CONTINUOUS  IMPROVEMENTS  Success in life often depends on seeking honest feedback and acting on it to make continuous improvements. It is often difficult to get honest feedback, but it is essential if you want to improve your skills, a product, a service, or an organisation.            Sound feedback can also act…

MAKE YOUR WRITING MEMORABLE   Use a bait to catch your readers attention. Your first sentence and paragraph should be interesting enough to get attention and make readers want to keep reading.             If you want your writing to be read you must use crisp clear and concise language.             Edit, edit, edit! Check for…

Plan Your retirement NOW ! Ideally retirement should be planned early in a career. Start saving early. Set up a superannuation scheme, so you can enjoy your retirement years. Retirement homes for the disabled and elderly cost at least $1,000 a week so do your homework and estimate what you will need to save.  …

LOOKING for WORK? Are you looking for work? Have you lost your job? Have you graduated and cannot get a job? Are you over qualified and people are scared to employ you? Have you been demobbed from the armed forces? Are you returning to the work force after a prolonged absence, such as raising a…

STAGING A DISPLAY An effective display should stop people, arouse their interest, stimulate their thoughts and cause action. Most fail to do this.             Too many displays are cluttered and contain conflicting messages.             Displays should contain a simple message – the fewer the words the better. People are lazy readers and eager lookers.             …

  TROUBLESHOOTING  Problems tend to get bigger if they are not dealt with promptly. The best way to escape from a problem, and stop worrying about it, is to troubleshoot it fast and solve it as soon as possible. It’s so easy to procrastinate and hope the problem will go away.             First examine all…

 STIMULATING CREATIVITY Creativity requires the freedom to doubt the worth of common practices. Creative people often see familiar things as old-fashioned and out-of-date and want to create something new and worth-while.           Managers and CEOs cannot order staff to be creative, but they can provide working conditions where creativity can flourish.           By building a…

   SEEKING PROMOTION To advance your career and to achieve success is an exciting quest.  Success occurs when opportunity and preparation meet. Success comes when you do things right, when you learn how to make the best use of your time and how to deal with people. These tips will help you promote yourself; help…

PERSUASIVE WAYS  Be aware of some of the techniques people use to influence you, or to persuade you to buy a product. You may be able to turn them to your advantage. Five techniques used to influence you * Testimonials by famous people           Actors, sports persons, TV personalities or famous people with high profiles…

 SPEAKING TO A FOREIGN AUDIENCE Thorough preparation is essential when making a speech, or a presentation  in countries where English is not the main language.             If possible, get to know your audience first, their customs and habits, before you prepare your presentation.  You must be adaptable and flexible and…