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Archive for December, 2010

2011 Changes for MAPping Company Success

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Earlier this week I mentioned that changes were coming to MAPping Company Success.

The main reason for the changes is I’m bored and if I’m bored I’m sure to bore you. Additionally, with the release of Option Sanity™ I’m more involved with startups and entrepreneurial issues (meaning startups that are focused on becoming sizable enterprises as opposed to small biz or home-based biz).

However, my focus on MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™) and its effect on company culture, management, retention and motivation is applicable to anyone, whether in a startup, self-employed or working for a larger organization.

There are some specific changes coming.

Wordless Wednesday will focus more on applicable or interesting videos (you have no idea how difficult it is to find good subjects for WW).

As I mentioned yesterday, Leadership’s Future will be come an occasional feature on a different day and Thursday’s focus will be on the stories of specific entrepreneurs.

Sunday’s Quotable Quotes will occasionally share its day with a new feature focused on odd facts and stats.

Tuesday’s Ducks in a Row, about culture, and Saturday’s Expand Your Mind, with links to articles of interest continue.

Another change is to invite guest posts from you, my friends and readers. 500 words or less on a topic of your choice, as long as it is relevant to the broad focus of MAPping Company Success and you believe it would be of interest to others.

Of course, none of this is carved in stone, so I would love to hear additional suggestions from you.

Last, but certainly not least…

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wish you and yours a healthy, happy, adventurous, exciting and successful 2011!

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ikrichter/4813677392/

Leadership’s Future: Inflation

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

My niece and her husband are both teachers; several other friends also teach.

They teach at various grade levels from kindergarten through advanced high school courses.

One complaint they all voice is the pressure from parents and students to give better grades.

Not to be better teachers, offer more relevant material or strengthen students’ skills, but to give better grades.

It’s called “grade inflation” and it is rampant across the country at all levels of education.

Andrew Perrin, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. “An A should mean outstanding work; it should not be the default grade,” Mr. Perrin said. “If everyone gets an A for adequate completion of tasks, it cripples our ability to recognize exemplary scholarship.”

Business was the culprit a decade ago when title inflation was rampant during the dot com boom; now it is grade inflation.

Everybody knows inflation is bad—but are you aware that it devalues people in the same way it devalues money?

Think about that before you pressure a teacher or hand out a title instead of a raise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leadership’s Future started several years ago with guest posts from a college professor when I was writing Leadership Turn; after he left I continued from my own viewpoint.

After Leadership Turn was shut down I moved the feature to MAPping Company Success. In a broad way, Leadership’s Future focused on the Millennials and the following generation in terms of the kinds of people our society had and is producing.

There may be occasional posts on the topic in the future, but not a regular feature.

Join me tomorrow for an overview of the changes coming to MAPping Company Success in 2011.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyenicolas/4056810694/

Wordless Wednesday: Ready or Not…

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

here it comes!

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myksrw/5284053017/

Ducks in a Row: What Conversation Tells You

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

What are your goals in 2011? Hike productivity? Juice creativity? Motivate your people? Strengthen retention?

Whatever they are, the best way to accomplish them is to engage your people.

Uninspired advice, since you hear it all the time, but this is a great time to actually start the wheels of engagement turning.

And you do it through conversation—face-to-face, verbal conversations with your team—whether it’s composed of the company VPs or a small group of staffers.

Notice the emphasis on ‘conversation’ which, in this case, means everyone talks.

First you describe the goals, not a laundry list of everything that needs to be done, but specific goals that you honestly believe can be accomplished in 2011, with a subset for Q1.

Then you shut up and listen to your people.

Not just let them talk, but really listen and hear what they are saying, even when what’s said doesn’t agree with your ideas.

But if you shut up and hear nothing then recognize that for what it is: a great insight into the culture you created, not to mention the fear and distrust in which you are held.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zedbee/103147140/

Now and Future You

Monday, December 27th, 2010

I suppose I should apologize, although I’m not really sorry. It’s the end of the year and this is what I was in the mood to do. It’s one of the worst rhymes I’ve ever written, but that doesn’t change the value of the meaning in the message.

Christmas is past the year’s almost done
it’s gone by so fast I really am stunned.
In one short week 2011 will dawn,
meaning the potential of this year is gone.
Did you accomplish all that you planned
or did time drain away like grains of sand?
To prevent that happening this coming year
execute wisely and ignore the fear.
Fear is sneaky and will try and stop you,
while ignoring it is a tremendous break through.
Stay focused on the goals you set
and you’ll have your best year yet!

Be sure to read Friday’s post for a look at the changes coming to  MAPping Company Success.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosoflessthanamazingjourneys/2419185671

Now and Future You

I suppose I should apologize, although I’m not really sorry. It’s the end of the year and this is what I was in the mood to do. It’s one of the worst rhymes I’ve ever written, but that doesn’t change the value of the meaning in the message.

Christmas is past the year’s almost done
it’s gone by so fast I really am stunned.
In one short week 2011 will dawn,
meaning the potential of this year is gone.
Did you accomplish all that you planned
or did time drain away like grains of sand?
To prevent that happening this coming year
execute wisely and ignore the fear.
Fear is sneaky and will try and stop you,
while ignoring it is a tremendous break through.
Stay focused on the goals you set
and you’ll have your best year yet!

Be sure to read Friday’s post for a look at the changes coming MAPping Company Success.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosoflessthanamazingjourneys/2419185671/

mY generation: Santa Taught Me Math

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

See all mY generation posts here.


Quotable Quotes: Christmas MAP

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

Well, what would you use on December 26 as the theme for Quotable Quotes? That said, I did try to put my own special spin on them.

Let’s get the worst part of Christmas—getting stupid—out of the way first. Stupid often makes it’s Christmas appearance at the office and if you don’t keep it under control you could end up parroting Phyllis Diller’s words, “What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day,” as you polish up your resume.

Authenticity is a big part of Christmas especially when it comes to children’s make-believe, such as Santa. Shirley Temple makes a poignant point in this brief 26-word story, “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.”

Edna Ferber offered a concise explanation of Christmas authenticity when she said, “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.”

Bob Hope makes the same point a bit differently, “If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”

Jesse Jackson reminds us that the most important gifts aren’t found wrapped under the tree, “Your children need your presence more than your presents.” I would add that your presence is also of more value to friends and family, too, and giving it doesn’t require cash, plastic or lay-away.

Even the Grinch, in the guise of Theodor Geisel, came to understand that, “Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store.”

All of this means that you can incorporate Christmas into your MAP and make it an integral part of your approach to life and enjoy it 24/365; or as Bryan White says, “Christmas makes me happy no matter what time of year it comes around.”

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlkljgk/2121909490/

Expand Your Mind: On Christmas

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Expand beyond your computer.

Whether you officially celebrate Christmas or not today is not a day to be in front of your computer, so TURN IT OFF NOW!

If you are inside, embrace and enjoy the people with whom you share the space.

Pick up the phone and call people you like for no reason other than to hear their voices and share some joy.

Go outside and visit your neighbors.

Drive to where friends and family gather.

Perform at least one random act of kindness.

Look around and be amazed; amazed at the diversity of nature and the incredible world in which you live.

Have a wonderful day.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedroelcarvalho/2812091311/

Warmest Holiday Wishes for You

Friday, December 24th, 2010

Since I can’t send gifts to each of you, I thought I’d offer up a video of me dancing along with one of my infamous rhymes—what more could anyone want?

Christmas comes just once a year
as does its spirit, too, I fear.
It would be nice to keep peace and goodwill,
but after the First it’s all downhill.
Perhaps this year we could arrange
for each of us to make a change;
revamp our MAP and maybe then
we can leave closed minds in 2010.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your people.

Leadership’s Future: Rudolf’s Leadership

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

How about that. Finally some leadership advice with which I totally agree to share with you and it’s even Christmas themed. How cool is that?

It’s called Three Leadership Lessons from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the lessons apply to all, no matter what you do.

You could do a lot worse than make these your template for 2011 and beyond.

We all have natural gifts and abilities; embrace them.

We all face opposition; ignore it.

Your moment to shine will eventually come; welcome it.

Read the article, I think you will enjoy it.

But don’t just read it, absorb the lessons and practice them every day for the rest of your life.

Image credit: the Internet

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