Jot Once, Remember Anywhere 

OK, notetaking isn’t exactly a leadership skill.  But, I happen to be compulsive about taking notes in meetings of all kinds, so this article drew me in.

Today’s newslink has some great tips for all different ways to jot quick notes to yourself – and keep them organized and handy.  From old-fashioned pen and paper to the best smart phone apps, click HERE and you might find a new tool to help you keep track of all the great ideas and many to-do’s that randomly come up in your day (or, maybe even the middle of the night)!  Today’s article was published online January 26 on FastCompany.com.

Newslink: Leadership features articles about the development and practice of leadership skills in today’s business world.

The problem is that they also brought the dog home. To their house. Where I’m visiting soon. And, I’m afraid of dogs.

I never had pets growing up. Well, that’s not entirely true. We had goldfish, but I’m not sure that counts. Most of my friends had dogs or cats. My husband’s family had a dog. Pepper was very well-behaved and friendly. None of these animals really bothered me too much.

Today I am thankful that, even as a “seasoned” adult, there are still opportunities to overcome fear.

Over thirty years ago, when I was pregnant with our firstborn, one of our friends had a “crazy” German Shepherd. This dog was HUGE and very jumpy. Several times, during thunderstorms, the dog even jumped through a porch window! During one of our visits to their home when I was nearly nine months pregnant, the monster dog jumped up on me, knocked me off balance, pulled a hole in my shirt, and scared me half to death.

I haven’t gotten over that experience.

A lot of people just don’t get it. I hear things like, “It’s just a puppy.” “That was thirty years ago.” “Get over it.” “Why won’t you try?”

.

Sigh.

We’ll see what happens. I know I want to see my grandson much more than I want to avoid the puppy. Maybe I’ll have a breakthrough. Or, maybe I’ll just manage my fear. Either way, I won’t let it get the best of the grandma in me.

Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.

~ ~ ~

Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

~ ~ ~

Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing-the result.

~ ~ ~

The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

In 1990, a seminary intern delivered this simple prayer: “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat.”

Out of that prayer, Souper Bowl of Caring was born.  The idea was to use the energy and publicity around the Super Bowl to drive social good.  Church youth groups and other organizations across the country collected canned goods and dollars (in soup pots!), and then donated those items to a local charity of their choice.

That first year, 22 churches in Columbia, SC collected $5700.  Since then, the Souper Bowl of Caring has received the endorsements of NFL team owners, the NFL Super Bowl, and even the White House.  So far this year, $2.1 million has already been recorded, with Houston leading the way at over $800 thousand.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl Party next Sunday, why not make it a Souper Bowl Party?  Ask your fellow football fans to bring a canned food item to donate.  Instead of exchanging bets on the game, have a soup pot available to collect those dollars and add them to your donation.  Print this certificate and include it when you drop off your items at your favorite food pantry, so they know you participated in this event.

This is a really easy way to take a fun social gathering, draw attention to a local community need and make a positive difference.  I hope the Giants win the Super Bowl, but I also hope many hunger fighting communities win the Souper Bowl.

It has been a very trying few weeks.  I’ve been working extraordinarily long days, six and seven days a week, feeling a lot of pressure on a couple of projects I’m on, and consistently finding myself behind the eight ball at the end of the day.  I’m not sleeping well.  OK, I’m exhausted.  And, if that’s not enough, I’m putting a little bit of weight on, because that’s what I do when I’m stressed. 

I struggled to focus on gratitude.

My husband, perhaps trying to give me an “out” from my writers’ cramp (gratitude cramp?), told me to stop trying.  “You don’t have to write something every single Thursday!  Maybe there just isn’t something to be thankful for today.”

Wha-a-a-a-at?

Today, I am thankful that every day there is something to be thankful for.

I started to compile a list of the usual – family, health, home, food, comforts.  But really, every day, it comes down to just one thing:

Simply being alive.  

Introduce the activity to your team : “We are going to play a game that will show us some important things about communication. Pick up your sheet of paper and hold it in front of you. Now, close your eyes and follow the directions I will give you—no peeking! And, you cannot ask questions.”

Give the following directions, while doing the same with your own sheet of paper.  Pause a moment after giving each instruction to give the group time to comply:

“The first thing I want you to do is to fold your sheet of paper in half.  Now tear off the upper right-hand corner.  Fold it in half again and tear off the upper left hand corner of the sheet.  Fold it in half again.  Now tear off the lower corner of the sheet.”  (Do not specify which one.)

After the tearing is complete, say something like “Now open your eyes, and let’s see what you have. If I did a good job of communicating and you did a good job of listening, all of our sheets should look the same!” Hold your sheet up for them to see. It is unlikely any sheet will match yours exactly.

Observe and comment on the differences. There will probably be some laughter.

Ask the group why no one’s paper looks just like yours. (You will probably get responses like “You didn’t let us ask questions!” or “Your directions could be interpreted in different ways.”)

Then, lead into a discussion on the need for clear, concise, two-way communication in the workplace and on your team.

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

My husband called his Dad later in the day to see how he was faring. We were happy to hear that one of Dad’s neighbors came over with a snowblower and cleared his sidewalk and driveway.  At the age of 79 and suffering from emphysema, clearing snow from a corner property is not what Dad should be doing on his own.

Dad’s neighborly “snow angel” reminded me that being of service doesn’t have to be through a non-profit organization,  or a community group, or any other coordinated effort.  Each of us can be of service to our fellow human being, if we open our eyes to see the need and open our hearts to fill it.

Here are simple ways we can all be snow angels.

Shovel a neigbor’s sidewalk, clear their steps, chip away any ice build-up.  If you have children, make it a family affair.  Think of the important lessons you will teach them kindness and compassion through your actions and enthusiasm.

If you are going to the grocery store, check if your neighbor needs anything. While you are talking to them, ask if their heat is working and if they have hot water, especially if your neighbor is elderly or in poor health.  Leave your phone number with them, just in case.

If you see someone struggling to push a shoppping cart through a slushy parking lot, give them a hand.  When you are done shopping, or perhaps when leaving work at the end of the day, you might have to brush or scrape your windshield before driving.  Take a moment to do the same for the car next to you.  It only takes two minutes to make someone’s day.

Imagine the possibilities if there were more snow angels, like my father-in-law’s neighbor.

Stop Online Piracy Act.*

I don’t know enough about it, yet. I do know that bloggers are one population that could be seriously impacted.

You may have noticed yesterday that many tech websites were either blacked out or carried links to information about SOPA. The photo above is what wordpress.com (hosts this blog) looked like.

This post, however, is not just about SOPA.

Today, I am thankful to live in a society that allows, encourages, and embraces protest.

There are many countries around the world that would not tolerate such a protest. People are jailed everyday because they marched against a proposed government action. There are societies that would not allow the sharing of information about the potential impact of a new law. There are places, not too far away, where the government controls not only the law, but the dissemination of information about the law. In some places still today, disagreeing with the government is justification for that body to kill its own citizens.

The internet may have gone dark yesterday, but many were enlightened because of it. How great is that?

# ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~ #

*Interested in learning more about SOPA before it goes back before Congress next week? Click HERE to read the actual text of the bill as registered with the Library of Congress.

For additional opinions… THIS link will take you to an Op-Ed piece from Mashable; one man’s opinion on the dangers of SOPA. CNNMoney explains the pros and cons in THIS article, even though their parent company, Time Warner, supports the bill. Although nearly everyone agrees that content rights need to be protected, it is the possibilities of going too far that many are worried about. in THIS November NY Times editorial, the newspaper explains.

Here’s something to consider…when you are celebrating your 90th birthday, what will people say about working with you?

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you will do things differently. – Warren Buffett

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. – Jeff Bezos

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

While doing some research for this week’s Sunday Service, I came across an article that was published last year in USA Today’s Kindness forum.  There are several service organizations highlighted, so I thought I would share the article with you.  Click HERE to read the interview with Michelle Nunn, CEO of the Points of Light Institute and co-founder of the HandsOn Network, the largest volunteer network in the nation.

Opportunities to serve on Monday and everyday are plenty.  Click on the links above for ideas and resources.  Call your local community government, schools, or churches for how you can help in your neighborhood.  You can make a difference.  Imagine the possibilities!

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others. –  Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love (1963)