great leader? To emerge as winners from this global financial crisis, organizations-big and small, international and local, for-profit and nonprofit-need the great leaders who emerge in times of crisis, uncertainty, and turbulence. 　

One of the most common reasons an organization will promote you into a leadership position is because you are very effective at your job. Once promoted to a leadership position, you are no longer supposed to do that job you mastered. Instead, you become responsible for helping others become more efficient at performing that job. Inspiring others to perform a task and performing that task yourself require different skill sets.

"If only I had a stronger team!" Most leaders have thought this at one time or another. Yet successful leaders seem to develop strong teams for their projects wherever they go. There are several key factors in leading strong teams.

Establish continuous improvement by building on the characteristics of strong teams

• Cooperation: In a strong team, individuals rely on each other to make processes and interactions function as planned. Strong teams root out uncooperative members and either replace them with people who will move the process forward or coach them on more cooperative behavior.
• Mutual Respect: In a strong team, individuals avoid arrogance, condescension, and criticism. Teams achieve success when their members respect each other's talents, opinions, and efforts.
• Democratic: In a strong team, every team member has a voice. Each member of the team has a right to question the process, add input, and evaluate the team's progress.

Capitalize on individual strengths to take teams to higher levels of performance. In a strong team, the leader knows how to capitalize on each member's individual strengths. Not everyone on the team has to be a great people person, but some team members have to be. Not everyone has to be meticulous, but certain members of the team must be. To capitalize on individual strengths, team leaders must be able to:

• Recognize strengths: Many leaders have a hard time recognizing their team members' strengths. In a business climate where appreciation is often in short supply, many of us get out of the habit of looking for the strengths in others. It takes a change in our mindset to start seeing what we admire or appreciate in others.
• Combine strengths to make a team: Combining strengths in a strong team is a little bit like combining ingredients in a great recipe. Just dumping ingredients into a pan doesn't make a great dish, no matter how excellent each individual ingredient may be. It is typical to see talented, capable individuals who underperform as a team.
• Focus on strengths, not weaknesses: Dale Carnegie tells a story about a man in one of his programs who was asked by his wife to list six things that he would like to change about her. The participant recounted that he told his wife he would have to think about it and give her an answer in the morning. He realized that it would be easy to list six things he would change about her, but rather than doing that, he called the florist and ordered six red roses. He had them delivered to his wife with a note that said he couldn't think of six things to change about her; he loved her just the way she was. You can imagine the positive reaction that he received. He stated that, at that moment, he realized the power of appreciation. Do you show appreciation for your team members' strengths or do you focus on their weaknesses?

Facilitate the interaction of diverse personalities on strong teams. Even leaders with the best intentions are sometimes guilty of wanting their team members to do or act like they do. Working in a team with diverse personalities requires flexibility, patience, and open-mindedness. When you embrace your team members' diverse personalities, you enable your team to reach its fullest potential.

• Celebrate diversity: Although it seems easier, most people would be bored working with a team whose members all had the same personalities. Team interaction is much more stimulating and interesting when the team has a variety of personal styles and characteristics. By celebrating differences, you acknowledge that all of us are enriched by our opportunity to work together.
• Open lines of communication: Team members tend to avoid other team members with different personalities and to form informal alliances with similar members. If team leaders allow these tendencies to go on indefinitely, team sub-groups become cliques with insiders and outsiders and the lines of communication within the team are blocked.
• Build bridges, not walls: Leaders of strong teams learn to facilitate connections between diverse styles. Look for ways to make it easier for team members to form alliances, increase mutual understanding, and break down perceived barriers in the way they approach the work.
• Manage results, not tasks: Ultimately, what matters is each team member's contribution to the team's goals and mission. Leaders who are adept at facilitating strong teams with diverse personalities have learned to focus on the results each team member achieves, rather than on trying to make them achieve the results in a certain way. This allows the individuals to express their personalities through their work and still contribute significantly to the team effort.

Leverage competitive spirit to gain cooperation. Friendly competition generates results. Leaders of strong teams keep the competition between the team and its own past results — not between individual team members. Make competition exciting. Who would you rather have working at your side — a competitive individual or someone easily satisfied by mediocre results?

Alex Zaborenko
Dale Carnegie Training of Colorado and Southern Wyoming
http://www.dalecarnegiecolorado.com/