Feeling distracted?

Workers distracted by phone calls, emails, and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, according to a study involving over 80 clinical trials.

Is your time and attention controlled by technology or do you use technology to help you better manage your time and attention?

Study presented in http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/22/text.iq/

photo source: digitphotos.com

Efficiency

Positive questioning leads to change initiatives

Click here to see an article about the Navy/Marines' use of "Appreciative Inquiry" to plan for the future.

Then let us know what you think:

1. are these the types of discussions you thought our military held (and note the discussion included all levels from seaman to Admiral)?
2. can you imagine your company using appreciative inquiry to plan for the future?

Appreciative inquiry: "the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question” often-involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people." From: appreciativeinquiry.case.edu

Inspiring with constant communication and larger goal

Click on arrow to start video. Time: 0:03:31

What is confidence?

Has anyone ever told you to be more confident? Has anyone said you are overly confident? What did they mean? How do you define confidence?

Confidence is:

• Promoting oneself without putting others down
  
• Saying "no" without falling over oneself to explain and apologize yet still demonstrating empathy
  
• Maintaining composure when others criticize
  
• Taking credit or blame when due.

Do you agree with this description? If not, how do you define confidence? What might you add or change in this description?

Would you say you are confident?

The Marva Collins Way

How can we cultivate the seed of greatness in our children, our spouses, ourselves; in our direct reports, our colleagues, and those to whom we report?

Teams and families that ask questions together stay together!

Comparing high-performing to low-performing teams -- and families -- the higher performing teams used:

far more positive than negative interpersonal exchanges
(6 positive for every 1 negative)
&
more open-questions than closed position statements
(2 open questions for every 1 closed position statement).

Based on research by Marcial Losada and Barbara Fredrickson quoted in Eleanor Chin's blog in the Fall '09 UPenn course Positive Psychology

Conflict screensaver 1 of 4

Download and use as a screensaver to remind yourself how to resolve conflict productively.

Conflict screensaver 2 of 4

Download and use as a screensaver to remind yourself how to resolve conflict productively.

Conflict screensaver 3 of 4

Download and use as a screensaver to remind yourself how to resolve conflict productively.

Conflict screensaver 4 of 4

Download and use as a screensaver to remind yourself how to resolve conflict productively.



Download and use as a screensaver to remind yourself how to resolve conflict productively.

Home management for the environment (and the wallet)

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

Who are you coaching?

Are you the manager of a new learner . . .

source: calmasucoco@iname.com

Or an expert . . . Source: Nathan Rogers, Freedigitalphotos.net

We must adjust our management style to meet our direct reports where they are right now, and adjust our parenting style to meet our children where they are right now.

It can be difficult to switch gears, but it is imperative if we are to maintain a quality relationship. The first step: recognize where the direct report (or child) is in the continuum from new learner to expert. Don't know? Ask where they perceive they stand now.

Do you encourage your direct reports to speak up?

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want them to tell me the truth . . . even if it costs them their jobs."

-- Samuel Goldwyn Jr.

Managing and Leading at Work and at Home

For my students, past and present, and for all others who wish to learn with us:

I'll post quotes, relevant anecdotes, links, and my own recent learnings here about once a week.