Tagged With "First Concepts Consultants"
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New eFieldbook Available! Kemēcemenaw: Tribal Extension Partnerships That Support Indigenous Food Sovereignty on the Menominee Indian Reservation
“This eFieldbook will serve as a valuable resource to Cooperative Extension professionals that are working with indigenous populations, while focused on sovereign food production.” - Fred Schlutt, New Technologies for Ag Extension Catalyst, Former Extension Director - University of Alaska Fairbanks. The US Department of Agriculture 2018-2022 Strategic Plan recognizes it’s role in helping provide access to safe and nutritious food for limited income people, by supporting limited resource...
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WORRYING...
Worrying is a habit. Do you have it? First, check out " Getting to the bottom of your worrying-and how to let it go " by Gordana Biernat for some great insights! We all have dreams, aspirations & goals. It's healthy to be in a growth mindset but not at the expense of getting meaningful things done today. Making zero progress toward your preferred vision of the future is demotivating. Focus on the task at hand, like the mantra of former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer. The main thing...
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Re: Home remedies - what you should and should NOT do
Automated message: Thanks for sharing this event! If you can, please remember to update this listing after your event with a link to the recording. You can do that by coming back to your event here in Connect Extension, clicking "Manage Event" and then "Edit Event." From there, I suggest adding the words "Recording Available Here" to the top of your event and linking out to the recording. Example: Recording Available Here Thanks for helping us make this an awesome archive of resources for...
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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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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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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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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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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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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...
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Headed for an energy crisis?
It's just another day in 2007. Stopped to take a few minutes to read a short article. It's my daily "leadership" lesson time. Only this time it really shook me up. Really challenged my thoughts on a concept I thought I had a handle on. Time management. Tony Schwartz & Catherine McCarthy had really made an impact on me! Manage your energy NOT your time ! What? Think about it...time is a finite resource. Energy is renewable. Want to see where you are with your energy? Here's their quiz!
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Need more empathy?
Psychology Today says Empathy is... "...the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character. Developing empathy is crucial for establishing relationships and behaving compassionately. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just one’s own, and enables prosocial or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced." We all connect with the concept of empathy in a different way.
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Re: Youth Mental Health Education for Extension Series - Educating Youth and Adult Leaders: Youth Mental Health First Aid and teen Mental Health First Aid
Automated message: Thanks for sharing this event! If you can, please remember to update this listing after your event with a link to the recording. You can do that by coming back to your event here in Connect Extension, clicking "Manage Event" and then "Edit Event." From there, I suggest adding the words "Recording Available Here" to the top of your event and linking out to the recording. Example: Recording Available Here Thanks for helping us make this an awesome archive of resources for...
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RFA: Vaccine Hesitancy of the Cooperative Extension System
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS Vaccine Hesitancy of the Cooperative Extension System Funded by a Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA and CDC in partnership with the Extension Foundation and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Extension Collaborative for Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE) October 1, 2021 Released October 31, 2021 November 12th, 2021 Application Deadline ELIGIBILITY: All Land-grant universities (1862, 1890, 1994) are eligible to apply. AWARD AMOUNT:...
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LEADERSHIP-IT'S ALL ABOUT EVERYONE
Scott Reed, Vice Provost Emeritus, Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University Lou Swanson, Emeritus Vice President of Engagement, Colorado State University Image by Vadym Pustukh via Unsplash Essayist William Gibson recently reminded us, “ The future is here. It’s just not widely distributed yet .” The same sentiment is reflected by the Institute for the Future in discussions of leadership in a world characterized by explosive connectivity and disruption and describes literacies for...
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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...
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Teamwork Part 3: We're always seeking clarity!
There’s a software development company in Ann Arbor, Michigan called Menlo Innovations . One of the ways they provide structure & clarity in their company is with their project managers and developers. To encourage developers to provide real-time information, good or bad, they instituted a very simple predictable process. When the developer needs to communicate anything to the project managers, the project managers have been asked to simply smile & say “thank you”. This encourages...
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A Philosophy for Working on Wicked Problems
A wicked problem is a term used in policy analysis to describe an environmental situation where no matter what policy actions are taken there are still going to be unacceptable losses. Examples of wicked problems can be found in climate change, endangered species, invasive species and environmental justice issues. In order to deal with the psychological stress of threat and uncertainty associated with wicked problems many people are tempted to take a strong position, such as moral outrage.
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Request for Applications: Grant Proposal Development Strategist
Extension Foundation is hiring! August 1, 2022 Application Deadline ELIGIBILITY: U.S. Based Grant Writer or firm that provides grant writing and grant coaching support to project teams. APPLICATION: The deadline for receipt of your grant writing consulting/support proposal is August 1, 2022. A proposal and a resume should be submitted here: https://registry.extension.org/221955446654060 Extension Foundation, founded in 2006, is a 100% virtual, member-based network supporting approximately...
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Request for Applications! Grant Author/Editor
The Extension Foundation is Hiring a Grant Author/Editor! August 1, 2022 Application Deadline ELIGIBILITY: U.S. Based Grant Writer or firm that provides grant writing and grant coaching support to project teams. APPLICATION: The deadline for receipt of your grant writing consulting/support proposal is August 1, 2022. A proposal and a resume should be submitted here: https://registry.extension.org/221955446654060 Extension Foundation, founded in 2006, is a 100% virtual, member-based network...
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Extension Foundation Seeking Evaluation Specialist
The New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) cooperative agreement (grant no. 2020-41595-30123) with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through a partnership with Oklahoma State University and the Extension Foundation will enter its fourth year on September 1, 2022. Two key programs in the cooperative agreement are the Program Accelerator and Program Expansion. The Program Accelerator and the Program Expansion concept are a unique partnership between a...
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We’re hiring! Grant Writing Support Team
ELIGIBILITY: U.S. Based Grant Writer or firm that provides grant writing and grant coaching support to project teams. APPLICATION: The deadline for receipt of your application is September 1, 2022. A cover letter and a resume should be submitted through this web form: https://registry.extension.org/221955250538862 Extension Foundation, founded in 2006, is a 100% virtual, member-based network supporting approximately 32,000 Extension professionals at 112 Land-Grant Universities. The Extension...
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Micro Learning and Disney Princesses
Find out how to get big engagement with micro learning.
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EXCITE(ing) Strengths!
Since launching in 2021, the EXCITE program has reached more than 12 Million individuals with immunization education in 1,017 counties across 48 states and territories through the hard work of Extension Professionals from 72 land grant universities and 410 community and healthcare partners. It all began with support for the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) "Vaccinate with Confidence" campaign in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHY EXTENSION? Cooperative Extension has an over 100-year...
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The Military Family as a Cultural Identity - Supporting Families in Transition
Soldier with children | IStock
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Some things I think I think...
The great sports broadcaster Dan Patrick used to host a podcast with the title "Things I think I think". During a presentation to our team, we were reminded of his show and it sparked my own thinking about what I think I think. Here are a few to ponder... Curiosity over Certainty When we remain curious we're open. We have a growth mindset. We see challenges as opportunities. While we can have aspects of our lives we're certain about, like our core values, in daily interactions it often leads...
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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...
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Central State University Extension Charters the Dayton Urban Riding Center as the first official 4-H Charter since becoming a Land-Grant Institution in 2014
On Friday, February 3rd, Central State Extension charter’s first official 4-H program with Dayton Urban Riding Center located in Dayton, Ohio According to the National Bureau of Economic Research Between 1890 and 1899, African American jockeys won the Kentucky Derby six times, but by the early 1900s, they were history. In July of 2020 riding clubs like Compton Cowboys and Houston’s Nonstop Riders, shed the spotlight on this disparity when they rode their horses during a protest march. “The...
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UBUNTU is the glue: A unifying philosophy
It's the fall of 2020. The covid-19 pandemic is raging. Forced isolation to control the spread of the virus is the norm. Professionals in the entire Cooperative Extension system are working hard to figure out how to serve communities across the nation in new ways. One of our internal support efforts for Extension professionals focused on the nineteen 1890 institutions. Toward the end of a Zoom meeting with the 1890 Extension Leadership Academy design team, one of the team members asked if...
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Mental Health First Aid Summit- #BeThe1in15 during Mental Health Awareness month this May
Have you taken a first aid class or been trained in CPR? What about Mental Health Frist Aid? Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. We were fortunate enough to attend the Mental Health First Aid Summit in LA on May 1 st . We spent the day learning from our peers about the importance of mental health and how we can bring the MHFA program to every corner of the country and the world.
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Re: Mental Health First Aid Summit- #BeThe1in15 during Mental Health Awareness month this May
Danielle and Kimberly, Thank you so much for sharing this very timely information! Keep up the great work! Best, Karl
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Leadership is...
So often when we think about "leadership" it becomes such a big concept we can't imagine how it might apply to us. It is easier to think that it applies only to people with bigger positions, titles, and more responsibility than we have. As a coach of mine once said: "That's stinkin' thinkin'." When we think leadership is just for those "other people" we've unconsciously decided it's not for us. That we don't have to do it. We've told ourselves what we do every day doesn't really matter. In...
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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...
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Fueling Hope: Breast Cancer Awareness through Nutrition
In October, the focus shifts to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society (2023), breast cancer stands as the most prevalent cancer in women, and among Hispanic women in the United States, it remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis frequently gives rise to a multitude of questions and anxieties related to diet and nutrition. Register with OneOp on October 25, 2023 as we delve deeper into strategies that assist...
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Extension Foundation Releases Three NTAE Titles
Three new titles are available on the Extension Foundation’s website. The brief publications - written as magazine-style feature stories - share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program , a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. NTAE’s goal is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves,...
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6-words
On a trip to Delhi, India we had the privilege to stay at a really nice hotel. A really impressive place where the experience began as soon as we arrived. They treated everyone very well and you could feel everyone loved their job. The staff interacted great with each other. The were a team! One evening during dinner I asked what made being at this place feel so special. Their reply was; "We all live by 6 words. People first, wow now, and excellence always." Curious, I asked them to explain...
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"Cheesy" Advice
On some recent trips, my wife was administering health screenings at two of the factories in the largest cheese-manufacturing company in the world, Leprino Foods has 5,500 employees in 19 locations around the globe. You've probably eaten their product without even knowing. Hang on to your organizational health hats! One of the leaders in this area, Patrick Lencioni, would be proud! Back to my wife's experience... Her time at their factories was very similar despite the locations being far...
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Are you ready?
Are you ready for a new experience at work in 2024? (If you continue reading the answer is "yes"!) Are you ready to dive into "why" you do some of the things you do? Are you ready to make a list of things to stop doing and start doing? The folks at " The Ready " have some great suggestions to help bring more clarity to your intentions! While we probably can't change some of the things where we work we can make it feel better to work together. Here are some ideas to get you thinking...
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Understanding the Cost of Convenience
Our society moves at a fast pace. Most any purchase is available at the push of a button, making delayed gratification a concept of the past. Do you want groceries or merchandise now? No problem. Are you hungry, but don’t have time to get takeout? Don’t worry, it can be conveniently delivered. The question is… what does all this convenience really cost?
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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...