May 2003

1. Ask Questions – Learn More Than Ever
2. You Are Judged on How You Handle a Meeting
3. Water or Coke?

Articles

1. Ask Questions – Learn More Than Ever

   Quoting from Alice Wheaton, you can learn more from people than they intended for you to know. Here are three easy steps to follow:

   1. When people present a problem, don’t give advice. Instead, ask "Can you tell me more about that?" Ask three more questions based on the additional information disclosed to you. When you completely understand the issue or challenge or problem, then you may have earned the right to offer a solution, according to Alice. Of course, you still may not want to offer a solution unless you are being paid to do so ... and, if not being paid, may want to offer a "tease" to encourage the person/firm to engage you because they will understand that you "see the light" and can help them.

   2. When someone makes a statement, ask "Because ...?" Do not make a statement right out of the box. Ask three more questions, as before ... and wait for more dialogue.

   3. When someone asks a question, increase the information available to you by saying, "That’s a great question! I’m curious, why do you ask?" When you decrease your own need to tout yourself, you will be amazed how much more you will learn, how many new opportunities you will see, and how much more effective you will be in helping those with whom you deal.

2. You Are Judged on How You Handle a Meeting

   How many times have you gone to a meeting only to be frustrated, bored, or unimpressed? The same judgments are being made about you and your meetings by those with higher expectations.

   Judgments about you and your overall abilities are made by others in every meeting you attend on the basis of how you manage that meeting, whether as a leader or participant. These judgments reflect conscious evaluations of your power, ability, skills and potential for advancement within a company, organization or profession. And as you move higher on any career ladder, you will encounter more and more people who have higher and higher requirements and expectations about your meeting skills.

   In fact, increased responsibility in any organization is actually granted to a large extent in consideration of one’s ability to handle people and problems in meetings and you will not be promoted to the next level of authority and responsibility until you are perceived to have the skills necessary to handle meetings on that level. Likewise, a judgment is made about you by your peers and subordinates, who consciously and unconsciously alter their subsequent work with you based upon how you handle a meeting. That judgment, too, becomes more demanding as you move up the career and professional ladder.

   (Taken from The Strategy of Meetings by George David Keefer)

   He goes on to suggest that "Every meeting is a win or a loss..." and that whether leading or attending a meeting, "... Make every meeting your meeting."

   Good advice, George.

3. Water or Coke?

   Is this urban legend? I’ve been "burned" before and so will not assert its truth without further investigation, though certain of the elements below I do know to be true. We have inserted part of the material below in an earlier edition of our LawBiz^® E-Zine, but not the complete version as noted here at this time.

   One thing I know for sure: There is a lot of sugar in Coke and other "pops." Sugar is one of the predominant killers in the American diet. In fact, there are many who believe that elimination of sugar from one’s diet will be a major factor in reducing the risk of most cancers.

   "We all know that water is important, but I've never seen it written down like this before.

   Water...

   1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population).
   2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
   3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
   4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
   5. Lack of water = the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
   6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
   7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy > short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
   8. Drinking 5 glasses of water a daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

   Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

   Coke...

   1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
   2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.
   3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
   4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
   5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
   6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
   7. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

   For your Info:

   1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
   2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
   3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

   Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or Coke?

   (From the Undem Sports Report)