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Spring 2007 Newsletter (Newsletter Archives)     Download Adobe Acrobat Version

Update From Eileen

The early shift in daylight savings time just threw me for a loop. For one thing, we’re early risers. I don’t mind going to the gym in the dark, but coming home in the dark is another matter. It’s hard to start a day when the rest of the world still seems asleep. So I find that I have to create my own light, my own energy, and reach out to colleagues and clients in other time zones who can assure me that indeed, it is a NEW day.

As I reflect on what I just wrote, it seems to me that so much of world sits shrouded in the darkness of despair, hatred, poverty, political pandering, social unrest, and intolerance. How does one move forward under these circumstances?

The answer: creating our own light. The answer: reaching out to colleagues who can find a ray of hope and optimism while proclaiming a new day. This is what I discover when I find that a former client has started a non-profit called WAVE whose mission is to provide humanitarian assistance for women and children whose lives are diminished by violence. Their charter project is “Sanctuary From Violence”— a network of safe houses in volatile and vulnerable communities in rural Cambodia.

This is what I discover in A Place Called Home, an after-school shelter for inner city children who can’t go “home” until a parent arrives. Such is what I discover at Timberland, not only the maker of outdoor clothing and shoes, but also an amazingly active and committed endorser and funder of corporate social responsibility programs. See: http://www.timberland.com/timberlandserve

It’s the first day of spring. Tiny buds are appearing on trees that look naked from the blast of winter. Little sprouts are poking lime green heads through the untilled soil. And I am turning my face toward the light—the light that is coming from good humans who are determined to shine in their corner of the Universe. Maybe if we join forces, it will be shining brilliantly when I leave the gym.

Gratefully,

“The thing is, we still live in a world that's filled with opportunity. In fact, we have more than an opportunity—we have an obligation. An obligation to spend our time doing great things. To find ideas that matter and to share them. To push ourselves and the people around us to demonstrate gratitude, insight, and inspiration. To take risks and to make the world better by being amazing.” —Seth Godin

Energize Virtual Teams by Sensitive Communication

Virtual teams are becoming more and more common. But alas, handling them well is still an uncommon practice. Here are some thoughts for facilitating teams scattered from Dubai to Dublin and points in-between:

1. Establish a clear mission for the team with roles and ground rules spelled out.

2. Honor the global time zones and schedules. Create a matrix for everyone that indicates what are the “not available” for team members. This can include everything from time zones to national and religious holidays. A master calendar can prevent scheduling screw-ups.

3. Share what’s “behind the curtain”— a technique in my soon-to-be-released book, Talk Aint’ Cheap- It’s Priceless. Help people know each other by allowing them to post pictures to the team, hobbies, personal interests, and areas of expertise. For example., its easier to talk to Gunter in Germany when I can see his picture and know he loves dachshunds and is a whiz at web work.

4. Establish a communication protocol. For example, in audio and video teleconferencing, agree on standards of behavior: no multitasking, no side chatter, acute listening, ask clarifying questions, etc.

5. Celebrate team accomplishments and positive team behavior. You don’t have to wait for the leader to acknowledge cooperation, thoughtful questions, an inclusive sense of humor, and good problem solving skills.

At the end of the day, virtual teams work best when close attention is given to the relationship side of the business. Don’t let conflict go unchecked and make sure input is received from all members of the team.

Must Read Books

	The Hamster Revolution How to Manage Your Email Before It Manages You. Mike Song, Vicki Halsey and Tim Burress, Berrett-Koehler 2007. Ok gang—we all know the enormous glut of e-mail that threatens to overtake our lives, our stress-prone fingers (sent from my Blackberry), and our very universe. FINALLY, here is an easy to read book that actually makes PRACTICAL sense. You CAN do it. Reclaim your life when you buy this book! (and you’ll find it on my web site, too)
	The Week Magazine http://www.theweekmagazine.com/ Speaking of too little time, I must pass this one along. I was handed this magazine by a seatmate on one of my last airline trips. And I was hooked. It’s a fraction of the size of other weekly news magazines, very little advertising, and filled with information that gives views from around the world about issues related to the U.S., global business, art, leisure, finances, you name it. I like knowing viewpoints from people around the world—even if I am not happy with what they say. Ignorance is—ignorant.

Welcome to the McDargh Clan!

• West Tennessee HealthCare
• Microsoft Western Sales Region
• Cisco Manufacturing
• Prospect Medical
• PCMA
• Halifax Nurses Association

For those who asked about more frequent ENERGIZERS —

The challenge with writing is this: it is a singular task. I can’t give it away. So, I have a compromise for those who asked for more of THE ENERGIZER newsletter. My goal would be to write in it three times a week. The “reality” is that I am LUCKY if I can write even once a week! But you can get it directly in your e-mail via RSS feed visit my web. Everything is archived. And look for ideas and information viamy Plain Talk Blog— (www.eileenmcdargh.com/blog)

Things We Might NEVER Consider:

“The reason most people play golf is to wear clothes they would not be caught dead in otherwise.”

—Roger Simon

“I'm desperately trying to figure out why kamikaze pilots wore helmets.”

—Dave Edison

“Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same.”

—Oscar Wilde

“Don't spend two dollars to dry clean a shirt. Donate it to the Salvation Army instead. They'll clean it and put it on a hanger. Next morning, buy it back for seventy-five cents.”

—William Coronel

“I have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people.”

—Ed Bluestone

TOYS Tip the Imagination Scale

Eduard Haas III, in 1927, created the name PEZ, derived from the German word for peppermint, PfeffErminZ. The PEZ dispenser, was added in 1948, and was initially targeted for adult smokers, so the first dispenser was designed to look like a cigarette lighter (no character heads).

A brightly colored plastic Hula Hoop, first manufactured in 1958, was actually modeled after a toy that existed in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and in fourteenth century England.

This architectural construction toy, Tinkertoy was invented by Charles Pajeau after he saw his own children playing with pencils and thread spools.

Accidentally invented by marine engineer Richard James while he was testing springs as antivibration devices, Slinky, the toy that can walk down stairs, became a neighborhood craze during the Christmas season of 1945.

FACTOID:

Email and information storage tasks consume over 40% of a typical professional’s days.

Mission Statement

Energizing The Human Spirit Since 1980

Our mission is to transform the life of work and the work of your life.

We work with and speak for organizations that want people to create meaningful relationships with all their stakeholders and to develop a resilient leadership capacity for living a life of balance, engagement, productivity, and meaning in a changing world. We value laughter, life-long learning, and leadership through service.