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Many business colleges offer a course in golf to their soon-to-be graduates. Although this may seem like a waste of resources, to parents especially, it’s an essential course for students who aspire to be movers and shakers in the business world.

The average person’s experience with golf probably goes as far as following the achievements of the top golfers on the weekly tournaments. The sport has been  reenergized by the new generation of diverse players to the game.

But golfing is not just about fun and games. For decades, business professionals have used the sport to build businesses, broker major deals and entertain their most valued clients. The working person with no golf experience may think the game is too slow and long but it is for those same reasons why golf is the ideal dealmaker.

The length of the game, approximately 4-5 hours, and the pace of the game allow time for you to really get to know the people you are playing with. Even the best networking event cannot boast these advantages as you probably have only a few minutes at best to speak with someone you want to get to know before their attention is drawn to someone or something else.

Golf does not require you to be a super athlete. There is no stressful running, jumping or diving for balls as is often the case in basketball, tennis, softball or even volleyball. Golf offers the opportunity to walk at your own pace and the competition is not between players; you are playing against yourself. The object is to improve your technique and your score so you are basically challenging yourself. The game will also reveal your personality. How do you respond under pressure? What do you do when you are faced with challenges? The game will highlight your problem-solving techniques as you are not able to solicit advice from your partners or anyone else on the course except your caddy if you have one. This kind of information is a gold mine when building business relationships.

Golf etiquette dictates that business should never be discussed while playing. However, after the game, players often retreat to the clubhouse and that’s where major business deals are made. Golf offers the unique opportunity to really get to know an individual, and people do business with those they know, like and trust. When strong relationships are formed, this opens the doors to expand your network, grow your business and broker profitable deals.

The game is one for all ages, so take a few golf lessons, learn the etiquette of the game, invite a few friends or potential clients, and begin to golf for gold!

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If you have email at work, chances are you have already been subjected to the crude, unprofessional practices of other users. As email has become the norm, improper usage and abuse is prevalent. Some email users aren’t even aware email protocol exists, especially in business.  An email is an official company correspondence just like a business letter, and it must be executed in a professional manner. What does email professionalism look like?

• Don’t write in CAPS; it is equivalent to yelling.

• Emails should have a formal salutation: Dear Mr. Jones, or if you are on a first- name basis Dear John.  Never begin an email without addressing the person by name.

• Use the right font and size: 12 point Times or Arial is ideal. 10 point is too small and 14 and 16 are too large.

• Make sure you fill out the subject line to give a clear idea of your email content. If you are emailing back and forth, remember to change the subject line to reflect the subject matter.

• Do not forward frivolous email on a regular basis.  Email chain letters are rude and a waste of company time. Sending fake virus alerts are also a nuisance.

• Do not mark messages URGENT if they are not truly urgent.

• Write in a business-like fashion. Do not use 2 in place of to, 4 in place of  for, or u in place of you.

• Avoid sending long messages. The message length should be no longer than one computer screen.

• Always include an email signature when sending business emails. Your name, company address, phone and fax number should be included to make contacting you easier.

• Choose your email address carefully. Your business email address should include your name.  JohnDoe@Creston.com. Your company usually decides the format.  Your personal email can be whatever you wish. However, if you use your personal email address to find a job, make sure it is professional.  Sweetcheeks@mailtop.com is unacceptable.

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I heard a speaker once say that FEAR is basically False Evidence Appearing Real. To understand the true impact of fear in the workplace, ask the administrative assistant who sits on edge because he/she works for a boss who acts like a bully or ask the nervous salesperson who is about to make his/her first sales pitch.

Fear causes humans to worry and when we worry we are unable to focus, our health is negatively affected and our productivity suffers. Whether you admit it or not, the fear you feel is stagnating your career and hindering you from being a peak performer. The source of your fear is not as important as your decision to address the issue and move on. Where should you start?

Get the facts. Most of the times when we feel fear, it is usually our mind playing a tape of what we think could happen or is happening. Unfortunately, it is often not based entirely on facts but a combination of facts and an extra heavy dose of our imagination, which after a while becomes our reality. Take a few moments to think through the situation logically and list the actual facts, not what you feel or think but facts. Once you have the facts, begin to consider ways in which to address the problem, keeping in mind that every problem has a solution.

Change your suggestions. Once you have examined the situation, it’s time to literally rewire your brain; in other words, you need to reprogram the messages that you send to the brain center. Concentrate on the desired results and not what you fear. For example, if you fear presenting publicly, don’t dwell on how inadequate you are as a speaker. Focus instead on one good aspect of your presentation or your reason for presenting and make it bigger than life in your mind.

Be consistent. Overcoming fear does not occur after you do a few mental exercises. It is a constant process that requires discipline and the determination not to be conquered by false evidence. Start every day with a reminder that FEAR will not be a part of your day.

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Are there people in your office who just seem to be so busy all the time but still get nothing done? Why is that? Let’s look at a few reasons why some colleagues become professional time wasters.

Unclear priorities and job responsibilities.  Even though they were hired, some people are still not clear what they are supposed to do and in what order. Therefore, they use precious time spinning their wheels doing tasks that are often not the most effective use of their time. When they are not aware of their job responsibilities, ensuring that the important tasks get done first can prove to be another challenge.

Failure to delegate.  Everyone wants to look good. Employers are expecting workers to do more with less and jobs are often on the line. With that in mind, some employees may feel pressured to try and do more than they are physically able to do instead of delegating the task and getting to the finished product more quickly and accurately.

Distractions.  The internet, email, colleagues stopping by your work station, and personal phone calls can derail even the best planned day. As an employee you have to develop the discipline to minimize those distractions so you are able to get to the important tasks that need to get done.

Disorganization.  If you sometimes spend more than one minute looking for documents, you are disorganized. Too much time is often spent hunting down information that should be available at your fingertips, yet you may not want to admit that you have lost control of the piles of paper on your desk.

Lack of follow up.  One extra step can be all that is needed sometimes to prevent utter frustration. Making sure a task is done and reported to the right people can eliminate the guessing game and panic that can ensue when people don’t know the status of a project.

Ineffective tools. For work to get done, you have to be equipped. Nothing is more frustrating than to be asked to get a job done with the wrong equipment. Make sure that you have exactly what you need to perform at a high level of excellence and speak up if you don’t.  Simple adjustments are sometimes all that are needed.

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Employees are responsible for maintaining professionalism but attitudes can be contagious. Employers have a responsibility to set the tone for the organization and address attitudinal problems that threaten to derail efforts to establish and maintain a healthy work environment.
All employers pay a heavy price for ignoring or not addressing employees with negative attitudes. Studies have shown employees who work with negative people do not perform as well, their health is adversely affected and absenteeism increases.

Turning around an organization suffering from a horrible case of negative contagious attitude will take time but it’s an issue that must be addressed. Where should an employer begin?

Identify the source of the problem.  Are the negative sentiments in your organization coming from one or two people or is it widespread across the organization?

Address the problem.  If the source of the problem is one or two individuals, meet with those individuals to remind them of their responsibility as professionals.  If the feeling is widespread, ask yourself the following question: Are you providing the best possible working conditions for all staff on a daily basis?  It’s unrealistic to expect employees to have positive attitudes if they are being overworked, underpaid, disregarded or work in an unhealthy environment.

Educate employees.  Provide quick refresher courses for your staff on what is acceptable behavior. Employees need to understand that bad attitudes will not be tolerated and there are consequences for performing below standards. Bad attitudes are without a doubt a form of poor performance.

It’s never to late to change the culture of your company.  It is your obligation to ensure that you provide the best for your employees and expect nothing less from them.

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A company has hired a young man to work in the customer service department. According to his qualifications and experience, he is well suited for the position.  However, he is unhappy, unfriendly to both external customers and coworkers and, quite frankly, a rather grumpy customer service person. Does that mean he is not a good employee? On the contrary, this gentleman is great with paperwork, able to work in stressful situations, meet deadlines and has a great eye for detail. Unfortunately, his lack of great customer service traits overshadows his attributes that could really add value to the organization. As a result, he has been labeled a difficult employee.

Developing a strong workforce requires much more than the ability to pay well and have great training programs. Employers must first and foremost go beyond just matching employee skills to job requirements in order to get the most from each worker. For some businesses, this is a new concept as recruiting managers are accustomed to hiring whoever is available or someone who looks good on a resume. Some employees, on the other hand, apply for a job simply because they need the money.

In addition to looking at the qualifications and experience a person has, employers must begin do an in-depth examination of each worker’s skill sets, personality testing, work style evaluation and even look at the individual’s fit with the culture of the company.  Employees themselves must be aware of and discuss their own skills and the types of environments in which they are successful. The generic job interview is not always able to uncover this information.

Organizations that are able to truly undertake this type of matching will be able to see the positive results in the bottom line. Employees who enjoy their jobs are more productive, competitive and creative, are less apt to be absent, represent the company well with customers and truly see themselves as a valuable contributor to the organization.

Obviously the young man mentioned above is not well suited for his customer service position. He would thrive in a department that required minimal direct customer interaction and play more of a supporting role to customer service representatives. Sometimes great workers are matched to the wrong position and this never gives them the opportunity to shine or allow their companies to realize the revenues that could be generated by utilizing their true strengths.

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It was the perfect opportunity—a room full of business executives attending a university luncheon, eager to network and offer their assistance; on the other side, young university students who would soon begin their search for permanent and summer positions.  Unfortunately, not many connections were made between the two. It was truly a missed opportunity, but many working professionals find themselves in these same situations and waste a perfectly great chance to advance their careers.

Mistake 1: Stuck in the comfort zone.  Almost every university student upon graduation needs a job, and the best way for anyone to find a job is through networking. With that said, these university students did not take the initiative to introduce themselves to the executives, many of whom have direct hiring power or connections to hiring powers.   The students sat at the luncheon tables with their peers and hardly anyone ventured to sit at a table with the business executives, even though seating was open with the exception of the head table.  The smart thing would have been for the students to scout out a table with a few empty seats where the business executives were sitting and ask if they could join the table. The technique is no different for working adults who find themselves in a similar situation.

Mistake 2:  The wrong attire. With a few exceptions (the extra shiny, multicolored, imitation snakeskin shoe and the shiny shirt) the young men were dressed appropriately, dark suits, ties and clean well-shined shoes. The women, however, left much to be desired. Although many wore dress pants, they were all too tight, the tops clung to their frames and the deep cuts in the front of the tops left nothing for the imagination. If this was a party, the attire would be perfect; however, this was a business luncheon. The few ladies who wore skirts chose the wrong style; they were too small, too short or way too long.  One young woman was a bit large and wore a skirt that was too short and became quite a spectacle, but when she approached the stage and began a presentation, it was clear that she was an excellent speaker. Sadly, her clothing overshadowed her talent.  Does your clothing help accentuate your skills and talents or are they impeding your progress?

Mistake 3. Professional decorum. People pay attention to just about everything when attending a function and the way you behave is no exception. The way you sound, your body language, etc., all play an integral part in forming a great first impression but this was not common knowledge among the students and many did not do well. Since you only have one chance to make a great first impression, make sure that the impression you leave is the one you want people to remember.

There is a famous quote that says, “Success seems to be largely a matter of holding on after others have let go.” Career success, like any other type of success, is a process that does not occur overnight. Before you throw in the towel, settle for average in your job or let go of your dream career altogether, consider doing the following and start building a new track record to success.

Manage up.  Employers are now seeking workers with an entrepreneurial spirit yet able to follow the vision of the leadership, a team player, and employees who can meet the needs of their supervisors by staying one step ahead.

Think results.  Results keep companies in business, and it is imperative that employees understand this fact and strive to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality.

Get the big picture.  Learn all you can about how your daily tasks affect the company as a whole.  Be aware and understand the entire process as well as your particular job.

Be knowledgeable about the product or service you are providing.  All employees need to be in a constant state of learning.  Being the best means knowing all aspects of the product or service being offered.  This sets the stage for exceptional service.

Be coachable.  Change in today’s work world is a given. Being open to new ideas and stepping out of your comfort zone will ensure a path to success.

Renew your attitude daily.  Create your day with positive thoughts and ideas and meditate on them moment to moment.

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At a time when business competition is fierce, it’s amazing that companies still see training as a luxury line item instead of as a necessity that will help make them more efficient, competitive and profitable.

Businesses often grapple with the cost of training programs and forget that highly trained workers increase revenue. Training is critical to the growth of all companies. In fact, many companies are unsure how to maximize the workshops offered to their employees. Employees attend workshops and receive mountains of valuable information that gets stored in cabinets collecting dusk.

After each training workshop, it is not unreasonable for the employer to ask for improvements. However, sometimes training does not work because the wrong problem is being targeted, the trainer just does not understand the company’s problem or the  employer has unrealistic expectations. Training is not an event—it’s a process, just as learning is a process. Time must be built in for attendees to test their new knowledge and make adjustments.

To get the most from your training dollars, consider the following.

1.  Make sure you are buying the right training. For example, a company may think their problem is customer service when the problem may be that they have the wrong people in the wrong positions and employees do not have the right tools to perform their jobs.

2.  Ensure that the President, CEO and leadership team are among those who have completely bought into the initiative. There must be a sense of “we” and not “they”. The leadership team should always lead by example.

3.  Hold employees accountable for the information they learn when they attend workshops and conferences. In other words, a tool must be implemented to evaluate how employees are doing with the new information. This will reduce the tendency of employees to treat workshops and conferences as mini-vacations.

4.  Follow-up activities are also a key ingredient to seeing results. One-shot workshops do not bring about the change employers hope for. Offering follow-up services such as consulting, specific learning team meetings, supervisor-assisted followup, on-the-job coaching and/or quick refresher courses are some of the activities that will bring long-term results. These can be done in-house or from an outside source.

5.  Consider e-learning. Training costs can be cut for some subject matters by using an online self-paced program or by utilizing video conferencing to reduce travel costs for attendees and trainer.

Regardless of who are or what position you hold, you have probably benefited at some point from preferential treatment. Favoritism or preferential treatment is common in many workplaces but it can be problematic when it’s applied in a manner that is blatantly unfair or discriminatory.

Business leaders need to be conscious of the impact of favoritism and how it can negatively affect the morale of all involved. Acts of favoritism that seem harmless can sometimes alter productivity and create tension to change the dynamics of any workplace.

Employees often complain about over-the-top favoritism being shown in the areas of promotion process, hiring and firing, and especially choice assignments.

Promotion.  Whenever a position opens, the hiring manager needs to consider the demands of the position and then look at the current staff to see who is best qualified. The promotion decision should not be based on friendship or family ties.  Decision should be based strictly on qualifications, performance history and the ability to meet the expectations of the position.

Hiring and Firing.  Careful consideration should be given before hiring or firing an employee.  During the hiring process, the potential candidate should be evaluated fairly, not on any personal biases against or in favor of that person.  The same criteria should be used in firing.  What are the grounds for firing?  Is it a personal issue or performance related?  Try to be objective or bring in a neutral party to help make these decisions.

Choice assignments.  In every job there are some assignments that are more desirable than others.  Whether it involves travel, taking a break from the worst task in the company, or taking time off, managers need to devise a fair system so everyone can enjoy these advantages.  Problems arise when the same people are allowed to take advantage of the system because they always have an excuse or special circumstances that allow them to get more than other employees.

Favoritism should not be confused with kindness or courtesy and some employees know the difference.