The Ultimate Fact Finding Guide

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The Ultimate Fact Finding Guide by Ripenn

Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | (IQ-EQ-SQ) Reach-Resonance-Results
3Q Leadership™ Blog- 35,000+ Social Media Followers & Growing!  

Do you want to get in the know?  Find stats from authoritative sources?  Enjoy a great guide to interesting statistics from authorative sources, complied by the great team at Ripenn.  Zowie, this is an excellent guide/resource that content marketers, writers, learn-aholic geeks and non-geeks will enjoy!

 

The Ultimate Fact Finding Guide

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Animals[/pullquote]

Humane Society – How many cats and dogs are kept as pets in the United States? Check out these pet ownership statistics and if you want to shed a few tears, there is also information on animal euthanasia

The Animal Genome Database – If you are willing to get down and dirty with some scientific vocabulary, this site will unlock loads of information about animal species.

National Geographic Animal Facts – Want to know more about the Eastern Gray Kangaroo? No problem – Nat Geo has got you covered. You’ll love all of the rich media available here on hundreds of animal species.

Database Sports – Don’t let the early 1990′s web design throw you off. This site gives great historical data across a variety of major sports.

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Business[/pullquote]

Compete – Although Compete is primarily a paid service, there are plenty of free reports for download. Check out the marketing optimization reports to get a better taste of what you can grab for free.

Census.gov: Business – U.S government reported statistics regarding business and industry. Drill down by sector (e.g. “retail”) or browse current trends like the status of the residential real estate market.

Nielsen –  Another mix of paid and free resources. Start by checking out the reports section.

Forbes Lists – How many billionaires are there in the world? Which dead celebrities make the most money today? The sky is the limit for what you can create from these lists.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Demographics[/pullquote]

Census.gov: People – The government census publishes free data on your fellow citizens. Dive deep into the 2010 census results to find more information on people and households in the United States.

Geohive –  A comprehensive view of global  population growth statistics. Updated frequently with growth forecasts and historical trends.

Internet World Stats – Take a look at global internet usage and population statistics.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Finance[/pullquote]

OECD – Records the inflows and outflows of Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI”). Find out which countries are receiving the most investment.

NCVA – The National Venture Capital Association records quarterly data for all things related to VC investments. Want to know how many venture backed start-ups were acquired last year?

Scottrade Market Statistics – Scottrade provides an excellent resource that records performance across each major stock exchange. There is also loads of charts and data visualization to help make sense of everything.

Yahoo Finance – Beyond data and stats, Yahoo Finance provides a good roundup of the latest financial news, which often leads to helpful primary sources.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Entertainment[/pullquote]

Statistic Brain: Television Consumption – These guys pull from a variety of primary sources. Check out their stats on TV consumption.

MPAA: Industry Reports – You know the MPAA as the guys who rate movies (rated “R”). But they also put out some awesome data on the financial and social impact of the movie industry. Check out their industry reports.

ESA: Industry Facts – Everything you ever wanted to know about video gaming. Check out the economic impact, average gamer age, and even information about the parents of gamers.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Health & Safety[/pullquote]

America’s Health Rankings – Health stats for the U.S. Helpful maps that drill down by state.

World Cancer Fund International –  Worldwide cancer statistics. Also facts and figures for related topics like  lifestyle factors that are associated with cancer.

Texting & Driving Stats –  All things related to the dangers of texting while driving. In their words, LOL leads to TTYL.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Food & Agriculture[/pullquote]

Statistic Brain: Fast Food – All the dirty details about fast food consumption in the U.S.

USDA – The United States Department of Agriculture has more than a few things to say about food in the U.S. We like the quick stats tool that lets you browse facts and figures by category (e.g. commodity type).

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has worldwide stats available for online viewing or PDF download. Did you know that there are 840 million people living on earth who are undernourished? A good place to start browsing is the statistical yearbook.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Education[/pullquote]

National Center for Education Statistics – A Federal source for facts on education in the U.S. Use the quick reference tool to uncover facts and figures.

Education Bug – Get details on school districts, public/private schools, and universities within the U.S.

StatsAmerica: Education – Which states are wicked smaht and which ones are…well, not inclined to read…or write? Find out educational attainment levels and college enrollment stats by state.

College Stats –  Take a deep dive into the world of colleges, both online and in-person. Use the links in the right side navigation menu to browse colleges by size, cost, demographics and accreditation.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Economy[/pullquote]

StatsAmerica: Economy –  Get GDP, household income, and much more. Use the drop down menu at the top of the page to drill down by state.

Bureau of Economic Analysis – A federal source for key economic indicators. Break out the stats by industry or take a look at the figures which impact international trade.

The World Bank – Global economic development stats and key indicators.

Bureau of Labor Statistics – How many of us are working here in the U.S, what are we getting paid, and are things getting better or worse?

International Monetary Fund –  Find figures on IMF lending, exchange rates and other key indicators.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Music[/pullquote]

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) – The go-to official source for industry reports, piracy impact studies and economic contributions.

GrabStats – Wow. Lots here about the music industry. Everything from illegal downloading stats to worldwide industry revenue

IFPI – Check out the certification awards – i.e who went platinum this year? Or check out the digital music report to measure the impact of downloads and other types of purchases online.

Sports

SportsStats.com – More than 50,000 standings covering 9 major sports.

NCAA Official Stats – The name says it all. Get official stats across 15 different college sports, yes, even Rifle and Women’s Ice Hockey.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Transportation[/pullquote]

Bureau of Transportation Statistics – Absolutely everything you could ever want to know about transportation. For example, find quarterly fare data from airlines since 1995. We recommend starting at Data & Statistics > By Mode.

 

[pullquote align=”left|center|right” textalign=”left|center|right” width=”30%”]Tools[/pullquote]

Census.gov tools list –  Census.gov put together a roundup of their favorite tools using census data. This is a great place for inspiration. For example, check out the data visualization gallery to see how others have creatively presented things like employment stats and demographic data.

Google Trends – What are the hot topics that people have been searching for around the world? Google trends gives you fantastic “top” charts to find the most popular topics in every major category. Spoiler alert: Miley Cyrus was the most searched individual in 2013.

Facebook Advertising – Need to pull some highly niche stats? Facebook has got you covered. With a billion users and counting, they’ve given you a significant sample size of roughly 1/7 the world’s  population. Not bad.  All you have to do is start creating an ad. When you select targeting parameters for the ad  (likes, age, location, language), Facebook will give you an estimated audience count. Want to know how many men in New York between the ages of 18-24 like poodles? Me neither.

 

 

APRIL NEWS/EVENTS

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CEO Dance

Building A Communication Strategy That Puts YOU Ahead of The Game | April 7, 2014  Inviting subscribers  in Toronto to join me for PMI Lakeshore dinner meeting and presentation  

Project Manager’s Success Summit | April 25-27, 2014  Virtual Learning Event with a Great Selection of Project Management and Leadership Experts! (PM credits)  Delighted to be presenting.

 

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Are you ready to go from Now to HOW?
 Get re-inspired by what you can achieve at the speed of change/challenges? Recharge, refocus, repurpose, repower?
Build YOUR 3Q Leadership, Career, Business Development or Talent Optimization Edge?

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Irene Becker | Just Coach It
The 3Q Leadership Edge™
Ideation-Communication-Leadership and BD Growth at the Speed of Change
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Face to Face | By Telephone, Skype or Video Conferencing
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Skype: beckerirene

What is the DNA of Business Success in Disruptive Times? 7 Insights

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What is the DNA of Business Success in Disruptive Times? 7 Insights (Bonus: Latest KPMG Report on Business Transformation, Harvard Business Review Article and Over 1,080 bonus links!)

© Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | (IQ-EQ-SQ) Reach-Resonance-Results
3Q Leadership™ Blog- 35,000+ Social Media Followers & Growing!  

C Suite

What is the DNA of business success in disruptive times?  How can you sift through complexity and focus on what will create ideation, innovation, traction, business development and growth? Develop a balance of engagement, empowerment and accountability that drives results?  Optimization of talent and potential at the speed of change is mirrored in my 3Q Leadership™ model, articles, work and the results my clients achieve.  I believe in the power of human being better, the power of building 3Q skills that GROW with every win, challenge, stressor and even failure.  Counter-intuitive?  You betcha, but the road forward is a new path.  Here  is an infographic and seven insights on business success in disruptive times.  

Untitled!

Step 1.  Systematize!  Align your business strategy with objectives (KPMG Transformation Survey: Business Transformation and the Corporate Agenda ©2014) and make sure that your financial/business reporting systems AND the systems you use to monitor hiring/training/rehiring/talent optimization as well as suspect, prospect and strategic partnership pipelines are well oiled and working. Make empowerment, engagement, financial and business accountability real. Your horizon can change in a bleep, being prepared means an alignment of strategy, objectives and real time information; a 360 degree snapshot of each area of business importance!

Step 2.   Build Your 3Q Leadership Edge™-Essential skills that grow at the speed of change.

Build three critical areas of strength that are modeled by your leadership, honed by your management, taught to your employees and used to reach, engage and satisfy your clients, prospects and the communities you serve.  3Q Leadership™ Strengths built by optimizing talent/potential and learning how to USE changes, challenges, stressors and failures to build and optimize IDEATION Q1: Ideation, strategic thought, focus on what counts, ability to learn-relearn. EMOTION Q2: Emotional Intelligence: Communication, collaboration, resiliency, risk tolerance   INTEGRITY Q3:  Integrity of Purpose, Communication & Action:  Values, integrity and the using intrinsic motivators as anchors.  Optimize, humanize, monetize with ideation, emotion and integrity.

Step 3. Get the info YOU need, go to the source! (©2012 Harvard Business Review “Listen to Your Frontline Employees” by Anthony K. Tjan)   The  best sources of information are the employees who are at the front lines of your business actively dealing with your clients.  Do you get regular input from employees at the front line?  Have you established a great system of vertical and horizontal communication, of employee engagement and participation?  Do you have a system of surveying and engaging current clients, of reaching out to find out what they like, what they need and how you can help in a greater way. Do you have a social media program (internal, external or both) that is meeting your growing needs and objectives? The human bond, the human relationship whether planted and cared for person to person or through social media channels is the most important bond you have.

Step 4.  Develop a Community of Purpose:  Business sustainability and YOUR attractiveness factor rely upon shared values and objectives.  What are the values and business objectives that your company lives and breathes?   Are YOU using your values, your objectives, the integrity of your purpose and commitment to ALL constituents (employees, clients, prospects, strategic partners, stakeholders, the actual and virtual communities you serve) to build a strong community of purpose?

Step 5.  Don’t Just Train-Retain and GROW Skills!  The best training in the world helps, but it is not enough.  Training that sticks is training that is accompanied by coaching, or a form of follow-up to make the training stick.  Cookie cutter sells, but if you want to train and retain it is critical to find not only a high integrity, excellent provider who understands your needs, goals and objectives but a person or organization that will go the extra mile by providing the collateral support you need to make the training stick!

Step 6.  Engage with MBWA.  Peter Drucker coined the term: Management By Walking Around decades ago, and while command and control leaders often ascribe this to taking a stroll through the general office and peaking in cubes to make sure everyone is working; MBWA is an exercise is humanization, in reaching out to the people who work for you and developing rapport.  Success is a human factor, and it begins with the people you lead and manage.  Do they know you?  Do they like you?  Do they trust you?  If you can answer yes to all three questions, the imperative for MBWA is still critical because you need to maintain employee relationships in disruptive times where rampant disengagement is a workplace pandemic.

Step 7.  Do More Good Work.  Put your great company, products and services in the limelight. Give back in a way that differentiates your company.  Feed the souls of your people and your community.  Find a new way to involve more of your staff in a CSR initiative, or find a community project that a department or business unit can champion.  Pick a charity, cause or community development project and partner with them!  Show your community that you care and they will care back!

Yes, your business is all about creating value for others, and doing so in disruptive times means getting clear about what really matters. Corporate governance and financial management are bedrocks, but they will not generate business, they will not fill your pocketbook without a value proposition that hits the heart and soul of your clients, your prospects and furthermore engages new strategic partners and alliances as well as the community you serve, and the digital community that follows you.

 

 More on 3Q Business, Leadership Development and Talent Optimization?  YOU Betcha!

Great Leadership at the Speed of Change | A Collection of Over 300 Leadership and 3Q Leadership™ Articles

Business at the Speed of Change |  A Collection of  Over 200 Articles

Talent Optimization |  A Collection of Over 500 HR, Teamwork, Workplace and Career Articles

Communicating for Success | A Collection of Over 80 Communication Articles

 

MORE?  YOU betcha!  Had to include a link for fellow marketing and social media buffs!
An Excellent Collection of Over 900 Social Media and Marketing Articles & Infographics

 

 Are you ready to go from Now to HOW?  Get re-inspired by what you can achieve at the speed of change/challenges? Recharge, refocus, repurpose, repower? Build YOUR 3Q Leadership, Career, Business Development or Talent Optimization Edge?

Irene Headshot

Leaders: Be The Miracle OR Miss The Miracle!

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Leaders:  Be The Miracle OR Miss The Miracle!
(Including 11 bonus links and videos)

© Irene Becker, Just Coach It-The 3Q Edge™ | (IQ-EQ-SQ) Reach-Resonance-Results
3Q Leadership™ Blog- 35,000+ Social Media Followers & Growing!  



“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” Peter Drucker

 

Leadership WORDLE

Leaders, it is our duty to inspire, engage and empower the best in ourselves and our people by finding new ways, better ways to balance effective processes and systems with  skills that GROW at the speed of change (  3Q Skills>> Q1:  Ideation, Strategy Thought, Enhanced Ability to Learn-Re-learn   Q2:  Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Collaboration, Risk Tolerance, Resiliency    Q3:  Integrity of thought, purpose and action; intrinsic motivators that are the anchor for individual, collective and business sustainability) 


3Q Leadership™ Skills that grow at the speed of change start  with recognizing that we can either see our potential to learn, grow, contribute and evolve as a miracle, or miss the miracle completely. It is facile to get swept away by challenges, stressors and the contagion of negativity that infiltrates our minds, our workplaces and our world.  Mirror neurons pick up the emotions of others and they travel like viruses, impacting everything we do.  Developing a mind-set that appreciates the miracle of our individual and collective potential is critical to learning, communicating, leading and succeeding forward.

Do you want to build leadership skills that GROW at the speed of change? A recent article in Harvard Business review speaks loudly to what you see and its impact on what you get! Start by recognizing the miracle before you.  What do I know about miracles?   As much as I know about great success and equally great challenges.  Some might call me a survivor, but I prefer the term THRIVER! My journey has taken me from being first woman CEO of a steel company, to facing a myriad of substantial successes, challenges and failures; life, career and business lessons that have taught me that smart and fast ARE NOT enough.  Our ability to rise to the challenges before us, our ability to actualize our greatest intellectual, emotional, business and social potential all start with the mind-set we embrace.

We are  hardwired to survive, but the primal responses that help us survive can hinder our ability to thrive in disruptive times. The caveat in a hormonal cocktail and neural pathways that are preset for fight or flight, is that we can retrain our brains to respond versus react.  We have the ability to rewrite default patterns of thinking, communicating and doing that served us well when we were living in caves surrounded by predators or when we were in a different time and place where command and control leadership worked well and was the quid pro quo for success.  21st Century leadership and success is a people-centric equation that demands leaders who can stretch, grow and evolve while tying a knot around the values, integrity and purpose that are the timeless anchor of business success and sustainability.  Best practices are made in the now, and those who will lead forward boldly and successfully will be courageous pioneers who rise to the challenges before us because they believe in the miracle of human ingenuity, potential and purpose at the speed of change.

Great leadership means embracing the miracles before you and stepping out of the comfort zone by shedding habits of thinking, doing and communicating that may have worked well in the past, but will not take you/ your people forward in the future.

Here are Three Simple Action Steps that reflect upon miracles in the natural world and can help you step boldly out of the comfort zone!

 

  1. The bumblebee-the insect who defies the laws of aerodynamics by flying.Action Step: Take ONE simple step today to defy the odds, one step out of the comfort zone to try a new way of thinking or doing that takes YOU forward!
  2. The caterpillar reaches maturity by shedding the skin that no longer fits.Action Step:  Mentor one member of your team by not simply empowering them, but helping them to use a perceived challenge or stumbling block to build their potential, enhance their 3Q Edge™.  Teach them, help them to see problems, challenges as important guideposts to skills development and solutions.
  3. The butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo is scientifically recognized to have an impact on the weather patterns across the globe.Action Step:  Change the way you communicate.  Find a new way, a dynamic way to be more positive about a project, initiative or person and watch positivity grow.  Build one really positive human touchpoint today.

There is no time like the present to reset the GPS and flash forward in ways that drive your best thoughts, best actions, best communication, best collaboration….best results in disruptive times.  Ways that push you out of the comfort zone and also help you develop your 3Q Leadership Edge™ at the speed of change, in the face of challenges!  Great leadership starts with seeing the miracle.  Carpe diem.

More on seeing the miracle?  Actualizing great leadership in disruptive times?  Building your 3Q Leadership Edge™?  YOU Betcha!

Posts:
3Q Leadership Benefits and Why I Have Dedicated My Life to This Work
Leadership and Success in Disruptive Times (Top Ten posts 2013)
Ten Ways to Lead and Succeed in Times of Complexity and Change
Against All Odds:  A True Story of Hope, Courage and Leadership
Sneak Peak:  Intro to my forthcoming book |  I Will NOT Be Broken-The Call to Build a Better Future
Purpose:  Actualizing a Leadership and Management Must
Building Ten Essential Success Skills That GROW At the Speed of Change

Videos:
The LinchPin to Your Company’s Success ( Web tv interview with Ted Coine)
Extraordinary Woman Interview (Web TV interview by Shannon Skinner)
3Q Leadership and Enlightened Business (Interview by Dr. Amit Nagpal)

More…You Betcha!
A Collection of 300+ Articles on Great Leadership At the Speed of Change

 Are you ready to go from Now to HOW?  Get re-inspired by what you can achieve at the speed of change/challenges? Recharge, refocus, repurpose, repower? Build YOUR 3Q Leadership, Career, Business Development or Talent Optimization Edge?

Irene Headshot