Which economic trends will most affect your 2011 fiscal year? [POLL]

To kick off the new year, TEC and BizTimes Media are hosting the 10th annual Northern Trust Economic Trends Breakfast on Friday, January 21 to engage local business leaders in important, and exciting, conversations about the future state of the economy.

Participating in conversations with other leaders about future trends, especially one with such high importance as the economy, connects CEOs across various industries to build a leadership network. Begin the conversation by taking our poll about which economic trends will affect you the most.

How CEO's Make the Most of Networking Events

Many people may think that CEO’s already have a strong network of contacts and thus, no need to put as much effort into planning and attending networking events. While it’s true that business leaders have years of relationship building behind them, keeping contacts up-to-date and maintaining relationships is a constant task.

Here a few ways CEOs can efficiently use networking events to build meaningful relationships.

Plan first. Think about what is missing from your current network and whom would best fill that role. Research the event to ensure that the type of contact you are seeking will be invited. Next, research the guest list and set goals of whom you would like to meet.

Politely defer other inquiries. At networking events, CEO’s may find it hard to cross the room to make a new contact without getting interrupted. When approached, make it clear what it is you're looking for and invite the other person to contact you another time. In addition, suggest someone else from your network to help with their needs.

Follow up. Online social networking can help you easily facilitate your new relationship. Take time after the event to learn more about your new contact through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and professional blogs. After sending a follow-up message, add comments to new posts to let them know you're genuinely interested in what they do and to spark new conversations.

How do you plan for networking events? How do you prepare before, during or after the event?

What do you place the greatest value on when deciding to attend a networking event? [POLL]

Attending networking events is very beneficial to you and your organization. However, each event has a different focus and depending on your schedule, you may find yourself having to pick and choose.

When deciding on whether or not to attend a networking event, what is important to you?

What is your New Year's resolution? [POLL]

With a new year comes the chance to reflect on changes that we can make to ensure the next one is even better. Goals can be big or small, work or life related, but the important thing is that you stick to it.

Tell us, what do you hope to accomplish in 2011?

Business Person’s Strategy for New Year’s Resolution

A commonly asked question this time of year is, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?” The responses vary from person to person and even mood to mood. For many people the response has something to do with their eating or exercise habits. For others it’s about increasing time with family. For those of us with work never very far from our minds, we would be benefit from thoughtful contemplation about making New Year’s resolutions.

As leaders, we are frequently offering guidance and direction, which leaves little time to reflect on areas that we personally could and should improve upon in the coming year.

Instead of repeating what many have already recommended as “must have resolutions,” we suggest the following for you to consider in 2011.

It’s easy to make resolutions. For many of you, by the time you read this blog you will have already forgotten or given up your 2011 resolutions. Don’t worry you are not alone with 80% of people who make resolutions quitting. As leaders though, the burden to keep a resolution can be even greater—we have many people who are looking up to us and following our example.

Think of making a New Year’s resolution like you would if you were starting a new business or making a significant business decision. What affect will the resolution have on my current schedule and availability? What costs—both emotionally and financially—will keeping this resolution have on my family and work team? What is the implementation and accountability plan? You get the idea.

If we seriously contemplate the costs and need for an implementation plan that a prospective New Year’s resolution involves, the legitimacy of each resolution comes into focus.

What do you think? Would thinking about each potential resolution as a business decision better enable you to make and keep realistic resolutions?