Features: 6 Contrast to Comrades

Brett Caldwell & Joseph Short  9 Stress Management in Work Place Emma Ontiveros

14 Good Communicator = Good Leader Daniel Kinghorn

19 Motivating, Fun, Inspirational— Guide to Leadership

Dan Campnell and William Fairbanks

24 Find the Time: It’s There Kellene Condie

28 Case Study: Loan Fraud Palmyra Management Group

Departments:

30 SBR Case Study: Loan FraudPalmyra Management Group

32 Above and Beyond Andrew Sturgess and Amanda Robles

34 Family FinancesCarl Dixon and Jacquelyn Jordan

37 Communication in the World of BusinessCarl Dixon, Jacquelyn Jordan, and Thomas Wulff

38 Risk and Reward-Taking Chances and Capitalizing on OpportunitiesThomas Wulff

1

Spori Business Reviewwww.sbr.org --- April 2009

SBR

Departments:

30 SBR Case Study: Loan FraudPalmyra Management Group

32 Above and Beyond Andrew Sturgess and Amanda Robles

34 Family FinancesCarl Dixon and Jacquelyn Jordan

37 Communication in the World of BusinessCarl Dixon, Jacquelyn Jordan, and Thomas Wulff

38 Risk and Reward-Taking Chances and Capitalizing on OpportunitiesThomas Wulff

2

3

SBR April- 2009

Features:   6 From the Editor

-Stephen M. CannonThere is only 24 hours in a day. How can you as a busy manager accomplish everything that needs to be done, and focus on the most important things?

8 Contrast to Comrades Brett Caldwell & Joseph Short

Creating a difference in corporate America is all about Making yourself stand out as a leader. 12 Stress Management in the Work Place Emma Ontiveros So many things to do the workplace can be a circus. Some tips on how to manage stress levels to a minimum.

16 Good Communicator = Good Leader Daniel Kinghorn

Communication skills separate managers from memorableleaders. Learn the principles of communication to become a great leader that will change the world around you.

21 Motivating, Fun, Inspirational— Guide to Leadership

Dan Campnell and William Fairbanks Enjoying the journey of a career must be done with a balance

of a work hard and play hard type of an attitude.

26 Find the Time: It’s There Kellene Condie

Ideas on how to stretch your days out to where you can get double the work load done.

PG 8

PG 11

PG 21

4

5

April- 2009 SBRDepartments:   30 SBR Case Study: Loan Fraud

Palmyra Management GroupWilliam Anderson was a well respected investment banker.how should he act when he gives into his temptation to gamble and loses his families savings, and embezzles money?

32 Above and BeyondAndrew Sturgess and Amanda RoblesDon’t let the recession condemn your future. How can you

stand out to employers from people just like you? There are specific things that can be done to spruce up a resume or polish your interview skills.

34 Family Finances Carl Dixon and Jacquelyn Jordan As newlyweds Sterling and Jan implemented time tested financial principles into their marriage. Preparing a financial

cushion and a budget can help your family. 37 Communication in the World of Business

Carl Dixon, Jacquelyn Jordan, and Thomas WulffCommunication in the workplace should not be a painful process. You can make communication something positive and uplifting asyou apply the tried and true principles of communication.

38 Risk and Reward-Taking Chances and Capitalizing on Opportunities Thomas WulffThere are opportunities practically knocking at the door. How manytimes do we capitalize on these opportunities? What can we do?

40 Executive Summaries -Various Editors

Pg 31

Pg 33

Pg 38

From The Editor

Even in business there are only 24 hours in a day. You have so much to do and the old phrase ‘time is money’ holds true. Kevin Rollins, CEO of Dell computers said this, “There’s a time and a place for everything. Therefore you can’t do all things extremely well all the time. There’s a time for family, a time for business, and a time for church.” Dallin Oaks, of the quorum of the twelve apostles, recently addressed the topic of prioritizing in our lives. His talk was entitled Good, Better, and Best. This talk mentioned thousands of good decisions that we are faced with on almost a daily basis. You need to figure out what are the best decisions, choose them, and stick to your guns. To do this you need to sit down at home and think about what you value most in life short and long term. When you come up with these values simply add goals to them, and get to work. When you know what you value, in the most systematic ranked order you will understand the opportunity cost of what is a good choice, what is a better choice, and what is the best choice. All of this must have some sort of order or else you will find yourself running around like a chicken with its

head cut off. The way you do this is by planning. Take time before you start your day to plan out all of the things that you are going to do. The more extensively you plan the more you will most likely get accomplished. This will allow you to be able to prioritize what you value the most. When proper planning is done it’s amazing how much your production levels will go up in terms of what you can get done in a day and in a week, even a year. So a quick recap of what we have discussed. Life is busy! Sit down and make a list of what you value the most. Next make proper goals around your values so that when a million things come at you at once you know the best decision. And finally for any of this to work

effectively you must plan. Planning is where the rubber hits the road in terms of action. Never think it’s a waste of time because in essence it gives you more hours to your day compared to not planning. With this I guarantee you that your effectiveness will increase dramatically. Don’t make it a juggling act in your life, stay level and put this to action.

6

How Much Can You Juggle At Once?

--Stephen Cannon

7

“Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial.”

Manager vs. Leader

By Brett Caldwell & Joseph Short

A marketing executive was quoted saying, "teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say.” He among many other unmentioned managers lacks the knowledge of effective skills in leadership and management. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, and to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial (Bennis, 2003). Once promoted, many managers believe they automatically are initiated into the realm of leadership. Such a belief is distant from the truth and is similar to saying humans are gorillas because they have opposable thumbs. An old proverb states, leadership is doing the right thing; management is doing things right. They both have vital attributes for the progress of an organization; however, they are not the same. Corporate AmericaIn corporate America the dream of most employees is to start at the bottom and hopefully advance step by step to second or possibly even first tier management positions in the companies they work for. With advancement typically comes the expected raise and also higher level of responsibility, generally including a team or group of people to manage. There are many reasons people are promoted, a few traditionally are: time affiliated with organization (tenor), level of education, continuous development of knowledge and skills, and many more. On the steady upward course to upper management a person doesn’t

necessarily fulfill the normal requirements for advancement. People sometimes possess simple overlooked characteristics that raise their awareness to those in charge. Organizational structures differ from company to company, but generally managers have a certain role. According to John B. Kotter, management is about coping with complexities. “Companies and non-profit organizations manage complexity by planning and budget-setting targets or goals for the future (typically for the next month and year), establishing detailed

steps for achieving those targets, and then allocating resources to accomplish those plans.” He refers to a manager as an individual that

maintains the company through execution of required steps possessing higher levels of accountability. Mangers are also responsible for staffing. “By creating an organizational structure and set of jobs to accomplish plan requirements; staffing the jobs with qualified individuals; communicating the plan to these people; delegating responsibility for carrying out the plan; and devising systems for implementation.” (Kotter, 1999)This quote eloquently states the responsibilities of a manager. Notice that in the author’s opinion that the requirements for a manager or mostly structure based; in other words, responsibilities that maintain the company’s position. A person that is promoted to the position of a manager gives value to the company, of course depending again that the company’s organizational structure is similar to the traditional standard. Managers play an important role in distributing accountability down the chain of command and provide generally a reliable source of communication from the top to the bottom as well as bottom to the top.A True LeaderAnother valuable asset to an organization sometimes comes unexpected, a true leader, one that does not necessarily have to have to title “Manager,” “President,”or “CEO.” A leader can be the dishwasher person at a restaurant or the janitor at Target. A true leader is one who leads. He or she gives a vision to others, helps motivate. Too many people who are not

8

Contrast of Comrades

“As a leader no one needs to motivate us, so we need to learn to look at ourselves and see what is holding us back from giving our all.”

in management positions think that no one is watching them. They are just working so that they can pick up a pay check at the end of the month. This results in lower employee morale. No one cares about company policies and worse the company goals. ConsistencyAs a leader you need to be consistent in all your actions. This will grab their attention and you will gain their respect. You need to talk to them. Effectively tell them what the goal of the company is and how it will be accomplished. One example of communication is with President George Bush and President Obama. Whether you agree with either of them or not, one was not a good communicator and the other was. President George Bush did not communicate his ideas and what he was doing very well. The media and people would bash of him because they did not know what he was doing. Many people felt left out. On the other hand President Obama knows how to communicate. When he makes plans he makes sure that it gets out to the public, he is a salesman. Just last week he held two town meetings in California and went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He did this to talk to people about the bailouts and how he envisioned it to help the country. Leader, Not Just a ManagerWhen a company has a leader not just a manager a couple of things happen. First is that the company has a higher production rate. Workers feel that they are in control of their success. When they do succeed they feel that it was because of themselves and not their leader (Sashkin & Sashkin, 2003). Second, a company doesn’t need as many managers. These benefits help the company to save money and at the same time make more money.As students here at BYU-Idaho we have a lot of chances to be a leader, especially as Business Management majors. We work in a lot of groups. In every class we have groups; we make presentations, and create businesses in IBC. But to be a leader you don’t need to have the title of group leader. We can be an example and help motivate others in our group. We don’t have to put pressure on them to get the work done, but we can find creative ways to measure and maintain progress. As team members we should help motivate each other to be excited about the project or

even class. As a student leader we first learn how to “self-evaluate” (Morris, 2003). As a leader no one needs to motivate us, so we need to learn to look at ourselves and see what is holding us back from giving our all.Success DrivenOne thing that we need to realize is that when we work our objective is to rise up in a company and be a manager, supervisor, president, or even CEO. We need to have those goals, so that we ca n earn more money and have more responsibility. What kind of life would it be if you worked at Abercrombie and Fitch for your whole working career. Even though you would get really good deals and you get to keep up with fashion, I don’t think that that would be an ideal life. But we need to start developing leadership qualities now at work and here at school.

Tools for SuccessHow can one gain these attributes that will help us to be great leaders? Hard work and proper work ethic is the only way to succeed. When I was younger all I wanted to do was play

and watch TV. Didn’t everyone else? I didn’t want to do my chores, or do my homework, but this is the exact attitude that will prevent us from becoming great leaders. King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon was a great example of a leader. In chapter 3 of Mosiah he tells us that he worked right alongside all the other people of the Nephites. We need to follow his example and get out and work, and work hard. When you graduate don’t expect to be a store manager or a leader of a company; you might just have to start at the bottom earning next to nothing. If you can work hard at that level then you will prove to your superiors that you deserve that raise or promotion. It takes years to get to the top. Some companies have a type of seniority, and if you don’t work harder than everyone else and prove that you

9

deserve the job more than the guy who has been there 20 years longer than you have then it will take you just as long as everyone else or you just might never even get that job.When you become a manager the company will teach you what your responsibilities are and what the company expects of you. They can give you tips on ho w to do your job, but they cannot teach you how to get the kind of respect and trust from your co-workers that will make them want to work twice as hard for you when they won’t work as hard for anyone else. Through this great adventure we call life; we will have many opportunities to be managers, team members, and also followers; though in every one of these situations we can be leaders, do our part, and make a difference.

References

Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. Kotter, J. P. (1999). what leaders really do. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.Morris, S. M. (2003). Leadership simple: Leading people to lead themselves. Santa Barbara: Imporex International.Sashkin, M., & Sashkin, M. (2003). Leadership that matters. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

10

s

11

“Once you’ve pinpointed what the problem is, do what you can to fix it and see if your stress level decreases.”

By Emma Ontiveros

Everyone at one time or another has been stressed out at work. For many, their occupation rates at the top of their list of biggest stressors in their life. A study done by Northwestern National Life, reports that one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives (Stress Management Tips.Com, 2005-2009). There are several different factors that can contribute to why a person’s job is stressful. Some common factors are high demands or expectations, heavy workloads, and long work hours. With today’s struggling economy, there is also the fear of being laid-off to add to the pressures already present in the workplace.

Check for StressIf left unchecked, stress can eventually affect your physical and mental health. “A St. Paul Fire and

Marine Insurance Co. study concluded that problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than any other life stressor, even financial or family problems (Stress Management Tips.Com, 2005-2009).” Work stress can lead to ongoing fatigue, insomnia, stomach and intestinal

problems, headaches, and numerous other physical symptoms. These physical problems can become more serious the longer you let your stress get the best of you. It can also lower your self-esteem, decrease your patience level, and even cause depression in the long run. Your ability to enjoy your job will decline ifyou are stressed out and this can lead to a decrease in job satisfaction and quality work output. The

International Labor Organization states: […] the loss of capacity to cope with working and social situations

can lead to less success at work, including loss of career opportunities and even employment. It can give

rise to greater strain in family relationships and with friends. It may even ultimately result in depression, death or suicide.

(1996-2008)

Eliminate StressSometimes it seems impossible to not feel stressed out while on the job. So, how can you deal with a stressful job? While it may not be possible to completely eliminate work-related stress, there are many different ways that you can manage your stress level so that it does not completely take over your life.The best way to deal with stress is to pinpoint what exactly the problem is. You can’t start managing stress if you don’t knowing what is causing your stress to begin with. It could be that your problem is something as simple as your chair being uncomfortable. Once you’ve pinpointed what the problem is, do what you can to fix it and see if your stress level decreases. If it’s not a simple problem that can be fixed easily, try one of the other methods that are mentioned below in this article.

Start The Day Out rightAnother way to deal with stress is to start your day out right. Rushing out the door at the last minute will start raising your stress level before you have even made it to work. Make sure to get up early enough so that you will have plenty of time to get ready for work and be able to get out the door on time. I’ve always found that if I get up early enough to be able to take

12

Stress Management in the Workplace

“Just do the best you can and don’t focus on what you didn’t or couldn’t do.”

my time getting ready and to be able to leave early, it helps me to have a better day at work even if it ends up being a demanding day. Also, start out the day with a positive attitude. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking. If you automatically assume that you are going to have a bad day at work, then it will be a bad day. Thinking positively will help you to see things in an encouraging way and your day will go much better. Your coworkers will also be much nicer to you if you act happy than if you are a grouch all day.Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast before you leave. “Research has found people who skip breakfast often feel more tired, irritable and restless in the morning. On the other hand, those who do eat breakfast have a better attitude toward work, higher productivity and better ability to handle tasks that require memory (American Dietetic Association, 2007).” I know from experience that if I skip breakfast before going to work, I lose my ability to concentrate on my work and can only think about when my next break will be. If you are irritated and don’t have very much energy, your work performance is going to suffer. Eating a healthy breakfast will give you an energy boost and help you perform better with your tasks and duties at work.

Stay OrganizedAnother good way to deal with stress is to stay organized. Plan ahead of time so that you can get your work done in a timely manner. It helps to come up with methods to make your work go faster and more efficiently. I had a job a couple of years ago as a picture packager for a photography studio. It required that I get a large amount of work done within a deadline of a week or less. I learned to plan ahead by doing things such as laying out all the materials that I needed ahead of time and memorizing the different orders. This made it so that I could just glance at the order codes and grab everything that I needed for each order. In this way I was able to get most of my orders done well before the deadline. It also helps if you prioritize your tasks in order of importance, so that you can do the tasks that really need to be done first without worrying excessively about those tasks that are not very important.

Exercise

Exercise is also a good way to deal with stress. If you are sitting in an office for eight hours or more a day, you can feel confined and restless from staying in one place for such a long period of time. Take a walk during your lunch break to release some of your pent-up energy and stretch out your legs. It’s also good to take a short break every couple of hours and walk around for a bit or stretch. If you can’t find a way to exercise while you are at work, make time after work to take a walk or go to the gym. Exercise also releases endorphins that can produce feelings of happiness and well-being. This can help you to think more positively and be happier overall.

Know Your LimitsAnother way to deal with stress is to know your limits. Too often the demands of work can make you feel like you have to get everything done perfectly and that you are a failure if everything isn’t done exactly right. While it is good to try to strive for excellence, we are all human and can only do so much at a time. Just do the best you can and don’t focus on what you didn’t or couldn’t do. If you can, delegate some of your tasks to your coworkers. “You don’t have to do it all yourself, whether at home, school, or on the job. If other people can take care of the task, why not let them?” (Segal, Horwitz, Jaffe-Gill, Smith, & Segal, 2008) If you are just too weighed down by your

workload, don’t be afraid to talk to your supervisor about it. They may be more understanding about it than you think and might be able to find a way to lighten the

amount of work you have to do.

Find Friends at WorkAnother way I have found to deal with stress is to make friends with your coworkers. This may not seem like an important way to deal with stress, but your coworkers likely are dealing with much of the stress that you’re dealing with, too. It helps to have someone to talk to who understands what you are going through and to let you know that you are not alone. “Gallup research shows that close friendships at work boost employee satisfaction by almost fifty percent (Armour, 2007).” One of the most stressful jobs I had was being a cart clerk at WinCo. It may not

13

seem hard to bring carts in all day long, but, especially on busy days, sometimes it was a downright nightmare trying to keep up. I became friends with most of the cart clerks and we would talk about irrelevant things like movies and music while we worked. It made my day more enjoyable when I had someone to talk to and it helped make my job feel less stressful when I was working with friends.

These are just a few of the ways that you can deal with work-related stress. No matter what job you end up in, you will most likely experience stress at some point in your career. However, stress does not have to take control of your life. Find out what method (or methods) works best for you so that you can feel less stressed out and be able to make your job more enjoyable. You deserve to be happy at your job. Remember, don’t let your job control how you feel; instead, control how you feel about your job.

References(2005-2009). Retrieved February 21, 2009, from Stress Management

Tips.Com: http://www.stressmanagementtips.com/American Dietetic Association. (2007, June 28). The proven benefits of

breakfast. Retrieved from American Dietetic Association Web site: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_12754_ENU_HTML.htm

Armour, S. (2007, August 2). Friendship and work: A good or bad partnership? Retrieved from USA Today Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2007-08-01-work-friends_N.htm

International Labor Organization. (1996-2008). What is workplace stress? Retrieved from International Labor Organization Web site: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/stress/whatis.htm

Segal, J., Horwitz, L., Jaffe-Gill, E., Smith, M., & Segal, R. (2008, November). Stress at work: how to reduce and manage job and workplace stress. Retrieved from HelpGuide.org: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm

14

15

16

Case Study: Loan FraudPalmyra Management Group

William Anderson is an entrepreneur from Nashville, Tennessee. Anderson became well known for taking risks in stock market management and seems to always come out ahead. Anderson’s rise to the top seemed to be virtually overnight, establishing a stellar reputation gaining the respect and adoration of fellow investors and colleagues in the business field. As he became wealthier he started to live a lavish life. His wife and kids got used to the lifestyle of luxuries they were able to enjoy that Anderson’s success allowed. Anderson also began to get involved in “high roller” gambling making frequent trips to Vegas. He began losing some of the money he had earned. As his gambling addiction worsened he started to acquire large amounts of debt. His wife and family didn’t know about his gambling problem, and he became desperate to pay his debts, regain his losses and continue to fund their expensive lifestyle. Anderson applied for various loans, but banks turned him away due to his bad credit and laundry list of debts.

In February 2004 Anderson devised an idea of how to get the money he needed, but would require the assistance of good friend and broker James Gibson. Gibson had many clients that could easily be approved for loans from banks. Gibson and Anderson stole his

clients personal information forging their identities and credit history.

William Anderson was approved for many loans while using other’s information. He used stolen money to buy partial ownership of the Nashville Predators, making several other excessive purchases which included a European tour, purchasing several expensive cars, and continued to pay for the his families extravagant lifestyle.

For much of their partnership Gibson and Anderson were able to keep their actions between themselves. Eventually Andersons wife became suspicious to his activities, aware of her suspicions and burdened by guilt Anderson he told his wife, Kristen what he was doing. Although upset, she never expressed a desire for him to stop because she loved their extravagant lifestyle. He explained to her that her knowledge of his activities and lifestyle she had become accustomed to had made her an accomplice. Feeling the pressure of their situation baring down on her Kristen felt she needed some relief and told her best friend Jane what her husband had been doing. Kristen made Jane promise she would never tell anybody anything. Soon after learning about the mess her friend was in she was beginning to feel compelled to turn them in.

Should Jane ruin her friendship and this family’s reputation and turn William in? She made a promise not to say anything but is this a scenario where it is okay to break her word? How should William and James be punished? Should Kristen, William’s wife, be punished as well for not turning him.

17

18

19

By Carl Dixon and Jacquelyn Jordan

It is generally safe to say that marriage seems to be a popular topic on most campuses around the United States. This is especially true at Brigham Young University-Idaho; also referred to as BYU-“I do.” Many young people look forward to the benefits and challenges that come with marriage; however, what are some of these prevalent challenges that young couples face? What can be done to combat them? One potential problem which seems to be obvious but that is not discussed nearly enough is that of family finances.

THE STORY OF STERLING AND JAN

Sterling and Jan both grew up in small Utah towns. Sterling was the son of a successful businessman and Jan was the son of a dairy farmer. When they got married they both brought unique qualities to the table that they now shared together. They also created an emergency cushion and prepared a budget.

An Emergency Cushion

Soon after Sterling and Jan were married they determined that Jan would take the main lead in looking after the family finances. Since both of them were working when they were engaged, they had some money saved away that acted as a financial cushion.

An emergency cushion is a vital part to any marriage but is especially important for newlyweds. Dave Ramsey, a renowned financial advisor, is a large proponent of having a financial cushion that is available during the rainy days of our lives. He recommends starting out with at least one thousand dollars in an account that is not touched for anything other than emergencies. He says that until you have set this

money aside as a financial cushion, you should not pay off large amounts debt (Ramsey D. 2009).

Setting First Things First- The Budget

In the article, “Four Steps for Responsible Budget Management for Newlyweds”, it says, “A newlywed couple absolutely must develop a budget. It is essential that the two of you work out your income, your monthly expenses, and debt obligations. Once that’s been determined, you can make key decisions on how to save money, create an emergency fund, or invest in options for the future. Without a budget, you are going to experience a difficult time together” (Jenny, 2007).

Planning for a New Baby!

Jan commented that even though there were probably more expenses with more children, they didn’t seem to notice them because they had mastered the principles of budgeting and had a small emergency cushion. The joy of children was worth any sacrifice.

New families can learn and incorporate the same time tested principals of financial success into their lives the same way that Sterling and Jan did. The solid principles of creating an emergency cushion and a strict budget will help all couples. Sterling and Jan are now able to look back and see the path that they have walked and notice the great things that they have done to establish financial security. They can also look back and see areas where they have learned. If you are a young couple or are planning on getting married in the near future, you should learn from the successes and mistakes of couples around you. The same joy that comes to these couples because of financial stability can also be yours!

20

Family Finances

21

Communication in the World of Business

By Carl Dixon, Jacquelyn Jordan, and Thomas Wulff

Communication is the grease that oils the properly functioning machine of business. How would the world be if everyone spoke a different language and had a different social upbringing? How would it be if every time a manager said something the employee misunderstood? How would these things affect efficiency in the work place? Understanding the power of effective communication and seeking it in business separates companies that survive from those that thrive. In business there is a hierarchy of leadership that runs through even the most unstructured businesses. This hierarchy of leadership serves as crucial life blood that sustains many employees and motivates them to be like their leaders. While there may be officially selected leaders in an origination, there will always be leaders that will rise to the top of their department or team, like cream rises to the top of un-churned milk. What is it that distinguishes these natural leaders from others? What is it that makes others want to follow them? How can one harness what they have and in order to inject it into all employees? Many of these lessons can be learned by acknowledging the simple attributes of effective communication, by reverting back to the principles learned in Communication 101, and by coming to the understanding that communication is not a one-way channel.

The World Does Not Revolve Around You

One universal problem in the work place stems from a misunderstanding of a manager’s personal identity. Thousands of years ago, the common opinion was that the sun rotated around the earth. In our day and age we look back on these people and think that they were dim-witted; however, it seems that the same type of mentality prevails today. Business leaders need to take a step back and ask themselves, what message am I sending to my employees, verbally, and non-verbally?

Actions Speak Louder than Words.

To better understand the impact a business manager or leader has on those around him or her, it is essential to understand the nonverbal communication process. Business Communication Today, a business communication book states that “Nonverbal communication is the interpersonal process of sending and receiving information, both intentionally and unintentionally, without using written or spoken language.” (Bovée & Thill, 2005).

Effective Two-Way Communication

Two-way communication is a key to effectively communicating with co-workers, management, clients, and suppliers. The definition of two-way communication has been stated to be to negotiate, resolve conflict, and promote mutual understanding. These three key points help us to understand and see the true importance of communication in business. Effective communication must build respect. It must start internally with business managers and work its way out to the clients.

As business managers apply the time tested principles of effective communication, they will reap the rewards of strong

employee morale and become a beacon for other businesses or departments to follow. Proper business communication requires a complete understanding of its attributes. With this understanding business managers can change their circle of influence into a powerful force of positivity and motivation. As they revert back to the good old college principles learned in communication 101 they will come to the realization that communication is not a one way channel. The business world that is spinning out of control with misunderstanding can be effectively

22

Risk and RewardTaking Chances and Capitalizing on Opportunities

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

placed into an organized orbit to achieve all the successes ever imagined.

By Thomas Wulff

Life presents us daily with trials and choices, often underestimated or overlooked avenues of opportunity. How we act and react to these paths of opportunity shape who we are and what we become. On the journey to the eventual realization of our dreams we need to understand and apply several key concepts: overcoming fear, the power positive thinking, taking action and understanding accountability, recognizing risk and trials as opportunities, the role of luck and hard work.

Fear

Too often we are too afraid of failure to seek to achieve, afraid that hope will lead to broken dreams. Fear as it applies to the achievement of our goals can have a paralyzing effect on us, physically and psychologically; causing us to create excuses which prevent us from accomplishing our dreams.  In an attempt to understand, analyze and overcome the effects of fear I propose this theology: What could I do if I wasn’t afraid?  If fear no longer restricted our dreams what would it mean for our potential?

The Secret: The Power of Positive Thinking.

Negative thoughts are like poisonous venom, which penetrates the life blood of our dreams often leading to the deterioration and eventual demise of a dream.

Understanding accountability: Acting Verse Being Acted Upon

No amount of fearlessness or optimism in the world when not combine with action will bring about

success. Winston Churchill said, “You create your own universe as you go along.”Only those that

understand accountability, making the conscious decision to make plans and set goals to for the desires of their heart realize them. When we use our ability to choose to become actively engaged in accomplishing our goals we choose to act, rather than be acted upon.

Recognizing Risk and Trials as Opportunity

Too often people are afraid to take risk because they are afraid that the risk will outweigh the reward. Trails should be understood as a probable and sometimes necessary bump in the journey. Winston Churchill once said “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Expect setbacks. Rather than be overcome with discouragement. Learn from them!

Luck and Hard Work

A carnal idea is current, that those that have success in life have simply

won some cosmic lottery. May I suggest that luck is about putting yourself in the right place, at the right time. There is no substitute for hard work. Any pursuit of real value in this life does not come with diligence and a steady vision of an end goal.

Life presents us daily with opportunity and choice. How we act and react to these paths of opportunity shapes who we are and what we become. Implementing the following theories of: understanding the role of fear, positive thinking, understanding accountability, recognizing risk and trials as opportunities, staying steady in the journey of approaching our passions and pursuits, are keys to realizing our dreams.

23

24

25

LEADERSHIP Executive Summaries

April 2009

8 | Contrast to Comrades

Brett Caldwell and Joseph Short

In corporate America the dream of most employees is to start at the bottom and hopefully advance step by step to second or possibly even first tier management positions in the companies they work for. With advancement typically comes the expected raise and also higher level of responsibility, generally including a team or group of people to manage. There are many reasons people are promoted, a few traditionally are: time affiliated with organization (tenor), level of education, continuous development of knowledge and skills, and many more. On the steady upward course to upper management a person doesn’t necessarily fulfill the normal requirements for advancement. People sometimes possess simple overlooked characteristics that raise their awareness to those in charge.

12 | Stress Management in the Workplace

Emma Ontiveros

This article describes in depth some details to help us stay on track in managing our stress level to a minimum. The way that we overcome stress is by starting the day off right with proper eating habits, and then add some exercise on top of that. Stress can be relieved from laughter and doing all you can to enjoy the journey of your career. This article gives specific examples and tips to make your life stress free. While it may be impossible to eliminate all of the stresses of life this article really helps us understand how we can contain all of them.

18 | Good Communicator = Great Leader

Daniel Kinghorn

Why is communication so important? We have all heard that one of the most important things in a relationship is the ability to communicate effectively with one another as a couple. Why would this not apply to business and leadership relationships as well? It does! There are so many elements and components involved in developing as a leader. In fact, becoming a successful leader requires time and continued effort and experience. Instead of attempting to tackle all of the factors of effective leadership, focus on just one factor—communication in leadership.

21 | Motivating, Fun, Inspirational – Guide to Leadership

Dan Campnell and William Fairbanks

Firms are struggling to find motivated employees, and this is a key issue that requires further research and discussion. Businesses need answers to cope with varying financial situations that we are faced with each day. Many of these questions are answered through motivating communication and through inspiring their employees. Companies understand that they need to have motivated employees and managers, but they need to find out how to accomplish this in order to stay in business in this competing economic world. Therefore, it is pertinent that leaders find ways to be motivating, fun, and inspirational for employees.

26

26 | Finding the Time it’s There

Kellene Condie

Where does all of time go in our lives. We have so much to do and there is so little time. Time can be stretched out in many different ways. First we need to plan our days so that we can maximize our time in the direction to the things that we value the most. After doing this we create goals to work toward the things in our lives that are of the utmost importance to us. The next thing that we have to do is be proactive in using all of our time. This is where the tires hit the road and it’s time to be a doer. When we have done all that we can on a daily basis then that is all we can do and should and will feel fulfilled. When we are in charge of big projects we need to do our best to delegate responsibilities to make it work so that success can be generated in a team-work fashion. There are too many things in our lives that we simply cannot do on our own.

30 | SBR Case Study

Palmyra Management Group

William Anderson has been collaborating with his broker James Gibson in an elaboratescheme of loan fraud that dates almost three years. Andersons’ fraud is longer a secretsince confiding in his wife, Kristen, who has become accustomed to their lavish lifestyle.Anderson has left a longer trial of evidence which includes; emails collaborating withGibson, a $5 million loan, the purchase of the Nashville Predators Hockey team, anextravagant European Tour, as well as the purchase of a brand new Bentley. Kristen toldher friend, in confidence about her husbands’ activities. With Jane’s involvement shouldshe turn in the Andersons? How should they be punished?

32 | Above and Beyond

Andrew Sturgess and Amanda Robles

Due to our weak economy, the window for job openings has decreased dramatically. This translates into an increased competition for jobs. The applicant must initiate a powerful first impression to secure an interview. That first impression begins long before the interview with a resume and cover letter. A “stand out” resume must be neat, organized, free of errors, and focused on strengths. The key to success in a resume is revision. Have a friend look at it to make any needed corrections. Then, have a professor review it to correct it in more detail, and also have a professional in your field thoroughly analyze it. Many times having another eye to look and make suggestions is all it takes to develop an outstanding resume.

36 | Family Finances

Carl Dixon and Jacquelyn Jordan

Men and women have different qualities that they bring to a relationship. A solid understanding of finances in marriage is essential to developing a strong future together. The true life story of Sterling and Jan Dixon helps to show the true time tested principles of budgeting and saving for the future. Newlyweds should communicate clearly as they start their marriage and ask specific questions to help get a clear mutual understanding of how they will manage their finances. They should start saving first thing and prepare a budget to encourage lasting habits. As children come into the home and the family expands these habits will become the protecting principles that will insure financial security.

27

39 | Communication in the World of Business

Carl Dixon, Jacquelyn Jordan, and Thomas Wulff

Communication is the grease that oils the properly functioning machine of business. To completely understand how to effectively communicate with employees it is requisite that you, as a business manager, understand the basic attributes of communication. A realization of the fact that the world does not revolve around you but that you do have a great capacity to influence others is the basis of successful communication. Be enthusiastic and realize that your actions speak louder than your words. Through the way you choose to communicate you can fill your co-workers with positive energy which will in turn generate success. Understand your emotions and use them to positively influence others. Great changes will take place as you learn and apply the time tested principles of effective communication.

40 | Risk and Reward – Taking Chances and Capitalizing on Opportunities

Thomas Wulff

Life presents us daily with trials and choices, often underestimated or overlooked avenues of opportunity. How we act and react to these paths of opportunity shape who we are and what we become. On the journey to the eventual realization of our dreams we need to understand and apply several key concepts: overcoming fear, the power positive thinking, taking action and understanding accountability, recognizing risk and trials as opportunities, the role of luck and hard work.

28

SBR WWW.SBR.ORG

29