By Michelle Girasole on 9/6/2008 11:56 AM

Giving Feedback



A big challenge in business and sometimes in our personal life is being able to give people feedback and make our needs known. As an entrepreneur, it may be feedback to a client, vendor or partner. The end result in either case is to produce an improved result or performance.



According to wikipedia.org, feedback is “a process of sharing observations, concerns and suggestions between persons…with an intention of improving both personal and organizational performance. Negative and positive feedback…imply criticism and praise, respectively.”



While no one likes to be criticized, here are some guidelines to giving feedback which is effective and can be heard and “digested” by the other person.

1. Before you give feedback, ask the person to give feedback on their own performance, their own skills etc. ie “How do you think you did?” or “How do you think that went?”

2. Ask permission to give feedback. If you want to tell someone feedback about their performance or about something they did, say, “May I have your permission to give you some feedback on …” or “Do you mind if I give you some feedback on that?”. This gives them the opportunity to be more open and receptive to what you have to say.

3. Personal and specific feedback is much more effective than general feedback. When you are giving someone constructive feedback, try very hard to make it specific. A good way to frame that is to say:

a. “This is what I liked about what you did.” and,

b. “This is what I wanted more of.”

4. During any conversation, making eye contact makes a person feels like they are being heard. Look them directly in the eye as you are speaking to them and as you hear their response.

5. Feedback is most effective when given frequently.

6. Make sure your feedback is non-judgmental. This will make it “easier to swallow”. Here are some “edible” feedback questions to use in an assessment:

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By Wendy Hanson on 9/3/2008 6:53 PM

In the fall of 2007, Kirsten Lewis was formulating her plan to execute a new website specifically designed for women financial advisors. Kirsten had a long history in that industry and knew that resources for women were limited. Women look at money different and talk about money differently. They needed a place that they had a community, a community that extended beyond the boundaries of their office and extended throughout the United States and potentially the world market.



In her research, Kirsten was online and found The Sassy Ladies. (Ten points for our branding, because Kirsten made the first connection because she loved our name and loved our site!)



What started as a conference call has become a great strategic alliance. Lady Advisor launched in the spring of 2008 and is a fabulous community web site for women Financial Advisors, Investors, and Attorneys. Kirsten has made sure that all the bases are covered! There are expert talks, discussion groups, and tele-classes. She’s not only interested in the development and education in the financial arena but helps women members look at their life and take care of themselves, which is so much a part of being a successful woman entrepreneur.



The Sassy Ladies now have a discussion group on the site. We'll be doing an upcoming tele-class on Networking and starting in 2009 we plan on offering some 1:1 coaching.



Congratulations to Kirsten Lewis and the team at Lady Advisor! We highly recommend you go visit the site or pass it along to your Advisor, who with any luck, is a Lady!

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By Michelle Girasole on 9/3/2008 1:39 PM

The Sassy Ladies are happy to return for a second year of exhibiting and podcasting at the We Mean Business Expo, on September 22, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick RI.

For information on this event or to pre-register, visit:  http://www.wemeanbusinessri.com/

Last year, we were among the first business experts to exhibit at this successful event, co-hosted by the State of Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Office and the RI Economic Development Corporation. Many new business owners and dreamers came by our booth to ask great questions about what they needed to do to be successful. We also recorded a bunch of podcasts with other exhibitors at the event. Listen to these interviews.

If you live nearby, and are thinking of starting a business, it is a great place to come to get answers to a lot of your startup questions! We hope to see you there!

By Michelle Girasole on 9/3/2008 1:18 PM

Join our Sassy Ladies’ Groups on Linked In and Facebook!



The social networking scene is taking the marketing world by storm, and we want to make sure you are not left behind. If you already have profiles set up in either of these sites, it is as easy as searching for the following group pages, and join. If not, you will be asked to create a profile first, then you can link your profile to our group.





Join the Sassy Ladies’ Group on Linked In

                               http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=58361



 Join the Sassy Ladies’ Group on Facebook 

                            http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14579614287





Join one, or join both!



But, why?

It’s a great way to network online, and connect with other women entrepreneurs. For many months, we’ve been asked to post information on our website about upcoming workshops, events, book launches, etc. We couldn’t keep up, so we’ve decided to use the powerful tools that these sites offer to enable YOU to reach out to our community of women entrepreneurs.



We look forward to discussions, collaborations, and, well, NETWORKING to begin happening in the coming months, through these two groups. We hope you will join us.

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By MPerry on 9/3/2008 9:47 AM

I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of generous support from our Sassy friends to help my parents rebuild after their home was destroyed by fire. THANK YOU ALL! The fundraiser, held in July at the Hi-Hat Lounge in Providence, R.I., was as fun as it was poignant--Michelle and Wendy really outdid themselves putting this together. The Blackstone Project hit all the right notes as they provided the musical ambiance for the evening. For just a few minutes, I could imagine that my family and I were just out having a great time at a cool place surrounded by beautiful people. When I looked over and saw my Dad tapping his feet to the music and smiling, I got the feeling maybe everything was gonna be alright.

By MPerry on 9/3/2008 9:42 AM

We’ve come a long way, baby! Our book, The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit for Startup Businesses, is at the publisher’s as you read this. Color us happy because we’re one step closer to providing a resource that we just know you’re gonna love. We know this because you’ve asked us about the very information between the covers and because this is a “wish we’d had that when WE started” kind of book. It’s definitely a back-to-basics kind of resource, so it’s helpful whether you haven’t even created your business card yet or you’ve gone through four boxes of them. More info on the release date coming, so stay tuned!

By Wendy Hanson on 9/1/2008 7:01 AM

I (Sassy Wendy Business Coach) had the privilege of being the Guest Speaker at the South Shore Women’s Network in Rockland, MA on August 28^th. What a fabulous group! I talked about being an Entrepreneur and/or an Intrapreneur. The group talked and shared and many individuals came away looking at their own role in their business a little differently. Mission Accomplished!

We looked at Who do you need to be? Is it an Innovator, Organizer, Dreamer, Communicator, Partner, Systems Builder, Relationship Builder, or Monetizer? If you pick one area that appeals to you and build that talent into a strength—voila! Your work can become more fun and your life easier. That’s the short version!

As it is Labor Day---take some time to vision who you want to be!