I know I've been a bit quiet on the blog lately, but I've been doing some thinking (and dealing with the throes of my kids' first week of school). Why the thinking? Well, I lost a good friend and coworker of mine recently and that tends to make one pause and ponder.
If you're interested, I have posted some thoughts about this at Joyful Jubilant Learning where this month's focus is on "Making a difference."
I've got a new post partially written, and you'll see my curious thoughts flowing again very soon!
Read MoreManagement is all about connecting with the people on your team. So how do you effectively manage a team? With common knowledge of people, of course. These are a few back-to-basics rules that will help you develop essential management skills. This list is an excellent resource for any leader.
A couple that resonate particularly well for me:
36. Improve your skills. Learning is a lifelong process. You're never too old to take a class or ask a co-worker to help you improve your knowledge.
45. Focus your energy on things that matter. Don't let trivial tasks take time away from things that are really important.
Go check out the rest of the list! read more
Read MoreIf you're like me, the number of "social networking" invitations you receive seems endless (I'm a long-time LinkedIn user, but have been invited to join Facebook, Quechup, Xing, and a ton of others). While it's nice to be asked, I haven't been joining all of these other networks because I don't feel that I have the cycles to be a good citizen in too many of these communities.
I've just been introduced to a cool new service called SameCell that adds a new twist to social networking -- and it requires very little process overhead from me. SameCell is designed to let you know when you are near one of the "buddies" in your list to make it easy for you to connect with each other for coffee or whatever. The service is currently Blackberry-centric, with plans to move to many other smartphone platforms in the near future.
As the name implies, SameCell monitors which "cell" of wireless coverage you're currently in, and checks to see if one of the people in your list is in the same cell or an adjacent cell. For each contact in your list, you can set a proximity range (in miles) so that you will be alerted any time that person comes within the specified range.
The software is free and easy to install (if you want to install, just point your browser at http://www.samecell.com/setup from your Blackberry). Once the software is installed, you activate your free account, then you can easily add or invite others to your buddy list - SameCell integrated directly with your device address book.
There is a bunch more information on the SameCell site, including videos explaining more about how it works, answers to questions about privacy, etc. There is also a link on the home page to get on the list to be notified when versions for other phones are available.
Who knows - maybe I'll see you on SameCell the next time we're in the same airport!
Related items:
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I recently had the pleasure of reading Gretchen Rubin's book, "Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life." This book offers a fascinating, intriguing way to present biographical information about Churchill.
Each of Gretchen's forty chapters takes a different aspect of Churchill's life and legacy, and presents it from a distinct perspective. In some chapters, the information is presented as a skeptical or critical observer might present it. In others, the information is presented through the lense of an admiring fan. And, in others, in an objective, "Just the facts, ma'am" kind of way.
The result is wonderful.
I didn't know a great deal about Churchill before I read this book though I felt a sense of respect for him from all of the historical accounts I've read about World War II. After reading this book,
- I now know a great deal about his formative years (childhood and early adulthood) which I found to be both sad and inspiring.
- I learned that he could quickly transition from boorish to inspiring -- and sometimes both impressions could be achieved by the same speech, depending on the listener's bias.
- I discovered that Churchill himself was a prolific author and Pulitzer prize winner.
- I learned that he was adept at creating feelings and changing perceptions (even recasting past events to reshape them into idealistic accounts).
- And I learned about many scandals, spectacular failures & embarrassments, and the world-changing triumphs in this great man's life.
And these simple bullet points don't do any of these things justice. But the book does. I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a creative, enjoyable reading journey about the fascinating historical figure of Winston Churchill.
Read MoreMany of us work in places that use quarterly objectives (aka MBO's, or Management By Objectives). These are typically a list of 3-5 "targets" to be achieved within a given quarter. They are a great tool for guiding focus and prioritization, and provide a means to review how well you did at the end of the quarter.
Why not move to an MBO-like model for your personal development? It's easy - at the beginning of a quarter, get into the habit of stepping back and contemplating what you want to get done during the next quarter.
Here are some tips and tricks to increase the effectiveness of this approach:
- Keep the list short - 3 to 5 objectives are about right.
- Write down your personal MBO's using the "SMART" formula:
- Specific - make sure you are very clear and explicit about what you want to achieve (practice your outcome-centric visualization.
- Measurable - make sure there is a way (preferrably objective, and not subjective) to measure your progress and success.
- Achievable - Are the objectives ones that you can actually attain?
- Realistic - Dreaming is great, but do you have the ability and resources to succeed?
- Time-bound -have you set a target date by when you will achieve the outcome?
- Review your objectives regularly (some people like to hang the list near their desk. I've also heard of people who keep a copy of their list on the mirror in their bathroom so they see it every morning when they get ready.
- At the end of the quarter, review and rate your outcomes. Also reflect on what you've learned along the way.
I'd love to hear whether you've every utilized a similar approach, and would like to hear any additional ideas you have to share.
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