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Update From Eileen

Summer for me is synonymous with vacations, mosquitoes, barbeques, white shoes, ears of corn, hours of sunlight, strawberries, blueberries and camping.

The latter calls to me at the end of June. Only this time, it won't be High Sierra backpacking with my husband. Nope —I'll be surrounded by some 100 children ages 7 to 11 for one week. These are special children. Many will be refugee children from such countries as Columbia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan who have come to the U.S. with their families. Others will come from inner city environments where violence and gang warfare are a way of life.

Organized by Global Children's Organization, this is the second annual violence prevention and diversity camp in the U.S. Beginning in 1992 in Croatia with the war-traumatized Bosnia, Croatian, and Serbian children, Global Children's Organization (GCO) has impacted the lives of over 2,000 youngsters. Under the guidance of founder Judith Jenya, GCO expanded it's programs into Northern Ireland and now into the U.S.

The Southern California camp, "Turning Neighbors into Friends," offers children a place of safety and compassion in a cross-community setting. Using the creative expression of art, theatre, music, sports, and play, campers begin to understand and respect each other's personal histories while finding nonviolent solutions to conflict. And these children will get a change to be just that: kids!

Sounds like an overwhelming task to me. I wonder what I have gotten myself into. How will we do this? After my 3-day training, I will know more, and by July 8 I'll see the results. Wait for the next issue of The Energizer for the process and the results. In the meantime, I invite you to explore their website (www.globalchild.org).

Keep me and the children in your thoughts and prayers.

Five Half Truths of Leadership Puts Truth into Today

Fast Company (June 2002) featured a memo to CEOs" "Five Half Truths of Business." Written by professors from Harvard, McGill University, and Oxford, the article grinds down common platitudes we all have heard and probably too often said when it comes to "how business should operate." Capitalism faces a crisis of gigantic ramifications brought about by corporate greed, fudged balance sheets, and exorbitant rewards doled out to incompetent executives. And, as honestly stated by the authors, business schools have also taught a series of assumptions that now are only partially accurate. (Go to www.fastcompany.com and search under the keyword "Memo to CEOs".)

WARNING: Do not go on the Web site and read it UNLESS you like truth of heroic proportions. If you're tempted to dismiss it as the musings of academics who don't operate in the real world, be careful. These are the thoughts of employees, shareholders, customers, and concerned citizens of a global economy. Remember —these are HALF-truths. Our task is to live the part that is true.

Are We Communicating?

A man (in LA) spoke frantically into the phone, "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!" "Is this her first child?" the doctor asked. "No!" the man shouted, "This is her husband!".

Energizing Others—To Your Ideas

Getting other people excited about our ideas is all about preparation and knowing the audience.

First, consider preparation.

Do all your advance research. Has this worked in other places? Can you cite authorities or statistics that back your idea? What are the available resources of time, money, people, etc.?

Think in terms of results. What will happen if your idea is accepted? What will happen if it won't?

Who do you need on your side as an advocate for your idea? Tell them your idea and get their feedback so that they have no problem supporting you.

Now, analyze the audience.

Is your idea best received as a report? Presented live at a meeting? Brought up in casual conversation?

When is the optimum time to present your idea? In other words, when is a prime time to get their attention?

Know what your audience values and present your idea in terms of benefits that they value.

Don't get bogged down into too much detail. Have detail in hand and be ready to anticipate objections and questions. But first, paint the picture.

Must Read Books

The Resilient Spirit, by Eileen McDargh, ISBN 0-962319-01-5—just off the presses. The events of 9- 11 proved that our spirits are larger than we ever imagined. We can do amazing things—collectively and individually. This small book gleans wisdom from the ordinary and extraordinary, offering simple reminders of powerful actions that produce resilient results. You'll find it simple yet provocative. Now available in the Success Store on our website (with a NEW secure shopping cart). And watch for a brand new Web design within the month!

Laughter Made from Experience by Lola Gillebaard, ISBN 1-891127-06-9. Take this book with you to the beach. Stick it on the nightstand and read it before dropping off to sleep. I guarantee you'll laugh, you'll think, and maybe you'll even get tears in your eyes. I did all the above. Lola is as gifted a writer as she is a humorist. You can visit her at www.laughandlearn.org.

Tips for Energizing Yourself

Nothing succeeds like seeing results. If you find yourself caught in the doldrums, slumped in sales, discouraged by investments, or spiraled by too many questions and not enough answers, it's time for a "Do- able, See-able" project.

Let's face it. Humans want to know that, at the day's end, their efforts counted for something. So if life and work aren't giving you that closure, find a physical project that will give you a sense of accomplishment and maybe even relief. For example, you might organize and clean the garage, a closet, your files. Weed or plant a garden. Detail your car. Wash walls and paint. Workout for 3 days and track the repetitions, the mileage, the poundage, whatever. But make it something you will feel great about doing.

Trust me, the act of throwing yourself into a physical project cleans out the mental cobwebs, offers a break from the ordinary, and will give you a renewed "can do" spirit to pick up where you left off.

Welcome To The McDargh Clan

American Association of Family and Consumer Science
Sally Beauty
Maine HR Conference and Law Publishers
ProBusiness Services
Wright Express
VHA—for the 5th time

Pass Along The Newsletter—FREE

A couple of clients posed this question to me: "Eileen, how can we get your newsletter in the hands of our employees and management team?"

Great question! Here's the answer. You can send out an e-mail blast, asking if they'd like to receive a BRIEF, practical yet fun e-newsletter four times a year. If they say yes, just have them go to http://www.eileenmcdargh.com and viola! Thanks for asking!

Subscription Management:

You can now manage your subscription to The Energizer on the web! Just e-mail us at eileen@eileenmcdargh.com and let us know what you need. All new subscriptions are by e-mail only.

MISSION STATEMENT

McDargh Enterprises—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.

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Testimonials

"You are terrific! The attendees, staff, and advisory group members (that I promoted you to) were blown away!

As I said when I spoke with you on the phone, it was the PERFECT close. It flowed so well to you and you grasped it and wrapped it all up so well. Full of energy, talent, and thoughtfulness, you took the time to get to KNOW the group and to hit the buttons they all needed pressed. I can't thank you enough for everything.

On a personal/ professional level the time you took prior to the program to get to know me and NRECA more doesn't go unnoticed.

Thank you Eileen, and needless to say you come highly recommended by me to anyone! "

- NRECA