Thursday, December 20, 2012

Photos of ghosts, click if you dare...


Photos of ghosts, click if you dare...

  Hurricane, West Virginia - In Hurricane between the two roads of Benedict Rd and Sovine Rd is what the town's people call the knob. They go up there to see the town from up high, but little do people know it is surrounded by sp...
  Kingston, Oklahoma - CCV (Chickasaw Children Village) Cemetery, I was hiking and we stopped by the cemetery so I took my phone out a took a photo and there it was....
  Knoxville, Tennessee - Something about the light. Face on the wall....
  Ashland, Kentucky - I used to live in a trailer Park on Forrestdale Road just out of Ashland. Several people told me of their trailers being haunted by children. My sister lived there also and said she had a little boy a...
  Clearlake, California - These are some pictures of the demons in my lino story. Am I crazy or can you see the phantom head shapes too?....
  Clearlake, California - Demons in lino....
  Clearlake, California - Demon pictures in my lino. Do you see them or am I crazy....
  Pine Bush, New York - I live in the center of the town of Pine Bush (aka town of Crawford). I do not need confirmation of my house being haunted. We know for sure that it is. I've lived in this house for over 30 years and ...
  Saint Charles, Minnesota - Me and some friends went to this abandoned house a few miles outside of Saint Charles near the Amish market. When we arrived we knew the house didn't look so good. We were there a few hours before any...
  Three Mile Bay, New York - This is actually in Theresa, New York.. Taken today 11-27-12.. I followed this fox into cemetery and took photo of it. Upon zooming in I noticed to the left behind split tree a ghost....
  Mesa, Arizona - My family and I just moved into an apartment near Country Club and Broadway! I had a weird feeling about the apartment but shrugged it off . There were little girls' stickers on the wall which I remov...
  Port Townsend, Washington - Irondale Washington used to be a booming town around 1909 due to the founding of the iron ore plant. I investigated a house that reportedly used to be an establishment. I have a picture of a woman ins...
  Glen Rose, Texas - It was strange. I was trying to take a picture of my uncle which I couldn't get enough light to actually see, but when I took the picture there is a stranger standing by the light pole. My sister was ...
  Corinth, Mississippi - There is a white house in Glen MS I lived in for 11 years growing up it was on 300 acres of land and I would see images of people and hear people talking. Sometimes you would hear old fiddle music pla...
  Martinsburg, West Virginia - I have several pics of ghosts. I live on West John Street. This house was built in 1926. It has witnessed many unfortunate events in it's time. I can even show you shotgun blast marks on my bedroom do...

Ghost Sightings



Redding, California
- ....


Stuart, Florida
- Representations of saints take center stage in hispanic religion. We pray, light candles and talk to our patrons. Well on the 23rd of August my husband lit a candle he was praying to el divino nino Jesus meaning the divine child Jesus.
We always hear strange noises in the house and we see shadows...
  
New Tazewell, Tennessee
- The cave and a sink hole, blue hollow hear in the hollow. Used by Confederate and Union forces....


Boardman, Oregon - I moved to our apartment in July 16 2011 with my daughter and my husband. My husband used to work at midnight until 8 am. So during that time I would ...

Columbus, Montana - I have lived in Columbus for almost 3 years now since moving away from a ghost hot spot in Ohio. Nothing has ever scared me more than the house I am i...

Fort Knox, Kentucky - I am 21 now but I spent ages 7-12 living on 8th Avenue. I never slept easy there. I saw shadows in the hall all the time and the basement was a highly...

Shelbyville, Indiana - I live on Mechanic Street in Shelbyville. Our house is over 100 years old... And it is now empty of spirits only because the preacher came in and we d...

Boonville, Missouri - The Missouri River bridge that was removed to make way for the new bridge had an iron grid floor that you could see the river about 200 feet below. Wh...

Ponca City, Oklahoma - I owned a house in Ponca and the women who owned the house died in a nursing home. It was about 2 months later and my wife saw her. I'm not a disbelie...

Hudson Falls, New York - I lived in a house on lower Oak Street in Hudson Falls for five years and there were some strange things going on. I heard from two or three people th...

Avon By The Sea, New Jersey - I had seen the ghost of one of my customers at their house on Lakeside Dr. The husband had passed away suddenly and a year or so later I was hired to ...

Phoenix, Arizona - I was with my friend Dylan walking through Jojo's alley when suddenly a rock fell from the brick on a wall and hit Dylan in the nose. There was blood ...

North Adams, Massachusetts - I was running into my house to grab some things I forgot to pack for a trip I was going on. I was with 3 other girls and we were in the hall way when ...

Englewood, Florida - I lived in Englewood from 1998 'til 2007 and had quite a few things happen to me. The most disturbing thing I ever saw had to be around 2003ish. I hat...

Uniondale, Indiana - Uniondale is a very old town. There are many stories of gambling and murder on the streets. I have lived here my whole life and can confirm that this ...

Merced, California - I always believed our house on 17th Street was haunted. We moved in there in 1963. On our first day of moving in I was sitting at the top of the stair...

Manheim, Pennsylvania - My boyfriend and I moved here several months ago. We have two dogs and walk them on a pretty regular basis. On our walk we kind of let the dogs decide...

Wildomar, California - In 2004 we moved from a house in Murrieta to a new home in Wildomar bordering Murrieta. The first year we lived here things were quiet. Or at least we...

Oxnard, California - I've encountered one ghost before, we did not talk or anything but I saw her. I was on my way home.. Night time about 11ish going down Lombard st, I l...

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Which song u most love.../

Please comments and share this..................

How To Get Traffic To A New Blog ?



increase blog traffic[Most of the newbie bloggers quit their blogging just because they don’t see any traffic from their blog(s). Even who have started their blogging career long time ago don’t see much improvisation in their traffic.

Why?

Because they don’t follow few tips which has to be followed to  Get Traffic to A New Blog . ;)

How can any blogger Get Traffic to A New Blog?

Though there are many ways of bringing traffic, the most important factor is NETWORK. The more network you have the more traffic you’ll get.
The best way to build a network around your blog is: start interacting with others using
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Why I’m mentioning only these two sites because, it’s easy to spread your word and follow other bloggers easily using this social media sites and  Get Traffic to A New Blog.

How to Get Traffic to A New Blog ??

Following are some EXCEPTIONAL ways to bring traffic to a new blog (0r) any blog.

1. Blog Comments:

Comment on top blogs in your niche try to be the first 5 commenters.
Tips: Subscribe to their RSS feeds.
Don’t spam their blogs by writing one liners. Add value to your comments.
If you want to get traffic daily this is the best way to go.
Type “your niche + blog” in google to know which are the top blogs in your niche.blogging blogs
Ex: “blogging + blog”
Read : Why You should comments on other blogs?

2. Network with others using Facebook and twitter

Facebook: Join in Groups.. Promote yourself out there.. BTW facebook alone is giving me 100+ leads daily (even without promoting everyday!). Ammar Ali is also getting huge traffic from Facebook ;) . So don’t neglect bringing Facebook traffic to your blog.
You may find it difficult in the beginning but when you start promoting others content and when you get to know each other on Facebook, it becomes very easy!
PS: You can join our group ‘Everything About Blogging‘,  and can promote your blog there!
Twitter: Follow top bloggers in your niche and follow their followers. This is the simple yet effective way of increasing your targeted twitter followers. Once you have done this, you can tweet your new articles and ask your followers to retweet it.

3. Video Marketing:

Create a 2 min.video and add your blog link at the starting
Submit them to YouTube, metacafe etc.
Tools to use: Use Screenr to create free videos
Read : Is Video Blogging Worth Trying?

4. Spend time on writing detailed articles.

Never assume that you can bring quality traffic without much efforts.
You need to differentiate yourself with others to become successful. It takes time to create content, I agree but you shouldn’t spend whole time creating only normal or average 600 words posts.
Spend time to create great content.
Write detailed posts with 1000 or 1500+ words once in a while. If you’re not a full time blogger like me, at least try to create detailed posts once or twice a month.
So that you can grab others attention and you can show your blogging expertise to your readers.
It’s really important for you to create killer articles regularly to survive in blogosphere. This can bring your quality traffic from other sites or search engines.

4. Don’t forget SEO

Most people say forget about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) when you’re just starting out.SEO TACTICS

I think that’s the dumbest suggestion!

You need to focus on what keywords to use and how much keyword density you should maintain in your content to get search engine traffic to your blog.
It’s extremely important to bring organic (search engine) traffic to your blog. Because it’s free and highly effective!
Make sure that you’re not keyword stuffing your content. It makes your readers hard to digest what you’re saying in your articles.
And do proper keyword analysis before you’re writing the articles. Then embed them into your posts. If you’re a beginner then this is enough! Don’t go beyond, you’ll better understand about SEO when you’re spending more time on blogging.
Don’t Miss : 5 Basic Pillars of Creating Successful and Profitable Blog!

Conclusion:

Always try to retweet and promote your fellow bloggers before asking them to promote your content. This can make others to promote your content sooner or later and you will have high chances of getting their attention if they find it useful. 
I dint recommend guest blogging here in this post. Major reason is without having any online reputation you can’t cope up with other bloggers to get accepted your guest posts. When they reject you, you’ll feel down to submit another guest post to them.
So, focus on building a network by blog commenting, writing great stuff and social media networking using above tips.
Have I missed any other way to  Get Traffic to A New Blog? Take your action by commenting below ;)

Monday, December 17, 2012

Learn How to Hack Facebook Password

Hacking Facebook Account Password: Facebook Phishing for Hacking Facebook

Facebook has evolved into one of the hottest social networking website in the world. Here is a simple tutorial that you can use to hack your friend's facebook password. Here i'm writting on hacking Facebbok password using Facebook Phisher.
In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting public.[Read more about phishing on Wikipedia]


Facebook Phisher

Please Note: Phishing is legally offensive. I am not responsible for any action done by you.


Hacking Facebook password:

Phishing is the most commonly used method to hack Facebook. The most widely used technique in phishing is the use of Fake Login Pages, also known as spoofed pages. These fake login pages resemble the original login pages of sites likeYahoo , Gmail, MySpace etc. The victim is fooled to believe the fake facebook page to be the real one and enter his/her password. But once the user attempts to login through these pages, his/her facebook login details are stolen away. I recommend the use of Phishing to hack facebook account since it is the easiest one.

1. First of all download Facebook Phisher

2. The downloaded file contains:
  • Index.html
  • write.php
3. Upload both files to any of these free webhost sites:
4. Now, send this phisher link (index.html link) to your victim and make him login to his Facebook account using your sent Phisher.

5. Once he logs in to his Facebook account using Phisher, all his typed Facebook id and password is stored in "passes.txt". This file is created in your webhost control panel as shown.


If you dont get passes.txt, try refreshing your page.Once you get passes.txt, you get Facebook password and can easily use it for hacking Facebook account.

6. Now, open passes.txt to get hacked Facebook id and password as shown.


Hope this tutorial was useful for you.

 Or Click here to download facebook account hacker software


How to Hack a Credit Card

Hi there. This is my first serious "black hat hacking" post of credit cards hacking. Here will be explained all methods used to hack credit cards and bank accounts with lots of $$ it. Now I'm sure most of you think that this is fake or scam, but i want to just tell u this is real and the only working method (in my opinion) to hack a credit card and make your wish come true (lol, hope it doesn't sound like a commercial).


This tutorial is divided in two parts.
  1. Introduction into Credit Cards
  2. Credit card Hacking

Note: Hacking credit cards is an illegal act, this is only informational post and I am not responsible for any actions done by you after reading this tutorial. This post is for educational purposes only.

Lets start with some easy terms.

What is credit card ?

Credit cards are of two types:
  • Debit Card
  • Credit Card
1. Debit means u have a sum of amount in it and u can use them.
2. Credit means u have a credit line limit like of $10000 and u can use them and by the end of month pay it to bank.

To use a credit card on internet u just not need cc number and expiry but u need many info like :
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Address
  • City
  • State
  • Zip
  • Country
  • Phone
  • CC number
  • Expiry
  • CVV2 ( this is 3digit security code on backside after signature panel )
If you get that info you can use that to buy any thing on internet, like software license, porn site membership, proxy membership, or any thing (online services usually, like webhosting, domains).

If u want to make money $ through hacking then you need to be very lucky... you need to have a exact bank and bin to cash that credit card through ATM machines.

Let me explain how ?

First study some simple terms.

BINS = first 6 digit of every credit card is called " BIN " (for example cc number is : 4121638430101157 then its bin is " 412163 "), i hope this is easy to understand.

Now the question is how to make money through credit cards. Its strange..., well you cant do that, but there is specific persons in world who can do that. They call them selves " cashiers ". You can take some time to find a reliable cashiers.

Now the question is every bank credit cards are cashable and every bin is cashable? Like citibank, bank of america , mbna .. are all banks are cashables ? Well answer is " NO ". If u know some thing, a little thing about banking system, have u ever heard what is ATM machines? Where u withdraw ur cash by putting ur card in.
Every bank don't have ATM, every bank don't support ATM machines cashout. Only few banks support with their few bins (as u know bin is first 6 digit of any credit / debit card number), for suppose bank of america. That bank not have only 1 bin, that bank is assigned like, 412345 412370 are ur bins u can make credit cards on them. So bank divide the country citi location wise, like from 412345 - 412360 is for americans, after that for outsiders and like this. I hope u understand. So all bins of the same bank are even not cashable, like for suppose they support ATM in New York and not in California, so like the bins of California of same bank will be uncashable. So always make sure that the bins and banks are 100% cashable in market by many cashiers.

Be sure cashiers are legit, because many cashiers r there which take your credit card and rip u off and don't send your 50% share back.
You can also find some cashiers on mIRC *( /server irc.unixirc.net:6667 ) channel : #cashout, #ccpower

Well, check the website where u have list of bins and banks mostly 101% cashable. If u get the credit card of the same bank with same bin, then u can cashout otherwise not . Remember for using credit card on internet u don't need PIN ( 4 words password which u enter in ATM Machine ), but for cashout u need. You can get pins only by 2nd method of hacking which i still not post but i will. First method of sql injection and shopadmin hacking don't provide with pins, it only give cc numb cvv2 and other info which usually need for shopping not for cashing.

Credit Card Hacking

CC (Credit Cards) can be hacked by two ways:
  • Credit Card Scams ( usually used for earning money , some times for shopping )
  • Credit Card Shopadmin Hacking ( just for fun, knowledge, shopping on internet )
1. Shopadmin Hacking

This method is used for testing the knowledge or for getting the credit card for shopping on internet, or for fun, or any way but not for cashing ( because this method don't give PIN - 4 digit passcode ) only gives cc numb , cvv2 and other basic info.

Shopadmins are of different companies, like: VP-ASP , X CART, etc. This tutorial is for hacking VP-ASP SHOP.

I hope u seen whenever u try to buy some thing on internet with cc, they show u a well programmed form, very secure. They are carts, like vp-asp xcarts. Specific sites are not hacked, but carts are hacked.

Below I'm posting tutorial to hack VP ASP cart. Now every site which use that cart can be hacked, and through their *mdb file u can get their clients 'credit card details', and also login name and password of their admin area, and all other info of clients and comapny secrets.

Lets start:

Type: VP-ASP Shopping Cart
Version: 5.00

How to find VP-ASP 5.00 sites?

Finding VP-ASP 5.00 sites is so simple...

1. Go to google.com and type: VP-ASP Shopping Cart 5.00
2. You will find many websites with VP-ASP 5.00 cart software installed

Now let's go to the exploit..

The page will be like this: ****://***.victim.com/shop/shopdisplaycategories.asp
The exploit is: diag_dbtest.asp
Now you need to do this: ****://***.victim.com/shop/diag_dbtest.asp

A page will appear contain those:
  • xDatabase
  • shopping140
  • xDblocation
  • resx
  • xdatabasetypexEmailxEmail NamexEmailSubjectxEmailSy stemxEmailTypexOrdernumbe r
Example:

The most important thing here is xDatabase
xDatabase: shopping140

Ok, now the URL will be like this: ****://***.victim.com/shop/shopping140.mdb

If you didn't download the Database, try this while there is dblocation:
xDblocation
resx
the url will be: ****://***.victim.com/shop/resx/shopping140.mdb

If u see the error message you have to try this :
****://***.victim.com/shop/shopping500.mdb

Download the mdb file and you should be able to open it with any mdb file viewer, you should be able to find one at download.com, or use MS Office Access.
Inside you should be able to find credit card information, and you should even be able to find the admin username and password for the website.

The admin login page is usually located here: ****://***.victim.com/shop/shopadmin.asp

If you cannot find the admin username and password in the mdb file or you can but it is incorrect, or you cannot find the mdb file at all, then try to find the admin login page and enter the default passwords which are:
Username: admin
password: admin
OR
Username: vpasp
password: vpasp


2. Hacking Through Scams

This method is usually used to hack for earning money. What happens in this method is you create a clone page.

Target: its basically eBay.com or paypal.com for general credit cards, or if u want to target any specific cashable bank like regionbank.com then u have to create a clone page for that bank.

What is eBay.com?

Its a shopping site world wide which is used by many of billion people which use their credit cards on ebay. What you do make a similar page same as eBay and upload it on some hosting which don't have any law restrictions, try to find hosting in Europe they will make your scam up for long time, and email the users of eBay.

How to get the emails of their users?

Go to google.com and type "Email Harvestor" or any Email Spider and search for eBay Buyers and eBay Sellers and u will get long list. That list is not accurate but out of 1000 atleast 1 email would be valid. Atleast you will get some time.

Well u create a clone page of ebay, and mail the list u create from spider with message, like "Your account has been hacked" or any reason that looks professional, and ask them to visit the link below and enter your info billing, and the scam page have programming when they enter their info it comes directly to your email.
In the form page u have PIN required so u also get the PIN number through which u can cash through ATM ..

Now if u run ebay scam or paypal scam, its up to your luck who's your victim. A client of bank of america or of citibank or of region, its about luck, maybe u get cashable, may be u don't its just luck, nothing else.

Search on google to download a scam site and study it !

After you create your scam site, just find some email harvestor or spider from internet (download good one at Bulk Email Software Superstore - Email Marketing Internet Advertising) and create a good email list.

And you need to find a mailer (mass sending mailer) which send mass - emails to all emails with the message of updating their account on ur scam page ). In from to, use email eBay@reply3.ebay.com and in subject use : eBay - Update Your eBay Account and in Name use eBay

Some Instructions:

1. Make sure your hosting remains up or the link in the email u will send, and when your victim emails visit it, it will show page cannot be displayed, and your plan will be failed.
2. Hardest point is to find hosting which remains up in scam. even i don't find it easily, its very very hard part.
3. Maybe u have contacts with someone who own hosting company and co locations or dedicated he can hide your scam in some of dedicated without restrictions.
4. Finding a good email list (good means = actually users)
5. Your mass mailing software land the emails in inbox of users.


That's all folks. Hope you will find this tutorial useful. And remember, hacking credit cards is an illegal act, this is only informational post and I am not responsible for any actions done by you after reading this tutorial.

Genuine Windows 7 Became Pirated? Make It Original and Activated Again

Its a common problem which lots of Windows 7 users face. We have received many emails about this problem, so today we are sharing a working solution for it. In fact many Windows 7 SP1 RC users are also facing this problem.
Problem Symptom:
You were using genuine Windows 7 without any problem. It was activated properly. But one day when you logged into Windows, you received following message:
Windows is not genuine
Your computer might not be running a counterfeit copy of Windows.

This_Copy_of_Windows_is_not_Genuine.png
Along with the above mentioned message, you also noticed that the desktop background became black and following error message was shown on the bottom right corner of the screen:
This copy of Windows is not genuine.
Also when you checked System Properties, you got following error message:
You must activate today. Activate Windows now.
Problem Cause:
Actually this problem occurs when there is a lack of permissions on a registry key "HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20". By default, System, Network Service and Administrator accounts have "Full Control" and "Read" permissions on this registry key. But sometimes "Network Service" doesn't have proper permissions on this registry key and you face this problem. This may be the result of applying a Plug and Play Group Policy object (GPO). The Licensing service uses Plug and Play to obtain your system hardware ID information and binds the license to the computer. By default, it doesn't have proper permissions to access Plug and Play service.
Problem Solution:
There are 2 solutions actually. You can try them one by one:
METHOD 1: Using RSOP
1. Type rsop.msc in RUN or Start Menu search box and press Enter. It'll open RSOP (Resultant Set Of Policy) window.
2. Now go to:
Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/System Services
3. In right-side pane, check "Startup" type of "Plug and Play" service. It should be set to "Not Defined". If its not, double-click on it and set its Startup type to "Automatic".
Resultant_Set_Of_Policy.png
4. Now provide following command in RUN or Command Prompt:
gpupdate /force
5. That's it. Restart your system and your problem should be fixed.
METHOD 2: Using Registry Editor
1. Type regedit in RUN or Start Menu search box and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor.
2. Now go to following key:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20
3. Right-click on "S-1-5-20" key and select "Permissions...". It'll open a new window.
4. Select "NETWORK SERVICE" in user list and check "Allow" box given for "Full Control" permission. Click on OK button to apply the changes.
Permissions_S-1-5-20_Registry_Key.png
NOTE: If "NETWORK SERVICE" is not present in user list, click on "Add" button. Now type Network Service in "Enter the object names to select type" and click on "Check Names" button. It'll detect and confirm the username. Click on OK button.
5. That's it. Restart your system and your problem should be fixed.




Sunday, December 16, 2012

Trends 2013 The Biggest Trends in Business for 2013

Remember when virtual reality was all the rage? What about the daily-deal explosion?
We love a good story and a quick cash infusion, but when it comes down to it, we're far bigger fans of businesses built on a solid foundation -- those that can weather the economy's fits and starts; that can embrace what's trendy but don't crash when kids move on to the next big thing; that address the wants and needs of America's increasingly diverse population.
Our list of the trends we've got our eyes on will help anchor your business, present or future, in reality. From cooking up goodies that satisfy America's growing taste for all things spicy -- a sign of our shifting demographics -- to helping workers who are locking the door on traditional office setups, these trends are built to last (at least for a while). Consider this a jumping-off point as you envision new products and services -- and look at it as a heads-up on evolving ways to manage your current business. Now, to your future.

Friday, December 14, 2012

What Employees Really Think During Performance Reviews

Here's the psychological explanation for why most evaluations don't go the way they should.
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After the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, researchers from Cornell University studied the facial expressions of the athletes who won gold, silver, and bronze medals. They analyzed footage of ceremonies and television interviews and found that gold medalists seemed the happiest.
What a shock, right?
But they also noticed something curious: The bronze medalists seemed much happier than the silver medalists.
How could people who finished third be happier than people who finished second?
The answer lies in understanding what psychologists call "counterfactual thinking"--or what the rest of us call "what if?"
Counterfactual thinking occurs when we imagine how things might have been different. When something happens--especially something significant--we think about alternatives to our current reality to understand how we ended up where we are. Sometimes we feel good about where we are compared to where we could be. Sometimes we don't.
Either way, we do a lot of comparing: Between where we are and where we could have been--both positively and negatively.
Take the silver medalists: They used an upper counterfactual, which means they judged themselves in comparison to the gold medalists. As a result their, "what if?" questions fell along the lines of, "What if I had trained harder... I might have won a gold medal," or, "What if I had just gotten a little better start... I could have won." Since they finished second--just one spot away from first--they dwell on what they could have done differently in order to win the gold.
Now take the bronze medalists. They used a downward counterfactual, which means they judged themselves in comparison to all of the people who didn't win any medal. By comparing themselves to what could have been--no medal at all--as a result the bronze medalists were thrilled just to be standing on the podium.
It happens at work, too
According to James Adonis, an expert on employee engagement and co-founder and Managing Director of Team Leaders, an Australian firm that provides workshops, individual training, and other resources designed to develop outstanding front-line leaders, counterfactuals occur in the workplace as well--especially during performance appraisals.
"Research shows the majority of performance appraisals have zero impact on performance," James says. "One reason for this is that appraisals are often laborious. When both employees and managers dread them, they can't ever be effective. Another reason can be attributed to counterfactuals."
For example, when you give employees a less than perfect rating, it's natural for them to think about what could have been. If they resort to a downward counterfactual, that's great, because the result is a bunch of happy workers.
But if any of them fall into the upper counterfactual category, you might have to deal with emotional reactions such as anger, resentment, tears, and grief.
Here's how to minimize upper counterfactuals before an appraisal:
  • No surprises. Hold enough feedback sessions in the months leading up to the appraisal so that employees can predict precisely what they'll hear from you. Performance evaluations should never contain surprises.
  • Be clear. Ensure employees totally understand how their performance will be measured.  It is terribly unfair to enforce an unpredictable bell curve rating system.
  • Ask questions. Have honest conversations to explore what employees are expecting. Then you can correct misperceptions in advance--or at the very least be prepared for them.
And here's how to deal with upper counterfactuals when they happen during an appraisal:
  • Don't argue or debate. Let employees vent. Sometimes all they want is to be heard.
  • Paraphrase what they say to show you listened.
  • Ask further questions to learn about the underlying reasons for how they feel. The more you know, the better you can respond--and sometimes empathize.
  • If necessary, refer to previous discussions when you talked about performance issues.
  • Be prepared to concede that maybe--just maybe--your rating was wrong. (It does happen.)
Be fair, be honest, be straightforward... and also consider the impact of the appraisal on the employee.
When you do, your employees won't need to be first to feel like they're winners.

Best Way to Make Employees Better at Their Jobs

Forget trying to come up with motivational tools and "tricks." There's a better--and simpler--way to get more out of your staff.
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You've been there. You've stared at a blank document as you struggled to come up with incredible words of wisdom that will inspire and motivate your employees.
So has Scott Moorehead, CEO of The Cellular Connection, which has over 800 stores and is the largest Verizon premium wireless retailer in the U.S.
"I was sitting in front of my computer, trying to come up with something I could tell all these smart people in my company that would help them do their job better," Moorehead says, "and I realized that what I really should be doing is asking them what I should do."
Make them CEO
The ground rules were simple: Yesterday you were a regional manager. Today you're the CEO. What would you do to make the company better?
Moorehead says many of the answers related to the person's job, but some related to broader issues. And regardless of the answer, employees were able to indirectly express their emotions out without offending anyone.
"Overall I loved the feedback," Moorehead says, "but it was also depressing because a number of people said, 'I would do whatever I could to bring back the family atmosphere we used to have in the company.' Those responses made me feel like such a fraud. Every day I was talking about how our business is a family and about really knowing our employees.... and that's not how employees in the field felt.
"We have 800 locations and people across the country," he continued. "It was hard for all of our employees to feel like they are part of the family. I hadn't recognized that. I still saw us as a mom and pop, but they saw us as a giant bureaucratic company. So I immediately changed my mindset from growing the company to fixing who we are."
Keep in mind Moorehead is used to listening to employees. His parents started the company, and they put him through a rigorous training process that required him to work in more than 30 positions throughout the company--from customer service to sales to delivery truck driver to accounting.
"Everyone asks me if that was hard," he says. "I thought it was easy. I didn't have anything to hide and treated the task at hand as the task at hand instead of dwelling on what I would do next. I just stepped into every job and worked hard. I learned a lot, but I also earned the respect of our employees... something I didn't realize I was doing until it was done."
In 2008, at age 30, Moorehead took over the company reins from his father. Since then revenue has grown 239%, from $137 to $466 mil.
Get Rid of What Makes Them Unhappy
"By getting to know our employees and their jobs," Moorehead says, "I could eliminate things that made them unhappy and kept them from doing a better job. Sometimes it's not spreadsheets--it's company morale."
Feedback also convinced him to open satellite offices in other cities so the company could recruit better talent. "Most of our new hires were commuting from up to an hour a day," he says. "To have someone outside my normal circle tell me we needed to go where the talent is was huge."
Of course there is no reason to give employees a voice if you aren't willing to listen, so if you decide to try something like "CEO For a Day" (and why wouldn't you?), respond. Tell each employee what you think about their ideas and input. Be as open and honest as possible. Provide a thoughtful response: yes or no, and most importantly why.
"My secret to success is to be the same person at work that you are when you're having a great day with your best friend," Moorehead says. "You listen to your friends, right? So listen to your employees.
"Then just be that person, each and every day. If you are brave, honest, forthcoming, and transparent you don't have to try to be a leader. You can be yourself."

10 Business Clichés That Prove You're Lazy

Recognize any of the platitudes on this list? Here's why you should stop using them--now.
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Whipping out a platitude isn't just annoying. Using some platitudes also shows you're lazy--and not just in words but in actions:
"Work smarter, not harder."
What happens when you say that to me?
One: You imply I'm stupid. Two: You imply whatever I'm doing should take a lot less time and effort than it does. And three: After you say it, I kinda hate you.
If you know I could be more efficient, tell me how. If you know there's a better way, show me how. If you think there's a better way but don't know what it is, say so. Admit you don't have the answer. Then ask me to help you figure it out.
And, most important, recognize that sometimes the only thing to do is to work harder. So get off your butt and help me.
"There is no I in team."
Sure there is. There are as many I's as team members. Those individuals, the more "individual" the better, serve to make the team stronger. The best teams are often a funky blend of the members' individual talents, perspectives, and goals.
If you want a team to work hard and achieve more, make sure each person feels she can not only achieve the team's goal but also one of her own goals. Spend time figuring out how each individual on the team can do both, instead of taking the lazy way out by simply repressing individuality in the pursuit of the collective.
"It just wasn't meant to be."
Fate had nothing to do with it. Something went wrong. Figure out what went wrong and learn from it.
"Oh, it wasn't meant to be" is not just lazy but also places responsibility elsewhere.
"Let's figure out what we can do next time" is empowering and places the responsibility where it should be: on you.
"That's probably not what you want to hear."
It sucks to hear bad news, no doubt. But when you say that something isn't what I want to hear, you shift the issue over to my side of the table. Somehow it's become my problem.
Don't shift. Explain why you made a decision. Explain the logic. Explain your reasoning.
I still may not want to hear it, but that way the focus remains on the issue and not on me.
"Perception is reality."
Yeah, yeah, I know: How I perceive something is my version of reality, no matter how wrong my perception may be.
But if other people perceive a reality differently than you, work to change that perception. Make reality the reality.
Besides, perceptions are fleeting and constantly changing. Reality lasts forever, or at least until a new reality comes along to replace it.
"We want your feedback."
You see and hear a similar line everywhere: websites, signs, meetings.
Don't be passive if you truly want feedback. Don't just make it easy for people to provide. Go get it. Be active.
Ask.
People who really want feedback take responsibility for getting that feedback--they don't wait to receive it.
"Do it now and apologize later."
You're not a bold, daring risk taker; you're lazy and self-indulgent. Good ideas are rarely stifled. People like better; if they don't like your idea, the problem usually isn't them: It's you.
Don't take the easy way out. Describe what you want to do. Prove it makes sense. Get people behind you.
Then whatever you do has a much better chance of succeeding.
"Failure is not an option."
This one is often used by a leader who gets frustrated and wants to shut down questions about a debatable decision or a seemingly impossible goal: "Listen, folks, failure is simply not an option." (Strikes table or podium with fist.)
Failure is always a possibility. Just because you say it isn't doesn't make it so.
Don't reach for a platitude. Justify your decision. Answer the hard questions.
If you can't, maybe your decision isn't so wise after all.
"Let's not reinvent the wheel."
Because hey, your wheel might turn out to be a better wheel, which means my wheel wasn't so great.
And we can't have that.
"It is what it is."
Here's another shutdown statement. "It is what it is" really means, "I'm too lazy to try to make it different, so for gosh sakes stop talking about it."
"It is what it is" is only true if you take the easy way out by letting "it" remain "it."

Performance Reviews: 8 Things Not to Say

Sometimes it's what you don't say during an evaluation that makes all the difference.
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Dear Jeff,
I started my business a year ago, and I have two employees. I have completed their (and my) first performance evaluations. I think I know what to do. Can you tell me what not to do when I go over their evaluations with them?
--Name withheld by request
Absolutely:
Don't talk about development plans you aren't absolutely positive you can deliver.
You may want to offer training. You may intend to offer training. But if you aren't sure you will be able to, keep quiet. Don't create expectations you can't fulfill. (And if you do feel sure and later realize that you can't because you don't have the funds, the time, etc.--then tell the employee why. Immediately.)
And don't say "hopefully" or "possibly" or "maybe." The employee doesn't hear "possibly." The employee hears "definitely."
Don't talk about personality.
Maybe the employee truly is irritable or moody or a downer. Fine: Talk about how those personality traits manifest themselves. Talk about the behavior. Talk about the times he or she snapped at customers or criticized other employees. Always talk about behavior, not personality.
Don't talk about other employees.
Evaluate each employee's performance in comparison with standards, goals, and targets. Never compare Joe with John.
Don't ask the employee how she feels she performed.
What's the point? If the employee is outstanding, don't expect her to blow her own horn. Tell her she's outstanding.
If she's subpar, don't expect her to say so. Explain why she falls short in key areas, and then focus on helping her improve.
Don't forget examples.
Whatever you talk about you must be able to back up with specific examples. If you don't have an example, don't bring it up. And speaking of examples...
Don't only provide recent examples.
If you're evaluating performance over the past year, make sure you have examples that reflect the entire year. (That's especially important if the employee did great things early in the evaluation term; he'll appreciate that you remember all his contributions.)
Evaluations are designed to inform as well as motivate, so providing "older" examples helps employees focus on performing well year-round instead of just in the few months before their next evaluation.
Don't argue.
You and the employee may disagree. That's natural. So listen. Be professional. Discuss. Provide reasons. Share your perspective. But don't argue.
Don't wing it.
If the employee asks a question you don't know the answer to, say so. If the employee asks a question you can't answer--like about another employee, or a customer, or a vendor--then say so.
Be open and honest about the employee's performance, but maintain confidentiality where other employees, customers, etc., are concerned.

One Thing Every Great Entrepreneur Does

Visions, strategies, decisions--those are all important. But not as important as this.
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CEOs of public companies are ultimately measured by their ability to increase company earnings, profits, and stock prices. Everything else--building a corporate culture, moving into new markets, crafting bold visions--is, depending on your point of view, either a driver of earnings or a luxury you get to focus on as long as the board stays happy with the company's valuation.
You can't be a great CEO unless you produce earnings, profits, and a rising stock price.
It's no different for a small-business owner: Owners are ultimately measured by their ability to generate profits, because without profits, there is no business. Everything else--doing what you love, giving back to the community, etc.--follows.
You can't be a great small-business owner unless you generate profits.
So what is the one thing every great leader does? For the moment, forget visions. Forget strategies. Forget tactical decisions.
Ultimately, what great leaders do is make every person around them better.
For one employee, that's a little more training. For another, it's encouragement. For another, it's a kick in the butt. For another, it's higher expectations.
Take a look at everyone who works for you. Are those people more skilled than when they joined your company? More proactive? Better communicators? Better team players? Better leaders?
Better performers?
If not, you aren't doing your job.
Great leaders develop every employee. Great leaders make every person around them better.

Why What Kind of Car You Drive Matters

You may not think twice about your ride, but customers, investors, and employees are most certainly looking--and judging.
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You drive performance. You drive results. You drive your business.
But does it matter what kind of car you drive? Not for practical reasons, but for perception reasons?
After all, what you drive can make a statement--to customers, to investors, and especially to your employees.
For example, I have a friend who says:
Don't assume your employees will be inspired by and hope to emulate your success. They won't. Leave your Porsche in the garage. I've done consulting gigs for a number of businesses, and in almost every instance, sometimes after being on-site less than a day, at least one employee will tell me they resent how "good" the owners have it--at the expense of underpaid employees.
Is it fair for employees to resent your success, even if you don't flaunt it? No. Is it a real issue for employees? Absolutely.
Possibly other people don't feel that way. I asked around.
Robert Thomas, founder of the e-commerce shopping site Tappocity, takes the other approach. He's always liked Jaguars and drives one because he feels it's important to make a good impression with potential investors. He thinks entrepreneurs should treat themselves to the luxuries their success affords.
Jason Mudd, owner of Axia Public Relations, goes the pragmatic route. With all the miles he travels, it makes sense financially to keep the luxury car at home and use the more fuel-efficient vehicle on the road for his commute to offices and airports. (Hey, I'm all for pragmatism, but a Prius? That might be taking it too far.)
Mudd says many of his CEO friends prefer to keep their sports cars at home until evenings and weekends, both to keep mileage down and also to not show off in front of the employees in the company parking lot.
Brian Knight, owner of Pragmatic Works, an IT training, consulting, and software development company, naturally goes the tech route. He drives a Ford Flex because it has integrated in-vehicle communications, Sync from Microsoft, and voice-commanded calls, music, and other functions.
What each person drives does make a statement, whether intentional or not.
(OK. I know you're thinking: What do you drive? My "statement" vehicle is actually a motorcycle that says, "I will outrun you any time, any day, anywhere." That and--I hope--"my owner has always owned motorcycles, so this is by no means a manifestation of a midlife crisis.")
So, what do you think? As a small-business owner, does it matter what you drive?
And if it does matter, what message do you try to send?