Managing people has always been a challenge everywhere. This is because people are difficult to manage and most managers too lack the skill of effective people management. This is why we are X-raying this book entitled “The Art of Managing People”. It is co-written by Dr. Phillip Hunsaker and Dr.Anthony Alessandra, two brilliant management experts.Hunsaker is a professor of management and director of management programmes, School of Business Administration at the University of San Diego. He is a renowned consultant, speaker and author of many best-selling books on management. As for Alessandra, he is a highly-respected sales, marketing and management consultant as well as an award-winning public speaker. He has written more than 100 articles.According to Hunsaker and Alessandra, the art of managing people productively and effectively is a dynamic process that is ever changing and evolving, and many of the managerial concepts proposed only a few years ago cannot and will not work in today’s environment. These experts ascribe this development to the fact that people, business environment, government and world have changed, while scarcity of resources has worsened, especially the valuable resource of skilled labour.Hunsaker and Alessandra submit that attracting, training, motivating and keeping employees have become much more difficult and expensive, adding that these will even get worse in the future. They submit that this text has been written to overcome many of the traditional manager-employee relationship problems. According to these authors, when a manager establishes a friendly yet productive working atmosphere, the benefits to the whole organisation are substantial.These authors assert that the text offers you practical strategies, guidelines and techniques for developing interpersonal skills critical to the improvement of relations with employees; how to understand differences among people and behave accordingly; assessing and improving current working situations; creating trust between managers and employees, etc.Hunsaker and Alessandra say person-to-person skills are central to the development of an effective team of satisfied and energetic workers. They educate that allowing your workers to express their own personalities and maximise their potential will reduce stress within the workforce, create a positive spirit throughout the company and increase the organisation’s productivity and profitability.This text is segmented into three parts of 19 chapters. Part one has a generic subject matter of building productive managerial relationships, and covers the first five chapters. Chapter one is entitled “Adjusting effectively to personal style differences”. According to Hunsaker and Alessandra here, interactive management is a process of dealing with people as individuals in order to build trust, openness and honesty in the manager-employee relationship, thereby improving productivity in the organisational set-up. In their words, “To treat your employees as unique individuals, you as the manager must understand what makes them different from one another. With this knowledge, you can go about managing your employees as unique individuals with unique personalities, problems, and needs. This ‘custom-tailored’ approach to managing employees in an organisational setting is one of the major thrusts of interactive management.”Chapter two is entitled “Learning how to learn”. These authors say here that successful managers in today’s rapidly-changing world are distinguished not so much by a set of technical skills as by their ability to learn and adapt to the fluctuating demands of their careers. They stress that continuing success requires the ability to explore new opportunities and learn from past successes and failures.Hunsaker and Alessandra say one purpose for studying the learning process is to understand how people go about generating concepts, rules and principles from their experiences as guides for their future behaviour, and how they modify these concepts to improve their effectiveness in new situations.In chapters three to five, these authors discuss concepts such as doing unto others; deciding how to decide; and analysing transactional styles.Part two is summarily woven together as “Interactive communication skills” and contains eight chapters, that is, chapters six to 13. Chapter six is entitled “The art of questioning”. Here, Hunsaker and Alessandra educate that one of the most critical and valuable tools in the manager’s arsenal of communication skills, is the art of questioning.They add that the ability of the manager to ask the right questions at the right time to help his or her employees best is an essential and integral part of interactive management. “Skilful questioning simplifies the manager’s job because it gets employees to ‘open up’. The employee feels free to reveal inner feelings, motives, needs, current situations, goals, and desires. With this knowledge, the manager is in a much better position to guide the employee to the ultimate achievement of personal, professional, and organisational goals,” assert Hunsaker and Alessandra.In chapters seven to 13, they beam their analytical searchlight on concepts such as the power of listening; projecting the appropriate image; communicating through voice tones; using body language effectively; spatial arrangements saying things; how your use of time talks; and making sure with feedback.Part three, the last part has a general subject matter of interactive problem-solving and covers the last six chapters, that is, chapters 14 to 19. Chapter 14 is entitled “Problem-solving together”. Hunsaker and Alessandra educate that when managers are asked how they make decisions and solve problems, the typical response is usually something like “I don’t know. I just do what has to be done”. In the words of these authors, “Although they may not be able to specify what steps they take or what rules they apply, all would probably agree that making ‘good’ decisions and effectively solving problems are the essence of good management.”In chapters 15 to 19, Hunsaker and Alessandra discuss concepts such as defining the problem; developing action plans; implementing action; following through; and what to do with what you have learnt.As far as style is concerned, this text is on the high rung of the ladder. For instance, the language of the text is simple while the organisation of concepts is okay. The authors use graphical embroidery for visual reinforcement of readers’ understanding. What’s more, the title is short but assertive.However, grammatical errors are noticed in the text. One of these is, “Letting your workers express their own personalities and maximise their potentials…” (outside back cover), instead of “Letting your workers express their own personalities and maximise their potential…” Note that “Potential” is an uncountable noun and therefore does not structurally take an “S”). Another error is that of structural redundancy, that is, “Much more difficult and much more expensive” (page xi) instead of the elliptical version “Much more difficult and expensive”.In spite of these errors, this text still passes for a masterpiece. It is a must-read and the tips must-apply for anybody that wants to become well educated in the art of management in the New Year.

Failure. The one thing all Internet marketers never want to hear. And that is understandable Nobody wants to fail, right?I have researched some of the reasons why most newbie internet marketers fail. In this article, you may identify yourself – or others you know. This article is not meant to be one of condemnation. It is being delivered so you can identify what areas you can improve and avoid the dreaded “F” word!First, let me state up front that I mean nothing derogatory with the term “newbie.” Everyone was a newbie at some point in time. It is kind of like being a called a “rookie” in major league sports. Once you have that first year under your belt, you are no longer a rookie. The same for internet marketing. However, a “newbie” could mean a 5 year marketer if that person continues to make “rookie mistakes.” I am using the term “newbie” simply because most new comers to internet marketing are looking for the “quick buck” and most tend to make the same mistakes – “rookie mistakes.”It is my intention to provide you with the information I have discovered and identified my own shortcoming with as well. I may not have made all of the mistakes I will get into, but I have made more than one of them (I can attest to that)! But I am including a few of the others I have not made (phew!) because I have found there are many people who have made them.The Number 1 Reason Why Newbie Internet Marketers Fail: They Do Not Have the ExperienceThat is pretty clear, right?Most newbies lack the experience of marketing a product in which they never have a face to face interaction with their clients. Most people understand about face-to-face marketing and the art of “smiling, agreeing with the statements made by the customer, etc.” Internet marketing is a completely different environment.Experience in this area is the only way to gain the skill set necessary to be successful. Does that mean the newbie marketer is already destined to fail? No. It means the newbie marketer must make the extra effort to ensure success.By learning the methods needed to capture the attention of the buyer; learning what the potential preferences are of the buyer; learning the reasons why the buyer desires their product; learning how to communicate the advantages of their product to satisfy the buyer’s needs – all without any verbal interaction. Only using the written word (and in audio or video marketing as well – but the newbie will never “see” the client).This means the new internet marketer must make a concentrated effort to study the market; study the products; study the tactics used by the experts. This takes time and dedication. It means admitting you do not know everything. It means admitting you cannot do it on your own (as least not right away). It means accepting the fact that immediate riches will probably not be flooding into your back account right way.Now, there are exceptions to every rule. But those exceptions are few and far between. But most newbie marketers (myself included when I first started out) think “they” will be the exception and will reach financial independence ahead of their peers. This mindset will almost always result in discouragement and failure.What are the ways to overcome this “Inexperience Factor?”Probably the best way to gain experience is by “doing.” That sounds simple enough, right? But let me explain…The worst thing a newbie can do is to enter the highly competitive field of internet marketing and think he or she is going to become rich overnight while competing against some marketers who have been doing this for years. The best solution to this situation is to team up with an experienced marketer who can guide them through the first stages of internet marketing and help the newbie avoid some of the pitfalls that plague newbies and drive them from success straight into failure.There are numerous places to gain that type of experience and information. It would take volumes to write about each one. My intent here is simply to make the newbie marketer aware that “you are not destined to failure.” As a matter of fact, failure in and of itself is also a learning tool. Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, when questioned by a reporter as to why he was not discouraged after failing 10,000 times in making the light bulb, his answer was, “Why should I be discouraged? I found 10,000 ways it would not work!”So it is with gaining experience in internet marketing. You can go the way of 10,000 failures on your own, just so you know not to try it that way again, or you can read about the one or two ways a person who has had success did it and then follow the same path. I’m not talking about “copying” the person (though some advocate that). I’m talking about seeing what your comfort zone is; I’m talking about what “clicks” with your personality, experiences, desires and goals.Not every method works for every person. If you examine successful marketers, almost all of them utilize the fundamentals but then they tend to specialize in certain areas. Take, for example, a football team. You see the players all decked out in their uniforms and you can rationally say about any one individual, “He is a football player.” And that statement would be true.But if you look at the individual players and analyze their strengths and weaknesses, you soon realize that some of them weigh 300+ pounds. That person probably is not a wide receiver or a running back. Most likely, he is a lineman. Another is short and lanky and you see him out kicking field goals all practice long. You see a player throwing balls through tires hung at different levels and different yardages – he is probably a quarterback. Each person has a unique set of skills they bring to the “football team.”So it is with internet marketing. You may not be cut out to be a marketer in the self-help niche. You may be more of a hands on type of person who enjoys working on cars or building houses, making you uniquely qualified to assist others in that niche. People looking for information on “How to fix their car” or “How to remodel their kitchen.” Others may be more uniquely qualified to give “relationship advice.” Others on “How to build a website.”You see, there are 1,001 different ways (actually more than that) to make a living as an online marketer. YOU have a special skill set that somebody needs to know. And you have the opportunity to share the experience you already possess in that area – and be paid for it! You need to sit down and ask yourself (and give an honest answer), “What do I know that other people always ask me about?”It could be anything from repairing a clogged drain to fixing a car engine; from hanging dry wall to installing landscaping. Whatever you enjoy doing; whatever you are always helping someone with; whatever people are always seeking your advice on – these are the areas you need to focus. This is probably going to be your niche market. This is the area you will probably be the most successful.The successful marketers are able to identify what they did wrong and begin to take corrective action to put them on the path to success. Failure to identify weak areas will just mean the marketer is more likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

So you’re looking for a Christian business opportunity working from home? Well, I have great news. Believe it or not, there are some wonderful Christian home based businesses that are well worth your time looking into. But let me add a word of caution. There are also many business opportunities out there, especially Internet based business opportunities, that claim to be based on Christian principles, but are not.So how do you know when you’ve found the real thing?There are several things you need to know about a business opportunity before you decide to sink any hard-earned cash into it. I spent months and months examining several online business opportunities, some of which claimed to be Christian based, only to be disappointed time after time. Therefore, I began narrowing my search and started looking for very specific things that would help me focus on a true Christian home based business.Here are my suggestions for finding the right Christian business opportunity for you.Begin your search with prayer: Do what Solomon did. The Lord gave Solomon the choice of being grated anything he requested. Rather than ask for wealth and riches Solomon asked for wisdom. As a result of being blessed with wisdom Solomon acquired greater wealth and fame than any man alive. Wisdom is crucial in being able to see the directions the Lord may be pointing you as you search for a home based business – especially one based on Christian values and principles. Therefore, instead of praying for money or success, pray for wisdom to find the business opportunity the Lord wants you to join.Find out who’s the Captain of the ship: Many home based business opportunities are centered around a person who holds themselves up as an example of outstanding entrepreneurial and financial success. All you need to do is follow their simple formula and you’ll be successful too – or so they say. However, I didn’t want to hear from someone who took all the glory for their own success, I wanted to find someone who achieved success by making Jesus Christ the Captain of their ship. I wanted to find someone who gives the credit for their success to the Lord.Listen to hear if they talk of God, or simply do a lot of God-talk: There is a huge difference between those who truly talk of God and the successes they’ve achieved by the Lord blessing their home based business enterprise, verses those who just do a lot of God-talk. Every unbeliever knows how to do a lot of God-talk – simply throwing in the words God and Jesus in their presentations. But those who are truly living Christ-centered lives enjoy sharing their faith with others in the course of doing business. The CEO and founder of the home based business I became involved with made a statement in a video that really grabbed my attention. In essence he said we do a lot of talking about the Lord here, so if that offends you then you need to look elsewhere for a business opportunity. Wow! I loved his candor.Find out how many other Christians are in this business: A true Christian home based business opportunity will be filled with other Christians just like you. In fact, when I contacted the founder and CEO of this business and told him I was in the ministry he immediately put me in contact with a man who would become my Christian mentor in developing my own home based business enterprise through this company’s program. I’ve since met other believers who are prospering from the Lord’s blessings.Examine the products and the program: Home based businesses that generate the most profits are those that provide large commissions or overrides on products sold or from others you bring into the business. Products in the low price range may be easier for people to afford, but it takes selling a ton of them to generate any decent cash flow. Big ticket or moderately priced ticket items are far more profitable in generating wealth. Also, find a business opportunity that doesn’t force you to pass your first one or two prospects to your up-line? One-up or two-up programs have limited success. Besides, if the Lord led those first one or two people to you, why wouldn’t he want you to continue being their mentor?Look for a servant’s heart: Those who have successful Christian home based businesses also have servant’s hearts. They know their lives have been blessed by the Lord and now they want to be a spring of blessing to others. They also understand the earthly and eternal rewards that come from being a true servant to others. Therefore, look for a home based business where you will be nurtured and mentored by those whose desire is to serve others as they have been served. They will freely give of their time to help you every step of the way.I guess I’ve narrowed the field down quite a bit, haven’t I? I certainly hope so, because that was my intention. As I said earlier, there are a lot of businesses and home based business opportunities out there that claim to be Christian in nature but are not. It took me some time to find the right one for me and I truly feel blessed in every way. Don’t jump at the first seemingly great (“too good to be true”) opportunity. I made that mistake and it cost me a lot of money and wasted time. Let the Lord do the leading. Be a Solomon and ask for wisdom.James, the Lord’s brother wrote, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:5-8)The Lord stands ready to lead. All you need to do is follow.