The show provides an insight to how vertical communications and a corporate vision can break down as the gap between front line employees and executive level employees widens.

I am particularly sensitive to this, as the company that I work for has grown significantly over the last few years.  Two years ago, as my responsibility grew to six departments, I added two Directors to my structure.  This caused quite a stir initially, as some felt that I was removing myself from the day-to-day leadership of our business unit.  On the other hand, I felt that adding these two remarkable people would actually strengthen the leadership team as a whole.

Then, this past weekend, my office was moved from the 4th floor of the building where five of my six departments are housed down to the first floor of our original building with the rest of the executive team.  Some people have again commented that I’m “leaving” my departments.  I have tried explaining that my first priority has to be as a member of the executive team, and that focus will serve all of the departments well.   One’s peer team is the primary relationship and one’s vertical team is secondary (albeit a very close second!).  That is not something easily understood by the people who think that, as their leader, I should be still be constantly among them.

I am glad that our communication is such that people feel comfortable sharing their concerns with me.  Hopefully, my ongoing behaviors will continue to provide the space for that, no matter what floor my office is physically located on.  I know that it is up to me to keep all of those important relationships, with all levels of my team, alive and healthy.

Which brings me to Sunday night’s episode of “Undercover Boss.”  Bill Carstanjen, COO of Churchill Downs, Inc., travelled to some of their lesser known horse track locations.  He helped feed horses, clean banquet rooms, and support jockeys in their race preparation.  Bill learned a very important lesson; if he didn’t really understand the day-to-day challenges of the employees on the front-line, he could not being as effective as he otherwise could be as a leader.

In closing comments to his staff, after the big “reveal” of his true identity, Bill shared the following comment:

The most important things in life start with human interaction.  It starts with talking.  It starts with caring.  That’s something we all need to understand better.

I hope that the viewers of the show stayed tuned in through the very end to hear Bill’s statement.  It was a critical lesson he learned, and an important one for us all to understand.  The one thing I would add is the need to listen, too.

How can we act on this today?  To whom can we demonstrate that we really care?  Starting today, who can we interact with and learn from?

I attended an Ohio High School Division I District Championship game on Saturday.  Westerville Central High School was playing Northland High School out of Columbus.  Northland is the #1 team in the country.  One of their players, Jared Sullinger, is the National High School Player of the Year.  Central had their hands full, to say the least.

Sitting next to me was just the cutest little boy.  I’m an old softie when it comes to little kids, so I started talking to him:

Me: How old are you?

Little boy: Seven.  But I’m almost eight. 

Me: You are? Do you have a birthday coming up soon? 

Little boy: Yes, in July!

Hmmm…  I guess that’s soon if you’re seven, almost eight!

Westerville Central was only down by one point after the first quarter.  The guys played really hard, but by halftime they were down by seven, and the margin got wider from there.

In the third quarter, the game got out of hand as Northland outscored Central 22-3.  Central was playing harder than I’ve seen them play all year, but they were no match for Northland.  At some point early in the quarter, Sullinger made a statement dunk that made the crowd go wild.  The following conversation took place between me and the little boy:

Little boy: Wow, that was a really great shot!  They’re playing really well.

Me: That was a good shot, but it wasn’t the right team!

Little boy (with a very puzzled look on his face): It wasn’t the right team?

Me: No.  We want Westerville Central to win.  That was a great shot, but he plays for the other team.

Little boy: Ma’am, the main thing is to just have fun!  And I had fun watching that shot!

Me (laughing): You are one smart boy.

Seven years old, almost eight.

As the fourth quarter began, Westerville Central was down by 28 points.  The smart little boy looked up at the scoreboard and said, “Well, whoever plays really hard for the rest of the game and scores the most points is going to win.”  It sounded so simple, coming from a seven year old, almost eight.

Northland finally put in their second team players in with about two minutes left in the game.  Central made a few quick baskets, the score got closer and it was finally under 20 points.  The little boy sitting next to me got very excited, bouncing up and down in his seat:

Little boy: Look, it’s getting closer!  We might win!

Me: It is getting closer, but I don’t think there is enough time left for us to win.

Little boy: Sure there is.  All we have to do is make a bunch of baskets, and score a lot of points before time runs out.

Me: But there’s only 20 seconds left.

Little boy: Then we better run really fast!

Well, needless to say, we didn’t run fast enough to score that many points in twenty seconds!  Westerville Central did not win the district title.  But, as the announcer said before the medals were handed out, “There is no shame in playing hard and losing to the number one team in the country.”

One more snippet of wisdom from the little boy.  At the end of the game, we had this brief conversation:

Little boy: That was fun!  I had a lot of fun watching the game. 

Me: I had fun, too, watching the game with you.

Little boy: Maybe next time they’ll win.  Then everyone will have fun!  Bye!

Here’s a question to consider: At what point in our lives do so many of us lose the enthusiasm, the positive attitude, and the hopefulness of possibility thinking?

Imagine the possibilities if we all looked at the world through the eyes of a child.  Especially this very smart seven year old little boy, almost eight.

By exposing the children to the phrase ‘one nation, under God,’ the key witness testified that

“the daily recitation interfered with her right to direct her child’s upbringing and that it indoctrinated her child with the belief that God exists.”

What do you think?  Is the Pledge of Allegiance an overt religious endorsement or a patriotic act of loyalty to the United States?

In the ruling, the majority opinion stated:

“The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our republic was founded and for which we continue to strive: one Nation under God,” wrote the majority. “Millions of people daily recite these words when pledging allegiance to the United States of America.”

The dissenting judge said:

“Carrying out such an indoctrination in a public school classroom unconstitutionally forces many young children either to profess a religious belief antithetical to their personal views or to declare themselves through their silence or nonparticipation to be protesting nonbelievers, thereby subjecting themselves to hostility and ridicule.”

Interestingly enough, the pledge originally contained no reference to God.  That was added in the 1950s.  The pledge also does not define God in any way, nor tie him/her to any specific religious creed.  While our founding fathers were quite clear about the separation of church and state, it was not for any lack of belief in a God.  It was so the government could not dictate what specific religion the people must follow.

When I was a child, every school day began with the the Pledge.  I never gave it a second thought.  I thought we were promising loyalty to our country by pledging allegiance to its primary symbol.  Today, perhaps because of my son’s military service, I feel even stronger that it is a promise made by the citizens of the United States to stand firm in all the liberties our country represents.

When I rise for the pledge before a high school basketball game, I put my hand over my heart; I do not fold my hands in prayer.  When the pledge is over, I join in the crowd applause; I do not make the sign of the cross.  I can’t quite get myself to see that a 3rd grade teacher leading 25 eight year olds in the Pledge of Allegiance is really influencing their religious beliefs.

The next step, if the parents so choose, is to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court.  If you sat on the bench, how would you rule?

(Note: The quotes above are from CNN.com)

Still needed?

The above question has been gnawing at me.  I hope that after you read this post, you will add a comment sharing your thoughts on the need for this day.

Yesterday, I saw numerous tweets, press releases, and other sorts of publicity about International Women’s Day (IWD).  With each one, I grew slightly more frustrated.  I was born in the late fifties, so the fight for equality seemed to be happening before my eyes as I grew up.  Between my parents’ influence and societal changes, I turned out to be an example of all that is great about being a woman (my opinion, of course).  And those things come down to the choices I made.

My parents were German immigrants and I was raised in a very traditional, male-dominated household.  I was quite the independent teen, but after I got married and parenthood came along, I chose the traditional path of being a stay-at-home Mom.  Years later, I started working and eventually built a career.  After my kids finished school, I went to college.  Today I hold an executive position for a company I love going to each day.  I never viewed my path as putting my life on hold or that my happiness was secondary; I viewed this as the life I chose and I was very happy with that.

I’ve also never been a supporter of the idea that the “glass ceiling” is still imprenetrable.  I believe that we make choices in our lives and our careers that impact what path our professional lives take.  Rather than complain about being limited by those choices, I think we need to own the choices we make and the results of those choices.  If we don’t feel that we are paid enough, recognized enough, or promoted enough, I suggest that we need to look at ourselves first.  What changes do we need to make to develop our professional skills, communication style, or leadership philosophy in order to gain what we want out of our career?  Or, perhaps we need to change jobs or employers.  We have choices.

I think some of this is also generational.  My daughter, Heather, is an entrepreneur.  She is college-educated.  She developed her passion and honed her skills working for a couple different public relations firms over the last seven years, as well as volunteering her efforts for several non-profits.  This past December, she launched her own company, Geben Communication.

Heather’s achievements have come through her own intelligence, hard work, desire to grow, being customer-minded, socially aware, and focused on hearing what her customers really need and then delivering it.  She is celebrated as a great public relations and social media expert – not as a great woman public relations and social media expert.  The circle of friends her and her husband share includes other women who are focused on building their careers right now, while other friends have decided the time was right to start a family.  All of them are seen as successful, no matter what life choices they have made.  This reflects a change in how the younger generations view women.

All that is a little background to help you understand my question: Why do we still need a separate day to celebrate ”the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future?”

Before I upset the feminist apple cart, I figured I had better do some research as to how the day came into being.

Way back in 1911, the idea of a Women’s Day was introduced by Clara Zetkin, Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany.  Women from several countries had been working for years to gain the right to vote and the equality they hoped that would bring.  According to the IWD website,

[Zetkin] proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day – a Women’s Day – to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women’s clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin’s suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women’s Day was the result.

Here we are, 99 years later, and we are still designating a special time to focus the world’s attention on the achievements of women.  Why?  Is there an International Men’s Day?  No.  We don’t need a designated day to celebrate the contributions of men.  Why can’t we simply celebrate the achievements of people as they make their mark on our society?

Doesn’t this continued separation actually further the idea that women somehow require separate acknowledgement?  Doesn’t it send the message that our achievements are not as world-changing as those of men, and we therefore need to call special attention to them? 

Haven’t we made enough strides in the last 99 years that we can be confident in allowing our work stand and be noticed on its own merit?

I also feel obligated to add that I am not saying that we should ignore the plight of women in other countries who are still struggling to gain equal opportunities.  That effort deserves much support.  But, that is not the purpose of this day.

Interestingly enough, this year’s IWD fell on the day after the Academy Awards at which a Best Director Oscar was awarded to a woman for the very first time (Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker).  While watching the coverage after the Academy Awards, I heard an interview with Barbra Striesand.  She made the following statement:

I hope there will come a time when it will not be about a woman director and a man director, but just who the best director is; when there’s no regard for gender, but just the talent of the work.

Exactly, Ms. Striesand, exactly. 

Consider these questions: Does continuing International Women’s Day help the cause of equality?  Or, does it merely continue the idea that the achievements of women need to somehow be specially noted and celebrated?  What are your thoughts?

Here in Ohio, over the last couple days, the sun has been shining, the temperature has been slowly creeping upward, the snow is melting, and smiles are quick and easy.  People are tired of the snowy weather and dreary skies.  They are excited about the brightness of the days and that Spring is around the corner.

In my opinion, there is a clear and strong relationship between sunshine, attitude and happiness.  Here’s a little test.  Sit near a window and feel the warmth of the sun.  Or, go outside and walk a path that is void of shade.  Feel the warmth and soak up the natural light.  How do you feel?

Think of songs that reference sunshine and you’re sure to add even more spring to your step.  Just a few excerpts are listed below.  Click the links and enjoy!  I bet your toes will start tapping, you will start humming, and a smile won’t be far behind! 

Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves

Walking on sunshine
Walking on sunshine
I feel alive, I feel a love, I feel a love that’s really real
I feel alive, I feel a love, I feel a love that’s really real
I’m on sunshine baby, oh yeah!
I’m on sunshine baby

Sunny Days – Sesame Street

Sunny Day
Sweepin’ the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street

Come and play
Everything’s A-OK
Friendly neighbors there
That’s where we meet 

Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it’s all right

Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it’s all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it’s all right

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

What is your favorite musical sunshine?  Here is a list of 100 songs to get you started!

Over the last eight years or so, he has been dealing with numerous surgeries and treatments for thyroid cancer which then spread to his salivary glands and jaw. After all of his pain and suffering, after losing the ability to speak and drink and eat, he still has a most joyous spirit and positive attitude towards life.  As an example of this remarkable man’s attitude, below is an excerpt from his journal, shared by his wife on a recent TV appearance:

I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do.

To make others less happy is a crime.  To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts.

We must try to contribute joy to the world.  That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstance, we must try.

I didn’t always know this and I am happy I lived long enough to find it out.

Wow.  Whatever small problem I am dealing with, becomes even smaller as I think about Roger Ebert and his powerful words.  He is now cancer-free, living a productive, active and happy life, and stands as an incredible example for all of us.

Imagine the possibilities if we all try to contribute joy to the world!

The following comments caught my ear:

Oprah: You can’t remember most arguments because most arguments are not about the thing that they appear to be about.

Jerry: If you’re healthy, you can’t remember.

Isn’t that so true?  How many times have you found yourself arguing with someone, and what you’re arguing about isn’t the real problem?  You might be arguing about the most recent little annoyance, but ignoring a bigger issue between you.

Jerry’s comment was made almost as an after-thought, but it is too important to skip over.  If you’re in a healthy relationship, you won’t remember most arguments.  You’ll disagree, negotiate and compromise, agree and move on.  It’s over and done with.  However, in an unhealthy relationship, you’ll hang on to every disagreement, saving them up for the big explosion.  They are never really resolved.

Imagine the possibilities of a relationship with no pent-up anger, resentment or unsettled disagreements.  Imagine the peace that would come with conversational resolution to a disagreement rather than yelling, door-slamming, accusations, and the other ugliness that comes with unhealthy fighting.

The next time you find yourself in a disagreement with someone, stop and ask yourself what are you really arguing about?  If it’s not what it appears to be about, then be brave and bring up the real issue.  Change your unhealthy habits into healthy ones.

Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  It’s not just a famous quote.  It’s a rule for a positive and peaceful life.  Think of it this way: Be the change you want to see in your world!  Be that change, and you will impact the world.

–> The average cost of a new house in 1948 was $7,700 while the average annual household income was $2950.

–> A gallon of gas cost 16 cents and  new car could be bought for $1250.

–> You could buy a loaf of bread for 14 cents and a pound of hamburger for 45 cents.

–>Israel was declared an independent state, the U.N. created the World Health Organization and the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin, leading the U.S. and Great Britain to airlift food and supplies for 11 months.

–>Inventions included the 33 RPM LP record, Velcro, and the transistor radio. The first Porsche was also introduced in 1948.

–>The Easter Parade was a top film, South Pacific opened on Broadway, and the board game Scrabble was introduced.

–>Among those born in 1948 were Prince Charles, Samuel L. Jackson, Al Gore, Donna Summer, Ozzie Osbourne and James Taylor.

–>Harry S. Truman was the U.S. President and Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Russian Central Committee.

–>Francis Taylor led the four man bobsled team for the U.S., winning the gold medal in the winter Olympics, held in St.Moritz, Switzerland.

Yes, 1948 was a very long time ago.

Congratulations to the U.S. four man bobsled team, 201o Olympic gold medalists: driver Steven Holcomb, and pushers Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz.  Here’s hoping it won’t be another 62 years!

There isn’t a lot of information available about Cheltzie.  According to the Vancouver2010 website, she is 15 years old, 5′0″ tall and lists her occupation as “student.”  Although Cheltzie is the reigning national champion of Australia, she certainly is not the best skater in the Olympics.  As she started her short program, one of the announcers even said her goal would be just to finish in the top 24, which would give her a chance to skate her long program.

Cheltzie didn’t find out until February 2, when an Israeli skater withdrew, that she was even going to Vancouver.  She has been working very hard since then, but really hasn’t had as much time as most of the other skaters to practice and prepare.  For Cheltzie, it really is about the Olympic experience.

And, it’s about Morgan.

Morgan Innes was a fellow figure skater and good friend of Cheltzie’s.  She died at the age of 14 in a boating accident along with three other people in Sydney Harbor back in 2007.  Cheltzie misses her friend and wears a yellow bracelet in tribute to her.

Tuesday evening, Cheltzie accomplished what every Olympic athlete hopes for.  She performed better than she ever had before, “exceeding expectations” the Australian Sun Herald said.  Squealing with joy over her score of 52.16 points, Cheltzie topped her previous personal best by 5 points, and came in 18th overall.  She will be skating her long program in the next round.

After her performance, Cheltzie said she knew that Morgan would be proud of her.  Yes, Cheltzie, she would.  Congratulations on doing your very best when it was your moment to shine!

What are some of your favorite Olympic stories, so far?

“Be happy and love yourself.  Then you will get love from other people.”

 - Marvadene “Bubbles” Anderson, a 6′10″ sixteen year old on yesterday’s Oprah Show -

What a wise young woman.