"Nearly all men can stand adversity; if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
--Abraham Lincoln

TAKE AMA'S LATEST SURVEY--MAJOR ISSUES IMPACTING PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AMA is teaming up with Human Resource Institute to conduct a survey, "Major Issues Impacting People Management--Today and in the Future." While in the past, HRI has included only human resources professionals in the study, this year's research will be expanded to include managers from all functional areas within organizations. The survey results, together with follow up interviews, will be used to identify critical issues for further research.

  HOW PAST REGRETS MAY BE HOLDING YOU BACK
Why aren't you getting promoted or earning more money? It may be because unresolved hurts and regrets from your past are keeping you from reaching your true potential. Hamilton Beazley, Ph.D., author of "No Regrets: A Ten-Step Program for Living in the Present and Leaving the Past Behind," has identified nine "toxic thought patterns" that can keep you stuck in a career rut. Here are three:

1. Perfectionism - You want things to be exactly right all the time. This impossible expectation will perpetuate your sense of failure and frustration and exasperate those who work for, and with, you.
2. Exaggerated control - You need to micromanage every project, don't know how to delegate and want everyone else to do what you want. Your workplace relationships will suffer and you will be unable to benefit from the valuable input of others.
3. Foreseeing the future - You believe you should see each mistake coming and so be able to prevent them from happening. Expecting yourself to be psychic keeps you blind to a range of solutions that may be right in front of you.

  MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS BEST PRACTICES
These 23 practical tips are a must-read for any leader who is even considering a merger or acquisition. Key strategies include:

1. Over-communicate all aspects of the deal to employees. People may need to receive information several times and by several different means before they truly "hear" it. Hold group meetings and utilize the corporate intranet and company newsletters.
2. Establish integration task groups composed of key individuals from each of the combining organizations. These people will play a pivotal role in gaining buy-in when they take informed, positive information back to their workgroups.
3. Include training on the list of post-merger activities. This will facilitate integration and cultural alignment on top of the other, more traditional, benefits of training.

  WOMEN WHO PLAY IN THE "BIG LEAGUES" OF BUSINESS
What characteristics do women owners of $1 million-plus firms have in common? A new study shows that these successful players use multiple funding sources and sophisticated financial management practices, embrace technology and are more likely than the owners of smaller women-owned businesses to use formal advisers such as accountants, lawyers and boards of directors. The majority (73%) of women-owned $1 million firms are owned and operated by the original founder of the business, 14.5% of whom achieved the $1 million mark in five years or less. Click here for complete report.


  KNOW WHAT SEDNA IS? YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CURRENT NEWS COULD WIN YOU A FREE SEMINAR! TAKE THE AMA MEMBER CHALLENGE.
Congratulations to our March FREE seminar winner, Merinello Fowler of Emergent Genetics Inc. in Memphis, TN. Ms. Fowler answered all five of the Member Challenge questions (based on current business events) correctly and was then chosen at random from the total number of respondents who answered all of the questions correctly. (Answers to the Member Challenge are posted the following month.) Why not take the April Challenge? Simply answer the questions and complete the entry form. You could be a winner...especially if you've heard of Sedna!
Go to: http://www.amamember.org/challenge/index.cfm

  HOW DOES YOUR CITY RANK FOR QUALITY OF LIFE?
Looking for greener pastures? Consider Switzerland or Calgary, but stay away from Baghdad (no surprise) and Baku (Azerbaijan). In Mercer Human Resource Consulting's latest international rankings, Zurich and Geneva are the world's top-scoring cities for quality of life, while Baghdad and Baku score lowest for health and sanitation. The analysis covers 215 cities and is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments. Mercer evaluates 39 key quality of life determinants, covering political and social environments, economy, socio-cultural factors, medical and health considerations, schools, housing and more. Click here to read more survey results.

   UNLEASH CREATIVITY IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Richard Knowles, author of "The Leadership Dance: Pathways to Extraordinary Organizational Effectiveness," suspects that any business that operates like a "well-oiled machine" may actually be locked into rigid work patterns that stifle creativity. Knowles identifies six questions that can help companies assess their organizational model, identify problem areas and open doors for change and renewal. For example:

1. Flexibility--Can people act quickly to adapt to changing conditions, or must they stay within strictly-defined roles?
2. Sensing change--Are key personnel trained to focus strictly on tasks at hand, or are they guided to sense the environment around them and manage disturbances and crises on their own?

  ADMIN PROFESSIONALS WEEK--RESEARCH, NEWS AND EVENTS

• Celebrate Administrative Professionals Week. Attend any AMA Administrative Support seminar April 19-23 and receive a FREE gift, "The Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook" (a $35 value).
  
• AMA 2004 Administrative Professionals Survey Results. We asked admins to tell us how their jobs have changed over the past year. Find out the latest at http://www.amanet.org/research/index.htm
• 5th Administrative Professionals Conference
  Presenting expert speakers, including the dynamic Erin Brockovich, outstanding sessions, entertainment and more.
  When: April 19-21, 2004
  Where: Hilton Toronto

  TIMELY TIPS FOR MASTERING THE COMPLEX SALE
Sometimes "just saying 'no'" is the best sales tactic, says Jeff Thull, author of "Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes Are High!" Thull explains, "Every sale is not a good sale." In fact, about 35% of all sales are bad sales, which, in one way or another, leave the customer disappointed or the seller with excess costs and diminished returns. Walking away from a situation that is not profitable for anyone is the right thing to do. Salespeople must become comfortable with both hearing and saying "no" and then moving on to the next opportunity.
Click here to read the entire article.

  SPRING SAVINGS ON AMA SEMINARS

1. Save up to 30% on selected AMA seminars this spring.
   Attend selected sessions of some of AMA's most popular seminars and save $500 or more with these special "Last Minute Seatings" opportunities. Review the attached list and then call 1-800-262-9699 to register. But hurry. Space is limited and seats fill fast.
2. Save $150 on any AMA seminar
   Register between now and May 31. Call 1-800-262-9699 to sign up today. Use discount code XBAF for your savings. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotions.
3. Register for any seminar that takes place between now and June 30, 2004 and bring along a colleague for 25% off. Savings range from $300 to $1,000 and more. Call 1-800-262-9699 for full details.

  UPCOMING AMA CURRENT ISSUES BREAKFASTS
April 19, AMA Washington, DC Executive Conference Center: "Leadership Lessons from America's Heroes--Lewis & Clark." Jack Uldrich, author of "Into the Unknown, Leadership Lessons from Lewis & Clark's Daring Westward Expedition," explains how Lewis & Clark's leadership methods can help today's business leaders overcome significant obstacles and achieve success.

May 20, New York, AMA NY Executive Conference Center: "Breakthrough Performance: Improved and Sustainable Business Results." Joseph A. De Feo, President and CEO of the Juran Institute, Inc. and an authority on the deployment of customer- and quality-focused business improvement techniques, will discuss the latest thinking in quality initiatives.

May 26, AMA Washington, DC Executive Conference Center: "How to Get Published." Ellen Kadin, veteran AMACOM editor, reveals the secrets to getting a nonfiction book published.

For a complete list of upcoming special events, go to http://www.amanet.org/events/index.htm

  BOOK OF THE MONTH: "ELIMATE STRESS FROM YOUR LIFE FOREVER-A SIMPLE PROGRAM FOR BETTER LIVING," by William Atkinson (AMACOM 2004)
A recent Gallup Poll asked people how often they felt stressed on a daily basis. 42% said "frequently"; 38% said "sometimes"; 18% said "rarely" and only 2% said "never." William Atkinson counts himself in that enviable "never" category. His basic thesis is that stress can actually be prevented-and he'll show you how to do just that.

For more information about "Eliminate Stress from Your Life Forever" and to access AMACOM's complete listing of business titles.

Copyright 2004: American Management Association. Material in this issue may be quoted free of charge provided the following reference is given: 'Source: American Management Association,' http://www.amanet.org, 800-262-9699.