tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6615121741594737282008-07-16T19:17:59.758-04:00Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-66283529376827727942008-07-08T09:57:00.009-04:002008-07-08T14:56:27.464-04:00

As a person who enjoys playing and watching tennis, I cannot pass up the opportunity to comment on the men's Wimbledon championship match that took place this past Sunday between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Many have stated that this was not only the greatest Wimbledon championship match ever played, but quite possibly the greatest tennis match in the history of the game. As a tennis fan, I

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-24695909557003130322008-06-17T15:51:00.010-04:002008-06-17T17:25:58.208-04:00

In sales it is important that you listen to your prospect or customers needs. All too often sales representatives will talk over their customers or prospective customers. 70% of all communication is listening. A good listener will always walk away from a conversation learning more from the exchange than the talker. The talker might walk away with a feeling of accomplishment because they dominated

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-40861908210511032122008-05-23T11:28:00.010-04:002008-05-27T08:22:11.845-04:00

I was recently contacted by Nick McCormick, author of the book Lead Well and Prosper, and was asked to review his book on my blog. I love to read business related books, especially ones that are focused on the topic of leadership, so I was pleased to accept the request. Lead Well and Prosper is a quick read. It is the kind of business book that you keep on your bookshelf and reference to remind

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-29453760814185633702008-04-30T13:26:00.008-04:002008-04-30T15:44:30.493-04:00

There has been a lot written over the last year about the emerging need among employers to tap into older workers as a resource to fill positions that require skilled labor. You do not have to look beyond the Boomer generation to understand this phenomenon. The Boomers, who represent the largest generation, are beginning to exit the workforce. Boomers are folks that were born between 1946 and

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-51875848531734770202008-04-16T11:21:00.006-04:002008-04-16T14:48:29.729-04:00

Can you trust the internet for accurate information? Is the news, blog posts, site statistics, etc., that you access via the internet really accurate? As more and more people turn to the internet as a source of information, I think it is wise as a business to make sure that the information reported in directories or sites reporting analytics are accurate. Decision makers, current customers and

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-27945906804247716112008-04-08T14:35:00.007-04:002008-04-08T16:42:14.532-04:00

A colleague of mine sent me a link this morning that took me to a video on a site called Just212 that was very inspirational. The point of the site/video is to use the fact that it only takes an increase of one degree in temperature to create boiling water which creates steam that can power a locomotive. That analogy spills over into how you approach your profession, your home life, your

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-66057382601171976642008-04-03T16:23:00.006-04:002008-04-04T11:24:44.796-04:00

There have been a lot of headlines in the news of late about the condition of our economy, the fact that we are in a recession, or are on the verge of one, companies laying off workers, hiring freezes, etc. How you lead a business through these kinds of conditions is going to determine the ability for your business to ultimately be successful in the future, or not. One of the immediate moves of a

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-83641379126077613432008-03-19T14:06:00.009-04:002008-03-24T16:39:43.229-04:00

In order to be an effective leader you have to be willing to take risks and set goals that others might perceive as too extraordinary, too difficult to achieve or too visionary. Today's business and economic climate has created an environment in which an out of the box approach to traditional business as we know it could represent a refreshing approach that would act as a magnet for attracting

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-30264222851237602502008-03-11T14:41:00.006-04:002008-03-11T22:10:12.502-04:00

Last week I attended the SI Executive Forum in Las Vegas. The event was packed with quality breakout sessions and notable keynote speakers. I was particularly impressed with Robert Reich's (former Secretary of Labor) presentation on the state of the US economy and Dr. Kevin Freiberg's keynote on change and being brave enough (or having the "Guts") to be a game changer in today's business world.

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-41808485711256398612008-02-13T17:00:00.005-05:002008-02-13T11:32:34.798-05:00

Mark your calendars. On February 23rd we will proudly present... · Increased Usability · Streamlined Application Process · Video, Video, Video · Local, Local, Local Got the point? Want to know more? Be sure to tune in! EmploymentGuide.com

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-20989204583122091902008-02-05T17:00:00.000-05:002008-02-05T15:21:34.811-05:00

So what else is going on at The EG that is new and exciting in addition to the recent introduction of video? Over the course of the later half of 2007, our talented product development team and programmers went to work on constructing a new solution for recruiters in the health care industry. Breaking from the platform of traditional job boards, our team, after researching the industry, decided

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-14089205860511614362008-01-26T22:48:00.000-05:002008-01-28T15:57:17.603-05:00

I spend a lot of time comprising posts on my blog about my thoughts on leadership and how my thoughts coincide with what is going on within our business and industry. The next few posts are going to be dedicated to new, exciting products that I am personally excited about and that we are now offering at The Employment Guide. Video Job Postings and Employer Profile Videos - Video has been an

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-33292219730131226822008-01-22T11:33:00.000-05:002008-01-23T11:47:37.208-05:00

A few years ago "Get There First" was our mantra. Given our impact and the impact of other alternative recruitment solutions on daily newspapers (which at the time was our number one prospecting tool), it became clear that we could no longer rely solely on any one source of leads to direct our calling efforts in acquiring new customers. We realized that we were going to have to take the

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-44618195599958175242008-01-11T17:00:00.000-05:002008-01-11T15:29:20.580-05:00

2008 is going to be a year in which many professional leaders at all levels of organizations separate themselves from their peers by way of producing excellent results within industries that are cyclical in nature. It is increasingly important that those in leadership positions have made a concerted efforts to plan their strategies for the year well in advance of whatever current market

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-52827228511113587852007-12-28T17:00:00.000-05:002007-12-28T16:43:34.935-05:00

The process of establishing a New Year's resolution is very similar to the goal setting process. Two key aspects of developing a resolution are writing it down and the fact that it is time sensitive. New Year's resolutions are typically personal in nature, but I have found that using this process in business can be an effective means by which to lead individuals to establish personal

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-68025769069582156322007-12-14T17:00:00.000-05:002007-12-14T16:00:09.833-05:00

In a changing business landscape companies are routinely challenged to develop new products to better meet the needs of their current customer base while continuing to expand their ability to acquire and retain new customers. Many businesses will tackle this process by adding new products or brands to the current offering. Typically these brands are overseen by a brand manager or business

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-2803430576816129172007-11-27T17:00:00.000-05:002007-11-28T12:05:25.053-05:00

Listening is a skill. Listening is 70% of all communication. In today's business climate of rushing and working at a fast pace while multi-tasking, listening can become an afterthought. People tend to speak over one another and even will finish each other's sentences. I even find myself doing the same thing at times and have to pull back, slow down and make sure I am giving someone my full

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-31702129397131258772007-11-23T17:00:00.000-05:002007-11-23T11:12:25.316-05:00

As a child of the late 60's, I would be classified as a Gen X'er. I grew up in a household with two brothers and a sister. My father worked full-time and went to school full-time for just about my entire childhood. He would also get up at 4 am every Sunday morning to prepare to teach the adult Sunday school class at our church. My father was a great provider for our family. He was also and still

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-72142223466399528122007-11-21T09:46:00.000-05:002007-11-21T14:38:00.369-05:00

The second part of defining your organization's core ideology is in identifying your "purpose." The "core purpose" as defined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, the authors of Built to Last, follows: Core Purpose - "The organization's fundamental reasons for existence beyond just making money - a perpetual guiding star on the horizon: not to be confused with specific goals or business strategies."

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-75458861408712092352007-11-16T17:57:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:43:50.814-05:00

I recently had the book Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras recommended to me by a business colleague as a must-read. One of the guiding principals throughout the book, which uses what the authors label as "visionary companies" as examples throughout the book, is that in order to set your organization apart from the competition, you must clearly identify your organization's "core

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-78060834429703690152007-11-16T15:02:00.000-05:002007-11-21T14:43:04.660-05:00

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-76501980380772863212007-11-09T11:10:00.000-05:002007-11-09T15:42:59.230-05:00

As the publishing industry continues to evolve and become predominantly one that is electronic media oriented, so will distribution. The move towards changing the way in which publishing companies look and measure their distribution is being driven by the consumer. As more consumers switch to predominantly online sources for the news and information, publishers will have to follow. Newspapers are

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-85815677817524691572007-10-26T11:25:00.000-04:002007-10-26T13:41:51.172-04:00

If you asked me to rank the things that I love about what I get to do for a living, working on and providing resources for professional and leadership development to those within our organization would be at the top of my list. Building our organization from within is our goal. Effective developmental programs and succession planning will afford us the opportunity to make this a reality, while

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-48709592133401303642007-10-24T15:47:00.000-04:002007-10-26T13:35:09.168-04:00

It is extremely helpful and potentially humbling when you get to hear feedback from your customers and those who are in positions or roles to support your customers. One recent such experience created an opportunity for our business to better educate our sales representatives on how to ask questions about our customers results given the nature of our product verses that of the competition. In

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-661512174159473728.post-40416403242049654192007-10-15T11:51:00.000-04:002007-10-26T13:29:25.322-04:00

What are the core values that define your organization? As a leader your actions and decisions should support your organizational core values. Our core values, which are all in support of our ability to meet our customers' needs and to provide award winning customer service, are to always be devoted to the professional development of our people, to maintain a high level of fiscal responsibility

Jeff Littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08018364351779941965noreply@blogger.com