Down Syndrome - A Mother and a Doctor

Some of the most fun and impact-ful experiences of my professional life have come from my relationships and consulting opportunities with people with disabilities and their families. If you would like to read about it, visit more than the label

Colette

 
Here, a story on prenatal testing from the Ottawa Citizen newspaper.
'He's brought so much'For Dr. Lise Poirier-Groulx, becoming the mother of a son with Down syndrome changed the way she looks at the world
Bruce Ward
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, March 02, 2008

As a medical doctor, Lise Poirier-Groulx trusts in science. But when she was told in her eighth month of pregnancy that there was a problem with her unborn child she reacted like any mother: she panicked.

There had been no complications -- until she went for a routine ultrasound at 34 weeks gestation to check the baby's position. And then she found herself caught in a genetic accident. A doctor began telling her about the ultrasound images, explaining the abnormalities as one physician to another. But as she heard the words, her mother's heart was breaking.

Her son Christian was born with Down syndrome and congenital heart defects. He is eight now, a scamp who is adored by his big sisters Isabelle, 15, and 12-year-old Geneviève. Among teachers at his school in Orléans, Christian is known as "the star" because he is so outgoing. In his integrated Grade 2 class, the kids watch over him and make sure he is part of all their activities.

Christian is "well under his skin," as his mom puts it, and happier than many of the so-called normal people she sees in her psychotherapy practice. But Christian came into the world without the medical profession's seal of approval. His parents faced pressure and silent disapproval from doctors when they stated their choice, again and again, to have the baby.

Dr. Poirier-Groulx was 40 when she became pregnant with Christian. She and her husband François were raising two healthy girls and did not expect to have more children.
Still, she found herself marvelling at the easy time she was having. All that changed with the ultrasound. She was told that the baby was too small, that the amniotic fluid around him was inadequate. Additional tests showed that the baby also had "a severe congenital heart malfunction incompatible with life outside the womb."

A neonatologist advised her that the best course was to induce premature labour. The fetus, which weighed only 1.5 pounds, would almost certainly die during delivery or shortly after birth. But she and her husband had already decided not to terminate the pregnancy if the baby was diagnosed with a handicap. "When you're told in pregnancy that something is wrong with your child, obviously you panic," said Dr. Poirier-Groulx. "When I was going through that, it was assumed that you were going to terminate. Everywhere I went it was assumed.

"I got mostly cold stares and silences -- Is this doctor for real? What is she doing? -- that kind of attitude. We had to constantly state it: No, we don't want to terminate. There was none of this talk -- the pros and cons, positives and negatives of having a handicapped child. We never got that. It was just negative, when do you want to do it (the termination) type of thing.

"Although the system says they respect your decision and all that, it is not the experience of most women. When I was going through it eight years ago, there was practically nothing. It was like a void as far as positive testimonies of parents. We got one pamphlet about parents who had chosen not to terminate."

Christian was born by caesarean section at term, 38 weeks gestation. He weighed four pounds, and was more vigorous than expected. He spent almost three-quarters of his first year in hospital, and he has surpassed all expectations regarding his growth, development and quality of life.

Life with Christian is not easy, she said, but it is rewarding.
"I don't want to butter it up like this is a fairy tale because it isn't. We still have a lot of medical issues. He's still not sleeping through the night because he has sleep apnea. Obviously, if he's not sleeping, we're not. We're chronically sleep-deprived. That's a difficult part, I don't want to sugar- coat it. It's a lot more work than a regular child, with his physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy."

Christian had heart surgery in 2006, and will need another heart operation in three or four years. So far in his short life, he has had 15 surgical interventions.
"It's quite an adventure to live with him and he's brought so much. For me, he has changed my whole perspective When I looked at people who lived with a handicap, I would think poor them, like they were an object of pity. But now, because I live with my son, I see them as a little bit like prophets because they have such a strong message to bring about humanity, about the strength of the human spirit.

"My life has changed drastically, but I also see how he touches people. At school everybody notices him and people are drawn to him. Nobody is neutral when they come in contact with him. He either brings out the worst or the best in people. When I say he's well under his skin, I mean he just takes life in the present moment."

Christian has a huge effect on his sisters' lives as well.
"They find him annoying at times, just like anyone would find their younger brother annoying. The big thing they find difficult is it takes a lot of our time, my husband and myself. We constantly have to monitor him, he can't be left alone because he has a mental disability, he doesn't have any judgment about safety. Because we're tired, we don't have energy or a lot of time to spend with them. But we talk about that. They let us know that's the part they find difficult."

But the girls have also learned from Christian.
"They have developed and learned things I didn't need to teach them, just by contact. They'll see a person with a handicap at the shopping mall and they'll say, 'Oh my gosh this person is cute.' They see the beauty of the person behind the handicap. We don't have to talk about that, they live it."  Dr. Poirier-Groulx believes Christian has "an advanced emotional connection, a little bit like a blind person who has increased hearing or touch perception. "He senses moods, he'll come to you and just touch your face and look at you. And you're kind of startled. It's a little bit eerie sometimes that he picks that up."

Dr. Poirier-Groulx has endured thoughtless remarks about Christian by adults who seem to disapprove of his existence in the world. She worries that her son will be stigmatized.
"I hope Christian never gets to understand, that somehow it would come to him in a very direct way, that his life is not worth living or people look at him and think that he is a lesser human being. That really worries me."

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

100 Mile Bike Ride

An invitation from my friends at LACL:

100 Mile Bike Ride Saturday June 19

Join us for the public barbeque from 11am-5pm as we welcome the riders at the finish of the ride to raise money for the Lethbridge Association for Community Living and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Behind 515-5^th Street South

There will be food and lots of family activities so make sure to stop by to support this great event in partnership with Dr Murray and the Able Dental Group.

See you there.

Dave

Dave Lawson

Executive Director

Lethbridge Association for Community Living

527-6th St. South

Lethbridge, Ab

Phone 403-327-2911

What will you do for money?

I believe that being in business is one of the most interesting character developing and personal growth exercises! It seems every day we have an opportunity to be tested and define our parameters, not just in terms of business practices and policy, but in who we are and how we behave in relation to clients, prospects, vendors and our community.

Yesterday I was approached by a new firm offering a leadership coaching program. The representative wanted to a) sell me on signing up, and b) secure my agreement to promote their program to my circle of professional contacts. She was very surprised when I told her that I never enter into commission or kickback agreements.

Why not? We all need cash flow to sustain our businesses and lifestyle, and wouldn’t it be nice to have an additional source of income just show up from time to time?

The stance we have taken in my firm is that if we know of a product, service or resource that would be valuable to colleagues, friends or business allies, we are happy to send it along to them with no thought of compensation.
And if we don’t see that kind of value, there isn’t enough money in the world to secure my referral on any terms.

What do you think? Is there another point of view that I am missing? Love to feature your comments and feedback in a future book or upcoming blog article.
Colette Acheson

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Defining Good Customer Service

It's interesting how my thinking about business practices shifts from the theoretical to the practical in light of experiences where I am personally on the receiving end of a business policy.  Usually I bring a birds-eye view in my professional role as a consultant advising business and organizational clients, but when I am the customer it really brings home the principles that provide a 'rudder' to guide the policies we recommend.

Right now, this is on my mind because of the situation with an unnamed company, that provides marketing workshops and consulting services. In February, I signed up for a workshop with them which was scheduled, tentatively, for the end of June.  Around the end of March I decided that I didn't want to attend and have requested a refund. They refused, citing a 7-day cancellation policy which they claim was written on the bottom of the photocopied registration form.

Of course, every business has the right to develop their own unique policies relating to returns, refunds, or cancellation of agreements.

Depending on the industry, the consumer may be asked to agree to those terms at the time of purchase; ie a check box for an online transaction which might say something like "I have read and understand that ..... stated policy".  But sometimes, you might not realize what terms you have accepted until you go to return an unwanted item and the clerk points to their no-refund policy posted on the wall or the bottom of your receipt. And except for a few rare circumstances, it's all legal.

There are many businesses who have built a very successful brand on the premise of "no sale is ever final". The women's clothing retailer Ricki's comes to mind.  And from personal experience,  I believe that Totem Building Supplies has a very generous policy for returns; at times even accepting a return item from us without a receipt.

We also know of people who abuse a store's return policy; purchasing a dress, jewelry or shoes, wearing them for a special event and then trying to return the day after.  My friend Angeline who owns Bells & Bows Bridal has many such stories.

So how does a business determine a reasonable policy which is fair to both the business and consumer? In advising my business clients, we generally walk them through a thinking process to identify a set of best practices that will a) protect their financial viability and profitability, and b) be perceived as fair and reasonable by the marketplace.

We ask them to think about what costs they have incurred which they cannot recover in the event of refunding a client's money. The formulas are different for every operation, and can be complex depending on the industry and size of company. For example; at the time you buy that dress Angeline's single location store has already paid the rent & utilities for their space, commission and wages for the sales clerk and the wholesale cost of the item. All of which have to be paid out of your purchase price. If she agrees to accept your dress on return, even assuming it's in perfect condition and still current enough to attract another immediate buyer, simply absorbing those fixed costs may make the difference between the sale being profitable and not.

In the case of a business like this with no building location, no inventory, and no fixed staff costs, I have a tough time accepting a no-refund policy on a workshop four months away. At that point, she is only committed to a minimal expense and still has four months to re-sell that seat to some one else.  Refusing to consider even a partial refund under those particular circumstances seems indefensible.

Aside from whether or not they are legally entitled to keep my $750 for a workshop that I will not be attending, I do believe that every action we take in life has a consequence, and in my view most of the time the cost of an unhappy customer far outweighs any benefit of keeping the money.

What do you think? What's the experience in your business, on either side of this debate? Send me a note, I'd love to include your examples in a future book or blog article.
Colette Acheson

Business vs Ethics - What's Your Refund Policy?

Teresa, in the words of Marianne Williamson: "I forgive you and release you to the Holy Spirit." May we both find peace over this issue.

The gift of Ignorance?

Another interesting excerpt from Wizard of Ads marketing guru Roy H. Williams. This morning he says:  

"Ignorant people aren’t stupid but merely uninformed; a marvelous advantage when you need a perspective from “outside the box.” The truly naïve are so thoroughly “outside” they’re not even sure what you mean by “the box.”

When you consult specialists within your industry, you’re talking to the builders of the box, the guardians of the box, the faithful defenders of THE BOX. So when specialists fail to provide the innovative thinking you need, ask the opinions of intelligent people who have no experience in your industry. This is the second quickest shortcut to successful innovation." 

Honestly, I had to read the section twice before I connected to his brilliance. In my consulting firm, we have had many instances where our greatest value to a client was in bringing a perspective that was completely foreign to their way of thinking, and how out of that 'ignorance' new insight is born, new solutions are created, and old problems are solved.

Thanks Roy.

Colette Acheson 

The Art of Web Writing

Talking yesterday with Karri Flatla of Snap! Web Marketing relating to some of the very cool projects we are both involved in right now. Check out her website and blogs for tips and trends on SEO and sharp web communication. Karri is an amazing copywriter who specializes in helping businesses understand how to ramp up their web content, and her firm is collaborating with me on a new community project promoting young entrepreneurs. Watch for more news on that over the next few weeks...

And in the meantime, what do you think of the other blog template I have developed using Wordpress?

A Unique Approach for Exceptional Customer Service

Wisdom from ENS Media, compliments of Beverly at Harold's Auto:

10 Steps to Turn Unhappy Customers into Loyal Advocates

When you turn an unhappy customer into a happy customer, they are much more likely to spread positive word of mouth advertising for your business than they would be had they never been unhappy. Our Six Steps to Turn Unhappy Customers into Loyal Advocates, is built around the ‘Golden Rules’ of business.

Golden Rule #1 is, “The customer is always right.”

Golden Rule #2 is, “When the customer is wrong, refer to rule #1.” 

1. Listen, Listen, Listen. More often then not, a customer’s biggest complaint is “no one listens”.  Learn to listen attentively and always demonstrate empathy. Empathy is defined as, “one’s capacity to participate in another’s thoughts or feelings”.

2. Learn.  Bill Gates says, “Welcome your most unhappy customers, they can be your greatest source of learning.” When you do uncover a customer complaint, assume other customers have, or will have, a similar problem. Conduct a post-mortem with your staff and put systems into place to prevent that problem from occurring again.

3. Listen again.  Often, a customer’s initial complaint is NOT their underlying complaint. Once they have vented and explained their problem, ask “Is there anything else?” Keep asking this question until all of the complaints are on the table.

4. Don’t become defensive. When you are passionate about your company and your service, it is easy to go on the defensive and refute every complaint. Sometimes we become defensive or argumentative in an effort to not give a refund or cost the company money. When you push back, it’s human nature for the complainant to push back even harder.

5. Listen again. Then listen some more. Once you have carefully and thoughtfully listened to the initial complaint, ask “Is there anything else?” This power phrase can be very disarming! Seldom is the initial complaint the real complaint, but rather it’s often the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. You’ll know when you have reached the real source of aggravation when the customer answers your “is there anything else?” with, “No.”  At that point, they actually do an about face and start telling you about all the things they DO like about your company.

6. Take responsibility.  Customers don’t want to hear excuses or blame….and angry customers certainly don’t want to hear that your ‘company policy’ prevents you from solving their problem. Apologize for the problem and take responsibility for solving it to the customer’s satisfaction.

7. Break even is not enough. When you offer a refund, that’s only break even in your unhappy customer’s mind. Your break even solution doesn’t account for their time, aggravation, gas and other inconveniences they suffered in their attempt to do business with you. Rather than offering your proposed solution, ask the customer, “What can we do to make you happy?” If you have let them vent and shown empathy for their situation, they often propose a solution less costly than what you would have proposed.

8. Empower your staff. Make sure your staff understands they are empowered to compensate customers for errors up to a pre-determined limit, and that they are trained to do so quickly and cheerfully.

9.  Show that management cares. During or after the complaint, management needs to personally acknowledge and apologize for the problem, preferably face to face,  but at least by phone, email or letter.

10. Follow up.  Plan a courtesy call 30 days after the problem is solved to ensure the customer is still happy. A follow-up call to ensure your solution turned your unhappy customer into a happy customer will remind them to generate more positive word of mouth for you. 

    

A couple of final points…

1.) If your company has made an error, call the customer BEFORE she finds out. Waiting for them to contact you leaves them with the impression that you were hoping they wouldn’t notice the problem.  When an angry customer calls you, the relationship is much more difficult to handle than when you notify them about the problem or error before they have discovered it.

2.) There are exceptions to every rule! There are customers who will try to take advantage of the liberal customer complaint policies we prescribed here. You need to know when to fire a customer. Firing should be extremely rare and only executed by management. And be aware that your fired customer will vehemently spread negative word of mouth about you and your company.

 © Wayne Ens  President of ENSMedia Inc., Lagoon City Canada

How do you see your workplace?

More wisdom from the desk of Chris Lytle http://www.max-atm.com/: "A sales manager told me a sad story last month. "We lost two people in one month to another industry. They left because the company that recruited them offered a one-week sales training program in Chicago."

A 23-year-old rookie who was driving me to a presentation told me she had interviewed with several companies and chose to work for the company that had a "more formal training program."

Your training program may double as a recruitment tool and triple as a retention strategy. A wise man once said, "If your people see the company as a place to grow and not just a place to work, they will stay with you 12 to 18 months longer."

Understanding Email Marketing

I have been working on developing a new email campaign for a client, and am once again reminded about the affordability and flexibility of using email to meet a multitude of business objectives and so cost-effectively.

Computers have forever changed the way we do business, and nowhere is that more evident than in the ways that we stay in touch with clients, subscribers, members or prospects.

My belief is that as human beings we are all selling something all the time. If you are a parent trying to persuade your teenager to cut the grass, a non-profit society creating a public awareness or fundraising campaign, or a business person wanting to round up new customers, it’s all selling. You want to convey your point of view with another person in a way that will (hopefully) bring them around to your way of thinking.

So, we use the term ‘marketing’ as a global umbrella for that process of telling others about your product, service, program or need... and email offers many benefits; quick, adaptable, cost-effective, and encourages client sharing and referrals.

Even if the intention of your email project isn’t about ‘selling’ something, the steps are the same. Every email campaign will be based on understanding these four basic elements of marketing as they relate to your business or organization:

1. Intention, goal or objective – what do we want to achieve

2. Audience – who are we speaking to, contacting, selling to and how/where can we find them

3. Form & Content – what should this look/sound like in order to create a desired response from our audience

4. Delivery – how can we put this information in front of the target individual or group

Great news for one of my book projects!

Wow! Some amazing news last week when to find out that a book I produced a couple of years ago is being featured as part of the course materials for the Community Rehabilitation Diploma program. One of the instructors, Cara Milne of M-Powered Planning, is including the book Our Journey in her course materials for the spring session of this class for students all across Canada.

This book truly was a labour of love, both for me as the project manager/writer/editor, and for the Lethbridge Association for Community Living who contracted with me to produce it. It was an amazing opportunity, to meet with families and individuals, to hear their stories, to laugh and sometimes to cry with them at the joys and challenges of raising a child with a disability.


My friend Bruce Hunter, deafened at 18 months but also a professor at Seneca College and himself an author of several books, said this about Our Journey... "I wept in recognition reading these painfully honest and beautifully moving stories of challenge and triumph by disabled people and their families - as they strive to experience the things in life most take for granted.  These are not strangers, but our brothers, sisters, parents, co-workers, employees, our coaches and teachers.

The disabled are the world's largest 'minority', the 10% of the population that transcend class, culture, religion and race. This book bears poignant witness that we are not alone."

Thank you Bruce, for your kind words. Thank you to our corporate sponsor Meyers Norris Penny for helping to cover the print costs, to LACL for trusting me... and thank you to the families for opening their homes and hearts to me for this project.
Colette

Building a Strong Niche Market

Personal trainer and fitness adviser Bill Morgan is building his business with a unique understanding of his client profile. With clearly defined parameters for age, gender, disposable income and numerous other lifestyle distinctions, Bill knows exactly who his ideal customer is and where he's likely to find them.

This understanding helps him to create the most effective advertising platforms which appeal to his ideal buyer. Now that's strength in marketing.

Success Stories compiled by Visa

http://www.visa.ca/smallbusiness/advice-and-resources/success-stories/index.jsp

Ooops... this sounds so familiar...

"Self-starters are OK, but what I really want are self-finishers."

         Tommy Canterbury

This is such a familiar theme...  

Not sure if it's just home-based business people who are afflicted or symptomatic of a generalized time-management issue we all deal with, but staying focused and completing projects is a recurring topic for many of the clients I work with. And me too, if I am completely honest.

Motivation and performance guru Wes Hopper says "What I've found is that multi-tasking is a trap. The more open projects I have, the less gets finished. Now I know that some people do a much better job with multi- tasking than I do, but I think a lot of us try to fool ourselves about it."

Hmmm... how many activities do I have on the go? How disciplined am I about finishing projects? Can I dedicate myself to complete one task entirely before moving on to something more fun or interesting? 

That will be my goal for today. To have a 'completion checklist' instead of a 'to-do' list, and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Colette

Who will be the new Miss Blackfoot Canada?

Having a hard time convincing myself this is actually work today! It has been so exciting for my team to be involved in promoting the International Peace Pow Wow and Miss Blackfoot Canada Pageant coming up Feb 27th and 28th at the Enmax Centre.

We asked for judges to come forward from the community and the response has been overwhelmingly positive! So far we have Mayor Bob Tarleck, MLA Greg Weadick, Lethbridge College President Dr. Tracy Edwards, CTV's Dory Rossiter, Elisha Rasmussen from Global TV, Stacey Lee from Country 95 News and many more.

The Science Behind De-Cluttering

Some brilliant advice from Chris Lytle, CSP, Author of The Accidental Salesperson

Forget the 80/20 rule. According to research by Tor Dahl, chairman of the World Confederation of Productivity Science, as much as 92 percent of our work time is wasted.

Here's the positive spin. If you could figure out a way to get people to waste just 84 percent of their time, their productivity and billing would double. See how this works? Now you're 16 percent more efficient. "Streamline" is Price Pritchett's advice in his new booklet, Mindshift: The Employee Handbook for Understanding the Changing World of Work. He asserts that the clutter in our lives and on our desks constantly draws our attention away from the vital tasks.

Here are ten suggestions for making your sales department more productive:

1. Have a two-hour paper purge. Set a timer and see how many pounds of paper salespeople can get rid of. Make it light and fun. Sure, people should come in on Saturday and do this for themselves, but they don't. Making it a group activity helps create a new clutter-free culture.

2. Institute a clean desk policy. At night, all surfaces should be cleared of papers, even if that means the pile goes in a drawer. During the day, three-quarters of the surface of the desk should be visible.

3. Impose the poster rule. No poster can hang more than six months. Start with your own office.

4. Knock off the knickknacks. It's a desk, not a nest. While there's nothing wrong with a personal touch, consider an amendment to your policy manual to limit the number of those touches to two.

5 . Quit copying everybody. Post memos intended for everyone on a central bulletin board. Use "group email" to get information to people.

6. Throw away every back issue of every magazine that's over two months old. Feeling guilty about not reading them only drains energy that could be devoted to having a more productive present.

7. Make it a practice to have at least one empty drawer in your desk, one empty shelf on your bookcase, and one unscheduled hour in your daily planner.

8. Write down your top five functions. These high-leverage tasks are the things you should be planning first. If you're doing something other than one of these five, ask yourself why.

9. Make a list of things you are doing that shouldn't be done. Quit doing them.

10. Brainstorm another list of 10 things that will eliminate clutter and act on them.

Ninety-two percent of work time is wasted. The statistic is startling. Even if your market is different, it's crucial to become uncomfortable with clutter. Your success as a manager depends on it.

Form small groups. Get your salespeople involved in the productivity process. Walk into your next sales meeting and write "eight percent" on a flipchart or a white board. Explain the research to your team. Ask them to come up with a list of things they should be doing more of and things that they should eliminate. People rarely resist their own ideas. Now, go home and clean out your basement. You'll feel better.

Hidden Barriers to Achievement

Some valuable insight on human behavior (our own and others) from Raymond Aaron  http://www.aaron.com

“You've said I CAN'T.

Others have said I CAN'T. You have a sense of what that means.

But, what EXACTLY does it mean? It has two possible meanings. But note that it only has one meaning at a time. So, when someone says to you I CAN'T, they mean either one thing or they mean the other thing. Let's learn them right now.

The first possible meaning of I CAN'T is "I am unable".

Examples of when this would be applicable are:

... I can't lift that very heavy box... I can't speak Spanish... I can't run a marathon... I can't defy gravity

In summary, I CAN'T has the meaning that "I am unable" when it refers to that which is physically impossible, or when it refers to that which you have not yet learned how to do. This meaning of I CAN'T is simply a statement of fact.

The other possible meaning is "I am unwilling".

Examples of when this would be applicable are:

... I can't stand up to my father... I can't speak in public... I can't support your ideas... I can't vote for that candidate

In summary, I CAN'T has the meaning that "I am unwilling" when it refers to that which is emotionally challenging, or when it refers to that which is against your ethics or principles. This meaning of I CAN'T is a statement of personal policy.

When it means "I am unable", it is a statement of fact referring to physical

impossibility or lack of education.

When it means "I am unwilling", it is a statement of personal policy referring to that which is emotionally or ethically challenging.”

Cross Cultural Appreciation

I am having so much fun with this latest project! Our team has been contracted to work with the Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society in promoting the 2010 International Peace Pow Wow. held February 27th and 28th at the Enmax Centre.

Now in it's 10th year, this colorful event attracts the top Blackfoot dance and drum performers from across North America, along with hosting the Miss Blackfoot Canada pageant competition on the same weekend.

For more information, contact Mary Ann Crow Healy at the Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society. Tickets may be purchased online beginning February 13th at the Ticket Centre

Borrowed Wisdom from Dave Cheong

Here are some great tips for keeping yourself on track in business and in life:

http://www.davecheong.com/2007/02/05/10-rs-to-apply-if-you-want-to-succeed/

What's your Business Outlook - Lethbridge 2010

Click Here to take survey

Can Business Change the Political Landscape?

This came through my email today from business columnist Cliff Ennico, and I couldn't agree more.

Run for Public Office. If you are fed up with the political system, it's time to get involved. A growing number of our state and federal government representatives are "professional politicians" -- people whose careers managed to bypass the private sector entirely. Not only do they not "get" business, they look at it as a "necessary evil" -- an activity whose primary purpose is to create jobs and tax revenue (not necessarily in that order) that needs to be regulated heavily in order to protect the public. They look upon businesspeople as incompetent if they fail, corrupt if they succeed and would agree with the 19th century French novelist Honore de Balzac that "behind every great fortune lies a great crime."

The bottom line: We need more entrepreneurs and self-employed people in government. Make this year the year you decide to run for local, state or federal office. Even if you don't win, you will send strong messages that government needs to be more responsive to the business community, that successful businesspeople are indeed good citizens and that free enterprise is essential to a democratic society (to say nothing of the free publicity your campaign will generate). As they said back in the 1960s, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

Cliff Ennico (crennico@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com.

Building on Your Strengths for Professional Success

Do you give yourself credit for the things you are naturally good at? When a skill or trait comes naturally, it's easy for us to assume that everyone has it because the effort is almost invisible to us. Then we minimize or discount the value that those abilities bring to our work, homes and relationships while feeling inadequate in comparison to others who may do or be proficient in other aspects.

Think about some activity or behavior that you do well instinctively. It could be anything; spelling, drawing, dancing, telling jokes, getting along with people, or anything else that feels easy and comfortable for you to do. Maybe ask someone whose opinion you trust to confirm that this is something you are good at, for their perspective on the value that this brings, and also to confirm that not everyone has the talent to perform this as effortlessly as you.

In spite of what modern education and mainstream marketing would have us believe, we are all incredibly different in our talents, skills, interests and perspectives. I have come to believe that our greatest gift and potential as human beings lies in understanding and accepting our own individual and unique characteristics and finding the place(s) in life where those attributes can be most appreciated.

On another note, I have accepted the position as President of EWI (Executive Women International http://www.executivewomen.org/) Lethbridge and have started a blog featuring updates and member information from our group.