commitment

Think of someone you know who is “a person of good character.” Lock his or her image in your mind. Now take a moment to reflect on the things this person says and does…the personal characteristics that make him or her a role model for you. What comes to mind? What do you see?
Chances are that high on the list of your role model’s qualities is COMMITMENT – the unwavering dedication to being a good family member and friend…to doing his or her best at work and away from the job…to doing what’s right, noble, and decent.
Committed people like your role model just seem to have their heads and hearts in the right place. They keep their priorities straight. They stay focused on what’s important. They know, inherently, that what they believe must drive how they behave – and how they behave ultimately determines the character they possess, the reputation they enjoy, and the legacy they leave.
Abraham Lincoln had this to say about commitment:
“COMMITMENT is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words.
It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.”
The world renowned pianist, Van Cliburn, after one of his magnificent concerts was approached by an admirer who had been in the audience.
The emotional fan grasped Cliburn’s hand and said,
“I would give my life to be able to play the piano like that.”
The pianist smiled and replied…”I DID.”
An excerpt from Walk the Talk
By Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura

The Wisdom of Wolves

The Wisdom of Wolves
by Twyman Towery

The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.
Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.
The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.
There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive – whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss’s hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty.
Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status – there are. But each wolf’s role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf’s attitude is always based upon the question, “What is best for the pack?” This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want.
Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.
Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf’s expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf’s attitude is always that success will come-and it does.

Belief System

“Be the change you want to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi
Before you will see a change in the world, you need to make positive changes in yourself and your own life. Your personal beliefs mold the person you are, and you can mold your personal beliefs….here’s how: It is because of your belief system that you are where you are in life right now. You have created your success or failure with the beliefs that you have established within yourself. Most people would be astounded to know how many of their beliefs are based on lack, limitation, and shortage – and that these thoughts reproduce themselves directly into their life experiences. You owe it to yourself to think only of unlimited prosperity, because abundance IS reality. There is no lack, no shortage. There are no limits except for those we impose on ourselves. Prosperity doesn’t start with someone or something outside of you.
Get the picture yet? Your success or failure begins and ends with you.
Wow! Think about that for a minute. What you think and what you believe determines your success or failure. Your conscious mind is a powerful thing. What you concentrate on comes back to you -multiplied. Your mind is a source of unlimited, overflowing abundance – and its manifestation into the physical world depends on your thoughts and beliefs. Your belief in the possibility or impossibility of a situation determines the outcome. If you don’t believe in the possibility of success, it’s just not going to be possible. So, how do you replace your old, self-defeating belief system with a new, prosperity-focused belief system? Start from within. Delete any “can’t-do” beliefs you may have lurking deep inside, and start believing that you CAN. But simply eliminating old beliefs is not enough. You have to replace them with new positive ones, because something must occupy that empty space. Remember, the Universe abhors a vacuum, so choose something positive to take its place. The second step is to stay away from the “can’t do” people in your life. If you can’t avoid them totally, then don’t get infected with their negativity. Give yourself a “prosperity booster shot” by remembering that the beliefs and opinions of other people do not have to become your reality. Someone is always going to try to tell you it’s not possible. You have to train your mind to block out these negative words. Every time you hear a “you can’t – it’s not possible” – say “NEXT!” to yourself and flip back to your new way of thinking. Tell them that you have moved forward, and that old, negative way of thinking has no place in your life. If they can’t accept the new you simply stop discussing your goals with them. Stay focused in your new mindset and become a joyful example of what happens when you believe in yourself and what’s possible. Think big and prosperous and you’ll get big, prosperous results. Think small and lacking and you’ll achieve just that. The choice is yours.
“Our inner image of ourselves and what we want to accomplish in life makes us become what we were meant to be.”
- Mark Victor Hansen

How Important is Culture to your company’s bottom line?

Big, very big! Analysis shows when cultures align with the demands of their business lines they consistently outperform organizations that are not aligned. Here is what those companies surveyed reported:

• 571% gains in operating earnings
• 471% higher returns in investments
• Stock prices increased 383%
as reported in “The New Corporate Culture: Deals and Kennedy, 1999.”

According to an article published in the September 03 issue of Professional Services Journal, “Organizations with adaptive cultures increased net income 756 percent over an 11-year period compared to a one-percent increase for everybody else.”

The impact of culture on the bottom line is clear. Harvard Business School professors John Kotter and James Heskett studied over 200 companies for several years and found that culture has a significant impact on a firm’s long-term economic performance. The role of culture in determining financial performance is becoming even greater in today’s fast-changing, more competitive business environment.

Organizational culture is a powerful force. It significantly impacts profitability, sets the climate for innovative ideas, and determines an organization’s capacity to change. The power of culture is perhaps best seen when organizations are forced to adapt to change, resulting in either success or failure of initiatives. Executives know they must get their organizations to seek and embrace change, but often feel challenged with cultures that resist change, causing dependence on the leader or defensive attitudes that inhibit collaboration, threaten innovative initiatives and reduce organizational effectiveness. The greater the degree of change required, the more important it is to examine the existing culture to determine whether it will serve as a catalyst in moving forward or whether it will act as a deterrent in support of the status quo.
Organizations that have not yet successfully made the connection between strategy and culture have yet to realize the benefit, which culture plays in an organization’s growth and performance. Leadership is centric to establishing the vision and values that foster the culture within an organization. Often, in organizations where performance is declining and employee morale is low, the senior management’s view of its current organization’s culture is based more on hope than a view grounded in objective fact. It is difficult at best to be objective when you are your own sounding board.

Until recently, accurately assessing organizational culture and readiness to change has been virtually impossible. Peer Synergy Group has several tools that enable organizations to see and understand their present state of culture without biases and we provide the experience and expertise to assist in developing effective and adaptive cultures. Cultural alignment initiatives can be very concrete, with measurable goals and clear return on investment. Additionally, the ability to leverage the creative capital in an organization through continuous innovation can yield tremendous economic benefits. Aligned and dynamic organizational cultures drive effective idea exploration and the willingness to seek change. Peer Synergy Group believes an organization’s future success is dependent upon the ability to continuously innovate.
Corporate culture is often ill defined and misunderstood.

“Culture is the cornerstone of today’s corporations. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the creativity, and the values of the employee.

Culture bonds and motivates individual behavior, both internal and external relations; it impacts a company’s values, how it processes information, and how it functions at all levels from the subconscious to the visible. Regardless of how you view culture in your organization, it should emphasize what’s really important and directly support your vision and strategy. People and the culture within which they exist are the driving determination behind every great leader. Together they are what drive a company to greatness and they can also drive a company to failure. Leaders who make this connection understand that culture models corporate values, generates motivation, innovation, drives performance and builds company reputation. As Lou Gerstner said, “I came to see in my time at IBM that “culture” isn’t just one aspect of the game—it is the game.”

Imagine how successful you could be if your organization had a dynamic and innovative culture where employees continuously demonstrated passionate engagement amidst their work and in support of your customers. Peer Synergy Group, Inc. is passionate about helping our clients develop strategic roadmaps and processes for developing leadership relevance, vision, values, dynamic culture, and continuous innovation to build company reputation and market share. We have the tools to help you see and understand your organization’s present state of being without biases, and we provide the experience and expertise to successfully help you deliver your organization into the 21st Century global marketplace.
How important is culture to your company’s bottom line? It could make the difference between success and failure in today’s ever changing business environment.

Roger Blackstock is Founder & CEO of Peer Synergy Group (www.peersynergygroup.com), an Atlanta based organizational leadership and executive performance enhancement firm. Roger also serves as a Group Chairman for Vistage International (www.vistage.com), the world’s leading chief executive organization with more than 14,000 members in 16 countries. Blackstock is a U.S. Army Veteran, business executive, and trusted advisor to CEO’s with over thirty years experience. For more information you can reach Blackstock at roger@peersynergygroup.com or 770.530.2383.

Leadership Revevance

Properly aligned, dynamic organization cultures are a powerful force in business and are essential to elevate a company to the next level. Such cultures instill tremendous intangible qualities – employee loyalty, high morale, passionate engagement, innovation, and the willingness to seek change. All of which significantly impact tangible results – reduced operational and training costs, enhanced customer service, profitability, and revenue growth. The key ingredient here is “leadership relevance.”

What are you doing to develop relevant leaders within your organization? Today’s leaders must develop the wisdom to identify with today’s employees who span four different age generations, come from diverse and multi-cultural backgrounds, possess a wide-ranging work ethic, and varied thinking style from what most are accustom.

History reveals wisdom is the most valuable component of leadership. It is the other extreme from arrogance and autonomy. Much of wisdom stems from our desire to understand our true self, our strengths and weaknesses. This is the right first step, but leadership relevance requires that we demonstrate a continuous commitment to excellence, a caring attitude, noble character that earns the trust of others, and a calming responsive demeanor in adverse situations.

Wisdom is often viewed as the cumulative knowledge attained from a leader’s years of experience in his/her chosen field of expertise. So what is a young leader to do who doesn’t have the years of experience? Successful leaders learn what they need to know. The young leader must understand that wisdom is a character trait, which must be painstakingly developed as the leader expands his/her perspective on life. Never underestimate what you already know, or refuse to act on what you know is right. Gut instinct is critical to the success of every leader. When wisdom calls, listen. Never refuse the wise counsel of others or the opportunity to discuss elusive issues amongst your peers. These are traits that distinguish you as a relevant leader and one who is committed to your people.

When Wegman’s Food Markets of Rochester, NY, was recognized in 2005 as the number one company on FORTUNE Magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Robert Wegman received accolades for his understanding of leadership relevance and building a great organizational culture. It is noteworthy that Wegman’s motto is Our Employees Come First.

In their book, The Service Profit Chain, the authors (Heskett, Sussa, and Schlessiger) make the case that, “no matter what your business, the only way to generate enduring profits is to begin by building the kind of environment that attracts, focuses on, and keeps talented employees.” Unfortunately, during the “dot.com craze” many corporations became focused solely on the shareholders and lost focus on their employees and customers. I contend if you focus first on your employees, they will take care of your clients/customers, who in return will tell many others just how awesome your company is, and your shareholders will be most pleased with the outcome.

Data from the business schools of Emory, Stanford, and Harvard further supports this philosophy noting that for every 1% improvement you make in service climate you drive a 2% increase in revenue. Of course, it’s the leaders who must create the right emotional climate.

Your ability to demonstrate leadership relevance resonates your values and vision throughout the organization and is a driving force in building a dynamic culture, which will sustain creativity, innovation, and profitability for years to come.

Roger Blackstock is Founder & CEO of Peer Synergy Group (www.peersynergygroup.com), an Atlanta based organizational leadership and executive performance enhancement firm. Roger also serves as a Group Chairman for Vistage International (www.vistage.com), the world’s leading chief executive organization with more than 14,000 members in 16 countries. Blackstock is a U.S. Army Veteran, business executive, and trusted advisor to CEO’s with over thirty years experience. For more information you can reach Blackstock at roger@peersynergygroup.com or 770.530.2383.

Google Analytics and SEO for your website

Google Analytics helps you understand a user’s experience on your website. By using this information, you can make changes to your website that will help your website rank higher in search engines and thereby help you gain more qualified website traffic. Google Analytics not only gives you information about the number of visitors to your website, but it also gives a lot of useful information about your website including: individual spends on the website, pages visited in the website, where a person left your website, bounce rate, and much more.

Google Analytics and how it helps with SEO

The question here is how does Google Analytics help  with my SEO? Here are some of the ways in which Google analytics can help your SEO campaign:

• Visits: This is the most basic of all of the information you are given. Visits tells  you how many visitors to your website you had in a one month period. You can then compare this with past months to see if your traffic is increasing. You will be able to identify trends and if there are seasonal spikes to your website. In turn, this will help you refine your marketing efforts to coincide with period when visitors to your site are the mximum.

• Top referring keywords: This lists the relevant keywords that brought visitors to your website. Based on this information, you can see where your website ranks for these keywords. In turn, you can make changes that will help your website rank higher for the keyword. The end result is that you can tweak your SEO campaign to rank higher for keywords that are bringing visitors to your website. Many times, you will find that there are keywords people are using, that you have not optimized for.

• Referrers: This is another important metric as it gives you an insight about the source of the traffic to your website. If a website is referring visitors to your site, then it tells you the kind of websites you should be present on, which sites the visitors to your site are likely to visit and this can help you refine your link building strategy.

• Click Path: This helps to judge how user friendly your site design is, how people navigate your site and where they are most likely to exit your site. This helps you refine your website navigation and maximize conversions on your website.

• Bounce Rate: This shows how many visitors left your website and which pages they left the site from. This helps you analyze what could be causing people to leave your site and you can accordingly modify the content of your site.

There’s a lot more useful information and data that web analytics provides. The items listed above are the very basic. A proper tracking of your website traffic can provide you with a wealth of information that you can use to refine your SEO campaign and attract more traffic to your website.

Let’s see how Google Analytics helps you track the above details of your website. Google Analytics is a free solution from Google and it can provide you with data that helps you refine your SEO campaigns and attract more traffic. Here’s an example:

In the above image, you can see the details that Google analytics provides about a particular website. You can find that it mentions about number of visits, bounce rates, pageviews, etc. This is a top level view. You can explore details of each of the above metrics, decide refinements to your SEO campaigns and track the impact of the changes you make.

If you do not know the impact of your efforts, it becomes next to impossible to know if your efforts are working. Analyzing the information available through Google Analytics, you can take informed decisions and make changes to your SEO campaigns to drive more website traffic.

About the Author
Chip Curle is the owner of Charles Curle Design, a North Georgia web designer that develops and manages web sites and drives companies to the top of internet search engines through search engine optimization. His work has earned Chip 14 ADDY (American Advertising Federation) awards including 8 Gold, 4 Silver, and 2 Best of Show.

Building Business Networks – 101

There is really no secret to building your network of contacts.  There are a lot of resources out there giving tips and tricks on building business networks and expanding your realm of influence, but there are some basic principals to follow that can have a significant impact on how successful your networking events and strategies are.  Paying attention to the basic details is often a more effective approach than using any “secrets.”

What is the point of business networking?  It is the process of building relationships with complementary businesses, business owners, and business managers to increase your influence and position within a specific market or industry.  There are two points to take away here – building relationships and increasing influence and position.  Relationships will naturally increase your influence, and influence creates opportunity and improved market position.

The most important value in business is the relationships that are built.  Customers, clients, vendors, and colleagues all shape the relationships within a business.  Like any other area in life, the quality of the relationships can have a huge impact on the outcome of your interactions with existing and potential clients, vendor/reseller relations, and every other aspect of your daily operations.  Focus on building and maintaining positive relationships with your contacts (both within and outside of your company) you will quickly begin to increase your influence with your contacts.

How do you practically build good relationships with new contacts?  There is balance and communication to work on. All relationships tend to follow a similar tract – introduction, follow-up, acquaintance, interaction, commitment. There is room between each stage for varying degrees of influence, but most relationships in business tend to fall somewhere in these five categories.

In the introduction stage, you first meet the contact, give some overviews about yourself, find out who they are, exchange contact info, and independently decide whether or not the person is worth a follow-up action. If there is the potential to have a mutually beneficial relationship, or the new contact can possibly benefit you, request permission to follow-up with that person. If you can benefit them, let them know that you would be open to a follow-up communication.

The follow-up communication is where most individuals drop the ball.  It is difficult to make time in a busy schedule to get in front of your computer with the intent to follow-up on potential lead or new contacts.  If you don’t follow up correctly, a few things can happen: 1) you can loose out on a potential referral, 2) you could loose out on a potential client, 3) you loose out on a opportunity to get connected to a whole different network of contacts, and 4) you can loose credibility by not following up when you expressed an interest to.  If networking for increasing influence and position within a market is important to you, then follow-up opportunities should be created – not missed.

If you can get through the follow-up process, your hope is for a favorable response from the people you contact. When favorable replies are made (either by phone or email), you gain an opportunity to create an acquaintance with the contact. This is the real first step in developing a relationship. At this stage, you have made a favorable enough first impression to engage someone a second time, so use this opportunity to win them over.  This third step is usually the opportunity to give out some usable information, such as potential leads for each of you, or a request for proposal (or a request to offer a proposal) for services.

Once you have had a few interactions with your contacts, you begin to develop an acquaintance with them.  At this point, you both know each other and each others businesses, but you aren’t close with them yet. You may or may not have had any business dealings with them, but they are at least on your radar for future deals, or as someone who you can send referrals to.  Most business relationships don’t grow past this phase, but if you continue to follow up with them and remain in contact, often times you will either get a lead or be able to give a lead to someone you stay in contact with.

The final step in the business relationship process is developing a commitment with the new contact.  This doesn’t have to be any formal commitment, but typically means that you both agree to continue interacting with one another.  Hopefully the commitment comes in the form of a new customer or a referral that turns into a client, but either way, you have built a new business relationship that will only grow from here.  It is important to not loose contact with individuals in this stage of the business relationship because they can often be the most influential people in your growing network.

Most business-savvy individuals are always looking to grow their network, which means that follow-up and continued interactions are welcomed.  It is your responsibility to bring value to the relationships that you build – don’t just look to your own interest, but to the interest of your new contacts.  In doing so, you will begin to increase your influence and position within your industry.

SEOTERIC is an Athens and Atlanta website development and marketing firm specializing in building business websites that generate sales and leads through powerful SEO and marketing strategies.