For the presentation on Resilient Leadership, the participants were asked to complete a survey which allowed them to rank themselves on 4 aspects of Resilient Leadership.  They could then "text" their result to a polling site which would tabulate the responses.  If you attended this presentation and would like to see the scores FOR THE HIGHEST RANKED FACTOR

Try this audience polling system at Poll Everywhere

I am making a presentation today on Resilient Leadership in the face of Vicissitude.  I've included the presentation below.  As I have worked on this material I have been reminded of the crucial part that resiliency plays in our ability to function effectively in our world.  For centuries the rate of change was practically stagnant - for instance little advances were made over horse drawn wagons for hundreds of years.  In our personal lives, the impact of change requires new skills and abilities which support leadership skills.   Books such as "The Resilience Factor" and "Primal Leadership" help us understand these skill needs, which I think can be bracketed into four areas:

• Realistic Optimism
• Resonant Emotional Intelligence
• Resourceful Problem Solving 
• Relational Health

Check out the presentation and see if you can find the thread of resiliency within:

I requested the opportunity to review LogiPen's LogiNotes Digital Pen Input Device (http://www.LogiPen.com)  I received the LogiPen on July 12, 2010 Inside the box:
·    Pen
·    USB cord
·    LogiPen capture unit (1 1/2 x 3 3/8 x 3/8 inches) with a clip on back to secure to pages (called Base Unit in the Directions)
·    flat package including pen  and stylus refills, 2 batteries and an "extractor" for replacing the pen/stylus
·    directions
·    CD-ROM of Software for LogiManage
The Base Unit has to charge for up to 12 hours before the first use

Installing the batteries (SR41) was simple and the directions were straightforward.

The directions said to push the pen insert in gently until it is lodged securely - it actually felt more like passing over a bump, but it did insert OK.  The ink quality is only average - but that is to be expected since the focus is not on the writing but the capture.

--
It is now September 9, 2010.  I have had the LogiPen for nearly two months now. I’ve. taken it with me to conferences and used it in meetings. Here are some of the concisions I have reached:

1.    The pen itself is comfortable to hold and use.  The ink supplied flows well. I’ve not tried to find a refill so I don't know how difficult it would be to secure, The batteries in the pen have lasted a long time.

2.    The receiver unit, which sets at the top of the page, records all the pen strokes accurately giving a good reproduction of both writing and drawing.   Its connection with the computer is easy and the transfer of information is quick and accurate.  The accompanying software tracks the information into folders based on the date of connection and download, so, for instance, you may have a dozen pages in one folder and only a couple in the next. That is not a problem and the actual pages can be easily renamed and even moved from folder to folder.  I do wish that there was an easier way to send a page (.jpg) to Microsoft One Note, and that the battery in the recording unit lasted longer.

3.    I uploaded some notes I took with the LogiPen with no problems, simply connect to the computer with the included USB cable and select "Upload Notes" from the Logi Manage program.  I have to say how pleased I am with the easy transition from the device to the LogiManage program.  Even without checking the directions too much, it is pretty easy to navigate.  However, when trying to open in MS Word, the LogiManage states that no handwriting was detected and further research on the website shows that getting this to work in anything other than Windows 7 is complicated.  On the plus side, the company provides on the same installation disk as the LogiManage, a handwriting recognition package named: MyScript.  This did a pretty reasonable job in translating my handwriting (which is not too good) into text, as long as I paid careful attention to my writing.  I like that the LogiPen clearly captures all my notes, drawings, etc. exactly as I made them.  So far I haven't found any easier way to move stuff to MS OneNote, which I think would be a real plus for this company.  What I have had to do is not too complicated (simple cut and paste) but it is an additional step which could be avoided.

4.    Practically, the use of the recording unit and pen is a learned discipline.  I have to make sure the unit is affixed to the page and turned on; that there is sufficient charge in the unit (which means keeping it connected to the charger between uses – on more thing to remember); and to push the next page button after repositioning the unit on a new page.  I have to remember that every pen stroke is recorded – even those on on the page of notes, so that if I reach over and make a mark, etc., on another document, it will likely show up as a stray mark in my notes.  This means swapping pens occasionally – if I remember.

5.    I initially requested the pen because I was thinking of a broad application to incoming freshmen at College.  After my trial I would have to say that is NOT a good solution.  Freshmen are typically NOT known for their organizational skills. So, while there would be some expections, I would not recommend the logi pen for a general college distribution.

6.    I do think the logi pen is an excellent tool for those who are relatively well organized.  I would recommed it for administrators, managers, and administrative assistants, particularly those who have to attend multiple meetings and need to keep track of their notes.  I have found it to be useful in this capacity and will continue to use it for these meetings.

7.    I think it would also be useful for those who write papers/reports by hand as opposed to typing.  I suspect that there are fewer and fewer who do this, but it does work well for that purpose, with one potential difficulty mentioned in the next point.

8.    If you have poor handwriting, the LogiPen is probably not a good investment for you, unless you are happy with the .jpg images.  I admit since getting the LogiPen I have been more conscious of my writing and have attempted to improve; but I’m also facing years of poor writing habits and, honestly, the bad habits are winning.  This means that the software’s ability to translate my scratches into meaningful typewritten text is fairly low, requiring nearly as much or more time to fix than the typing would have taken.

Conclusion.

I think the LogiPen has limited applications for most people.  Probably the ones who would receive the most benefit would be those who are extremely well organized, take copious notes at meetings or in classes and have fairly good handwriting.  Also, possibly, for those who do highly visual and do a lot of sketching of ideas.  For most of the rest of us, it is a cool toy.