Tagged With "It's not about you"
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6 Thoughts
We always show up for what we believe in. Life is a journey & we're always on the way. Are you headed in the direction you want? In reflection... Are you showing up for others in line with your values? Are you worrying about things you can't change but aren't willing to put effort into changing them? Are you caring, collaborating, coaching? What behaviors do you tolerate? We all get what we tolerate. Who have you helped recently? 6 Thoughts from Marshall Goldsmith 1. How smart or right...
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ICYMI: How to Host Engaging Webinars
The COVID-19 crisis means that Extension professionals are using webinars even more frequently to extend knowledge and information. Creating engaging online learning experiences for our clientele and peers is critical to our success in this new virtual environment. This webinar - offered by eXtension Foundation staff in partnership with Delaware State University Cooperative Extension - provided an opportunity for participants to reinforce the basics and learn more about advanced features. In...
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False Humility
Have you ever worked with or been around someone who constantly apologized for almost everything? They offer great suggestions. They offer great ideas. They offer great advice. But " sorry " seems to come along with everything. If you're a bit confused (like me!) in these situations...deep breath...that's totally natural. This was an issue for one of my colleagues. The barrage of apologies would disrupt the whole flow of work when they happened...and they happened a lot! Several of us tried...
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Re: ICYMI: 63 Extension Professionals joined the Connect Extension Chat on Gamifying Food Labels
Resources Shared During the Chat: UConn EFNEP Fat Game: https://bit.ly/EFNEP_FatGame Healthy Lifestyle Resources (Baylor): https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare...-lifestyle-resources Water Calculator: https://www.watercalculator.org/ National Geographic Food Education: https://www.nationalgeographic...tion/food-education/ FDA Whyville Snack Shack Games: https://www.fda.gov/food/nutri...le-snack-shack-games H5P Virtual Tour: https://h5p.org/virtual-tour-360 H5P Interactive Content:...
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Role Model Mindset
We all endure difficulties in life. The thing we can lose sight of is that people are watching. People are being influenced by the way we show up to deal with challenges. They're curious about...How we stay centered? How we keep perspective? Do we remain kind to others on the journey? Adopting a role model mindset changes our behaviors because we want to be proud of how we got through the difficulties. This requires intention of how we want deal with the chaos. Are we getting better or just...
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ICYMI: 63 Extension Professionals joined the Connect Extension Chat on Gamifying Food Labels
Our team at University of Connecticut (UConn) Extension is developing a game to help consumers understand food labels. The Connect Extension chat included questions about food labels and gamification in Extension programs. You can access the chat archive at: https://connect.extension.org/chat-event/connect-extension-virtual-chat-gamifying-food-labels . Chat participants agreed that there is confusion with labels and terms among the consumer audiences. They don't know what is healthy and what...
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Ask Extension In Transition
Ask Extension (formerly Ask an Expert) has been an important national digital service and content asset since 2006. During the peak summer season this year, over 1100 experts handled about 11,000 questions per month. This year, eXtension launched two new projects with funding from its USDA-NIFA New Technologies for Ag Extension Cooperative Agreement: Building an artificial intelligence platform that provides information from a wide range of Extension educational resources Modernizing the...
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Leadership Mistakes
"Leader is a position. Leadership is a behavior." While there are many versions of this out in the world it remains a great distinction. To the originator of this, we thank you, whoever you are! Leader is likely in your job description somewhere. It's in our leadership behaviors where we most often find problems. It's inevitable...we're going to make mistakes. We're human after all. The only real failure is not learning from failure. Here are some mistakes we (humans) can make when leading...
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ICYMI: Getting Ready to Tell Consumers about MyPlate and the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Yesterday we had a fabulous panel from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion talk to us about MyPlate and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines. 500 Cooperative Extension professionals joined us and brought some great questions with them for the 30 minute Q&A portion! If you didn't get a chance to catch it, the recording is now available . Additionally, @Barbara Jirka was kind enough to provide a copy of the slides and a handout - I've attached those to this post!
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Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve
Are you or would you like to be using data in your work to understand and improve the communities you serve? Do you want to know more about about the opportunities you have to make data-driven decisions for your constituents' well-being, and to monitor your community's progress? Are you interested in sharing your experiences and needs with other Extension professionals? If so, join us for a virtual chat on Thursday, December 10, 2020, from 1pm to 2pm EST . Our team is preparing an eFieldBook...
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Recap of Video Production in Cooperative Extension Virtual Chat
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Cooperative Extension professionals are branching out to add simple video production to their skillset.
In our virtual chat “Video Production in Cooperative Extension,” participants across institutions and job roles helped us understand more about training resources and needs related to video production in Extension.
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Thank You, Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners are a vital part of Extension, and they are an invaluable connector to local communities. In this unprecedented year, their hard-work and dedication had a big impact and they provided a needed human connection for many folks who were suffering from isolation during quarantine. This video is dedicated to them.
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National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey Recap Videos
2020 brought many challenges to Juntos 4-H, but we stayed strong and innovative and used virtual experiences to continue the work that could not afford to take a break. In September, NC State Juntos hosted the first National Juntos Convening. We celebrated Why Juntos Matters and Why Juntos is Here to Stay. We invite you to check out a series of short theme videos from the National Juntos Convening. We personally love the short presentations from all the states as they share their Juntos 4-H...
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Re: Leadership Mistakes
Thank you! I need to print this and apply to me forehead so that I do not forget the concepts. This is very good.
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Good, Cheap, Fast & Urgent or Important
You have a big presentation coming up & just discovered a stain on your favorite outfit. Quick, to the cleaners! Your regular shop is perfect but they have a standard 3-day turnaround so that won't work. There is a 99 cent shop a couple miles away, they could get it done but you can't risk them not taking great care of your expensive suit. Your only choice is a designer shop, the one in the fancy part of town, they'll do a special for you. And you're off! We all pay companies for...
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ICYMI: Development of market assessment tools for improved sustainability and profitability of small and medium-sized U.S. dairy farms
Atlantic Corporation thanks the extension professionals who joined them to discuss findings from their national consumer attitudes and preferences survey about local dairy. We enjoyed sharing our findings and providing demonstrations of our interactive spatial visualization tool, Dairy Market Assessment and Planning System (DairyMAPS). If you missed the presentation, the recording is now available and the PowerPoint slides are attached to this post. To help Atlantic improve the value and...
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Re: ICYMI: Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
No sweat! Thanks for checking it out! There are 4 other webinars in this series if you're interested and I'd be happy to send them over!
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Re: ICYMI: Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
This had some great information! Thank you for putting it together!
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Key Takeaways: Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve
Key Takeaways: Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve Approximately thirty participants -- Extension professionals from all over the US, from Oregon to Ohio, Connecticut, and Virginia -- joined us today for a productive Connect Extension Virtual Chat on Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve. We discussed their experiences with data, their data-related needs, and and how we might best design and bring data literacy resources to Extension. You can access the chat...
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Interest in Understanding Ecosystem Service Values by Conservation Professionals in the Northeastern US
A multi-state survey was implemented in December 2018 to assess the information needs of natural resource conservation professionals regarding the value of land conservation in their community. Findings reveal that most respondents do not have the information needed to incorporate ecosystem service values into planning and decision-making. There is opportunity for extension services to deliver economic information and training that can advance the management of conserved lands. Read the full...
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Re: Email issues? Read this!
Karl, These hints are quite helpful. I've preached and practiced making the subject line helpful to the reader. I often add a date if there's a deadline. I appreciate the same for others. Your article brought some new ideas which I intend to incorporate. I also like the logic structure you suggest for the action oriented emails. I find it's helpful to understanding and cuts time when the sender makes it clear what I'm to do with the email. Bonnie Braun
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2021 Impact Collaborative Events: Registration Open NOW for eXtension Members!
eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce open registration for several 2021 events in our Impact Collaborative program. This includes registrations for the Innovation Skill-Building Experience and the Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Training. These events are for everyone inside eXtension Foundation member institution s . The eXtension Foundation invites all members to participate in the Impact Collaborative program to build skills in innovation, hone project & program...
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2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and New MyPlate Resources
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans along with new MyPlate resources were released this morning! Big thanks to @Barbara Jirka, USDA-FNS Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion for sharing this. Attached are two documents that contain information about the release.
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Get More Done in '21!
Wow, there was a ton thrown at us in 2020 and we're all looking forward to a new start in the new year. With every new year comes a new beginning, thinking about priorities & how to accomplish our meaningful choices. The attachment in this post from Hubspot highlights some aspects from their blog post on " How to stop the most common productivity prohibitors" Make Every Minute Count Keep Your Workspace Tidy Get Laser-Focused Reset & Recharge If you're curious about time-blocking or...
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Virtual Volunteer Opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago
Greetings and Welcome to 2021! Although travel restrictions are still in effect, there are opportunities to volunteer internationally virtually through USAID’s Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) project in Trinidad and Tobago. During the COVID-19 pandemic, how we implement the F2F program has had to adjust and is temporarily offering virtual/remote assignments that will meet the needs of Trinbagonians. Over the holiday break, the Purdue F2F team has been working hard to get new assignments approved and...
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Practicing Reflection
If your year started like mine, it left you reeling from a packed schedule and more on your plate than you thought you had. I came into 2021 with a peaceful mindset, having just taken the bulk of two weeks off, but somehow still felt a little blindsided when my first day back at work came around. I decided I needed to do something before I allowed my year to continue down this path. So this past weekend, I spent some time reflecting and planning and now I feel even more ready for whatever...
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Re: Practicing Reflection
You're so kind - thank you, @Aaron Weibe So grateful to have the platform to share - thanks to you and the entire eXtension team!
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Training Videos for Connect Extension Subgroup Administrators
Happy New Year! Since we rolled out Connect Extension in March 2020, we've had a number of folks create and administer their own subgroups. I've worked with individuals one-on-one to help get subgroups off the ground and offer some training on how to do things. Now, there are some videos available that will help new subgroup administrators get quickly oriented in managing their subgroups. Those are available at extension.org/subgrouptraining . If you are interested in creating a subgroup...
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Workforce Readiness & Makerspace Team from Oregon Brings Community Partners to Impact Collaborative Summit, Wins Seed-Funding Grant for Western Region
“The Impact Collaborative provided an ideal space for the Malheur Workforce Readiness team to work through a structured process that challenged their thinking and assisted them with building a strong, informed, foundation. It equipped them with critical insights on how to best evaluate their program and the potential impact, and better communicate and engage with their partners moving forward” - Anita Azarenko, Interim Vice President - Outreach and Extension, Extension Director, Oregon State...
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Colorado State Extension Mindful Engagement Project “Ready to go in a way we wouldn’t have been”, thanks to the Impact Collaborative Summit
Mindful Engagement is a newly conceptualized project from Colorado State University (CSU), led by Sue Schneider, an Extension agent in Family and Consumer Sciences and Community Development based in Fort Collins. The team also includes CSU Extension’s Lisa Auer, who serves as the site coordinator for the Larimer County Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI); and Tony Lynch, a community champion who is a member of the 2020 FLTI cohort. The team was one of 25 groups from across the...
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Motivational Messages
Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. Words have power. Power to cause action. Action that causes change. Change that helps us transition to a preferred future state. This ripple effect takes place every day yet we know being the change begins with something between your ears. Have your words caused this chain reaction? Have others' words had a profound effect that caused you to act? While you ponder those questions, ponder the action that was inspired by these messages. "If your...
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Results from the November/December 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
Last year, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest sub group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the November/December 2020 contest was about the important work Extension is doing to better...
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Re: Practicing Reflection
@Rose Hayden-Smith - thank you so much! It's always good to hear since a podcast can be pretty one-way as far as communication goes 🙂
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C.A.D.E.T.
During an assignment in Japan we had the chance to see many foreign & U.S. dignitaries. On one such visit, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (a 4-Star General) visited. The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force traveled with him & it's his comments I'd like to share. He began his talk by saying there are some things that keep him up at night like suicides, domestic violence and assaults. The point he made was that none of these are indications we are living in to our core values.
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Atomic Habits: An Extension Conversation About Moving Forward in the New Year
James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results , was the subject of a recent Connect Extension Virtual Chat. The hour-long interaction stimulated participants to extend Clear’s lessons into vignettes describing their personal and professional experiences with habits. The recorded chat can be found here . Atomic habits are intended to be small and easy to do-thus reinforcing their value by becoming a part of one’s identity. Multiple atomic habits can begin to influence...
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Registration Open: Let’s Talk GMOs Online Course
Are you confused or do you have questions about GMOs? Do you feel inadequate when discussing GMOs? Are you given opposing information of GMOs and not sure what is right? Do you wonder how the misinformation about GMOs spreads like a wildfire? UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is offering a new online course, Let’s Talk GMOs: Creating Consistent Communication Messages . This course introduces participants to the basics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They...
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Simple Plan that Matters
Time is not a renewable resource. It seems we never have enough. This isn't anything new, it's an age old issue. While no amount of money ever bought us a second of time, here's a simple concept that could...for free. Don't touch anything twice. Open the email, move it on. Get the laundry out of the dryer, put it away. Get those everyday tasks done & move on. Don't wait for the timing to be just right or when you're in the mood. Choose putting effort (time) into opportunities of the...
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FREE Course: The Science of Well-Being
Offered by Yale University, taught by Laurie Santos , delivered by Coursera! Course Description In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a...
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COVID-19 Vaccine Education Toolkits for Cooperative Extension
Overcoming hesitancy to receive the new COVID-19 vaccines is a growing issue across the U.S. despite more 400,000 deaths resulting from virus to date. According to a recent report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, rural residents are among the most vaccine hesitant groups with seven in ten rural residents expressing at least some reluctance to receive the vaccine. But as trusted members of the communities they serve, Cooperative Extension faculty and staff are in a unique position...
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BOSS or LEADER
We've all seen graphics detailing the differences between a boss & leader . There are indeed many distinct qualities separating these roles with the primary being responsibility. The more of it you have in any given enterprise can define the overarching role you provide. What many have realized is that you can be an amazing boss but ineffective as a leader. Leadership is the choice to positively influence those around you regardless of position, title, standing, rank or responsibility...
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Impact Collaborative Announces Rev-Up Your Virtual Leadership Series for Extension Professionals Leading Five or More Peers
For 2021, the eXtension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative program is hosting a series available to eXtension Foundation member institutions . This series is led by Karl Bradley, Leadership Development Specialist, eXtension Foundation. Last year we all pivoted quickly as we redefined how to accomplish our work almost exclusively in shared virtual spaces. The topics in this series are a result of our work with individuals & teams from across Cooperative Extension wondering: What does...
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Good Soil!
The people we surround ourselves with are more valuable than words can often express. Recently, an old friend popped into my mind so I reached out to catch up. He was amazing, generous & supportive as always. We spoke about many things but the most prevalent & surprising was workplace culture. He spent some 27 years in the newspaper business only to be unceremoniously let go in the name of “progress”. Their loss was another’s gain. His one-of-a-kind voice & magnetic temperament...
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Asset Based Community Recovery - Add Your Voice!
The pandemic has shown us that we can’t do anything alone. However, we can use our experience and the experiences of others to learn and grow from this pandemic to be better prepared for future disasters and emergencies. That's our invitation to you. If you work with community groups, local government, families, businesses, non-profits, farmers, youth, or any other sector of communities, consider joining us for one of our upcoming Asset-based Community Recovery Workshops! Through the...
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2 Types of Leadership
The most simple definition of leadership is...leadership is influence. Everyone has it. Do you know why you're using it? If your why is off then the how won't matter. Patrick Lencioni consistently delivers & his latest book is no exception! In "The Motive" he shifts his focus on helping us understand the importance of why we're leading in the first place. He presents... There are 2 reasons people want to become a leader: to do whatever is needed to serve the people OR for rewards like...
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Future You
Leonard Bernstein's father was asked in an interview if he supported his son's aspirations in music. He answered with a lukewarm response. The interviewer was shocked and asked "why not?". He responded...Because, how was I supposed to know he would become Leonard Bernstein? He's right, we don't know how our kids lives will go. We protect, guide & nurture and then wait & watch. It's not quite the same with ourselves. We are intimately involved with our own decisions & actions.
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Shhh...It's a Secret!
In life, you get what you want. Really. Think about it.... The way your life is, truthfully, you wanted it that way. If you wanted something different you would have changed things. When was the last time you were late for something? Chances are, if you were late for it twice you didn't really want it. While we know we can control our attitude & effort there's something else going on. You've probably heard of the universal law of attraction. You've probably been curious as to what it is.