+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Employee Morale TipsThe Confidence Center NewsletterSeptember 2, 2008 - Vol. 8 - Issue 36Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday______________In This Issue:______________=> Word, Quote, Trivia, and Joke of the Week=> Article: October Workplace Celebrations+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Our heart goes out to the people of SouthernLouisiana who have had to evacuate to sheltersfar away from home because of Hurricane Gustav.If you would like to help, please contribute tothe Red Cross at www.redcross.org-----------------------------------------------------------Word and Quote of the Week-----------------------------------------------------------*** Worry ****** "If you want to test your memory, try torecall what you were worrying about one year ago today." -Rotarian-----------------------------------------------------------Trivia Question of the Week-----------------------------------------------------------Q. What animal undertakes the world's longest migration each year?(Answer at the end of this newsletter.) -----------------------------------------------------------Employee MoraleOctober Workplace Celebrations-----------------------------------------------------------We recommend that you have a theme for eachmonth. We have listed many ideas for you tochoose from so you can plan ahead for October.They are also listed on our web at:http://www.confidencecenter.com/calendar_oct08.htm(If you have one you would like to add to our list, please email it to us.)---------------------------------Featured IdeaOctober is Story Telling Month---------------------------------This is a month to captivate yourself and yourstaff with stories.Children aren't the only ones that love to listento stories. Adults are captivated by stories,too. Telling stories connect people in many ways.The story teller gets to express emotions that heor she may not feel comfortable expressing innormal conversation.Those listening share the excitement,suspense, humor, pride, joy etc. that the storyteller expresses.Listeners may relate part of the story to theirown lives, thus helping them deal with a similarsituation.Read a story from a book to your staff for only 10 minutes during lunchtime every day. You can take turns reading. Stories can either be true or fiction.<<< Other Story ideas >>>* Co-workers share stories of challenges theyovercame, and how they did it. These can eitherbe workplace challenges or personal courageexperiences.* Share stories about favorite vacations,hobbies, interests, etc.* Tell stories about your happiest memories,your most embarrassing moments, or aboutinteresting people you have met.---------------------------------October is also...---------------------------------National Book  Month -   For lots of great ideas for celebratingNational Book Month go tohttp://www.nationalbook.orgHealth Literacy Month -   Health literacy is about the entire process ofexchanging healthcare information. It is not justabout reading and writing, but how peoplecommunicate about health through speaking anddrawing pictures. And it is about using suchtechnology as videotapes, audiotapes, CD-ROMs,and the Web. www.healthliteracymonth.comNational Breast Cancer Awareness Month -www.nbcam.orgNational Disability Employment Awareness Month -   To foster the full integration of people withdisabilities into the workforce.National Popcorn Poppin' Month - www.popcorn.orgOctober is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  1 out of 3 women are affected by domestic violence in their lifetimes- This is no small matter.  Many more need to be informed.  For more information go to www.NCADV.com or check out your state's domestic violence coalition.---------------------------------October Days to Celebrate---------------------------------3 - World Smile Day -   www.worldsmileday.com andwww.smileycollector.com4 - Frugal Fun Day -   Visit this web for great ideas on how to havefun for $5 or less -www.frugalfun.com/frugalfundayideas.html5-11 - Mental Awareness Week - www.psych.org/public_info/5 - 11 Fire Prevention Week -   To educate the public on how to stay safe fromfire. www.nfpa.org/FPW/index.asp6 - National Child's Health Day9 - Yom Kippor -   Jewish Holiday Begins sundown October 8th andlasts until sundown October 9th.13 - Columbus Day - Second Monday in Oct.13 - 19 - World Rain Forest Week -   www.ran.org15 - 21- National Business Women's Week -   www.bpwusa.org16 - National Boss's Day18 - Sweetest Day -   Third Saturday in October.21 - National Character Counts Week 24 - United Nations Day25 - Make a Difference Day -   www.makeadifferenceday.com31 - Halloween -  See Halloween ideas on our web at:http://www.confidencecenter.com/calendar_oct08.htm-----------------------------------------------------------Peggy Collins needs your opinion.-----------------------------------------------------------Peggy Collins, is author of the book, - Help Is Not A Four Letter Word, Why Doing ItAll Is Doing You In -She needs your opinion on what type of helpworking women need. Please help her help working women.Simply take a short 5 Q. survey. You will not beasked for your name or email address, just youropinion. It will take about 2 minutes.Peggy's survey is at:http://tinyurl.com/68prryShe will compile the results and give ournewsletter tips and strategies you can use to have less stress at work.-----------------------------------------------------------The 7 Worst Employee Morale Mistakes SupervisorsMake, and How You Can Avoid Them.-----------------------------------------------------------Learn how you can -Boost Employee Morale on aShoestring Budget-. Take our -Free- 30 Minute Audio Seminar-Where: Listen on your computer from anywhere in the world - -When: Anytime 24/7-No Fee: No phone necessary - absolutely no charges-How: It's easy. Just go to:http://tinyurl.com/5hc4a4This valuable Employee Morale seminar is completewith a downloadable workbook. Take it today, and learn 7 "No-No's" to avoid ifyou want to raise employee morale. Please don't wait. Itwill only be available for a limited time.-----------------------------------------------------------Answer to This Weeks Trivia Question-----------------------------------------------------------Q. What animal undertakes the world's longestmigration each year?A. The Arctic Tern may be a small bird, but itundertakes the world's longest migration eachyear when it travels almost from pole to pole.After breeding in the Arctic Circle, these birdsmigrate during the Northern Hemisphere winter tothe border of the Antarctic ice pack. Theroundtrip migration is almost equal to flying allthe way around the earth -- totalingapproximately 21,750 miles (35,000 kilometers).-----------------------------------------------------------Joke of the Week-----------------------------------------------------------"A young man joins a monastery and takes a vow ofsilence:  He's allowed to say two words every seven years.  After the first seven years, the elders bring himin and ask for his two words. He says, "Cold floors". Seven more years pass. They bring him back inand ask for his two words.  He says, "Bad food". Seven more years pass. They bring him in for histwo words. He says, "I quit".  "That's fine" say the elders. "You have donenothing but complain since you got here".  -----------------------------------------------------------Need an Article for Your Newsletter?-----------------------------------------------------------You may print our articles in your company or association newsletter or post themon your web - with a live link please.Please include the following at the end of the article you are reprinting:--How happy are you at work? Take the Employee Morale Assessment Quiz at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.comFor tips and strategies for supervisors, and managers, go tohttp://www.BecomeABetterLeader.com-----------------------------------------------------------Help Us Spread the News...-----------------------------------------------------------If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or associate.Subscriptions are complimentary at www.ConfidenceCenter.com

"Learning is directly proportional to the amount of fun you have." - Bob Pike's "Law #3 of Adult Learning" If your participants are going to learn and retain information, injecting fun into your classroom is imperative. 101 Games for Trainers is your source book for making that fun happen.In it, you'll find dozens of games, exercises, and activities specifically designed to.. Develop communication skills. Promote teamwork. Break the ice and grab participants' attention. Bring a weary group back to life. lead an audience through a spirited, comprehensive review session. Address the special concerns of certain topical courses, including orientation training, diversity training, customer service training, sales training, and more. You'll be able to administer all these activities in very little time at very little cost. And, since they represent the very best of the tactics tried by trainers just like you in corporate classrooms, you know these activities are sure to be a hit. 101 Games for Trainers is one in a series of books, all based on the thousands of tips collected by renowned trainer Bob Pike and published in Creative Training Techniques Newsletter.About the Author: Robert Pike has been developing and implementing training programs for business, industry, government, and other professions since 1969. He leads over  150 sessions each year on topics such as leadership, attitudes, motivation, communication, decision making, problem solving, personal and organizational effectiveness, conflict management, team-building, and managerial productivity. Visit his web at: http://www.bobpikegroup.com/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Employee Morale TipsThe Confidence Center NewsletterAugust 26, 2008 - Vol. 8 - Issue 35Written by Harriet Meyerson and published every Tuesday______________In This Issue:______________=> Word, Quote, Trivia, and Joke of the Week=> Article: The "No, Know" Game=> Audio Seminar: The 7 Worst Employee Morale Mistakes Supervisors Make, and How You Can Avoid Them.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -----------------------------------------------------------Word and Quote of the Week-----------------------------------------------------------*** Failure ****** Failure is not - not reaching your goal,failure is having no goal to reach. -Benjamin Mays-----------------------------------------------------------Trivia Question of the Week-----------------------------------------------------------Q. What meteorological phenomenon causes a warmcurrent of water to appear every three to sevenyears in the eastern Pacific Ocean, causingunusual weather conditions all over the world?(Answer at the end of this newsletter.)-----------------------------------------------------------Employee MoraleThe "No, Know" Game-----------------------------------------------------------Contributed by Katharine BeckerThis game helps make employees aware of someannoying negative speech habits in a fun way. * Instructions:Each employee gets a safety pin to wear for the day. (I bought small colored ones)-Tell Your Employees the following rules-If you hear someone say the words:KNOW, NO, UM, or the word LIKE, you get to take his or her safety pin and add itto your pin. (If he or she is wearing more than onepin, you can take all of them). At the end of the day, the employee who has the mostsafety pins, wins a prize. (I gave out lottery tickets and small gift cards for lunch) This turned out to be so successful, I added itto our morale booster calendar two months in a row.-----------------------------------------------------------The 7 Worst Employee Morale Mistakes SupervisorsMake, and How You Can Avoid Them.-----------------------------------------------------------Learn how you can -Boost Employee Morale on aShoestring Budget-. Take our Free 30 Minute Audio Seminar-Where: Listen on your computer from anywhere in the world - -When: Anytime 24/7-No Fee: No phone necessary - absolutely no charges-How: It's easy. Just go to:http://tinyurl.com/5hc4a4This valuable Employee Morale seminar is completewith a downloadable workbook. Take it today, and learn 7 no-no's to avoid ifyou want to raise employee morale. Don't wait. Itwill only be available for a limited time.-----------------------------------------------------------Answer to This Weeks Trivia Question-----------------------------------------------------------Q. What meteorological phenomenon causes a warmcurrent of water to appear every three to sevenyears in the eastern Pacific Ocean, causingunusual weather conditions all over the world?A. Every three to seven years, a warm current ofwater known as El Niño appears in the easternPacific Ocean, causing unusual weather conditionsall over the world as jet streams, storm tracks,and monsoons are shifted from their normalpatterns.-----------------------------------------------------------Joke of the Week-----------------------------------------------------------A man was arrested in West Haven, Conn., inAugust for robbing a convenience store. Policereported that he had first offered the clerk $1for a pack of gum as a ruse and then taken $40 inthe robbery.However, said police, he returned a minute laterand asked, uncertainly, "Did I pay for the gum?"By that time, the clerk had summoned police, andthe man was soon apprehended.-----------------------------------------------------------Need an Article for Your Newsletter?-----------------------------------------------------------You may print our articles in your company or association newsletter or post themon your web - with a live link please.Please include the following at the end of the article you are reprinting:Written by Harriet Meyerson inthe Employee Morale Tips Newsletter.How happy are you at work? Take the Employee Morale Assessment Quiz at: http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com-----------------------------------------------------------Help Us Spread the News...-----------------------------------------------------------If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or associate.Subscriptions are complimentary at http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

The brain is an amazing thing. Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. If you are a workplace leader, a trainer, or a teacher, learning how your brain works will help you become more productive. Did you know that your brain has a -"Mother" ? Does talking on your cell phone... while driving really distract you? The answers are revealed in this short 2 minute, but fascinating mind boggling video. Brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know. How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge? Brain Rules is about what we know for sure, and what we might do about it. Learn and understand about how each of the following 12 Brain Rules work to help you function at a high level. THE 12 BRAIN RULESRule #1: Exercise boosts brain power. Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too. Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently. Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things. Rule #5: Repeat to remember. Rule #6: Remember to repeat. Rule #7: Sleep well, think well. Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way. Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses. Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses. Rule #11: Male and female brains are different. Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers. Dr. John Medina, author of "Brain Rules," is a developmental molecular biologist and research consultant. He is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University. He also teaches at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in its Department of Bioengineering.www.brainrules.net

As a workplace leader, you are responsible for solving difficult, often complex problems. Every day at work can present a new challenge or crisis- and this can be frustrating and stressful. However, Dan Roam, author of the book, The Back of the Napkin, has found a way to make problem solving exciting and invigorating. And, it could revolutionize your workplace. "We are fundamentally visual creatures," says Roam. Therefore, "We can solve our problems by using pictures."Using pictures takes the complexity out of problems.Here are two FREE must see videos.In his video, he explains that people need to ask these three questions. 1. Which problems are we talking about? 2. Which pictures are we talking about? 3. Who are we?To get a quick idea of this concept in a 5 minute video, click here:http://digitalroam.typepad.com/digital_roam/2008/04/bnet-videos-the.html-------------------------------------------But, even better, for a FREE 45 minute video seminar on solving problemswith pictures, go to:http://digitalroam.typepad.com/digital_roam/2008/06/the-back-of-the.htmlThen, buy the book.What about you?  What are your experiences with using pictures to solveproblems? Please add your comments.

One of the important things workplace leaders must do is to inform their employees about how to be healthy, and help them learn about signs that point to physical illness.On our Free Resources page on our website, http://www.confidencecenter.com/free.htm we list days to celebrate for each month. Included each month's list are days promoting health and wellness. Choose one a month to feature at your workplace.One of these special days in September is:Atrial Fibrillation Month Atrial Fibrillation is the most common irregular heartbeat, and many people don't know that they have it. It can lead to congestive heart failure, stroke, and even death. It affects over 5 million Americans, and 4.5 million Europeans and countless other people around the world.The founder of www.StopAfib.org, Mellanie True Hills, happens to be a subscriber to our newsletter. She has had atrial fibrillation, and she is now cured of it. Click Here to Watch a video of Mellanie Hills as she tells about her own challenges with Atrial Fibrillation."I'm a survivor (I had surgery to cure it), and have dedicated myself to helping people figure out if they have it, and if so, to learn how to treat, manage, and even cure it."Mellanie created www.StopAfib.org to share what she and other atrial fibrillation patients have learned and to provide you with information and answers to your questions.Even though atrial fibrillation impacts men as well as women, you can add this information to any activities you are planning for women's health and fitness day – September 24, 2008, If you'd like to know more about atrial fibrillation, go to www.StopAfib.orgTo learn about what special health and wellness days are featured each month, go to: http://www.confidencecenter.com/free.htmand... scroll down the page until you see the Calendars of Special Days to Celebrate at workIf you know of any other special days/months to celebrate that feature health and wellness, please let us know abut them by leaving your comments below.

Games Trainers Play Looking to add spark and excitement to your training sessions AND achieve dramatically better results than you are now? Here's the book that shows you how. This compact book is packed with over 100 different games, activities and exercises that have been field-tested and proven highly effective by some of America's most experienced and innovative trainers in teaching a variety of important business skills in ways that are challenging and fun for the participants. Included are: Games to develop leadership ability and build self-confidence Brain teasers that enhance problem-solving skills and boost creativity Exercises that teach people to be cooperative and enthusiastic team Games that dramatically improve communication skills - from speaking in public to knowing how to listen PLUS proven icebreakers guaranteed to grab -and hold- any group's attention All these exercises can be administered in thirty minutes or less at little or no cost. If you're a professional trainer who wants to achieve results and have fun in the process, you won't find a better book in your field than this one!About the Author: Edward E.Scannell has written or coauthored several books (especially with John W. Newstrom) and over a hundred articles in the fields of Human Resource Management, Communication, Creativity, Meeting Planning, Management and Teambuilding. His best-selling Games Trainers Play series are used by speakers, trainers, and meeting planners around the world.

Every leader must be able to look at problems from different points of view. What does that have to do with sitting by the window on an airplane? Read this article by workplace leadership expert, Julie Alexander, and you will find the answer...Everyone knows that the middle seat on an airplane is the most dreaded. If you can book your ticket far enough in advance and have a choice, most of us will avoid being sardined (Is that a word? Probably not, but it should be…) between two strangers – or even two friends.Many experienced travelers prefer the aisle – easy in and out, a little extra leg and elbow room – at least on one side. And as long as you can avoid being hit by the drink cart, it’s not a bad choice. Personally, I prefer the window. Yes, I know. The window seat can feel confining, and the need for a trip to the restroom forces the disturbance of seatmates, but at 35,000 feet, I like having a corner to snuggle into for the purpose of reading or napping. The greatest benefit of the window seat, however, is the opportunity that it affords to view the world from a different perspective. I never tire of watching the airport and surrounding environs diminish in size and then fade away as the plane lifts into the clouds and of seeing a different location come into view at the end of the journey. I like seeing vehicles as matchbox cars, observing rivers as satin ribbons, and seeking out familiar roads, lakes, and landmarks. The variety of scenes never ceases to intrigue. The desolate beauty of the Arizona desert, the rugged mountains of Colorado, the green and gold farmlands of the Midwest, the deep blue-green water surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, the architectural masterpieces of Chicago, New York, and Paris as seen during the day and the spectacular colors of the cities’ lights at night – each is unique and worthy of observation. It’s refreshing for us to observe our world – whether from an airplane or on the ground – from a fresh perspective. In the air, we have no control over what’s below, but when we’re on the ground, we have a lot of jurisdiction over ourselves, our circumstances and our surroundings. Try looking at yourself, your home, your work, your relationships with fresh eyes. A different perspective can help you see things that you might otherwise miss. It’s interesting, isn’t it, that few people choose the window, and when they do, many ignore the view. They draw the shade as if to shut out what looking might reveal.Although it may be a bit uncomfortable, try seeing your world from a window seat. Step back and get an overview of your life, your job, your health, your circumstances. When you land after this bird’s eye experience, your arrival will bring you into reality and provide the opportunity to appreciate the things that are positive and work on the things that aren’t. You can sit by the window of your world anytime, anywhere. Give it a try. But if you’re booking a flight, choose the aisle – and leave the window seat for me. Copyright 2008, Julie Alexander. Visit Julie's website at www.JulieAlexander.com