Thursday, May 10, 2012
Julie Klein just posted a new blog titled May I Have Some Change?.
Verb: Make or become different.
Noun: The act or instance of making or becoming different.
My company is on the verge of a few big changes. I don’t yet know what they will be, but they have announced that it will be “game changing.” This is not new for my company. I joined the company when the network marketing arm of the business was only a few months old, and there have been many changes since. So far, all the changes have been to help affiliates earn more money.
What is different from our “normal” changes is that a beloved member of our executive staff has left the company. He left by choice, and for reasons totally unrelated to the company, but he is still gone.
I have been speaking to a few people about the changes, and I have discovered that, as one of the Leaders in the company, managing change means managing people’s fear. Everyone reacts to change – both good and bad – differently. For some, it just “rolls off their back,” while others have what appears to be irrational fear of what is coming.
The perspective from which each individual sees change is what makes the difference between whether the changes simply flow and combine with what we have done before or those that make people fearful. To successfully manage change, from the perspective of the employees, it must be introduced clearly, defining exactly what the changes are and how they will benefit the company.
Fear of the unknown can often cause resistance to change. Everyone must understand how the changes will affect them and the company as a whole. The degree to which people will resist change is determined by whether they expect it to be good or bad and on how the change will impact each person.
As a Leader of a large team, it will be my job to address their resistance and fear and help team members learn and understand the changes to enable them to accept them.
Change in the workplace is not so different from changes in our lives. In the (hopefully) not-too-distant future, I will be moving to another state. Although it is my choice, I am still a bit fearful of what changes may occur before, during and after the move. I’m not a young woman. Will I be able to make new friends? We will be moving from a large home to a smaller one (that we have not yet chosen). How difficult will it be to adjust to less room and far less storage space? I’ll be moving from a home where my nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away to a neighborhood where homes are very close together. Will it feel claustrophobic?
I am excited and looking forward to the changes in my company, and I’ll do whatever I can to calm any anxiety those on my team may have about them. I am also awaiting the change of residence with a positive attitude, laced with just a hint of apprehension. Once adjusted to the changes in my professional and personal life, I am certain I will be better for them.
If you would like information about my company, please contact me through my website.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
We Love Our Pets
We love our pets. For
most, they have become part of our family.
We will do most anything for them.
We take our pets on vacation with us; sleep with them; and we
are broken hearted when they pass. We give our four-legged family members gifts
at Christmas and often include them in family events.
Scientific
studies have shown that some animals seem able to detect upcoming earthquakes,
storms and impending disasters, predicting their arrival. Scientists and animal
lovers suspect that many animals have something like a “sixth sense” about storms
and natural disasters. It isn’t something
that can be tested in a lab, so it is difficult to prove. It may be their incredibly
keen hearing, or perhaps they feel vibrations that humans are unable to detect.
If you are a pet lover, you likely don’t need proof. You simply believe it.
The most common household pets, of course, are dogs and cats. There
are about 78 million dogs in the United States alone, and 39% of U.S.
households own at least one dog. And 33%
of households in the U.S. have at least one cat, totaling about 86 million
owned cats in the United States. (I was
surprised to learn that there were more cats than dogs.)
With all the love and attention that
we give our pets, it isn’t surprising that
Americans spend an average of
$600-$900 for food, supplies, medical care and
training for our dogs and cats
each year. Many believe that pet
insurance can
reduce those costs, however, Consumer Reports writes: “Overall, we found that the
pet (insurance)
policies we analyzed were not worth the cost for a generally healthy
animal.”
This is where Pet Care Savings
Programs come in. At participating
veterinary
practices, you can shave 25% off your veterinary medical
services. The discount
applies to office
visits and exams, vaccines and shots, elective procedures (i.e. dental care),
surgery, hospitalization and more.
All companion animals are included
in savings programs, and there is no exception for “pre-existing”
conditions. Unlike insurance, savings
programs have no annual no annual limits, no
deductibles and no waiting periods.
In addition to veterinary care,
discount plans offer up to 35% (sometimes more) off grooming, pet food, training, boarding and
myriad pet supplies at participating merchants.
Xpress Healthcare offers one of the
best Pet Care Savings Programs available.
It even includes Lost Pet Recovery Service. Each pet receives an ID
tag with a unique number and a toll free 24/7 number. If your pet runs away, they will do
everything they can to return him home.
If you would like to reduce your pet care expenses,
I invite you to join Xpress
Healthcare’s Lifestyle Select plan for only $19.95
per month, no matter how many
pets you have in your home. And, when you join Lifestyle Select, you’ll
get some
extra savings, because the plan includes discounted roadside
assistance, LifeLock® ID
Theft protection for your entire family, discounts on
legal services and more!
We truly do love our pets, and we will do whatever
it takes to keep them safe and healthy. Since
we are going to continue doing so, we might as well save some money at the same
time.
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