Tagged With "Do What Only You Can Do"
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ICYMI: Take a Tour with the MyPlate Team: Walk Through The New Personalized Digital Tools and Resources
Yesterday, we had three guests from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion to learn about the new MyPlate website and suite of digital tools and resources that were launched upon the release of the Dietary Guidelines, 2020-2025. In this webinar, we explored the MyPlate tools to help you reach audiences at every life stage. Here are some resources from that webinar: Recording MyPlate National Nutrition Month Playbook (Attached) Slide deck (Attached) Q&A questions answered in...
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Mistakes leaders make...
Some mistakes leaders make... Putting themself ahead of others; not being self-aware and/or self-reflective. Betraying others' trust Being certain; (Re)acting too fast Not living up to their own values; inauthentic Overly enamored with their own vision; arrogance If it seems like it's all about you, you're in the gig for the wrong reason. It shouldn't be all about the leader. Trust must be present for there to be betrayal. This is the worst & perhaps hardest for people to recover from.
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Yes or No?
Yes can lead to more. More can lead to over commitment. Over commitment can lead to accomplishing less. "Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing." -Andy Stanley No can lead to less. Less can lead to focus. Focus can lead to getting more accomplished. "Busy is a choice. In fact, it's the easy choice." -Tony Crabbe Choose wisely. What's the most important contribution you can make to the world? Commit to that!
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October 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal!
Congrats @Susan Harris from Nebraska Extension for submitting the winning story lead for the October 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead contest. Thank you to everyone that submitted. The story, Farmer Mental Health Highlighted in University of Nebraska Extension Workshop Series has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here .
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Old You...New You
The hardest aspect of leadership development is behavior change. Often, we lose momentum on creating new habits. Could it be because we don't think about all the great stuff we are choosing to keep? Let's unpack this in 3 parts... Old You What is it about the old you that you would like to maintain? Preserve? Protect? There's more in here than you think. Write them down. Feel good about them. Share them. Celebrate your decision. Stop Doing We spend a lot of time thinking about & deciding...
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Make Every Bite Count, Even Little Bites!
During March, National Nutrition Month(R) we recognize the new recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
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Re: 10 Leadership Theories
I enjoyed this summary of theories. You can see how things have changed over time and the generations. Thank you for pulling all this together a d providing a thought provoking summary. Maria
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Questions or Complaints?
“Only self-confidence makes freedom & dissent possible. An organization that brainwashes employees to think alike will only breed complacency & make itself unappealing to anyone who might inject some oxygen into it.” – Ricardo Semler Think about a time when you were offended by a complaint. Perhaps it was a question someone posed. Did it feel like it was directed at you in a meeting in front of others? Do you remember your response? Was it appropriate for the situation? Was it...
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Daily Habit!
Several years ago I started a habit of gifting myself a few minutes every day to read, watch or listen to something about leadership. It was rough at first as I fought off thoughts of how the time could be used for other things. It's been worth it though, I've learned so much. Here are just a few sources for a daily leadership content feed... The Marshall Goldsmith Coaching app gives you the ability to hear 3 weekly thoughts directly from the #1 Executive Coach in the world. Simple &...
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THE QUEST FOR TALENT EQUITY: ENGAGEMENT IN THE REGIONAL TALENT PIPELINE ECOSYSTEM
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash.com Eric Dunker, Associate for Business Strategies, Associate Vice President and Dean: Business, Technology, and Workforce Partnerships, Arapahoe Community College As our society becomes more diverse, businesses and communities have moral and economic reasons to create systems with talent equity outcomes across the educational and labor market continuum. Higher education is rightly focused on educational equity, but this pandemic has demonstrated large...
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Do you like hot fries?
In our U.S. Air Force, there are Officers & Enlisted. Officers have ranks of 2nd Lieutenant to 4-Star General. Enlisted have ranks of Airman to Chief Master Sergeant. There is one special position in the Enlisted ranks that only 19 people have held. It's the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force ( CMSAF ) position. Had the opportunity a few years ago to hear CMSAF #5, Robert Gaylor speak. Here's the video from his presentation at TEDx Scott Air Force Base: A Motto For Life: Robert...
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1890 Extension Leadership Academy Prepares Future Leaders To Act As Change Agents, Creates Culture of Innovation
The 1890s Extension Leadership Academy (ELA) is designed to prepare future and upcoming leaders in Cooperative Extension to act as change agents, with the goal of creating a culture that encourages and sustains innovation. The academy seeks to equip leaders to respond to critical challenges proactively. The ELA is offered in collaboration with Fort Valley State University & Extension Foundation , alongside key partners from Kentucky State University and Lincoln University. The most...
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Mission, Vision, Priorities!
An Abraham Lincoln quote comes to mind, who I thought you might like to have quoted at this point.. 😉 “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew .” Annual Message to Congress-Concluding Remarks, December 1, 1862 Developing our Mission, Vision, Priorities helps us rise with the challenges in front of us. They help us lean into, even...
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Updated County Health Rankings - Released April 1
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has released the annual update of its County Health Rankings featuring information on more than 30 factors which influence health. The new rankings can be accessed at https://www.countyhealthrankings.org Released every year by the UWPHI, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Rankings show that where you live influences how well and how long you live. An easy-to-use snapshot, the Rankings compare the health of all...
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Old Hat
Each of us probably have items we've held onto for a long time. The sentimental value pulls at our heartstrings so hard we can't seem to let them go. One such item for me is a New York Yankees hat. The Story My wife & I were on the road together in New York. One of the stops on the tour was New York City. We found ourselves with some time one morning & decided to venture out to discover downtown. It was a gorgeous sunny day & I wasn't prepared so naturally, I bought a Yankees...
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Giving Children and Adolescents a Healthy Start Through Nutrition
By LT Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, MBA, RD, LDN, FAND, Nutrition Advisor, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Establishing healthy dietary patterns early in life can provide young Americans with the foundation to continue those behaviors throughout later life stages. Unhealthy dietary patterns and inadequate physical activity in children and adolescents ages 2 to 18 contribute to overweight and obesity — as well as increasing the...
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Ugh...Bad drivers!
It happens every day... You're driving on the highway and inevitably there's someone driving crazy. Going faster than everyone. The cost of a ticket isn't a deterrent. Rules don't apply to them. They're dodging in & out of the lanes like it's the Indianapolis 500! This has a major effect on you and those around you. You put on the brakes. You change lanes. Your pulse goes up. You have passengers double check their seatbelts. You're on high alert! The dialogue in your head might look...
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Food Waste Reduction Challenge Begins April 12
A graduate cohort group from across the US has worked diligently this year to understand the complexities of food waste. After months of problem-solving and deliberation, they ultimately decided to launch a 7-day social media campaign centered on raising awareness around food waste prevention and reduction. Namely, the “7 Day Food Waste Reduction Challenge.” YOU can participate and make a difference! The social media campaign will consist of seven days of interventions, each day themed in...
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Connecticut Agriculture is Showcased in UConn Students’ Documentary
'Completely Connecticut Agriculture' explores the creativity and resilience of Connecticut farmers It’s easy to take our food supply for granted while strolling through the abundant aisles of a grocery store. We do not often consider how our food gets to the store or where it comes from. A group of students in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) is bridging the communication gap between agriculture and consumers in their documentary film, Completely...
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Your Leadership Puzzle (Part 1)
Clues to guide leadership development often prove to be more art than science. Many of these concepts live in the part of our brain that deals with feelings & not language. This fact alone can make conveying them difficult at best (I'll still try!). Here are some of the pieces we can utilize to begin the journey of putting together our leadership puzzle. PASSION We all find time to do the things that are most important to us. What do you spend 5 hours doing & it seems like 5 minutes?
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ICYMI: CONNECTING LATINO YOUTH/FAMILIES/COMMUNITIES W/EXT RESOURCES
Contrary with what many think, Latino/x population in the US is not a monolith, far from fitting the one-size-fits-all formula, the 60 million Americans of Latino/Hispanic origin represent over 20 Latin American countries, and a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, education levels, geographic locations, histories, political affiliations. Visit this virtual chat archive to learn what extension professionals across the country have been doing to be successful in reaching the Latino/x...
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Human Behavior & the Spread of Livestock Diseases
By Scott Merrill and Eric Clark, University of Vermont The Social Ecological Gaming and Simulation (SEGS) Lab is a multidisciplinary research lab designed to examine pressing problems in the interacting domains of natural ecology and human society. We work on problems ranging from water quality and energy, to looking at how Covid-19 related social distancing behavior changes in different environments – from the grocery store to the park. We also are engaged in trying to understand the...
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Your Leadership Puzzle (Part 2)
Every day we encounter a myriad of issues that can make leadership puzzling. One of these is the pace of change. The world is changing at a speed faster than humans have ever experienced before due largely to technological advances. This fact alone makes our leadership foothold paramount to balancing the needs of the people & enterprise we serve. Some of the same themes keep appearing. The human skills we often don’t realize we’re utilizing. Awareness is the key for those who’ve decided...
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How Networks Can Help Reduce Stress
Does your network help reduce your stress? Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to talk with Naava Frank and Ziva Mann, authors of the article " How to Reduce Stress and Increase Learning: The Power of Professional Networks ." Join us as we discuss how our network connections can help support us in difficult times. Naava is the director of Knowledge Communities where she consults to foundations and nonprofits to launch and support the growth of networks and communities of practice. Ziva...
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Expertise
What we know compared to Google isn't much. None of us knows everything. Here are some thoughts on leveraging your expertise. Have a clear mission & focus! Peter Drucker , the great teacher, said you should be able to fit your mission statement on a t-shirt! Reach out & meet the greatest people in the world in your topic area & ask them to be your mentors. Learn from them. Get clarity & make your t-shirt. Parallel Allies! Who are the experts who can help you with your...
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2 things to make your team better...today!
As fun as it might be to live in the magical world of Harry Potter, sadly we don't. And there's no "silver bullet" to fix issues. If you're someone who knows your team can be better and wants it to be better, here are a two that will help quickly! Make RECOGNITION a resource This goes way beyond just saying "thanks" to a team member. Developing the ability to both give & receive gratitude authentically is a must. These human skills are a great way to increase psychological safety on your...
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University-wide Engagement and the Transdisciplinary University
Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash Lou Swanson, Emeritus Vice President of Engagement, Colorado State University Scott Reed , Vice Provost Emeritus, Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University Blah blah ‘….. disciplinary ’ - what’s the difference? Each is quintessential in their power to produce knowledge. It is not a matter of which type of academic inquiry is better than the others. But one of these, a single author writing within the narrow foci of a single sub-discipline tends...
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Re: Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters
What Title IX Training program do you-all use for Master Gardener and/or 4-H Adult Volunteers, to complete mandatory anti-bias and anti-harassment training? We have no choice but to use a very long tedious online set of modules by a 3rd party HR company called EverFi. The MG's loathe it. I blasted thru it to get it off my to-do list, but didn't agree with 75% of it, just did it to be done. Do you have any other Title IX training packages to suggest to our HR/Civil Rights office?
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Accelerating Success: Q&A with Dr. Fred Schlutt
Dr. Fred Schlutt is a forty-year Extension professional. He worked in Texas, Wyoming, Maine, and Alaska. Dr. Schlutt served for 10 years as the Director of Alaska Cooperative Extension. He was the 2017-2018 chair of ECOP ( Extension Committee on Organization and Policy ). He holds three degrees from Texas A&M. Dr. Schlutt currently shares his expertise as an Extension Foundation Catalyst. Catalysts are Extension experts who support New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) projects chosen...
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Get better at anything!
Had the good fortune of carving out some time to finish a book that has made a quick impact on my life; " Triggers " by Marshall Goldsmith. The most powerful aspect of this book for me was self questioning . Heard about this technique from one of his social media posts & had been half-heartedly going through the motions of this technique. I needed some coaching on it for sure. He states that active questions make the most difference because of how they frame the responsibility. They...
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Run the Experiment!
Remembering a venture into the Agile software development "pairing" concept. January 2018 After the holiday break, we found ourselves rested but in need of new focus. So naturally, we scheduled a meeting. The agenda was simple; bring your best ideas. After absorbing some of the wisdom inside Richard Sheridan’s " Joy, Inc." , my excitement had peaked for new possibilities. After all, the first quarter of each year is a great time to recapture momentum. Our small team procures, delivers &...
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CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER MAKES AN IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THE WORLD
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Central State University Land-Grant is proud to highlight the work of Dr. Pratibha Gupta. Central State University’s STEM department is comprised of professors from all around the world. One of those professors is Pratibha Gupta Ph.D. Research Associate Professor, Food Nutrition and Health A.R.D.P Extension State Specialist, Family and Consumer Science Nutritional Biochemistry College of Engineering, Science, Technology and...
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Re: Farm Journal Request for High-Res Images for Soil Health Improvement Workbook
Thank you for sharing such a useful information about soil testing and also that how it can help in make your soil healthy always
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ICYMI: Virtual Chat about MyPlate
ICYMI: Virtual Chat about MyPlate Recently the MyPlate team hosted a Virtual Chat for Connect Extension members to share their thoughts on MyPlate resources. We discovered that many of the participants preferred print materials and that our MyPlate Tip Sheets continue to be among the most popular resources. Participants also expressed the need for more culturally representative foods pictured on resources and the MyPlate.gov website. Several links were share: MyPlate print materials:...
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ICYMI: USDA Nutrition Resources for Every Life Stage: Then and Now
Last month, we hosted two registered dietitians ( @Marcia Greenblum and @colleen.sideck ) from the USDA National Agricultural Library to share how to access federal nutrition resources for different age groups and how dietary guidance have evolved over time. Marcia and Colleen highlighted life stage resources on the Nutrition.gov and Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) websites that support 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations, and shared a historical...
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What drives you?
Why do we do the things we do? If we're honest with ourselves, we know our actions are driven by two things: motivation & ability. Ability to do anything is influenced by external help and/or environmental structure. Motivation is connected to our internal belief system, our values. Intrinsic The things we value most in life are our internal motivators. They are our core values. The things we sacrifice for, stand up for and are prepared to die for if it came to that. They're super...
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USDA to Host Educational Webinar Series on Livestock Mandatory Reporting in June 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will host a series of three live educational webinars about USDA’s Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) Program from Tuesday, June 8, through Thursday, June 10, 2021.
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Crises of Legitimacy of Science-Are we with science or not?
Photo by ThisisEngineeringRAEng on Unsplash Lou Swanson, Emeritus Vice President of Engagement, Colorado State University Scott Reed, Vice Provost Emeritus, Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University Providing Evidence-based knowledge is a foundational raison d'être among Extension mission statements. This blog and the next address the social and political delegitimation of science over the past few decades, as well as the acceleration of attacks on science as an academic and social...
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Procrastinate now...don't put it off!
Almost every organization would like to remove delays to unlocking their team's capacity to generate & implement great ideas. If you can identify & develop new opportunities quicker, your business model has a better chance to survive. No answers here just some thoughts on how these might be related. I'll procrastinate tomorrow... Graphic from www.jamesclear.com We've all received & given feedback on this topic. For the proactive person, someone who lags a bit can be maddening.
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MyPlate is Turning 10 Years Old! Join the birthday fun beginning June 1
Join in the MyPlate birthday fun by helping us celebrate throughout the month of June. For additional information and MyPlate birthday ideas go to: https://www.myplate.gov/birthday
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Our Neighbor...
Our neighbor goes for a walk every morning. He waves enthusiastically to everyone he sees. His smile goes from ear to ear. He carries a big bag of treats for all the dogs he meets. He doesn't even own a dog. Our neighbor knows attitude is everything. He always picks a good one. Our neighbor goes to the local grocery store every Saturday morning. He knows all the bakery employees. He buys donuts for all the kids who are shopping with their parents. Every one...without exception. Our neighbor...
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Re: Procrastinate now...don't put it off!
There is a term used in engineering called OBE. Overcome By Events. It refers to a decision or task that you were slated to make but before you were able to, something changed and the decision or task is no longer required. OBEs can be bad i.e. I had the winning lottery numbers but never got around to buying a ticket. They can also be good when some difficult decision or task is no longer required. When I run across a task or decision that I must do, I often evaluate the OBE index and act...
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"Extension’s Role in Disaster Response and Mental Health" Virtual Chat
On Wednesday, May 19 th , over a dozen Cooperative Extension professionals across the nation gathered in a Connect Extension chat to discuss disaster response and mental wellness in our work. The main themes interrogated throughout the hour were: mental wellness, disasters*, disaster recovery, and community interaction within those sectors. In this discussion, we wanted to learn how branches of Extension approach mental wellness in their communities and if they find themselves in disaster...
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Resilience in action...
Resilience is defined as: " the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. " Our resilience has been challenged big time over the course of this pandemic. How have you done? What have you done that worked? Honestly, it's been hard at times for our family. It's in what we did to get through together that matters. Chances are some of these are on your list! They celebrate other people's success They accept full responsibility for their past behavior They invest their energy in...
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Farm Journal & NRCS Water Quality Stewardship Guide
@Nate Birt with Farm Journal has shared some resources from a public-private partnership with NRCS for Cooperative Extension professionals to utilize and share with farmers/ranchers in their local communiities. From Nate: " By downloading a personal copy of the guide, Extension leaders can encourage farmers and ranchers to type their own answers into the workbook pages, and better prepare themselves to get help from Extension experts in their communities, NRCS agents, etc." More information:...
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Keep Your Patients Healthy Throughout Adulthood by Improving Nutrition
Authors : Dana DeSilva, PhD, RD, ORISE Health Policy Fellow, and LT Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, MBA, RD, LDN, FAND, Nutrition Advisor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Adults’ dietary patterns often reflect habits that they established during childhood and adolescence. Sometimes, this means carrying unhealthy habits into adulthood — but it’s never too late to make changes. Health professionals can use the Dietary Guidelines for...
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Looking for Wisdom
The human race has gone through an age of revolution, an industrial revolution, the information age & the age of knowledge. Truly amazing! Before we pat ourselves on the back we need to ask a couple questions: Are we any closer to the age of wisdom ? How do we set up our lives and in turn, our organizations, for more wisdom? My absolute favorite in this area is from Brazil. Here are his top 10 rules for success in life. Free yourself Giving yourself permission to start something new is a...
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How can health messaging work within rural communities? webinar June 23rd
How can health messaging work within rural communities ? Save-the-Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 1-2pm central time (11 PST, 12 MT, 1 CT, 2 EST) (Webinar registration link will be announced at later date) Poverty in rural areas of the US is higher than in urban areas. Geographic isolation, lack of infrastructure, fewer available resources, and limited economic opportunity compound these challenges. Many extension and outreach professionals aim to strengthen supports for families, so they...
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Meet or Work
There you are, attending another meeting struggling to stay engaged. Why? We want to be there (but our mind is wandering), we're interested in the reason it's taking place (but the slides are so boring) & most importantly we're ready to participate (if we ever get asked). This all too familiar scene seems to plague us even with so many great ideas floating around to make it better. Transparency of information & the speed at which it flows can make all the difference in focusing on...
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Using Good Judgement
An iceberg is a great analogy for many individual, team & organization efforts. Perhaps the most familiar model is from Ed Schein in which he uses the visible & invisible to illustrate how a company makes decisions. How it takes action. Above the water (visible) of the iceberg indicates strategic intent. Below the water (invisible) of the iceberg indicates core principles & values. Below the water! Hard Work Failure Doubts Set-Backs Persistence Long Days Sacrifice Courage Action...