NOVEMBER SPECIAL DAYS November is... American Diabetes Month November 2-6 – World Communication Week December Special Days December 1-4 – Cookie Cutter Week & Tolerance Week Email TRAINING SYSTEMS, INC. for ideas on how to celebrate any of these days. Finding A New Kind of Leader In a global, knowledge-based economy, those who recruit and develop the right kind of leaders will have a huge competitive advantage. Despite the investment of millions of dollars in leadership development by Fortune 500 companies, experts warn of a growing leadership gap as an entire generation of baby boomer executives retire. The challenge is further complicated by a next-generation workforce that is unimpressed with position-based leadership or management by declaration. Growing up in an environment where their opinion has been sought on almost everything, and where a forum to express it is just a few keystrokes away, this group responds to a different type of leader. As Jim Collins described in his bestseller Good to Great, "Level 5" leaders share common characteristics that are attractive to both current and future generations of knowledge workers. After spending years coaching and developing leaders from a variety of disciplines, I’ve learned that one sector of our economy is uniquely positioned to create this kind of leader. Some of the most talented leaders on the planet are those leading associations, nonprofits, or volunteer-based organizations. With little or no executive authority, these amazing individuals employ a wide range of gifts and talents to influence and inspire others. Masters of influence and persuasion, they build personal relationships, invest in others, and motivate people to achieve. Leveraging a compelling vision, these leaders build great teams, introduce fresh ideas and strategies, and light a fire of optimism that burns brightly throughout their organizations. What makes this phenomenon even more intriguing is that these leaders generally do this without two of the biggest motivators in the history of civilization: money and power. Gone are the days when working for a volunteer-based institution meant you could shift into neutral and coast. The pressure and demands on the social sector have risen so dramatically in recent years that those who don’t deliver don’t survive. If nonprofit leaders can’t demonstrate to funders a measurable return on investment, they’re out of business. Since social-sector leaders face the challenge of motivating people to work hard and deliver results without the benefit of financial reward, they’re forced to discover what truly motivates each individual to perform. Someone who finds success in this environment develops knowledge and experience about human behavior that could never be learned in a traditional corporate setting or even in business school. So what are the gifts, talents, and attributes that make successful social-sector executives great leaders? They’re skilled listeners who ask great questions, then carefully mine the responses to unearth the nuggets they need to inspire greatness. This is especially critical with a generation that is accustomed to being heard. They’re determined problem solvers who don’t believe there is only one right path or solution, and they rarely accept "no" as the final answer. When you can’t spend or hire your way out of a problem, you are forced to develop a problem-solving mindset. They’re passionate advocates with a deep-seated commitment to the mission that is highly attractive to volunteers and staff. When a leader burns with a passion for the cause, you can’t help but be drawn to the warmth of that fire. They’re vision casters who inspire and motivate an entire organization to follow them to the future. To accomplish this they must be able to see what others cannot yet see and then be able to describe it in a compelling way. They’re change agents who provide the stability an organization needs to operate while serving as a catalyst for transformational change. They’re master communicators who cultivate conversations, storytelling, and compelling dialogue that maintain the interest of all the stakeholders. While I do not suggest that the answer to the global leadership challenge is to raid associations and hire their leaders, I do believe there is a competitive advantage for those who are willing to learn from the social sectors. Reprinted from Associations Now magazine, May 2008
45 Lessons Life Taught Me by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio To celebrate growing older, I once wrote a list of the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone. 8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. 12. It's OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don't compare your life to others.. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks. 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. 18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?' 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. 35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come. 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Some Really Captivating Employee Engagement Programs I was lucky enough recently to be one of several judges for the National Council of State Housing Agencies Management Innovations Awards. They give awards in many categories – one is HR programs. I’ll describe a couple of the easiest to do but yet the most effective ones but first – what made all the engagement programs so award worthy is that they did the single most important thing to make any program successful: They built it around a theme that had to do with the mission of their organization (ex – a housing authority whose awards were called bricks, hammer and nails, firm foundation and another ex – a housing authority that allowed their employees to receive hardship housing allowances) One agency started their request to be recognized with an award with a great definition of employee engagement: Engaging employees is more than just ensuring they are satisfied or motivated in their jobs. It’s about helping them develop an emotional connection or sense of personal attachment to their work. Some easily doable programs for you:
Brick award – rewards good work (awarded immediately) Hammer and Nail – rewards extra-special effort (awarded immediately) Windows of Opportunity – rewards creative thinking/ideas (awarded immediately) Doorways to the Future – rewards team effort (after completion of a team project) Firm Foundation – rewards the agency values in action (nominations taken and given w/i a month a that nomination) The Rooftop – outstanding performance (annually by Exec Director)
Lactation room available – not a closet or rest room but a room set up to be warm, private and comfortable for mothers and includes a refrigerator for storing milk Back up day care – a day care provider within a couple blacks of the employee’s office (used when the primary care can’t do it at the last minute or for planned times like school vacation days). Agency pays a membership fee and charges the employee a modest daily usage fee taken out as a payroll deduction Flex hours – dept heads can vary work hours within a 12 hr time period to accommodate and employee need (employee make a proposal)
HR staff send a weekly email highlighting info on one of the Jeans Day charities (website link, additional info, how much the agency has given to date, impact of this money, etc) Some of the charities provide volunteer opportunities too and HR staff coordinate the participation (this has expanded to bike-a-thons, walk-a-thons, etc as a group with the Jeans Day money going to pay the per mile or whatever donation) Sign in lobby informs visitors of the Jeans Day program so they know why people are dressed in jeans and what the money is going for. Read the HR award entries in their entirety here: http://www.ncsha.org/about-us/annual-awards/management-innovation/human-resources Let us know if you institute any of these or if they give you an idea for something else – or if you’re already doing something that engages employees and we should hear about how you do it.
What We Know About the Brain
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Emotion and Cognition are linked in the brain and learning is state
dependent. Music is an important tool to create an optimal state for
learning. The arts, discovery process, and an engaging environment help us
create meaningful learning experiences that not only accelerate and deepen
the learning process, but help shift limiting beliefs and tap into
potential. |
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"Cells that fire together wire together" – the more natural repetition
that is build into learning and the more senses engaged in the learning,
the more the learning is embedded and accessible. |
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A feeling of progress motivates learners to persist in tasks that could
seem daunting or even tedious. Success breeds success. By designing
learning (using for example the AL cycle) learners continuously success,
make progress and see the relevance of the learning to their lives. |
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Novelty in a stress free environment arouses and engages attention. It is
important to create a environment free of high stress, and one that offers
novel experiences – ones that arouses attention. The methods, the
environment itself, the changes embedded into the learning design all
support novelty and attention. |
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Self-efficacy or being in control of one’s own learning and actions
facilitates learning because it sets the right emotional tone and
motivates. When we enable learners to co-create the learning, they learn
more and deeper. |
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The brain-mind is social. We learn more together in collaboration than
alone. When we talk about the content, we learn at a deeper level as well. |
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Patterning is
a key element of learning and emotional connection improves the ability to
pattern. |
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When we write down things and put a time and place to when we are going to
do them, it increases intention in the brain. Reflection activities,
action plans, and ways to end a learning module, day or program helps
learners take the learning back and apply it. |
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The leader/facilitator’s mood, attitude, emotions and ability to empathize and connect with learners impacts learners ability to learn, their emotional state and how they see themselves and the learning. As facilitators of learning our own self-awareness, self-regulation and ability to empathize and manage our own state supports others in their learning. "We teach what we are!" |
Many IAL conference sessions are designed to help you discover how to apply the science to the art of teaching. And, because we practice what we preach, the conference will engage you in multiple ways to promote your own learning! Visit www.ialearn.org to see our complete program,
A preview from Gail Heidenhain, IAL Board Chair, of some ideas coming in the IAL International Conference January 14-17, 2010.
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**TOOL BOX**
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| Martin Walker is just an average construction worker at Clugston Group in Northern England. He lays concrete. He cleans drains. He gets his hands dirty. |
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But the employees who got to know Martin Walker over a two-week period were stunned to find out later that he was really Stephen Martin, CEO of the 600-employee company.
Martin simply ditched his suit, grew a beard and began working as a rank-and-file construction guy -- hoping to gain valuable information about what really affects his workforce.
The trick was part of a British TV show called Undercover Boss. (CBS has planned a U.S. version for its 2009-2010 season.)
Armed with knowledge of the way lower-level workers go about their days and respond to corporate initiatives, Martin changed HR practices. He's now convinced that communication from an HR executive wearing a suit and tie, and sitting in an office somewhere, is just not that effective.
HR, he says, should spend more time on worksites, rather than sending employees newsletters or mass e-mail.
"Our key messages were just not getting through to people," Martin told the Financial Times. "People working a shift on a large site do not have time to read newsletters or log on to Web sites. You have to communicate with people on their terms, and it is different for every location. One size does not fit all."
John Younger, a partner at HR management and consulting firm RBL Group in Short Hills, N.J. says there are better ways to find out employees' unfiltered work-related opinions.
"I don't know if getting punked by your CEO is a good definition of leadership," he says. "You might get some interesting info and it might be helpful, but you have destroyed trust within your organization. Imagine how fast suspicion grows if you're not sure if the guy to your right or left is your co-worker or your boss in disguise?"
Rather than "creating a legacy of suspicion," he says, a leader should hold frequent meetings at which employees know they can say what they want without being punished.
"[Employees] won't [be so open] the first time [and] they may not even be open the second time but if you . . . demonstrate that you are sincerely interested in what they have to say, that you're going to take action to fix the issues they describe and you won't punish people for telling the truth -- that's a much more enduring recipe for an open and trusting relationship between the top and the bottom."
From HR Executive Online, September 16, 2009
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Get more tips on retaining great employees from TRAINING SYSTEMS. |
**TOOL BOX**
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November 5-6, 2009
ASAE’s Social Media Workshop, Marriott Learning Complex, Washington,
D.C.
http://www.asaecenter.org
November 6-8, 2009
American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) 19th Annual Meeting,
Hyatt Regency DFW, Dallas, TX
http//www.aahks.org
November 18-20, 2009
18th Annual National Workers’ Compensation and Disability
Conference & Expo, Mc Cormick Place, Chicago, IL
http://www.WCconference.com
December 1-2, 2009
Business of Meetings: Flawless Business Operations, The Center
Building, Washington, DC,
http://www.asaecenter.org
January 7-8, 2010
Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team, InterContinental
Harbor Court Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
http://www.asaecenter.org/ProgramsEvents
January 14-17, 2010
35th Annual International Conference: New Frontiers in Learning
and Innovation, Houston, TX
http://www.ialearn.org
January 22, 2010
The Bottom Line: The Nonprofit Finance Game, Marriott Learning Complex,
Washington, DC,
http://www.asaecenter.org/
February 1-3, 2010
Training Magazine Training 2010 Conference & Expo, San Diego, CA,
http://www.TrainingMagEvents.com
March 3-5, 2010
Talent Management and Diversity Executive Magazines’ Strategies 2010:
Harnessing the Power of People, W Atlanta, Midtown, Atlanta, GA
http://www.talentmgt.com/events
May 10-11, 2010
Training Magazine Training Leadership Summit, Wild Horse Pass Resort,
Phoenix AZ,
http://www.TrainingMagEvents.com
PODCAST: MORE GREEN TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE OFFICE,
http://www.Inc.com/keyword/jun08B.I.G. ON BOOKS is an organization that promotes literacy in underprivileged countries, primarily Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. You can donate books through most Rotary Clubs. B.I.G. also accepts cash donations. Send email to Steve Frantzich at
frantzic@usna.edu for more information.Kicking World Hunger is the biggest soccer juggle-a-thon in the world (uh, that we know of), much like a walk-a-thon, but more fun! Participants sign up to juggle a soccer ball thousands of times while raising money to provide hope for children and communities that desperately need it. http://www.firstgiving.com/kickingworldhunger
Going Green At Work
Find
ecofriendly building materials and services at
http://www.rateitgreen.com
Buy
ecofriendly office supplies at http://www.thegreenoffice.comcom
Work
from home ideas at http://www.treehugger.com
Find
jobs and volunteer opportunities with socially responsible organizations at
http://www.idealist.org
Reduce
paperwork by invoicing, & paying employees & bills electronically
(TRAINING
SYSTEMS, INC.
now invoices exclusively by email
and is close to paying everyone
by credit card, PayPal, or automatic debit from checking account)
Encourage
employees to use public transportation
Use
ceiling fans to reduce air-conditioning costs
Reduce
your hot water heater temperature by 2 degrees and insulate the tank
Use
energy-saving light bulbs
Charity Navigator (http://charitynavigator.org) is an in-depth, searchable guide to more than 5,000 charities worldwide that aims to encourage "intelligent giving". They rate charities based on their total expenses, revenues, and organizational capacity. If you want to give, but the recent slew of charity scandals has you feeling skeptical about where your money would go.
Take Pride T-Shirts (http://www.takepride.com) was founded by a group of friends who all share the belief that the more difficult the mission facing our military, the more deserving they are of our thanks and support. Each unique shirt design provides a glimpse into the life of a different US Service member who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and is hand silk-screened. The message of the shirts isn’t political, it's about acknowledging, celebrating, and taking pride in the spirit of young Americans who despite facing an extremely difficult job and unpleasant conditions, nonetheless strive to do their job well. Take Pride gives at least 20% of profits to charities and causes that assist combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Set
a reminder to visit
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com
daily and click this button to help underprivileged women get mammograms.
volunteermatch.org helps you
find organizations in your area that spark your interest in volunteering.
momsrising.org fights for family-friendly programs and policies at
work.
mygooddeed.org honors the heroes and victims of 9/11, by giving ideas
for good deeds to perform.
kiva.org helps entrepreneurs by connecting them with backers for
short term loans
guidestar.org and charitablechoices.org both make sure the
organizations you’re supporting are legit and give the bulk of their money
to their mission
Global Volunteers
(http://www.globalvolunteers.org)
You can:
select
by type of work project
select
by country and date
select
by service program conditions
select
by cost
RECYCLING
Earth 911 lets you search for recyclers by type and area code, http://www.earth911.org
Recycle yogurt containers and old toothbrushes!
Recycline’ Preserve partnered with Stonyfield Farm and is recycling yogurt containers into toothbrush handles. Old toothbrushes are used to make plastic lumber for picnic tables. Go to
http://www.recycline.com for details.Responsibly Dispose of Your Old Electronics
Donate
Old Cell Phones
911 Cell Phone Bank provide free emergency cell phones to needful
people through partnerships with law enforcement organizations,
http://www.911CellPhoneBank.com
Recycle
PCs, cell phones, printers, CDs diskettes, etc., with GreenDisk. For
$29.95, they send a 70-pound-capacity box. When it’s full, you download
postage from their website and ship it back. Your “junk” then goes to
workshops for the disabled and are refurbished.
http://www.greendisk.comm
Donate
PCs to National Cristina Foundation,
http://www.cristina.org;
Goodwill,
www.goodwill.org,
Salvation Army,
www.satruck.com/MakeDonation.asp.
Recycle
PCs and other computer products at Hewlett Packard and Dell. See their
websites for details.
Several
other places to recycle old PCs: www.earth911.org,
www.eiae.org.
Find
local Electronics recyclers at
http://www.earth911.org and
http://www.ebay.com/rethink
EASY TO BE GREEN!
K
www.eartheasy.com
has great tips on green cleaning.
K
www.greendimes.com
& www.41pounds.org
will help you get off junk mail lists.
K
www.thegreenguide.com
has tips on every facet of green living.
K
www.energystar.gov
gives advice on replacing old light bulbs w/energy efficient bulbs.
K
www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower provides comprehensive "green
power" info.
K
www.globalwarming.org
urges the use of recycled paper.
K
www.arborday.org
helps you plant trees to save the environment.
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