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Celebration is often a challenging topic for leaders. They wonder if they should celebrate and when they should celebrate. They waffle between “we don`t need to celebrate, people know we are succeeding” and celebrating every, single, little thing along the way.

The best answer (as is the often the case) lies somewhere in the middle.

Celebration is important and it can be overdone.

Most of the conversation and consternation is typically about celebrating (or not celebrating) success. However, the element of celebration most often forgotten is celebrating progress towards a goal.

Why celebrate progress?

You should consider celebrating progress for two basic reasons – focus and momentum.

In the midst of long projects or in the pursuit of big goals, focus can get lost. People can be so busy that they miss the progress. They are so busy in the forest that they miss the trees they have just passed or chopped down. When you recognize progress it helps renew focus while re-energizing the team.

In addition, the intangible momentum that is so easily seen in the athletic world is just as real in your business or organizational pursuits. Celebrating progress is one way to create and sustain momentum towards your goals.

So, the question is, how do you do it?

I`ve separated the dozen suggestions here into two categories – the results components (basically what and when to celebrate) and the process components (how to actually celebrate). Let`s get right to them.

Results Components

Base it on milestones.

In order to celebrate progress, you must know what progress you have made. Any good project plan (that`s an article in and of itself) will have milestones attached to it. Look at those upfront, and determine when might be good celebration points. Of course how the project is going in real life and in real time may alter your plan, but start with a celebration plan attached to the most important or strategic milestones.

Get the group involved.

Have other people let you know when a celebration might be needed, and get them involved in both the celebration planning and execution. When people feel ownership it will be more meaningful and real. I`m not suggesting abdication or total delegation, but a collaborative process.

Don`t be shy.

It is OK to celebrate! Let people know how much you appreciate their effort and progress.

Keep the celebration in perspective.

The celebration is of progress and that should be clearly stated. It`s important that people know that you aren`t done yet.

Really celebrate.

Balancing the previous point, don`t make the celebration a veiled attempt to get people to work harder. Any message that sniffs of “we`ve made good progress, but it is time to redouble our efforts” will be seen cynically, and may have a negative impact on morale and productivity.

Be authentic.

Let people know how much you appreciate their effort and progress. If you aren`t really feeling it, perhaps better to delay the celebration until you do – or until you get yourself a leadership attitude adjustment (another great article topic!).

Process Components

Have food.

The way to a man`s heart may very well be through his stomach… and… any celebration is better with food. Your situation will dictate how fancy or informal it is, but having food always makes a celebration better.

Make it an event.

It needn`t be big or elaborate, but it needs to be an event! Make sure people know when it is, and make it a priority that they be involved. A celebration should be an event.

Think about where.

While you could do your celebration anywhere, progress celebrations especially are often done when people feel they are still busy with the work. Creating the celebration onsite may balance people`s need to “keep working” with the need you see for celebration.

Think about when.

When to celebrate will really be dependent on the demographics of your group, their habits and the culture of your organization. You might consider your celebration first thing in the morning, at lunch or, even, after hours away from the office. Use the wisdom and advice of others to make this decision, rather than following your own personal preferences.

Consider gifts.

Gifts can be a great addition to your celebration. How about a t-shirt, a gift card or something else? Again, culture and preferences will play a role here – get others involved so gifts is perceived as valuable (not just ANOTHER coffee mug or pen). Remember to make sure the value of the gift is congruent with the point of progress.

Symbols are powerful.

Symbols are really a form of gift, but perhaps with less utility. Plaques, certificates or a hundred other things can be powerful reminders of the appreciation and progress that have been made.

Hopefully these 12 suggestions will help you make your celebrations of progress more successful and meaningful. Remember when used effectively celebrations can create focus, momentum and even greater morale and productivity.

The best leaders recognize the power of celebration! Many leaders also recognize the power of personal development. Leaders from around the world have decided to continue their personal (and professional) development using the Remarkable Leadership Learning System – a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. This system allows you to learn without travel and with materials available whenever it works best for you. Get more than $916.25 worth of leadership development materials including two complimentary months of that unique system today as part of Kevin Eikenberry’s Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever at http://MostRemarkableFreeLeadershipGiftEver.com.
Kevin is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, consultant and the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group ( http://www.KevinEikenberry.com ).

Do you love cats? If so how many cats do you have? Is your cat well behaved?

How many times do you consider your cat’s safety? Does your cat return home safely at nights, without any rashes or bruises that are indeed created by other cats?

How certain are you that only your cat eats the food that you give them and they are not being joined by other cats when you are out? Most of the cat lovers would be finding it difficult to answer these questions.

Indeed these are the daily problems faced by cat lovers. These questions make the cat lovers feel worried about their dearest pets.

Most cat owners know how worrying it is when their cat goes missing for a day or more. Is there a remedy for all these hard moments? If at all there is a solution, will it guarantee on the safety and security of the pet? What can be done to stop these kind of problems for good?

Can your cat be safe from being bullied by other stray cats? Can your cat be safe in indoor without escaping, if the weather outside is very terrible and violent? The good news is that there is a very easy answer to all these questions. And of course that answer is Yes!

The antidote for all these physical and environmental threats that are literally experienced by the owner and the pet has now come to light. It comes in the form of a special cat flap called the Pet Porte Smart Flap.

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap is the first cat flap that effectively keeps other cats out. It provides an enhanced level of security that makes cats lives and the owners lives much better.

This is a Collarless technology, which indeed keeps the pet away from hard and rough collars which leaves a mark on the neck of the pet.

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap was invented and patented by David Chamberlain, one of Guernsey’s leading vets, which is the first in a series of inventions that will be coming onto the market intended to make your life, and your cat’s life, more enjoyable.

Pet Porte is the world’s first cat flap to stop other cats from entering your home and it recognises your cat without the need for electronic or magnetic cat collar attachments, heavy collar tags, restrictive collars or infra red.

The technology is completely safe and cats will not even notice that they are being scanned when they approach the door.

Cats love to use the Pet Porte microchip cat flap and it keeps them safe. The Pet Porte microchip cat flap is easy to use, and it’s simple to program your cats in, most probably the user of this Pet Porte product will not require you to constantly refer to the manual, because everything is operated from just two buttons, one red and one green.

One the cats that you program in are allowed entry. You can program in up to 32 cats. The door is extra strong and cannot be bashed open..

In the Pet Porte microchip cat flap there are two distinct modes worth mentioning.

Two of the most popular modes are the VET MODE and the NIGHT MODE:

You can use the VET MODE whenever you want to keep your cats indoors. When you activate the NIGHT MODE your cats can always come back inside but they will not be able to get out when it is dark, they will be kept in until it is light again in the morning. These two modes make the Pet Porte microchip cat flap unique to all other cat flaps on the market.

The Pet Porte Smart Flap is very easy to install and operate.

Programming the Pet Porte is again a very short and simple process, as there are no complex steps involved, indeed the whole installation is only a single step process.

Simply hold down the green button for ten seconds and release. The lights start to flash. Then hold your cat under the outside sensor. It beeps three times. That is all the owner has to do, in order to finish with the programming process, in this same method an average of 32 different cats (approx) can be programmed.

There may be a question arising among the users that what actually happens when the pet is made to pass through the Pet Porte. When the cat is approaches the Pet Porte the intelligent sensors present in the sensor porch of the cat flap recognizes the existing microchip ID implants, the door unlocks only for your cats. Stray cats or neighbours cats, even those with microchips, are not allowed access because they are not programmed in.

This adorable product uses an adapter that is fixed directly to the power supply, rather than using batteries which may run out frequently or unexpectedly. The current is safe because it is low voltage, and its not at all harmful for the cat by any means, so there is no chance of short circuits, even if the cat chews or pounces on the lead, as the voltage is very low. Even if the cat flap is disconnected from the power it will always remember your cat’s microchip numbers.

The major characteristics of the magic door that is used in the Pet Porte is that its highly tensile and strong as it has the capacity to withstand the pouncing/attacks,even if it is created by the toughest cat around on the streets.

Because the cat flap is powered by AC adaptor, the magic door unlocks at the blink of an eye, i.e. in just few microseconds, so that you’re lovable cat can enjoy its play with the Pet Porte, even if she/he loves to dash in and out at speed.

The Pet Porte is friendly device to your pet, and it is designed in such a way that, there will not be any possibilities in which the tail or the paws of the pet getting stuck. Eventually there are no possibilities for other stray cats to enter, thus making your cat feel free and relaxed at all times.

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap has many clever features which makes it unique and reliable when compared to all the other cat doors. In fact the other cat doors on the market such as traditional, magnetic and infrared flaps all have their own disadvantages at different situations.

With traditional cat doors the result is that within one night the owner can see his house ruined i.e. his curtains torn, urine all over the wall, the cat food missing from its tray, the pet left with the marks of being bullied-all these are the problems created by none others than the neighbours cats. Thus these are the adverse effects caused when traditional type flaps are used.

Secondly, comes the magnetic cat flaps, all the cats with magnetic collars can gain access through the door, this is a major drawback. And the other issue is that, magnetic collars are heavily and tight, that makes the pet feel uncomfortable.

Thirdly comes the infrared cat flaps, these have sensors both at the transmitting and receiving ends and the door opens only if the sensor in the collar points directly to the sensor on the door. These Infrared cat flaps are expensive too.

Finally all these disadvantages experienced when using other cat flaps are in turn changed into an merit when the Pet Porte microchip cat flap is installed.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PET PORTE MICROCHIP CAT FLAP

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap was designed to be the best cat flap in the world. The irritation caused by the collar on a cat can be avoided by the use of the cats existing microchip. With the help of the locking mechanism, stray cats can be kept out.

The pains of calling your cat in at night is no longer an issue because the cat flap can detect the light level automatically and help to keep your cats in at night.

With the presence of the Pet Porte microchip cat flap, you will be able to know, if your cat inside the house or elsewhere, the beeping system of the Pet Porte will make you aware of the presence of your cat inside the house. You can easily switch the beep off if it makes your cats nervous.

The presence of a magnetic latch in the Pet Porte keeps the flap intact when the wind blows therefore protecting the cats from getting hurt.

The simple two button operation mechanism gives a full control over your cats world.

The microchip cat flap allows you to program up to 32 cats of your liking and only the cats which are programmed in are allowed access.

The programmable memory within the Pet Porte prevents the loss of information about your cats if the power is disconnected.

All of this comes under low voltage intake with no batteries to replace so your cat will never get locked outside.

This product is cat friendly and makes it virtually impossible for your cat to get its paws stuck in the door. Hence the Pet Porte microchip cat flap is a divine product that has been launched to quench the thirst of concerned cat lovers, and it is now available to cat lovers worldwide.

Many customers say that it makes them feel comfortable and relaxed at nights rather than worrying about their pets, since there is a friend there at the door step providing the most sophisticated level of security to the lovable kitties.

You can order online from Microchip Cat Flaps – a website recommended by Cats Protection, leading vets and Your Cat magazine.

You’ve performed three of the most important tasks for a dog owner: decided if you were right for a dog, determined what dog was the best for you and taught your best friend some manners. That should be about it, right? Wrong!

You have an ongoing relationship with your pet, just like you do your children or your spouse. It’s important to maintain the relationship if you want it to be fruitful. If you don’t, all of that training you’ve done so far will be for naught.

Sometimes, though, like all relationships, the one with your dog can be rocky. Even well-trained owners have dogs with behavior problems when things change. Dog have been known to act out when their owners being working more hours, go back to school, have a baby or get married. Dogs aren’t themselves when they are ill or in pain. Some dogs are just never quite right because of problems inherited from poor breeding.

Here are nine things you can do to make sure your well-behaved dog stays that way.

1. Don’t forget that you are leader of the pack. Remind yourself that your dog is genetically programmed to be part of a group and to obey the leader of his pack. If you don’t provide him consistent strong, yet fair, leadership, he will try to become the leader. If he becomes the leader by default, behavior problems will increase exponentially. Here are some tips to make sure he remembers you are his leader:

- Don’t let him pull on his leash.

- Don’t put the leash on your dog until he sits quietly.

- Don’t let him get away with bad behavior.

- Always eat before he does.

- Don’t chase or play rough games like tug-of-war with your dog.

- Don’t allow him to bite anyone.

- Always go through doorways before him.

- Try to always be calm, fair and confident when dealing with your dog.

- Don’t give him anything – attention, food, play – without him doing something for you first, like sitting on command.

- Don’t allow your dog on furniture without your permission.

- Protect your dog from other animals or people who try to harm him.

When you are a strong leader, your dog will respect you. With this respect comes an innate desire to please. He will love you and want to obey your every command!

2. Train with your dog every day. Just like with humans, any behavior you train your dog to do will be forgotten if he doesn’t practice it. Work with your dog at least 15 minutes a day on an aspect of his behavior. This is important, also, to remind your canine that you are the leader of his pack. Try to teach your dog something new every month or two. This will keep him challenged and give you both a sense of accomplishment. Most dogs were bred to do some kind of work, and if you don’t give your dog purpose, he’ll become bored and develop behavioral problems.

3. Make sure to give your dog treats and praise. Continue the technique you’ve used to train your dog. People tend to get complacent, and before you know it, Spot is hogging your bed and dragging you down the street by the leash. To make things worse, he won’t listen to your commands any more. To prevent this, make your dog perform an act of obedience to earn praise, petting or a treat.

4. Never strike or yell at your dog. Hitting or kicking your dog will have about the same effect that it would on a spouse or a child – it ruins the relationship and breaks down all the trust your pet had for you. Some owners use physical abuse to train their dogs to fight for money. Others believe, erroneously, that abuse will make them become better watch or attack dogs. Statistics show that thousands of dogs are killed or injured by people every year. No matter how frustrated you get with him, never, ever strike your pet.

Dogs don’t respond well to yelling. All it does is get your dog more stressed, which will more than likely make his behavior problems worse. Everyone loses their patience from time to time, but remember that your dog only responds to fair leadership.

5. Get your dog proper medical care. Your dog needs a checkup at the veterinarian annually to make sure he’s in top form physically and to receive yearly shots to prevent rabies and other diseases. It’s important to go to the same vet every year so he or she can monitor your pet and notice any evidence of problems. All dogs need a teeth cleaning from time to time, too, to keep them healthy. If your dog is injured or sick, he needs to get proper medical attention. Your veterinarian can also give you advice on behavior as well as diet, breeding, training, and puppy selection

6. Attend obedience training. As an absolute necessity for getting a good to a positive relationship with your dog, be sure to take him to a six-to-eight-week-long obedience class, before his first birthday if he’s a puppy, as soon as possible if he’s an adult dog. A good trainer will teach you the basics and what a good dog/owner relationship is.

If you have an adult dog, don’t worry. That old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is not true! A dog of any age can learn good behavior. Both you and your dog will benefit. He will learn some good behavior and to respect you, the leader of the pack. You’ll learn the subtleties of your dog’s behavior and how to act in a fair, yet dominant, manner. Obedience training is great way to teach an “only dog” how to properly socialize with other dogs and people. Whether you are alone with your dogs or in a group of people and animals, your dog will learn how to behave.

Here are some tips to help you determine what obedience class is the right one for you and your pet:

- Ask your friends, family members, vet or groomer for

recommendations.

- Be sure the trainer uses positive reinforcement and no methods that hurt or frighten the dogs.

- Choose a trainer that focuses primarily on group classes. Although it may seem like one-on-one training might be best, group classes give both you and your dog to observe other people and their pets. Your dog will also focus on your commands, not just those of the trainer. Some owners do both individual and group classes.

- Make sure there are separate classes for puppies and adult dogs. Dogs between eight and 16 weeks should be in puppy classes. You may also feel more comfortable with a trainer who offers beginning, intermediate and advanced obedience classes.

- Ask the trainer you are considering if you can watch a class. While you watch, note some of these details: Notice if the class is small enough that everyone can get some individualized attention. Watch to see if both and dogs and owners are having fun. See if the trainer provides lesson handouts. In a good class, you’ll hear plenty of praise and commands in upbeat, yet firm, tones. Does the trainer give the owners other information about health, grooming or specific breeds? You want to make sure your trainer is knowledgeable about the whole dog, not just obedience training techniques.

- Ask your trainer if he or she knows several different techniques to work with dogs. This can come in handy if your dog doesn’t always respond to the tried-and-true methods.

- Make certain that the trainer requires that dogs be vaccinated and certified healthy by their vet before enrolling in classes.

- Be sure to get a list of equipment you’ll need to bring with you to your first class.

Once you find the right trainer and obedience class, make sure both you and your dog are prepared. Be sure to bring all the required equipment. Don’t feed your dog before class – since treats are part of the reinforcement of good behavior, you want him to be willing to eat the treats, which he might not want if he has a full belly. Don’t forget to do your homework! Practice between classes is essential to reinforce your dog’s behavior.

7. Lean all you can about your dog, his breed, and canine care. You can never know too much when it comes to your dog. Learn all you can from books, television and magazines. Be sure just to take the time to browse at the pet supply store or your favorite online pet supplies merchant to see what kind of new products are on the market. A new toy from time to time is a new adventure for both you and your pet.

8. Keep your dog’s home safe and stimulating. Giving your dog a fun, secure place to live will help to prevent bad behavior and may even prolong his life. Always have a number of fun toys available, including balls, chews and squeaky toys. Be sure to play with your dog daily to give him the necessary exercise he needs, to help you bond with your pet and to just have fun!

If no one is home during the day, leave a talk radio station on. Keep your pet out of areas of your home where he might eat something toxic or injure himself. Keep your fence well maintained.

If your dog starts to have behavior problems, don’t despair! There’s nothing to say that you can’t start training him to change his behavior! With a little patience and perseverance, you will be able to eliminate most bad behavior. In the most extreme cases, you may not be able to stop the behavior, but with training your dog will show improvement.

Some problems won’t be entirely eliminated, especially if you chose a dog that doesn’t have the temperament for your lifestyle. But even some of these dogs can change if you have a good dog/dog owner relationship. Now we’ll look at some of the most common behavior problems and how to re-train your dog to behave appropriately.

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’

The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90′s. Get a copy of her book: ‘Dog Owners Boot CampÂ’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers DonÂ’t Want You To Know!

PHP means Hypertext Preprocessor Programming; it is basically script based and server side programming language. Server side means the scripts will be in to the HTML but server processes on it first before sending that applications to browsers. You can not see PHP coding in source of that particular web page because the code is not visible, it only gives output. PHP is used to create dynamic web pages for internet business.

Some features of PHP:

• PHP is very helpful in content management system
• PHP can be used for command line scripting
• It can be used in relational database management systems
• Provides design structure to promote rapid application development
• It allows developers to write extensions in C
• It can be used in all major operating systems including Linux, Microsoft Windows and RISC OS
• It permits users to transfer specific files from their client computers to a web server
• It is flexible in database connectivity

In web development era PHP adds more functionality to your website, it allows your website visitors to interact with you through scripts.

PHP development services have many advantages like low cost and high performance. The other advantage is that the code is simple and easy to understand. PHP is widely used for frameworks and to design a structure. PHP is mainly used for the small business with limited budget.

There are lots of service providers in India who provide outsourcing PHP programming services with highly qualified and skilled IT professional. They are providing best services at affordable rate and always ready to fulfill all your requirements. If you’re getting good service provider then you can fulfill all your requirements and you can also earn long profit form that because the future of PHP is very amazing.

Steve Irron is outsourcing executive at Website Development Firm – an India based PHP Website Development company. For any further information related to PHP programming contact at info@websiteprogrammingdevelopment.com

Today’s economy limits most consumers’ ability to replace large pieces of equipment, vehicles and furniture. To save money, consumers have to get smart, and sometimes creative. By identifying what problems are occurring that may be causing these things to not work properly, it is then an easy step to find less expensive solutions to make it work. Often times a simple repair or part replacement can make all the difference. Specifically for vehicles with engine trouble, the problem may seem beyond repair but if analyzed, a simple replacement kit or a repowered engine may be the best, low cost option available.

Small engine vehicles – lawn mowers, golf carts, trucksters, motorcycles, snow mobiles – are secondary pieces of equipment that are expensive to replace. When they seem to have engine trouble, replacing the entire vehicle is an expensive proposition. A replacement kit is typically the most cost effective alternative. But before going that route, it is important to identify exactly what is wrong with your current engine.

Small engine problems typically fall into two basic categories, failure to start and a problem running after the engine has started.

Failure to Start

There are a number of reasons a small engine might not start properly:

o Fuel line problems: Check to see that the fuel tank is full, that the fuel is fresh, and that the shut-off valve is closed. The fuel line or inlet screen could also be blocked or the fuel tank cap could be clogged.

o Carburetor problems: The carburetor could be blocked or the engine could be flooded. There might be problems with the spark plug. Check the choke on the fuel bowl as well – it could be set too high.

o Ignition problems: The spark plug contacts could be dirty, the plug gap could be set incorrectly, the lead could be faulty, or the kill switch could be shorted. These all require basic replacement or repair and are a snap with a proper kit.

o Compression problems: Check the valves, pistons, cylinder, or connecting rods if you suspect a compression problem. These could be dirty, stripped, or otherwise damaged, and would prevent the engine from starting properly or at all.

Problems Running

Problems running properly can pose more danger to your vehicle than an engine that simply wont’ start. If left unfixed, constant overheating or smoke emission can eventually ruin an engine and require a full-on replacement.

o Overheating engines: Lack of oil is one of the most common reasons for overheating. So is a dirty engine. Beyond that, there may be shrouds or cooling fans missing within the engine or the gasket could be leaking. The fuel mixture might be too lean, another carburetor problem. Cleaning or replacing the fuel tank vent and fuel tank screen can help reduce the chance of your engine overheating as well. These are all fixes that you can do yourself or with some simple repair kit that will cost far less than a new engine.

o Smoking: If the engine is emitting blue or white smoke then it is likely burning oil. If it is emitting black smoke it is a problem with the carburetor most likely. If it is neither the carburetor nor an oil leak, then it might be a clogged or dirty air filter.

o Knocking engine: If your engine experiences knocking it may indicate an excess of carbon in the combustion chamber, which would require you to clean carbon from the piston and head. The flywheel might also be loose. A faulty spark plug lead could cause engine knocking. This can be easily repaired or replaced.

o Spark Plug Misses: This could be caused by any number of things, including a faulty spark plug, faulty breaker points, an incorrectly set carburetor, or a weak valve spring.

It may appear that your small engine problems are large and will require a brand new small engine. Very rarely is this the case thought. To save money, take note of what exact problems you are having with your engine, test the areas we have outlined above and talk to a small engine specialist about steps to take to get the engine in working order again. The steps may be as simple as basic cleaning or part replacement to a slightly more complex but much lest expensive small engine repower kit. In today’s economy, none of us can afford to make unwarranted purchases like new engines if it is not necessary.

~Ben Nystrom, 2009

Ben Nystrom lives in Portland, OR and writes for Repower Specialists, LTD.
Read more about complete small engine repair kits available online by visiting the Repower Specialists site specializing in truckster, mower and golf cart engines and parts.