Past issues

Mindconnection eNL, 2001-07-21

In this issue:

1. The secrets of effective meetings
2. Hot book recommendation--a "must read"
3. Problems with certain product searches on Mindconnection
4. Polo shirt contest
5. Best sellers
6. Nail the IRS
7. Thought for the day

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1. The secrets of effective meetings.

We all hate meetings, and with good reason--they are huge wastes of time! Mindconnection offers an inexpensive white paper on how to hold effective meetings. You can download it from
https://www.mindconnection.com/product/CRS-EFFMTGS.html

Meetings are the single largest cost most companies incur. They consume time that should be spent productively, and they tend to drain the energy, enthusiasm, and motivation from the attendees. Yet, some meetings are productive. Some meetings build energy, increase enthusiasm, and motivate attendees to higher levels of performance. In this course, you will learn how to have this second kind of meeting. To get these kinds of results, you don’t need to do magic tricks, tell jokes, or "wow" people. We’ll show you what you need to do and how to do it. Among the things you’ll learn are:

• How to hold a meeting, rather than a mental beating
• How to start and end meetings on time
• How to avoid stretching a 20-minute meeting to 4 hours
• How to make short meetings count
• How to establish a clear purpose for the meeting
• How to stay focused on the meeting’s purpose
• How to make be more productive in half the time
• How to assure attendance by the right people
• How to handle people who derail meeting agendas
• How to chair a meeting
• How to improve a meeting that someone else chairs

How to get out of meetings you don’t want to attend!

2. Hot book recommendation

A Must Read book: A Shortage of Engineers. It does have some foul language, so it's not for everybody. This novel brings back many fond (and not-so-fond) memories for me. It hits on the corporate dysfunctionality many of us deal with, and it offers a humorous perspective that will have you laughing--and thinking. 

3. Problems with certain product searches on Mindconnection

Some of you have expressed chagrin over not being able to find books, tapes or software by certain keywords. Well, it's not your fault! There is some kind of problem with that our programmers are working on. You can find some stuff, but not other stuff. It's a pain, and we're sorry for the inconvenience. The Hot Lists still work, so if you want the most popular items you can easily get them.

4. Polo shirt contest

I have had to wait to hear back from all the winners, and now I'll be making up an order sheet to submit to our shirt supplier soon. These should ship before the end of summer. Winners will also receive other goodies, so it's worth the wait. You are automatically enrolled in this contest simply by being a subscriber. To up your chances, visit https://www.mindconnection.com/main/contests/poloshirt.htm.

Just so you know, one person who sent in over two dozen referrals after the mid-year deadline got a shirt just for doing that. We matched her to the lowest # of the other folks who won by referral and put her balance into the end-of-year contest--which is running now. We name extra winners because we appreciate good PR when we get it!

5. Best Sellers

Mindconnection has discounts on what's hot--books, software, movies, music, games, electronics, camera equipment, and more. Just use the form at https://www.mindconnection.com. These are the hot lists mentioned earlier, and they work fine!

6. Nail the IRS

You have a chance to set things right in the US of A! It's bad enough our extortion-level tax rates go to pay for $700 toilet seats. What's much worse--and very dangerous to all of us--is the way the IRS abuses hard-working citizens who have paid their taxes but have their homes seized anyhow.

Well, you can sit there and wait your turn to be abused, or you can stop them before they nail you. Nail them by filling out a short petition. And don't forget to watch the MSNBC video that tells the story!

1. Click here: http://www.msnbc.com/news/580498.asp: "The Fleecing of America" (edited 08JUL2005: link no longer active).

2. Read this: Judge sentences Hoyt, then rebukes IRS for their behavior.

3. Read the ultimate Hoyt Fiasco article, quoting an IRS attorney who quit in disgust: http://augustachronicle.com/stories/071501/bus_124-5219.shtml
   --send a copy to your Senator and your Congressman.

8. Thought for the Day

Many people go through their jobs simply handling work, whether paper-pushing or in crisis management. This is a way of fulfilling job duties and paying your bills. "Give me an assignment, and I'll carry it out." However, consider a customer-focused way of working.

For example, rather than simply manage a project, contact the customer and offer to be a resource. Today's marketing hype uses the meaningless word "solution" to describe products and services, but the sentiment is correct. Rather than just engage in an activity that satisfies a contract or an employment relationship, ask your customer what problems you might be able to help solve. And then listen. Doing so is the first step in being a rainmaker, and we all know without rain there are no crops.

Wishing you the best,

Mark Lamendola
Mindconnection.com

Authorship

Except where noted, this e-newsletter is entirely the work of Mark Lamendola. Anything presented as fact can be independently verified. Often, sources are given; but where not given, they are readily available to anyone who makes the effort.

Mark provides information from either research or his own areas of established expertise. Sometimes, what appears to be a personal opinion is the only possibility when applying sound logic--reason it out before judging! (That said, some personal opinions do appear on occasion).

The purpose of this publication is to inform and empower its readers (and save you money!).

Personal note from Mark: I value each and every one of you, and I hope that shows in the diligent effort I put into writing this e-newsletter. Thank you for being a faithful reader.