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Sunday, May 02, 2010

BLUE THING #1: TNNWC Surveys, Analyses and Findings




Why? Because people are absolutely obsessed with what other people are thinking.

Why? Because feedback helps us to refine our strategies and change our trajectories.

Why? Because The National Networker Companies want you and your business to know your client audience and to constantly monitor changes in their attitudes, buying habits and needs.

(cue drum roll...)

TNNW SURVEY #6 RESPONSES ARE IN!

(Polls have now closed at this writing: 04.27.2010 )

TNNW Survey #6: Take Your Own Personal "Human Asset Value" Inventory.


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TNNW SURVEY # 6: Self-Evaluation
RESPONSES, ANALYSIS and COMMENTARY
Publication Date: 04.27.2010



A. The Introduction: A Review of the Survey Presentation.

You bring your automobile in for an inspection to determine if it needs repairs. You check your investment portfolio to see how well your assets are performing. You review your bank statement to be certain that you can cover your bills. You appraise your property. You prepare balance sheets for your businesses. Comment: It might be a good idea to take a Personal Asset Value Inventory -- a self-appraisal -- from time to time. Start today. Invest a bit of time in taking an honest look at yourself...strong points, weak points, all points. What you reveal to yourself in this exercise might help you to make some refinements, and to better plan for a happier, more fulfilling and prosperous future.

We have not assigned "weights" or "priorities" to any factors, and there is no grading. Once the results are in, we will conduct another survey to assign weights to the various factors, so that you will have a means of rating yourself in comparison to others. But for the moment, your answers to the survey will just provide you with some food for thought...and thinking is good exercise; the more you use your mind, the stronger it becomes.

You'll be glad that you made this self-investment. And we at THE NATIONAL NETWORKER COMPANIES™ thank you for your participation. Now let's get on with the collaborative process of helping each other to be more successful.

It is self-evaluation time. We must do this before we can evaluate others effectively.

Please be advised that the survey contains 45 questions...so be prepared to dedicate some time to thinking about each question, and answer honestly -- never try to fool yourself.

Relax, focus and enjoy the adventure of self-discovery.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
THE NATIONAL NETWORKER COMPANIES
####




B. The Survey Questions. – [Note: To download the Actual Survey, with all of the possible multiple choice answer selections, simply click on http://www.mediafire.com/?m0zmj34daxy ]

1. Do you know your three greatest (e.g., most exceptional) strengths? Note: These strengths can be from any aspect of your personality, technical skills, talents, et cetera.

2. Do you use any of your three greatest strengths in your work?

3. Do you know your three greatest weaknesses or vulnerabilities?

4. Have you addressed or found ways to work around your greatest weaknesses so that their impact on you in your personal life and career are minimized?

5. How many genuine, close friends do you have in whom you can truly confide with no-holds barred honesty, and who can confide comfortably in you?

6. Of your closest friends, how long have you known the longest-standing one (referring to the preceding question)?

7. During an average week, how many times do others ask you for advice, for your opinion, for your recommendation or referral?

8. During an average week, how many times do you ask others for advice, for their opinion, for their recommendation or referral?

9. How many hours (on the average) do you spend researching or reading about your professional interests or business field daily?

10. How many hours (on the average) do you spend researching or reading about your varied intellectual or recreational interests daily?

11. How many hours (on the average) do you spend discussing your professional interests or business field with colleagues daily?

12. How many hours (on the average) do you spend discussing your professional interests or business field with prospective clients or general acquaintances daily?

13. Do you enjoy what you do for a living?

14. How many friends, business acquaintances and colleagues do you have in your "A-list" email address book?

15. Referring to the previous question, how often do you correspond by email, or telephone, or through other means with that group monthly (on average)?

16. Referring to the previous question, how many introductions do you make between friends, colleagues and clients per month (on average)?

17. How often do you write articles, post to blogs or correspond with others (on a non-solicitation basis) regarding your profession or other interests on a monthly basis (on average)?

18. Are you considered a "thought leader," an "expert" or a "maven" in your professional field or in some other area?

19. Are you considered by others to be a leader, an organizer, or a commander?

20. Are you considered by others to be a good team player, a contributor, a dedicated individual?

21. Are you considered by others to be generous and giving of your time, your insight, your funds (to charities and other causes)?

22. Would you delay or re-schedule an important business meeting if a close friend needed your help in a difficult situation?

23. Could you be trusted to keep a secret?

24. Are you generally honest in your words and in your actions?

25. Do you ever relate stories to others in which you've lost, or done something silly, or been in embarrassing circumstances? Can you laugh at yourself, or occasionally poke some fun of yourself?

26. Do you enjoy socializing?

27. Are you effective at inspiring others?

28. Are you skillful at delegating to others?

29. Do you enjoy speaking in front of groups?

30. Do you frequently compliment or praise others? Do you enjoy giving credit to others?

31. Do you enjoy teaching or assisting others?

32. Do you take pride and effort in your appearance?

33. Do you listen to others, reflect upon what they've said, and respond (without a hidden agenda or a sales pitch)?

34. Do you dedicate an average of a one to two days per week pursuing recreational interests which don't involve business, per se?

35. Do you keep up with all of the latest developments in your field?

36. Do you do regular vigorous exercise, and attend to matters of your health?

37. Do you respond to personal emails and telephone messages that you've missed from persons whom you know?

38. How many people do you know who would write letters of reference on your behalf, or speak on your behalf?

39. How many people do you know for whom you would write letters of reference, or offer an endorsement?

40. Do you organize and plan your days, or weeks with goals?

41. Do you feel that you are on the right career path for you?

42. Do you accept constructive criticism from colleagues and friends?

43. Do you engage in charitable or community works?

44. Are you concerned for the fate of your country, and of Humankind, as a whole?

45. Do you believe that there could be a time in your life when you would be willing to sacrifice yourself, and everything that you owned, to save another person, or for a critical cause?

C. The Survey Responses.

There were 71 total respondents, each of whom completed the entire survey. The time that it took, on the average, for any respondent to complete the survey was 47 minutes, or an average answer rate of approximately 1 minute per question. By contemporary standards, this was a long and elaborate survey that required time, effort and introspective focus to complete. We at TNNWC are thoroughly delighted with the number or respondents. The non-scientific implication might be that the survey topic was one that many considered to be of importance or benefit.

To view the actual survey responses in terms of the percentages of respondents selecting each of the multiple choice answers to any of the given 45 multiple choice questions, simply click on the following link http://www.mediafire.com/?zggyybmowgy for a complete download. Since the survey consisted of such a large number of questions, if would create multiple computer crashes or a somnambulistic wave of drooling lethargy if we were to print out the results here. Having said this, please do take a look at the download. You will find the results informative, but not shocking.

When evaluating these responses or the responses to any self-evaluation questionnaire, please bear in mind the areas of bias which will tend to distort the results. Firstly, there is survey presenter’s bias, which has to do with any or all of the following variables: the selection (inclusions, omissions and emphasis) of questions; the wording of questions; the answer choices and their wording; and, the ordering of the questions. Every pollster or survey-taker has an inherent bias which will influence the very structure of the questionnaire, and therefore, the responses and their implications. It is a challenge to minimize this bias, especially in a situation where certain results are either hoped for or anticipated while designing the survey.

Secondly, there is a respondent’s bias which has to do with the ego-driven disparity between what the respondent actually thinks of himself or herself, and what the respondent would like to think of himself or herself. This is, even in a totally anonymous survey, such as this one, a deeply ingrained psychic self-defense mechanism. We would simply like to think the best of ourselves, so our results tend to reflect more “socially responsible,” “academically correct,” and “proper expected conduct,” in any given set of circumstances or given any choice of action. A classic example of this is in the case of a question along the lines of “If you were driving to a meeting and running a bit late, would you stop your car to check up a motorist whose automobile was pulled over on the shoulder of the road, and whose head was hanging out the driver’s side window?”

The responses to the above question would likely indicate a great deal more compassion and concern than might otherwise be exhibited when confronted with such a situation in reality. There is an amazing psychological/ subconscious phenomenon at work here – there is a presence within each of us that views us as if we were assessing a third party. While it interferes with our accuracy in filling out questionnaires, it is a useful self-correction tool if properly cultivated and harnessed. It certainly warrants exploration and experimentation.

Getting back to TNNW Survey #6, when the responses are converted to presentation as area charts, they are even a bit more interesting. Graphically presented data are easier for most readers to grasp, because we tend to process pictures a great deal more rapidly and memorably than when we try to derive meanings from words and numbers. To use a cliché, a picture may well be worth a thousand words. [Interjected Humor … especially if it is a photograph taken by a private investigator in a matrimonial case!]

To see the statistical results depicted as area charts, you get a download by clicking on this link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ttn1zj22jyh .

Because of the extensive nature of this self-exploration survey, we will be reviewing each of the 45 separate aspects of crucial self-knowledge and personal development individually while we continue to carry out other polls and surveys.

Welcome to the commencement of … EXPLORATION: 45 CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.

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Note: Now that the Survey is closed and the results have been published, if you have some of your own additional self-assessment tools or criteria to share (by way of example: certain categorical questions which were not among the 45 in the Survey, but which you believe should have been included in over to make the self-assessment process even more effective) and you would like to include them in a follow-up addition to the Survey, please write to us at http://bit.ly/contactTNNW, being sure to include the words “Survey #6 Suggestion” in the subject line of your correspondence.


If you would like, we will give you credit for your suggested question right in the Survey itself. And in the event that your recommended categorical question is published in an updated and upgraded version of the Survey, just let us know if you’d like to be named as a Contributor to the Collaborative Survey Creation Team in your initial correspondence to us. In this manner, we’ll know well enough in advance. Of course, you may remain anonymous if you would like.

If you’d like, join The National Networker Companies for free at http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC.



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