Six Habits of Highly Effective Teams

Anyone who has spent time in software development organizations knows that some teams seem to achieve superhuman productivity, and some teams just cant seem to get anything done. I think that the ratio of productivity can be hundreds to one, no matter how you measure it. What is it about Highly Effective Teams that lets them make so much progress with so little effort? Here are some the characteristics of these super-teams.

1. Highly Effective Teams have effective leaders and followers
   
   Leaders of Highly Effective Teams know their team members well, and how to give their teams direction and get compliance by motivating each individual in his or her most effective way. Leaders may step aside to let a team member with more experience take the lead for a particular task. Team members are comfortable taking direction from more than one source at a time, sorting out the priorities and contradictions, and doing the right thing with a minimum of supervision.
   
2. Highly Effective Teams share an explicit goal
   
   Each team member may have his or her own personal goals, but all the team members understand the common goal, because they all helped to define it. Team members are willing to temporarily set aside their own goals to help the team meet its overarching goal.
   
3. Highly Effective Teams are always learning
   
   Highly Effective Teams never assume that their way of working is the only effective way: they are constantly learning new techniques from each other, from other teams, and from books and experts. Highly Effective Teams even learn from their own mistakes when something goes wrong they figure out what happened and make sure never to repeat it.
   
4. Highly Effective Teams arent afraid of conflict
   
   Members of Highly Effective Teams have learned that they are all responsible for the quality of the teams work, so they are not afraid to challenge design assumptions, or to point out programming errors, or to suggest better processes. But they know how to disagree with respect, and to receive suggestions in the spirit they were offered, and to compromise when necessary.
   
5. Highly Effective Teams are always innovating
   
   Team leaders and members are always looking for a better, more efficient way to get the job done, and they are willing to experiment with new techniques and processes. Even when the new technique is no improvement, the team learns something that they can apply later.
   
6. Highly Effective Teams celebrate early and often
   
   Members of Highly Effective Teams know that developing software is akin to running a marathon, and requires patience and endurance, so they get in the habit of celebrating small forward steps. Getting the first clean build, or solving a nasty bug, or getting a 10% performance boost might be an occasion for pizza and beer after work.

   About the Author
   Bruce Taylor is the owner and principal of WorkingInUnison, an Organizational Development consulting firm located near Boston, Massachusetts. Bruce helps software organizations of all sizes to create low-stress, supportive, adaptable working environments, so that the engineers, leaders, and managers can work as effectively as possible. He provides executive coaching for senior managers who are creating superior organizations, management coaching for technical leaders who are adapting to new agile practices, and individual coaching for engineers who are upgrading their skills. Bruce has a Masters in Computer Science from Duke University, a Masters in Community Psychology, and a Certificate in Job Stress and Healthy Workplace Design, both from the University of Massachusetts. He can be reached at http://www.workinginunison.com or at brucetaylor@workinginunison.com.

Warning MLM Business Owners

What I am about to say may come as a shock to many because it is goes counter to what most popular self-help guru's and up-line MLM leaders teach. It is that goal setting can cause MLM business failure.

Specifically, I am talking about making lofty goals that reach far beyond your current capabilities. Those involved in network marketing know what I am talking about. It's one of the first things new affiliates are told to do, right along with making your prospect list.

As an MLM business owner, you're encouraged to dream big when you set your goals, and then, to top it all off, you're told to start acting like you've already achieved those goals.In other words, lie to yourself. But that is a topic for another day.

A few years back, or maybe more than a few, I was a pretty good wrestler. I went as far as placing third in the US Olympic Trials and becoming an Olympic alternate.Just about every coach I ever had told me the importance of setting goals and so I listened to them. I had no reason to doubt that theirs was not good and accurate advice.

Let me tell you what I discovered several years after I ended my days as an athlete. Many great champions never paid much attention to goal setting, let alone writing them down. My goal was not to be an Olympic alternate; it was to be an Olympic Champion.Writing that goal down didn't make it a reality.

I recently called up my good friend, Frank Famiano, who was the person who won my weight category in the Olympic Trials.I asked Frank, if during his wrestling days, if he set goals and wrote them down. His answer was no!How come I set goals and failed and Frank didn't and he succeeded?

That story may be a little bit of an over simplification of the point because many more factors need to be thrown into the mix. My point is that many people achieve great accomplishments without setting goals and many people set goals religiously and fail.

Now, you may be wondering why I am writing an article criticizing goal setting. Well, it's not that I have some kind of vendetta against goals setting or those preaching the merits of goal setting. The truth is, for many years, I have been a bit compulsive about studying success and learning why we succeed and fail in life.

It has been my intention to find out if there is one common thing that all highly successful people share. My discovery was that there is a common denominator and it's not that they set goals, listened to subliminal tapes, engage in self talk or positive thinking exercises.

No; what all highly successful people have in common is a very intense drive to succeed. It is so strong that nothing can stand in their way.This is a passion that comes from their heart not their mind.

Goal setting, visualization, self talk and all these other conventional self-help methodologies feed the mind. They are psychological quick fixes. That, in itself, is not a bad thing but the problem is that those kinds of techniques will not create a strong enough motivation to keep you moving forward when the trials and obstacles are thrown in front of you.

True success comes when we discover what it is in our heart that we really want in life.Understanding this is particularly relevant for MLM business owners because the network marketing industry, more than any other, utilizes motivational speakers and self-help gurus.

Without knowing the true key to success we are doomed to fail. Experiencing constant failure, after we did everything the self-help gurus told us would work, can leave us having strong negative feelings about ourselves. After a while, we begin to accept the fact that great accomplishments are not within us. That is not only a recipe for MLM business failure but a recipe for an unfulfilling life.

Wade Genova is a former World Class athlete, owner of a successful tour and travel company, and success mentor to MLM and online business owners. To learn more visit: http://www.LiveExceptionalNow.com or visit his blog at: http://www.wadegenova.com

Making Money Writing Online

Making money writing online can be your ticket to financial freedom, but it's certainly no easy ride. In order to succeed, you have to have a determined, professional attitude and a willingness to work towards satisfying the needs of your clients. If that hasn't put you off, you may be positioned to start making money writing online, without any contacts or experience.

Writing for clients online by and large doesn't have to be magazine standard, and in fact, most of the content out there couldn't be further in terms of quality. A number of clients post jobs online for SEO content, which simply requires unique, reasonably well written articles. Articles which require little or no research, and very little technical input other than scattering a few keywords throughout the text.

These articles can sell for anywhere between $5-$50, and are generally around 400-500 words in length - a fast typist can easily sustain a rate of 2,000 words an hour. If you do the math, you'll see that making money writing online is not only possible, but extremely likely - if you write 4 short articles per hour, you could be looking at a $200 p/hour rate. Not too shabby.

Making money writing online starts with getting involved in freelance bidding sites. These sites allow you to win (usually) smaller projects, but can be a great way to hone your skills and land long-term clients, provided you handle the first few projects in a careful, professional way so as not to put off the client.

Don't blow your chances of making money writing online - visit ContentWritingRiches.com to learn how to survive as a successful content writer.

Employee Motivation Through Employee Tracking

Generally what happens in most organizations, each and every employee has got few projects to work on but no body knows what exactly is going on with that employee. Whether he is performing his role well, applying his best or net, whether he is satisfied with his profile or need growth as per his extra skills and capabilities.

Log your time offers an online web based employee tracking software, employee performance tracking software which plays a very important role in keeping track of your employees.

Why the Employee is not performing well?

May be the employee is not satisfied with his job, he is not getting what exactly he deserves, not getting good work environment, it may be the main reason, why he is not performing well and not properly managing the projects assigned to him.

Looking after employees performances the HR managers can make direct contacts to their employees and can better evaluate what exactly going on in his mind, only then they can make further decisions regarding their employee satisfaction, employee motivation giving them proper work environment, better compensations, further growth as per their performances and skills.

How to motivate employees through attendance tracking

This software keeps track of employees attendance, whether they are regular/ punctual or not. It may be due job dissatisfaction. May be your next door office offers more benefits that your company does? Employees are getting better growth, better packages as per their performances because they are properly tracking their employees performances, their roles, their working skills etc.

How to motivate your employees?

Motivating employees to work their best is necessary in any kind of job. Workers are your machinery in the workplace and it is necessary that they function well to get the job done well and perfect. To perfectly have the results that you want from them, you have to take care of them properly and give them the necessary energy they need in doing their job well. If you need to give them the incentives and benefits, do so, in order for you to get the results you want from them. Thus Due to proper employee performance tracking an organization can boost up their employees morale and can get high quality performances in return from their employees.

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How to Make Money Online The Legitimate Way

It is easy to fall for work from home scams on the internet that promise to teach you how to make money online. These scams range from taking paid surveys online to stuffing envelopes to answering emails. They draw you in with promises of making a large amount of money in little or no time, but these promises are often broken. Instead of depending on other companies for income, the best way to learn how to make money online is by starting your own business.

Many people are using an online business as a way of replacing the income they would normally get from a regular nine to five job. You can start an online business out of almost anything. You can sell physical products, or you can sell informational products such as eBooks. If you have a special talent such as writing or programming software, you can even sell your services. With an online business, you have a worldwide customer base at your fingertips. You just need to learn how to attract them. Another benefit to having an online business is that the advertising is much cheaper than traditional methods of advertising.

With the right information and tools, anybody can start their own online business and live comfortably for the rest of their lives. More and more ordinary people are running their own online businesses and spending more time with their families doing the things they love. The internet makes it easy to be successful as a business owner and it does not matter if you have special technological skills or not. If you have a little time and the desire to succeed then you can start your own business! It has never been easier than technology has now made it.

Arthur Dobson is the director of popular blog WealthCreationFromYourHome.Com. He is a financial consultant and his blog provides stacks of information on things like how to make money online legitimately and much more. Get free tips when you visit his site today!

Easy Ways to Make Money, is it Really Possible

I've discovered many different ways to easy ways to make money but it seems so far and distant for so many because they determine easy differently than I do. I determine it as making money and enjoying the way you make your money where as most will determine it as quick, fast and a lazy way. Let me tell you if it was that easy then everybody would have lots of money and maybe it would start growing on trees just to make it even easier.

Well for sure money is never going to grow on trees so it's time you changed your thinking and started realising that easy is not possible but enjoying the way you make the money is easier than not enjoying because after all everything feels much more like easy when you're enjoying yourself. It's like when time flies because you've been enjoying yourself, the exact same applies to an easy way to make money.

Here today you now see differently, I hope. This is where I changed my life for the better and I do know of lots of different ways to make money by enjoying yourself so listen up!

A number one way to make money that proves to be easy is to make money online. Now this sounds interesting to you and almost everyone all over the world because it means you get to sit in the comfort of your own home, decide you own hours and decide when you take a break, giving you absolute freedom to work as you please as long as you know you are taking a regular income into your own home.

This technique is similar to being your own boss because being your own boss is another easy way to make money and knowing that you are in full control is always more fun than being ordered and told what to do.

I always hated my bosses in fact there's not one of my bosses that I have ever clicked with, mainly the reason I now work for myself. Now I feel I'm on top of one the easy ways to make money.

There's another great way to make money and that is a home business especially one that is already prepared for you like the ones you usually see advertised all over the internet and including your local newspapers. These opportunities always seem so far out of your reach because you never get a full understanding of what they are and how they can be of use to you.

So let's try understanding them a little bit by letting you know that most if not all, usually involve a form of networking. This means that you solely are not the only employee in your home business but it is up to you to build the recruit the employees and as many hard workers as possible because they are the base of your future income. This is home businesses summed up for you so that you know why they work for some and not for others, mainly because most feel that it needs to be an easy way to make money when really there are no easy ways, just a more enjoyable way.

So the next time that thought comes into your head about making it easy, please remember, something more enjoyable like working from home proves to be easier because time flies when you're having fun. I know and you now know there is an easy way and that's the enjoyable way!

As for all these different methods, I recommend you do your research before jumping in head first because there are a lot of nasty people out there who have no care in the world for anyone else and they will lead you far astray than you've ever been before.

These tips have been written off the top of my head and only to show you that I do know the truth and that is there is no money growing on trees so you now need to take a step in the right direction and start caring for yourself more and understanding all these different ways. I have no problem with how I make my money and neither should you.

http://www.squidoo.com/Easy-Ways-to-Make-Money-Today

Mark A R and Jim R Bailey

Ways to Learn How to Make Money Online

As you conduct your research on how to make money on line, you will undoubtedly come across a great deal of information. You'll see ads for data entry work, affiliate programs, paid surveys, article writing and spinning, blogging, AdSense, eBook selling, PLR products, and so forth. Can you really make money on line with all of these opportunities? Yes! However, you're going to have to figure out which opportunities will be best suited for you, and that itself can be hard work.

Your quest to learn how to make money on line can be made easier, though, just as long as you have an understanding about what each opportunity offers. If you'd prefer to do small, simple tasks, then you can check into data entry work and programs. Paid surveys and account creations also go into this category.

You may also consider joining an affiliate program as you learn how to make money on line. You will more than likely have to put some effort into your work in order to make some sales, but you will be rewarded greatly just as long as you pick a great product to promote. As an affiliate, you can earn commissions from helping businesses make sales online.

If you have your own business that you want to bring to the internet, then you may also find it beneficial to create an affiliate program. By offering a percentage of sales to your affiliates, you'll be encouraging them to play their part in making your business a success. If you want to go this route as you learn how to make money on line, be prepared to do some research and planning. You'll have a lot of competition out there, so you need to stay one step ahead of the rest as you learn how to make money on line.

Since you'll inevitably need a website as you learn how to make money on line, you might as well sign up for an advertising program such as Google AdSense. You can earn money every single time a visitor to your site clicks on a Google ad! Some online businesses are paying up to $10 for every single click! The only drawback is that you're not allowed to click on the ads on your site yourself, which means you'll have to make sure as many people as possible visit your site.

If you're still unsure as to how to make money on line, there are plenty of other options. You can start your own eBook business and sell eBooks, wallpapers, and PLR (private label rights) material through your website. You can offer your expertise to other online businesses. You can write for them, program websites for them, create advertisements for them, etc.

If you truly want to learn how to make money on line, you'll find all the answers you'll looking for. The world wide web has money making opportunities for everyone: the business-savvy, creative artists and designers, writers, the laid back, and so forth. Whether you want to learn how to make money on line by doing simple, laid back tasks, running your own business, or putting your creative skills to the test, the internet has all the opportunities you're looking for!

Matt Henderson, owner of MyOnlineSuccess, is an affiliate internet marketing coach. As an affiliate marketing guide for beginners, let Matt show you the same system he uses to make money with affiliate programs when you visit http://www.myonlinesuccess.com