From Harvey Mackay’s Column This Week

Today I received this as part of Harvey Mackay’s weekly column and thought is was “right-on.”

Some of the worst employees a manager will ever deal with have a vocabulary problem.  “No” and “maybe” don’t seem to be in their dictionary. Who are they?  The “Yes” people – those who answer “How high?” every time the boss says “Jump!”

At first glance, they might seem like a manager’s dream employee – someone who doesn’t give you a hard time every time you make a request, who appears to treat your every wish as a command. Someone who never has a different – or better – idea. But is this what you really want?

Ineffective leaders surround themselves with the familiar, the comfortable – and people who think exactly like they do.  In other words, Yes people. These employees tell the boss whatever he wants to hear and withhold any negative information. Like a horse with blinders on, the manager runs the race without any idea whether she is going in the right direction or if there are obstacles in the way.

The best leaders seek out those who think differently, and they encourage creativity and innovation in their employees.  If everyone agrees with you all the time due to fear or constant rejection, how will you hear any new ideas?  If you only have Yes people around you, you can’t improve.
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For those of you who missed the January 26th Breakfast presentation, here it is.

The Past and Present of Health Care Reform Presentation Read-Only

Local Desert Wind Middle School student Austen Pearce,  was selected among 21,000 total applications and will be representing the State of Arizona, in Washington DC early May as one of 102 finalists, thank to his Principal, Mr. Joe Veres who nominated him.

There are two finalists chosen for each state.  One for middle school, and one for High School.  Austen, and another young man from Scottsdale (who was the High School winner).  Will be two of those 102 individuals.  Austen is being recognized for his work and participation in the Community Garden  that benefited FOR Maricopa our local Foodbank.

He will be awarded a Silver Medallion, $1,000 and will be a finalist in Washington DC.  There will be 10 final winners, 5 middle school, 5 high school, who will win a Gold Medallion, $5,000 and will be able to designate an additional $5,000 to charities of their choice.

In addition, because of his total commitment in hours volunteering for community service, he will also be presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and will be receiving an award and letter from President Obama.

Well done Austin!

Maricopa, Ariz. (December 10, 2009) – Thanks to the deployment of a new Customer Request Management Software (CRM) tool, citizens can now easily request services and track their progress, register and pay for parks and recreation classes, and search for city-related information from any Internet connection, 24/7. Soon the My Maricopa newsletter will arrive in your mailbox. The winter Activity Guide will be included, and registration begins January 4. For more information or to save time by pre-registering visit Maricopa Online Services today.

If you are a first time home buyer there is still time to take advantage of this credit.

Please check this website for more information and to get all your questions answered.

Remember for the best information on Maricopa’s current real estate market contact a LOCAL Realtor  Local Realtor Listing

As Seen on:

Technologyinc.com

By Brent Leary

Small businesses are looking for ways to build better, stronger relationships with customers. With the rise of the social customer, this means it’s critical to connect with them in a way that builds trust.

A recent survey commissioned by e-mail marketing provider Campaigner found the top challenge facing small business owners today is customer acquisition and retention — by a landslide.  The 2009 State of Small Business Online Marketing Survey questioned over 250 North American small business owners with 20 employees or less.  And customer acquisition/retention was the top business challenge of 50 percent of those surveyed.  Growing revenue was a distant second with 15 percent, followed by improving cash flow and maintaining profitability — at 9 percent and 8 percent respectively.

The numbers in this survey seems to be on point with other studies I’ve seen over the past year.  While revenue growth, cash flow, and profitability are extremely important to any business, they are all driven by the most important asset businesses can have — good customers. And many small businesses do not have enough of those good customers to fuel the other three top challenges they’re faced with.

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MaX Bus is now accepting applications for interested advertisers!

Businesses can download the advertising policy and application online at http://www.maricopamatters.com/downloads/2010%20MAX%20Advertising%20Sales.pdf

Also, for more information on where/when the bus travels through the Valley, check out: www.maricopaXPRESS.com

New online services: making your City government accessible 24/7.

Maricopa, Ariz. (November 6, 2009) – Thanks to the deployment of a new Customer Request Management Software (CRM) tool, citizens can now easily request services and track their progress, as well as search for city-related information from any Internet connection, 24/7. Developed by E-Gov Link, this tool expedites the process of reporting issues such as general complaints, public works repair issues, and will even allow residents to sign up and pay for Parks & Recreation classes online. It will also provide a benefit to businesses who can sign up for automatic notifications of bid opportunities with the City. The Maricopa deployment is currently in its BETA phase and we welcome comments, suggestions, and of course Citizen Requests! To try this new service, visit Maricopa Online Services today.

Friday, October 30 Legacy Traditional School held its Fall Festival on their NEW Permanent School site!

Hay Rides, Pony Rides, Costume Contest and fun galore!

On October 22, 2009 F.O.R. Maricopa held their 2nd Annual Wine Tasting Fundraiser.  The event was a  HUGE success raising over $12,000 for the Food Bank.

The Food Bank feeds on average 200 families each week and appreciates this communities support.  They can not do this with out you!

Here some highlights