Come check out the new blog from NAR's Information Central! "Power Tools for AEs" is no longer being updated, but you'll find plenty of interest in the InfoCentral Blog. The InfoCentral Blog keeps you up-to-date on new and useful information resources for the real estate industry (including state & local associations) -- websites, research reports, eBooks, news articles, services and databases from NAR's Information Central, and more. Surf on over to http://narblog1.realtors.org/mvtype/infocentral/.

Though REALTOR® Safety Week is over, you can continue to promote safety awareness throughout the whole year. NAR has published numerous courses and guides on the internet that can be used at anytime. Some of the highlights are:
1. The Online Safety Course-This course uses 3D technology to allow users to virtually interact with some situations and learn how effectively to deal with them.
2. A safety video that provides great safety tips for any REALTOR®.
3. Resources from state and local REALTOR® associations as well as government institutions and not-for-profit organizations.

NAR's Virtual Library eBooks Collection, at REALTOR.org, also offers some great eBooks that can help augment any presentation. You can download up to three at a time. (Be sure to have your NRDS number handy!)
Crime victim's guide to justice
Dead or alive: the choice is yours
The fence: the art of protection
Office building safety and health
The safe child handbook
Workplace violence prevention

Doug Hinderer, the National Association of REALTORS Senior Vice President of Human Resources, gave an incredibly funny and informative presentation at this year?s Leadership Summit, called "Human Resource Issues for Leaders". During his talk, he discussed how Association?s yearly change of Executive Officers can sometimes lead to communication disparity amongst Association Executives. Doug gives some clear concepts about how everyone can help ease this potentially stressful and damaging situation by learning several different communication styles; thinking, feeling, and action. Information Central?s ebooks collection has several great selections that can also help Association Executives hone their interpersonal communication style, such as Personality Styles and Networking Results (audio format), First-Time Leaders of Small Groups (Adobe format), and Crucial Conversations (Adobe and audio formats).

Whether you serve a large constituency or small association, you'll likely be called upon to address an audience at least a few times throughout your career. But if public speaking isn't your strong point, a "few times" could be a few times too many! Don't let public speaking get you down -- these titles from NAR's Virtual Library eBooks Collection will show you how to present like a pro: 101 Secrets from Highly Effective Speakers (audio), 7 Steps to Fearless Speaking (audio), The Complete Guide to Public Speaking (Adobe), The Easy Step by Step Guide to Giving Confident Presentations (Adobe), Public Speaking (Adobe), Speak Like a CEO (Adobe), and Speak with Confidence (Adobe). Association staff can borrow up to 3 eBooks, digital audios, and/or videos for FREE, at eBooks.realtor.org. New to NAR's digital library? Just follow the Quick Start Guide...and have your NRDS number ready!

Recently added to NAR's Virtual Library eBooks Collection: The Easy Step by Step Guide to Fewer, Shorter, Better Meetings, The Easy Step by Step Guide to Writing Newsletters and Articles, and Visible Thought. Also new this month: Unlock your creative potential with Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills. Check out eBooks.realtor.org for these and other titles. Association staff can borrow up to 3 eBooks, digital audios, and/or videos for FREE. New to NAR's digital library? Just follow the Quick Start Guide...and have your NRDS number ready!

In addition to doing research and relying on their own experiences, many association leaders try to get some input from members and others before making a decision. But according to an article in the March issue of Associations Now, advice can be easily misused, leading to poorly-made decisions. That's not to say that advice should be ignored; instead, it's more a matter of knowing how and when to solicit outside opinions, and from whom. The key is to recognize the four types of advice and build a solid network of advisors who can provide the insight association executives need when they need it. "The idea is for the leader to think of himself or herself as the hub of the wheel," says leadership authority Dan Ciampa in the article. "He's constantly building relationships and assessing where the spokes are leading."

Looking for some ideas to help strengthen your association or provide enhanced services for its members? The Virtual Library on Realtor.org has a wealth of information for association leaders. Check out some of the Library's recently revised and updated Field Guides on leadership development, strategic planning, mergers & partnerships, diversity, and other topics for boards and associations.

How do you help your new agents cope in a slower market? Ideas range from a daily call commitment, finding the right price to attract buyers, developing a productivity plan for calls, mailings and networking and sharing your experience of slower markets. Ray Barkett of The Keyes Company shares his plan for training. "In fact, every Friday the company holds a two hour workshop to address a single skill, such as marketing listings more effectively. The company used to train primarily new associates; now, because of changing market conditions, it trains all associates."

Multitasking is not as efficient as once thought. "In July 2006, psychologists at the University of California-Los Angeles reported that multitasking adversely affects how we learn. According to UCLA Associate Professor of Psychology Russell Poldrack, "Even if you learn while multitasking, that learning is less flexible and more specialized, so you cannot retrieve information as easily." An earlier study conducted by researchers Joshua Rubinstein, David Meyer, and Jeffrey Evans demonstrated that multitasking may actually reduce productivity." You can switch off your brain by making to-do lists, reading an escapist novel, connect with nature and get out of the office.

Scott Briscoe discusses ways technology can improve your Association. From web usability to to wikis to podcasting to quick and easy training, these new tech tools can simplify things for your members and staff. "A concept that education maven Elliot Masie is pushing forward is the idea that not only information but real education and training can be at a person's fingertips, too. The idea is that adult learners are looking for quick, targeted skills-based learning--think 30 minutes rather than a weeks-long course. And, of course, it must be easy to understand and navigate."

"As the market slows, ethics activity always picks up," says Jacquie Wolff, director of administration and education with the Denver Metropolitan Commercial Association of Realtors®. Other boards and associations have experienced the same increase in the current business market. With larger commissions at stake, brokers are turning to dispute resolutions and ethics hearings to settle contentious and complex situations. Disputes range from client representation to commission disagreements.

Blackberries, iPods, smart phones, laptops--are these time-saving devices stressing you out? Izzy Gesell has tips to overcome stress from technology. Multitasking and a rapid flow of information causes stress. Gesell says that taking action gives you a feeling of control and focusing allows you to to stay in the moment. "When added to our personal skill set, action and focus strengthen our ability to stay flexible, spontaneous, and confident in the midst of competing priorities, unforeseen obstacles, and those irritating computers."

Do you have a core mission or is your association all over the map? The Textile Care Allied Trades Association has narrowed down its mission to 18 goals. Anything not affiliated with those goals was dropped. The clear goals of this association has been helped membership growth and recruitment. "We are able to more clearly define what membership in TCATA offers a company rather than trying to be all things to all people. Having a clear idea of what a company considering membership can expect from TCATA makes their decision to join or not join easier. Concurrently, our job becomes easier as we spend less time in membership recruitment for those companies that are unlikely to join because they don't need or value what we offer, which frees up staff time for other activities."

Mary Pat Cornett of the American Diabetes Association is a single mother in a very demanding job--managing director of meetings, convention and travel. Learn how she balance life and work. ?I work about 50 hours a week, but sometimes the exact times can shift. I have a fair amount of leeway if I need to come in late or leave early.? And she's equally willing to give that kind of support to others. ?The more I can support people who have dual roles, the more I find they're committed to their job,? she says.

TechSoup dicusses how technology can help your volunteers, ranging from recruitment to updating volunteer opportunities to creating a volunteer newsletter. "Three years ago, Habitat for Humanity's Global Villages program began allowing people to volunteer online for its domestic and international house-building trips. It took a while for us to institutionalize this system, but currently, we get about 200 online applications in a good week. . . .I have seen the Global Villages program move from all-paper volunteer applications 15 years ago to 90 percent online applications today. It works!? David Minich Director, Habitat for Humanity Global Villages"