One of the problems for many companies is in identifying and establishing the ROI or return on the financial investment involved in staff mentoring and training. Establishing the financial benefits of leadership development courses is difficult, not least because it requires a certain perception of where the trainee was, and how they have advanced with the training.

Why is Leadership Development Important?

The emphasis on leaders needing to be proactive rather than reactive may be a good argument for coaching, especially from the provider’s point of view, but whether that change is measurable is unclear. There is a major issue on where professional and leadership courses are sourced. Some of the courses are organized by human resource organizations, while others are start-up businesses.

Where a business has its own human resource department, personnel need to take great care when selecting an organization that offers leadership development courses. Courses can cost £500 or more a day and it is not always easy to assess the provider’s qualifications for offering such a course.

Like many other innovations in the business world, courses on the development of leadership qualities may be just another fad, with too many people trying to climb onto what they see as the latest business gravy train. There is always a problem in estimating the development of soft skills because of the human element, which is problematic when it comes to assessing the ROI of such courses. Everyone does not respond in the same way to a particular training course, and the idea of leadership qualities is not a universal one.

As business owners attempt to develop a more personal and one to one relationship with their heads of department and leaders in other areas, assessing these things in terms of cost, is not only difficult, but questionable.

Business Evaluation

It is difficult to evaluate the mostly soft skills that make up leadership development when the general business model of statistical analysis is used. Business development training courses are not easy to measure with a survey because of the human element involved. The difficulty with analysis can be problematic for a business owner who needs to know whether the investment in this kind of training will benefit the organization, or whether they are wasting their money.

The main problem in trying to establish any gains from an investment in training is that the development of the qualities needed in a leader are not immediately obvious  because the awareness of such qualities only become obvious over time. It might be argued that the development of the qualities needed in leadership may very from business to business, and so a more tailored approach to training might be required.

Written on behalf of Performance 1 by Gozde Kar.

The post Is There an ROI in Leadership Development? appeared first on .

Reeves’ example is like a beacon in the night.  He is there for all of us to look up to and see where life can take us.

There are times in everyone’s life when everything seems bleak.  When nothing is going the way you though it should have or would have.  It can be hard to look at your life and realize that it’s not where you want to be.  Whatever situation you find yourself in, just remember that no matter what is happening you can always have hope.

Happiness is a choice you make.  You can choose to accept things the way they are and not do anything about it, or you can choose to have hope and make up your mind to be happy.  That’s not saying it won’t be difficult, but it is a deliberate and conscience choice you have to make on your own.

Change starts with you.  You can’t change the people around you, no matter how hard you try.  You have to start with yourself.  Decide that you will be the one to step up and move forward.  Outside influences can only affect your outlook on life and your feelings about yourself and others if you allow them to.

You are the only one placing limitations on yourself.  First you have to believe that nothing can stop you, then you have to act like nothing will and then you will find yourself doing amazing and hard things.  Experiences and opportunities are made by people who want them and do something about it; they don’t just fall in your lap.

Anyone can have hope when everything is going great.  It takes courage and determination to have hope when the unexpected happens.  You can either choose to let events in life rule you or you can learn, as Christopher Reeves did, to accept what happens and move forward by making the most of the situation.

Having hope can be a challenge, but it is possible.  Look to others for encouragement and support.  Don’t limit yourself to what the world thinks you can do.  Be strong, have hope and make something of yourself.

The post “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible,” Christopher Reeves appeared first on .

Accept Failure

When a baby first starts to walk, it is going to fall down. It will fall over and over again, but each time it falls it learns something new about walking. Would you tell a baby to stop trying just because it fell the first time? Failure is simply a lesson that will help you to do better the next time you try. Once you see failure as a tool for learning, you will realize that even those experiences are valuable and worthwhile.

Praise Yourself

Your thoughts have a powerful effect on your mind. Positive thinking might be somewhat of a cliché, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work. Changing your thought patterns is the basis of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and it can have a dramatic impact on how you see yourself. There’s a reason that the most successful rehabs focus on holistic alcohol recovery – your state of mind, state of health and emotions all interact and feed back on each other.

When you have negative thoughts about yourself and your capabilities, think what a friend might say to you or what you would say to a friend if they expressed those feelings. If your friend said “I can’t do anything right,” you would point out their accomplishments. So, the next time you feel a negative thought, interrupt it with praise.

Set Small, Measurable Goals

All too often we set ourselves up for defeat by making lofty, almost impossible promises to ourselves, then berating ourselves when we don’t reach them. Of course you will feel defeated if you try to do something impossible. When setting goals, make them smaller and measurable with benchmarks on the way to your ultimate plan.

So, if you want to get in shape don’t say “I will run five miles every day for three months.” Instead, plan to go for a walk every day – it doesn’t matter how far, it’s the principle of getting started. If you miss a day for some reason, don’t say “I have failed my goal.” Instead, recognize that you succeeded every other day, and congratulate yourself.

Adrienne is a freelance writer, blogger for Pongra, and aspiring novelist. When she’s not writing, you might find her daydreaming about traveling to France, whipping up some tasty Pinterest recipes, or reading voraciously.

The post How to Break Free From the Cycle of Self Defeat appeared first on .

There is one – and only one – trait that the vast majority of successful people have in common. It has nothing to do with ability or education or good looks or wealthy parents or good health or most of the other things you might assume. The trait that separates the majority of successful people from the rest of the pack is a strong goal orientation. Some of these people don’t even realize that they possess this trait, so innate is their drive to achieve their objectives. But when you look closely you will discover, time after time, that nearly all successful people have mastered these fundamental concepts.

The good news is that every one of these steps can be learned, practiced and perfected. So, in a nutshell, here are the key behaviors that goal oriented people exhibit:

1)      They know what they want. They imagine the future and get clear on where they intend to be. If they are looking forward to attending a class reunion and want to do so at a certain weight, they literally see themselves at that weight by the date of the event.

2)      They focus on what they want. It’s not enough to desire something and forget about it. In order to accomplish an important objective these people know that they need to really want it. At least once a day they will think about the destination they intend on reaching. Many people make this step easier by writing down their goals and then establishing a set routine in which they review and contemplate their goals every day. When the human mind sets itself upon an objective and absolutely commits to reaching the accomplishment, it is amazing what happens. Sometimes it seems as if golden opportunities simply appear out of mid-air, but what actually happens is that circumstances that were there all along just become prominently visible because they match what we are looking for. Additionally, by paying attention to our goals we find ourselves evaluating every action we take on a daily basis and measuring whether it is bringing us closer to where we want to be or moving us farther away. When a person focuses on the pleasure they will experience by reaching their ideal weight on the night of their reunion, that bowl of ice cream that someone offers them just isn’t quite so tempting.

3)      They take action. This last step seems so obvious that it shouldn’t need to be mentioned, but it’s remarkable how many people clearly know what they’re trying to accomplish, have all the tools to make it happen, but don’t do anything to turn their plan into reality. Goals are magical, but not because they cause good things to happen without effort. The reality is that effort is an absolutely necessary part of the equation. That’s nice, because there are few things that feel better than to actively go out and make your dreams come true.

Hopefully you now feel highly motivated to figure out exactly what you want most, and then make a daily habit of going out and turning your dreams into reality. Here’s to your future!

The post The Magic of Goal Setting appeared first on .

Motivation:

Their stories of inspiration and ingenuity can motive you when things are looking their bleakest.  Just as focusing on the negative can influence you to have a pessimistic attitude towards life, focusing on other people’s success can give you hope and clarification for the future.

Obstacles in life come no matter if you are trying to get somewhere or not.  Instead of just sitting there and allowing yourself to be acted upon, get up and make things happen.  People who are content with things the way they are will find that nothing worth keeping stays the same without fighting for it.

During the Good Times:

Even when things are going smoothly, success stories can ingrain in you the importance of always striving for new and innovative ideas.   They serve as a reminder to always strive to achieve more.  If you strengthen your resolve and your character when times are rough, you will be better prepared to handle things when they start going downhill.

Don’t just coast through the good times, keep working.

The Right Success Stories:

If you find yourself feeling depressed or not good enough after ready through some success stories, take a step back and look at the type of stories you’re reading.  Are they about someone overcoming obstacle after obstacle as they pushed toward their goal or are they about someone achieving “success” because they had it handed to them?

If they are the later, stop reading.  Having your goal handed to you on a silver platter isn’t success, it’s wish fulfillment.  You gain something extra as you work tirelessly for something that you strongly desire.

You Are Not Weak:

If you find yourself being jealous of successful people’s ability to overcome their struggles, just know that you can too.  Maybe for a little while you need to work on your character.  Focus on what strengths you have.  Admit your weaknesses and do what you can to turn them into your strengths.

Knowing that you have weaknesses doesn’t make you a weak person, it just makes you a person.  Everyone has weaknesses.  Know what yours are and work on them.

Sharing Your Story:

Share your success story with others.  This is paying it forward.  Taking the time to share your successes with others is a way for you to help people who are struggling like you once were.  Give them the confidence they need and let them know that they too can be successful.

The post The Importance of Reading Success Stories appeared first on .

There are four main areas you can work on to have a healthy lifestyle, attitude and mindset.  They are physical, mental, social and spiritual.  Each of these areas will have an effect on you and how you operate your business.

Physical: As strange as it sounds exercising your body and using energy will give you more energy.  Energy is essential to being an entrepreneur.  You will be busy every single day and when you are first starting most of those days will not be sitting at a desk.

Being physically fit doesn’t mean that you have to be ready to run a marathon at any moment.  Find a type of exercise you enjoy whether it’s running, swimming, biking, lifting weights or walking.  Set up an exercise schedule and do it at least 3 times a week.

Eating healthy goes hand in hand with exercising.  Eating a healthy breakfast before starting work will help you stay focused throughout the day and get your metabolism working.

Mental: As you age, your mind learns slower and even starts to deteriorate.  You must exercise your brain to keep it sharp.  Take time to do Sudoku puzzles, crosswords, math problems or even learn a new word every day.  Doing these things will help your mind stay focused and active.

Learn to focus your mind on one thing at a time.  This will help you during the day to accomplish all the tasks that you need to.  You mind is a tool that you need to keep sharp and you need to constantly be using.

Social: Spending time with friends and family should be as important to you as spending time working.  They are your support group.  They will be the ones to hold you up when it gets hard and give you praise when you need it.  Don’t neglect these important relationships.

If you find yourself struggling to find time to spend with them, schedule it and stick to your schedule.  When you are with them focus on them and what is going on in their lives, don’t make every conversation about your work.

Spiritual:  Whatever your beliefs are you should try to be at peace with yourself and with the world around you.  Having something to believe in will help you have faith in yourself and strength to overcome trials and obstacles you will inevitably face when starting your own business.

There many methods you can use to help yourself spiritually.  You can meditate, attend a church service, help others or even go for a walk in nature.  Whichever way you choose, find something that works for you and make time for it.

Making time for all of these aspects in your life will help you set priorities, goals and schedules.  You will learn how to manage your time and will learn how to focus on what is important at that time.  At PMI we understand how important it is to have a balanced life and to live a healthy lifestyle.  Making time for these four aspects of your life will help you stay focused and able to do the things you need to.

The post 4 Aspects of a Healthy Lifestyle appeared first on .

My dad is a retired Marine.  He has been in excellent physical shape his whole life.  When he was about 30 years old, he decided to start up swimming.  He had always been a runner and thought it was time for a change.  He figured that because he ran, weight trained and was a marine that swimming would be no problem.

He got to the pool that first day and decided he would swim a mile.  He only made it halfway when his body gave out him.  He realized that running and lifting weights uses different muscles than swimming.  He couldn’t believe how tired he had gotten in such a short amount of time.

He decided he wasn’t going to let it get him down.  He set a goal to swim a mile and that’s what he would do.  He continued to swim three days a week for a month.  He was getting nowhere.  Every time he hit the half mile mark, he was too weak to go on.

He thought that maybe it was his technique.  So he started learning more about swimming and all the different kinds of strokes.  He worked on his technique until he had it down pat.  But, he could still only make it a half mile.

After months of training he was really starting to become frustrated.  He wondered why he was even trying.  He enjoyed running and was good at it.  But, my dad is a very determined man.  He set this goal and no matter how many times he left that pool a failure, he wasn’t going to quit until he did what he set out to do.

One day he got to the pool; it was the same as any other day.  He got in the water and started swimming.  He got to a quarter of a mile and was feeling great, then he reached the half mile point and realized that he wasn’t tired.  His arms still had strength, his legs weren’t feeling rubbery and he wasn’t out of breath.  So he kept going.  He pushed himself and that day, he swam a mile.

He realized that while his determination and desire were where they needed to be, his body wasn’t.  He was using muscles he had never used before.  He had to work on his techniques for breathing and stroking.  He had to work hard every week and stick to it.  Once his muscles caught up to him, there was no stopping him.

After reaching that first mile, he was able to increase the length he swam at a faster pace.  It’s nearly 25 years later and while he hasn’t entered in any swimming competitions, he still swims.  He also taught me and my three brothers how to swim and about the importance of never giving up.

If you don’t get it right on the first time or even the tenth time, at least you are trying; and you’re becoming a better person for it.  You are stretching your abilities, knowledge and talents to the point that one day you will achieve success.

If you strive to accomplish goals at the level of your abilities, you will go nowhere.  But if you try to make your abilities equal to your goals, then you will find yourself becoming a great person.  You will increase in knowledge, skills, talents and character.

Learning to fail will be one the best things you could do for yourself and your business.

The post Be Willing To Fail appeared first on .

Well, there is a good reason for that hype. It’s not a mere coincidence that highly optimistic people also tend to be the people most likely to make goal setting a routine part of their day. Who wouldn’t become optimistic upon discovering a system for making their dreams come true? The process is so reliable that people who are really good at it often say things like, “I’m the luckiest person in the world,” “Everything always goes my way,” and “I wonder what the poor people are doing today.” That last statement might sound arrogant, but it’s not about financial wealth at all. It refers to the people who have failed to grasp the simple secret to attracting true abundance into their lives.

That secret is setting goals. Expert goal setters take this process extremely seriously. They don’t start wishing for all sorts of things they’d like to attain if they happened to fall into their lap. Instead they focus on something that they must have… something that they cannot do without… something that they are willing to give their all for. Just so you know, it’s possible to create this level of desire for anything you want, but it’s not possible to create it for everything at the same time. That’s why goal setters like to use the word “focus.” They understand that they can get what they want if they absolutely know what that is.

Start by imagining the positive ways that accomplishing this goal will impact your world, and how not accomplishing it will damage your world. Imagine the pleasure of having attained this objective five, ten and twenty years down the road. How would your life have become better? Imagine the pain you’d experience if you hadn’t accomplished it, as well. How would your life have become worse? This is all part of the process of becoming extremely clear on what you want, and understanding exactly why you must have it. Tell yourself in precise terms what you’d be willing to give up to have this new accomplishment or possession in your life. Do you feel your motivation to make sure things turn out as you had planned increasing? If not, you probably need a different goal. In order to insure that your goals come true your desire to accomplish them must be white hot.

Now that you’ve attained the necessary level of commitment it’s time to make sure you maintain that peak and take the action necessary to transform your dream into reality. One key step is to write your goals down in very specific terms. Don’t just write about what you want. Explain why you want it, what you will give up for it, how it will change your life, how it will improve the lives of those you love, etcetera, etcetera. Writing forces us to evaluate our thoughts in a more complete way than mere thinking does. It helps us see where our logic is faulty and highlights opportunities we might have otherwise missed. The more specific you are in this process the more successful you will be.

Next, you need to create a routine where you think about your goals, probably by reading them to yourself, at least once a day. Doing this will practically force the next and most important step to take place. You need to take daily action toward your goals. If you have the sufficient desire you’re going to find yourself evaluating every action you take and internally answering this question:

Is this activity moving me closer to my goals or farther away?

Hours that you might have previously wasted will almost automatically be redirected toward productive activity. You’ll discover by personal experience that even the most enormous goal is really nothing more than the product of a series of tiny steps in the right direction. Anybody can take tiny steps. Goal oriented people know how to use them to change their lives.

The post The Truth About Goals appeared first on .

There are four different learning styles.  Each category has specific techniques that will contribute to a person’s potential for learning.  They are visual, aural, kinesthetic, and logical.

People who learn visually can usually be found in professions such as architecture, photography, design, or video and film.  They learn by using images and color in the place of text.  It is recommended that people who learn visually should use colored pens when they are studying.

The next learning style is aural.  These are the people who have interests in music; whether it’s playing, conducting or composing.  They learn best by using sound, rhyme and music.  When memorizing facts or a script, put it to song and that will help to engrain it into your memory.

Another way to learn is through logic.  Those who think and learn logically are able to see patterns and trends in various texts.  They are able to group content together in ways that are easier for them to understand.  Logical thinkers excel in areas such as sciences, mathematics, accounting, and law.  To learn best, make lists and take note of details as you study.  Be careful not to overanalyze everything and take up too much time on one project.  Pace yourself and keep track of how long you have been working on something.

Then there are people who learn kinesthetically.  These people learn best by touch.  They are usually interested in athletics or physical activities.  They prefer to learn by doing rather than looking.  They don’t have a lot of patience for sitting and listening to a lecture and may fidget when they become bored.  If you learn kinesthetically, incorporate your body or other objects in your learning.  You can also draw diagrams, maps, charts, etc.  The action of drawing will help with memorizing.

After you know what learning style fits you best, you can also decide whether you work better in a social or solitary environment.  Find out if you work better in groups where you are able to socialize and discuss or by yourself where you can figure things out on your own.

People who work better in groups are usually good at communicating with others.  If you prefer to work in a group, hold discussions about what you are learning.  It is also a good idea to role play certain things when you can.  This will help you remember what’s important.  Be cautious not to get off topic or lose focus.  Also experiment with different techniques to help everyone learn.

Solitary learners are independent and private.  They are able to analyze different viewpoints on their own and prefer to think things alone.  If you prefer to learn this way, keep a journal.  Then, you will have a record of everything you learned or had questions about.   Also bear in mind to not get caught up on a topic that you don’t understand.  If you are wasting too much time on something, come back to it later or ask someone their opinion.

Figure out what your learning style is and study according to your needs.  Find the best learning situation for yourself, whether it’s with a group of people or by yourself.  But whatever works best for you, just remember to stay focused and work hard.

The post Know Your Learning Style appeared first on .

During her gymnastics career, she suffered several injuries and had surgery on her knee only three weeks before the 1984 Olympics. Extensive training was a way of life for her since she really became serious about gymnastics at age eight. At age 14, she moved away from her family to train under Romanians Béla and Márta Károlyi, who had coached Nadia Comăneci, her heroine, before their defection to the United States.

During the 1990s, Retton worked as a spokeswoman for the U.S. drugstore chain Revco. Retton was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

In 1993 the Associated Press released results of a sports study in which Retton was statistically tied for first place with fellow Olympian Dorothy Hamill as the most popular athlete in America.

In 1997, Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Retton has many commercial endorsements, including the first appearance by a female on a Wheaties box. She is currently falling out of a piñata in a Dairy Queen commercial. She is also a frequent analyst for televised gymnastics and attended The University of Texas at Austin after the Olympics.’

Retton was born with hip dysplasia, a condition aggravated by her years as a competitive gymnast. After experiencing increased pain she had hip replacement surgery on her left hip in her mid-30s. Retton also suffered from incontinence due to an overactive bladder, arthritis and hemorrhoids. She serves as a paid spokesperson for Biomet and for Pfizer to publicize treatment for these conditions.

In her book, Gateways to Happiness, she says: “It’s all in attitude. We can control our attitude. We cannot control the external conditions — the sitter doesn’t show up and you’re going, ‘But I’ve got to go to work!’ — those daily stresses. Or the more serious things like the death or illness of a loved one. Life is inevitable. It’s going to hand us those things. But does that have anything to do with whether we’re truly fundamentally happy? No. It’s how we work through that. What do we learn from that process? There’s a purpose in everything.”

When asked about the sacrifices she made to become a world-class athlete she replied, “You give up your childhood. You miss proms and games and high-school events, and people say it’s awful… I say it was a good trade. You miss something but I think I gained more than I lost.”

Mary Lou Retton continues to be an inspiration to all. She represents a strong, indomitable, inspiring spirit to young and old alike.

The post Mary Lou Retton Success Profile appeared first on .