Group items tagged

Blog on leadership by Neil Smith, Fast Company on eliminating barriers that keep departments/groups from sharing the same priorities, knowledge, information for the good of the whole organization.

article by Karen Higginbottom on digital skills importance for workforce members of all ages, September 22, 2015

Newsletter by Ann Mehl, a life coach, 1.26.13. Justifies Studio's raison d'etre. Excerpts: "The workplace has changed enormously in recent years. Gone are the days when some benevolent company would direct and manage your career for you, while you dozed off at the wheel. Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon every employee to proactively manage his own career. We have become in essence, a nation of free agents. A company of one. And all successful "companies" must identify and set their priorities in such a way that our goals can be achieved. In the humdrum of work, it's often easy to find yourself adrift, floating aimlessly downstream without clear intent or destination. The days blur into each other, until you have no idea where you are going, or what it was you hoped to achieve. But ask yourself this question: if you're not steering the ship, then who is?" ..."Are there any personal development classes that would make certain parts of my job easier? Should I be speaking with other industry peers in my field so that I remain current? Is there anybody I can identify who might be willing to mentor me while I navigate this tricky next phase of my career?"

Blog post by Jeff Cobb, the author of Ten Ways to be a Better Lifelong Learner and Mission to Learn blog, on EvoLLLution (illuminating the lifelong learning movement), 3.26.2012 See excerpt below for obstacles that keep people from lifelong learning: "AA: What are the major gaps keeping today's adults from effectively continuing their education? JC: There are two ways to come at that question, at least. It's high-level at first, to differentiate between education-which I consider to be primarily a formal, structured activity-and learning, the vast majority of which is informal and not necessarily structured. And learning encompasses education, but learning is just so much broader. When it comes to education, there can be any number of barriers that prevent an adult from continuing her education. Time and money tend to be two of the biggest. Those barriers can be overcome; like anything in life it's just often a matter of priorities and planning, both on the part of the individual and the society, but they do have to be overcome. On the other hand with learning, there's really nothing that can prevent an adult from continuing learning if they are in fact dedicated to doing that. We really can't help doing it; we're pretty much hard-wired to be continually learning. But we all know how overwhelming the flow of information can be around us these days; on the one hand it's this sense of being overwhelmed that can hold people back, I think another factor is that we simply don't look at a lot of the amazing new opportunities that we have, primarily through what the web now enables. … We don't necessarily look at these as learning tools and as things that can really help us to engage with and grow in life. Really, once you recognize that and once you start thinking in terms of effective strategies and effective approaches, the sky's the limit."

Blog post by Ron Carlee, October 25, 2011, on Societal Impacts of Digital Exclusion, TechSoup for Libraries. He was "asked to comment on the importance of digital technologies from the perspective of local govenrments." Great quote for connected learning value. See cost proposition below: This increased societal connectiveness and awareness, however, is only available if one is connected. If you're not connected, you're really not connected. In an earlier day, we could legitimately debate the importance of a digital divide relative to other public priorities. In its infancy, informational technology was interesting and useful, but was it truly essential for everyone all the time? This is no longer a credible question. Without digital connectivity in the 21st century, people will earn less, pay more for the things they buy, live life with fewer personal connections, and they will not be exposed to virtual worlds of vast knowledge, art, and even frivolity. If we really care about having successful communities of educated people who can compete in a global economy, who are entrepreneurial and creative, if we really want people to connect with one another, if we want our institutions to connect with the people they serve, if we want a sustainable world that improves the lives of all people, then we must ask the question: can any community afford involuntary, digital exclusion for any of its residents?

13 apps and programs recommended in Alex Pang's The Distraction Addiction. Maybe useful for uncluttering and intentional priorities learning labs. Appeared in Elle October 11, 2013

"These are our favorite female bloggers and career sites for women. The list is taken from our blog. It is in alphabetical order rather than priority. We could not include everyone. Please add your own favorites if yours is not included."

by Seth Kahan, April 12, 2013, Fast company 1. fundamental model of membership is in question ...What is membership turning into? Too early to tell. Engaged action is one candidate. This is the anticipated, intentional, collective behavior of a group. 2. Adoption of private sector business practices ...Pursuing the bottomline in tough market conditions seems like a no-brainer, but the overall impact is not necessarily what is desired for a mission driven organization, shifting priorities away from impact and member value. 3. Talent ...continuous, aggressive professional development is an organizational asset only in some associations. This is changing. It means less certainty for employees while it opens up new territory for innovation and expansion of the organization. 4. Competitive intelligence ...many associations are doing negligible work on behalf of their mission. Prices for gathering intelligence are plummeting. Often it is only the CEO who actively searches for new information and connects the dots for organizational strategy. Expect this to change 5. Disruption of members' business Savvy associations leaders are looking around the curve, putting the puzzle together for members. This means going beyond providing information and ata. Instead it means compiling, analyzing, distilling and communicating useful knowledge that impacts members' lives. ???It is not uncommon to see associations beefing up their subject matter experts these days because members need it in a disruptive economy. 6. Driving uptake in a competitive world ...each association owned a small monopoly, providing the single best resource to everyone in their field. No more. With the advent of 24/7 interconnectivity, anyone can set up shop and begin serving your members.

Survey by Seth Kahan of 135 executives of trade associations and professional societies among others. Listed innovation priorities for future: educational offerings mentioned 101 times (135 survey participants), member experience--78, meetings--65, ...technology--56 Interesting innovations identified by survey participants on page 17 starting with this one: identifying a unique way of delivering women's leadership programming. Many organizations do it, most for their internal staff development, but don't do it well. We want to drop anchor in a crowded ocean and dive deep below the surface for our reach. Another one: creating an institute to advance the profession: research, human capital and practice management. Yet another: practice Portal www.asha.org/practice-portal/

interview with Rosabeth Moss Kanter, September 2012, Harvard Magazine on business ecosystems and how they thrive with connections between large and small businesses, education and business, turning ideas into enterprises, and cross-sector collaboration

AssociationsNow blog, July 30, 2014 "Toronto-based software company Wild Apricot, identified the same top three priorities reported in last year's survey: Small-membership organizations are most concerned about increasing membership, increasing member engagement, and demonstrating member value. Among the challenges that respondents said they face were attracting and engaging millennials and getting their boards and members to adopt new technologies. The survey gathered input from 487 organizations that represent fewer than 500 members and have operating budgets of less than $500,000. The findings provide a glimpse into the many facets of running a small-membership organization, including information about membership growth, recruitment and retention, membership models, and finances."

article by Stephanie Vozza, Fast company, LinkedIn Seven habits 1. Organized people seek out tools 2. Organized people set priorities MITs 3. Organized people have less stuff 4. Organized people choose simple solutions 5. Organized people practice maintenance 6. Organized people regularly purge 7. Organized people project themselves into the future

Interesting look at associations' challenges in 2014 Following 2013, a year in which 42 percent of the respondents to the "DC Associations Salary Survey Report 2013-2014" reported a decrease in membership revenues, 74 percent of respondents reported that increasing membership is their number-one challenge for 2014. The survey also identified several of the ways associations plan to foster growth this year. "This pressing issue is confirmed by plans to find innovative ways to deliver programs and services-clear paths to increasing membership and revenues," according to the report. Increasing staff performance and productivity was also reported as a strategic priority to ensure growth in 2014. Fifty-eight percent of respondents reported that they plan to do so. Roughly 50 percent plan to increase staff in key areas and increase staff training and coaching.

nice blog post by Vanessa Loder, July 1, 2014 on how to avoid being overwhelmed, Akoya Power From Within. Published originally in Forbes. Seven how-tos by Brigid Schulte to manage overwhelm 1. Recognize and release the pressure 2. Align With Your Values (...being clear on your priorities...to enjoy the journey) 3. Cultivate leisure time 4. Simplify your to do list 5. Work smarter, not harder 6. Get a support group 7. Practice appreciation and gratitude; be mindful

Nice blog on focusing--understand your priorities on importance and urgency axes; take command of your schedule by defining time blocks; break down big tasks into steps; distract yourself intentionally by stretching, going for a walk, doing routine tasks that don't require brainpower.

excellent article by Jennifer Chandler and Kristen Scott Kennedy on building capacity through networks, February 5, 2016. 

Great blog post on how to start your productive day by at workawesome. 1. Well-begun is half-done 2. Spend more time in the shower 3. Eat a proper breakfast 4. Stay away from negatives--thoughts, people, and actions 5. Do what makes you happy, and be proud for it

An open Google Document set up by Leadership Learning Community with categories--network culture, network mindset, network behaviors, processes, skills, network structure, and personal mastery--with attributes for each, and a column for voting,

summary of main findings from just released CompTIA study on millennials' expectations of technology, telecommuting in the workplace, etc. 

Really wonderful article on nonprofit leadership development and how the lack of it leads to much external executive hiring and high turnover in these roles