The Rant's mission is to offer information that is useful in business administration, economics, finance, accounting, and everyday life. The mission of the People of God is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. This people is "a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race." Its destiny "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time."
Even if the leader is using the appropriate leadership style for a given readiness level, that style may not be maximizing the leader's probability of success if it does not reflect the appropriate power base. Therefore, just as an effective leader should vary leadership style according to the readiness level of the follower, it may be appropriate to vary the use of power in a similar manner. The bases that influence people's behavior at various levels of readiness are pictured in Figure 1. Figure 1 Power Bases Necessary to Influence People's Behavior at Various Levels of Readiness
Figure 1 shows a relationship only between power bases and readiness level. There also appears to be a direct relationship between the kind of power bases a person has and the corresponding leadership style that will be effective for that person in influencing the behavior of others at various readiness levels. Coercive Power A follower low in readiness generally needs strong directive behavior in order to become productive. To engage effectively in this telling style, the leader may have to use coercive power. The behavior of people at low levels of readiness seems to be influenced by the awareness that costs will be incurred if they do not learn and follow the rules of the game. Thus, sanctions---the perceived power to fire, transfer, demote, and so on---may be an important way that a leader can induce compliance from people who are unable and unwilling. The leader's coercive power may motivate the followers to avoid the punishment or "cost" by doing what the leader tells them to do. Connection Power As a follower begins to move from readiness level R1 to R2, directive behavior is still needed, but increases in supportive behavior are also important. The telling and selling leadership styles appropriate for these levels of readiness may become more effective if the leader has connection power. The possession of this power base may induce compliance because a follower at these readiness levels tends to aim at avoiding punishments or gaining rewards available through the powerful connection. Reward Power A follower at a low to moderate level of readiness often needs high amounts of supportive behavior and directive behavior. This selling style is often enhanced by reward power. Because individuals at this readiness level are willing to try on new behavior, the leader needs to be perceived as having access to rewards in order to gain compliance and reinforce growth in the desired direction. Legitimate Power The leadership styles that tend to influence effectively those at both moderate levels of readiness (R2 and R3) are selling and participating. Legitimate power seems to be helpful in effective use of these styles. By the time a follower reaches these moderate levels of readiness, the power of the leader has become legitimized. That is, the leader is able to induce compliance or influence behavior by virtue of the leader's position in the organizational hierarchy. Referent Power A follower at a moderate to high level of readiness tends to need little direction but still requires a high level of communication and support from the leader. This participating style may be effectively utilized if the leader has referent power. The source of power is based on good personal relations with the follower. With people who are able but unwilling or insecure, this power base tends to be an important means of instilling confidence and providing encouragement, recognition and other supportive behavior. When that occurs, followers will generally respond in a positive way, permitting the leader to influence them because they like, admire, or identify with the leader. Information Power The leadership styles that tend to motivate followers effectively at above average readiness levels (R3 and R4) are participating and delegating. Information power seems to be helpful in using these two styles. People at these levels of readiness look to the leader for information to maintain or improve performance. The transition from moderate to high readiness may be facilitated if the follower knows that the leader is available to clarify or explain issues and provide access to pertinent data, reports, and correspondence when needed. Through this information power, the leader is able to influence people who are both willing and able. Expert Power A follower who develops to a high level of readiness often requires little direction or support. This follower is able and willing to perform the tasks required and tends to respond most readily to a delegating leadership style and expert power. Thus, a leader may gain respect from and influence most readily a person who has both competence and confidence by possessing expertise, skill, and knowledge that this follower recognizes as important. An easy way to think about sources of power in terms of making diagnostic judgments is to draw a triangle, as shown in figure 2, around the three power bases necessary to influence below-average, average, and above-average levels of readiness.
Figure 2 Power Bases Necessary to Influence People at Various Readiness Levels A way to examine the high probability power base for a specific readiness level is to draw inverted triangles, as shown in Figure 3. Note that R1 and R4, the extreme readiness levels, include only two power bases instead of three. Figure 3 Power Bases Necessary to Influence People's Behavior at Specific Levels of Readiness
*SOURCE: MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: LEADING HUMAN RESOURCES, 8TH ED., 2001, PAUL HERSEY, KENNETH H. BLANCHARD, DEWEY E. JOHNSON, PGS. 216-218*
Before listing your house for sale on the market, look around to see what things need to be fixed so that you can get the maximum profit out of it. It is extremely important to make your house attractive to potential buyers when they visit your place. Focus on these important, yet simple, fixes to boost the value of your house. The fixes in this post can be done easily and inexpensively. There are a lot of benefits when you get these simple, but often overlooked, things done. You will sell your house quicker. Getting your home fixed up will increase its value. Buyers will have a favorable experience. If you are interested in real estate wholesaling, then this is not for you. However, if you want higher returns for selling your house, here are 3 simple fixes. 1. FLOORING The most important thing to fix is damaged flooring. Flooring makes a huge difference in the overall look of your house. If you have damaged flooring, repair it. It creates a great impact on potential buyers. The simple and inexpensive way to upgrade your damaged floor is a fine coat of neutral paint or a new carpet. As a result, it will brighten up your house, and it will look well maintained. While changing the damaged floor of your house, you should always focus on highly visible areas such as the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Hardwood floors are one of the most popular ones. To get the same kind of look for a much lower price, try laminate flooring. If you already have a hardwood floor, refinish it. It will entirely change the look of your house. 2. CEILING AND WALL PAINT One of the most convenient and simplest ways to refresh your house is through painting. It is crucial to fix nail holes and dents in the wall. You don't have to hire a professional to paint. You can paint the ceiling and walls of your house on your own to give it a new look. There are tons of wall-painting tutorial videos available for free on Youtube. It will not cost you much. Furthermore, choosing the right color is also important when you're thinking about selling your house. You may have enjoyed different shades of colors when you were residing at your home, but avoid doing this when you are listing your house for sale. Bright colors make rooms look smaller. Neutral, light colors are best for ceiling and walls because it attracts most people and makes your room look bigger. If you have wallpaper, remove it. It will reduce the value of your house. If the paint of the doors and drawers of the kitchen and bathroom is cracked or peeled, apply a fresh coat. 3. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR FIXES Apart from painting your house, there are little things which people sometimes forget to fix. Interior fixes include fixing any leaks or loose hinges, and making sure the refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, stove, and chimney are in good condition. Check whether cabinet doors and drawers open and close easily, or not. Unclog or replace stuck drawer tracks, broken knobs, or handles. Check if faucets are running leak free or not. In addition, fix lighting issues, if needed. Or look at different lighting options available in the market, that can make your rooms look more spacious. Don't forget to check all the things mentioned above so you don't lose the value of your house. Lastly, the exterior part is equally important because it is the first place buyers see, and first impressions count. Making simple and noticeable changes in the front of your house will not cost much. Check the whole exterior area and make necessary changes, as needed, such as replace the missing fence, clean up any junk lying around your house, cut the grass, get all the things patched up, fix the broken or missing tiles, etc. These simple fixes will give you higher returns when you sell your house. *SOURCE: revereradionetwork.com*
Students from 5 to 13 will explore mythology and folklore, and four Camp Classic sessions are offered: July 15-19 (Greek Mythology); July ...
17 hours ago
4 Simple Steps To Generating Leads in 7 Days Or Less
by
Charles Lamson
As an entrepreneur, you are busy most of the time. How do you manage to juggle responsibilities and create new leads? For instance, you may have to divide your attention between meeting your end year goals and preparing for tax season plus at the end of the month you will need to create and generate more leads.
Well, don't let the schedule freak you out. You will have time to implement a lead generation technique over the coming days. If you are wondering how, this RRN article will give you marketing tactics you can quickly execute in a week. It will allow you to get more leads despite how chaotic the situation may be.
These are some tactics that you may employ to turn your online audience into customers.
Step 1: Market your Services Through a Referral Email Campaign. In the business world, the messenger is at times more important than the message they post. Most entrepreneurs tend to forget this principle when using the old content pattern of posting, publishing and promoting. Here, you'll be spreading the message to as many readers as you can. Now, relax and analyze this. Your potential leads will most probably not know your brand image. Also, they will probably stare at your adverts. They must be able to trust you before they decide to sign up and buy your products. But there is a challenge, how do you build trust---which takes days, weeks, or even years---and you need the leads now? To cater for the trust factor, use one of your most valuable marketing resource, yet the most overlooked: your existing customers. Most people trust the recommendations they receive from their colleagues, family members, and networks. Segment your mailing list and get the clients who are most engaged. These people may buy from you, participate in loyalty programs or even sign up for your events and contests. You can email them and ask to refer your services to their friends. Make the deal as sweet as possible.
Step 2: Run a simple Ad Campaign on Facebook With a Simple Landing Page
Facebook has over two billion users.
It is your best source for generating leads, and your audience is also here. The audience may include a particular demographic, or people who have specific behaviors like shopping patterns.
Looking for new leads?
Great, steer clear of any ad that seeks direct sales pitches. Instead you can offer free coupons, checklist, webinar or a resources guide.
The contents of a good landing page. Entail the following:
An exciting headline to capture your audience.
A high quality image to evoke the emotions and senses of your clients.
Some questions or benefits you enjoy when you make this purchase.
A call to action.
Customizing the message to your audience increases the chances of converting your visitors to leads.
Step 3: Create Giveaways
Who doesn't love gifts?
Product giveaways are very effective and efficient in promoting your business to leads. When they are reading about the things they can win, they will also get more information on your brand.
The contest entry pages constitute the highest conversion rates on lead pages. People will comfortably enter into a contest with the hope of winning a gift they want. They will not incur any loss and have the potential to realize all the gains. So, are you ready to offer a gift? If yes, what are you going to give? Your business may provide their products as gifts, or they may provide vouchers for a famous store. Once you determine the prize, set the deadline for the contest. Use the details from the above link on product giveaways to launch a contest page before you start promoting it.
Step 4: Add an Upgrade to the Most Popular Blog Use Google analytics to find your most valuable content. The analytics will give you a report showcasing your page views for your pages over a given period. Once you identify your high-traffic post, design a content upgrade that you'll add to this page. The update should correlate to the actual topic of your blog post. Are you rushing against time? Use these quick and easy marketing tips to create more leads to your business that can easily be executed within one week.
So I have had a few very interesting developments occur in the last couple of days that will dramatically change the direction this blog will be headed in the future.
As soon as I opened my eyes this morning, I grabbed my trusty laptop and started the day's work while sucking down a big ol' cup o' water. Been feeling a little crappy lately so been taking lots of vitamin C and slamming lots of water the last couple of days to flush out my kidneys. It seems to be working fine. So, I started my work day by going to my blog. While I was drinking some black coffee and waking up. I went to The Rant website, blogsite, whatever, and thought it might be interesting to go back to the beginning of The Rant blog concept and see what I had written back then. I sort of forgot, to be honest. My writing style is such that when I'm writing, I generally do 3 quick drafts, revising each a little as I go along, I post it, maybe admire it a little bit, then quickly move on to the next post and just sort of forget all the old info so I can make way for the new. I went to the beginning by going to the right hand side of the page. and clicking 2014. I was a little surprised to find a short story I had written about one my stays in the hospital. It was kind of a Hunter S. Thompson fusion of surrealism and reality, blending the truth with some drug-induced fantasy, just to sort of lighten the mood. They had me on a lot of drugs. I was surprised at how well it actually turned out. It was called Lamsonacare. Here's the link: Lamsonacare. I was just sort of quickly skimming through it because I still had other things I wanted to accomplish today, and I came across this nostalgic interesting tidbit of info:
I just want to point out I got a call from Beebopskeebop from Florida yesterday. He is a regular listener to my talkshow on www.revereradionetwork.com. He seems like a cool guy. The name of the show is The Rant. It is a global broadcast, twenty-five million listeners worldwide. The show broadcasts Monday through Friiday from two to four Central Time. I do another radio show Sunday evening on www.flagshipradio.com, five to seven PM Central. It is called The Lamson Experiment.
Now here's where it gets interesting. I know for a fact that about ten months ago, Rob Revere Verrier had closed down the old Revere Radio Network website. So just on a whim I clicked on the link and was rather shocked to find there was a brand new site up and running there, but it was still called Revere Radio Network. What was even stranger was it had almost nothing to do with conspiracy theory internet based talk radio, like the old website. As fate would have it, all of the data on this site are simple business tips that seem to blend seamlessly with with the way The Rant has seemed to organically morph into a more business-type organization. The surprising part is that I am still in fairly regular contact with Robb, and he has mentioned nothing about this. Now I know nothing of the business arrangements he made when he closed down his website, and still haven't talked to him about. I was planning on showing him this post when I'm done to see what he has to say about it. I'm assuming someone just bought the name and completely rebuilt the site, but we shall see. I am on the case. I'll get to the bottom of this. In the meantime information on this site blends perfectly with the mission of The Rant. So, in the next post post, I will be borrowing heavily from the Revere Radio Network website. But below is the very first post I came across on the new Revere Radio Network website. This will give you a clearer idea of what I'm talking about.
We just went through a complete redesign and overhaul of our website and we hope you look forward to what we have in store.
Our goal is to help, assist and facilitate so that you can become the leader In your market with advice, tips, and trends for the digital world with a message that connects, gains respect and revered from your community and fans.
Who Will Benefit?
If you own a business or looking to build a business utilizing the power of the internet, then this is for you.
This visual novel's premise is that a serial killer is roaming the city, killing people in a manner inspired by Greek mythology. Think Ace Attorney ...
SECURITY NOTICE
by
Charles Lamson
Whomever my little home invader buddy is, I'm just letting you know, my apartment complex, Fox Hill Apartments, has just recently finished installing a fairly nice, new system of security cameras throughout the apartment complex. But don't take my word for it. Feel free to call the Fox Hill Apartments Management Office at 636-946-3688 and ask them about their new security camera system.
So, just to show everyone what a magnanimous guy I am, I'm going to let you off with this one public warning. But, any more funny business with my little key lock-box on the side of my door (which was Ironically put there so EMT providers and other first responders can get into my apartment in case of emergency), and all I have to do is make 1 phone call to the Fox Hill Apartments Management Office, or to the police, so I can view the surveillance tapes and see who the culprit is.
Furthermore, the inside of my apartment is pretty much cammed up 24/7. With today's technology, it is very easy and inexpensive to do. And, I have a Medlert pendant that I keep on me at all times that I can, and have, used (quite effectively) for security purposes in the past. It's a brave new world. You need to wake up and smell the coffee.These lame attempts to intimidate me are archaic, last century, and rather low on the intelligence scale.
Also, I feel it is worth mentioning that my neighbors and I are very close. When you live in close quarters with people for as many years as we have, it makes us very protective of each other. We look out for each other. Like a family that lives under the same roof should be, ideally, but which you obviously know absolutely nothing about, which is a good segue into the next point I want to make.
Because I have already had a few problems with this in the past, I know it is someone who knows me well enough to know my code and wants to play little games. So, I already have a pretty good idea who it is. Let's just put it this way: Family loyalty means absolutely nothing to me. You guys killed that in me a long time ago. You see things like kindness, chivalry, family loyalty, even love, for that matter as weaknesses for you to exploit and manipulate people. Oftentimes, just for fun, because you're bored and psychopathic. It brings you sadistic delight to screw with people.
And to the person who is trying to intimidate me with your little games on the phone, do it again, and I'm calling the police and getting a restraining order. I don't want to talk to you, so any future attempts to contact me will be seen as harassment.
I may be poor and crippled, but I'm not stupid. I don't scare easy, and I've never responded well to being bullied. So eat shit and die, motherfucker. I hope you have a shitty life.
Thank you in advance to all my friends for sharing and dispersing this as much as possible. I'm hoping that all the increased exposure of this situation will help cover my ass all the better.
Although position power and personal power are important and useful concepts in examining power, they are limited because they force you to divide "the pie" into just two pieces. R.L. Peabody named four categories of power on the basis of statements of questionnaire respondents in a police department, a welfare office, and an elementary school: power of legitimacy (laws, rules, policies); of position; of competence (professional and technical expertise); and of person.
A study by A. C. Filley and A. J. Grimes identified 11 reasons why an individual would seek a decision from another on various work-related matters in a professional organization. These reasons, from most frequently to least frequently mentioned, were responsibility and function (the person is responsible for the particular matter); formal authority (the person is in a position to make decisions generally); control of resources (the person controls money, information, and so on); collegial (a group of peers has the right to be consulted); manipulation (the person can get the decision made in the manner desired); default or avoidance (the person is available and will deal with the problem); bureaucratic rules (the rules specify the person to consult); traditional rules (custom, tradition, or seniority specify the person to consult); equity (the person is a fair decision maker); friendship (the person is personally liked); and expertise (the person has superior knowledge of the subject).
Many other power base classification systems have been developed, but the framework devised by J. R. P. French and B. Raven, appears to be the most widely accepted. They proposed that there are five bases of power: coercive power, expert power, legitimate power, referent power, and reward power. Later, Raven, collaborating with W. Kruglanski, identified a sixth power base---information power. Hersey and Marshall Goldsmith modified some of the definitions of French, Raven, and Kruglanski and proposed a seventh base of power---connection power. The Perception of Power In the following discussion of power bases, we use the word perceived in such instances as "coercive power---the perceived ability to provide sanctions." We do this because the key issue in the concept of power is that it is not based on the reality of how much power the manager has but rather on the followers' perception of that power. Truth and reality evoke no behavior. All behavior is based on people's perception and interpretation of truth and reality. For example, when a couple has a fight, it does not matter whether the cause was real or imagined---it was just as much of a fight. It is the perception others hold about power that gives people the ability to influence. We operate using psychological maps. The caution that one must make is that no matter how hard we work or how detailed our psychological map, no matter how much information and specificity we have in our psychological map, the map is not the territory. The closer and closer we match our psychological map to the territory, however, the higher the probability that we will be able to operate effectively within that territory. Get the Information Out People must not only perceive you as having power, they must also see you as able and willing to use it. It is not enough to have access to power; you have to let people know you are willing to use it. Information has value only when you get it out to the end user in a fashion that can be understood and accepted. If you don't blow your own horn, somebody else will use it as a spittoon. Consider a father examining his son's report card and suffering mild cardiac tremors as he sees a solid column of Ds. Outraged that a product of his genes could so disgrace the family; he confronts his son: "Dave, this just won't do. I can't tolerate these grades, and if you don't show me an immediate turnaround, you're going to be grounded!" Six weeks later, Dave brings home another report card. This time the Ds are written in red ink with exclamation points. The father says, "David, get in here! I'm really upset, and now you have no choice at all. Hit those books hard or you're definitely going to be grounded!" Next time, it's the same, except that the teacher has added some pointed remarks about Dave's inattentive behavior in class. Dave's father turns crimson, crumples his beer can and shouts, "David Ralph, this is it . . . last chance city . . . you're in real trouble with the old man now!" What has Dave learned? That his father, who has the ability to ground him, will not use the power! Because of his father's reluctance to follow through with his threatened punishments, Dave knows that all he has to do is take the heat for 6 minutes and he's off the hook for 6 weeks! Power is a matter of perception---use it or lose it! Readiness, Styles, and Power Bases The relationship between readiness, leadership style, and the power base that drives that style will be explained from the aspects of managing and leading. Coercive Power---The Perceived Ability to Provide Sanctions, Punishment, or Consequences for Not Performing Followers at readiness level R1 (characterized as unable, and unwilling or insecure). need guidance. Too much supportive behavior with people who are not performing may be perceived as permissive or as rewarding the lack of performance. Without some coercive power to drive the telling style, attempts to influence will be ineffective. Followers need to know that if they do not respond, there may be some costs, sanctions, or other consequences. These may take the form of a reprimand, cut in pay, transfer, demotion, or even dismissal. Managers often erode their coercive power by not following through. They may have the ability to impose sanctions but for one reason or another be unwilling to do so. This reluctance to use sanctions can result in a loss of power. Another way to erode coercive power is by not differentiating in the use of sanctions on the basis of performance. If people feel they will be punished regardless of performance, coercive power has little impact. It is even possible to "talk" coercive power away. A manager begins a performance appraisal interview with a low performer by saying, "Now, look, both of us know that you've been here over 20 years and I can't fire you." In just a few words, the manager has stripped away any coercive power the follower might have perceived. Connection Power---The Perceived Association of the Leader with Influential Persons or Organizations Connection power is an important driver for telling and selling leadership styles. Usually, followers at R1 and R2 (low to moderate follower readiness) want to avoid the sanction or gain the favor they associate with powerful connections. The important issue is not whether there is a real connection, but whether there is a perception of a real connection. For example, a first-level supervisor may be regarded as having limited power. But, if that supervisor is married to a relative of the company president, the perceived connection may provide added influence with others in the organization. Reward Power---The Perceived Ability to Provide Things That People Would like to Have Reward power is enhanced if managers are seen as having the ability to give appropriate rewards. Followers who are unable but willing (R2) are most likely to try on new behaviors if they feel increases in performance will be rewarded. Rewards may include raises, bonuses, promotions, or transfers to more desirable positions. They may also include intangibles such as a pat on the back or feedback on accomplishment. In the final analysis, managers get what they reward. A significant amount of reward power has been legislated, negotiated, and administered away. We find that this is true in the classroom as well as in almost every organization. Yet, managers themselves often erode the power that remains by making promises they do not keep. For example:
Salesperson: I did it! I made the 15 percent over quota with room to spare. When am I going to get that 10-percent bonus?
Sales manager: I'm sorry, but economic conditions are such that we'll have to postpone it for awhile. But don't worry. If you keep up the good work, I promise I'll make it up to you.
Other managers erode their reward power by "hoping for A but rewarding B." An example might be an organization that gives all salespeople a 10-percent cost-of-living adjustment and yet the difference between reward for average sales and outstanding sales is only 1 or 2 percent. In this case, "hanging around" for another year is significantly rewarded. This practice often results in high performers losing their motivation and commitment or looking outside the company for opportunities. The problem with power derived from rewards is that rewards will often run their course. The manager will be left with an employee who is no longer motivated through the use of rewards and an organization that can no longer provide rewards. Legitimate Power---The Perception That It Is Appropriate for the Leader to Make Decisions Because of Title, Role, or Position in the Organization Legitimate power can be a useful driver for the selling and participating styles. Followers who are both unable and unwilling (low readiness) couldn't care less about whether someone's title is manager, regional manager, or vice president. And followers high in readiness can often be influenced if they feel it is appropriate for a person in that position or with that title to make that decision. For example, a salesperson might comment to a peer about the department's recent organization: "Pat should be making those kind of decisions . . . that's what the sales manager gets paid to do." Referent Power---The Perceived Attractiveness of Interacting with the Leader In attempting to influence people who are able but insecure or unwilling (R3), high relationship behavior is necessary. If people have a confidence problem, the manager needs to encourage. If they have a motivation problem, the manager needs to discuss and problem solve. In either case, if the manager has not taken time to build rapport with, attempts to participate may be perceived as adversarial rather than helpful. Confidence, trust, and rapport are important in influencing people. If a follower feels that the manager will provide encouragement and help when it is needed, it can make an important difference in the success of the influence attempt. Referent power is based on the manager's personal traits. A manager is generally liked and admired by others because of personality. It is this liking for, admiration for, and identification with the manager that influences others. Information Power---The Perceived Access to, or Possession of, Useful Information The styles that tend to effectively influence followers at above-average readiness levels. Information power is helpful in driving these styles. This power source has grown in importance during the high-tech explosion, with the emphasis on data storage and data retrieval. Information power is based on perceived access to data. This is different from expert power, which is the understanding of or ability to use data. For example, one study found that secretaries in a major corporate office had a significant amount of information power but little expert power in some technical areas had little expertise themselves. Expert Power---The Perception That the Leader Has Relevant Education, Experience, and Expertise Followers who are competent and confident require little direction or supportive behavior. They are able able and willing to perform *SOURCE: MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: LEADING HUMAN RESOURCES, 8TH ED., PAUL HERSEY, KENNETH H> BLANCHARD< DEWEY E. JOHNSON, PGS. 208-212*
