Dealing with Negative People

Be Positive no matter what!!!

A common issue that many organizations suffer from is the prevalence of negative employees, volunteers, clients, and the like.  Negative people do negative things, think negative thoughts, visit negative places with other negative people and thrive in negativity.  As a matter of fact some people are so negative that they cannot even try to enjoy any moment that may be even slightly positive.  With that being said most off us who are positive usually struggle to work for, with or around negative individuals.  When this occurs an organization's productivity is usually muffled because negativity quickly proliferates and negates any signs of  positivity by either turning positive people negative or causing positive people to want to stay away from the negative ones.  The remedy for this phenomenon is simple yet profound.  It is as easy as basic addition.  Your positivity must be bigger than their negativity!  One basic rule of addition is the fact that when adding a negative number with a positive number whichever number is larger decides whether or not the answer or result is a positive or negative number.  For example -10 + 12 = A positive 2.  The same principle applies to organizational morale and productivity!  If you allow the negative people around you to be greater than your positive influence the results will always be negative.  In other words, you must work to be even more positive when those around you are working so hard at being negative.  Do not allow others to create a negative result in your organization. Be positive! - Derek A. Terry, Principal Consultant www.ConsultingDAT.com

Entrepreneurship is more than the bottom line!

Historically, entrepreneurs start businesses for two reasons- to help solve a problem and to earn money solving that problem.  Business owners are often driven by profits to increase their ability to solve more problems; however, social entrepreneurs focus beyond the bottom line and seek to improve some type of broader social condition.  In other words social entrepreneurs work to solve a problem, earn money solving that problem, but also seek to help the community/society benefit from the problem solving work that they are doing.  Perhaps you have been noticing a dillemia in your neighborhood, community, city or state and you have a few ideas that you think could solve those issues.  Moreover, do you think that other individuals and organizations would be interested in investing time, money, and other resources into helping you solve the problems that you are working to solve?  If so, you may want to consider becoming a social entrepreneur!  Your next chapter in life may be working for yourself as your work to improve the condition of some aspect of your community.  Maybe you have an idea to help prepare inner city youth for college, or help families save money by starting their own home gardens, or even help struggling schools provide after school services for students.  Whatever your idea is you should really consider following through with it.  Did you know that there are even grants available to help social entrepreneurs do just that?  Furthermore, I would love to work with you to help you reach your social entrepreneurship goals!  You can do it; we can help!  Derek A. Terry, principal consultant www.ConsultingDAT.com

Whats the Big Deal?????

If you own or are thinking about starting your own company then this post is for you.  One of the biggest problems that I see with companies and individuals just starting out is that often times they grossly undervalue their time, goods, or services. At times individuals who are trying hard to get off the ground make lofty promises and charge meager prices in an effort to get someone to sign on the dotted line.  This is a huge mistake.  If you don't see the value in what you are offering how can you expect others to see it or compensate you accordingly.  Imagine a brand new foreign car with custom wheels, state of the art navigation system, heated and cooled leather seats, tinted windows, surround sound, and the like.  Now imagine that someone offered to sale it to you for only $1,000.  The first thing that you might think is "Whats wrong with it?" or "it must be stolen."  In other words you won't invest your $1,000 in something that appears to be too good to be true because you know that the value is off.  If something should be valued at $75,000 why would anyone want to sell it for only a fraction of that.  Understand that reputable companies follow the same mindset.  If everyone else charges $500 for a service that you promise to do for only $50 your potential client will think it is too good to be true.  Moreover, they will not respect you as a professional or value your work.  It is your job to know who your competition is, what they charge, why they charge it and who they charge it to.  You must then take that knowledge and seek to articulate why people should pay you to do it instead of do it themselves or hire your competition to do it for them.  Respect yourself and value your work enough to charge a reasonable wage for your services.  Offering ridiculous or crazy deals will frustrate you because you won't attract the cliental your looking for and those whom you would like to work with won't work with you because you appear desperate.  Don't sell yourself short; you are worth your work!  -Derek A. Terry, Principal Consultant, www.ConsultingDAT.Com