Schuetz

The Conditions for Trust

Whether it is a partnership within your business or a collaboration or alliance between businesses, these are the conditions of trust that are needed to create the right environment for business success.

Mutual Need

A mutual need is a source of respect, a building block of trust. Each side is bringing unique and significant value to the other and deserves to be heard. If mutual need is not a priority, forget about trust. The establishment of a documented mutual understanding between both companies is required to agree on the need and the way both of your companies will respond to that need.

Personal Relationships

Deep trust, the essential ingredient for creating the most value and solving the toughest problems, grows as personal relationships strengthen.

The commencement of trust is usually formulated by the existing personal relationships that are known, but seldom explored within and between many companies and organisations.

Shared Objectives

Just as mutual need creates an opportunity to cooperate, having a set of mutually agreed upon, shared objectives, guides your performance together as partners. If your objectives are not aligned, expect discord. Shared objectives have to be discussed and agreed so that the long term plans for joint project implementations can be envisioned.

Commitment

Commitment creates enthusiasm. A partnership excels when each of you invest your best efforts, assign your finest people and back them with the policies and resources of your organizations. Commitment by both parties is essential, in all aspects of the trust partnership.

Continuity

To maintain superior performance, you and your partner must be confident that your successful collaboration today will continue tomorrow. How well the conditions for trust are met determines the potential for a trusting partnership.

Measuring With Trust Practices

The practices of trust can be used as a measure of how close you are to building high trust. Where you and your partner are with these trust practices will determine your ability to rely on each other to reach a common objective.

The practices of trust are; keep promises, involve the right people, create joint teams, share information, have realistic plans, no hidden agendas, performance measurement, clear governance, balanced approach, wide communication, internal alignments, conflict resolution, ethical behaviour, mutual creativity, everyone on board and celebrate success together.

The emphasis must be on joint success, both parties must realise a true win situation and both parties should gain the benefits, only that way will the trust partnership be maintained.

There is a wealth of knowledge within both of your organisations and there is nothing more accurate than the accumulated knowledge from a trust partnership.

Sharing of that knowledge is paramount to the enduring continuity of the trust partnership and it will help both your companies to do business on a more informed basis and at a higher intellectual level.

Trust can take a long time to be achieved, but it can be lost in an instant, don't become complacent and think that your company does not have to put the same effort into the trust partnership.

Trust ensures the right conditions for high performance within your company and people, which in turn is reflected by more profitability and increased customer value, which guarantees continued business success and a prosperous outcome for both parties.

James Chapman is an international consultant and speaker, who has advised many of the world's leading firms.

He has had the privilege over the past 16 years to provide motivational speeches to many international organisations.

James Chapman lives with his wife and son in the Algarve, Portugal.

Telephone: 00351 96 7114086

Email:James_Chapman12@hotmail.com

Website:http://www.adversityovercome.com

Blog: http://business-success22.blogspot.com

Customer service needs to have the goal of helping you profit from keeping customers. Keeping customers needs to be a priority because gaining new ones is more expensive. You can decrease new customer marketing costs and increase profits by following these proven tips.

Frontline Staff Empowerment

You begin to profit from keeping customers the moment you give your sales team members the authority to make decisions on the shop floor. Customers will not wait when staff respond to client questions on policy with "I'll need to check that with my supervisor". Give your staff the power to make the decision and you'll have customers happy to come back.

Promote An Open Customer Service Policy

Storewide promotion, with large banners, of an open customer service policy serves as a timely reminder to staff of what they can offer the help customers. It also serves to help customers cross the line of decision when deciding whether its safe to spend their cash at your store.

Rewarding Customer Loyalty

A tip from expert retailers calls for you to reward customer loyalty so that you get to keep them coming back for a lifetime. The secret is to reward their loyalty in a way they most appreciate. Imagine their delight when you key in their contact details and announce that you can reduce the price a further 10%. Just because the computer system has shown they're regular customers. This reward at the register has a strong pull that's sure to make them think of your store when their in the market to buy.

Following this customer service strategy enables your business to move up through the next profit record as you lose few existing customers. Those who are loyal share your high level of customer service with friends and family. The secret to customer service success here is to follow the proven tips of, Frontline Staff Empowerment, working to Promote An Open Customer Service Policy and, Rewarding Customer Loyalty.

Copyright 2005 Kenneth Little

Kenneth Little is a writer, teacher, public speaker and the publisher of a re-released classic - in a revealing ebook- that will show you how to get the best of health and wealth out of all your future years. Find more on this at: http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com

True success will be yours no matter what your age. Amazing "How I Became Young at Sixty" brings renewed strength to your body, hope to your mind and increased prosperity to your lifestyle. You Can Get your Free ebook "How I Became Young at Sixty" by going to: http://www.Young-at-Sixty.com/get-your-f-r-e-e-ebook.htm

It is recommended by many to buy your treadmill from a local dealer because most people will need a service technician to help them if they have a problem. Some will even need local service for maintenance. That is why it is not always a good idea to buy on the net unless you were born with a wrench in your hand!

The truth of the matter is that your local dealer is horrified of the net. It scares most of them to death. You should see some of the letters in trade publications that are as defensive as they can be! Some even think selling exercise equipment over the net should be banned! Talk about fanaticism.

So, you have to face these two realities when buying a treadmill.

• Most people need to buy from a local dealer (where prices are usually higher)

• Your local dealer is horrified of the net.

• Get the dealer's best price on a treadmill.
• Contact an Internet dealer to see if they can beat it. (Ask for the price in writing. If you can't get one to do it, move on to the next. Someone will give it to you in writing!)

• Take the net dealer's best price to your local dealer and tell him that if he can beat it, you will give him your business.

We can't tell you how many people have done this and saved! If the local dealer won't move close to the net price, call the manufacturer and see if they have another company locally that can service their product. Many companies do. If this works out, it may be best to buy it over the net.

I am a contributor to Treadmills a consumer oriented site focusing on reviewing Treadmills and Ellipticals. Treadmill Doctor also supplies parts and service to keep your machine in service. Visit Treadmill Doctor.

Business knowledge and skills are not the only keys to success. To be successful, you also need to master the psychological skills that will help you to be satisfied and fulfilled, and thus more effective in your work. Knowing how to manage your mind, and understanding how to deal with lack of confidence, stress, anxiety, and depression, is as important as knowing how to handle the strategic and organizational challenges of your business.

Success isnt about money. Its not a position or power. Its being happy, satisfied, and productive. But to achieve success in todays highly competitive and constantly changing world you have to learn to build up your confidence and be assertive. You have to be able to put things in perspective so that you can counter stress, depression, and anxiety. And most importantly, you have to manage yourself so that you can manage your time.

Self-confidence is perhaps the most important, yet overlooked skill that you must have for success in your personal and business life. If you lack self-confidence, you will be apprehensive, frustrated, resentful, and demoralized. In your behavior, you will be passive, avoid taking initiatives, and constantly seek reassurance. Lack of self-confidence can hamper your professional career and your personal relationships.

Many people believe self-confidence is a virtue that others have and they never will. This is wrong. Self-confidence is not an all-or-nothing personality trait that you either have or you dont. A person may be very self-confident in one area or situation and much less so in another. Self-Confidence is a skill that can be acquired.

Here are six suggestion to help build your self-confidence:

1. Behave as if youve already done it. At a moment when you lack confidence (for example, if you are about to make a presentation to your boss), ask yourself, How would I behave if I were really confident? or Ask yourself, How would a confident person you know handle this? Just by adopting the behavior of self-confidence, the posture, thoughts, and actions, you will begin to feel more confident.

2. Dont be afraid of being flexible. People lacking self-confidence feel that they must follow a careful, well-planned route to be safe. Dont be afraid to leave the road. Youll find that the pitfalls you imagined waiting to trap you were mostly imaginary.

3. Make the most of your mistakes and then leave them behind. Only those who do nothing, do nothing wrong. If you make a mistake, learn a lesson from it, then move on.

4. Operate with a statute of limitations. Dont keep kicking yourself for past mistakes. Instead give yourself a pep talk for the future.

5. Be kind to yourself. This is an important, yet underutilized strategy for building self-confidence. Too often we punish ourselves for failures, but never reward ourselves for success. Reward yourself with a treat, anything from a mid-morning break to a restaurant meal. And forget about self-punishment.

6. Practice self-confidence on a daily basis. Dont practice building your self-confidence only when you are particularly vulnerable. Practice it when you are feeling good also. Self-confidence must become a habit that you can call on whenever you need it.

Success means being fair to yourself and to others. You must learn to be assertive but fair. Assertiveness is based on the idea that your needs, wants, and feelings are neither more nor less important than those of other people. You have the right to make claims for yourself clearly and honestly, as long as those claims dont impinge on the rights of others.

An assertive person knows how to balance aggression and passivity. If you are too passive in making claims for yourself, you will not get what you want and deserve. If you are too aggressive, on the other hand, you will be unfair to others.

To be assertive, you must also know how to strike a balance between reflecting and reacting. You must know how to think before you act, but dont avoid taking action. For example, if someone borrows something precious from you and damages it, you have the right to be angry. But dont explode into a tirade of expletives and general insults. Thats overreacting. On the other hand, dont prevent yourself from saying something because you dont want to hurt the other persons feelings. Thats being too reflective. Assertive people are able to express their anger clearly and appropriately, focusing that anger on the behavior, not the person.

To be assertive, you have to have the right attitude and the right skills. To acquire the right attitude you must build up your confidence and self-esteem. If you are not self-confident or if you have low self-esteem, you will not be able to stand up for yourself when you need to. Being assertive means thinking highly of yourself and others as well.

An assertive person knows exactly what he or she wants. If you are self-confident but dont know what you want, then you will be as ineffectual as someone who is passive. You have to believe without any doubt that you have the same rights as anyone else. You have the right to get what you want in life, as long as it doesnt impinge unfairly on others.

The psychology of success means that you have to keep things in perspective. Successful people never allow negative thoughts to hurt them. Negative thoughts affect your feelings and negative feelings affect your thoughts in a vicious, unending circle. For example, if you feel miserable, you will think about the things that have gone wrong in your life. If you feel apprehensive, you will think that you are going to fail. As your thoughts and feelings reinforce each other, your anxiety, depression, or stress becomes deeper.

Because of the connection between thoughts and feelings, you will be able to feel differently, less stressed, less anxious, if you can make yourself think differently. You may believe at times that there is only one way to view a situation, but this is just an illusion. There is always more than one way of thinking about things.

To break out of the negative thought/feeling cycle, identify the specific thoughts that cause you to feel negatively. Then look for another perspective on those thoughts. One way of doing this is to keep a thought record. During the day, write down your negative thoughts as they occur and what you are doing at the time you are having them. Then for every thought, ask yourself if there is an alternate, more positive spin you can put on those negative thoughts. For example, if you say I should be able to cope better than this, ask yourself: Would anyone else cope better?

Forcing yourself to look at a situation or event from another point of view is easier said than done. But, if you take the time to step back and ask certain questions you will be able to gain a different perspective. Here are some questions that can help:

* Questions about your thoughts. What other points of view are there? How would someone else think about this? How would I think about this if I were feeling better?

* Questions about the reality. What are the facts of this situation? How can I find out which way of thinking fits the facts best?

* Questions about how to cope. What is the worst that could happen? How bad is this going to get? What should I do if the worst happens?

Forcing yourself to step back and attempt to think differently about situations and events is a major step in battling anxiety, depression, and stress, three all-too-common psychological enemies to happiness and success.

In part two of The Psychology of Success we will look more closely at how to defeat depression, anxiety, and control stress.

Copyright 2005 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of Americas largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

There is no city in the World that is quite like Berlin. Fifteen years since its infamous wall came crashing down, Germanys biggest city has re-discovered itself to become one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan places you can visit.

With its spectacular architecture, charming cafs, restaurants, movie houses, a film museum and a shopping mall, Berlin is once again a major attraction for tourists.

The end of the Cold War, and the subsequent fall of the Wall, has given Berlin the rare opportunity to redesign its city centre. Fully destroyed in World War II, the wasteland of Potsdamer and Leipziger Platz remained untouched during the Cold War as part of the 'no-man's land' in the middle of the city.

The Potsdamer Platz was one of the busiest squares in the whole of Europe and when the Berlin Wall was built a platform was erected that allowed Westerners to look over the wall and into the eastern part of the city. After many years of neglect, recent restoration and renovation have created a wonderful new, thriving area, full of shops, bars, cafs, restaurants and many other venues for entertainment. Once again it is a lively square and is rapidly becoming the hub of the city.

One place not to be missed is the Brandenburg Gate, which has become one of Berlin's most recognisable and photographed landmarks. Originally built as a customs post, the gate was an integral part of the Berlin Wall and remained locked for the duration of the Communist rule. When the wall that was once the boundary between East and West Berlin was knocked down, the gate became an important symbol of German reunification and it is the only one out of 18 such gates that now remains.

For spectacular panoramic views of the city, the Fernsehturm television tower, at 1200 feet, is the tallest structure in the whole of the city and features both an observation platform and a restaurant, which revolves slowly as you take in the stunning cityscape.

Nightlife in Berlin oozes uber-cool, and with its array of bars and clubs, it has become legendary. Whether its live music, up to the minute club sounds or a more relaxed cocktail lounge and restaurant, Berlin has it all. Check out Kastanienallee, an avenue in Prenzlauer Berg, where the young and trendy hang out.

With so much to see and do Berlin has rapidly become one of the top destinations for tourists and there is a good selection of hotels, which range in price depending mainly in which quarter the accommodation is located. Luxury Berlin hotels are widespread throughout the city, but there are plenty of hotels offering good budget accommodation for those who wish to seek out a bargain for their stay.

Whatever you think you know about Berlin, you will still be taken aback by its beauty, its contrasts and the surprises it presents at every turn. It is a city with a past, undeniably a city with a future, but most importantly, it is a city that is now.

Where do these esoteric teachings come from? What is there original source? These inner teachings go far back into the distant mists of time, before recorded history, but we can at least trace them back to several thousands of years and to more recent times, to the ancient Egyptian mystery schools, the Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece, the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, the Druidic Mysteries, Dionysian Mysteries, the Orphic Mysteries, the Pythagorean philosophy, the Hebrew Cabbala, the initiatory school of Moria-el, the Essenes, Jesus Christ's teachings, and so forth. But the sources of these schools and mystery teachings essentially come from the ancient and mystical White Brotherhood (existing in the higher planes) and its emissaries who have walked the Earth for several thousands of years, teaching and enlightening people of all nations. To cite an example, Moria-el was a great master from the White Brotherhood who lived around 1300 B.C. in Egypt. He initiated countless souls through a particular initiation we currently call Baptism, for he emphasized the mystical rite of immersion by water, a form of spiritual purging that prepared each soul for further illumination. Naturally, the initiation of Baptism was continued by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, becoming a common ritual in the Christian churches, although its esoteric level is misunderstood by most.

What do these Ancient Wisdom Teachings consist of? In general, they involved spiritual initiations, alchemy, sacred ritualism (or sacraments), symbolism, universal principles, spiritual disciplines and practices, a number of other sciences and arts, etc. These often manifest through various different forms, systems, and schools or traditions, depending on the particular land and culture and era. In most cases they manifested through vehicles such Shamanism, Hermeticism, the Cabbala, the Tarot, Eastern and Oriental traditions, Gnosticism, Theosophy, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and so forth. Although the majority of world religions are exoteric, there are esoteric levels within them that only their teachers and students will acknowledge. But the essential aim for the Greater Work of the sacred Wisdom Teachings is to raise the consciousness of mankind, to uplift people into a higher vibrational level, through Illumination and the other great Initiations, so that they will eventually enter Cosmic Consciousness. At this point they will become Masters of Life who will reach down and lift others up as well. And so the cosmic cycle continues, until all members of mankind eventually become enlightened. The Age of World Illumination is nigh approaching.

*** *** ***

Let us venture back in time to view the evolution of the consciousness of mankind and see how it has progressed. In the beginning, our world seemed so vast that we could not even fathom it, or its actual parameters. In those primitive times, we hardly comprehended anything beyond the next horizon. Our thinking process was likewise limited, for we knew very little of our own world, nor of our own origin.

In the early stages of humanity, our concepts of many things around us were limited, because our minds were not yet advanced or evolved enough to conceive or comprehend them. But this developed with time, as we gradually expanded our thinking processes and awareness as we simply yearned to know more. Thus, the inner being was awakening. It inwardly developed the human vehicle, slowly but surely. The God within had to prepare the human temple for eventual full residence, but the evolution of this process would take many thousands of years.

Eventually, explorers discovered what lie beyond the immediate horizon, and even further, for voyagers ventured across the seas and oceans, discovering other lands, so our field of awareness expended. Likewise, philosophers and teachers arrived, who broadened our mental and spiritual horizons of this world and levels beyond. This gradual progression in learning of our planet Earth and beyond is symbolic of the expanding awareness and consciousness of mankind on all levels; mentally, spiritually, and physically alike. Throughout time, as we learn more, and become more receptive, and desire to know more, our intelligence increases; even our creativity develops. This is natural human evolution.

Several centuries ago, many people believed the Earth was flat, for the idea of a round world was new at the time, except for a few philosophers who knew better. About four centuries ago, most people believed the Earth was the center of the universe, and this absurd idea was intertwined into church doctrine; hence, many progressive scientists or philosophers were severely persecuted, some executed for their heresies. Soon, as astronomy advanced, mankind had no choice but to accept the new truth that the Earth was merely one of several planets that circled the sun, the true center of our immediate universe, or solar system in this case. The idea of our local galaxy, the Milky Way, or the innumerable galaxies that make up the whole universe was still unknown in those early days, if not incomprehensible.

With continual advancements of the telescope as technology developed, we begin to see further into space, observing that there is much outside of our small solar system, and even beyond the billions and billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy, that there are countless galaxies beyond this. Our awareness of the vast universe has increased beyond what we would have ever dreamed one hundred years ago, not to mention four hundred years. We can be especially thankful for the Hubble telescope for revealing to us countless beautiful wonders of our vast universe. We may not as yet be able to travel to the stars, but our imagination has taken leaps and bounds through the medium of science fiction in accomplishing this, perhaps paving the way for preparing us for such travel, an idea totally unfathomable a few centuries ago.

Global exploration subsided in the last centuries and gave way to space exploration, the new frontier. Another example of the expansion of mankind's consciousness is demonstrated in the astronauts= orbiting of the Earth and landings on the Moon. Whereas before we had a vague idea as to what our planet accurately looked like, now we have a very clear view of it from space and from the surface of the Moon, and film footage and photography to demonstrate this for all to see. This progression is very symbolic of our spiritual unfoldment, from the standpoint of how we come to experience our true selves; not as we think we are, but as we truly are, as we look deep within now. Just as the astronauts revealed to the rest of mankind what Earth truly looks like, so do the teachers of truth show us how to look within and see the reality of our own inner selves. The realization of the God-being within for each soul is one of the higher levels of the Esoteric Initiations, and likewise one of the primary aspects of Ancient Wisdom Teachings.

*** *** ***

These Esoteric Teachings encompass both the Lesser and Greater Mysteries; however, the former is more prevalent because it is much easier to communicate since it is more digestible for the human intellect, whereas the latter must be intuited and realized within your own being. The seeds are in the Lesser, which will sprout forth, grow and blossom into the Greater as one's consciousness expands. One leads to the other. One is the door, the other is that which lies beyond the door. But if you merely stop at the door and go no further, there will be very little inner unfoldment. Unfortunately, certain religious dogmas prevent people from taking the next step.

The very concept of Greater and Lesser Mysteries are symbolic references in order that the finite human mind may more easily comprehension the Teachings. The Lesser Mysteries are aspects of a vehicle that shrouds the inner teachings of truth in mystery, allegory and symbolism. But the actual Greater Mysteries refers to the penetration of the deeper Divine Wisdom that only intuition realizes, beyond all symbolic forms and comprehensive ideas. For the real truth is a matter of experiential spirituality, not merely intellectual comprehension.

Only through the well-developed intuition, realization, and mystical experience can we witness the real Divine Wisdom. On such a Mystical Path as this, many have reached this higher realm of realizing the Truth. For this reason, the Ancient Wisdom Teachings can never be suppressed. Truth will always demonstrate itself throughout time and through many mystic sages and teachers and traditions. But we need to know where to look, and we need to know HOW to look. We can read great spiritual literature, but when we learn to go within for true Wisdom, here is the real source of Truth. This can be achieved through continued disciplines and practices, for when you learn to listen within through meditation, you will penetrate an inner knowing of truth, which many mystics call gnosis, or Divine Wisdom. This inner gnosis is the true source of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings.

Countless written teachings in the esoteric fields or other philosophies have been virtually lost, mostly due to persecution. Great literature and libraries have been destroyed or burned in past ages, and this is unfortunate indeed. In particular, the destruction of the Royal Library of Alexandria was considered a great loss, which historians estimate once housed anywhere from five-hundred thousand to one million scrolls. However, if all the ancient scrolls or manuscripts and sacred scriptures, and all the important books on spiritual and esoteric teachings and the great sciences in the world had been completely lost or destroyed, many people would panic and grieve the great loss; but ultimately, it simply would not matter.

Why?

Because as long as we have Initiates and Teachers who can tap into the true Divine Wisdom, the gnosis which is not hidden from us, we shall always have the True Teachings. For the Truth is One. Then new books would be written and given to the world.

You yourself, if you conducted the discipline of meditation on a regular basis, enabling yourself to intuitively connect to God's Wisdom within, void of your own opinions and personal investments of course, will be able to write many pages of genuine wisdom. Disciplined meditation and contemplation will reap such positive results from any true spiritual practitioner. This portal to truth is not reserved for only the elite or highly evolved souls, as many would think. Anyone who has applied a regular and sincere practice of meditation, by centering and tuning into the God within the heart, will also receive this wisdom, this gnosis. The various mystery schools and traditions will teach many aspects of the Ancient Wisdom Teachings, but the greatest gift a Teacher can offer is how you can receive this Wisdom internally, and especially how to receive Illumination so that access to Wisdom becomes an established connection within your heart and soul from now on. The point we are making here is that Illumination leads to Wisdom, not the reverse. You cannot reach Wisdom or Illumination by the limited human mind. You must transcend this, seek and find the Light which leads to the God-Self within, then you will receive Illumination and Wisdom and Unity. There are many paths, but only one way to Truth, and that is through God within the heart, for God and Truth are one and the same.

May your journey in the discovery of Divine Wisdom within be enlightening and fulfilling!

Copyright 2001, 2007 by Matthew Martin -- All Rights Reserved