So there you are settled comfortably in your work routine and along comes the inevitable winds of change. Your current manager leaves the company or gets promoted and suddenly a new sheriff is coming to town. We all know that any time there is a personnel change within a company, the entire system and everyone in it is going to be affected. There are steps that both the new manager and the employees can take and thought processes that can be adopted to make the transition a positive one. Having been both an employee and a new manager I would like to share what I have learned.The incoming manager is likely to be just as apprehensive about taking over a new department as the employees are about getting a new manager. If the new manager has been promoted from within the company there may be resentment and jealousy within the department that will have to be resolved. The new manager may now be managing someone with whom they are friends. Being accused of favoritism toward an employee may be a concern. If the new manager is an outside hire, then he or she could be uneasy about working for a new company where they may not know anyone and are not entirely sure of what lies ahead for them.From the employee’s standpoint, they have become accustomed to the way the departing manager operated. The employees and the manager found ways of functioning together that worked well for everyone. The employees may not have always agreed with their manager, but at least they knew what to expect. They may be concerned that the new boss will change procedures and they will have to learn new procedures that may not work as well. They may be worried about the management style of the new boss and how they will all get along together.Now, let’s take a step back and look at this from a little higher vantage point. The new manager and the employees have a few important things in common… They are all human. No one is perfect. This situation is equally stressful for the employees and the incoming manager.A new manager would be wise to begin their new position by taking time to learn everything they can about the current procedures and how the department interacts with other departments. I also recommend that they interview each employee they will be managing. Get to know them and find out what they like and don’t like about the way things have been done in the past. Be aware of the employees’ need to be respected and valued. They are apprehensive about you and the changes you might make. If not under pressure from upper management to do so, don’t make any changes for at least 30 – 60 days. Making changes too quickly can be counter-productive. If you were promoted from within the company and there are jealousy or resentment issues among those who now report to you, it is best to address those issues immediately so they do not become exacerbated and cause problems within the department.As employees, it is easy to get seduced by the “story” of a new manger coming in and turning the whole department upside down. Thoughts of that nature lead to feelings of being victims with no control over the outcome. In most situations, it is the way we choose to think about something that creates the outcome. Think of your new boss as an opportunity for positive change and brush away thoughts of negativity on the subject. Ask your co-workers to work together to make the new manager feel welcome. I encourage you to remember that the new manager is a human being just like you. Even if they don’t show it, he or she may be feeling out of place, uncomfortable and a little unsure of themselves. Treat them with kindness and respect. If the new manager is an outside hire, offer to give him or her a tour of the building. As a group, ask the new manager to meet with you and tell you his or her objectives for the department. Find out what is important to him or her and make sure that gets done. As an employee, one goal is to help make the manager’s job easier by doing what is supposed to be done when and how it needs to be done. Keep in mind that when an employee makes a mistake, the manager is the one on the front line with upper management. Maintain your integrity at all times. Do not become a “yes” man or woman, just be honest and supportive of your manager. Help your manager to achieve his or her goals and you will have a strong advocate when it comes time for a salary increase or promotion.In closing I will add that there is one thing we can all count on… nothing will ever stay the same. Every cell in our body, every molecule in the universe is in a constant flux. If we try to stand still, we are likely to get left behind. So welcome change, embrace it and find out what it is here to teach you.Recommended Reading: Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson

The 21st century has signaled new and more efficient ways of promoting one’s business and products to various marketplace without having to spend much in traditional advertising. New technological advancement made the use of internet marketing not only as a fad but a way of life. Internet marketing has been a very reliable way of increasing one’s sales. However, success in internet marketing depends a great deal on how the internet marketer uses the various amount of internet marketing tools out there.Internet marketing has been the preferred marketing method not only by small and medium business but also by corporations across the world. However, it is more popular with home-based business due to its efficiency and the minimal costs involved with it. The proper use of email marketing tools will determine how fast one can get a potential customer to become a real customer. However, a good internet marketer can identify the target market from potential customers who may be patronizing a competitor’s products.While your potential customer is presently a real customer of your competitor, you still have a great chance of turning him into your real customer if you use the right email marketing tools. One such tool that works perfectly well for most internet marketer is the use of follow up emails. These potential customers may have already bought from your competitor but the problem is that customer may have felt ignored or disregarded for lack of a follow up mechanism. By wooing that potential customer through follow up emails that contain value and offers, there is a chance that sooner or later, he would become your real customer.The secret is with determination and persistence in intensively sending follow up emails to the potential customers. Other marketers refuse to spend time with a prospect or a customer who do not respond after one or two emails. By looking at this as a method of wooing or courting, the effective email marketer will continue to pursue the potential customer without let-up.Another effective email marketing tool is the use of viral e-books which may be a new concept but is definitely as effective as the other marketing tools. By the way, it is called viral marketing for its ability to be passed on like a virus, from one person to another.Viral e-books can be your ticket to success in terms of increased website traffic. People who are interested in a certain topic or issue have no choice but to download your e-book particularly if they have benefited from the e-book topic. Thus, the number one rule in creating your e-book is that it must be on a topic that would be of interest to your target market and to their contacts, making the e-book a good material for passing on.Of course, you have to get a very good writer who will create your masterpiece but that would be a minimal cost considering the multiplication effect it will have on your online business. You capitalized on one e-book which would be passed on several, sometimes hundreds or more, people with buying potential. This is probably one cost with a huge return on capital.Do not scrimp on your e-book because it is the reason why people will visit your website. An e-book which does not present a valued topic will just as easily be thrown to the next garbage can or in the case of computer users they can just easily delete your e-book link.When you get your e-book done, you must make sure it is in a format which would be capable of being opened and read by majority of computer users. You can choose from an e-book with an executable format or EXE format or the more popular PDF format. Most marketers prefer the PDF format as it is easily downloadable provided the user has am Adobe Acrobat reader which can also be easily downloaded free of charge.In choosing the format of your e-book, remember that people generally have an aversion for everything difficult. Thus, you must choose a format which is downloadable-friendly and which can easily be passed on from on e computer user to another.To make your e-book truly of viral quality, it must be on a very useful topic that will appeal to your target market. People who get hold of your e-book must also have a good beneficial motivation, financial or otherwise, to pass on the e-book to their contacts. People who can add their links when passing the e-book will have more reason to pass on your e-book to their contacts.The more e-book you have on various topics, that all lead to your website, the larger the scope of your reach.You may also want to try using a viral video which follows the same principle of a viral e-book except that it is in a video format. People who like your viral video will share it on to others and you will get more traffic to your website. However, make sure the viral video will be of interest to as many people as possible to make it really viral.