“Follow the leader,” are words we have heard throughout our lives.  Leaders of large organizations are unable to hear each and every gripe or complaint.  Therefore, I propose the followers become the leaders and make a change from within the system.

A comment received in another article sparked an idea in my mind…lucky for you :)  Our first instinct is to whine when we disagree with decisions made by leaders.  We all have those rules we know should be followed, but everyone ignores them.  We create cultures that actually accept these behaviors.  What can we do to make a change?

I have seen this played out a hundred times in my life, “The book says to do this, but no one does.”  Most rules have a meaning.  Some are for safety or cost-saving, and some are just “sacred cow” traditions.

When you disagree with a rule, question it.  Ask your boss why this is done.  Get the bigger picture answer first.  If there is no clear answer, change needs to happen.  I ran a quality assurance program that required detailed reports to be typed and routed to seven different people, and it took two weeks to get completed.  Why?  No reason was given to me, and I digitized it.  Everything was done through email, and the turn around time was now between two to eight hours!

To be honest with you, I really would have rather complained about it and waited for the leader to wave his magic wand and solve all the problems.  In fact, at first I did just whine.  Guess what?  Not a single benefit was gained…I still had to track this stupid piece of paper for two darn weeks.

By changing this one little thing, my life got much easier.  All those in my command chain freed up a little time, too.  AND the programs I inspected were able to fix the problems almost immediately.  My leadership really was happy, and the next time I needed some help to fix a “whine” they were all ears to my suggestion.

What can we do to solve a problem together?

Four letters will sail you past all fear…P.R.E.P. This acrostic stands for Plan, Research, Examples, and Practice.  The Planning stage is the toughest for me.  This is where you need to determine who your audience is and the route you want to lead them down.  I like to create an outline from introduction to conclusion and all the points in between.

Next, it is time to Research each point and find information to support your outline.  This is getting down and dirty to find the meat of the lecture.  Dig deep, because simply stating what everyone already knows wastes everyone’s time.  However, doing a good outline will make research much easier and faster.

Planning and research are the two most vital components of any presentation.  Finding Examples is going to add vibrance.  Nobody wants to get slapped with statistics and mere facts.  Look for interesting stories or even jokes that lighten the mood while keeping everyone on topic.  We all have been to the death by PowerPoint meetings but still are tempted to do the same thing.  Look for other visual aids such as videos, equipment, handouts, etc. to keep their attention.  An example of this is if you are pitching a new business venture for a hotel, let everyone feel the extra soft towels you want to purchase instead of just putting the costs on the board.

Finally, Practice your speech or presentation.  The more experienced you get, the less time you will have to spend here.  Regardless, you need to ensure that all of your slides are working properly and follow your outline.  Do the links actually take you to the site?  Nothing is more embarrassing and stressful than having your visual aids sabotage your presentation.  Make sure everything works.

The morale to this posting is PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE!

Are you swimming in debt? Is it harder now to pay your debt because of rising prices across the board? Are you looking for a way to make a little extra cash and start treading again? If so, read on.

We all could use a little extra money these days. Even if we are debt free (Yeah, right!) we may want to strengthen our security blanket. You’re probably saying, ‘OK, Captain Obvious, I already know that. How can I make more money when I am already working long hours to build my career and trying to balance a personal/family life?’

There are two roads to take: the easy or the rough road. The rough one involves taking a skill that you have and marketing it to others for cash. For example, web design, mowing lawns, painting, etc. The rough part of this road is that agreeing to paint a house or design a web page requires a huge time commitment. In addition to the burden of time, there is a large financial responsibility to buy the supplies and equipment. This solution doesn’t stay within the parameters of balance between work and family.

Now, what about the easy road? There are companies out there that allow you to generate income without high start-up costs or demanding time constraints. Multi-level (aka network) marketing companies are the solution. Don’t confuse them with the “pyramid schemes” of the past. Most of these companies actually provide great products, training and mentorship.

My favorite is Advocare, a health supplement company. I began using these products for lifting and loved them but never cared about the business aspect, that was until a friend asked me how she could make some extra cash without giving up everything. Coincidentally, I was ordering some more products immediately after reading her email and. . . Eureka! I told her about the company and that I never did the business but have read great things. She gave it a try and is now making a few hundred dollars extra each month. The best part is there are products for every health need.

Choose the easy road.

Fortune recently published its 2008 list of the top 100 companies to work for.  This list ranges from Internet companies to hospitals to coffee shops and everything in between.  

While one might want to read this list and dream about a job at one of these companies, there are even more work-related topics about which one might daydream.  At its Website, Fortune lists 15 Unusual Perks offered at some of these top 100 companies.  Forget 2 weeks vacation and an all-expenses paid holiday party, these companies offer some incredible benefits.

While you’ll need to go to Forbes to read the full list, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites:

• SCUBA diving lessons at Chesapeake Energy Corp.
• Matching employee charity contributions up to $60,000 at EOG Resources
• Free lunch Monday through Thursday at FactSet Research

To read the full lists of Top 100 Companies to Work for, Unusual Perks, and more, visit:

Fortune