Tagged With "Together"

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...

"So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work." -Peter Drucker We never really get clarity, we're always seeking it. Here are some points of clarity to help bring people together because... "We don't have to do it all alone...we were never meant to." -Brene' Brown Leadership vs Management Let's stop calling leadership, management & management, leadership. Management is for resources, leadership is for people. The Scarcity of Time When a critical...

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...

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...

Thanks for these tips! We're working on a grant proposal to work with Coop Extension professionals to train in the use of improvisation tools and techniques ("yes...and", focussed listening, "accepting the offer") for communication. These improv skills offer a way to increase confidence and comfort when having to enter "difficult" stress and mental health conversations with farmers and clients. Your list for "resilience" is right in line with what we are focussed on...

I’m just Karl... I'm from Branson, Missouri... I’m human... I’m going to make mistakes. Every decision I make will be what’s best for the team. It may not be what’s best for me (or you) but if it’s good for the team then it’s the best choice. At work, at home & in our communities we find ourselves on a "team" of some sort. The experience we have comes in how we approach them. Competition It's a myth that you have to work hard to beat the competition. Competition is the opposite of...

UBUNTU is the social philosophy that Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu used to unite post-apartheid South Africa. It says... I am only because you are. Quick story: An anthropologist visited a village in Africa and set up an experiment. He put a basket of fruit under the biggest tree in the village, lined up all the kids in the village and said they were going to have a race. The first one to the basket got to enjoy the fruit. He lined them up and sent them off with a "ready, set, go!" None of...

Thanks for sharing! How do we spread this mindset in our community, organization, world? We have work to do!

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...

Imagine you're making popcorn on the stove. You heat the oil and put in the kernels. Too little heat and the kernels don't pop. Too much heat and the popcorn isn't edible because it's burned. Just the right amount of heat makes a yummy treat! Heat is the catalyst for change. It's the same for our teams and organizations. You're in the regular weekly update meeting and the boss checks in on how everyone is doing with the newly installed system-wide software. One team member speaks up and says...

We're wrapping up an exceptional year of Dynamic Discussion sessions! Throughout this year, the Extension Foundation brought together professionals from Cooperative Extension and beyond to explore a diverse array of topics. Dynamic Discussion provides a platform to learn perspectives, exchange ideas, and creates a space for conenction and sharing. Together, we've discussed into new ideas, gained insights, and contemplated the future of Extension. The discussions this year covered topics such...