Hiring Dynamic, Creative, Caring, Ethical Managers!

Here’s an organization to die for — managers who empower employees!  Love to meet this person some day!

CHARACTER

• Fair, not nice. Managers must make tough decisions. Managers require vision and integrity — the courage to do the right thing. The best working environments are those where employees are treated fairly.  Employees know what is expected and know the consequences of their actions; both good and bad. No favorites, no double standards. Managers are leaders. Managers aren’t friends. Find friendships outside of the workplace.
• Hire people who are smarter than you. Smart employees will help you succeed. They will make you look good. Establish the objectives and let them do their jobs. Don’t micromanage. Don’t be jealous. Don’t hold them back. Listen to their ideas. Your employees may know more than you.
• Take calculated risks. Risk taking is part of management. “No decision” is a decision.  “No decision” will frustrate employees. You will lose respect. Do your homework.  Trust your gut. It’s usually right.
• Never fire anyone when angry. Anger is a strong emotion. Emotion obstructs rational thinking. A cool head leads to logical thought — the right time for decision making.

TEAM BUILDING

• Create a team of mentors. Find people who are capable of helping;  willing to help you succeed. Mentors watch out for your interests.  They understand your goals.
• Encourage disagreements, discussions, and debates. “Two heads are better than one.” Go with the best solution, not always your solution; otherwise, you may be out of a job.
• Know how to manage different personalities. Learn how to communicate with your employees. Different people react differently to discussions; some you can be direct with, others require more tact. Personality profiles can help match a person to a specific job.

COMMUNICATION

• Clear expectations. Clearly communicate employee’s responsibilities and manager’s expectations. Perceptions vary. Success begins with everyone on the same page.
• Know the desired outcome of the resolution. What is the best possible solution? Be rational. With the desired outcome in mind, determine the necessary steps to reach the goal.
• Confront bad issues immediately. Bad situations don’t go away. They only get worse. Immediately talk to the offender. Communicate, “This cannot happen again.”
• Praise in public. Punish in private. Humans are emotional, not rational. Save face.
• Say “Thank You.” Your success is dependent on your team members’ success. Say “thank you” and sincerely appreciate their hard work. They are your support structure. Without them, you may not survive. Saying “thank you” is one of the easiest and most appreciated actions.  (Full Story) 

Dare to Live Outside of the Box

“That’s not what society says,” “No one has ever done it before,” “That’s not what the educated and the well-connected say.”

SO WHAT?  All the more reason to do the unthinkable!

“Leigh Anne Tuohy manages to do what she wants to do in the way she wants to do it.  She doesn’t care what it takes or how she has to do it but she does it her way … I’ve never met anyone like that before.” (Sandra Bullock)

“Anytime anyone does something unconventional, you have to think about the reality of that (action). Usually, (change) starts with someone who can look at things differently … what if …” (Ray McKinnon)

Stand on the sidelines or get inside the ring — the choice is ours. 

It’s Complicated!

Don’t know about you but the the longer I hang around the block, I find myself enjoying the company of complicated people — the so called “screw ups” — the ever so adorable human beings! 

Would you prefer to be around people who are always “doing great” and “so together?”  Not me.  I’m so imperfect; I’d suffocate amongst wanna-be-perfectionists. 

Wanna know my humble opinion? Folks who think and act like they’re so together are really more screwed up than you and me — at least we’re able to admit to and live with our humanity.  “Perfect people” are just in denial — too insecure to face their true selves.  To the goody two-shoes, ”STOP JUDGING.  LIVE A LITTLE!”

If you were divorced, successful, stable career woman about to start a new relationship, and your charming, unreliable, two-timing ex-husband showed up saying “I really want to grow old with you”, would you take him back?

My head would say “NO WAY!”  But my heart?  “Maybe …?  Maybe … someday?”

LIFE — so hilarious, so complicated, so unbelievable! 

It’s Complicated — two thumbs WAY UP!  A must see this holiday season! 

 

Dance Your Way to Success — Love, Respect, Dignity, Teamwork

“If you believe in yourself, you have what it takes to win.  You can get whatever you want . . . Show up and get it.”

“To do anything is hard . . . Even if you find the place to assign blame, problems don’t go away”

“If a woman allows me to lead, she’s trusting me.  More than that, she’s trusting herself.  If your 16-year-old daughter is strong and secure and trust herself, how likely would she let some idiot knock her up?  And if your son learns to touch a girl with respect, how will he treat women throughout his life? . . .”

“So, ladies and gentlemen, this is what I do here.  I teach dance.  WITH DANCE AND ITS SET OF RULES, WE TEACH YOUR KIDS LOVE, RESPECT, TEAMWORK, and DIGNITY; that which would help give them the vision of the future they could have.  THE VISION OF THE FUTURE THEY COULD HAVE.”  (6:30-7:46)

“I’m not interested so much in teaching ballroom dancing techniques. What’s important is the civility that ballroom dancing can bring . . . courtesy, respect, and dignity.”  (Pierre Dulaine, educator, founder, Dulaine Method)

 

Good News About Your Strong-Willed Child: Finding the Balance (5/10)

What kind of home do you strive to create; family relationships based on justice, mercy, or grace?

• justice–you get what you deserve
• mercy–you don’t get what you deserve (a policeman pulls me over for speeding but doesn’t give me a ticket)
• grace–you get what you don’t deserve (the policeman gives me a $100 bill)

Grace sounds great, especially when I’m the recipient!

What if I was the giver, the parent, the one in charge?  

Child psychologist, Dr. Randy Reynolds recommends grace, bar none!

Law-oriented families focus on goals and standards (like the workplace).  Grace promotes relationships (yeah!).  Grace enables you to accept the way things are and trust God for the way things should be.  In the grace-based home, warmth and excitement are everyday experiences.

Dr. Reynolds, how can I get there?

• Validate your child’s feelings instead of resisting them.  Empathize.  Be affectionate and loving when your child is upset.  
• Every relationship has an emotional account.  When you deposit into the account by spending time with your child, you can draw from it without penalty.
• Spend time listening to your child in order to understand her behavior.  Find out where she’s coming from.
• Explain how people must learn to follow if they want to lead.  Recommend biographies.  Look for teachable moments.  Praise her when she successfully yields.
• Maintain a sense of humor.

I must remember my strong-willed child’s strengths.  He is honest.  He often sees himself outside of the family system and its values, and sees the family dynamics clearly.  He is NOT shy about saying what’s on his mind. 

I’ve also heard, conforming children sometimes grow up with less moral courage than their more difficult children (yes, the ones who, right or wrong, wouldn’t dare rock the boat.  YUK! YUK!  TRIPLE YUK!!! SPINELESS WHIMPS!!!) 

 I LOVE my strong-willed child!

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference . . . Amen! 

Coco Chanel C’est Magnifique!

“To be irreplaceable, you have to be different.”  (Coco Chanel)

Attractive, ambitious, charming, capricious, creative, elegant, simplicity, feisty, progressive, rebellious, legendary! 

Vive Chanel!

Thirty Years Apart — Love or Lust?

A bit of both, initially.

Love … defies rules, social norms, “common sense.” 

Tumultuous, transforms, transcends!

Amore! 

The Perfect Education

Life:  Black + White = GRAY!  

LOVE IT!  LOVE IT!  LOVE IT!

Seriously, when it comes to education, I want nothing less than the best for my kids — my two sons and the students I am privileged to serve at my elementary school.

What do you want for your children?  What values are dear to you?

I try to model hard work, a kind heart, and community service.  I want all kids to excel — to achieve, to give back to society, to care for those who are less fortunate … to speak up for those unable to speak for themselves.

At the same time, WE are students of the world’s most prestigious school — the school of Life; rarely black and white — constantly challenging us to strike a balance between the heart and the mind.

Strive to achieve.  How easily and quickly we lose sight of relationships — life’s most precious gifts! 

Put relationship first.  How quickly we may, at times, lose sight of excellence — to better ourselves and our community.

Hard work, kind heart, community service — so clear, so simple — on paper.

Education — the ever so delicate balance between the heart and the mind.

Lifelong learner … that’s me, for sure.   

Departures: WHAT Is Your Dream Job?

What is your dream job?  Which jobs are beneath you?  WHAT … is a “respectable job”?

Pros make everything look easy … until we step in their shoes and realize, “Man, they sure earn their keep!”

Landscapers who work for hours under the scorching desert sun, custodians who maintain buildings for children and workers, employees who spend countless hours cooking burgers behind the hot grill — thank you, thank you, thank you! 

YOU are the foundation, the priceless fabric of our society!

How about morticians; professionals who prepare the deceased for their burials?

Love, discovery, hope, transformation … Departures capture and reveal the beauty, compassion, and the power of the human heart.

WHAT is your dream job? 

Dr. Medina’s “Brain Rules” (Summary)

Our minds create our realities.  Our minds’ abilities to process and execute complex, abstract information separate us from the rest of the species in the animal kingdom.

For readers joining us today, feel free to click on the link(s) of your choice:

1. Exercise Boosts Brain Power
2. Care
3. Lifelong Learners Thrive
4. We Cannot Multifocus
5. Repeat to Remember
6. Remember to Repeat
7. Sleep Well.  Think Well. Kudos to Siesta!
8. Get Stress On Your Side
9. Sensory Integration Boosts Learning!
10. Vision Trumps All Other Senses
11. Male Brains and Female Brains Are Different
12. We Are Natural Explorers

Thank you, Dr. Medina, for sharing your insights and research findings on the brain — one of our most important, yet chronically abused and underused organ!