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October 2018 Soto’s Chronicles
DeDe Soto
Protecting your most valuable asset — your family
LEADERSHIP C omes D own to U nderstanding H ow O thers C ommunicate
FROM THE DESK OF DeDe Soto
WELCOME TO FALL!
Hopefully by now you are in the swing of things with the kids back to school or off to college! October is one of my favorite months, the calm before the crazy holiday season. In light of my favorite month, I am inviting you to several educational workshops — some I am hosting, others I will be a guest speaker. This is a perfect time to attend one of the workshops and get your affairs in order. Many of you planned to do this at the beginning of the year, so if you want to check estate-planning off your list, I hope to see you at one of the workshops!
With the rapid rise in leadership training and development of best practices, the opportunity to learn effective leadership skills is at the fingertips of anyone who wants it. Books, podcasts, and training seminars are just a few of the training mediums used, but even with the considerable amount of information available, leaders everywhere continually fall short in one significant aspect: Leading others is not about fitting your team members into your management style; it’s about you fitting into theirs. There’s a common belief that to be a great leader in business you need to have a plethora of skills and an even more substantial breadth of knowledge. But this rationale couldn’t be further from the truth. Leadership isn’t about knowing every detail about your industry, and it certainly isn’t about being the best at your job. To be an effective leader, you need to help others achieve their goals. Leading in a style that meets the needs of your team doesn’t come naturally to most people, and that’s why a great leader is so valuable. They are capable of adapting to meet the needs of those they lead. It’s a multifaceted objective that requires a lot of emotional intelligence and a willingness to collaborate. While there are many strategies to help leaders understand how to lead others properly, communication is the most important part. In many instances, someone is placed in a leadership role because they have a distinct personality and skill set. Those who climb the ladder are often strong-willed and communicate in a particular way. The biggest mistake leaders make is trying to communicate in a way the people they are leading don’t fully understand. To provide an example, let’s use the fictional people Natalie and Larry. Natalie is in a leadership role at her company where she manages a small team of people. Larry works under Natalie and communicates with her on a daily basis. Natalie is a nose-to-the-
Until next time, Happy Halloween ...
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grindstone person who values a good work ethic and is very task-oriented. Much of her leadership training has been centered around understanding the emotional complexities of others, and she’s been making significant progress. Larry is a creative person with an innate ability to connect with others and produce quality work. His weakness is meeting deadlines, and his training is also progressing. For Natalie to effectively communicate with Larry, she has to understand how he will be most receptive to feedback. Natalie’s natural communication style is straightforward. She doesn’t beat around the bush, but jumps right in with specific comments based on what she sees. Larry does not respond well to this style of communication. He needs to be understood, know that he’s valued, and encouraged on how he can do better. Without Natalie adapting her communication style to meet Larry’s needs, she will never get through to him. Even worse, if Natalie gives critical feedback to Larry, there’s a potential he will shut down, and his morale will take a nosedive.
The onus for this communication adaptation is strictly on the leader. It’s not Larry’s responsibility to adjust his communication style to meet the needs of Natalie. This doesn’t mean that there should be an expectation for Larry to communicate however he wants, but leaders are in their roles because they are trying to help others achieve their goals. If Larry is shutting down because Natalie can’t understand how to communicate with him, then he’ll never grow or find the success he desires. you need to change who you are for every person you work with. In actuality, nothing will confuse your team more than wondering which personality their leader will adopt. You need to be your authentic self but develop the skills to achieve effective communication for your teams. By finding a common point of connection and learning to be more multifaceted in your communication skills, you’ll find greater success in leadership. From The most common misconception about this idea is that to lead in the style of others means
there, it’s all about how you deal with success and how you give praise.
Marketing Horror Stories A Lesson in What Not to Do
KFC AND HOOVER CAN’T DO MATH A shocking number of companies hold giveaway promotions without calculating exactly howmuch they will cost. Here are a few examples. • Back when“Oprah”was the biggest show on television, KFC ran an ad offering a free two-piece chickenmeal with two sides and a biscuit for anyone who went to their website and downloaded a coupon. Over 10.5 million coupons were downloaded, and KFC had to give away $42 million in free food. • In the 1990s, Hoover Company in the United Kingdomoffered two round-trip plane tickets with the purchase of a vacuum. Unfortunately, even in the‘90s, most vacuums were still cheaper than plane tickets, and Hoover lost 50 million pounds in what remains the biggest promotional disaster ever. CARTOON NETWORK CAUSES A BOMB SCARE Guerrilla marketing can create valuable word of mouth— think about the success of the movie“IT”last year. The marketing for the film included simple red balloons tied to stormdrains. But Cartoon Network didn’t have quite the same luck in 2007 when they tried to promote their show“Aqua Teen Hunger Force.”When the network put electronic devices featuring a character from the show all over Boston, city residents thought the strange contraptions looked like bombs and called the police. This triggered a terrorist scare that ultimately cost the general manager of Cartoon Network his job.
Every marketing professional wants their campaign to be memorable. They want consumers to take notice — or take the bait — and make their company a big profit. But sometimes, things don’t go exactly as planned. The campaigns below certainly won the attention of consumers, but in each case, what started out as a marketing dream quickly turned into a nightmare. FIAT’S DIRECT MAIL DISASTER In 1992, women across Spain received anonymous letters inviting them to go on a“little adventure.”The letters stated,“We met again on the street yesterday, and I noticed how you glanced interestedly inmy direction.” Fearing a stalker, many women locked themselves in their homes. A few days later, another letter arrived, revealing the identity of the“secret admirer” as the new Fiat Cinquecento. Yes, the creepy letters were part of a marketing campaign by the Italian car company. Fiat apologized and ended the campaign after criticism from consumer protection groups, Social Minister Cristina Alberdi, and the 50,000 women who received the letters.
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The Monsters Some Believe Are Real 3 of the Weirdest Cryptids in Pseudoscientific History
There are people who would have you believe that monsters live among us all year long. These individuals, referred to as cryptozoologists (or just “wishful thinkers” by their skeptics), believe a hidden animal kingdom exists just beyond the edge of mainstream biological science. Here are three of the weirdest, almost-certainly imaginary “cryptids” to ever capture the human imagination. THE JERSEY DEVIL According to legend, the 1.1 million-acre Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey are home to more than just birds and deer. The story goes that when one Jane Leeds gave birth to her 13th child, she was dismayed to add yet another kid to her responsibilities. She cried out, “Oh, let this one be the devil!” Shortly after the child was born, the boy was transmogrified into a twisted creature with the malformed head of a goat, leathery wings, and a thrashing, forked tail. After slicing the midwife with its ragged claws, the beast flew up the chimney and fled into the trees. Hundreds of years later, the beast is still said to creep the backwoods on its cloven hooves, glowering from the blackness with shining, red eyes.
THE BUNYIP When European settlers began edging into the territory of Aboriginal Australians, they heard whispered, frightened tales of a man-eating “water spirit” that lived in the lakes and rivers of the area. Descriptions of the creature varied wildly. The monster was alternately described as an enormous starfish, an alligator-like creature with the head of an emu, or a massive bulldog-faced beast. But accounts held one thing in common: The monster claimed the lives of any who dared camp near its watery domain. THE LOVELAND FROG One night, near Loveland, Ohio, a man reportedly beheld a trio of bipedal frog- people slapping their webbed feet along the side of the road. If that wasn’t enough, one even had a magic wand, which shot sparks as the man ran off. Apparently, not all mythical beasts are bloodthirsty monsters; some are a little more Kermit than Cthulhu.
Take a Break!
HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS
Ingredients
• • •
3 packages unflavored gelatin 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup light corn syrup
Powdered sugar, to coat
Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water. Let sit while you make the syrup. 2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water until the sugar dissolves. 3. Raise heat to high and bring syrup up to 240 F, using a candy thermometer to check for temperature. 4. With an electric whisk on low speed, slowly whisk syrup into gelatin mixture. Switch speed to high and whip for 15 minutes, until very thick. Fold in vanilla after whipping. 5. Dust a nonmetal baking dish with powdered sugar and spoon mixture into dish. Smooth mixture, top with more powdered sugar, and let stand uncovered overnight. 6. Cut into squares, decorate, and serve.
Inspired by Food Network
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of DeDe PAGE 1 Communication in Leadership PAGE 1
Would You SurviveThese Marketing Nightmares? PAGE 2 3 of the Weirdest Cryptids in Pseudoscientific History PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Homemade Marshmallows PAGE 3 The Surprising Origins of Trick-or-Treating PAGE 4
WhyThere Are Kids onYour Porch Asking for Candy
The History of Trick-or-Treating
As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I
the end of our summer; and the Catholic All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins. Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits leaking into our world, young men donned flowing white costumes and black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about. The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the 11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started
tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave way to trick-or-treating in mid-20th-century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season!
provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?”Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this tradition of candy and costumes. Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated
the dead and the goddess of fruit and trees (not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at
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For more information: Call: 888-735-7686 | www.TheSotoLawGroup.com | DeDe@thesotolawgroup.com For more information: Call: 888-735-7686 | www.TheSotoLawGroup.com | DeDe@thesotolawgroup.com
FREE WORKSHOPS: ESTATE PLANNING 101 OCTOBER 10 TH AT 6:30 PM, AND OCTOBER 11 TH , AND 29 TH AT 6:00 PM* Register online at TheSotoLawGroup.com/workshops.shtml
REGISTRATION REQUIRED! This workshop is free to attend, but you must register. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served.
Come and learn how to protect your family and your assets from the Top Ten Estate Planning Mistakes! This workshop is informative and will help you discover how you can protect your loved ones, should something happen to you. Even if you have an estate plan or a living trust, new laws and overlooked items may mean your current plan is out of date, or won’t work as intended. KEY POINTS THAT WILL BE COVERED: ➢ ➢ Learn the difference between a will and a trust ➢ ➢ How to name the right guardians for you minor children ➢ ➢ Health Care Directives done correctly ➢ ➢ Legally avoid all estate taxes and probate ➢ ➢ Protect your kids’ inheritance from lawsuits and divorce ➢ ➢ Ensure that your family is prepared for life without you ➢ ➢ Leave a legacy that will last for generations
Register at: www.thesotolawgroup.com/ Workshops.shtml or call us at 888-735-7686 *LOCATION:
Location varies, so please check our website for your registration details
SPACE IS LIMITED - RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
ABOUT R. DEDE SOTO, ESQ. With more than 15 years of legal experience, R. DeDe Soto is prepared to provide you with the knowledgeable advice and skilled representation you need. DeDe is focused on providing personalized, tailor-made legal solutions that protect the assets and the wishes of her clients.
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