Hopefully everyone has shaken off the cobwebs from an incredible holiday season. I was very fortunate in that I was able to take an extended break over the holidays and spend time at home with my immediate family and friends. It is amazing how the perspective of my four year old daughter helped keep me grounded during the winter holidays. Our daughter didn't even ask Santa for anything specific this year. She said that if Santa brought her anything she would appreciate whatever she received. That was probably the best gift that my wife and I could have ever asked for. It really did make Christmas morning that much more special for us this year.
So now that we are officially into 2012, and I am rapidly approaching my 39th birthday in a couple of days, what is next? I have never been a big fan of New Year's resolutions as I feel like we should all be striving for improvement throughout the entire year, and not just in the New Year. That being said, pick one thing. What is the one thing that you can commit to in order to make yourself better and more importantly, make others around you better? Find one thing that you can commit to doing once a week for the next 52 weeks. What if you committed to spending 30 more minutes per week with your team members at work, or your family or your friends? That is translates to 26 hours over the course of a year, or a little over 1 day. How much impact could you have on someone if you spent an extra day with them? How much would it mean to you if someone you respected and cared about spent an extra day with you over the course of 2012?
Make sure you take advantage of your time and abilities over the next 52 weeks and share those skills with someone. Make 2012 be the year that you resolve to leave your mark on someone or something...Good luck!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wordle Up
I am slow on the pickup of new trends in technology and learning. I try and remain informed via twitter, blogs and RSS feeds, but ultimately I always miss cool stuff. Wordle is the newest cool thing that I missed. While in a meeting today in a colleague's office, instead of listening intently, I was focused on his framed wordle. Sounds pretty bad I know, but Wordle is a website that allows you to create "word cloud" art. Individuals can submit their own text from a variety of sources including blog feeds, RSS feeds or even texts from emails. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text to create a variety of different word cloud images. So why am I all over Wordle? I certainly didn't create the website or the concept, and I am not sure of its true functionality. At least with Popplet, I can use that technology in a meeting or during a brainstorming session. I think I am fired up about Wordle because it can visually show what I am talking about across a variety of platforms. Am I really saying or writing what I believe? Am I messaging consistently? Am I putting my money where my mouth is, or am I just full of hot air? To me, Wordle can be used for fun and education. What a great way for a teacher or a team leader to show trends across a presentation or project. Unique technologies spring up daily and the next big thing will be here before I am done with this post. But don't be content just waiting for what is next. Explore what is here now and make sure what you are projecting is really who you are.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Super Sunday
It's SuperBowl Sunday and my favorite team (Pittsburgh Steelers) is in the big game. Their long standing success can be attributed to how they operate as an organization. They don't pay their players the most money and they don't have a flashy style. They win consistently because they scout players that fit into their system or culture. Culture is so vital to every organization, not just NFL teams. Look at Google, Apple, Exact Target, Compendium, Toms Shoes, etc. Each of these companies has a culture that drives how they do business and how they gauge success. Culture is just as vital as having a strong business plan. In an era where most employees will have worked for 10 companies by the age of 38, identifying and retaining talent is vital to long term viability.
I am fortunate to work for an organization that has a tangible culture and works to build its successes around the people that drive that culture. What is the culture at your company? How do you impact it? What do people internally and externally say about your company's culture? These are the questions that everyone should be thinking about and asking themselves. Culture leads to success. You don't have to like the culture of every company or organization. But if you are passionate about the success of your organization, then you should be trying to shape and promote its culture.
I am fortunate to work for an organization that has a tangible culture and works to build its successes around the people that drive that culture. What is the culture at your company? How do you impact it? What do people internally and externally say about your company's culture? These are the questions that everyone should be thinking about and asking themselves. Culture leads to success. You don't have to like the culture of every company or organization. But if you are passionate about the success of your organization, then you should be trying to shape and promote its culture.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Re-appearing Houdini
I am a lazy blogger. The worst. I disappear months at a time and reappear with what I deem to be insightful quips. I continue to read Seth Godin's advice that in order to be taken seriously, one needs to blog at least once a week. I see other articles stating that not having time to blog is like not having time to eat lunch. So, I am working to correct my laziness and keep the half-dozens of my followers better informed...and I am committing to this BEFORE the New Year!
And this brings me to my point today. The New Year is a convenient time to make resolutions and identify areas of change and improvement. But real change and improvement needs to be a daily occurrence. In a global, technology driven world, change happens continually. If we are not looking at our own standard operating procedures and making daily improvements, then we are falling behind. Part of our responsibility with change is to open ourselves up to the constructive criticism of our peers. Complete trust and transparency with our business colleagues, friends and family should be the end goal for all of us. I encourage you to identify what changes you want to make not only in 2011, but each day leading up to the New Year.
And this brings me to my point today. The New Year is a convenient time to make resolutions and identify areas of change and improvement. But real change and improvement needs to be a daily occurrence. In a global, technology driven world, change happens continually. If we are not looking at our own standard operating procedures and making daily improvements, then we are falling behind. Part of our responsibility with change is to open ourselves up to the constructive criticism of our peers. Complete trust and transparency with our business colleagues, friends and family should be the end goal for all of us. I encourage you to identify what changes you want to make not only in 2011, but each day leading up to the New Year.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Who Is In Your Tickler File?
Having spent nearly seven years as a technical staffing consultant for a large privately held staffing company, I developed quite a tickler file. Not only did I have an expansive file, but I had a routine of when to follow up with former, current and potential business partners. It was a routine that became habit. I knew who I was going to call what day of the month and what I was going to say when I got that person on the other end of the phone. I was much better at tickler calls, and enjoyed them immensely more, than cold calls. But I understood that both types of calls served a purpose.
Today, working in a new sector and in a different position, I still make tickler calls. However, I probably don't do them as religiously as I used to. Part of that reason is because it is easier to send an email or a text or an IM or a tweet or a facebook message or a link to convey your desire to stay connected with that individual. Although I greatly support and utilize all of the above technologies, sometimes they still are not as fast or effective as a phone call. By the time I get a decision completed via an email thread, I could have easily spoken to that person directly and came to a solution faster. The phone is still a synchronous form of communication which eliminates confusion about interpreting the tone of an email or having to translate a text.
Communication options for all of us are changing daily. In my opinion however, the best way to truly stay connected now and in the future with business partners, colleagues, friends and family is through phone technology.
Today, working in a new sector and in a different position, I still make tickler calls. However, I probably don't do them as religiously as I used to. Part of that reason is because it is easier to send an email or a text or an IM or a tweet or a facebook message or a link to convey your desire to stay connected with that individual. Although I greatly support and utilize all of the above technologies, sometimes they still are not as fast or effective as a phone call. By the time I get a decision completed via an email thread, I could have easily spoken to that person directly and came to a solution faster. The phone is still a synchronous form of communication which eliminates confusion about interpreting the tone of an email or having to translate a text.
Communication options for all of us are changing daily. In my opinion however, the best way to truly stay connected now and in the future with business partners, colleagues, friends and family is through phone technology.
Monday, April 19, 2010
What's Your Obstacle?
Like many, I am caught up in HBO's latest 10 part mini-series, The Pacific. It is an incredibly well-done biography on US Marines and their stories during World War II. For those that don't watch the show, I will not bore you with a lot of details surrounding the characters and their individual struggles. But I will simply say that in Part 6, there is a very long scene that entails US soldiers having to cross an air field that is under significant Japanese fortification. Needless to say, there is a feeling of impending doom and tragedy for every soldier as they each individually prepare to cross this airfield that they have been ordered to take over. The cliche questions that went through my mind and those friends of mine that watch the show were "how were they able to do that?" and "could I have done that if ordered to do so?"
Clearly I am not comparing the circumstances of the US Marines in World War II to that of our every day lives. But I will say that all of us routinely face difficult situations and many times after we get through those tough times, people ask "how were you able to get through that?" We all have a reservoir of resolve that runs deeper than even we sometimes realize. In some cases, we may have extra resolve that we can give to others in order to help them through their own struggles. Finding a way to utilize and share your own resources as well as reaching out to others when your reservoir is empty are keys to making it through your next fortified obstacle.
Clearly I am not comparing the circumstances of the US Marines in World War II to that of our every day lives. But I will say that all of us routinely face difficult situations and many times after we get through those tough times, people ask "how were you able to get through that?" We all have a reservoir of resolve that runs deeper than even we sometimes realize. In some cases, we may have extra resolve that we can give to others in order to help them through their own struggles. Finding a way to utilize and share your own resources as well as reaching out to others when your reservoir is empty are keys to making it through your next fortified obstacle.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Nimble Enthusiasm
One of the things that I enjoy so much about my job with Harrison College is the opportunity to work in an environment that supports nimble enthusiasm. The education market is one of hundreds that are currently experiencing rapid growth and transformation due in a large part to changes in technology and delivery platforms. In order to stay viable, organizations and companies must be able to change and adapt quickly. Strategic plans can no longer be set in 5-10 year increments as changes will occur much faster than that time frame will allow. Prospering organizations must have people that are nimble and embrace change with passion and enthusiasm...or else become irrelevant.
Change is difficult, but institutions that hire talent passionate about change for the betterment of the organization will set the standard for the next decade and beyond. Nimble enthusiasm is not something that everyone immediately possesses. But as one division begins to embrace its ability to quickly adapt to a changing environment and collaborates with other divisions, the snow ball of momentum can be incredibly powerful. The final challenge with nimble enthusiasm though is to make the effort to get as many people on the bus as possible. It is easy to say "get on board with change or self select yourself off of this bus." However, not everyone is going to understand the need for change immediately. If leadership were easy, then everyone would do it. The difficult part of leading and collaborating is helping others see the value of change and then helping them gain excitement about that change. So the million dollar question is, if you are a nimble enthusiastic leader, how are you going to impart your passion on someone else?
Change is difficult, but institutions that hire talent passionate about change for the betterment of the organization will set the standard for the next decade and beyond. Nimble enthusiasm is not something that everyone immediately possesses. But as one division begins to embrace its ability to quickly adapt to a changing environment and collaborates with other divisions, the snow ball of momentum can be incredibly powerful. The final challenge with nimble enthusiasm though is to make the effort to get as many people on the bus as possible. It is easy to say "get on board with change or self select yourself off of this bus." However, not everyone is going to understand the need for change immediately. If leadership were easy, then everyone would do it. The difficult part of leading and collaborating is helping others see the value of change and then helping them gain excitement about that change. So the million dollar question is, if you are a nimble enthusiastic leader, how are you going to impart your passion on someone else?
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