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How to Protect Your Energy Bandwidth
By Christopher L Elliott We only have a limited amount of energy to devote to doing what we enjoy doing. The problem that many of us face is that there are many energy leeches out there waiting to suck our energy away. By taking an inventory of what causes you to feel energized and what depletes you of energy, you can develop a system that will allow you to optimize the limited amount of time and energy you have to succeed in a day. What sucks the life out of you? As you are going about a day's activities, think about the things that make you unmotivated, tired, and feel like you want to craw back into bed. For me, some of the energy sinks are: * Being a passive participant in meetings that require minor input * Writing process or technical instructions * Paying bills * Trying to find missing data for an analysis * Being stuck in traffic What refreshes you? Now think about the good things. What are the activities that bring about a sense of renewal and give you a positive buzz to accomplish more than you would be able to just doing energy sucking activities. For me this can include: * Creating tasty meals * Writing insightful blog posts * Delivering presentations what "WOW" people * Exploring a city I have never been to before * Completing personal projects The Problem - Sink to Sink Schedules I have found that the problem with most work schedules is that it is set up to move you from energy sink to energy sink without any refreshing events between the sinks. The effect of those schedules is that by the time you leave work or get to the afternoon if you are working at home, you are exhausted and have no energy bandwidth to devote to meaningful projects. The Solution - Time for Renewal To combat the end of day fatigue, you need to get you schedule whipped into shape to maximize the amount of energy you have for the day. To do this, you need to follow some guidelines: 1. Don't schedule energy sink activities first thing in the morning. If you do, then make sure you try to do something refreshing right before and right after the draining activity to get your energy levels back in line. 2. Use the sandwich technique often employed in evaluations. Do something positive that gets you motivated, so something draining then do something positive again to limit the impact of the draining activity. 3. This is just common advice for anyone, but I encourage you to drink plenty of water, take stretch breaks, and make sure you are violently enforcing your energy bandwidth schedule. Now I know that there can be problems with organizing your schedule around kids, careers, and your personal interests, however, your energy to accomplish things is the most important asset you have. Don't waste it and find ways to structure your activities to refresh and renew so you can find yourself accomplishing your goals with more energy everyday. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Protect-Your-Energy-Bandwidth&id=1729778 |
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Building a Learning Organization
By Christopher L Elliott I am a member of many different organizations; however some of them get more of my time and most importantly, money, then the others. What separates the organizations that get my money from the organizations that don’t. The ones that get the money are learning organizations helping me gain knowledge, apply the knowledge, and facilitate making the connections I need to advance my career. What separates the organizations that aregrowing their memberships from the organizations that don't? The ones that are growing their membership are learning organizations that help their members gain knowledge, apply the knowledge, and facilitate making the connections needed to advance their careers. What Learning Organizations Provide Content - A learning organization has produced a lot of content that provides useful information to all members that have joined that organization. An example is Toastmasters. They have manuals, books, and forms that allow you to explore many different leadership and public speaking topics within the club. The only downside is that most of the materials will help you in Toastmasters and more tools are needed to help people apply what they have learned outside of the club. Application - Does the organization give you the tools you need to apply the information you have learned? Where a learning organization like Toastmasters does a good job of providing content, it does not always do a good job of connecting that learning to making money. A good example of an organization that enables members to apply their knowledge is the National Speakers Association. They do a good job at providing their members the tools that they need to help them grow their speaking business. The only problem is that the tools they provide are expensive and they don't always do a great job connecting their members with people that are seeking their members. Connections - This is the point where most learning organizations have fallen short. They have built a brand around the content and teach you how to apply the content, but then what? How do you promote your members so that they can use the connection to your brand to succeed? This is the challenge of organizations in the future and one that mary are falling short at achieving. Point of Improvement for all Organizations There is one issue I see crop up in many organizations, and that is how they promote their advanced members but not the junior members. That makes the junior members feel left out of the opportunities that advanced members have. There is a great need out there in many organizations to help junior or new members really connect with all levels of the organization, develop their knowledge, and learn to apply that knowledge to grow as individuals. Not doing this is what I believe causes the high turnover that membership organizations report. The organizations that can deliver content, teach how to apply the content, and allow members to connect and share their knowledge will be immensely successful in the future. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and membership growth, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Building-a-Learning-Organization&id=1729760 |
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Not Making Money? Start Tracking Your Time Like a Lawyer
By Christopher L Elliott Non-Billable Time is Holding You Back As an entrepreneur or someone moving from wage slave to wage creator, what is the biggest thing holding you back from earning what you deserve? If you are like most entrepreneurs, then I am assuming that the one thing that is holding you back is wasting your time on activities that are not generating revenue. That is why you need to start tracking you time like a lawyer. Why Lawyers are so Successful and How You Can Emulate them If you spend any time around a Lawyer, you will find that they focus on one thing, billable hours. Whether they are in private practice or a large firm, the focus is always on how many billable hours can be squeezed into a day. Though many people dislike lawyers, this principle can be modified to help you become more successful. How to Track Your Day Before you begin, think about the time you have available to work on "billable" work. Here is what a typical weekday and weekend breakdown would look like for me: On weekdays I have four hours available outside of my day job for "billable" tasks. For me, these tasks are: time spent writing blog posts, speeches, articles, and white papers. Now use a simple time tracking tool (spreadsheet or free time keeping application) to track these as "billable" tasks. Now spend some time figuring out what your "non-billable" tasks are. Examples from my life are: Twittering, watching TV, surfing the web, reading, window shopping, and hanging out with friends. Now don't get me wrong, the point is not to stop doing any of these things. The point of this exercise is to help you track what time is spent on revenue versus non-revenue activities and develop the habit of working on revenue generating habits. As you move from wage slave to wage creator, having this habit will help you keep focus on generating revenue for yourself. The next step in the process is to just track what you are doing and what time is spent doing it. Then at the end of the week, month, quarter and year, you can use this data to determine what amount of time was spent on billable versus non-billable tasks. I find that this can be immensely helpful to figuring out why I am not getting ahead in my dream career of public speaking, writing, and coaching. Last Piece of Advice One final piece of advice, make sure that you are assigning an appropriate amount of billable hours to the task before you start. For example, if you are going to write a blog post, assign forty-five minutes of billable hours to that post. If it takes an hour and thirty minutes to research and write, bill forty-five minutes. Establishing standard billable time is another secret of lawyers that keep them on task and generating revenue. Establishing maximum time for completion on your tasks allows you to be more focused and realize that you can only generate so much revenue out of each assignment. To record in your time management system, take the blog post example. If I have forty-five minutes assigned to the post, but it takes me one hour. I assign forty five minutes as billable and fifteen minutes as non-billable "task slack" time. Setting up a system to get you moving forward on generating revenue is the best thing you can do to generate more income in the coming months. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Not-Making-Money?-Start-Tracking-Your-Time-Like-a-Lawyer&id=1732310 |
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Give it a Try and See What Sticks
By Christopher L Elliott Coming up with great ideas is not hard. Everyone you meet has great ideas for books to write, businesses to start, and ways to improve society. With all of these ideas floating around, it is a wonder that not everyone is successful, happy, and wise. So what gives? Why with so many great ideas are people not falling over themselves with success? They Don't Try Many people have ideas, but why so many people are not successful is because they didn't follow through and try out any of their ideas. Wouldn't it be great if it was that simple? If you just tried something and it worked. That would be good, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Feel the Fear Most ideas don't get turned into action because of fear of failure. This is simple to overcome, just try to do something related to your idea. Then next time you have an idea, try something again. The goal is to feel the fear of failure, but keep trying to execute your idea. Doing so will make you accustom to the potential of failure and get you set up for the next part. See What Sticks Many things you try are not going to be successful. From relationships to businesses, most are going to fail. However, at some point, something is going to stick. It might be the smallest idea you had, but if it sticks and you get a response, be it a job, revenues, or a date, then you can move forward, keep trying and eventually succeed. Give it a try; you never know what will stick. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Give-it-a-Try-and-See-What-Sticks&id=1729799 |
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Tips on How to Be Successful - Get a Coach
By Christopher L Elliott What separates chumps from champs? Let us consider two speakers getting ready for a competition. The two speakers practice their speeches the same amount of time, spend the same amount of time revising their speeches, and both deliver their speeches with the same enthusiasm. With all those things equal, there is one thing that separates the great speaker from good. That one thing is a coach. Coaching is not just in the realm of sports. Coaches exist for life, business, organization, and yes, speaking. In having a coach or group of coaches in many cases, you give yourself an advantage with all other things being equal. Why? Because having a professional coach gives you an experienced opinion on your performance. The coach provides feedback that others might not give because of politeness or they just don't know what to look for. A good coach gives you unabashed feedback on your performance without excess commentary or pushing you to buy another useless product. Being Coachable Let's go back to those two speakers we mentioned at the beginning of this post. Let's now give them both coaches of equal coaching ability. What still separates the performance of the two speakers? Coachability. You can have all the coaches in the world, but if you are not open to being coached then you will stay a chump. I have seen a lot of speakers practice, revise, get feedback, and practice more but are still unable to improve. The problem is that they get coaching, but don't apply it to their situation. What does it take to be coachable? Someone who is coachable is open to feedback, listens twice as much than they talk, and puts direction into action first before saying it doesn't work. It is not easy to be open to coaching. It takes a lot of self confidence to put your ego aside and listen to the honest feedback of another person. I know, because I have been there listening to a coach and thought, "They have no clue what they are talking about!" But then, I changed my perception of the situation. I still struggle everyday to keep my mouth shut, listen effectively, and allow myself to be coached in all areas of my life. Is it easy No, but I know that I will be a better person if I get better at being coached. Finding a Coach "When the student is ready, the master appears." ~Buddhist Proverb Coaching is in. When looking for a coach, you can find life coaches, organizational coaches, relationship coaches, and even pick up coaches. The trend in the coaching market seems to indicate that if there is something in your life you think you need to fix, then there will be someone else willing to take on the title of "your problem" coach. Because of the current interest in coaching, there are a lot of people willing to offer themselves up as coaches. Because there are so many people out there willing to be coaches, I would like you to consider the following when looking for a coach: 1. What have you tried already? Many people are already doing what they need to do to be successful without having to hire a coach. I have found that most people that look for coaching have already learned most of the material they need to be successful. They don't realize that they have all the tools they need to get done what they want to do and a coach would be nothing more than an expensive cheerleader. In that case I would recommend just doing what you want to do. Stop reading about organization, starting a business, or balancing you finances and just do it! If you realize that as you are doing it you need some help, then get a coach to help you fill in the gaps in your execution. 2. Do you really need a coach? Are you willing to change what needs to be changed in your life to be successful? Most people are not willing to change what needs to be changed in order for them to succeed. It is the dark secret of self improvement; most people really don't want to change. If you have not proven to yourself that you are able to change, then hiring a coach is going to be a waste of time. 3. How much are you willing to spend? Coaching can be expensive. If you are looking to hire a coach that can help teach you do make the changes you want in your life, then you might have to spend $100 or more an hour. Because the experience that a coach has did not come easily and the coaching training they have was also expensive, so a coach has to charge a steep rate to make a return on their investment. Once you find a good coach, you will realize that the information they have, if you are willing to change, is worth the investment. Remember point two, you have to be willing to change. I don't want people reading this to be throwing their money away when they are not going to change. 4. What do you expect to get from coaching? A coach will not do your work for you. When you hire an organizational coach, expect them to set up a system and teach you how to use it. It will then be up to you to do the work of getting yourself organized. Being coached is a lot of work and you need to expect to put in one to three hours a day completing the tasks that your coach assigns. When you hire a life coach, expect to be doing a lot of writing, a lot of reading, and some deep hard thinking about what you really want to do with your life. A good coach is not going to tell you what to do with your life, but they will help you put the pieces of your puzzle on the floor and help you see what fits best together. Getting Started When you are able to really say, "Yes I am ready to change", you can then expect to do well with coaching. When you really know that, and then ask yourself if you have already tried the things a coach might suggest, do you know what a coach does, and are you willing to spend the money on a coach? If you are really still ready to be coached, then hang on, because in the next part of this series we will talk about how you can go about looking for a coach, what to avoid, and what questions to ask the coaches you will be interviewing. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com For more tips on how you can become a better speaker or go from free to fee, check out his blog at http://mytoastmastersblog.com In his presentations on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-on-How-to-Be-Successful---Get-a-Coach&id=1692967 |
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Are You Getting Worse As a Speaker?
By Christopher L Elliott I have spoken to 5 difference audiences in a week. In that time I have noticed something about my presentation. I am not connecting with the audience or communicating as well as I have in the past. Then it hit me, and it is a problem I see in many accomplished speakers. You are too comfortable with speaking In my case, I have become too comfortable with my speaking so I don't put as much nervous energy into my speeches. I used to get up and hit the audience with a burst of energy and that alone was enough to capture people's attention. Now, I am able to stand and speak for some length and it bores the heck out of some people that I am not moving around a little. You rest on your laurels I have given a lot of speeches the past few years, so I find myself not spending as much time preparing speeches as I once had. Because of that, I will go in front of audiences with only a few notes or even with nothing if it is a free speech. I have usually thought about what I am going to say, but haven't written anything down. I have rested on my ability to come up with something appropriate and that is not going to allow me to connect with the audience and deliver a speech that motivates and connect with people. You stop practicing This is your and my biggest problem. When I first started speaking, I would practice my speeches for hours. This allowed me to see where I had issues, rewrite, and fully integrate my message into my material. Many of us have stopped practicing as much and we have relied on our experience to get us by in our speeches. This does not allow us to connect, to have a well defined message, and to be ready to motivate people who want to be motivated. We need to practice to get better and without it, it falls flat. I have seen many professional speakers get up and "wing it." The flattening of their development speaks to the results of not practicing. Conclusion So are you getting worse as a speaker? I am guessing that if you have stopped practicing as much, been resting on your laurels, and are getting to comfortable then you are getting worse. So get back to practicing, writing new material, and getting nervous about speaking. It will get you back into the swing of things and interested in speaking again. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com For more tips on how you can become a better speaker or go from free to fee, check out his blog at http://mytoastmastersblog.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-Getting-Worse-As-a-Speaker?&id=1708799 |
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Stop Being Jealous of Others' Successes and Create Your Own Success
By Christopher L Elliott How often do you visit the website of someone pursuing the career you dream of having and it makes you angry? Do you stop to consider what about the person or site makes your angry? Could you be jealous that: 1. The person or company you are looking at has an amazing website filled with content. 2. They have been interviewed by major publications or have been on Oprah 3. Their list of books, audio programs, or keynotes is astounding 4. It appears from their website that the person or business is successful Right now you may be boiling with rage that some author, speaker, or information marketer is making the money that you should be making. Why? What steps have you taken today to build the business of your dreams? What books have you written, what audio programs have you produced, what blogs have you started, or what persons have you worked with to get you from where you are to where you want to be? The Magical Manifestation Myth Many of us, myself included, have spent most of the past few years wandering around thinking that all we have to do is buy one more book, listen to one more teleseminar, or attend one more event and we will be successful. We have gotten it in our heads that all we need to do is think about being successful enough and success will magically manifest itself in our lives. It is a nice thought, but constantly buying more products that tell you to dream and you will succeed is not going to help you succeed. What it is going to take to be successful is: 1. Stop spending all of your time being jealous of another's success and figure out what you love to do that will allow you to be successful. This can be speaking, writing, jogging, or creating new products. Whatever you love to do and that you can make money doing, then write it down and research what it takes be successful. 2. Join a group or association that supports your career. At most major libraries they have a reference series called the Encyclopedia of Associations. The Encyclopedia lists every association for every conceivable interest that you might have. Write down the contact information and call, write, or visit the website of the associations that are in the area of your interest. Join and participate in the association or group if they provide the support you need to learn, grow, and thrive in your chosen field of interest. 3. Do the work that is required to build your brand, promote your work, and get in front of people that will help you grow in your chosen field. You are not going to be a success overnight, but if you work hard at your chosen field, then you will realize the success that you are seeking. Stop Thinking and Start Doing Stop being jealous of others' successes and take the steps forward to model what they did to be successful. Your success is not guaranteed, but if you are passionate about what you are doing, connecting with others doing what you love to do, and doing the work to break into your field, then you will realize success. Stop thinking and start doing. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Stop-Being-Jealous-of-Others-Successes-and-Create-Your-Own-Success&id=1757527 |
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How Twitter and Yammer Can Change the Face of Work
By Christopher L Elliott Holdovers of the Industrial Age Do you ever wonder why most corporations insist on having their employees in the office from 8 to 5? This holdover from the industrial age does not make sense for many of our employees engaged in information and creative pursuits. As social networking and micro blogging tools such as Twitter and Yammer become more common, it gives corporations the ability to free their employees and management from rigid job definitions and reward information and creative professionals for doing the work that interests them the most. The Possibilities of Twitter and Yammer Imagine the ability of a VP of Finance requesting that someone code some VBA for a yield analysis spreadsheet or a VP of Supply Chain requesting an optimization problem solution for their machine shop. Being able to send out a request via Twitter or Yammer could yield multiple people in the organization that would be interested in tackling the problem. Instead of pushing off the analysis to someone that might not be interested, you give your employees the opportunity to contribute what they want to when they want to. This has the potential to increase job satisfaction and employee engagement. Creating a Results Orientated Work Environment (ROWE) We are on the cusp of being able to redesign the organization of companies to effectively maximize the productivity of their most high potential employees. It doesn't make sense to have your information centric staff accountable to a clock, when freeing them from the confines of the office and a rigid job description will make them more productive and more likely to create new sources of revenue for your organization. Modifying your organization using these tools might also make it possible to rapidly implement a Results Orientated Work Environment (ROWE). The Potential to Increase Employee Productivity By learning to use tools like Twitter and Yammer, corporations have the potential to maximize the abilities of their employees. By setting up a system where people can work on what they want to work on when they want to work on it, it makes people much more engaged and interested in the work they are perusing. Nothing kills the productivity of an intelligent person more than being told to sit and be productive on command. It makes your high performers miserable and gets them looking to start their own business or look for opportunities elsewhere. The solution is to assign tasks across the information organization for people to work on. This gives you the opportunity to tap the minds of many, instead of trying to push work on people that have a title, but not necessarily the ability. There is also a potential to increase employee productivity and grow employee satisfaction. The growth and development of new social networking and microblogging tools is amazing and the ability of companies to adapt them to maximize their employee's potential is limitless. Will you free your employees or continue to shackle them? The choice is yours. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Twitter-and-Yammer-Can-Change-the-Face-of-Work&id=1728634 |
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Why Toastmasters Makes Sense in a Down Economy
By Christopher L Elliott "We are cutting back on unnecessary expenses." "I am just too stressed about my job to come." "THEY EXPECT me to be at work more, so I can't come." What excuses have you heard the past few months from your members and potential members? What excuses are you using for not improving your speaking and leadership skills? The Excuses Excuses, we all have them. What is your excuse for not taking an hour to an hour and a half a week to improve your communication and leadership skills? Do you not have enough time, do you not have enough money, or maybe you just don't have the energy with the economy and all? The Reality The reality is that Toastmasters will not make you a better speaker. Toastmasters will make you a better person. It is a commitment to personal development and that scares some people. To be successful, you have to be willing to take on challenges, take risks, and reap the rewards. So you have to accept that your excuse is not time, it is not money, and it is not really energy, you excuse is that you are scared to change. The Solution Even if no one you will ever know what Toastmasters is all about, you are still going to go farther in life because you have been a Toastmasters member. Being in Toastmasters teaches you to change, it teaches you to grow, and it teaches you how to be a better communicator. You might not like that, but if you are committed to taking 100% responsibility for your life and not making excuses, then Toastmasters should be an option. Why it Makes Sense in a Down Economy In the 1970's, Warren Buffet was buying stocks when others were predicting the end of stock markets and trying to sell out. When the stock market recovered, Buffet's riches grew, because he was doing what others were not. How does this relate to Toastmasters? As the people around you spend less on their education, spend less becoming better speakers, you can be spending the money now, so when the economy improves, you have the skill set to be successful. You will have the base you developed in the lean times to make an impact when times are good. It is one of the things I find funny about training and research. When a company is doing poorly, they cut back on the one thing that will help them in better times, their people. Why should you be like most people and most companies? You want to be more successful...right? Then don't listen to your fears, spend the time, spend the money, and make yourself a better person today so you don't have to play catch up when things improved. I am putting more into Toastmasters because I know that I am getting the experience I need now that will drive me forward faster in the future. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. For more tips on how you can become a better speaker, check out http://mytoastmastersblog.com If you would like information on how you can bring Chris to speak to your next meeting, please visit http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Toastmasters-Makes-Sense-in-a-Down-Economy&id=1671119 |
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How Rude - Don't Be a Content Thief
By Christopher L Elliott The simulated click of the camera captured my attention. Sitting in a conference room, a middle aged man in front of me was snapping pictures of the lecture slides. My attention on the presentation was snapped and I was slack jawed. My thoughts were racing, "What is this person doing? Last time I checked, that is not allowed without permission." As a blogger and a speaker I was annoyed, because the content in your presentations is your livelihood. When I am presenting at a conference, I am presenting work that is delivered in articles, books, videos, and other mediums. The content presented can take years to develop, and I was shocked that this person was sitting there snapping pictures of the slides without a care for asking permission. How rude! The effect of this person taking pictures was, that others started to do the same. It would seem that one person taking pictures of the lecture slides meant others could do the same. I don't think that is the case. If the presenter wanted the slides to be public domain, then they would say that they are public domain and make them available, if they do not, then you will have to ask permission before recording anything. That is not only good manners, but in some cases might be legally required. When you are considering using other's content; whether it is in print, web, or other medium. Be smart about how you use other's work. If you are scanning flickr for blog photos, make sure you are checking the copyrights. If you have to give credit, then give credit. If you want to take pictures or want copies of the slides, then ask. You might be surprised when they say no, but respect that. Content is king in today's information market. Respect the content and don't be rude if you don't get permission. Take that as a bump to produce your own content. Then see if you want other people copying your materials. Chris Elliott is a professional speaker and blogger. In his presentations and articles on personal success, employee morale, technology selection, and supply chain issues, Chris Elliott brings a unique perspective to help you solve the problems that affects your business. Contact Chris Elliott today so he can deliver the results that you need to be successful. To get a copy of Chris' new Special Report, "Make Money? You're Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline." Sign up for his newsletter at http://chris-elliott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_L_Elliott
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Rude---Dont-Be-a-Content-Thief&id=1708789 |
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Speaking Tips