Interview Tips – Prepare for a Good First Impression

Interview Tips – Prepare for a Good First Impression

1. Take a shower, you want to smell neutral
2. Be clean shaven or at least freshly trimmed
3. Use a mint or breath freshener instead of chewing gum
4. Go VERY light on any perfume, deoderant or cologne, you don’t want it to be noticed really
5. Dress above the normal dress code, if any.  When in doubt, overdress
6. Wear black dress shoes that don’t stand out, and polish them if they need it
7. Be early.  Late for an interview without at least 30 minutes notice has no excuse
8. Never arrive more than 10 minutes early. Wait in your car, walk around the block or wait nearby without announcing yourself too early
9. Ensure you are flexible and available for scheduling interviews if you want to be taken seriously
10. Clean up your social media presence and make things private that you wouldn’t want an employer to see.  Trust me, they do look and it can make a difference.  In fact, you should always keep your social media presence professional as there is no way to really remove things, so keep it presentable at all times.
11. Prepare your introduction pitch as you will usually have a couple minutes to introduce yourself, your background and brief history
12. Practice responding to many typical questions and behavior questions
13. If given a choice learn how to win at roulette and always avoid an interview over lunch.  Its messy, complicated and much riskier to leaving a good impression.
14. If you have a phone interview, still dress up, smile and show enthusiasm even if they are not in the room to see it because they will hear it instead!
15. The first couple minutes are often casual just as you are getting comfortable.  Lead this if possible (but only for a couple minutes) to show confidence and to prevent any awkward first impressions.

Interview Tips – What to Have / Bring With You

1. Bring copies of your resume
2. Bring a few sheets of paper to make notes on
3. Bring a quality pen for writing with
4. Have your own notes and preparation in a small, thin notebook or on index cards
5. A simple, small bag but absolutely no electronics, laptops, large project samples or excess papers
6. Leave your phone turned OFF, vibrate is still distracting and can be heard so simply turn it off
7. Leave your phone out of sight and do not check it, even while waiting
8. Better yet, leave your phone in your car and not on your person
9. Have your references ready and a sheet to provide in case you are asked for them
10. Do your research to bring some knowledge about the companies vision, products, recent news releases and changes to the business
11. Also, gain knowledge of major competitors and recent important activity in the industry

Interview Tips – Personal Behaviors

1. Be friendly to EVERYONE you encounter while waiting for an interview, as you never know who you might meet
2. That includes smiling at people you see
3. Chat with the receptionist, be friendly
4. Read any company literature available while waiting, not a magazine.  Things like pamphlets, awards, posters, etc.
5. Note any questions that arise from what you read or learn from chatting with people before the interview.
6. Introduce yourself professionally, state your full name and a brief comment or pleasantry such as “Nice to meet you”
7. Always clarify the pronunciation or name you heard if you are unsure, so that you can use it again.
8. Ensure you remember the person’s names you are introduced to
9. Learn to shake hands professionally and never give a weak frail handshake
10. Look a person in the eye when you meet them and shake their hand
11. Maintain appropriate eye contact and well all interviewers equality when not answering a direct question
12. Keep excellent posture
13. Lean forward a little to stay attentive and show interest
14. Keep your hands/arms in your lap or on the table, never cross them or fold them behind your head
15. Its OK to cross your legs, but men, its not OK to rest your foot up on your knee
16. Breathe deeply and calmly to help you relax
17. If you forget something or don’t understand, just ask the interviewer to please repeat it

Interview Tips – Interaction and Communication

1. Ask where to sit or wait for instruction on where to sit
2. Accept any offer for water if you don’t already have some, but don’t complicate it with coffee or special instruction
3. Elaborate in your responses, an interviewer learns the most by how you describe things and respond
4. State you need a moment to think, when you need a moment to think, don’t just sit silently
5. Be honest, yet positive.  Any lies are easily detected by a good interviewer, trust me
6. Also be yourself and let your personality expose itself as you interact, there is nothing worse than someone not believing you were authentic
7. Know every word and detail on your resume, expect to be asked to explain something from it
8. Reword a question or a response if you don’t understand or are not being understood
9. Ask after a short responses if they would like you to go in to more detail (if you have more you could add) instead of just going on and on
10. If you have questions, ask them during the interview if that topic comes up, but don’t direct the interviewer off topic, they DO have an agenda and you don’t know it
11. Let the interviewer stay in control of the interview, they want to get their questions answered before having to answer yours
12. Look to identify the interviewer’s communication style and behavioral style (such as the D.i.S.C. model) to better understand what they may be most interested in
13. Show some enthusiasm as you communicate and in your responses especially

Interview Tips – Answering Questions

1. Listen carefully and patiently for an interviewer to finish their question, NEVER interrupt!
2. Think for a moment about what they are really asking for before you dive in and answer what first comes to mind
3. You should always strive to use examples or stories in your answers to show practical application, not just knowledge
4. Be vulnerable with the weakness question.  Lame weaknesses often considered a positive is a bad answer.  Put something realistic and tell about how it has been a struggle, which you are changing and what you still need to do about it.  Don’t fake or discount a weakness as something easy to fix, as that is a very weak answer.
5. Make sure you highlight strengths not on their own, but why they are strengths in your mind for this specific job.  Your strengths must be useful in your role and fill a need or they are not advantages.
6. Tell me about yourself is that exactly, yourself.  Not your job history and work experience, but you, as a person. The questions about your work history are coming.  It’s fine to focus your answer on work related things, but talk about your interests, career shifts or major changes / decisions and things that are important to you.  Your background, major travel history and other personal items may be of interest and give insight to who you are, but don’t get deep into unrelated topics like family, hobbies, sports, etc at this point, since its usually early in an interview that this is asked
7. Salary expectations should never be shared until you have an offer.  Simply state you will consider any competitive offer and expect it to be comparable in the industry
8. Use questions to show that you are well prepared and you researched some thing about the company to form your questions from
9. Its best to admit when you don’t know something or can’t answer a question, instead of given some vague or incorrect answer pretending you are right.  You’re not fooling anyone.
10. Highlight transferable skills in your responses if you don’t have a lot of experience or relevant experience and express your confidence that you will apply and perform in a new area
11. Often interviewers ask two part questions to see if you were listening and respond to both.  Make sure you think about answering both parts and don’t loose sight of a second part if there is one.
12. When a question comes up that you don’t know the answer to, this can be a great opportunity to assure them that you would love to learn more about that for the role and expand your experience
13. Don’t assume people know acronyms or organizations you mention, always ask or elaborate on what things are to ensure they understand your responses
14. Never bad mouth previous companies or co-workers, if there were negatives to address, make it specific about a decision, strategy, shift in process or some other behavior, but not personal.  Only use something like this if you are answering a question directly or it is used to demonstrate overcoming that particular obstacle.

Interview Tips – Asking Questions

1. Absolutely never, ever ask about compensation, benefits or bonus in an interview.  Those discussions come once you know they want you or have an offer for you.
2. Ask questions that are a level above the specific role you are applying for to show you can think beyond the expected role.  Think about things your boss would be interested in or looking for and ask questions to have them answer something they are familiar and passionate about.  Showing interest in things they are interested in is best here.
3. Ask questions that fit their D.i.S.C. behavioral (or another personality) profile you detect during the interview, to ask what interests them most
4. Ask about events or news releases about the company to show you’ve done some research but ensure it is a meaningful question that you genuinely want to know about and discuss.
5. Plan your questions to be a discussion with several more short probing questions
6. Have questions to ask  that cover multiple areas: the business itself, products or projects you’ll be involved in, responsibilities and the role itself, the work culture and environment, expectations and performance
7. Use open ended questions, not closed questions since they can be awkward and come across shallow and meaningless to the interviewer
8. Asking questions about something you learned during the interview or read while waiting can show your curiosity and intelligence if the question is suitable
9. Don’t ask excessive questions and focus on the most intelligent ones.  Instead of going on endlessly with questions, state you have more questions but would be happy to ask them at the next opportunity or at another meeting.  This shows you respect their time and they will either agree or let you ask more (which is a sign they want to learn more about you, a good thing!)
10. Use questions to show that you are well prepared and you researched some thing about the company to form your questions from
11. Experience questions can often be answered with examples from volunteering work or clubs or sports.  Think about ways to highlight outside areas and if possible, tie that behavior back to the workplace as well.

Interview Tips – Closing and Exiting

1. Ensure you restate with enthusiasm that you want an offer and how you will best contribute to the company if you get one
2. Tell them you would love the opportunity to discuss more, meet other team members or see some of the work environments or products if applicable
3. Get contact details and permission to contact any of the interviewers if you have more questions
4. Ensure you thank the interviewers for the opportunity to meet, again stating you hope to proceed and am exciting to come back again
5. Shake hands when you leave and wish them politely to have a great day
6. Leave promptly when the time comes and show you respect their time by not dilly dallying around and wasting any time

Interview Tips – Follow Up

1. Assess your interview immediately after leaving
2. Note all the items or skills that were of particular interest
3. Prepare any extra comments or questions about those important areas for the next opportunity with them
4. Review what questions you were not prepared well for, or found difficult to answer
5. Write out and practice answering those questions again
6. Note what further information or questions you have before you would accept an offer
7. Contact the interviewer the following day as well as anyone else you met and got contact details from
8. Be polite, thank them for the time to meet and restate why you can fill the role and that you are wanting to proceed to the next stage or receive an offer
9. Include a new example (if brief) about how your skills or experience will fill the role or a specific need you learned during the interview
10. Never push the interviewers for an answer when following up, but don’t be afraid to call several times.  Things get in the way all the time and can delay an expected hiring process.
11. Make sure you have voice mail with a personal greeting recorded so any call backs hear your voice directly
12. Always follow up with any call backs and offers, even if it is not what you want.  Be honest and discuss options or changes that would convince you or why you have made a decision one way or another.
13. Call all of your references you provided to give them a heads up about the interview, the company they can expect to call and if there are any points you recommend they share if appropriate.

Five Tips on Improving Management through Leadership

Five Tips on Improving Management through Leadership

1-      Lead By Example

Model your expectations of employee conduct and output at all times. Remember that your employees are always watching. Want to see more timeliness and efficiency from your employees? Get to work 5 minutes early every single day and stay 5 minutes late. Analyze your own routine for time spent on non-work related activity, such as web-surfing, chit-chatting, or procrastinating. Eliminating these things from your own routine will set a strong and lasting example for your employees.

Also, keep in mind that you are one of your company’s influential representatives. At work and in public, your behavior should embody your employer’s mission statement and core values. Avoid doing or saying anything that could discredit the company’s image. Never go against ethical procedure, and keep in mind that just because you make rules doesn’t mean you can break them. That is the quickest way to lose the respect of your employees, your most valuable asset.

Quick and Dirty: Managers tell their employees what to do; leaders show their employees how to be.

2-      Admit Your Mistakes

Never assume that passing blame for a mistake onto someone else, whether that person is above or below you on the corporate ladder, gets you off the hook, especially with your employees. When mistakes happen, the fastest and easiest way to fix them is always to focus on the solution and not the problem. The time and effort it takes to shuffle blame is always better spent on resolving the issue. Once that’s done, it’s important to figure out what went wrong and establish measures to prevent future occurrences. You won’t be able to do that if you’ve lost your employees’ respect.

Quick and Dirty: Managers fix mistakes; leaders prevent them.

3-      Be Loved, Not Feared

The personal qualities that attract us to leaders—trustworthiness, sensitivity, and enthusiasm—seem obvious, but they’re also some of the most elusive, as they may require an ongoing conscious effort. Don’t be ashamed of yourself if they don’t come naturally. In fact, they rarely do. That’s why leaders are so appealing in the first place.

Start earning the trust of your employees by trusting them first. Don’t micro-manage unless absolutely necessary and even then, take steps to insure that it doesn’t become a long-term practice. Remain cognizant of the fact that for most people, genuine praise is a better motivator than a reprimand or a warning. Find an aspect of your professional life that inspires your passion, whether it’s the opportunity to improve company output, the satisfaction of working in your field, or the basic fact that you are learning how to perform your job well, and let it inform your behavior at work. Your enthusiasm will prove infectious.

Quick and Dirty: Managers keep employees in line; leaders make them happy.

4-      Communicate Effectively

Be aware of what you say and how you say it, at all times. Never gossip, denigrate, or humiliate another person in the workplace, and be particularly sensitive in your delivery of constructive criticism, making sure to do it in a private setting.

Remain equally conscious of your listening skills. Your employees are all experts on their own duties and experience in your workplace. If an employee approaches you with a question, complaint, concern, or suggestion, hear that person out. If you can’t offer your full attention in the moment, schedule the conversation for the near future, and listen carefully for a set period of time, depending on the depth and complexity of the issue, before responding. Try not to interrupt unless absolutely necessary.

Finally, be sure to communicate in the medium most appropriate for what you have to say. All major issues with employee performance or deliverables should be addressed in-person whenever possible; use email, memos, and other written documentation to preserve vital instructions and policies; and reserve use of the phone for times when you can actually converse, not multi-task.

Quick and Dirty: Managers instruct; leaders communicate.

5-      Innovate

As a manager, you’re in a unique position in the workplace. Unlike your employers, you don’t just have responsibilities, you also have (at least some) flexibility in how you meet them. Your employer shares your long-term goals: improving employee efficiency, growing the consumer base, and saving the company money; your employees share your daily experience and practices. The resultant perspective is an ideal one from which to innovate.

So always keep your employees’ experiences and observations in mind when brainstorming long-term solutions. Don’t forget that you have the power to advocate for your employees’ good ideas, as well as your own. Never hesitate to bring an employee’s innovation to an employer out of fear he or she will wonder why you didn’t think of it first. It’s your job to apply your employees’ ideas to your employer’s concerns so that your employer doesn’t have to.

Quick and Dirty: Managers maintain good practices; leaders create them.

The Bottom Line

While there’s some debate around the finer points, the essential difference between a manager and a leader is simple: managers—whether good, bad, or mediocre—are all cast from the same mold; every leader is different. Your personality, experience, and priorities will play a large part in the leader you become. Take pride in your performance, treat yourself and others with respect, and don’t try to change who you are. The manager who knows how to lead maximizes employee and employer satisfaction, and that makes everyone happy.

100 Ways to Improve Your Relationships

100 Ways to Improve Your Relationships

1. Make breakfast for someone in bed
2. Send someone a hand written thank you note for something they did
3. Leave a message or note telling someone what you appreciate about them
4. Make time commitments that are realistic and possible
5. Ensure you do everything you can to meet your commitments
6. Don’t take promises lightly, be honest and keep them
7. Turn the TV off and have a real conversation
8. Upgrade your communication style
9. Talk about what you both want out of a relationships
10. Find a chore you can do with another person
11. Offer to do a regular activity together
12. Buy groceries together
13. Go Shopping together
14. Organize a meal out with someone for friends
15. Go camping together
16. Take a road trip together
17. Have a staring contest
18. Have a picnic together
19. Schedule 10 minutes everyday to talk (with NO distractions)
20. Be spontaneous and energetic
21. Spend time researching great relationships
22. Learn from relationship masters
23. Read biographies of great relationship builders
24. Buy and read books on relationships
25. Put your relationship time BEFORE work, overtime or chores
26. Buy and gift a simple gift that reminds you of that person
27. Keep in touch with friends at least monthly even when living afar
28. Actually phone in person your facebook friends
29. Limit your online friends lists to those you want to be friends with
30. Don’t make lame excuses for things, be honest
31. Use encouraging positive words instead of negative or critical responses
32. Learn some cellphone etiquette and shut your phone off once in a while
33. NEVER be negative or critical in an email - its too dangerous and easily misinterpreted
34. Be a “yes” type of person when doing things for others
35. Learn to say “no” to keep your priorities in check
36. Teach someone how to do something
37. Exercise together
38. Make friendly competitions for achievement
39. Support each other in your actions / challenges
40. Take up a new hobby together to build a common interest
41. Never eat alone
42. Take and print photographs of activities together
43. Ask for help when you need it
44. Opening share your beliefs and values
45. Stick to your beliefs and express why
46. Know your moral principles and stick to themT
47. Share your spiritual personality
48. In challenging situations, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
49. Learn behavioral models (like DISC) to communicate better
50. Learn personality models (like Meyers-Briggs) to apply personality tips
51. Be willing to have those necessary and crucial conversions
52. Create your own bucket list, share it and do many of them together
53. Improve your telephone skills
54. Give a gift that is more than a purchased item
55. Give genuine compliments on a regular basis
56. Surprise someone with a kind act towards them
57. Have conversations where one of you actively listens and ONLY repeats what you heard in your own words
58. Share your spiritual beliefs with each other
59. Pray together
60. Take up learning a new sport together
61. Take responsibility for your own happiness in the relationship without burdening or expected the other person to do that for you
62. Tell one another why and how they make you a better person
63. Identify and compliment anything you see them improve
64. Be gracious and quick to give an apology
65. Forgive one another quickly and completely
66. Stop complaining and start appreciating
67. Laugh together
68. Cry together
69. Serve others
70. Conquer a fear (like heights or fear of a certain animal) together
71. Never participate in gossip
72. Don’t share private relationship information that deserves to be kept private
73. Be spontaneous with activities and have fun
74. Never try to change someone else, change yourself instead
75. Avoid blaming others
76. Take time to think about your relationships in order to improve them
77. Make relationships priority and make time to work on them
78. Set some goals and work specifically on your relationships
79. Expose your vulnerabilities
80. Socialize with friends of friends
81. Compromise to resolve disputes
82. Be generous with expenses and money
83. Live below your means so you can save money and prevent money stress in your relationships
84. Be humble, not boastful
85. Take a weekend retreat together
86. Attend a relationships course
87. Put your self in other people’s shoes to gain perspective
88. Keep in touch often
89. Value what you have in each relationship and be grateful for it in conversations
90. Highlight and recognize every person’s specialty
91. Avoid assumptions by voicing questions and paraphrasing
92. Value your own time and don’t waste other’s time
93. Use humor and don’t take things too seriously
94. Building relationships takes time so be patient
95. Change things up with variety and by getting out of your comfort zone
96. Have empathy and express it
97. Study and improve your body language
98. Listen to music together
99. Tell the truth (in a kind way) even if it might be hurtful
100. Put the level of effort in, that you want to get out!

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life and Mind

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life and Mind

Simplify Your Actions

1. Start everyday with your most important task, leaving other ones undone
2. Do what you said you will do first
3. Say no when you are already committed and asked to take on more
4. Ask others for help whenever you need it
5. Finish things completely, don’t leave it only to have to come back again and again
6. Pick one thing at a time to do and focus on it
7. Make the most time for your passions and purposeful work
8. Leave spare time for yourself unscheduled and uncommitted
9. Prioritize your todo list
10. Keep one todo list and keep it short (only the most important things should be on it at any time)
11. Take time to be in solitude
12. Take time to pray and meditate
13. Make wasteful actions (like TVwatching or pointless internet surfing) more difficult to do to help avoid them.
14. Find and eliminate other wasteful actions in your life
15. Develop habits and daily routines to practise important actions
16. Read every single day
17. Plan your week and all major tasks for that week
18. Review your accomplishments each week
19. Be grateful for what you have, what you can do, and for everything in your life
20. Turn off your cell phone
21. Turn off all notifications on your computer from IM, email or other popups
22. Eat simple meals and don’t cook things that don’t need to be cooked
23. Eat less, which lets you also prepare less and cleanup less and store less
24. Automate any bills, payments, and money transactions that you can
25. Ignore distractions from media
26. Commute by bicycle or public transit instead of the busy freeway
27. Use commuting time wisely by reading or listening to books
28. Consider a career or job change to reduce stress
29. Find and maintain routines for day to day things

Simplify Your Stuff

30. Get rid of clothes you no longer wear or have worn in 6 months
31. Sell or give away household items you rarely / never use
32. Eliminate 2 things for every one new thing you acquire
33. Lend things out to friends often and don’t ask for it back if you don’t need it
34. Buy less stuff by only buying basic needs
35. Move to a smaller house or living space and get rid of all extra stuff
36. Give away books when you are done with them and let someone else enjoy them
37. Give up some electronic gadgets and do without them
38. Engage in simple hobbies that don’t require a lot of stuff (music, art, perhaps writing?)
39. De-clutter your living space and don’t keep any trinkets or excessive decorations
40. Consider going more green since this requires reducing things that consume power / energy
41. Get rid of your televisions or at least reduce the time you spend watching
42. Get rid of other media distractions in your life
43. Put a sign on your door/mailbox asking not to receive any flyers or unsolicited mail
44. Don’t carry all your credit or debit cards, just a small amount of cash for emergency
45. Downsize your vehicles or sell one
46. Clear out all clutter and extra stuff from your vehicle
47. Spend a weekend and pretend you are going to move, then clean out and get rid of everything you don’t need
48. Have a place for everything and keep it organized in place
49. Label, simplify and organize your file systems (both physical and electronic)
50. Consolidate your email accounts, bank accounts, RSS feeds and others
51. Recycle and reuse as much as possible
52. Give to those who have less than you
53. Volunteer your time for service to others
54. Keep a vegetable garden via online nursery
55. Grow some plants and flowers
56. Enjoy nature’s company

Simplify Your Relationships

57. Be honest with others (it will help avoid complex issues and conflict)
58. Treat everyone with respect, not just your close friends or relationship
59. Treat everyone fairly, don’t complicate things with favoritism
60. Trust others without them having to earn it first
61. Accept people for who they are and don’t expect them to change
62. Compare yourself only to yourself from the past, no one else
63. Learn to say, “No”
64. Ask your friends and family for things they are looking for, and give them any items you can do without that you have
65. Keep all your contacts and address book items in one place
66. Involve your whole family with simplifying your life
67. Tell your friends about what you want to achieve by simplifying
68. Pick some of the actions above and do them with a friend
69. Focus on activities for doing things instead of buying
70. Spend less time with the “negatrons” around you and more time with positive people
71. Apologize quickly for any hurtful actions
72. Spend time in private with a significant other each week
73. Go for walks and have time to just talk with your friends and family (you don’t always need to be doing anything)
74. Make a gift for someone else instead of buying one
75. Write a personal thank you note or letter to a friend
76. Call someone you care for with no reason other than to tell them you were thinking of them and wish them a wonderful day
77. Walk away from all gosip and don’t participate in those conversations
78. Put family meals at home first and don’t let work get in the way
79. Stay completely disconnected from work on weekends and vacations
80. Listen to others and stop talking so much yourself

Simplify your Thoughts

81. Be content with life for health, love and happiness instead of with belongings
82. Keep less goals and plans (focus on just 2 or 3 at a time)
83. Exercise often as this clears the mind and keeps you healthy longer through life
84. Make time to do what you love and to provide relief from stress
85.Make a list of all your simple pleasures in life and pick an item from it to do every day.
86. Evaluate new things by asking “Will this help to simplify my life?”
87. Let go of perfectionism
88. Find what calms you and visualize it to reduce stress
89. Be positive and look for the best in things
90. Be anxious for nothing and live more in the moment
91. Let go of things from the past
92. Face and get over your fears
93. Always look for ways to improve oneself
94. Note and express gratitude
95. Know and stick to your limits for commitments
96. Seek knowledge only to apply it as wisdom
97. Look for and express love to yourself and others
98. Choose to be happy and at peace with yourself
99. All that you express, comes back to you, so think and express what you want for yourself
100. Seek and love God and He will provide, you need not worry about anything else

100 Ways to Be a Better Leader

100 Ways to Be a Better Leader

Leading People

1. Volunteer to help before you know what you are really needed for
2. Show up early for a meeting and welcome everyone with a handshake as they arrive
3. Facilitate a meeting for someone you work with
4. Prepare for a meeting before you attend and present your thoughts on the meeting topics first.
5. Highlight several strengths or skills you see another person has and tell them
6. Admit a mistake you have made
7. Tell stories of times where you have learned something new from a failure
8. Apologize for some wrong doing or hurt you have caused to someone
9. Display or publish your own personal values to your co-workers
10. Introduce yourself to anyone you don’t know in the workplace
11. Start a relationship with a colleague outside of work
12. Develop and use a consistent positive response to greetings like, “Hi, how are you?”
13. Share with someone one of your vulnerabilities
14. Always treat others respectfully
15. Outline for your boss each month all your accomplishments, plans and lessons learned
16. Make calls to maintain your network and to keep your contacts informed of your presence and lend an offer of help should they need it
17. Be transparent and share personal stories
18. Provide regular feedback to others about behaviors and actions you can see and hear
19. Share your vision
20. Dream big
21. Define, build and maintain your reputation
22. Spend more time with those performing well than those not
23. Keep business performance and expectations independent of any personal relationship (business is business and personal is personal)
24. Admit when you are not right
25. Communicate clearly, inquire deeper and paraphrase often
26. Spend time communicating with people in private
27. Ask about and learn what motivates other people to help them achieve it

Leadership Skills and Development

28. Start an informal learning time at lunch with colleagues and pick various topics to cover on a regular schedule
29. Send out on email your favorite learning websites
30. Tell others about how you learn new skills
31. Offer to help someone develop an area you are already familiar with
32. Teach a skill you have learned to others
33. Learn the DiSC profile (or another type of behavior/personality profile) to help describe and communicate more effectively with others
34. Put at least one thing into action from every course / book you ever complete
35. Show empathy and compassion to others
36. Find a mentor to focus your own development with
37. Mentor someone else in an area or role you excel at
38. Create/write your own training manual and share it with others
39. Write down all of your goals with end dates and ensure they are measurable
40. Write your desired legacy or epitaph
41. Increase communication by using open ended questions
42. Actively pursue and encourage continuous improvement for yourself and others
43. Continue to grow and raise your expectations over time

Leadership Actions

44. Accept responsibility for your own actions and make that point known
45. Smile at the first people you see each and every day
46. Complete the one thing you have procrastinated the most before anything else!
47. Start procrastinating things a leader doesn’t do.
48. Encourage and promote change. Be a change agent.
49. Add enthusiasm and passion to your presentations
50. Say no to unimportant requests
51. Bring up and engage in a difficult subject or conversation
52. Keep your actions and decisions aligned with your values
53. Read books and share them with others
54. Be first to demonstrate and practice the Golden Rule
55. Choose to promote someone else’s idea over your own
56. Pick 3 low value things you can stop doing and stop doing them from now on
57. Listen and think more than you talk
58. Show appreciation and thanks to others
59. Be bold in your actions
60. Tackle your biggest fear by facing it to overcome it

61. Step up your business attire a notch and keep it that way
62. Memorize and share your favorite leadership quotes
63. Be persistent
64. Do one new leadership action every day
65. Maintain and uphold any professional ethics
66. Practice what you preach
67.Be confident in your abilities and decisions
68. Strengthen your unique attributes
69. Do what you say and carry through on your commitments
70. Work hard and play hard, you need to show an ability to balance both
71. Let go of perfectionism for yourself and others
72. Be willing to take risks
73. Take initiative
74. Reduce and even eliminate things that are distracting
75. Set time aside for planning and strategy
76. Review and recap your progress and accomplishments

Servant Leadership

77. Take a day off work to go volunteer for a non-profit group
78. Always give credit to those you work with or who work for you
79. Admit and accept fault for what you are involved in even if its not solely yours
80. Don’t judge others, offer help to promote change instead
81. Be open minded for other people’s ideas and opinions
82. Stay calm and control emotional outbreaks in all situations
83. Sacrifice your own time or personal goal to help achieve a collective goal
84. Take on a task or trade a task for one that no one else wants to do
85. Contribute for free to personal and career development systems like wikis, blogs, articles, interview, speaking opportunities or other related systems
86. Find your own passions and connect with others in a community sharing that passion
87. Engage in a conversation with a stranger
88. Do something nice for a complete stranger or homeless person
89. Use the 5W questions to investigate learning and teaching
90. Keep complacency at bay and drive through resistance from others
91. Let go of having things done your way and accept alternative paths
92. Let others share their opinions before you
93. Express gratitude and appreciation for what you have
94. Put love into what you do and how you do it
95. Build trust by offering to trust people before expecting it to be earned
96. Rely on and reveal your spiritual guidance that helps you be the leader you are
97. Make decisions that build a team, not an individual
98. Do the right thing even if it won’t be liked
99. Give first and without any expectation
100. Be humble and willing to serve others

100 Ways to Serve Others

100 Ways to Serve Others

1. Smile
This is a great habit to develop to start each and every day and to practice whenever you have the chance.  The great thing is that smiling at others is easy and takes nothing but a little effort.  Nearly everyone responds to a smile and it makes you and the other person feel better immediately.

2. Hold or Get the Door for Someone
Simple things are a great way to serve others and these little things can really make a great difference.  Stop and hold the door for someone whenever you get a chance and let someone go in front of you.  This sends a strong message and you can really bump it up by combining this with #1, a great smile with the door offer.

3. Help someone get where they want to be
I mean when it comes to transportation or as a physical destination.  There are always friends, colleagues and family needing a ride somewhere or a pickup from a trip, vacation or event.  Perhaps it’s to be a designated driver for a group of friends.  Simply offer to help get them there where they want to be.

4. Buy someone lunch
Buying lunch is not that expensive, as many people do it everyday and when you have an opportunity when you are getting or eating lunch with someone, simply buy their lunch as well as yours.  Don’t offer, don’t tell them, just do it and don’t make a big deal about it.  Don’t say they can get the next one, don’t say they’d do it for you, just buy them lunch and leave it at that.

5. Pick up a hitch hiker
This one scares a lot of people and I will certainly include myself in that group.  However, it’s a great way to serve others and is a lot safer than we tend to think or what we are often taught about strangers.  It is also very safe if you think about where and when it is OK to pick up a hitch hiker and what people you want to pick up.  Often you can offer someone (or a stranger a ride) when they are not trying to hitch hike and this is very safe.

6. Provide Road Side Assistance
People have car trouble all the time.  I’m sure you have at one point as well.  Whether its changing a tire, jumping a battery or calling for an expert for a tow.  Stopping to help someone can make a tremendous impact on someone who is struggling on the side of the road.  This is especially true with accidents and is sad when people leave in a hurry when they should be stopping to help and offer a testimony to ensure people are not taken advantage of.

7. Mow Your Neighbors Lawn
Little things make a big difference and little things for a neighbor can turn an unknown neighbor into a great friend.  Mowing a lawn or raking some leaves only takes a few minutes to do, a little more than your own yard.  It looks better when lawns are mowed at the same time and while you shouldn’t expect it, often such favors will be returned.  I’ve experienced this one many times.

8. Invite someone over for dinner
An easy way to develop relationships is to have a meal together and so inviting someone over for dinner is a great way to serve them and that relationship.

9. Give a gift certificate
I love giving people living on the street gift certificates.  Gift cards for food or stores for basic needs like clothing you can buy pretty much anywhere and then instead of giving money to someone who you have no idea how they might spend it, you can give them something that they have to use for their basic needs.  I’ve given grocery store $20 gift cards to peddlers and they are always just thrilled getting it and it makes it easier for me knowing they can’t just turn around the corner and spend it on drugs or alcohol (you can’t buy alcohol in grocery stores here in Canada).

10. Help someone achieve a goal
People often struggle achieving their goals and every one of us can use help in some way.  Ask people about their goals and do what you can to help them achieve it.  Perhaps you make a suggestion of where to start or some person to refer, a course or knowledge or some personal tutoring or action to help them with, whatever it is, helping people achieve their goals is a wonderful way to serve others.

11. Share your dreams with someone
The more you think about your dreams and share them with others, the more likely they are to come true and for you to spend time on them.  So, sharing your dreams with someone and them sharing theirs in return, helps make those dreams more likely and timely.

12. Shovel snow from more than your own walks
If you live in a subzero climate with snow, shoveling the walks can be a regular event in the winter months.  Take a few minutes and shovel the walks for your neighbors or a local bus stop, or public pathway.

13. Write an article that helps people
This is an easy one for bloggers as it’s a regular event.  For non-bloggers however, writing is not always seen as a way to help people, but it’s incredibly helpful.  Pick a subject you know well and write an article about it and share it with people you know.

14. Teach something specific that you know about
Take writing one step further and teach someone something you know in person.  Take the time to help them learn it, to explain it and to have them learn from you.  Teaching is a great way to serve others and we all have an opportunity to teach others in areas we already have learned.

15. Listen intently in conversation
Conversations and communication can be difficult at times and in order to make it work and to serve others in communication is to truly listen and to listen intently.  Others will feel values that you took the time to listen and they were actually paid full attention and that you cared enough to hear them out.

16. Always let others speak before you
Another angle of communication is in when you speak and when others speak.  To give to others and serve them in your communication, let them speak first and present their ideas.  Often the people who speak first are the ones credited with an idea (if you had the same idea to share as well) and it’s great to allow that credit and attention to be paid on someone else.  It’s a wonderful way to serve someone else when you know they had the same idea as you, but instead of stating that, you can simply tell them, “That is a great idea!”.

17. Volunteer in your community
This likely came to mind when you first thought about serving others and it’s a classic example of course.  There are many ways to do this through programs, organizations, clubs, groups, community associations and any other activities in your community.  There are often websites and directories for connecting volunteers and placements that would be good for them.  Do some searching around your community.

18. Host a homeless person overnight in your home
It’s sad that this is such a scary thing for people image themselves doing but what better way to serve others than to provide the most basic of needs for someone who really needs it.  There are many incredibly deserving and kind homeless people who simply can’t afford a home in our rich nations even though they have a job and family.  Helping these people out and getting to know them a little and provide some assistance is a great way to serve others.

19. Donate money to a charity
Pick the charity you like, or many and set aside some money to give to them.  The best way to give is to set it up to be an automatic withdrawal so that the charity knows they can count on that monthly contribution and so that you make sure you do your giving before other spending.  We all spend too much anyway.

20. Pick up loose garbage
Our cities are for the most part, quite disgusting.  There is garbage everywhere you go and it will never get cleaned up without people seeing the difference and by helping to pick it up.  Do what you can and stop to pick up some garbage instead of walking over it for a change.  I especially like to do this when I go out into the wilderness for a hike or ride.  I always come home with more than I went out with since I make sure I take a moment to notice and to pick up someone’s garbage left behind.

21. Be a mentor to someone
Everyone needs help to achieve their dreams and goals in life and mentor ship is an excellent way of providing that needed help, encouragement and guidance required.  Look for opportunities to mentor people and provide that benefit to someone else as a way to serve.

22. Give away your old stuff
I said it above and I’ll say it again.  We all have too much stuff.  Do a favor for people in need and give away some of the things you no longer need or use or wear.  Others would be happy to have it and it will help you simplify your life and enjoy your time more.  Find a few locations that you can drop off your stuff or call an organization that collects your goods to redistribute to those in need.

23. Buy someone a book
If you have explored LearnThis much, you know that I love books.  Well do someone a service and buy them a book to enjoy as well.  Don’t buy them a book though that YOU would enjoy, buy them a book that THEY will enjoy.

24. Be genuine with your apologies
Put some sincerity into your apologies and be genuine when you do make a mistake.  Own up to it and make the appropriate apology in person and in a serious tone.

25. Bring baked goods to work
No matter where you work and if you work with people, people love food.  Bringing in some baked goods or snacks is always appreciated.  You can do this with your colleagues or clients, just try to ensure the food is something most can enjoy and its best to find something that is not just sugar or unhealthy.  There are many great foods to share that are healthy as well and people do enjoy.

26. Compliment someone
Serving others has to be about them.  Compliments are a great way for you to focus something positive on them and brighten their day.  Find something you can be genuine about and give them the compliment with  smile and positive approach.

27. Help to organize charity event
Charities and non-profit organizations struggle to get people to commit to planning an event or attending a volunteer effort.  You can help out the organization AND the people it is serving if you help to run the charity or a charity event.

28. Be sportsmanlike on sports teams
Sports involve a lot of different personalities and sometimes emotions.  Playing very sportsmanlike and keeping your cool even when others do not, serves everyone playing as an example and often the source of calm for the rest of a team.  Do your best to stay calm, play with sportsmanlike conduct and encourage fair and fun play over competition and winning.

29. Encourage people
I just mentioned this for sports above but its possible in all areas of life.  You have endless opportunities to encourage people to do what they love, follow their dreams, achieve their goals and do the things they enjoy doing.  Encourage positive behavior and fun actions through you day, you will enjoy it more, help others recognize those same things and hopefully, keep more of those actions coming as a result in the future.

30. Give books you’ve read away
Not many people read all the books they have, let alone read them more than once.  If you have books you know you will not read away keep them in mind and anyone interested in that subject, simply give them that book.  I absolutely receiving free books from others and always enjoy reading them as I know there is someone to have a conversation then with about that book.

31. Be a friend to those who don’t deserve it
Friendship is often thought to be something that is earned.  Well serving others you not looking for what others earn, you are simply serving others.  Extend the offer of friendship to someone who doesn’t seem like they deserve it.  Perhaps they have made some bad choices in life, hurt you in the past or stuck in a difficult set of habits to break.  The best thing for them is a true friend and it’s a great way to serve if you can provide that.

32. Support mission and aid workers
There is constantly aid work going on around the world and traveling missionaries or support works in developing nations and disaster zones and they need support.  You can support them with funds, letters, time, gifts or any combination of those.  Spread the word as well and help these organizations grow, they are themselves doing a great service that deserves more support.
33. Share your creativity
Creativity sparks new ideas in others and ideas trigger change, growth and hope.  Sharing your creativity with others serves these same results and is a great way to connect with people as well.

34. Promote someone else’s idea
We all have our own ideas but how often do you reinforce and encourage someone else’s idea.  Just one more way to serve and build others up.

35. Tell someone they are your friend
It’s funny how we don’t know how to classify as a friend or not.  Everyone has a different definition of this, but we all like to hear that someone is our friend when we do finally hear it.  Make it obvious if you are around someone new or you just don’t really know if they consider you a friend or not, to specifically say it.  Fit it into a sentence or an introduction or just a comment, like it’s great to do stuff like this with friends, too.

36. Introduce a friend to someone they don’t know
Friends make connecting with other people much easier and if you ensure you always introduce your friends to other people you know, it builds new connections and make more people feel welcome in a conversation.  It’s never fun to be the third wheel not knowing someone in the group so make sure you always introduce people to each other.

37. Talk to people at parties who look “out of place”
On the theme of meeting people and introducing people, often you can serve others by simply approaching them and introducing yourself.  It only takes a minute and can make a new person or someone who is uncomfortable or out of place to feel a lot better.  Invite them over into a group you are with, or just spend a few minutes to ask them questions and help them feel more comfortable.

38. Stay calm and don’t react with arguments
Arguments are a sure way to cause problems and staying calm may not be the easier thing to do (especially if you are under attack), but it is the best way to serve others both in the argument and seeing it indirectly.  If you can stay calm and not make the situation any worse, then you do everyone a service including yourself from not reacting negatively.

39. Support your loved ones no matter what
We often put higher expectations and judgments on those we love instead of accepting thing for who they are and their decisions.  There is nothing wrong with hoping for them to change or break away from destructive habits or decisions but there is a point at which you simply must support them as well if they make decisions or choices that you don’t agree with.  Isn’t that the best way to show you love them anyway?


40. Share successes
People learn from the success of others and so sharing both your successes and the successes of others with more people is an easy way for everyone to learn from those experiences.

41. Practice appreciative inquiry and positive dialog
Appreciative inquiry has so many benefits it’s a wonderful way to help people feel included, listened to, engaged with and ultimately it’s a way to bring the best out of people and what they are involved in doing.  I strongly believe in this one as it has such a focus on others and bringing out the best in people it is really an exceptional way to serve others.

42. Pay for the stranger’s coffee behind you in line
Head on through the drive through or even at a till in person and tell the cashier you would like to pay for that other person’s purchase as well.  You will quite likely surprise the cashier and the other person with such a simple act of kindness.

43. Offer your seat on the bus / train
Public transport is often quite crowded and its sad how selfish people seem to be when onboard.  Look for a chance to offer your seat or a helping hand to someone traveling with extra bags, children or perhaps a disability.

44. Operate a blog and give away great content
This is obvious one for me and I’m sure many of my readers here as well.  Blogging really is about serving others once you start writing for what your readers want, and not what you want yourself.  The best blogs exist because of the authors wanting to provide value and great content.  There is much to learn from blogging and the best part by far, is the way it serves others and connects you with people.

45. Take on a project as a DIY with a friend
Do-it-yourself (DIY) has many benefits and when you can offer to help a friend take on a project you are doing a great service for them.  Your help, support and perhaps expertise will bring you together to accomplish something and enjoy it when its done.

46. Accept others ideas without immediately judging them
It’s easy to be critical at times, especially if we think we have our own better idea.  Do a service to others and don’t discount or be negative towards their ideas.  Let them stand on their own and don’t immediately judge them.

47. Put and keep your cell phone out of site in conversation
This is a huge pet peeve of mine and I’ll never do it to others.  If you are in a conversation with someone, give them your full attention, face them and put your dang phone away.  It sends a poor message to be playing with your phone or answering it in the middle of a conversation.  You can’t serve someone when sending them a message that whoever might be calling is clearly more important.

48. Inspire others
This is a whole list on its own for ways to do this but we do all have things we are passionate about and enjoy.  Spread that passion and look to spark inspiration in others in sharing those.

49. Share appreciation aloud
People rarely feel appreciated enough even though it is incredibly easy to do.  Practice expressing what you appreciate about someone and do it aloud so they hear it and perhaps others will hear the same, share more or learn from you to do the same.

50. Share gratitude in life
Similar to appreciation to others, gratitude is usually expressed towards circumstances, gifts and talents and life in general.  Some show gratitude to God, to others or to their environment.  Be grateful for what you have, recognize the abundance you have to experience and share that gratitude with others.  Spreading gratitude and recognizing it is definitely a way to serve others.

51. Demonstrate perseverance
There are many ways to demonstrate perseverance but I’m thinking more specifically in the ways you are already serving others.  Taking items on this list and persevering to keep them happening, to keep on practicing, to keep on serving.

52. Make moral decisions
Moral decisions are ones that are considered to be right.  Moral decisions serve the general good and allow you to serve by making choices based on what is right and good.  We all have a moral grounding as human beings and it’s how we are created and how we think at the deepest fundamental levels.  Using that moral compass for our decisions serves others in these good decisions.

53. Live ethically
Ethical living has some parallels with moral living but perhaps more from the human defined perspective, and not human nature.  Ethics are largely defined by our cultures and society and so making that system stable and effective requires that we follow ethics and make decisions that take society into mind and use that in the way we live.  It’s all about what is right for many, a great way to serve others.

54. Share your mistakes with others
Mistakes are a wonderful way to learn and something that can easily be taught to others if shared.  Examine your mistakes and do more than learn from them yourself, share them with others.  You can gain a lot of trust in sharing mistakes to help others learn from those actions before they make the same mistakes.

55. Clap and cheer aloud
You often have a chance to clap for someone or even cheer for them at conferences, events or sports activities.  What about in meetings, daily work or even at home around the house?  Take a moment to recognize others and serve them by showing your appreciation for a job well done, an accomplishment or for taking on a new adventure.  Show them by clapping for them or cheering.  Bring others into the habit and use it often.  We do this in my workplace very often in meetings, after hearing good news or any accomplishment that is shared with a group.  The cheers and clapping always bring on a smile and serves everyone involved.

56. Tell me about yourself
Tell me about yourself or introduce yourself are pretty common questions in interview and sometimes in business meetings with new clients or with new employees and colleagues.  Use this chance to share your values and principles instead of just your usual background like where you work, your educational background or where you live.  Tell someone what you value most, why and what principles you follow in all of your life.  This has much more significance, surprises people so gets remembered and creates a faster stronger relationship than typical introductions.

57. Magnify someone’s kindness
Visit BondChristian.com and read about magnifying someone’s kindness and then go do it.  Marshall wrote, “So how do you magnify someone’s kindness? You truly appreciate it. You accept it – you accept that in that moment, you are depending on someone else, that you really do need someone else.”

58. Be willing to describe your vulnerabilities
Vulnerability exposes oneself and is an catalyst to building trust.  When people see vulnerabilities, they relate quickly and connect at a stronger level which immediate builds trust with that person.  Vulnerabilities also humble oneself which leads to…

59. Be humble
There are many ways to be humble, not just in exposing vulnerabilities.  Giving credit to others, taking blame, talking about others not yourself, and avoiding the temptation to be right are all great ways to be humble.  Humility is goes hand in hand with serving others from a character trait perspective and the focus on others is what allows humility to surface.

 60. Choose to be happy
Happiness is not something you seek, it’s not something you can find and its not something you can gain based on “if only…”, “when this…” and “as soon as this happens…” thinking.  Happiness is something you must believe you can have and you then have to choose to be happy.  You can be happy with hardship and suffering all around you and under terrible circumstances in your life if you truly believe you have that choice.  For all those that need outside influences to be happy, you can provide that service and choose to be happy and to be an example of happiness for those around you regardless of the circumstances.

61. Admit your faith and beliefs
How can you possibly serve others if you do not share or admit your faith and beliefs with them?  Wouldn’t that be deceiving them, hiding things from them or even lying to them if you take it too far in fear of telling them?  If you truly have faith and believe in it, you HAVE TO also believe in the value of sharing it.  Yes, there are good times for this and perhaps some bad times, but you must be willing to admit your faith and belief systems.

62. Ask open ended questions

Good conversations depends a lot on questions and interaction between people.  You can give control of a conversation and draw someone into being more expressive with you by asking open ended questions that allow them freedom to respond with more of their thoughts and not just a yes or no answer.

63. Be a change agent
We need to change through life or we become complacent and we die within our trapped lives.  Change prevents that and allows people to grow and develop.  Obviously personal development is connected deeply to change and if you see the value in it, serving others should involve being a change agent to help make changes happen in your life, those around you and your community for the better lives of all.

64. Avoid and guard against gossip
Gossip can be disastrous to friendships, careers and other people’s lives.  Learning to avoid gossip and guard against it both for yourself and for others is a valuable service to engage in.

65. Live with purpose
Purpose is difficult to understand if you don’t know your purpose yet.  It becomes the driving force in your life and gives you the energy to do all that you do in place of all the distractions and selfish acts that tend to keep us from our ultimate purpose.  I’ve learned that people who believe they know there purpose rarely claim a selfish one and its most often one that has a betterment for others at some level in it.  I believe we all have this created in us and so living with purpose in some way involves serving others.  I certainly know that’s in my purpose.

66. Express your passions
Passions expose a positive attitude, joy and excitement from a person when they are expressed, or at least more so than normal topics.  This excitement rubs off on others and in turn help to encourage them to be excited or to express their own passions as well.

67. Ask more questions than you answer
Asking questions shows interest in others and makes them feel more comfortable and connected in conversations.  Use questions to serve others.

68. Hand write a personal thank you card
Hand written cards and especially thank you cards are very impactful compared to verbal, email or other means.  Write a personal note or thank you to those that do things for you.  It’s a simple way to return a good feeling.

69. Take the blame
I don’t mean to take the fall for things you did not do (as that seems dishonest), I’m meaning to own up and take the blame when you do make a mistake.  Owning up to it instead of denying it, blaming others or fighting back in any way is the fastest way to resolve things and so a great way to serve others.

70. Keep excuses to your self
It’s very easy to be get defensive and this is related to the blame game above.  We use the technique of the victim cycle to make excuses in life.  Keeping these excuses to ourselves at least keeps others from getting sucked into the blame game and helps to protect our habits from impacting others.  Of course learning to eliminate excuses altogether is best but even the first step of keeping them to yourself helps to serve others.

71. Apologize sincerely
It’s actually quite sad to see how poorly most people apologize.  Insincere and often still accusing of others disguised right within the apology.  “I’m sorry you took it that way” is a LOT different than saying “I’m sorry I hurt you”.  Keep your apologies sincere and always make sure you only include what you did that you are sorry for.

72. Promote employee engagement

A great way to serve others at work is to engage other employees and colleagues whenever possible.  Look at ways to involve others, find things that excite your colleagues and show interest in people over the bottom line.

73. Give honest feedback
Mastering feedback is a crucial skill for a manager but can apply to anyone when serving others.  Feedback is a powerful tool to use to send a message of concern and care.  If feedback is used properly, there is no good or bad feedback, it’s simply a way of showing concern, express a hope for developing the best in others and a great way to serve them.

74. Tell stories
I love stories and I know many others do as well.  It’s unfortunate so many people lose interest in stories as they age, I for one have not.  Anything told as a story or that makes a story is of interest to me over other experiences and I know that stories have a way of drawing in others and developing relationships.  Telling stories attracts people and is often used as a way to communicate an otherwise complex topic.

75. Control your response
While it is difficult to master, we do control our response to every situation in life.  The choice is hard to always make the way we want to when thinking clearly yet with practice, we definitely serve others by getting better at controlling our response and being constructive and positive in otherwise difficult circumstances.

76. Master your state of mind
Our response is typically due to some moment or short time frame.  Our state of mind however, is really an extension of that response and applied over long periods of time.  State of mind affects our emotions, our mood and our thoughts at a drastic level and so in order to be at our best and to be in a state of mind that is helpful to others, we need to have some control over that state of mind.

77. Use the words, “Thank you.”

Why is “Thank you!” so hard to say?  Compliments can be hard to come by sometimes and I believe its because we are so good at wrecking a good compliment with a poor response.  Sometimes we argue back and say things like, “No I didn’t” or “Nah, you’re just saying that”.  People have been taught that that is how to be humble but they are sadly mistaken.  Responding in this way sends the message that they are wrong and so the compliment is rejected.  It’s a terrible thing to do and subtly and unconsciously stops people from sharing compliments.  There is one good response for a compliment, two simple words, “Thank You”.

78. Be prepared
The good old Scout’s motto, “be prepared” is a great way to think when it comes to serving others.  If you are not prepared, you will need to be dependent on others and if you need them, how can you serve them as easily?  I’m not saying there are not exceptions to this, but in general, if you are prepared for a circumstance, you are more likely able to serve others in that circumstance yourself.

79. Stay healthy
Staying healthy keeps you out of the health care system, keeps others from having to look after you and enables you to live longer, set a good example and be able to serve others.  If you can’t look after yourself, how can you possibly serve others as easily?

80. Live with less stuff
Serving others tends to take a second place in life for many of us from all the other things we have going on.  We volunteer if we have time, we help a friend if we are not already doing something and we put our spiritual needs behind our career and family for the most part.  Well, all our stuff and complexities tend to distract us even more and so living with less stuff and activities is an easy way to serve others as it frees our time for it and lets us put it as a priority.

81. Eliminate complaints
Complaints are toxic to other people and their moods.  Most complaints are simply dwelling on the past and never really help anyone.  Do others a favor and eliminate your complaints.

82. Keep emails positive
Emails are a cause of many communication breakdowns from saying things the wrong way or sending an unintended message.  This happens especially with emails that are criticizing something or negative in tone.  To prevent this and to keep in mind your service to others, keep your emails positive.

83. Communicate in person
When you have a chance to communicate in person over email, voice mail and even the telephone, take it.  You can always communicate more easily in person than other methods.

84. Ask for help when needed
Another way to serve others is to ask for help when its needed.  People do generally want to help when they can and asking for help is a sure way to give them that opportunity.  Taking on work yourself often leads to frustration and bitterness which can have long term effects that affect your ability to serve.  Sharing skills, advice and a helping help is a great way to serve others, on both sides.

85. Use your talents
You are created with your own set of unique talents and when you discover what they are you should use them.  Talents are wonderful to show with applied skill and are very inspiring to others.  Your talents are always the areas you will have the most impact in and if you use your talents, you have the greatest ability to serve others.

86. Practice patience
I’ve had to learn this one the hard way and am realizing how effective applying patience is in serving others.  While I used to get very frustrated and impatient with others, I’ve felt that God has been testing me to learn to have patience and has opened my eyes to see how it is best for others when patience is practiced.  I have learned the value in it now and truly believe that patience is a powerful way to serve others.

87. Protect forests
Our forests, our planet, our resources, it’s all a hot topic globally now and for good reason.  We are destroying what everyone deserves to enjoy and a small portion of the humans are destroying the largest percentage.  It’s a shame and the only way to combat it is to serve others by protecting the forests, the resources and our planet as a whole.

88. Forgive an action
Holding a grudge will get you nowhere.  Forgiveness as hard as it is, is the best way to serve others.  It’s the key to Jesus’ message and if we can live like Him, we are serving others by doing do.

89. Cancel a debt
Have you ever chipped in a few coins to cover someone’s bill at the grocery store?  How about the money a friend borrowed and has never paid back yet?  Cancel the debt and simply give it to them with no expectation of repaying the debt.  If someone owes you something, don’t hold it over them, simply cancel and forget the debt and hold onto the relationship instead of the money attached.

90. Avoid the unimportant
Unimportant things distract us constantly from our lives, in our work, our families and in our relationships.  The debt mentioned above could one of these things and it prevents us from realizing and experiencing what actually matters.  If you want others around you to experience the best memories and relationships with you that is possible, avoid the unimportant and start doing, saying and acting on the important things in your life.

91. Be enthusiastic
I know that this one may be somewhat a personal preference but as a very animated and enthusiastic person myself, I’ve heard countless times how my energy and enthusiasm is such a great presence and character trait.  I see the same in others and so I definitely believe that enthusiasm builds positive energy in others and that can only serve them by influence and perhaps, by being contagious.

92. Donate blood
This is a huge need for trauma care and a very selfless act that is truly done to serve others and provide a critical need.

93. Use positive dialogue
Positive dialogue fits into a few other items here as well but this is specifically in how you talk and what you talk about.  If you focus on the positives in your life and words you say, you will make a positive impact on others as well.  Positive dialogue includes discussions, your comments, feedback, hopes, dreams, aspirations and stories that are uplifting and positive in nature.

94. Do extra household chores
This is an easy one to do but unfortunately the word, “chores” has such negative thoughts associated with it for most people we avoid it.  If that is the case for others as well, would you not say then that to serve them well would be to do some of their household chores?

95. Give anonymously
Giving is a great way to serve others.  Make it an even better service by leaving a mystery by giving anonymously.  If you are serving them, you don’t need the recognition and certainly don’t need the receiver to feel any obligation.  The best gifts are the ones received in gratitude and anonymous gifts are easier to be grateful for than one that is connected elsewhere in our lives, so give anonymously.

96. Leave a specific compliment with a tip
Tips are an easy way to serve others in return for what they have done for you.  If you want to make a stronger impact, then write a note or message with a tip to leave a specific compliment.  Perhaps at a restaurant you could ask to speak to the manager and tell them about the great service you received from a specific server.  The restaurant manager will be happy to hear this and the server will likely gain other benefits, far more than just your added tip.

97. Say hello often to strangers
Living in Calgary, while it isn’t a huge city, its much bigger than the small town I grew up in and it is odd how seldom people say hello.  I hate that about the city and I’m doing my part to change it.  You can too by greeting strangers, smiling in public and by simply saying hello to people as often as you can around the city.  I ride my bike to work and love the bike paths I ride along as I often pass by people and have a chance to spread a smile and a hello.  Most often it brings a smile in return and isn’t that a great way to serve?  I think so.

98. Keep your promises
Being a person who can be trusted to do what you say is an important way to serve others.  Breaking a promise kills trust and takes much longer to rebuild.  If you want to serve others, you need to keep your word to them and be honest when you know you can’t keep your promise as early as possible or ideally, before you make it in the first place.

99. Let love for others drive your life
Love is the most powerful thing in this world.  It provides us all with an ability to drive through incredibly painful circumstances. It brings about hope and joy that can overcome any amount of suffering and it sets an example for service to others and to God like nothing else.  Love is a gift we all have the option to experience by God’s grace, it is offered to each and every one of us.  Experience that, make love a focus in your own life and use it to drive your life to serve others.

100. Recognize when God calls you to serve
Finally, my last in this list of 100 ways to serve is to open your mind and heart to God, to listen and then ultimately to act upon his calling in a way He wants you to serve.

35 Ways to Help the Homeless

The world of the homeless seems very far from yours -- but in some ways it is quite near. For any of us, the loss of a job, the death of a spouse or a child or a severe physical disability could be the route to total despair. These are the very tragedies that have happened to many homeless people. Struck by personal tragedies, the people in shelters across the world, have lost their homes and been deserted by the families and friends they once had. What can you do to help them? Sometimes the smallest can go a long way.

1. Understand who the homeless are - Help dispel the stereotypes about the homeless. Learn about the different reasons for homelessness, and remember, every situation is unique.
2. Educate yourself about the homeless - A homeless person may be someone who lost their job, a runaway child, or someone with a mental illness. One of the first steps in helping people is to see them as individuals and to find out what they need. Notice them; talk to them. Most are starved for attention.
3. Respect the homeless as individuals - Give the homeless people the same courtesy and respect you would accord your friends, your family, your employer. Treat them as you would wish to be treated if you needed assistance.
4. Respond with kindness - We can make quite a difference in the lives of the homeless when we respond to them, rather than ignore or dismiss them. Try a kind word and a smile.
5. Develop lists of shelters - Carry a card that lists local shelters so you can hand them out to the homeless. You can find shelters in your phone book.
6. Buy Street Sheet - This biweekly newspaper is sold in almost every major American city and is intended to help the homeless help themselves. For every paper sold, the homeless earn five cents deposited in a special savings account earmarked for rent.
7. Bring food - It's as simple as taking a few extra sandwiches when you go out. When you pass someone who asks for change, offer him or her something to eat. If you take a lunch, pack a little extra. When you eat at a restaurant, order something to take with you when you leave.
8. Give money - One of the most direct ways to aid the homeless is to give money. Donations to nonprofit organizations that serve the homeless go a long way.
9. Give recyclables - In localities where there is a "bottle law," collecting recyclable cans and bottles is often the only "job" available to the homeless. But it is an honest job that requires initiative. You can help by saving your recyclable bottles, cans, and newspapers and giving them to the homeless instead of taking them to a recycling center or leaving them out for collection. If you live in a larger city, you may wish to leave your recyclables outside for the homeless to pick up -- or give a bagful of cans to a homeless person in your neighborhood.
10. Donate clothing - Next time you do your spring or fall cleaning, keep an eye out for those clothes that you no longer wear. If these items are in good shape, gather them together and donate them to organizations that provide housing for the homeless.
11. Donate a bag of groceries - Load up a bag full of nonperishable groceries, and donate it to a food drive in your area. If your community doesn't have a food drive, organize one. Contact your local soup kitchens, shelters, and homeless societies and ask what kind of food donations they would like.
12. Donate toys - Children living in shelters have few possessions --if any-- including toys. Homeless parents have more urgent demands on what little money they have, such as food and clothing. So often these children have nothing to play with and little to occupy their time. You can donate toys, books, and games to family shelters to distribute to homeless children. For Christmas or Chanukah, ask your friends and co-workers to buy and wrap gifts for homeless children.
13. Volunteer at a shelter - Shelters thrive on the work of volunteers, from those who sign people in, to those who serve meals, to others who counsel the homeless on where to get social services. For the homeless, a shelter can be as little as a place to sleep out of the rain or as much as a step forward to self-sufficiency.
14. Volunteer at a soup kitchen - Soup kitchens provide one of the basics of life, nourishing meals for the homeless and other disadvantaged members of the community. Volunteers generally do much of the work, including picking up donations of food, preparing meals, serving it, and cleaning up afterward. To volunteer your services, contact you local soup kitchen, mobile food program, shelter, or religious center.
15. Volunteer your professional services - No matter what you do for a living, you can help the homeless with your on-the-job talents and skills. Those with clerical skills can train those with little skills. Doctors, psychiatrists, counselors, and dentists can treat the homeless in clinics. Lawyers can help with legal concerns. The homeless' needs are bountiful -- your time and talent won't be wasted.
16. Volunteer your hobbies - Every one of us has something we can give the homeless. Wherever our interests may lie -- cooking, repairing, gardening, and photography -- we can use them for the homeless. Through our hobbies, we can teach them useful skills, introduce them to new avocations and perhaps point them in a new direction.
17. Volunteer for follow-up programs - Some homeless people, particularly those who have been on the street for a while, may need help with fundamental tasks such as paying bills, balancing a household budget, or cleaning. Follow-up programs to give the formerly homeless further advice, counseling, and other services need volunteers.
18. Tutor homeless children - A tutor can make all the difference. Just having adult attention can spur children to do their best. Many programs exist in shelters, transitional housing programs, and schools that require interested volunteers. Or begin you own tutor volunteer corps at your local shelter. It takes nothing more than a little time.
19. Take homeless children on trips - Frequently, the only environment a homeless child knows is that of the street, shelters, or other transitory housing. Outside of school -- if they attend -- these children have little exposure to many of the simple pleasures that most kids have. Volunteer at your local family shelter to take children skating or to an aquarium on the weekend.
20. Volunteer at battered women's shelter - Most battered women are involved in relationships with abusive husbands or other family members. Lacking resources and afraid of being found by their abusers, many may have no recourse other than a shelter or life on the streets once they leave home. Volunteers handle shelter hotlines, pick up abused women and their children when they call, keep house, and offer counseling. Call your local shelter for battered women to see how you can help.
21. Teach about the homeless - If you do volunteer work with the homeless, you can become an enthusiast and extend your enthusiasm to others. You can infect others with your own sense of devotion by writing letters to the editor of your local paper and by pressing housing issues at election time.
22. Publish shelter information - Despite all of our efforts to spread the word about shelters, it is surprising how many people are unaware of their own local shelters. Contact your local newspapers, church or synagogue bulletins, or civic group's newsletters about the possibility of running a weekly or monthly listing of area services available to the homeless. This could include each organization's particular needs for volunteers, food, and other donations.
23. Educate your children about the homeless - Help your children to see the homeless as people. If you do volunteer work, take your sons and daughters along so they can meet with homeless people and see what can be done to help them. Volunteer as a family in a soup kitchen or shelter. Suggest that they sort through the toys, books, and clothes they no longer use and donate them to organizations that assist the poor.
24. Sign up your company/school - Ask your company or school to host fund-raising events, such as raffles or craft sales and donate the proceeds to nonprofit organizations that aid the homeless. You can also ask your company or school to match whatever funds you and your co-workers or friends can raise to help the homeless.
25. Recruit local business - One of the easiest ways to involve local businesses is to organize food and/or clothing drives. Contact local organizations to find out what is needed, approach local grocery or clothing shops about setting up containers on their premises in which people can drop off donations, ask local businesses to donate goods to the drive, and publicize the drive by placing announcements in local papers and on community bulletin boards and by posting signs and posters around your neighborhood.
26. Create lists of needed donations - Call all the organizations in your community that aid the homeless and ask them what supplies they need on a regular basis. Make a list for each organization, along with its address, telephone number, and the name of a contact person. Then mail these lists to community organizations that may wish to help with donations -- every place from religious centers to children's organizations such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
27. Play with children in a shelter - Many children in shelters are cut off from others their own age. Shuffled from place to place, sometimes these kids don't attend school on a regular basis, and have no contact with other kids. Bring a little joy to their lives by taking your children to a local shelter to play. Plan activities such as coloring, playing with dolls, or building model cars (take along whatever toys you'll need). Your own children will benefit too.
28. Employ the homeless - Help Wanted - General Office Work. Welfare recipient, parolee, ex-addict OK. Good salary, benefits. Will train. That's the way Wildcat Service Corporations Supported Work Program invites the "unemployable" to learn to work and the program works! More than half the people who sign on find permanent, well-paying jobs, often in maintenance, construction, clerical, or security work.
29. Help the homeless apply for aid - Governmental aid is available for homeless people, but many may not know where to find it or how to apply. Since they don't have a mailing address, governmental agencies may not be able to reach them. You can help by directing the homeless to intermediaries, such as homeless organizations, that let them know what aid is available and help them to apply for it. If you want to be an advocate or intermediary for the homeless yourself, you can contact these organizations as well.
30. Stand up for the civil rights of the homeless - In recent elections, for example, volunteers at shelters and elsewhere helped homeless people register to vote . . . even though they had "no fixed address" at the moment. Some officials would not permit citizens without a permanent address to vote.
31. Join Habitat for Humanity - This Christian housing ministry builds houses for families in danger of becoming homeless. Volunteers from the community and Habitat homeowners erect the houses. Funding is through donations from churches, corporations, foundations, and individuals.
32. Form a transitional housing program - One of the most potent homeless-prevention services a community can offer residents who are in danger of eviction is a transitional housing program. These programs help people hang on to their current residences or assist them in finding more affordable ones. The methods include steering people to appropriate social service and community agencies, helping them move out of shelters, and providing funds for rent, mortgage payments, and utilities. For information, contact the Homelessness Information Exchange at (202) 462-7551.
33. Write to corporations - Some of the largest corporations in America have joined the battle for low-income housing. Through the use of the tax credit or by outright grants, they are participating with federal and state government, not-for-profit and community-based groups to build desperately needed housing in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and dozens of other cities. Contact various organizations and ask them what they are doing.
34. Contact your government representatives - Our legislators rarely receive more than three visits or ten letters about any subject. When the numbers exceed that amount, they sit up and take note. Personal visits are the most potent. Letters are next; telephone calls are third best. Housing issues don't come up that often, so your public officials will listen.
35. Push for state homelessness prevention programs - While states routinely supply aid for the poor and homeless, many do not have programs provide funds and other services to those who will lose their homes in the immediate future unless something is done. Homelessness comes at great financial and human cost to the families who are evicted or foreclosed.