Tagged With "internet of things"
Blog Post
Searching for L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P.
Have you ever Googled "leadership"? The other day I got 2.5 Billion search results in under half a second. That might indicate I've got to get a whole lot better at searching for content on the internet. It also means the real messages of leadership can get buried in all that great information. Here are a few qualities (as verbs) that might resonate with you. L – Listening E – Empathizing A – Acting with awareness D – Dedicating time for others E – Encouraging R – Removing doubts S – Serving...
Blog Post
In Conversation with Dr. Rick Klemme
Dr. Rick Klemme grew up on a farm in east-central Illinois. He received his BA in economics and math from Illinois State University. He later earned an MA and Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue. Rick began his nearly four-decade Extension career as an agricultural economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). He later became Dean and Director of UW Extension. Rick transitioned from that assignment to serve as the Executive Director of Extension’s Committee on Organization...
Blog Post
ATTITUDE
Found this in some of my Dad's stuff he wanted me to have... The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts, it is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every...
Blog Post
ICYMI: Shop Simple with MyPlate and More MyPlate Updates!
Last week, we were joined by the MyPlate team from the USDA Center of Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) for a preview of two MyPlate tools that will help Americans make healthy food choices. Big thanks to @Barbara Jirka from USDA-CNPP for helping to organize this! New to the USDA - Shop Simple with MyPlate , allows individuals to find cost-saving opportunities in their local area and discover new ways to prepare budget-friendly foods. The panelists presented the background on the...
Blog Post
Digital Gratitude
We've talked about this "gratitude" thing before in this post... Get More Gratitude . This year, instead of awkward silence, when it comes around to you to say what you're thankful for you'll be ready! If you're like us and are feeling bad about not being able to be together with everyone you'd like, here are some ways to let you friends & family know you're thinking about them. Embrace some technology to share your gratitude for the special people in your life. Share a memory from your...
Blog Post
Teamwork Part 2: Reliability
Your team may have a powerful engine (like a Ferrari) but if all the parts aren’t working together (like that flat tire in the picture) the team struggles go anywhere. The teamwork concept we're talking about is reliability ! Each member of the team embraces Do What You Say You Will Do (DWYSYWD)! Our behaviors provide the evidence of our authentic intentions and these display our trustworthiness to others. Diagnose Dependability What is the most important contribution you can make to the...
Blog Post
Teamwork Part 4: What does your work mean to you?
There’s a manufacturing company in Saint Louis called Barry-Wehmiller . T hey developed a purpose statement for what they call their Guiding Principles of Leadership . It says: ”We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people.” In 2008 during the housing crisis this was challenged. They lost a ton of business virtually overnight and were faced with a huge decision. Within 24 hours their CEO, Bob Chapman, announced that instead of laying off thousands of employees they decided it...
Blog Post
Leadership Priorities
"The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly." -Jim Rohn Strong Not Rude “Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.” -Vince Lombardi Our strength is shown in relationships with others. Leadership is about effective relationships. It's about honoring people over process to unlock everyone's strengths! Kind Not...
Blog Post
Leader of Character
How would you describe a leader of character? While you ponder that question, here are some thoughts... Leader is a position, leadership is our behaviors. Character is how we behave when nobody is looking. The U.S. Air Force Academy defines character as: At their Center for Character and Leadership Development they help prepare cadets to serve our nation. The framework they use is Own, Engage, Practice with the goal of living honorably while lifting others to elevate performance. You'll...
Blog Post
Feeling feelings...
When was the last time you felt sorry for someone? Did you have a hard time connecting to the reason they were suffering? Did you find yourself not caring about what they care about? This focus is sympathy, not empathy. Chances are we don't need to learn this, we just need a reminder! Sympathy When we act out of sympathy it means we understand what the person is feeling. Chances are we're not really connecting with the other person though. If we don't move toward empathy our understanding is...
Blog Post
The 2 things everyone wants
Travel teaches us a ton. It's not about comparison. It's about perspective. "Comparison is the thief of joy." -Teddy Roosevelt In this article, psychologist Dr. Amy Silver helps us... " Say no to comparisonitis! " My wife and I traveled before and throughout our military careers. We still love to travel. One thing we did was chart our locations on a world map. This was a great way to share our travels with our children and what we learned along the way. In total we had the opportunity to...
Blog Post
Tips to Cope with Market Volatility
With respect to investments, the word “volatility” refers to sharp up and down movements in prices. Read on for several tips for Extension educators to share with clients to help them cope with market volatility.
Blog Post
Seaweed is on the Menu with Connecticut’s Sugar Kelp Industry
A team from UConn is using innovative research and community outreach to help make this novel food more accessible for consumers and more profitable for producers. When you crave something tasty, seaweed may not be the first thing that springs to mind. But UConn researchers and extension educators want to change that. A team from UConn Extension within the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources , and Connecticut Sea Grant are using innovative research and community outreach to...
Blog Post
‘Just Good Food’ is topic of URI’s fall Honors Colloquium
‘Just Good Food’ is topic of URI’s fall Honors Colloquium Speakers to address equitable, sustainable and resilient food systems KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 22, 2022 – Just the mention of the word food can bring to mind varying images for Americans: a big dinner with family; a low-key night at home with pizza; children and families across the globe facing starvation; the behemoths of agribusiness; and the increasing interest and participation in local, sustainable farming and food production.
Blog Post
Happy (Digital) Holidays!
We've talked about this "gratitude" thing before in this post... Get More Gratitude . If you're not able to be together with everyone you'd like, here are some ways to let your friends & family know you're thinking about them. This year, you're more ready than you think to share how thankful you are for the great people in your life. After all, you've had at least a couple of years of practice at this. 😉 Embrace some technology to share your gratitude for the special people in your...
Blog Post
The Perfect Meeting
"One can either work or meet. One cannot do both at the same time." -Peter Drucker Darn it! He's right again. Despite our best efforts we can only do one of these (effectively) at a time. Through this, he also reminds us of the multitasking myth. What we actually do is task switch. It takes 40% longer to accomplish two things we're switching on and longer when we add a third or fourth task. One thing we can do to help with effectiveness is to have better meetings. Most HR professionals will...
Blog Post
More Leadership Theories
The practice of leadership has been going on as far back as we can observe. In a previous offering " 10 Leadership Theories " we looked at where we've come in the recent past regarding thinking and approach to leadership. In one post we can't possibly hit everything related to leadership, so it's a reality we left out a ton of stuff. We're going to continue this journey by looking at a few more influencers in the leadership area from centuries and millennia ago to today. Hang on! Lao Tzu -...
Blog Post
Flip Your Script
Oh, the things we tell ourselves. Sounds a bit like Dr. Seuss; sadly it's not. You have to wait until the end of the post for some of his wisdom! We're talking about how our personal narratives become aspects of things we believe about who we are. Here's one that's been in my arsenal forever: "I'm horrible at math." Big deal you say. Maybe you're not good at math. You have other things you're good at. What's the problem? Telling myself this has made an agreement that has limited my openness...
Blog Post
Leadership ABC's
A = Attitude One of 2 things within your control; attitude and effort! Attitude is everything, pick a good one. B = Brave When you believe strongly in something or perhaps it scares you a bit, let your courage shine through. Be brave enough to go first and model the way. C = Character This is your behavior when nobody is watching. You won't always have the training and education for the situations you find yourself in. Your strong character will get you through. D = Dependable You do what...
Blog Post
Requirement or Preference?
Phil Jackson, the Hall-of-Fame NBA coach (Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers) was once asked about one of his players. He was asked if he minded what hair color Dennis Rodman had. Coach Jackson replied that it was Dennis' preference what hair color he chose but it was a requirement he plays defense and rebound. It might not be what hair color Coach Jackson would choose but he honored his player's preferences. The requirements are not negotiable so he focused on coaching his players to be...
Blog Post
GET MORE GRATITUDE!
What is gratitude ? It's a sense of wonder, thankfulness & appreciation for life . Gratitude helps increase optimism for life. It promotes positive thinking. It helps us cope with daily stress & traumatic events. Appreciating things in our life and focusing on the positive can help us move forward with purpose. Gratitude can also strengthen our relationships. People who feel gratitude towards others feel closer to them and report overall better relationships, even if they don't...
Blog Post
USDA Studies Determine that the Way We Treat Our Land Impacts Water Availability
Studies by USDA Agricultural Research Service Determine that the Way We Treat Our Land Impacts Water Availability Media Contact : Maribel.Alonso@usda.gov What impact, if any, do farming and ranching practices have on how much water is available downstream? That was the question scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Agroclimate and Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit in El Reno, Oklahoma, set out to answer in a series of studies conducted in Central and Western Oklahoma.
Blog Post
Future You
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, which is why we call it the present." -Bill Keane Ok, a little bit of a cheesy way to start. Seriously though, tomorrow isn't promised to any of us. Our challenge is to make the most out of every day because each one is an opportunity to move closer to the person we want to be. The journey is the destination. Here's a big thing that gets in the way... Damaging Self Talk When we describe ourselves (to ourselves and others) in...
Blog Post
Who's responsible?
Becoming the leader we want to be requires consistent personal commitment. The environment also matters, especially where we spend the most time...at work. With the combination of personal growth and organizational support, we can rise with leadership challenges throughout our professional lives. Personal Responsibility Improving your leadership skills on your own is a daunting task at the least. Actually, we don't really do it on our own, we have help from a ton of different sources. Our...
Blog Post
Ten Personal Finance Capstone Review Activities
Every extension educator has been there. You’ve just taught some personal finance content (e.g., investment basics or wise credit use) and you want to make sure that it “stuck.” You are looking for a fun, interactive activity to reinforce what you just covered. Below is a summary of ten interactive activities to review previously taught personal finance content: Educational Games - Tools that are popular with teachers in a K-12 setting can also work well as capstone reviews with adults. For...
EXCITE Asset
EXCITE Activity 2 Assets: Other
Blog Post
Facing Organization Changes with Monkeys, Marathons & Popcorn!
Recently we held a workshop on change where the participants mentioned something they were hearing in their organizations. "That's how we do things around here." This phrase is often used to explain a cultural behavior or process. It seems to provide plausible deniability and deflect blame for the current situation. Healthy organizations know they must deal with the challenges of change versus the status quo. No change and you become obsolete. Change for change's sake means chaos rules and...
Blog Post
Coaching 101
If you're after self-improvement at all you've probably sought out a coach. These days it's cool to have a coach. Whatever your goal, great progress can be made with a coach. What about when someone asks you for help? Or you're in a role that requires you to guide others? What will your approach be? What will your style be? For me, it's helpful to start from the beginning, perhaps it will help you too as you consider how to bring the best version of yourself to the role of coach. I'm just...
Blog Post
The #1 clue of dysfunction
In some leadership sessions recently we asked the participants what they were experiencing that might be holding back their teams. Without much hesitation, they said there was something keeping them stuck. Keeping them from collaborating the way they hoped. It's probably not what you expect. They said it was not asking for help . Seriously? Yes! This one thing reveals a number of things that work against effective collaboration. Here are two... Fear exists Poor psychological safety Fear is...
Blog Post
GUEST POST: How to Fix the Workplace Through a Culture of Voluntary Influence
By Don Shapiro President, First Concepts Consultants, Inc. University Extension faces the same challenges today as any organization where a group of people are working together to accomplish something significant. You’re challenged with issues such as retention, burnout, managing change, leadership, and collaboration. Each one of these has a huge impact on how well you carry out your mission and serve your communities and constituents. Leadership stands out on this list because it’s not just...
Blog Post
A T T I T U D E
During my senior year in High School, we were fortunate to play in the football state playoffs. Throughout the experience, at home or away games, signs hung up in our locker room with this saying... If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win but think you can't, it's almost certain you won't. Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. We made it to the...
Blog Post
Legacy of Selfless Service
Monday, 16 January 2022 is the 36th year of the celebration that remembers Dr. King's lifetime of public service. As well as a federal holiday, it's also known as a day of service when Americans are encouraged to volunteer with charities to help their communities. In one of In one of my first semesters in college, the student body was included in a decision about the number of days off we had for holidays each spring semester. Before the decision there were several "town hall" discussion...
Blog Post
EXCITE Adult Vaccination Project
The Virginia Cooperative Extension EXCITE Team and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) conducted a symposium on November 3rd, 2023 to discuss the EXCITE project funded through CDC and ways that Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents could get involved in vaccine education! This session introduced our vaccine ambassadors and their roles in their respective localities, provided background on adult vaccinations and the current vaccination schedule, and discussed approaches to communicating...
Blog Post
Language "Votes"
Words matter...a lot! What we choose to put out in the world in the many ways we express ourselves is a "vote" for the person we want to be. What these words mean to you become your anchor to your core values. Here are some thoughts for your consideration... Balance and Integration When you think about it, trying to achieve a work/life balance is not possible. There isn't work and life, work is part of life. A big part but not the only thing. What we should strive for is the integration of...
Blog Post
How Innovative Leadership Keeps Cooperative Extension Strong: An Interview with Karl Bradley
Introduction In a rapidly changing world, innovative leadership is critical for Cooperative Extension's success. Leadership development equips Extension professionals with the skills to navigate complex issues, build collaborative teams, consistently adapt, and create programs to meet emerging needs. This ensures Cooperative Extension remains a relevant and impactful force. The Extension Foundation actively supports this goal through the expertise of Karl Bradley, its Leadership and Team...
Blog Post
Unearthing Financial Trauma
Transitioning into 2024 marked a new year. Many of us saw the new year as an opportunity to start fresh, but financial hardships and losses can have a lasting impact on our mental health. This type of impact leads to unforeseen trauma. Often, we make resolutions to hit the ground running in the new year, but old habits die hard, mainly when these habits are deeply rooted in our psyche. Let us be realistic: We all plan to go to the gym on January first; we even go shopping over the holiday...
EXCITE Asset
EXCITE Activity 2 Assets: Slide Deck
Blog Post
An offering for Women's History month...
Why do we wait until March every year to do this? Shouldn't it be an everyday thing? Let's start making recognition one of our most abundant resources. Here's a past pioneer who was a great example of courage & determination. She was one of the coolest for sure! *Picture from www.wired.com Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was a pioneer in aviation and one of the most talented pilots of her era. She was an important contributor to the formation of the wartime United...
Blog Post
Are you effective?
One of my absolute favorites in the leadership and management learning area is Peter Drucker . His wisdom in "The Effective Executive" and other publications is astounding. It's as relative today as it was when they were first published. As arguably the father of modern management, Drucker's thought leadership has influenced countless professionals around the world. The idea is that despite all our unique personalities, talents, and ways of interacting with the world we can all learn to...
Blog Post
Culture Clues
Life is always teaching us stuff. Lately, it's reminded me that we're human beings, not human "doings". When we are in an environment focused on all the "doing" we often feel like a thing or a resource. The clues to this are displayed in a lack of hearing people say... I'm sorry I need help I don't know I made a mistake These clues may seem overly simplified, they aren't. They often indicate too much fear is present. When we don't feel safe, our moral courage is shut down and replaced with...
Blog Post
GUEST POST: The Encouraging Mentor #3 The "Being-Remembered" Conversation
How do you want to be remembered? This is a rephrase of the classic Steven Covey question from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . It is one of the most powerful questions one can ever ponder. In this blog series, I’m attempting to both challenge your thinking, but also encourage your progress. You may consider the question prompt in this post alone, or in conversation with a friend or mentor. Let’s begin. Look at the question below. Spend some time with it. It is a definite brain...
Blog Post
GUEST POST: The Encouraging Mentor - #7 Your Personal Mission
Your Personal Mission A personal mission is a statement about your why. This is what drives you to get out of bed in the morning. It describes what you believe is most important in life, what you wish to focus on, and what you want to be known for. If you allow it to direct your thoughts and actions each day, it has the potential to direct your life and achieve the future you want. I often tell my students to consider doing this exercise and then holding on to it. When one finds themself...
Blog Post
Mid-Career: A Fantastic Time for Growth [1st of 8]
Whether you’re working in Extension, education, the non-profit or government sector, or private business, mid-career can bring exciting professional development and growth, as well as great internal worry and doubt… often at the same time. At mid-career, we begin to trust ourselves (having been around long enough to learn a few things), but we can also have lingering existential questions about whether we’re really on the right path, or if our management and leadership and communication...
Blog Post
Volition: What Are Your Choices? [5th of 8]
Have you ever found your ability to make a choice and act upon it lacking? Choosing and acting define the broad concept of volition. Some label this as having the power to use one’s free will. But in times of stress or anxiety, we sometimes feel hindered in our ability to exercise that choice and action. We may even feel powerless, frozen in place, and unable to act at all. Can you think of a time when you felt unable to make a decision and then act? It could be something major or minor.
EXCITE Asset
Implementation Phase: Slidedecks- All Immunizations
Blog Post
Plate full?
There has never been another person like you on the planet...ever. And, there won't ever be another person like you again...ever. Inherently then, everything you do is unique. So why do we fill our lives like a Thanksgiving plate? Yes, we have many responsibilities that all need looking after. What we're talking about is YOUR unique contribution to this world. If your "plate" is an inch deep and a mile wide (like your Thanksgiving plate) it's hard to know where your focus should go. You're...