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Winter 2010 Newsletter (Newsletter Archives)

Update From Eileen

2010. Say it out loud. Does it sound as strange to you as it does to me? It sits on the tip of my tongue and then explodes like some science fiction novel. 2010. A date in the distant future. A date that the US Department of Labor said would see a huge exit of baby boomers from the labor force, thus creating a war for talent. Alas-the economic debacle of the last two years has dashed the dreams of many.

Shakespeare wrote “what is past is prologue.” Does this mean, then, we are destined for even MORE of the darkness that haunted 2009? I think not. In fact, “What’s past is prologue,” translates roughly as “What’s already happened merely sets the scene for the really important stuff, which is the stuff our greatness will be made on.“**

Imagine! Haven’t we begun to have conversations about what really matters? Aren’t we looking for efficiencies that can get rid of the meaningless to focus on the meaningful? Didn’t many of us rethink our Holiday gifting so that it was not about getting “stuff” as much as it was about being with people we love? How many of us are now paying attention to our use of energy and water?

I think 2009 was our wake-up call. We have been shaken to our core in many ways. We are disgusted with greed, excess, and get-rich schemes. Many of us have decided that politicians are the wrong breed to bring about effective, needed change. Instead, we’re working together in our companies and communities to make those hard but essential choices for creating a world that works for all. Verizon employees conserved 1.7 million gallons of fuel this past year as part of a company-wide engine idling reduction program. Procter & Gamble (one of my favorite clients) cuts its waste water by giving soapy water to car wash companies. And UPS uses common sense and technology to save time and fuel on delivery routes.

The movie 2012 claims that disaster, based upon an actual Mayan calendar, is imminent. However, my Himalayan trekking buddy and anthropologist Jeff Salz relates that the Mayans had numerous calendars. The doomsayers created a film based on just one. Which calendar do you want to go by? Could 2010 not be science fiction but rather a watershed year in which we really start to make dramatic, positive changes? It’s what I want to work on! Happy New Year!! Let’s bring it on!

**Macrone, Michael. “What’s past is prologue.” Brush Up Your Shakespeare. Cader Company, 1990. eNotes.com. 2007. 17 Dec, 2009

A recent Leadership IQ study revealed that 60 percent of workers report that they get far too little positive feedback from their bosses. But wait-it’s not just that they want only good news. An astonishing 51 percent said that got too little constructive criticism from their managers. When all is said and done, 66 percent of employees report that they have too little interaction with their bosses.

We can make an excuse that the recession worsened the problem of meaningful engagement between supervisor and worker. However, the truth is, it was easier to throw bonuses and extras at employees rather than have the hard core conversation about how to help employees be really great.

For feedback to really work, comments like “good job” or “lousy work” must be thrown away. Instead, become very specific about exactly what makes something good or why something is poor. Make it behaviorally specific. Forget the wrong adage about sandwiching negative feedback between positive feedback. That only confuses the heck out of the employee and muddies the message.

If you need specific help, why not get a copy of my book Talk Ain’t Cheap. It’s Priceless. You will find plenty of communication actions you can take to up the level of performance and improve relationships on the job.

OUCH! Your Silence Hurts

This compelling nine-minute video offers yet another reason why talk is not cheap but priceless. Speaking up when demeaning, disrespectful comments are made is the best way to confront stereotypes. How many times have you heard some comment made, KNEW you should say something and didn’t open your mouth? Silence is not golden. Go check out this video.

Discover how to move from uncomfortable bystander to ally. Bring it into your work setting, your family, your social group. I guarantee that in 9 minutes, everyone will understand the power of using your voice!

Time to get serious about not being serious. Seriously, gang-we are being screened to death. Maybe in 20 years, the classic “scream” mask from Halloween and Edvard Munch might turn into the digital screen. In the meantime you must look at and rate a soon-to-be-classic by my Seuss-master buddy, Eric Chester. Go to the link and watch THE SCREEN. I am turning off this screen now. I’ll be back to write more-after I hug my husband and kids!

From People We Miss:

“Have you ever noticed that anybody going slower than you is an idiot and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?”
George Carlin
1937-2008

“If it weren’t for electricity we’d all be watching television by candle light.”
George Gobel
1919-1991

“Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same.”
Oscar Wilde
1854-1900 (Ok, so I didn’t know him but I wish I had. He’d be fascinating!)

Alive and Well in Vegas:

“I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They’ve experienced pain and bought jewelry.”
Rita Rudner

So says Dr. Marilee Adams, President and Founder of the Inquiry Institute. She’s a fellow Berrett Koehler author of Change Your Questions. Change Your Life. (It’s on my bookshelf. I hope it is on yours!) Marilee posed some fascinating New Year questions that may be the gift of a lifetime, here are hers. What others can you add to the list:

• How will I keep my heart and mind open for wonderful surprises in the New Year?
• How can I create within myself a sense of safety and equilibrium in a world that has so much uncertainty and change?
• What compassion can I bring to myself and others in this moment, and this momen
  t, and this moment?
• What is my vision of the best possibilities for 2010 and how will I accomplish that at work and at home?
• What Learner attitudes and practices can bring healing and transformation to me, others, and our planet?

To learn more about Marilee and her work, go to inquiryinstitute.com.

Entering 2010, I have found myself wanting more than “just business” books. Here’s what I’ve read so far:

Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert

If you have time for just one book on science, nature, and the environment-this should be it. So many shrill voices out there that I found myself wanting objectivity. She cuts through the competing rhetoric and political agendas to focus on what really is going on. As Newsweek said, “Sober, detailed, and alarming without being alarmist.”

Under the Carmel Valley Sun: An Adventure in Remodeling, Relationships and Red Wine by Pam and Fred Gilberd

Think of Italian remodeler Frances Mayes and you have the idea of the essence of this book. Only I liked this better! Pam and I met years ago when one of her BUSINESS books came out. Should you dream of buying a fixer-upper close to the wine country, pour the Merlot and read. I just chuckled at the two points of view as Fred and Pam attack a derelict of a house with verve, mostly good humor, and apparently – endless amounts of patience.

Familiar with Special Olympics? Use this book then to make a difference. Colin Gets a Chance, is an inspiring story about a father’s love for his Down Syndrome son. All of the illustrations were drawn by young artists with Down Syndrome… which shows what they can do if they have a chance. A portion of the proceeds go to Special Olympics in Pennsylvania where my 40 plus year-old special-needs cousin lives with his huge-hearted sister and her husband. Check it out at http://www.colingetsachance.com

Novartis Women in Leadership
CA Special Districts
Manco Abbott
Disaster Recovery Journal
Network of Executive Women

Overview and Contact Information

Is life leading you instead of you leading a life?
Is work working you instead of you doing the work?

You’re not alone! It’s the challenge of our times.

From business leaders to rank-and-file workers, the competitive 24/7 world of heart-stopping change has left many feeling in need of new tools to answer these questions:

- How do I engage more of my talent and that of the folks around me in meaningful work?

- Why is it that resiliency is a word I think of only with rubber bands?

- Why does it seem that we compete more with each other than the competition?

It’s tough when the rate and pace of work leaves you feeling disconnected, unheard, and certainly not aligned to produce results that matter in the long run.

Then there’s the issue of joy. Flat out joy. You don’t want “work” to become exclusive of play. Leave your spirit and heart at the door, and it’s hard to be creative and productive. You want to be connected with people who respect you and visa versa. You want to do good work— no, make that GREAT work– in the bargain. You want to spend your time in a place that lets your spirit soar and your talent shine.  My joy is in helping individuals and organizations rediscover the joy of living and the joy of satisfying work.

If you want results that go well beyond the bottom line—contact us. Since 1980, we’ve been engaging the human spirits of individuals and organizations. Now—it’s your turn.

Call 949-496-8640 or send email eileen@eileenmcdargh.com