The biggest bird on the block in terms of building nest know-how still have to manage their flock, lessons from problem managers
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Business & organizational development, Communication
A recent survey in the Canadian HR Reporter, by Claude Balthazard, reported on human resource professionals’ take on problem managers. Cleaning up after them. Sometimes repeatedly.
The article had some interesting things to say about some organizational cultures tolerating problem behaviour. A disappointing 35.2% said ‘if they deliver results, we tolerate just about anything’. Talk about being short sighted. Imagine the motivation (or lack) of the rest of the staff.
As a trainer who goes into many different organizations I can say from experience how much organizational cultures differ (and not just on how they respond to problems).
I created a word cloud from the responses to the question ‘what do these managers do that creates the most problems?’ The larger the word the more common the response. The smaller the word the less common the response. You can also see the word cloud here.
Anything pop out at you?
Here’s what I noticed:
- all of the items (save possibly ‘failure to abide by employment standards’) are all related to being able to communicate effectively, with both emotional and cultural intelligence
- you might be the biggest bird on the block in terms of building nest-know how, but if you can’t manage your flock they won’t be able to fly
- our brains aren’t built to handle too much stress and still be able to highly function. If we’re stressed, feel disrespected, bullied, discriminated against etc. we downshift to our lizard brain and focus on the basics – fight, flee or freeze – not exactly the stuff of an engaged, productive workforce.
Tags: canadian hr reporter, claude balthazard, cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence, Human resources, managers, organizational culture, problem managers, word cloud
Take time to to’odle and you’ll reach your dreams faster
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
I love lists. I covet lists. I crave making lists. Lists relax me. They keep my delusion of being in control of my world firmly in place.
I have a confession to make however. At the end of a bad day, my eyes will skittishly wander towards a list only to streak away faster than you can say ‘boo’. Sometimes I get sick of my lists. They feel constricting, claustrophobic and controlling.
That’s when I know I need to throw them out and to’odle. Yes. To’odle. As in doing things that let my mind wander, my body relax. When I have no sense of time, either how fast or slow it’s passing, I know I’m to’odling.
Chris Guillebeau says we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year. I think he’s spot on.
Here’s the kicker though –> to reach our dreams and our goals we first off have to be clear about where we’re headed. Once the horizon is clear and we know where we’re headed, lists help us clarify the steps to get there. AND if all of our time is programmed, structured, and tightly controlled then we miss out on spontaneity, unforeseen opportunities. Instead of being flexible and open to possibilities we become brittle, with our lists controlling us instead of the other way round.
So while I’m all about list making (as my husband can attest to, shaking his head in dismay while asking how we can live in the same house, the anti-list maker that he is) the path to our dreams is far from a straight line.
Sixth and final, in a series, this post celebrates what some remarkably interesting folk have on their to’odle lists.
Make note of how you feel and what you’re thinking when you read about their to’odling. May it encourage you to to’odle yourself. Because we all need time that’s free floating, when the incessant tick of the omnipresent clock is but a beautifully muted beat to your own drum.
The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.
To’odle – or ‘what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax‘
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –
Ohhh, I watch tv on hulu.com, read fabulously trashy magazines in waiting rooms, listen to new music and add things that make me feel giddy to my amazon.com wishlist for giggles and what I call constructive procrastination.
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama –
Anything by Alan Watts and most TED Talks. And Rumi poetry.
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –
I surf facebook and twitter too much, even though it is sometimes a time suck I think it ultimately juices me up and helps me get my to-do list done.
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference –
Walk the dog. Take a bath.
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –
Think about food.
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –
Snuggle my dog or go for coffee with dear friends and talk about little nothings.
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –
Get lost in the creative mind of a fiction writer — read more, like I used to, just for fun with indirect learning…
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –
I DANCE! Put on some 40s tunes, or salsa and dance myself silly. It’s a real mood lifter, and great for the figger! LOL If not dancing, I may read, go for a walk or invite some women friend over to hunker down and do those women tribal things like give each other mani pedis, laugh, swap stories, ideas and mutual support. Wine, chocolate, popcorn are definitely options. Sometimes I make postcards using funny headlines and colored papers.
Note from Lee-Anne: Sam didn’t actually submit any to’odle items however her to-done list sounds like it fits the bill, which is pretty darn inspirational.
From Michelle Royle, one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist –
Check my email, read websites, ISM/BBM, eat, watch tv, sleep, nap, clean, cook, exercise, socialize, read, makes lists, sign up for courses, phone my mother.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway –
I sing, write poetry, dance tango, visit girlfriends, go for walks in nature.
And you? What’s on your to to’odle list?
Happy to’odling.
Read the already covered segments from these same folks:
- things I want to start doing, being or having this month
- these work, so I should continue doing these
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
- I know I want to stay away from these
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template.
Tags: chris guillebeau, danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerri carlson, melanda schmid, melodie biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, pitch perfect, sam crespi, TED, wellness crave, white hot truth
What’s on your to done list? Yep, your to done list.
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Have lots of time on your hands? More than enough resources to do what you want to do? Do you regularly feel in charge, competent, controlled? Is relaxed your middle name?
Yes? Then please send me the name of the deserted island you’re living on.
No? Then welcome to the rest of the world.
Fifth in a series, this post celebrates what some pretty spiffy folk have on their to done lists. Things they’ve accomplished, checked off their to do lists. We’re so busy focusing on what we’ve yet to do, that burgeoning, never completed list, that we rarely take time to pause. Pause. Pause and realize, really realize, how much we’ve accomplished.
Make note of how you feel when you read about their accomplishments. Impressed? Proud? Intrigued?
That’s how I want you to feel when you take a look at your own to done list. Take a read then go make your own to done list. Afterwards listen carefully. You’ll hear me shaking my pom poms for you!
The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.
To Done – or ‘yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these.‘
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –
I am truly proud of launching Pitch Perfect my first digital workshop. Speaking in five cities to over 1200 people makes me feel like a strutting peacock, too :)
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama –
Scored a major book deal with Random House to launch an all-new version of The Fire Starter Sessions. Put out regular love and sharp thinking on WhiteHotTruth.com
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –
I launched 7 CRAVE books in 7 cities (one of them in Amsterdam), delivered my first keynote talk on my upcoming book, participated in the winning team at startup weekend, rode bikes through the city streets of Amsterdam with my husband.
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference –
Formulating a perfect schedule for my self that works for me.
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –
Refuse to be judged.
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –
Reestablished myself in a new career path, built a network in a new country and field of work, and I love it!!!
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –
Taking actions that back up my desire to be a great life partner and engaged family guy — so got engaged and now having fun making plans for future. And qualified for Boston marathon so signed up and running it on April 18.
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –
I DANCE! Put on some 40s tunes, or salsa and dance myself silly. It’s a real mood lifter, and great for the figger! LOL If not dancing, I may read, go for a walk or invite some women friend over to hunker down and do those women tribal things like give each other mani pedis, laugh, swap stories, ideas and mutual support. Wine, chocolate, popcorn are definitely options. Sometimes I make postcards using funny headlines and colored papers.
From Michelle Royle, one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist –
I’m humbled by the opportunities I have had with the work I have done, I realized this past year, that I have always had opportunities to serve and I have done that well. I am so grateful and surprised always, at the windows and doors in organizations, communities and countries that have opened up and been so welcoming to my contribution.
I’m proud of my inquisitive, willing to learn, tireless want to always do better, parenting I stand for – for my kids and my self
I am proud of the quality of my relationship with my former husband. I’m proud of my shaking-all-the-way, willingness to follow my ‘gut’.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway –
I am proud that I traveled alone in 2010 for 6 months to South America and Costa Rica. I remodeled my kitchen and started a new business venture in 2010. I became a better friend with myself.
And you? What’s on your to done list?
Watch for upcoming and already covered segments from these same folks:
- things I want to start doing, being or having this month
- these work, so I should continue doing these
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
- I know I want to stay away from these
To done
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template.
Stay tuned for the final compilation – the to’odle lists.
Tags: danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerri carlson, melanda schmid, melodie biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, pitch perfect, sam crespi, wellness crave, white hot truth
Scratch to do lists. What’s on your not to do list?
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Photo Credit: Clint__Budd Flickr via Compfight cc
Chances are if I ask what’s on your to-do list you’ll be able to pull 1 (or 10) out of your Blackberry, IPhone, daytimer and/or nightstand. Or out of your brain matter if you’re not the scribing type. Chances are your list is long. Chances are it weighs you down.
What about lightening the load? What about creating a list of things not to do?
Fourth in a series, this post collates what the following folk have on their not to do lists. They’re keeping their plates clear of clutter by not filling them up with stuff that doesn’t keep them interested, intrigued and on track.
The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.
Take a look. See what speaks to you and what doesn’t. How does it affect your own not to do list?
Just as with the stop doing lists, who knows what will happen when the resulting space is created!
To Not Do – or ‘I know I want to stay away from these‘
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –
Hmmm, not much comes to mind here. I think this is sort of aligned with a post I did on regret I can’t think of any really big stops because I’ve learned a lot by running red lights this year:)
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama –
Giving yes’es to unqualified requests for meetings. Let me explain… WHY do you want to meet? WHY should we have tea? Exactly WHY are you interested? A lot of meetings could happen in fifteen minutes on the phone, or be avoided entirely if more clarity happened at the invitational stage.
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –
I don’t want to overbook myself and feel overwhelmed.
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference –
Worry.
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –
Spend every evening at the computer.
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –
Eating too much and exercising too little.
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –
That energy sapping, mind numbing television.
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –
I want to stay away from naysayers with their incessant messages of conflict and doom. I’m not a cock-eyed optimist. Life is richer for the shadows along the path. It’s all in how we see.
From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist –
To not eat Potato Chips; to not listen to married mens’ sagas about how crummy their marriages are. To not not do the things I sign up to do; to stop hanging out with people who focus their energy on negativity; to stop doing things, relationships, people and work when it no longer feel like its a mutual positive gain.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway –
Criticism and complaining.
And you? What’s on your not to do list?
Watch for upcoming and already covered segments from these same folks:
- things I want to start doing, being or having this month
- these work, so I should continue doing these
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
To not do
- I know I want to stay away from these
To done
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template
Stay tuned for the next compilation – the to done lists.
Tags: crave, danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerri carlson, melanda schmid, melodie biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, pitch perfect, sam crespi, white hot truth
Stop in the name of sanity; see what’s on Danielle LaPorte’s & other’s ‘no way Jose’ list
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Stop in the name of … love? Peace? Sanity? Self-preservation?
Yes. Stop.
Third in a series, this post collects some wonderful musings of what some equally wonderful folk want to stop doing. Far from filling up their plates with more to-do’s, these are things they want to take off their plates.
The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.
Click here for a look at the to-do lists of the folks below and here for their to-continue lists.
I hope you find inspiration for holding up and waving your own stop sign. Who knows what will happen when the resulting space is created!
To Stop Doing – or ‘I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore’
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –
I commit to stop questioning myself around adventures. For example, several workshops, classes and trips I took last year were really wonderful. The lead in to making those decisions was like a game of mental ping pong (played by Olympians who never miss): yes, no, yes, no, oohhh! good shot, yes, no. It was exhausting.
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama –
I have a “No Way Jose” list. I: don’t do red eye flights, don’t speak for free unless it’s for fundraising for charity, don’t do client work on weekends.
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –
I wrote a book this last year about the 20 businesses I have started over a 30 year span and discovered some common lessons learned that I have been repeating. What I would like to do this year is pay attention to my top lessons learned and stop making the same mistakes.
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference –
Worrying. Packing too many things into my work time (Because I get frustrated when I don’t accomplish all that I wanted to do).
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –
Thinking & not Acting. Judging. Presuming. Assuming.
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –
Arguing with my mother!
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –
Making business decisions to please others rather than to remain true to my own pursuits and interests.
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –
Being lazy about exercising. Judging myself instead of taking more leaps of faith. I happen to love The Fool in the Tarot deck and adore Charlie Chaplin. Both follow their instincts and are willing to ‘jump off the cliff.’ If things go wrong, they pick themselves up and start all over. Their behavior implies the willingness to be vulnerable and the ability to laugh at one’s mistakes.
From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist –
Staying up late. Beating my self up for ‘failing’.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway –
Worrying about money.
And you? What’s on your to-stop doing list?
Watch for upcoming segments from these same folks and/or already covered posts:
- things I want to start doing, being or having this month
- these work, so I should continue doing these
To stop doing
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
To not do
- I know I want to stay away from these
To done
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template
Stay tuned for the next compilation – the not to-do lists.
Tags: crave, danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerri carlson, melanda schmid, melodie biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, pitch perfect, sam crespi, white hot truth
The ‘to-continue’ lists of some very interesting folk
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Wondering what this year will bring to your door? Wondering which paths to embark on and which to pass?
Based on a series of posts I did last year on my to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists, this year I thought I’d ask which particular paths a bunch of my best pals are bent on (or not) following.
(See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.)
This is the second in a series of posts – today’s is on to-continue doing. (Click here for a look at the first, the to-do lists of the folks below.) Yep – you don’t always have to start from scratch. You can continue with things that are working for you (and pat yourself on the back for already doing some things that work well for you).
I hope you find inspiration for creating your own continuing path for the year.
To Continue Doing – or things that work & I want to continue doing
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –
I would LOVE to continue taking classes related to physical movement and/or performance. It seems that every time I get out there (took an improv class last year) or “in here” (my body), good things just happen.
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama –
Batching my time (aka work hard/play hard scheduling.) Basing my business plans on how I want to actually feel. Drawing with my kid (which is when some of the best insights surface).
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –
My house improvements so I enjoy my home environment for the first time in 17 years. I want to continue to go for 3 walks a week around my neighborhood with my husband, friends and new acquaintances. This gives me so much fuel!
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference –
Exercising daily. Spending focused time with my kids.
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –
Making ‘own’ time for my family.
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –
My ongoing quest to stretch more deeply into being my own authentic self while at the same time to stretch more widely in my capacity to connect with others.
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –
Active lifestyle combined with a far from perfect but quite decent eating habits. Lots of exercise with lots of veges like good ol’ broccoli; fresh fruit and salads balances off the glass of red wine or dark chocolate, or even both.
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –
Practice abundance by giving thanks for each piece of ‘gold’ that appears in my daily life – laughter, a hug, the palette of greens surrounding my house; the river that runs along the edge of the meadow, an email from my daughter, the alchemy of cooking and sharing a meal with friends.
Being alive! Meditating. Some days, I sit in silence or chant mantras that hold the energy of countless prayers of others who’ve gone before me. With meditation I’m more alert, more serene, and freer to tap into my creativity.
From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist –
Exercising. Staying Curious. Choosing how I spend my time and with whom, with intention. Keep drinking wine. Saying Yes – even if it looks impossible – but it speaks to my heart.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway –
Visualizing, scripting, being appreciative of myself and others, applying the principles of law of attraction.
Continued self-care in order to serve. That’s what I hear.
And you? What’s on your to-continue doing list?
Watch for upcoming segments from these same folks and/or already covered posts:
- things I want to start doing, being or having this month
To continue doing
- these work, so I should continue doing these
To stop doing
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
To not do
- I know I want to stay away from these
To done
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template
Stay tuned for the next compilation – the to-stop doing lists.
Tags: crave, danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerri carlson, melanda schmid, melodi biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, pitch perfect, sam crespi, white hot truth
Peek at the to-do lists of some right interesting folk
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Last year round about now I did a series of posts on my to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. (See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.)
This year I thought I’d ask some right interesting folk what’s on their lists and share their responses with you. I’ll do one post on each of the segments – today’s is on to-do’s. You’ll see a theme that emerges pretty darn quick…
While you’re reading, think about what inspires and speaks to you. How does it influence your to-do list?
To Do – or things I want to start doing, being or having this month
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect – Having more time in silence; doing less and more intensely YES activities (both biz/personal); being more open to invitations and unexpected opportunities.
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama – I want to write 3 amazing books in 2 years. Uhuh. And do more yoga. And go to Greece. And up my philanthropic offerings. And wear more Donna Karan.
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development – I just spent the last few weeks getting my to-do list to zero. now i know it will populate again.
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference – Read one book a week, drink more water, sit doing nothing & make sleep a priority.
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night – Read & write every day, read at least one book a week & wake up early to write for half an hour on my food blog, my writing blog & not-yet-online-work & life blog
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings – Having a stable job, a home base, and a committed partnership!
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) – Slow down time; moving towards a meditative, reflective period in each day although may have to consider moving meditation as a transition….back to Tai Chi or perhaps yoga that could also introduce me to more flexibility (physical and mental?).
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer – I want to study further and practice non-violent or compassionate communication, something that also involves deep listening. As change continues to speed up and be more uncertain, this kind of training will serve all of us well and make our relationships more meaningful. Write more and play more. Give and ask for more hugs. I keep sensing that there are a lot of people out there who are starved for this simple and easy life affirming act. Bring ‘em on! We’ll all be better with more hugs.
From Michelle Royle, one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist – Say Yes to more Fun – Play – Creative adventures. Having work that allows me to serve the world and in doing so it will feed me. More financial assets. Work I love in a place with people who welcome my contribution, are fun, respectful and kind. Falling in Love.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway – I want to exercise more and take care of myself. Dance more tango. Have lots of joy.
Self-care in order to serve. That’s what I hear.
And you? What’s on your list?
Watch for segments from these same folks I’ll cover in upcoming posts:
To continue doing
- these work, so I should continue doing these
To stop doing
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
To not do
- I know I want to stay away from these
To done
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template
Stay tuned for the next compilation – the to-continue doing lists.
Tags: danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerry carlson, lists, melanda schmid, melodie biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, sam crespi, to do
Learning about learning with tuiles
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Training & development
I recently wrote about an example of what not to do if you want your learners to feel included and your content to be accessible.
It had to do with differentiated learning and not being told upfront what that meant. Harumph! (e.g. I’m tired, it’s the end of a long day and you, the presenter, have just lost my attention by not explaining a term).
Funnily enough, a few days later, this time with my other kid, I was presented with a great example of access and inclusion.
Let my explain. My youngest is interested in cooking. Let’s just say this, he has his own frying pan and spatula (not to mention other cooking items that are overtaking our kitchen). As part of his Christmas gift I’d arranged to take him on a behind the scenes tour of a culinary arts program. His eyes were almost as big as the many frying pans we passed as we went from kitchen to kitchen, touring the school.
At one point we saw students cutting out decorations and carefully setting them aside for baking. We stopped and talked to the instructor and received a great mini-education on tuiles.
Tuiles are just that, whisper thin bits of cookie dough, rolled and cut into fanciful shapes, baked and then used to decorate desserts. See the picture above. (Is your mouth watering yet?)
Voila! Great mini lesson. Great example of satisfying our curiousity (learner curiousity being a trainer’s best friend). And great example of being inclusive (here, let me explain this to you) and accessible (watch, ask questions, I’m here for you).
Tags: access, access and inclusion, inclusion, learning & development, tuile
I’ve returned to high school, a harumphing bad example of access/inclusion
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Diversity & culture, Training & development
I’m back in school. High school that is.
A few evenings ago I found myself perched on a somewhat tottering chair, holding handouts in one hand and a cookie in the other. I was peering over my reading glasses at the figure in the distance, the principal, as he spoke into the darkened room to a gymnasium full of parents and caregivers.
It was the end of a long day and I was harumphed. aka tired and bit grumpy.
So when he introduced some of his staff, I harumphed to myself – turn on the lights so I can see them.
So when he talked about differentiated learning, a term on his powerpoint slide, I harumphed – what the heck are you talking about? (replacing ‘heck’ with a far less polite term)
It took me some time to catch up and realize that differentiated learning were classes aimed at everything from honours students to students who need additional support.
I shouldn’t have had to catch up.
It was a case of having made my brain work too hard on stuff that wasn’t ultimately important. The concept is important, the actual term is not. Instead of spinning my wheels on figuring out what differentiated learning was, I should have been focusing on how I can continue to support my kid as he continues his journey through high school.
Differentiated learning needed to be explained up front. Pronto.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great school. I’m a big supporter.
I’m also a parent with a Masters Degree, who feels very comfortable in academic settings. Being the trainer I am, harumphing as I was, I couldn’t help but wonder what other parents might be feeling. Parents who, for a variety of reasons, don’t feel comfortable in an academic setting. Parents whose first language may not be English. Parents who may not be fully literate.
Not a good example of being accessible and inclusive. Not a good example of soothing parent’s brains (e.g. explaining terms) so energy can be focused on things that matter.
As trainers we’re experts in our subject area. Remembering what it’s like to start out, to begin to learn about our field can be hard. An example of how easily we can turn off learners and have them off harumphing is to simply not define terms.
Funnily enough a great example of trainers using terms happened a few days later with my other kid, but that’s another blog post.
Tags: access, differentiated learning, inclusion
What do I do? Here’s my ‘perfect pitch’ a la Dyana Valentine
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Communication, Creativity & innovation
Dyana is the creator of these creative nametags.
Ever been stuck (in an elevator or not) when been asked So what do you do anyway? Unless you produce widgets (e.g. something infinitely easy to describe) you’d best spend some time crafting an intriguing answer.
We all ‘pitch’ ourselves – whether we’re an ensconced employee or freelancer, stay at home mama or student. The pitch is an invitation. It’s a declaration. Here’s who I am. Want to know more? Are we a fit? Should we step up and dance together?
My good friend and colleague Dyana Valentine has a wonderful service she’s designed called Pitch Perfect. You choose from several options all aimed at getting to the root of who you are, what you do and for whom. Dyana says the litmus test for a good pitch is that it’s:
- True
- Fun to say and
- Easy to repeat
I did the online version and here it is, my pitch.
I get excited about working with my favourite clients, who are all about change and are struggling to be more creative, because I get to use my talents of getting people to open up in order to connect andáá expand themselves, their organizations and their opportunities.
If I had a magic wand I’d turn the tendency of people and organizations to be static into static electricity, in order to create more creativity and understanding of other’s perspectives. I’d banish lectures and make cookie dough a food group.
The pitch isn’t perfect of course. It’s evolving and changing, just like moi.
The process was easy to do and fun. It was flexible – I could do it all in one swoop or in stages. Most importantly I came out with some good stuff.
I particularly like I turn static into static electricity.
On my website bio I’ve added what I believe, what I think and what I’m passionate about. Check it out. Be sure and run your mouse over my face for a surprise.
And you? What’s your pitch?
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P.S. I make it a habit to use Creative Commons licensed photos in my posts and link to the owner. This photo isn’t licensed that way however I received permission from Dyana to use it.
Tags: dyana valentine, pitch perfect