Welcome to summer...albeit early and quite intense in many areas of the country. I hope you are planning to enjoy some time off with family and friends - I certainly am. Soon I'll be travelling with family on a Western Caribbean cruise - ah - can't you just feel the salty breeze? I'll try to include a picture or two next month.
Before I jump into our topic this month - I'd like to give a big THANK
YOU shout out to friend and colleague Nancy Peham (GREAT personal and certified organizer -www.helpinghandsps.com) who responded to my last newsletter rant about not finding Earth Day themed trinkets for a speaking engagement. Nancy wisely pointed out that filling the earth with one more trinket was NOT the way to honor Earth Day - in fact quite the contrary. Her gentle nudge reminded me that I'm certainly still learning how to live my life in a more socially responsible way. Isn't learning great - first we step, then fall, then get up again - oh boy!
This month, I'd like to focus on a fabulous new study recently released by IBM. As an avid learner - see above :-) - I am constantly on the Internet looking for new data and stories about how companies are approaching social responsibility. A recent search turned up "The Enterprise of the Future - Global CEO Study" in which IBM spoke with over 1,000 CEO's. To sign up to receive the complete report, use this link:
I'd like to share with you a few of the key takeaways that I noted in reading the report, in addition to the general attitude of optimism - which I love:
* Customers are becoming more informed, somewhat more demanding and socially aware. Therefore CEO's are willing to spend more to differentiate their companies from the rest. As you target these wiser and more alert consumers, consider taking another look at how you are marketing to them and how well you are delivering on your brand promise.
* Change is the predominant theme in looking at enterprises of the future. Is your organization nimble enough to pivot with the coming changes? Are you positioned to be proactive, and lead the pack through uncertain times? Think about how you can make 'embracing change' a strategic advantage to your success.
* Corporate Social Responsibility ranks high on the list of concerns to CEO's. They worry about their ability to implement ideas not just for compliance sake but for the benefits in recruitment and retention, branding and overall profitability.
"I see corporate responsibility going through three phases. People start to consider issues like the environment because they are compelled to do so. Then they realize that it actually makes business sense. Eventually they move beyond compulsion and selfish motives to become passionate because it is the right thing to do." Vinod Mittal, Managing Director, ISPAT Industries
Throughout the study, key words such as innovation, collaboration, environment, visionary, transformation, customer, global, new markets, genuine, differentiation reflected the changing enterprise that we'll see in the future.
If you would like assistance in integrating any of the ideas and opportunities discussed in this Study, please contact me to learn about my business coaching services. I am dedicated to helping you integrate new ideas, training, your personal life mission, socially responsible strategies - whatever it is you are wanting more of. Coaching is all about achieving goals, accountability and unbiased support. Email me now at
Integration and Implementation "Increase your ROI on Every Training Program that you Attend!"
In 2006, $55.8 Billion was spent on training and development. And let's be honest, do you know what kind of ROI your company made on your T & D investment? If you're like most companies, you don't know. While billions are spent on training, not near enough is being done to implement and integrate the new skills and ideas.
On Thursday, July 17 @ 130pm CDT, join me for a 1 hour Virtual Classroom experience where we will drill deep into best practices on how to get the most from your training and development budget.
You will learn 5 concrete steps that will help you implement measurably more of what you invested time and money to learn. It's all about your commitment to sign up, show up and follow up! · Sign Up: Setting objectives for what you want to gain from the program · Show Up: Be present; have a system for taking notes; network · Follow Up: Recap - Reinforce - Return
Annie Jennings is a PR agent unlike most. I'd like to invite you to visit her website to enjoy the incredible resources that she offers - many for free. What makes her business model unique is that she charges for PR placement - rather than by retainer.
I love her commitment to providing a great service, giving back in very tangible ways and charging fair prices. Please check her out at:
Ann's book, "Intentions at Work: 83 Spiritual Tools to Succeed in Business" is an easy to use guide for integrating your values and spiritual principles into your daily work life. Most of the tools are paired with a famous quote on the topic, meant to further deepen or inspire your practice.
Ann Ranson works with business leaders who want to improve their performance and increase profits. To do that, we use a strategic process called Bottom Lineł™ which focuses on 3 bottom lines: the People Bottom Line, the Planet Bottom Line and the Profit Bottom Line.
Ann is a member of the National Speakers Association, the International Coach Federation-North Texas and is a Certified Selling to Women Performance Coach and Facilitator.
Visit her website to learn more about business coaching, retreats and keynotes.
Even if you have a great job, prestige and money, you probably have other goals in your life. If you'd like to learn how coaching can help you achieve your goals or integrate new skills and ideas, please email me: ann@annranson.com to schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to explore the possibilities.
