This TQM article provides an insight of a typical Strategic Planning Process that was used in several organizations and proven to be very practical in implementation. the key processes of this typical Strategic Planning Process are lined up into 7 steps. Detail of each steps are illustrated below:-

Step 1 – Review or develop Vision & Mission

Able to obtain first hand information from various stakeholders (Shareholders, customers, employee, suppliers communities etc).

You may use templates to evaluate how the stakeholders think about your organization. To find out whether their action are aligned with the organization’s objectives.

To review or develop company’s Vision and Mission with the involvement of other stakeholders to ensure it is still current with the business changes and new challenges. Also use this session as a mean for communication.

Step 2 – Business and operation analysis (SWOT Analysis etc)

One of the key consideration of strategic planning is to understand internal (own organization) Strengths and Weaknesses as well as external Threats and Opportunities. These are commonly known as the four factors of a S.W.O.T. analysis.

Involvement from various stakeholders to provide their points of view about your organization is key. In the process, you will gain better buy-in from these implementers of strategies and policies.

Step 3 – Develop and Select Strategic Options

You may use templates to develop several key possible strategies to address the organization’s objectives. More important, these possible strategies are develop based on the inputs from stakeholders (step 1) and Business and Operation analysis (step 2).

It is often several possible strategies are developed and everyone of them seems important. Since it is quite normal that an organization would have several key issues to tackle, you will be able to use a proper tools to select a few from the possible strategies. You will b e able to apply several prioritizing tools as introduced in this step.

Step 4 – Establish Strategic Objectives

During this step, you will be able to view the overall picture about the organization and able to select a few strategic options objectively. Template may be used to understand various strategic options, set key measures and broad time line to ensure the selected strategic options are achieved.

While it is quite common that measures and timeline is given by top management, it is the intention of this step 4 that these measures and timeline is SMART . What it meant was Specific (S), Measurable (M), Achievable (A), Realistic (R) and Time-bound (T). when the strategic options are SMART, it will help to ease the communication toward the lower level of the organizational hierarchy for implementation.

Step 5 – Strategy Execution Plan

Many organization failed to realize its full potential of its strategies are due to weak implementation. In this Step 5, a proper deployment plan is developed to implement these strategies.

Step 6 – Establish Resource Allocation

Very often, management team assigned selected strategies to key personnel and left it to the individual to carry out the task. While most organizations operate with minimum resources, it often ends up work overloaded by individual.

Step 7 – Execution Review

One of the key success factors for an effective strategy deployment is constant review of its progress and make decision for any deviations to plan. It is vital to decide what to review and with who the review is done. New decision may be required as the status of the strategies progressed.

In summary: Follow this 7-steps in Strategic Planning will ensure various options are considered including its execution, resource allocation d and Execution Review. This 7-Steps form a complete cycle for new or existing Strategic Planning initiatives

It’s a surprise that you still want to be with a guy who has already rejected you. But then, if you believe that he’s still the one for you even after his major rejection, here are some tips that could make him think again:

Take a deep breath before you do anything rash.

Having been rejected, the best thing that you could do right now is to take a breather. Think whether you would look desperate if you pursue this man. Do you think you’ve got what it takes to make him take a second look at you? Or are you having second thoughts about your ability to attract him? Consider all this things before you set out and carry out your plan.

Make a better second impression.

This guy might have been unimpressed by you when he first saw you. This is the perfect time to let him see that you’re the best woman out there. This man needs to see that even after you were rejected, you still have a cheerful spirit to get up and pick up the pieces. The last thing that he expects from you right now is to see you up and about – with a big smile on your face!

Never show him that he was right to reject you.

Don’t display your curt behavior because he’d only think that he was right to have rejected you in the first place. Acting bitter about the rejection would only confirm your bad character. Instead, show him that you still have your dignity even after what he did.

Be the most gorgeous girl he’s ever seen.

So what if he rejected you the first time? Get a new look and make him repent for having rejected you! You will get a lot of attention, not only from this man, but also from hundreds of other guys who would even line up to get to know you.

Don’t act like you own him.

The very last thing that you should do is to nag or cling. Primarily, you don’t have the right to act like this in front of the guy! He’s not your boyfriend. Also, these acts would only drive him farther and farther away from you.

Never cut your line of communication.

Even if he has rejected you, he must see that you still have the decency to communicate with him. Just be casual when you talk with him. He has to see that though you’re okay after the rejection, that you’re also not happy about the demeaning incident that just happened.

Try to erase your not-so-good qualities.

If you’ve assessed yourself and you see several qualities that aren’t so nice, then you should take the time to change those things. Denying that there are ugly things about you will only worsen the situation with him. Change for the better, and perhaps, he would begin to see that he was wrong for ditching you.

Most times it is very essential to know whether you are important to a guy before your commit yourself. There are plenty of ways to know if you really mean something to him or whether you are just one of his “flings”! These tips will let you know if you are important to him or not.

You will never feel lonely and neglected

In the first place you will never feel neglected or lonely if you are with him and he really loves you. He will make sure that you are always seen to and he will never think of ignoring you or your feelings if he really cares for you. This is a sure sign that you are important to him.

He will put you before everyone else

Have you noticed that he will always put you and your needs first? That he never brushes you aside for someone else? This means that he gives you great importance and priority over his friends and family. This special attention proves that you are very important to him and he sincerely loves you.

He will always consult you

Another easy way to know if you are important to him is to see if he talks to you and consults you before making decisions that concerns your relationship. If he is always considerate enough to find out what you think or feel regarding a particular matter – it proves that your needs and feelings are very important to him.

What you want will matter to him

He will never be selfish where you are concerned if you are important to him. He will make sure that your needs and desires are seen to first before his own. The very fact that he is careful not to hurt you in any way or leave you dissatisfied proves how much you mean to him.

He will willingly sacrifice for you

Have you noticed that your man is always willing to do without just so that you are happy? If you find that he willingly sacrifices his own desires and needs so as to keep you happy and content, it obviously means that you are very important to him.

He won’t do anything to hurt you

One surefire way to know if you are important to him is to look back and check if he has always kept his word, meant what he said and whether he has never disappointed or hurt you in any way since you have been dating. If the answer to that is yes, then you can rest easy in the knowledge that you mean a lot to him.

His one aim will be to please you

If he truly loves you, you will be important to him in every way. His one aim will be to make you happy, pleased and satisfied with him. He will consistently prove his love to you by taking on all responsibilities and duties of a devoted partner.

A Sagittarius man is known for his love for adventure and being a thrill seeker. It’s just how they’re born and they never stop at something until they finally get what they want. When you want to be involved with a typical Sagittarius guy, you have to ready yourself to have the most exciting ride of your life! One thing that’s very evident about this sign is that they don’t want to be tied down and will absolutely want to explore their options endlessly until they realize what they really desire. Below are just a few tips on how to make a Sagittarius man fall in love with you — finally learn how to seduce the archer now!

• Have a thirst for adventure. There’s no dull moment when you’re with a Sagittarius guy. Sure, they may seem a little aloof and distant at first but once you two start flirting, everything else will definitely be full of life.
• Don’t tie him down. Being a nag to this guy will instantly turn him away — guys from this sign will not want to be tied down that’s why if you keep bugging him what he’s up to 24/7, consider him gone.
• Take time to give in to your passions. The first thing a Sagittarius would notice and admire about you is when you have a life — you don’t spend time with him all day and you still have a career that needs you attention. That’s when he’ll go after you.
• Make him miss you. Don’t be too available for him. Being easy-to-get is just not the way it should go. Make him think about you. Make him wonder what you’ll be doing this weekend. Make him miss you — he will have the desire to meet you once again.
• Be sweet and thoughtful. Check up on him — it’s sweet and thoughtful. That’s what any guys want. They want to know if they mean a lot to you too and will definitely feel good if you let him know you think about him too.
• Leave something for his imagination. Be a mystery — don’t reveal so much about yourself on the first date. Or don’t talk too much. Smiling and changing the subject every once in a while will peak his interest even more.
• Show him your wild side. Let go — let your hair down for a change and have fun. Show no inhibitions and show him you’re up for anything. Being on the wild side can give a shot of adrenaline. And the Sagittarius guy’s admire girls who show no fear.

Knowing how to make a Sagittarius Man fall in love with you has given you instant access to fun and excitement. Finally getting involved with one with definitely turn your life around, no kidding. Make sure to have a great time while you’re at it!

#1 Apple

Product placements in many moves and TV shows with the stars using their products. For example, a great shot of JUST THE IPHONE and nothing else in the Sex in the City Movie. My favorite? I am Legend!

#2 Berkshire Hathaway

Warren Buffet, the most successful investor in the world apologizes to his stockholders for making mistakes in the bad economy.

#3 Toyota Motors

They sponsored Top Chef Chicago in 2008. Not only did they have commercials every other second but every shopping trip was in a Rav 4

#4 Google

Becoming a verb and being used in a movie with Jennifer Lopez in Maid in America, Google was written into the script!

#5 Johnson & Johnson

Not only do they have a you tube channel, they also have multiple Facebook pages for the different segments of their market.

#6 Proctor and Gamble

Took Movie product placements to Books! Cathy’s book, Persius book authors agreed to have character use certain make up products!

#7 Fed Ex

Movie product placement abounds! Bowfinger, Runaway Bride and of course their super commercial called Cast Away!

#8 Southwest Airlines

Lots of papers are written on them because of their service.

#9 General Electric

Top Chef is heavy with their appliances.

#10 Microsoft

Bollywood has been the beneficiary of their product placements.

#11 Wal-Mart Stores

Product placements on shows like Dame Chocolate and others.

#12 Coca-Cola

Obama was seen drinking a Coke during the campaign. With giant cups placed on the desks in American Idol, In a children’s book about dinosaurs, there is a coke bottle on every page, The Democratic convention, Madea goes to Jail and the Olympics make them product placement champs.

#13 Walt Disney

The View from Walt Disney Studios and Marley and ME…need I say more?

Men often complain about why women worry too much when it comes to commitments and feelings. Sometimes females want to let men go through a series of tests just to prove that their love is for real. One of the most common tests is if the man is able to remember small details about the woman. If he does, it’s often believed that he really cares – or does he?

These are mundane details that other guys won’t even care to remember.

This guy surely cares for you because he exerted an effort to remember the things that other guys wouldn’t even care about. For instance, why would he remember your favorite color if he doesn’t care for you at all?

He believes that these are important occasions to you.

If he was able to remember your niece’s birthday, it’s because he actually cares for you and for the little girl. For this guy, no occasion is uneventful because he believes that anything that’s important to you also should matter to him.

He’s good at remembering dates.

It’s often believed that men aren’t that good at remembering important dates. But this guy is an exception because he sees to it that he’s the first to greet you on your birthday and he also won’t forget your mensiversary because that date is etched in his memory.

He wants to wipe away that pout on your face.

This guy wants to see that you’re happy all the time so he’ll make it a point to make you smile even when you’re having a very terrible day. He cares so much about you that’s why he doesn’t want you to look or feel terrible.

He’s eyes will be on you.

Even if he’s extremely busy, this guy will never take you for granted. He will see that your needs are met even though he’s neck deep in work.

He wouldn’t dare do what you hate.

Some men wouldn’t even care what you want. For instance, all he cares about is that he’s going to see the latest action flick, he wouldn’t even dare ask you whether you’re fine with such films. A guy who truly cares will show that your wants come first.

He’s the ultimate gentleman.

He absolutely cares if he goes out of his way to do things for you. No favor is too big for him because he wants to be able to provide what you need.

By roping in web technologies like CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript, PhoneGap or Cordova Apache (recently renamed) has ushered in an era of cross-platform app development. This is a great achievement and was applauded globally. PhoneGap is the recipient of People’s Choice Award 2009. However, there was one major challenge for every PhoneGap app development company in terms of compiling codes to suit different target device platforms, namely, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, etc.

Thanks to Adobe! PhoneGap app development companies can make use of its PhoneGap Build service to homogeneously and efficiently compile the source code composed of different web technologies. The compiling happens automatically to suit different devices or platforms. Thus, app developers no longer need to worry about the native properties required to build an engaging mobile app. PhoneGap Build is a cloud-based service hosted by Adobe. An app-build submitted here gets compiled using the latest SDK (Software Development Kit) as made available by the native platform owner. For instance, if a PhoneGap build has to target iOS 10 iPhone or iPad, then it would be compiled using the resources of iOS 10 SDK offered by Apple only.

Apart from compiling a PhoneGap build, the cloud service helps with collaboration. Developers can work together from different devices over the Internet and get the job done in a hassle-free manner. The administrator of the project can assign jobs to different developers and keep a track of all. Leveraging its built-in feature called Hydration, the service can also be used to debug and push updates to an existing version, thereby, allowing all team members to work with the most up-to-date version.

Based on their requirements, an app development company can choose the right subscription from the options available.

Free Plan

• Number of apps: No restriction is applicable as of now. Developers can submit an unlimited number of builds and get the compiling done as per the target platform.
• Number of private apps: The plan accepts only one private app. In the case of a private app, the coding is hosted in a private GitHub repository.
• Maximum app size: App size should not exceed 50 MB.
• Core Cordova plugins: Apps built with using any core Cordova plugins are allowed.
• Third-party plugins: No restriction on the use of third-party plugins.
• Plugin uploading: Developers can upload any number of plugins on GitHub and use them in their app as per the needs.
• Collaborators: There is no limit on the number of developers joining the PhoneGap Build service.

Paid Plan (Starting at $9.99/month)

• Number of applications: No restriction has been put.
• Number of private applications: 25 private apps are allowed. In the case of a private app, the coding is hosted in a private GitHub repository.
• Maximum size of the app: App size not more than 100 MB is permissible.
• Core Cordova plugins: Apps built with using any core Cordova plugins are allowed.
• Third-party plugins: No limit on the usage of the number of third-party plugins.
• Plugin uploading: No upper cap is applicable.
• Collaborators: Extending the team is not an issue as there is no cap on the number of users.

Adobe Creative Cloud Membership

This is another paid subscription but is a premium membership bringing in some additional Adobe services. This can be subscribed via an authorized reseller of Adobe. A member PhoneGap app development company can submit apps worth 1GB size. All other features remain similar to the Paid one that we have discussed above.

Thus, Adobe has eased the PhoneGap mobile app development process to a large extent. Getting started with the service is quite easy. Simply, a developer needs to upload the app build containing configuration file (config.xml) and web assets file (index.HTML file). The latter contains HTML, JavaScript, CSS, images, and other components. A Zip file can also be uploaded in lieu of the index.HTML file. Giving a path of the Git or SVN repository is a must. Thereafter, the Adobe service undertakes the compilation and packaging and delivers the app URLs for the targeted mobile platforms.

In our parents’ day, there was a whiff of scandal attached to the divorcee – a woman who had left her marriage had to be some sort of a floozy, after all, and was considered “tainted goods.” Today, however, divorce is much more commonplace, and not necessarily the result of some sort of scandalous turmoil. After all, many couples choose to end their marriage simply because they do not love each other any more, or because they’ve found themselves bickering so much that they just cannot get along.

If you’re in your 30’s or older, you’re likely to find yourself meeting many attractive women who are divorced. And you’ll find that, in many ways, they are different from single women. They have already been married at least once, which means there isn’t a lot of mystery left where men are concerned.

They have lived with the dirty socks left on the floor, the milk drunk straight from the carton, and the unfortunate smells that all men let loose when they’re not worried about making a good impression.

And they have also, for whatever reason, seen their marriage go down the tubes. If you are interested in attracting a divorced woman, here are a few simple guidelines:

1. Be fun to be around.

A divorced woman has already been in a serious relationship, and there are few things more serious than divorce. She wants to laugh and have a good time. Chances are, her ex-husband wasn’t very pleasant to be around towards the end of their relationship – now she wants someone who’ll make her feel good about life. So be that guy!

2. Don’t dwell on the past.

That goes for you as well as her. Talk about your past relationships, of course, but focus on starting a whole new, better chapter of your life. If you’re divorced yourself, don’t talk endlessly about your ex-wife. Answer her questions respectfully, then move on. The two of you should be looking forward to the future, not dwelling on past mistakes.

3. Take the relationship slowly.

You may be the first man she’s grown close to since her divorce, and no matter how eager she may be for intimacy she may not be emotionally prepared yet. Have dinner, go dancing, take in a movie or concert, kiss her goodnight and then go home. There’s always time for more if you keep seeing each other – but you don’t want to sabotage what could be a great relationship but jumping too quickly into the next phase. You’ll be all the more attractive to her if you don’t push.

4. Wait to meet her children.

If she has kids, then being the new man in their mother’s life is a big responsibility. Wait until you’re sure that you definitely want to be involved with her for more than a few casual dates before you introduce yourself to her family. This will help both of you, and she’ll appreciate your maturity and consideration.

5. Do not compare yourself to her ex.

You may very well be better looking, be a nicer guy, and make more money than he did, but it’s not a competition. In fact, if she harbors any warm feelings for her ex-husband, she may resent you for implying that he is a loser. After all, if he’s such a loser, what was she doing with him? Comparing yourself to her previous spouse is just asking for trouble.

6. Make her feel safe.

A woman who has been divorced has had her heart broken once already, and she’s probably worried that her next relationship will end just as badly. Be reliable, honest and kind. Make her realize that you aren’t going to date her and then discard her. She deserves your respect and love, so treat her that way!

7. Be prepared to be a “rebound” lover.

No matter what you do right, she may not be emotionally ready to jump into a new relationship. You may get nothing but green lights from your divorced woman, only to get the “I think we should just be friends” speech when you least expect it. If you’re patient, she may still come around – but then again, she may not. Remind yourself that she’s be burned once before, and her fear is natural. Don’t take it personally – just dust yourself off and keep on living your life to the fullest.

There are unique challenges to attracting a divorced woman, but with a large amount of patience and respect you may find that she’s wiser, more grounded and better equipped for a relationship than a single woman. Just remember that all women need to feel appreciated, whether they’ve been married before or not.

“If we look only to the past or the present, we are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy is famous for having introduced the notion that we must embrace change and constantly look forward. Organizations that are constantly striving to keep one step ahead of their competition understand this very well. For business leaders, it is important to understand how to manage the process of change, maximize the process of change, and allow for change to positively impact business performance.

The bottom line is that growth and success in organizations cannot be accomplished without change. The key here is that we are talking about positive change, which is created through a proactive process, where trends have been identified; new visions presented, clarified, and implemented.

So, what’s so difficult about change anyway? Well, for systems and processes to change, people have to change. This is the tricky aspect of change management – both research and common sense tell us that change is a natural condition of life. Additionally, as humans we are programmed to naturally resist change! We like things to be in a constant state. Yet, many business leaders know all too well that for their continued success, they have to keep their organizations in a constant state of change. The challenge then is to overcome this natural resistance and get people excited about embracing change. Easier said than done, right?

I’d like to offer suggested guidelines for maximizing change in your organization. These guidelines are based on my work with organizations around the world that embrace change, maximize change, and benefit from continuous improvement.

1. Engage People. For more than 50 years research has shown that “resistance” is negatively correlated to the extent to which people are involved in the change decision. That means, then, that the single best strategy for making change work is to involve and engage the people who will be impacted by the change, where they create change themselves! People must be brought into the process of analyzing the need and rationale for any change; without a sound understanding of the purpose of change, successful implementation is difficult if not impossible to sustain.

Fully engaging people begins by focusing on possibilities rather than problems. It means taking the time to make trial runs and revise plans based on those trials. For this to happen, designated leaders must be readily accessible, share information widely, and allow ample time to plan and implement. While not everyone needs a reason to change, most people do, so make sure the reason is understood or that people have an incentive to change. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the only ones who can make sound decisions or understand the rationale are the senior management team! Engage people in all aspects of the change decision, planning and implementation. Give people a voice. Let them be heard.

2. Create a Clear Pathway for Success It continues to astound me how many times I ask a leader what “success” will look like, only to get a vague, undefined response. Before steps are taken, define success for yourself! Where will you be if you get where you’re going? What is it you really want to have happen? What is the desired future? What will success look like? And finally, how will you know when you get there?

We often find that a company’s desired future is too fuzzy for much of anything but confusion to take place. Clarify. Make the vision concrete. Make sure the people who will be impacted by the change have been active in shaping this vision of success. Conduct a future search or similar activity around whatever the issue, need or concern is. Equally important is having a clear sense of why the change is needed, and whether the purpose for the change has been fully communicated to others. Finally, do people have the information they need to understand why the change makes sense, and how it will fit within existing systems and processes? Don’t determine this simply by your own assumptions . . . find out! I always tell business leaders that what their people need more than any other thing is clarity: clarity of vision, clarity of purpose, clarity of direction, clarity of personal accountability, and clarity of personal reward. If business leaders can provide this or their people, the positive outcomes are dramatic in reducing resistance and increasing engagement.

3. Commit and Recommit. I find that it typically is not the front line people having the most trouble absorbing change, but the managers! Make sure that top leaders are fully committed to the vision and to the necessary changes. And make sure other designated leaders, managers and supervisors are equally committed to making things work. Commitment will filter downward in an organization.

Take into account the political realities. Change often means that some people lose something that may be important to them … some form of structure, a routine, an incentive, relationships, and so on. If nothing else, I can guarantee that at a minimum people are all losing one thing – “the way things used to be.” Make sure you assess who’s toes may be stepped on by this change. Address those needs, and make certain that those people are fully engaged in working with the change decision. Finally, make that commitment visible by allocating the necessary resources. Leaders need to be seen visibly supporting the change. Adequate resources must be provided. Learning opportunities may be needed. And don’t skimp on quality just to try to save a few dollars … what you’ll reap in the long-run will far outweigh what you had to shell out in the beginning.

4. Set Clear Expectations. Defining “success” is important, but don’t forget to define success also in terms of individual and group behaviors. Have the new standards and expectations been established, and have they been clearly communicated? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that since the memo went out or the poster posted, it means the expectations were clearly communicated! Different people receive and process information in different ways. Find out what people need, and check frequently with people to be sure the expectations are clear. Finally, make sure that designated leaders are indeed reinforcing the desired actions and making the change a priority. Far too often change fails to achieve the intended results because systems did not support the expectations.

5. Remove Obstacles. People impacted by a change must be involved in identifying obstacles. Who best knows what might make the new form, process or equipment unworkable within the existing system? That’s right … the people who use the existing system every day! Encourage people to share their doubts, raise questions, challenge the decision, and brainstorm solutions!

This can be as simple as keeping notepads around for people to quickly jot down problems, doubts, questions and concerns as they arise, or hanging large sheets on the walls for people to write their questions and frustrations. Establish a process for reviewing these comments on a daily or at least weekly basis. Don’t skimp on the feedback when questions are raise; the doubts and concerns must be clearly addressed . . . and in a timely way. If you don’t know, then tell people you simply don’t know . . . and let them know when you’ll get back to them with more information.

6. Reality Checks. Even transformational change occurs in some type of steps. Most change occurs in smaller increments. Knowing the progress steps and doing some reality testing will allow people to develop their self-efficacy and see that yes, the change will work. This leads to comfort and security.

People gain courage by taking one step, checking their progress, seeing their success, and then taking the next step. Be realistic and don’t make the steps too large at first. Document your progress, and mark the milestones for review (or simply to reassure people that progress is being made!). Are people watching for early warning signs of trouble? Small problems are much easier to deal with than waiting until they’re too large to handle.

Are communication channels to leaders open for all employees? During periods of significant change, managers and especially senior leaders must be seen walking around … talk with people, collect their ideas, and get feedback. Host weekly small group lunches or breakfasts where people can sit down informally with key leaders to raise problems or questions. Meet daily for 15 minutes with your work group to see what has gone well and what needs help. And keep those loops open for continuous reality checking.

7. Provide Feedback & Recognition. As time goes on, how well are people meeting the new expectations? More importantly, do they know how they are doing? For organizational learning and continuous improvement to occur, both formal and informal feedback systems must be present.

Make sure people aren’t somehow being punished for doing the right things, or rewarded for doing things wrong. Legitimize people’s ambivalence about change . . . it’s normal for people to be both anxious and exhilarated, and anxiety does not mean people are being resistant. Publicly recognize the challenges people are facing and the contributions and progress they are making. Then celebrate . . . even the small milestones!

8. Take Quality Action: A change is only as good as the quality actions and resources that support it. Do people have a chance to “try out” the change? Has there been some rehearsal before risk-taking? Can pilot tests be completed before involving a larger part of the system? Can people practice the new actions through role plays, simulations, or visualization? Are systems or task forces in place to frequently (formally and informally) review the change implementation, to revise, and to help people get the resources they need to make change work?

Taking quality action doesn’t demand a great investment in scarce funds … but it does demand an ability and willingness to pause now and then, to think critically about what is taking place, and giving people the chance to try out a new way of being or of conducting work.

9. Sustain Change. It’s tough to keep the momentum going once the motivational speaker has left and people have trudged through weeks of trial and error and more trial. Put procedures in place to review progress and give feedback to people. Set up temporary voluntary task forces to assess progress and help smooth out the bumps in the road. It doesn’t have to be elaborate … it could be a formal learning team in each department or simply that 15 minute start-of-the-day gathering where each person talks about what went well the previous day, what made things difficult, and what would help them be most effective today.

Remember to document and evaluate progress regularly, and be sure that report mechanisms are in place. Know the criteria for progress and for success, then celebrate and make some noise! Focus on what’s going well, and ways to make “going well” the norm. Make plans for the continued development of your internal change agents. Better yet, develop the systems so each person is a change agent, authorized with the knowledge, power, and resources to be successful! Finally, connect with external sources for support to help the organization maintain energy and excitement, and for an outsider’s view of the progress.

Some organizational change has minimal impact on people (changes that do not alter the rights, responsibilities and rewards of all groups). Other change will have a potentially severe impact (those that systematically restructure people’s power, roles, rights, rewards). Use a systems perspective and attend not simply to the change itself but also to how you facilitate and support change. In this way you can cultivate a social system for change that results in a remarkable level of commitment, spirit and energy to make change work!

10. Create a Culture of Growth. Enduring and sustainable positive change only results when systems are changed. I like to refer to this as second-order change. First-order change is simply when surface level policies and procedures change and is usually short term and induces minimal positive impact. Second-order change, on the other hand, creates long-term sustainable growth that changes how and why things are done, not just what is done.

When groups of people are engaged and mutually embrace change, it is very possible to create what we refer to as a culture of growth. In modern days, one of the greatest examples of this being created on a large-scale is the provider of iPods, iPhones, PowerBooks, and a variety of other popular high-tech products. Apple Inc. has always been at the forefront of innovation. They have been dubbed the “Kings of Creative” by those in the business world. Most would attribute that driving success to the mind of Steve Jobs, one of the original founders. His iconic presence for the company has created the constant expectation, “I wonder what Apple will do next?”

From computers, to media players, to phones – Apple is absolutely unrivaled for their ingenuity and vision. What Apple has succeeded at doing best however, is building the foundation for all of that innovation which comes from their culture of growth. People consider it one of the “coolest” places to work. Do you think that when Apple came out with the latest and greatest iPod, and then set out to work on the latest and greatest iPhone, that their employees said, “What? We’re changing? We just created that… can’t we just see how this goes for a while?” Apple has created the ultimate culture of growth from top to bottom. It affects everything they do, and is the underlying reason for their continued success.

Maximizing change is more that capitalizing on new growth platforms. It is about creating positive change for the organization, its employees, and customers. If implemented with structure and precision, change can maximize the potential of people and organizations.

The Growth Principles Company helps business leaders maximize change in their organizations through highly effective training and consulting programs complemented by a series of leadership development programs. We have a series of service offerings ranging from staff training programs to consulting models for mergers and acquisitions.

What follows here are 7 things to talk about with a girl. These things will lead her to have a more positive view of you and in turn get her to like you. The topics are particularly useful for the guy that runs into the trouble of not knowing what to say to girl to keep the conversation going while keeping it interesting enough for her to want to continue talking to him.

If you know what to talk about with a girl, then it will make it easier to get her number and take her on a date. If you fall apart during conversation and blank out, then she’s not likely to be attracted to you and consequently won’t care to see you again. With that being said, here are some great topics.

1 – Passions: Talking about your and her passions makes the conversation interesting, positive and help you better get to know each other. Realize that this is very different from asking what someone does for a living because what they do to make ends meet isn’t necessarily what they’re passionate about. In relation to this, specifically ask her what makes her excited to get out of bed in the morning.

2 – Travel: Travel often makes for really good conversation because people always have great stories around where they’ve been. A great way to ask girl about travel is to ask about the coolest places she’s been to in the last few years; or you can just tell her a great story about one of your travel experiences.

3 – Music: Of course you can very well talk to a girl about general favorites like movies and food and all, but people tend to have really strong opinions when it comes to the music they like which again make for good conversation. You can ask her what the last song she listened to was that she really enjoyed and why she enjoyed it – did it remind her of something in particular?

4 – Your friends and hers: Bringing up something really interesting about one of your friends or asking her about her friends tends to season things quite a bit as it gives both of you a little added perspective about each other and a sense of the kind of people you both like to be around.

5 – Your most wild experiences: When conversation gets even more personal, you can talk about some of your wild and adventurous experiences. What are some of the more crazy things that you’ve done in your life? Perhaps it was skydiving, or getting to meet one of your favorite celebrities. You can ask about some of the things that she has crossed off her bucket list.

6 – Turn offs and pet-peeves: For some reason, people just love to talk about their pet-peeves. There seems to be something therapeutic about it. Find out what it is that makes her tick. If you can connect on something that makes you both tick, then it will create a bond between the two of you; this can only be a good thing.

7 – Ask for her advice or opinion: Generally speaking, people love to give advice. Take any opportunity you get to ask for her advice or opinion. You’re going to make her feel special because by doing this, you’re sub-communicating that you value her intellect.

So there you have it; these are seven topics you can use to build a foundation on which to develop your conversation skills with women.