Private investors often have limited paths into certain types of investments, but as Financial Expert’s article highlights, there are actually multiple ways through which a private investor can get access to the seemingly ‘ever-rising’ commodity prices, although the author is quick to warn that historical prices are never a good decision making basis. In fact, in an intriguing move, the author almost seems to warn against investing in commodities for the same reasons everyone else is.

I presume this is the similar line of thought to the famous investor Warren Buffet who famously said ‘Be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy’. Right now in the commodities markets it would seem, the majority of investors are becoming greedy. That said, the real (adjusted for inflation) price of gold is still no where near the highs of the 1980s, although given that we accept that was a bubble – we don’t really want prices to return anywhere near that level, regardless of the bulls objections that ‘we are in a new commodity paradigm’, as is the infamous call of the bubble market investor.

Commodities Topic is the first Dose of New Website is a post from: Team Management

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I speak for the ‘West’ when I say that managers are far less strict, stern, and aggressive now than they were 100 years ago. Has the sun set on firm (and often brutal) autocratic leadership?

It would seem this is the case. However this isn’t necessarily a good thing for leadership.

The Benefits of a Strict Leader

Strict leadership actually brings many benefits. Several of these benefits bring instant gratification to the leader, hence why this was the natural leadership style for the typical manager all the way up until a hundred years ago, when benevolent and kind managers started to gain traction in industry. I have listed a few of these benefits below:

1. Strict Leaders Can Push Through Change.

With the fear they create in employees, resistance to organisational change is effectively non-existent under a strict leader. While the employees themselves might be incredibly unhappy with the change proposed, this doesn’t actually manifest itself in any blockage to the change. Ironically though, change and innovation in organisations occurs much faster under modern management (due to the accelerating pace of technology, consolidation and competition in global business today).

BUT: The change that a strict leader ‘pushes’ through may be sub-optimal or even detrimental to the business, due to the lack of consultation with the workforce.

2. Strict Leaders Can Create Efficient Processes.

Particularly in Ford’s era, strict managers could look analytically at a process and design the most efficient arrangement of labour to produce a specific product. This approach resulted in the creation of ‘specialist’ roles. I.e. where employees did as narrow a task as possible, as many times as possible. This created employees who were extremely skilled at the specific task they were required to do.

BUT: This resulted in a workforce that was inflexible and bored to death. Stories have been told that Ford workers used to play games of mental chess with each other, by keeping track of the pieces in their heads. If an employee has enough cognitive ability leftover to be able to keep track of, and play chess, Ford was severely under-utilising his employees.

3. Strict Leaders gain followers.

An uncompromising, perfectionist approach to quality can actually produce followers. Such a passionate for perfection is inspirational. And as such, many famous (but strict) leaders in the past had no trouble gaining followers. Think of the examples set by various dictators throughout history. Many of these men were evil and unrelenting individuals – but regardless they managed to amass a following, and this demonstrates the sometimes irresistable power of a strict leader.

BUT: For each loyal follower, a strict leader will no doubt make many enemies – which will invite conflict.

For more infomation on leadership and conflict, see Stephen Warrilow’s Practitioners Masterclass.

Now don’t mis-interpret the meaning of this article. I do not support or condone dictators or cruel slave masters. Nor do I think that any modern managers should attempt to mimic these leadership styles exactly. However these extreme examples clearly show that elements of strict leadership have an almost magnetic effect, and as far as legitimate leadership techniques go, these should not be brushed under the carpet during the next ‘weekend spiritual retreat team session’.

Are Strict Leaders Out of Fashion? is a post from: Team Management

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This image is of the 11 forgotten laws. Its a fairly new digital course to help you understand the laws that govern success, and I found out about it (as usual) from Leadership Expert. (I say ‘as’ usual because I’ve made it a habit to simple buy whatever leadership-expert recommends – it hasn’t let me down yet and I’m much richer as a result of it. So therefore I recommend my visitors do the same!

Do you remember that first spark of hope you felt when you watched The Secret? I clearly remember the desire that filled my heart, knowing that – Yes, I can make my dreams come true – FINALLY!

But how many of you soon saw that hope dwindle into frustration? How many of you (and be honest now) started muttering things like:

- “It seems to work for other people, but I just can’t get it right.”

- “I’m frustrated that sometimes I can get it to work, but sometimes I can’t. What’s the trick?”

- “Why am I having so much trouble?”

- “I think the universe is against me.”

- “I’m trying very, VERY hard but still nothing is happening!”

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. About 97% of people also couldn’t make the Law of Attraction work for them the first time round. Think about it, just like anything else, you have to practice many times before you see success. A child doesn’t learn to walk without falling over a couple of times, right?

But in practice, everything is easier said and done. When you’re frustrated, it’s hard to stay positive. And it’s especially harder to stay positive when the evidence all around you is screams negativity like the unstable economy or senseless acts of violence such as those recently seen in Mumbai.

And do you know what happens when you fail to stay positive? That’s right – you start attracting negative things in to your life.

So how can you make the Law of Attraction work for you – without getting frustrated? How do those who successfully implement the Law of Attraction do it with such confidence and finesse?

Well, here’s three quick tips so you will never feel frustrated or tired of begging from the universe, because you know how to start manifesting like a pro.

1. Allow Yourself To Receive

Just like a lost child who approaches a police officer and asks, “Excuse me Sir, can you tell me how to go to the post office? Can you? Can you? Can you? Can you? Can you?” Well, if the child goes on and on asking, the police officer can’t even give an answer, right?

Well, it’s the same thing with your mind. If the only thing your mind is doing is transmit, transmit, transmit, the universe — which is trying to respond — can’t give you a single thing because you’re not allowing yourself to receive!

So, have the confidence in yourself and stop exhausting yourself by running around person to person begging for riches, and then wondering why nobody is dropping a penny in your cup (Hint: It’s because you’re running away too fast for them before they can even reach for their wallets).

Just think of your desires and leave it out there, go away, and trust that your cup will be filled with gold coins (or whatever it is you asked for) when the time is right.

2. Be Patient With Yourself

Receiving takes time.

Sadly, many people give up just a couple of steps before the finish line because they’ve decided that if it’s not working by now, it’s never going to work at all. Worse still are those who throw in more and more energy because they think that with more resources, the results will come faster.

This is like expecting 9 mothers to conceive and deliver a baby in 1 month. You also can’t bake cookies in half the time by doubling the temperature. You’ll incinerate those cookies to ashes!

In simple terms: Everything in this world has a natural development time, and this fact will not change no matter what resources you throw at it.

So relax and be patient. Remember that you too, as part of the universe, are also governed by the laws of the universe, and you cannot change the natural development time.

If you remember this, you will less likely work yourself up into frustration, or worse, push yourself into a downward spiral of negativity.

3. Support and Educate Yourself

Like the child who is learning how to walk, you need support. You also need to guidance on how to do it, and also the role models to look up to.

Many people give up because they think that “The Secret” is the “be all and end all” solution. Well, it’s NOT. “The Secret” is just a small portion. It was never intended, and has never been, the whole answer.

Coming to the conclusion that the Law of Attraction doesn’t work when all you ever did to educate yourself was watch “The Secret” 19 times (without looking at changing the habits of other areas of your life) is like coming to the conclusion that exercising is not an effective way to lose weight because all you did is run on the treadmill for 2 hours a day (but you’re still stuffing yourself with fried foods and cheesecakes).

So seek and be hungry for new knowledge. Also, make an effort to be amongst people or communities where you can support each other, learn from each other and also share new knowledge that you have found.

While the Law of Attraction is not an overnight delivery service, it will indeed deliver, if you do your part too!

Check out the site here – go to http://www.the11forgottenlaws.com/?p=1501

Cheers Leadership Expert is a post from: Team Management

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Display your own enthusiasm and inspiration. You cannot expect to build enthusiasm and inspiration within the team you manage if you do not display these characteristics yourself. People hate obeying hypocrites. There’s just nothing more enfuriating than being told to do something you’d really rather not, to see your manager deciding not to do it either! So you won’t make any allies by telling you team behave in one way, but acting in another. By acting in line with your own orders, suggestions and goals, you create social pressure that encourages subordinates to act in the same way. When you blatantly flout your own rules – you’re creating justification for your employees to do the same. So if you could sum up this tip in one phrase, it would be, ‘obey yourself as if you were your own subordinate‘.

Lets be honest; if you’re woefully uninspired by your current job, then how can you expect your employees to be driven towards the targets you have set them? Team Management aims to improve your leadership skills and techniques as much as possible, but applying those skills in practise must be a well thought out and genuine process. If you’re in the situation where you have to pretend to be enthused; you really need to think about changing your career because quite frankly, no amount of leadership advice will make you happy.

How do I display my Enthusiasm?

1. Show your enthuasiam in manner and tone of voice.
2. Visibly dedicate time and energy to the project.
3. Following up and compliment subordinates everytime they’ve done a good job.
4. Encourage operational excellence by constantly striving to improve your work
5. Be punctual and well organised.

So there you have it. Display your enthusiasm to your employees and let the infectious power of inspiration and energy unleash itself upon your workforce! This technique along with other team management tips on this website will hopefully allow you to focus on strategic and high-level work, and stop worrying about the day-to-day of your subordinates. If they’re motivated and focused- you know they’ll do a good job.  (In theory!)

Why Every Manager Should Practise What They Preach is a post from: Team Management

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2. How to deal with competitive collegues. Competitiveness is often seen as a negative characteristic; often associated with spite, aggression and dirty handed tactics. However it is also a powerful internal motivator.  Down to our core,  we are very competitive creatures. In life we naturally we have to compete for everything, including jobs, partners and even restaurant tables! We all have a competitive spirit to some extent, although it is more prevalant in certain people than others. Before I divulge the details of this technique, it is important for you to understand that from a managers point of view, there are two types of competitiveness: Positive and Destructive.

‘Positive’ Competitiveness.

This is the element the Team Management technique encourages. This is the competitiveness with remotely distance others or the self. So this includes other companies, ‘society’ as a whole,  and the indivdiual employee. In striving to beat them, employees will positively affect their company. This is because the benefits of succeeding spread to those around you, creating an atosphere of success. This is in contrast with:

‘Destructive’ Competitiveness.

Destructive competitiveness occurs between peers, collegues or friends and family. Where the benefit of beating the opposition is balanced or even outweighed by the serious negative consequences. For instance, heavy competition within a family will alienate those not involved, and generate hatred between those competing. Likewise, a company that promotes heavy internal competitiveness between collegues will see a great increase in inefficiences as collegue begin to withhold infomation from one another or even begin to sabotage each others efforts. In this kind of environment, success is only a selfish gain, and the overall effect is negative. Enron encouraged this level of competitiveness by routinely sacking those who underperformed the benchmark set by their own collegues.

The Technique.

This technique is best learn from an example of its use. And the most effective use of it in my memory was back in sixth form college. After achieving great results in my first business exam, my teach called me over to his room and had a very quick, but memorable chat with me. This is what he had to say:

“These results are outstanding, great work! It reminds me of Lucy. About 3 years ago she was a girl in my class who also did brilliantly in her exams. She wasn’t that nice though – a bit arrogant and up herself y’know, but she ended up getting full marks in her whole qualification. Lucy is the only person to have ever to have done that here, but I really think that you could do it too, while not annoying everyone at the same time! It’d be great to see a well-rounded person like you manage to do it.”

What a perfect thing to say! My teacher had set me a challenge to try and complete. I definately wasn’t going to become complacement and start underacheiving in class now! I was going to try and beat that girl. I badly wanted to get full marks without being ‘arrogant’ about it.

As a direct result of that conversation, I proactively put my effort into my studies for business throughout the rest of my stay at college. What he had said had perfectly done the job my teacher wanted. Simply telling me ‘don’t get complacent’ probably would’ve gone over my head, as I would’ve believed I wasn’t being complacent. Instead of simply directly warning me, he set a touch personal challenge. A challenge that I couldn’t resist accepting due to my inherent competitiveness! It was a perfect combination of challenges that had one great result = dedication on my part.

So if you want to unleash the competitiveness in a positive way within your friends or collegues:

* Give your employees a solid reputation to uphold
* Compare your employees to their external rivals and challenge them to beat them.
* Set your worker a tough goal to meet, and support with praise.

Remembering my warning before about destructive competitiveness;   a ‘rival’ to beat must exist outside of your organisation, or so remote from the individual that there will be no negativity between them. If you successfully set your own friends or team mates challenges such as these, you will fill them with a sense of motivation and enthuasiasm that would only come them taking on a competitive challenge and personally striving to win!

The Best Way to Inspire Competitive Employees is a post from: Team Management

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Speak in terms of their Dreams. Its a shame that in today society, most employees don’t have a burning desire to achieve the tasks they are set in day to day work. They perhaps wish to retire early, or take a round the world trip. Lets face it, they don’t honestly want to do what you have planned for them. They’re probably going to have a grand plan as to how they are going to acheive their ‘alternate’  long term goals as well, and these won’t be helping your organisation. These alternative goals are wrongly viewed as ‘distractions’ by many team leaders across countless companies and institutions. But in fact they can be used to actually do the opposite. Read on to find out how.

To put this team management technique into practise, you need to be talking to each member of your team indivdiually, and either directly or indirectly, show your team mates that their current task will take them one small yet significant step closer towards their dreams.

Easier said than done? Well allow me give you 2 examples.

If a team mate’s dream is to break away from the company to take a high position in another business, then you should mention the transferable skills they’ll gain from this task and be able to put on their CV for their forthhcoming move. Explain that this will give them a fighting chance at being noted by management as a potential leader. You see how you’d actually be doing the opposite of what most managers would do, namely isolate and discourage the employee’s move? You are taking the opposite action, and that’s why you’re getting the opposite result – motivation.

If an employee’s dream is to own their own business; don’t let their motivation and focus fall as they come to terms with the gap between what they desire, and what their current task is. Instead you should emphasise on how working on your project will eventually help them in the long term. Describe to them how they will pick up countless new ideas skills from the current task, which will prepare them for the entrepeneurial life. Elaborate in detail on how when they do become an independant businessperson, they will have an crucial edge over their competitors. The more you speak in terms of the other persons dreams, the more attention you will capture, and the more effectively you can manage your team.

To conclude. All work gives employees experience of some form, and will therefore help them acheive their long term goals. This means in whatever task you are assigned to, you will be able to relate the benefits to your teammates in terms of their desires. (This will get easier over time) Once your effective team management shows them that their current task actually slots neatly into their grand plan, they’ll gladly work hard and take care of the rest!

Using Collegues’ Own Dreams to Keep Them On Task is a post from: Team Management

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