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Turkey, Touchdowns and Time Management

‘Tis the season for giving thanks! This week marks a time when we gather with friends and family to enjoy a day full of turkey, touchdowns and tradition. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays; many memorable family get-togethers have taken place around the dinner table on this last Thursday in November. I love helping my mom stuff the turkey and experiment with new pie recipes (this year it’s a Pumpkin Pecan Pie) - everything right down to my Dad’s world-famous martinis that close out the evening every year. And I’ll admit it; I still get up early to watch the entire Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in my PJs.

While my memories of Thanksgiving are warm, fuzzy and soft all over, my mother’s reminiscences are slightly coated in stress and anxiety, complete with a side of pressure. Albeit a fantastic chef and cooking veteran, my mom is someone who admittedly struggles with dealing with the pressure of the holidays, especially when it comes to hosting Thanksgiving for a small army of family and friends. Even after decades of cooking for other people, it is still a feat for her to manage her time when preparing for the grand production known as Thanksgiving at the Trusty household.

Thanksgiving, and the art of cooking in general, is a true exercise in time management, a skill area in which I think even the highest level executives sometimes struggle. So in celebration of Thanksgiving this year, I’ve pulled together a few tips (with the help of the Mayo Clinic) on how to manage your time and stress level – whether you’re hosting a holiday get-together or running your own small business.

Plan each day – Write a to-do list for the day ahead and put the most important tasks at the top.

Prioritize your tasks – Prioritizing will ensure you spend your time and energy on tasks that are truly important to you.

Delegate – Take a look at your to-do list and determine what you can pass off to someone else.

DIRTFT – Do It Right The First Time – it’s a mantra by which CIG lives. Take the time to do a quality job the first time around. While it may take more time upfront, errors usually result in time consuming corrections.

Break tasks into manageable chunks – Work on larger (dreaded) tasks a few minutes each day. Once you get started you may find you can finish them.

Dare to say no – You know your limitations. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before you agree to take on additional work.

Limit distractions – Block out time for big, priority projects. Limit distractions by turning your phone on silent and closing your office door.

Take a break when needed – Too much stress can get the best of you. When you need a break, take one.

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On behalf of CIG have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! I hope these tips will help you manage your time so you can enjoy what’s really important this holiday season.

And remember… if all else fails, just be sure to get the wine!

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Posted by Megan Rees on 11/25 at 08:58 AM
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This is a great artical, i have a problem with saying no to more tasks but im pretty good at prioritizing.

Posted by Daniel branch  on  01/16  at  04:12 PM

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2009’s Pet Rock

Zhu Zhu Pets – ever heard of them? No? Well you will.

Remember 1984 and the Cabbage Patch Kid? Or how about 1997’s Tickle Me Elmo craze? Consumer analysts are predicting the same type of hype this Christmas surrounding the new Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters (pronounced zoo-zoo for those of you not in the know). So how does one toy become the “elusive present” and another not? Simple – marketing, branding and creating a “buzz.”

One trip to the Zhu Zhu Pets Web site and you are told up-front, “Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters are among the most sought after toys this holiday season and are quickly selling upon arrival in stores.” Well, after reading that I know my child is going to want the most sought after gift, and I certainly want to win parent of the year.  So my children must wake up Christmas morning with a pet hamster underneath the Christmas tree!

Here is the first lesson in creating a buzz – make your toy the most sought after and then have only short supplies of it. Don’t be fooled, retailing giants use their considerable tools and resources to figure out what toys are going to be hot and then proceed to create a buzz around them. In fact, I spoke with a manager at Wal-Mart who stated that Zhu Zhu Pets were being shipped in limited supply until after Thanksgiving and that they were only being shipped to small town stores in order to make them more “elusive.” While this may be a bit deceitful – it can also be viewed as smart marketing.

Dan Fishback, CEO of DemandTec, a company that studies consumer behavior scientifically, said even the idea that a toy can be hard to get can stimulate demand. He adds, “It is less about the toy and more about how it is positioned.” Again – marketing. As for Zhu Zhu Pets, which has done little advertising to spur its big build-up, Fishback states, “I think it’s great marketing… They’re creating the buzz without spending any money on advertising.”

So what lessons can businesses learn from these little Zhu Zhu Pets? Word of mouth is one of the strongest allies a business can have. Especially today with all the social networking available, getting your name or product out there is easier than ever.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of perception. When you Google Zhu Zhu Pets you may find some strategically placed press releases about these “hot, must have” toys. You can be your own best advertiser by crafting messages that help shape people’s perception.

FYI – I have my three Zhu Zhu Pets and I am hoping for that Parent of the Year Award in my stocking! Happy Holidays.

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Posted by Laurie Meza on 11/24 at 08:32 AM
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Yes this shows that since ages the trend of keeping pets is popular and even today people require a companion as sweet as a dog.

Posted by Dog Beds  on  01/25  at  02:07 AM

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If Mini Ballerinas Taught Business Seminars

My 6-year-old daughter recently joined a competitive dance program called Petite Company after begging for two years. Last year, I said no – primarily because I didn’t think she was ready, but also because I envisioned some sort of Toddlers & Tiaras scenario. As a former spelling bee champion and band nerd, that really wasn’t my thing. But, dance is her thing, and I figured it was better than being in front of the TV, so I relented.

I was not prepared for the life skills this would teach my child and how impressed I would be with these little people. The lessons in teamwork in that studio can (and should) be translated into the business world. So, I’ve decided I’m taking this show on the road. I’m going to figure out a way to get all 20 of them on the CIG payroll to teach business seminars on the subject. If little ballerinas taught a business workshop on teamwork, I think it would go something like this.

If you have a collective goal, work your tail off to accomplish it.
This is self-explanatory, but no one knows how to do it better than these young ones. With added rehearsals for an upcoming show, they train almost 10 hours a week with no complaints. Of course, this is on top of homework and school, and all of them are expected to get good grades or they can’t be part of the program. Work ethic is being instilled early, and slacking by any team member is not tolerated.

Work on projects you love or make the ones you don’t love fun.
Here is where I think every one of these kids is being deceived (Shhhh! Don’t tell them! They don’t know this is work). I think if you told them they were “working” four days a week, every single child would be out of there faster than you can say “jazz hands.” They’re there because they love it, and it shows in the way they work together.

Unwavering support is essential to a good team.
When Shyann (who is a little dance prodigy) gets a lead role in a number, there is no jealousy. The whole group is genuinely happy for her, and they know there is a place for every one of them in the dance. They also know if they want a bigger part, they should study her, figure out how she does it and work hard to develop the same skills.

Know one another’s strengths and weaknesses and use them for the appropriate project.
I call them ballerinas, but they train in ballet, tap, hip hop, lyrical, jazz and tumbling. Some of the kids have natural grace and can glide with ease in ballet. Others can shake their booties (my child) like no other in hip hop. There is a place for all of them to shine, and while they train in all the disciplines, they don’t force a natural booty-shaker to play the lead role in a ballet.

Every team needs a strong leader and decision-maker.
In this case, it is the phenomenal teachers who are firm but loving. These kids know the rules, and they know it doesn’t matter how naturally gifted you are, you will be kicked out if you don’t follow them. I can’t imagine what would happen if there was any chink in that armor. Kids can smell fear. It would be chaos.

No matter how big the mistake, smile and maybe no one will notice.
They smile through costume malfunctions, falls, trips and forgotten steps. They just keep smiling. I have no doubts that if they were in charge of a PowerPoint projector that just wouldn’t work during a huge presentation, they would smooth it over with grace and dignity.

There is very little that a rhinestone gun and some glitter can’t fix.
Okay, this one might not translate as well in the corporate world, but hey, have you tried it? Imagine if we gave every CEO or Project Manager a Bedazzler. Can you really tell me it wouldn’t make even the most hardened professional smile a little?

So, get ready for the workshop. I might call it Tiaras & Teamwork. Until then, I can’t wait to spend this year cheering every last one of them (not just my child) on in competitions and performances.

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Posted by Kristi Estes on 11/24 at 08:25 AM
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I like the way you think out of the box almost all the time. It is a great asset when it comes to branding, PR, and remarketing. So often we don’t ask the questions that need to be asked, but by thinking this way, it makes it ‘safe’ to ask them.

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What is Pumpkin Chopping?

Communication goes hand in hand with interpretation. For example, what would you think if I said “I am going to a pumpkin choppin’?” Would you think I am making pork chops with pumpkins (like my friend Mark)? Or would you think that I am destroying pumpkins?

If you thought the latter of the two, you are correct. It is annual event held at a friend’s house the weekend after Halloween, when pumpkins are plentiful. Everyone brings their leftover Jack-O-Lanterns and has a heyday with them – we slice, smash, stomp and utterly destroy them. It is a great stress reliever and good for the environment, as all the pumpkin bits are donated to local compost piles.

The power of interpretation was made clear this week when CIG participated in a teambuilding exercise. The exercise started by splitting the group into two teams. In a glorified game of “telephone,” we were required to communicate with fellow team members on how to replicate a structure using Tinker Toys – without ever seeing it. When the outcome was revealed, the structures built by the two teams were drastically different, based on how the “builder” interpreted the instructions they were given.

The varying outcomes could be based on lack of communication or miscommunication, but it is important to realize that people interpret even simple instructions differently. What may seem like second nature to one, can be a bit more complex to another, and vice versa.

This exercise reminded all of us that, when communicating, it is best to break information down into smaller, more manageable nuggets of information before moving forward. I think this is a skill on which everyone can improve. It is so easy for someone that is close to a certain topic, industry or issue to forget that others are not as informed as they are. Sometimes it is best to take a step back and answer the fundamental questions, who, what, when, where and how.

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Posted by Liz Viscardi on 11/11 at 05:54 PM
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