Danielle’s Blog

A leader is only one person and can only do the work of one person. In order to best accomplish the team’s goals and objectives, he or she must carefully delegate authority to team members. 

Why we don’t delegate
Some leaders hesitate to delegate authority for the following reasons:

• They think they can do it better themselves.
• They fear others will make mistakes.
• They think team members won’t like them if they give them a lot of work and responsibility.
• They’re afraid the person will perform too well and make them look bad.

Truth is, the careful delegation of authority is one of the most important aspects of team building. When done right, it plays to the team’s strengths and gives team members valuable experience. It also gives people the opportunity to shine while freeing up the leader’s time for more important or appropriate activities.

 

How to delegate
While delegating authority and responsibility is crucial to team success, there are a few guidelines that should be followed:

• Choose the right person. Select someone who is capable, able and willing to take on the responsibility.
• Make expectations clear. Describe the project or task to be completed, the results expected and the timetable.
• Establish how and when you want feedback on progress. Do you prefer daily reports? A weekly e-mail?
• Give appropriate authority. Don’t give a team member a project that he or she does not have the power to complete! For example, don’t assign someone a task that requires access to a database that they can’t get into.
• Get the person’s agreement. The team member should commit to and be willing to carry out the work. 

How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins.

Make sure to add this book to your “must-read” list!  In the book, Tom shares 12 characteristics that top sellers possess (whether it’s selling product OR the opportunity), questions to ask, words/phrases NOT to use, prospecting ideas, ideas on motivators and DEmotivators, how to LOVE the NO and so much more! 

OMG, look at all of the Mario Batali products I found…

Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell

 

There are Five Levels of Leadership:

• Level 1: Position – People follow because they have to
• Level 2: Permission – People follow because they want to
• Level 3: Production – People follow because of what you have done for the organization
• Level 4: People Development – People follow because of what you have done for them
• Level 5: Personhood – People follow because of who you are and what you represent

 

As you grow on each succeeding level with other people, they will allow and even assist you in making necessary changes, recognizing you as a leader who inspires others to do their best.

 

If you have a desire – or maybe a calling – for leadership, John Maxwell will help you develop the vision, value, influence and motivation required of successful leaders. Let Developing the Leader Within You give you a fresh vision of the leader you can be now and in the future.

If you are like me, you get into your car and go, forgetting to check the speedometer when  you get in.  Don’t you wish that every time you get into your car, you would be able to record your business mileage without thinking about it?  I had an idea, I wanted to invent a mileage tracker that would send all of my info to the internet, where I could make a print out at tax time and not loose a penny of my mileage deduction.  Well, like usual, I am a day late and a dollar short.  After doing an internet search, I found a company that did exactly what I envisioned. It tracks all of my mileage using a GPS technology, and all I have to do is log onto my site, and mark if it was personal, business, charity or medical and I can also write in comments!  I am so excited to do my tax return next year. With the mileage rate currently being .505 a mile, and the price of gas reaching $4.00 a gallon, I will get my money’s worth.

1) The incredible June incentive.   The host has a chance to earn lots of fabulous products!

2) Your June hosts will be the first to order the returning favorites.

3) School’s out, summer is starting!   The perfect time to crack open those drink buckets!

4) Lots of events to stock up for and purchase gifts…Father’s Day, 4th of July, picnics, graduations and bridal showers.

5) How about a fundraiser for your favorite summer sports team?

6) Move your party outside!   Have a party on the deck, patio or near the pool!

7) Summer is a great time to have a couples party.

Grilling season begins!

9) There is never a wrong time for Classy Chocolate Pound Cake!

10) New summer recipes!

11) Your host has a chance to win and additional $113 in free products!

12) Summer is a good time to reconnect and have your friends and family over.

13) Help Tastefully Simple celebrate their 13th birthday!

 

Danielle Hannigan is an Independent Consultant with Tastefully Simple.

This is a great article about the great charity work that Arbonne does. For more information regarding Arbonne, please visit: http://www.daniellehannigan.myarbonne.com

Great Teachers Gifts

Still wondering what to get for end-of-the-school-year teacher gifts?

How about something they’ll really love … FOOD!

 What better way to kick off the summer than with one of these unique and different ideas from Tastefully Simple.

 

1.    Place a Nana’s Apple Cake and two apples in a

gift bag or basket. Attach a note that says,

“Thanks a bushel!”

 

2. Place a box of Perfectly Potato Cheddar Soup Mix

in a soup bowl and attach a note that says,

“You are souper!”

 

3. Place Cinnamon Muffin Melts and Vanilla Bean Chiller

in a sand bucket. Attach a note that says,

“Have a sweet summer vacation!”

 

4. Place a box of Truffle Fudge Brownies and

Creamy Caramel Sauce in a gift bag.

Attach a note that says,

“You’ve earned your brownie points for being the best!”

 

5. Place a jar of Corn, Black Bean Salsa and

a bag of Blue Aztec Chips.  Attach a note that says,

“Arriba, it’s summer, have a fiesta!”

 

6. Place a Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread and

Absolutely Almond Pound Cake in a gift bag.

Attach a note that says

“You make learning Berry Fun!”

 

7. Make a spicy gift using Fiesta Party Dip Mix or Crazy Cucumber Dip Mix. Attach a note that says,

“You make learning extra Spicy!”

 

To make a purchase, please visit: http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dhannigan

This article was published in UpsizeMag in May 2008. Why Tastefully Simple’s founder follows the ‘dream it, believe it, work it’ philosophy.

Jill Blashack Strahan started Tastefully Simple Inc. in her investor’s shed in Alexandria and has built it into a $139 million direct sales company 13 years later. The company sells gourmet food products at home taste-testing parties via independent consultants who serve as party hosts. She outlines a year-old shift in her business model that is boosting growth again. Things are really rocking and rolling. We ended 2007 at $139 million in revenue. We exceeded our goal, up by 11 percent from last year. We have 27,000 consultants today.There’s a lot of reasons around that growth. We introduced a year before that, August of 2006, a shift in our business model, to having products shipped directly to customers. We used to do inventory parties, and hosts would bring the inventory, and people at the parties would buy it and carry their purchases home. But over time our consultants weren’t interested in carrying inventory. We were slowing down. It took about three years to make the shift. First I wanted to be sure it wouldn’t impact sales. And we were working on heavy infrastructure changes, in warehouse infrastructure and technology, because they’d have to ship 12 to 15 orders after each party, with this new model. We knew that many of our consultants were used to carrying inventory, and I was married to that idea. What happened that escalated sales, after we switched models, was consultants were making more money, they were able to host more parties. More..