Newsletter—March 2012
President’s Message
It’s mid March–and in the GTA, it certainly feels this week like we’ve broken the back of winter. And it’s about time. And talking about time–managing it has always been one of my banes (along with a severe case of procrastination). This month’s event focuses on effective use of time for consultants and I’m really looking forward to Mark Ellwood‘s presentation.
We’ve had a very busy month at AIC since our last event in February (see below for details). So without further ado…
At the Last Event
Last month, Darla Campbell, P.Eng. of amonavi consulting group inc. (and AIC VP of Communications) presented on “Negotiating for Results”. In case you weren’t at the event (or didn’t take notes), Darla has provided a summary of her presentation:
Negotiate for Results! Stop convincing and start achieving in any scenario.
- Be clear on your outcome. As Stephen Covey puts it, “Begin with the end in mind.”
- Have a range of acceptable options. Maintain flexibility.
- Ask yourself, “Can I walk away from the deal?” If yes, that guarantees that you stay in the driver’s seat! When that’s the case, think to yourself, “What have I got to lose?” while maintaining confidence, professionalism and common courtesy.
- “Chunk up” to find agreement. Look for common ground at the bigger picture level. If you can’t find a level of agreement, there’s no negotiation.
- “Chunk down” only as fast as you can maintain agreement. That’s when you get into the details, moving from the common ground to the specifics (of the deal).
Remember, have fun and maintain objectivity. After all, it’s just business.
For more information (to get on the fast track for results), check out the amonavi consulting group website.
AIC relaunches its website
We’ve redesigned our website with some new additional features. All of our newsletters are now available, a sampling of our recent tweets (follow us on @aiconsult), and much more to come. (There are one or two features that still aren’t working yet, but we’ll get to them very soon).
AIC’s (new) YouTube Channel
Yes, AIC continues to move into the social media sphere with the launch of our own YouTube channel, and available at http://www.youtube.com/user/aiconsultantscanada. Our first video is a short interview with Darla Campbell about her presentation at the February AIC event. We plan to add new videos of presenters in the coming months after each event. We’ll also be showcasing some of the videos here at our site.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Would you like to see your logo and a 50-word description of your firm here in the newsletter (actually in the sidebar to the right)? You can sponsor the newsletter! It’s $75.00 for members and $125.00 for non-members and we send it out to slightly over 1,000 people, plus mentions in our Twitter stream (@aiconsult). Contact Ell Wilson (our VP Marketing) for more information. Ask about how you can also sponsor the monthly events, which is another sponsorship opportunity.
Car Pool with a Member
Consider car pooling with a member to future AIC events. Even if you both have a vehicle, two or more in the car gets you into the diamond lane (and besides, car pooling to an event is fun–you can always talk about the presentation on the way home). If you are interested, send a reply to this newsletter expressing interest in car pooling (and tell us what part of the city you’re in) and we’ll try to connect you with another member in your area.
Interesting Articles and Links
- There is a common thread running through most of these recommendations and stories; life is too short to put up with crap. Carol Roth’s colleagues discuss “Dealing with Difficult Customers and Clients“.
- Do we need this in Ontario? Do you think it’s something AIC should look into? Take a look at the “Freelancer Payment Protection Act” in NY state.
- OK, I admit that I like Star Trek. But I’m not actively looking for articles like this one: “Five Leadership Lessons From James T. Kirk” (You’ll notice that there are no leadership lessons from Picard. That’s all I’m saying on that score) from Forbes.
- On crafting a better “About Me” page.
Quote of the Month
Samuel Johnson on Parkinson’s Law (many years before Parkinson himself):
“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”
~ Samuel Johnson, quoted by Boswell: Life
Reading List
I’m partway through a couple of books and I’ll have some more suggestions and recommendations next month. In the meantime, if you’re read a business book recently that may be of interest to your fellow members (or one that you think was a total waste of time), drop me a line (president1
aiconsult
ca) with short review and we’ll include here in the newsletter and on the website.
Professional Development Credits
AIC's events may quality as Continuing Professional Education/Development credits for the Society of Management Accountants (Ontario) and the Certifed General Accountants of Ontario.
That’s all for now! See you all on March 26th!
The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.
Learn more about AIC by phone (416-410-8163), email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.
