The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. – Anne Frank

What are you afraid of? How many of these fears control your life?

Achluophobia Fear of darkness.
Acousticophobia Fear of noise.
Acrophobia Fear of heights.
Agoraphobia Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded places.
Ailurophobia Fear of cats.
Alektorophobia Fear of chickens.
Alliumphobia Fear of garlic.
Allodoxaphobia Fear of opinions.
Altophobia Fear of heights.
Amaxophobia Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia Fear of walking.
Ancraophobia or Anemophobia Fear of wind.
Androphobia Fear of men.
Anglophobia Fear of England, English culture, etc.
Anthrophobia Fear of flowers.
Antlophobia Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia Fear of staying single.
Apeirophobia Fear of infinity.
Aphenphosmphobia Fear of being touched.
Apiphobia Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia Fear of persons with amputations. Arachnephobia/Arachnophobia Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia Fear of numbers.
Arrhenphobia Fear of men. Arsonphobia Fear of fire.
Astraphobia/Astrapophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.
Astrophobia Fear of stars/space.
Ataxophobia Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia Fear of imperfection.
Athazagoraphobia Fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.
Atychiphobia Fear of failure.
Aurophobia Fear of gold.
Automatonophobia Fear of ventriloquist’s dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues
Automysophobia Fear of being dirty.
Autophobia Fear of being alone or of oneself.
Aviophobia/Aviatophobia Fear of flying.

Bacillophobia Fear of microbes.
Bacteriophobia Fear of bacteria.
Bathmophobia Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
Batophobia Fear of heights.
Batrachophobia Fear of amphibians (like frogs)
Belonephobia Fear of pins and needles.
Bibliophobia Fear of books.
Botanophobia Fear of plants.
Brontophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.

Cacophobia Fear of ugliness.
Cainophobia/Cainotophobia Fear of newness, novelty.
Caligynephobia Fear of beautiful women.
Carnophobia Fear of meat.
Catagelophobia Fear of being ridiculed.
Catoptrophobia Fear of mirrors.
Cenophobia / Centophobia Fear of new things or ideas.
Ceraunophobia Fear of thunder.
Chaetophobia Fear of hair.
Chionophobia Fear of snow.
Chiraptophobia Fear of being touched.
Chirophobia Fear of hands.
Chorophobia Fear of dancing.
Chrometophobia/Chrematophobia Fear of money.
Chromophobia/Chromatophobia Fear of colors.
Chronomentrophobia Fear of clocks.
Cibophobia/Sitophobia/Sitiophobia Fear of food.
Claustrophobia Fear of confined spaces.
Climacophobia Fear of stairs.
Clinophobia Fear of going to bed.
Coimetrophobia Fear of cemeteries.
Coulrophobia Fear of clowns.
Cyberphobia Fear of computers.
Cyclophobia Fear of bicycles.
Cymophobia Fear of waves.
Cynophobia Fear of dogs.

Demophobia Fear of crowds.
Dendrophobia Fear of trees.
Dentophobia Fear of dentists.
Didaskaleinophobia Fear of going to school.
Dipsophobia Fear of drinking.
Dishabiliophobia Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Dromophobia Fear of crossing streets.

Eisoptrophobia Fear of mirrors.
Elurophobia Fear of cats.
Emetophobia Fear of vomiting.
Entomophobia Fear of insects.
Ephebiphobia Fear of teenagers.
Epistaxiophobia Fear of nosebleeds.
Equinophobia Fear of horses.
Ergophobia Fear of work.

Felinophobia Fear of cats.

Gamophobia Fear of marriage.
Geliophobia Fear of laughter.
Genophobia Fear of sex.
Gephyrophobia, Gephydrophobia, or Gephysrophobia Fear of crossing bridges.
Gerascophobia Fear of growing old.
Glossophobia Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak. Gynephobia/Gynophobia Fear of women.

Haphephobia/Haptephobia Fear of being touched.
Harpaxophobia Fear of being robbed.
Heliophobia Fear of the sun.
Hemophobia/Hemaphobia/Hematophobia Fear of blood.
Hierophobia Fear of priests or sacred things.
Hominophobia Fear of men.
Hylophobia Fear of forests.

Iatrophobia Fear of doctors.
Ichthyophobia Fear of fish.

Judeophobia Fear of Jews.

Keraunophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.
Kymophobia Fear of waves.

Lachanophobia Fear of vegetables.
Ligyrophobia Fear of loud noises.
Limnophobia Fear of lakes.
Liticaphobia Fear of lawsuits.
Lockiophobia Fear of childbirth.
Logizomechanophobia Fear of computers.
Logophobia Fear of words.
Lygophobia Fear of darkness.

Macrophobia Fear of long waits.
Mageirocophobia Fear of cooking.
Maieusiophobia Fear of childbirth.
Megalophobia Fear of large things.
Melissophobia Fear of bees.
Methyphobia Fear of alcohol.
Microphobia Fear of small things.
Misophobia Fear of being contaminated with dirt/germs.
Monophobia Fear of solitude or being alone.
Motorphobia Fear of automobiles.
Musophobia/Murophobia Fear of mice.

Necrophobia Fear of death / dead things.
Neophobia Fear of anything new.
Nosocomephobia Fear of hospitals.
Numerophobia Fear of numbers.

Ochlophobia Fear of crowds or mobs.
Ophidiophobia Fear of snakes.
Ophthalmophobia Fear of being stared at.
Ornithophobia Fear of birds.

Pedophobia Fear of children.
Peladophobia Fear of bald people.
Phasmophobia Fear of ghosts.
Placophobia Fear of tombstones.
Plutophobia Fear of wealth.
Pogonophobia Fear of beards.
Potamophobia Fear of rivers or running water.
Pteronophobia Fear of being tickled by feathers.
Pupaphobia fear of puppets.
Pyrophobia Fear of fire.

Rhytiphobia Fear of getting wrinkles.
Rupophobia Fear of dirt.

Scolionophobia Fear of school.
Selachophobia Fear of sharks.
Sesquipedalophobia Fear of long words.

Tachophobia Fear of speed.
Technophobia Fear of technology.
Telephonophobia Fear of telephones.
Testophobia Fear of taking tests.
Theophobia Fear of gods or religion.
Trypanophobia Fear of injections.

Venustraphobia Fear of beautiful women.
Verbophobia Fear of words.
Verminophobia Fear of germs.
Vestiphobia Fear of clothing.

Xenoglossophobia Fear of foreign languages.

Zoophobia Fear of animals

Do you want to keep your fears with you?

I got this from FDR, said in another context (Great Depression) but I believe something that we must also think about.

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

Related posts:

1. Chapter 5: Do It Wrong the First Time
2. STORY OF THE FIFTY-SEVEN CENTS
3. SPEAK TO YOUR MOUNTAINS
4. Ten Rules for Being a Human
5. Leaders must speak with confidence

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience”- Alexander Gregg

The ability to speak well does not ensure that you will become a great leader.  It is still possible for a leader to inspire his people though he is not a good speaker. But it will be very difficult.

Like other leadership and management skills, speaking to groups is a matter of observing a simple set of rules. No one is naturally a brilliant speaker. Even professionals admit to being nervous. I know. I am always nervous though I’ve been speaking to groups since 1987. In fact, I will worry if I will not feel the “nervousness” before and during the speaking situation.

But there are managers, and leaders like you, who avoid speaking situations. They find themselves ill-equip to speak. This people went to college and even took post graduate studies. But when it comes to speaking before groups, a kid from kindergarten will show more courage. So, here are some practical tips for all of those who are trusted to speak before groups.

1. Your purpose is more important than what you feel. Do not allow nervousness to prevent you from addressing your team. It is an important part of role as leader and you must learn to feel less nervous and be content to speak at larger gatherings. I tell you, most of them are afraid to speak too. They will be thankful that you have the courage to share with them what they need to hear.
2. Plan with IPSQC. This is a very simple method your teachers taught you when you were in fourth grade. Of course they did not have a name for this. But try this method.
   1. Introducing to gain the group’s attention and interest,
   2. Presenting to show your main points.
   3. Summary covering the main points briefly again,
   4. invite Questions and
   5. end with a Conclusion, pointing the way a head ending on a high note, and sending the audience away fired up.
3. Use cards for your notes. In Toastmasters we are encourage not to use any notes. But there people who are very effective when they have cue cards. Index cards are ideal, and should be easily readable at arm’s length. Use headings and a sequence of ideas under each, and number the cards in case you drop them. Remember to write in big letters.
4. What’s In It For Them? Explain in your introduction the relevance of the subject to your audience, the sequence of the talk and whether they should ask questions during the talk or the end of your presentation. Tell them whether  you will be giving out printed  notes so they know whether to make their  own. It is my style to give them handouts during my presentation. Most learners are kinesthetic. Allowing them to write will make them remember and process better my presentations.
5. Practice with real audience. Always rehearse talks aloud including the presentation that you make to colleagues on special occasions. Giving them wedding presents, long-service awards and so on. As you career progresses, ‘saying a few words’ will become a regular and enjoyable duty. I really encourage people to practice with real people not with mirrors. Mirrors do not react. What you see is yourself at your most awkward moment. Of course, you may present if front of your dogs and cats, but they will not be able to give you valuable feedback.
6. Shorter speeches are usually better. Do not let your speech overrun, especially if yours  is one of the number of presentations at a conference or company meeting. It is more courteous to take up slightly less than your allocated time. Your rehearsal will tell you how much material to discard. To overcome gaps, you could send reading material in advance. Take this from me, your first role as a communicator-leader is to illuminate the essentials.
7. Help their eyes. Use visuals to make the presentation more interesting and to express your message. If you are using videos  have them made professionally. People are accustomed to high standards and anything less will detract from the presentation. It does not have to be expensive though. I bough a Flip Video which is really great and I edit my videos using Moviemaker.
8. Mind your posture. Do not put your notes on a table and lean over them- your voice will be directed downwards. Use the lectern.  The lectern, of course, has a greater use than a paper holder. We can talk about that next time.
9. Be careful with your hands because it may say something your mouth do not utter. Many speakers do not know what to do with their hands. Do not put them in your pockets, behind your back or cross your arms. Let them be on your sides.  As your confidence grows you will begin to use gestures naturally to support what you are saying. I find hand gestures as one of the best visual aids. During my seminars, I asked people to explain in gibberish what they did for the day. They find that they are forced to use gestures. Manage your hand movements.
10. Project your voice to fill the room. But do not shout. Assume that someone in the back may not hear your word. Keep your head up, breath at punctuation marks and do not rush. During your practice sessions, ask your friends to spread themselves in the room. You will get an idea on how loud or soft your voice is.
11. Silence is okay. Some speakers are afraid to pause. They do not want the audience to think that they have forgotten their speech.  Listen. Use silences to emphasize points of particular importance. Silence is a gift to your audience. You are giving them the opportunity to think. Silence is also your gift to yourself. Silence allows you to listen to your audience. Just try it next time. I am sure you will find this one tip useful.
12. Go to school with the winners. Watch expert orators. You might not agree with their views but you can learn their techniques. I like watching Joyce Meyer.  I love Ellen DeGeneres for she has her unique way of connecting with the audience. And of course, I like the fact that she gives a lot. I used that method in my seminars here in the Philippines. I give something even before I start.  Energy fills the room. Amazing.
13. Do not rehearse hand movements. If they are not spontaneous they look odd. If you are not naturally animated, use your voice and visual for emphasis. Let me tell you the secret. Focus on your audience. Observe how they react to what you say. Emphasize points with your voice. You will find your hands following your intentions.
14. Make eye contact with as many members of the group as possible. Beware of homing on a person who is showing tremendous enthusiasm for what you are saying. Speak to everyone. Do not move your eyes from person to person in a set pattern- let them  focus on people even with huge gatherings. The last time you saw a big star live on stage, didn’t you feel him or her make eye contact with you? Some toastmasters suggest you use the Z pattern. Do not follow that advice. You are not an electric fan.
15. Blocking is essential. Place yourself in your audience’s point of view. They read from left to right. If you use a flip-chart stand it to your left. And if you are not experienced at using one, practice. Use large writing, simple illustrations and color to add interest. You must also use the same blocking position when you are using PowerPoint presentations. In some companies, they placed the white canvass at the center. Forgive them. That’s what they in the cinemas. Of course, that is because people go to cinemas to watch movies, not to listen to speakers. When you are the speaker, remember that you are the focal point.
16. You are a visual aid too. Pay careful attention to your appearance. If you look good you will feel more confident. This is always important but especially so if it is your own staff you are addressing. I saw this one video where Leo Buscaglia told the audience that he was wearing his new suit because he respected his audience.
17. It is okay to say thank you. Bring speeches to a close, thank your audience for their attention and sit down unhesitating. Even when making an impromptu speech, perhaps to propose a vote of thanks, don’t ramble or talk until you run out of ideas. Keep it brief and to the point. The last impression is the lasting impression.
18. End with your message. Most people will remember the last words you have said. Craft your conclusion in such a maner that even those whose minds were absent during your speech may still get your point at the end.

I hope that you will try these 18 simple and practical tips. As a leader, people expect you to articulate the vision and mission of the group. I believe that meetings, conferences, and learning sessions are great opportunities for the leaders to articulate the direction and destiny of the organization.

Make the most of every speaking opportunity. Improve your speaking skills every time you speak before groups. Remember, not every one is given the opportunity to lead, and not every one is given the right to speak.

Jef Menguin

About the Author: Jef Menguin is a Filipino motivational speaker and training consultant. He has been helping leaders develop their public speaking and presentation skills. He conducts Speak with Confidence workshops all over the Philippines. To learn more about Jef Menguin and his passion to help people live with confidence, visit http://jefmenguin.com today.

Related posts:

1. Speak with Confidence Workshop
2. Seven Strategies for Polished Presentations
3. Be inspired to speak by Susan Boyle
4. Speak with Confidence Workshop in WIN QC
5. Conversation in Presentations

Today, Seth Godin writes about modern procrastination. And I agree with his blog today 100 percent. When I conduct Time of My Life workshop, I discuss with the participants the big difference between activities (being busy) and actions (doing what is important). I encourage you to read the whole story.

I am writing about Seth Godin tonight because I am now starting to feature websites worth reading. I do not really go to Seth’s website, but I receivea feed every day in my email inbox.

The more I read about him, the more that I realize the great divide between our way of thinking. And the more that I respect this man for thinking purple cow.

Truly, great minds do not think alike.

Jef Menguin

About: Jef Menguin is a trying hard blogger. He does not have the same following as Seth Godin, but he also does not think like the rest of the human rest. But who does?

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2. How to Mitigate the Urgent to Focus on the Important
3. The 5 Outstanding Traits of a Customer Service Superstar
4. Merry Christmas!
5. Chapter 3: Get Your Stuff Together

For KMBI, I conducted two programs: Stress for Success and Teambuilding. I am not yet through with them. I intend to help them further. The members of this organization are making a big difference in the lives of our people and it is my honor that I was given the opportunity to train them, even just for two days.

Do you have something to say about KMBI? Feel free to write your comments below.

Jef Menguin

About: Jef Menguin facilitates leadership and teambuilding programs in the Philippines.

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2. Five Star Teamwork on January 22
3. What’s In It For You
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This Trainer’s Tool Kit will help you to define important team qualities and provide a tool for measuring team effectiveness. Effective teams are “top driven,” getting their focus from supervisory staff. It is important that directors, managers and supervisors lead by example if they expect a collaborative team effort from the store staff. This information and measuring tool is a good way to facilitate discussion about the staff as a team. Use this tool as an exercise during a supervisory staff meeting to allow store management to gain insight into their strengths and areas that can be improved upon as a team. They, in turn, may want to use the tool to help department staff measure their team commitment.

Have you ever worked in an environment where you didn’t understand how your job fit into the goals of the company? Have you felt like nobody ever tells you what’s going on? Can you remember working in a job where your co-workers were not willing to help you and really didn’t care if you were successful or not? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you know what it’s like to work in situations where there is a complete lack of team cooperation.

Why is the team and its effectiveness so important? Employees on an effective team take more pride in their work, are more productive, provide higher levels of customer service, better quality and less waste when compared to employees that work without a team structure. In a nutshell, a good store or department team fosters happier employees who get more accomplished. This is significant when you consider today’s labor environment. With the majority of markets experiencing a shortage of available labor, the recruiting and retention of employees at all levels has become paramount. It has been proven time and again that wages are typically not the reason employees leave jobs. Feeling appreciated and being a valued part of the team go a long way toward job satisfaction. This being said, effective teams will not only mean better, more consistent customer service and productivity, they can also help increase the retention of department employees.

People don’t just start working together and become a team. Though the camaraderie among department staff members may come naturally, the team leader still needs to establish some very specific guidelines. Victoria Hoevemeyer describes effective teams in Training & Development Magazine as teams that have a mission, stress goal achievement, empower team members, have open and honest communication, and have positive roles and norms. Let’s take a closer look at what factors comprise a good team and then measure the team’s effectiveness.

Team mission. Every team needs to have a mission. By definition, it is their reason for existing. You may have an exceptional company mission statement, but if the team itself does not have its own expressed mission it is likely that team members will not understand how their work contributes to the company’s mission. The team or departmental mission should support the company mission.

Goal Achievement. Members of the team need to be committed to establishing goals, and to measuring their progress toward attaining those goals. Everyone wants to know how they and the department are performing, so setting and measuring goals keeps the team focused and provides immediate feedback. Remember, goals should be specific. A goal of “increased productivity compared to last month” is not very helpful. How is the productivity measured? What was the productivity for last month? A better goal would be to achieve a total department sales figure for the month or to attain a productivity level of a specific dollar per sales hour per employee. Employees need to understand that if you can’t measure it, you can’t grow it! Goals should also be attainable, yet high enough to “stretch” performance. They should also have a time frame or deadline.

Empowerment. This refers to giving employees the authority, responsibility and accountability necessary for them to perform their jobs effectively. The team leader should remove as many obstacles as possible. If you hear employees say something like, “I’m pretty sure that I can do that, but I’ve got to get an OK from my boss first,” your employees are not empowered to handle routine problems. Give them the knowledge and authority to handle routine problems independently.

Open, honest communication. Open communication must exist between team members and the department supervisor(s) if the team is to remain effective. The team cannot grow and maximize its effectiveness if people are not open and truthful. Remember, communication is a two-way street. Team members should be expected to not only share opinions and ideas, but also be open to feedback.

Positive roles and norms. Cooperation among employees is necessary for the team to be successful. Effective teams take advantage of the strengths of each team member. Work can be assigned based on the strengths of each employee. It is also important that team members help each other work on their individual weaknesses. Team morale increases when employees realize how their roles contribute to the overall effectiveness of the team.

The most effective teams are the ones that excel in all five of these areas. So, based on these criteria, how does your team rate? This is the question that this tool is designed to answer.

Team Effectiveness Scoring Sheet

The Five Effectiveness Areas	Ratings on Numbered Inventory Items	Team Ratings	Team Leader Ratings	Consensus Rating
Team Mission	1 6 11 16
Average of team members’ ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=	______	______	______
Team leader’s ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=
Goal Achievement	2 7 12 17
Average of team members’ ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=	______	______	______
Team leader’s ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=
Empowerment	3 8 13 18
Average of team members’ ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=	______	______	______
Team leader’s ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=
Open, Honest Communication	4 9 14 19
Average of team members’ ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=	______	______	______
Team leader’s ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=
Positive Roles and Norms	5 10 15 20
Average of team members’ ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=	______	______	______
Team leader’s ratings	__+ __+ __+ __=
Total Team Effectiveness Rating

Using the tool

The Team Inventory is designed to help the team measure its own effectiveness based on the five effectiveness areas we have previously described. Using Figure 1, have the team leader and each member individually rate the team on 20 items. After everyone has finished the inventory, average the team member answers to each question. Don’t include the team leader’s answers in the average, hold them out as separate measures for later comparisons of perceptions of team effectiveness.

The numbers in the Ratings on Numbered Inventory Items column of the Scoring Sheet (Figure 2) represent the numbers of the questions asked on the Team Inventory (Figure 1). Keeping this in mind, record the team members’ average score for each question on the scoring sheet then total across and write in the Team Ratings box. Next, total the entire Team Ratings column. The team leader’s scores should also be transferred to the scoring sheet and added up using the Team Leader Ratings column. Comparing the team members’ perceptions to the team leader’s perceptions will provide two different perspectives of the team’s effectiveness. If the members and team leader scored an effectiveness area the same, record the rating in the Consensus Rating column on the chart. If differences exist, everyone on the team, including the team leader, will want to discuss the reasons for those differences, citing specific examples to support their ratings. Through this discussion, try to come to a group consensus on one score. This may result in a revision in the total team effectiveness rating, which would then be recorded in the Consensus Rating column.

The highest possible point total for the team effectiveness rating is 100 – which represents 100% effectiveness. Remember, your team must realize that this is virtually impossible to achieve. An effectiveness rating of 95% would be a highly effective team. Your team’s goal should be to become and maintain itself as highly effective. If your original score does not establish the team as highly effective, facilitate discussion of what actions can be taken to achieve this rating, set goals based on these actions and measure intermittently, using the Team Effectiveness Inventory and Scoring Sheet. It is this process of (1) taking the inventory, (2) working on issues, and (3) re-taking the inventory that will allow you to track the team’s progress and maximize its effectiveness.

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While I have workshops that I have delivered many times, I always work with you to develop a customized training plan to meet the specific needs of your company

When selecting consultants to help you with your learning needs, I know that you look for someone whose philosophy fit your company’s philosophy. So, what comprise my training philosophy?

I believe that people are the best investment. Your investments of time, energy and money can give your people encouragement, confidence, and vision as well as skills and knowledge. Training transforms people’s potentials into realities. Investing in people ensures continued success.

I believe that learning is about personal and organizational improvement, not a speaking or training event. Most trainers measure the success of workshops based on their amazing performances, by the number of tricks they used. I measure the success of any training program in only one way: output.

I believe that learning is an active process. I seldom do lecture. Lecture has its place in the training of people, but learning is much more than a one-way lecture. We best learn by doing, and by teaching what we learned. For that very reason, I make sure that people learn concepts, principles, and procedure by doing it. Again, all my training programs are learner-centered and result-oriented.

I believe that learning can be fun. Yes, you’ve read it right. I believe that learning should be fun. Human beings are fun (and funny!) beings. When we make learning fun, exciting and interactive, we learn more, learn faster, and remember longer.

I believe that learning must serve a purpose. It must serve the purpose of the company. It must serve the purpose of the employees. Conducting training for the sake of meeting your quota for training is a waste of time and energy and money. As a trainor, my purpose is to add value. How about yours?

Jef Menguin

About: Jef Menguin is a training consultant. He was first trained to conduct retreats and seminars in 1991. Over the years, Jef Menguin acquired skills that equipped him with the ability to lead learning sessions in friendly, fun, and safe environment. He believes that a trainer must not teach anything which is not clear to him. Theories and technologies are important, but only through the complete understanding of principles can a teacher truly impart relevant and practicable tools.

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This is for my future friends. I have realized that our friends, even our relatives, will not have much time to know us. My hope is that through our conversations, by reading and listening and considering ideas, you become my friends. I hope you will see me as who I am. My future friends, I request that you pray that my mind be always clear and honest every time I communicate with you through this blog.

This is for you my friends. One of the amazing things I realized when I was in college was that people see me based on either the quality or quantity of my relationship with them. Some of them thought that I was loud and boastful. Others believed that despite my “superior intelligence”, I remained humble and unassuming. Some see me as Jef the speaker, Jef the Toastmaster, Jef the trainer, Jef the blogger. I understand that. Sometimes, I also see myself in different angles. Even my thoughts about life changes. I hope that through this site/blog we can continue our communication. I know my former students will one day find this blog, please connect with me at once. I will be more than pleased to know that you are here.

This is also for the participants of my workshops in Metro Manila and everywhere in the Philippines. Having met you for few hours to talk about things that really matter to you was a blessing to me. I hope to continue sharing with you some tools you can use as you throw more starfishes back to the sea of work-life. Please feel free to email me, or when you have time, skype me. Try jef.menguin

This is also for me. This is my way of ensuring that I process and record the many things I learned. These days I no longer keep my journal. I am now used to the keyboard. So let the keyboard be my friend so I can write to your everyday.

So, please leave your message below. Tell me what you want to read and what you want to get from this website. I will surely listen to you.

Jef Menguin

About the blog owner. Jef Menguin is a Filipino motivational speaker. He facilitates teambuilding sessions and leadership development workshops. You can contact him through this website.

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You can give the simplest tips. But I also encourage creative and not-so-common ideas. You can even build on ideas put forward by others. In this contest, quantity and quality are both considered. You can keep on coming back.

This contest will be for the months of February and March. There will be one winner for February and another winner for March. Of course, the winner for the month of February may keep on contributing tips. It is good for one’s soul to keep on giving.

What’s the prize?

I saw two good books in Powerbooks. I will be giving these two books to the winners. The first winner will get the right to pick her or his choice.

Who will pick the winners?

Me and my team.

And how will you submit your tips? Simply use the comment form below.

(Note: Though there are wonderful ideas we can borrow from the Net, I believe that the most wonderful ideas will still come from you.)

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1. Share your stress management tips contest
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3. There is Greatness All Around You – Use It
4. Read articles to fast track your self-development
5. Contribute a book review

I thought of a contest.

Do you have ideas on how people can manage the stresses in their lives? I am encouraging you to join and share your practical stress management tips.

Aside from sharing your beautiful ideas to others (which by itself is a great stress management technique) you will also get a bonus book which I will give to two winners each month. Please wait for announcement as to how you can join this contest.

(Share your Stress Management tips now. )

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About a couple of months ago, I was invited by a student organization in the University of the Philippines (Diliman) to talk about Landing Your Dream Job. I was not able to share everything I wanted to share since it was a panel. We were given specific topics.

I could have said more, but I felt that it would be unfair to the other speakers to say my piece about their topics. I predicted that they would talk about traditional concepts regarding resume and interviewing. And I was right. Textbook techniques do not always work. Those who follow the textbooks techniques are bound to be copycats of the writers who are copycats of other authors, mostly white dead men. They’ll submit the same resumes that shows their lack of creativity. They’ll give the same answers which highlights their insincerity.

It is likely that I will talk about You,Inc. I may provide some steps that will make one 1000 percent better than the competition.

Related posts:

1. Looking for Good News Writers
2. Chapter 1: Find the “We”
3. Guest blogger or writer
4. Providing a Positive Learning Experience
5. Chapter 12: Manage Your Writing