5 Leadership Lessons: Avoiding the "Mediocre Me" Mindset - LINK

This is a re-post from Leadership NOW

If you wonder if you should step up and lead, this book is for you. Mediocre Me by Brigadier General John Michel is a challenge to think differently about your role in the world. “Instead of the term leader being synonymous with someone who strives to use their influence to build value into their surroundings,” writes Michel, “it is more likely we associate it with someone doing whatever it takes just to keep the routine going.” Here are five more thoughts from Brigadier General John Michel: 

To read the rest of the article click here

Don't work too hard . . .

I stopped to get fuel this morning at my regular place.  I always get the fuel first then get a cup of cappuccino (half french vanilla and half hot-chocolate with a shot of real coffee).  As I'm checking out, the clerk, a nice young man who works hard at being personable, says to me on the way out the door, "Don't work too hard."

I know I've said those same words myself but for some reason they've stuck in my head and I've turned them over and over all day.  I've come to the conclusion that that is NOT the reputation which I want to cultivate, nor is it the lifestyle I choose to live. 

Say instead, "Work hard, give it all you've got, and be proud of what you've accomplished."

Just sayin'

iPad - making it a business tool - part 3

I won't do the subject justice but you will definitely need/want some kind of cloud storage option.  I know iCloud is an Apple product but I have limited experience with it and can't comment either way on it.  However, I have used Dropbox for years and am a HUGE fan of this application.  Some of the features which I love:

• Seamless sync with whatever I put in the MyDrop box folder.  I save it there and it automatically is saved in the "cloud."  If you are like me you have wondered where the "cloud" actually is.   I don't have the answer - which is why I back this file up on a flash drive periodically (I know paranoid).  
• Cross platform accessibility - this means I can access these files on my desktop, my laptop, my iPad, my Android tablet, and my phone  - and changes made at any of these locations automatically updates to the others - I LOVE THIS
• The ability to designate folders and files to share with others.  This allows me to share pictures or projects and keeps everyone up-to-date.

I also use Google Drive for some storage and especially for documents created with Google docs.  This is also handy for sharing files.

There are other cloud storage options and this is not meant to be a review so you do the research and find out which one(s) work best for you - but you should have at least one on your iPad ready to go.

Which is your favorite cloud storage application and why?

iPad - making it a business tool - part 2

As I mentioned in part 1, I use Notability for taking notes and have been able to go basically paper free with this wonderful application.  One thing which contributes to that is finding the right stylus.  It has to make the connection to provide the same sense as writing with ink and paper, with the same legibility - which with my handwriting is saying a lot.

So far I've only tried out three different stylus. 

The first seemed the coolest.  It came to a fine point with a round disk which slid across the surface of the iPad.  This particular stylus worked fine IF you kept the angle relative to the iPad relative high, i.e. it needed to be as close to 90 degrees as possible for the best effect.  When you could work this way, the writing was great.  However, when you forgot, or relaxed and the angle decreased, so did the writing quality with skipped lines.  Also the disk floating on the surface eventually left enough marks on the screen protector I was using to actually make the entire screen look pretty nasty.  I never used it on the bare tablet screen and would be a little afraid to do so after what it did to the screen protector.  So, while it looked cool, this was definitely NOT what I needed.

This second stylus was the cheapest and definitely not fancy by any stretch of the imagination.  The writing surface was a rubbery black tip with a simple aluminum barrel with a clip and a top piece with a hole in it for attaching a connector.  I think the connector could be similar to a wrist band or even a plug which would fit in the headphone jack, although that did not come with the pen.  This worked well on the bare iPad screen, although at times it seemed to drag a bit.  On the screen protector you could definitely feel the drag.  Still that was usable and provided a constant line, no matter the angle at which the pen was held.  I thought I was going to be fine with this, although I did wish that the drag could be eliminated.  That brings me to the final pen I tried.

This is the Trueglide.  My version doesn't have the cord at the top and it is finished with a flat top.  The barrel is black aluminum with some decorative features near the pen end.  The amazing thing about this pen is how smoothly it writes.  This is the best experience.  No drag, smooth connected lines every time no matter the angle.  This stylus makes writing an actual joy and enhances my ability, and my desire, to go paperless.  The only thing I would change is the barrel width - it is a little narrow for my tastes.  However, it does have a clip similar to the pen above which works well with my iPad case and is definitely not bulky or obnoxious.  I really like this pen and unless someone gives me another one to try which can trump these qualities, I'm sold.

If you are going to make your iPad truly a business tool, you have to feel comfortable with your tools and I think the Trueglide stylus will do that for you.

Still you may have tried something else which you like - please feel free to write a comment to this post and share your experience.

iPad - making it a business tool - part 1

I have an iPad.  I've been working with if for several months now and appreciate the ability to have such a powerful tool available that is far lighter than my laptop and, for many tasks, more appropriate.

Of course the primary applications to make an iPad truly useful in a business sense is the ability to sync with corporate email and calendar.  This is such a major benefit that I honestly can't imagine why anyone wouldn't put this at the top of their customization immediately upon unboxing this or any other tablet.    The ability to receive and send email, basically anywhere if 3G or 4G, or by wifi if not 3G/4G is such a time saver.  The calendar function is equally important.  By updating or adding an event to my iPad it automatically syncs with Outlook at work or the other way around.

I know most of our smart phones do these two functions as well, so maybe that is not enough of a benefit to invest in an iPad, however, this might change your mind.

Using an app called Notability I have been able to completely eliminate any other form of note taking at meetings.  This program is literally amazing.  I take a lot of notes and have traditionally used a spiralbound notebook and have several on my shelf that I have collected over the years, allowing me to look back and track down information as well as recall conversations.  But it also means that I only have with me what is in the current notebook.

Now I do all of that and more with Notability.  The application allows input from typing, pen, recording, and even inserts pictures within the notes.  The typing is about what you would expect and without a keyboard it is limiting.  The pen input, however, IS AMAZING!  There is an easy way to set up a place for your palm to rest and write within a zoom box that works so well and intuitively that keeping up with any meeting is easy.  And if the meeting has information which is too detailed for notes, a simple tap at the top of the application turns on a recorder which syncs with the location where you are writing for playback.  If there is information on the whiteboard, no problem, simply tap another icon and easily take a picture and insert it right into the notes.  Have .pdfs sent to you by email, such as an agenda, and want to take notes on that, no problem, as notability opens both .pdf files and .rtf files.  If I know I'm going into a meeting and have been sent the material in a Word document, I will convert it to a .pdf and then open it in Notability, allowing the same functionality with recordings, pictures, pen input and even highlighting.

These files can then be stored in the cloud or natively on the iPad - or BOTH.  Additionally they can be sent by email and easily printed either from the email through your computer or on an AirPrint enabled printer.

The best part - the application has an easy file organizer for keeping track of notes and that means that I can carry with me ALL my notes as well as all the may other wonderful things possible with a tablet and have them available anytime, anywhere.

More later about iPad efficiencies.

10 Ways to Handle Difficult Conversations - Link

Delivering unpleasant news, correcting misunderstandings, confronting a friend or family member, and dealing with hard-to-talk-about issues are the kinds of conversations most of us dread. They’re a part of life, however, and you can’t avoid them. Although you may never be 100 percent comfortable in these situations, there are a number of things you can do to make these necessary talks as productive and painless as possible.

This is a great article which goes into 10 tips on handling difficult conversations. 

To read the rest of the article, click here:

http://www.littlethingsmatter.com/blog/2010/09/23/10-ways-to-handle-difficult-conversations/ 

QBQ Book Study - Chapters 32 - 39

Continuing the study of QBQ by John Miller, looking at chapters 32-39.

 

I did attend the discussion for this section.  Again, the facilitator did a great job in summarizing the material and there was good interaction from the participants.  As I may have mentioned earlier, these sessions are being held "virtually" using web and phone conferencing with as many as 50-60 people in attendance at each session.  So far everyone I've spoken with has found the discussions helpful and this particular book a benefit to their lives.

 

These are the final chapters of the book and, although there is one final session for this study which summarizes the book, this is my last planned posting for this particular study.

 

Both in this session and the last session, the facilitators indicated they read the book at least once a year or even more often.  Certainly I have been reminded of important things as I have gone back through this study and re-read the book so I can see such repetition as a worthwhile endeavor.  I think even more so because of the subject of personal accountability seems to be one which so easily slips away from us without that reminder.

In chapter 32 Miller describes the cornerstone of leadership as being "humility."  Certainly that could have been inferred even in the first pages with the story of the manager who went to get a customer a drink at the request of his waiter.  Being humble in effect means a regard for others at least as high as that which you have for yourself, which translates into service.  When we understand that service toward others is not a lessening of ourselves (that is almost unAmerican! . . . . but decidedly Christian)  then we are on the road to true leadership.

I particularly resonated with the material in chapter 33 when Miller says "Leaders are not problem solvers."  I have a tendency to respond with answers and solve problems as a natural expression of my personality.  According to Miller and other leadership experts, it is crucial to restrain those impulses and instead unleash the creativity and capability of others in the organization to find solutions and learn how to fix problems.  This often entails suffering while there are mistakes and failures, but the end result is a stronger workforce with better skills.

Another nugget from this section states the difference between the "letter" of the QBQ and the "spirit" of the QBQ and the knowledge that the "spirit" has to trump the "letter."  The "spirit" of QBQ says:

• No more victim thinking, procrastinating, or blaming.
• I can only change me.
• Take action!

This is a pretty good place to close this study.  These three points, along with an understanding of how to frame the right questions comprise the heart of the book.  I need to put them on a sticky note and stick it to my computer monitor.

ACCESS 2013 President's Report

ACCESS Conference 2013
President’ Report

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

My first ACCESS conference was in Dallas, Texas.  I was immediately impressed with the real sense of professional collegiality and willingness of the members to share and collaborate.   As the years have gone by, I have continued to be impressed with the passion our members bring to serving students, and assisting each other on the subject of distance education.

The title of this, my final, report as president is "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There."  I borrowed the title from Marshal Goldsmith’s book by the same title.  I want to take a few minutes to look at what has gotten us “here,” and touch briefly on what might be involved in getting us “there.”
Some of the things which have gotten us here:

• Hard work
• Dedication of time, talent, and resources
• Ethical conduct and values based mission
• Passion for student learning
• A willingness to take risks and innovate

If all this has gotten us here, and we can assume it will be needed to get us "there," what more needs to be added?  Some might suggest that nothing more is needed; that if we keep doing what we've always done, things will get better.  But I've also heard this kind of thinking is the definition of insanity. I have an idea there might be something else needed to get us "there."

We exist in an interesting profession at an interesting point in history.  Higher education is steeped in the traditions of the past.  We are forced to deal with that reality in almost every faculty meeting.   We have innovated, but only within the paradigm of what higher education has always done, albeit with constant struggle against the traditionalism of many of our colleagues and institutions.  The growth of distance education in the academy has come as a surprise to many of our colleagues, even as those of us closer to the technological front could have easily predicted.  This struggle in awareness and acceptance is not fully resolved and may not be for some time.  However, the pervasiveness of this delivery venue will eventually break through even the hardest heads at our institutions, or, sadly, they will retire in consternation of their perceived lessening of the educational process.  We who are at the forward edge of these changes applaud the new wave and bemoan our colleagues who haven’t been able to adapt.  Secretly we even believe ourselves to part of a new elite, which, although somewhat suspect now, will eventually be recognized for the saviors of higher education that we feel ourselves to be.

But, again, all of this is part of the broader paradigm which has essentially not really changed.  It is our “here.”  However, the advance of technology and a societal shift in perspective has already begun to suggest that there is a “there” which will not be effectively served by the old paradigm, even in these new clothes.  Do we want to go there?  Should we go there?  Can we afford to go there?  Perhaps more importantly, can we afford NOT to go there?

One of my co-workers told me last week his 10 year old wanted a Nexus 7 for his birthday.  Another told me that he gave his 5 and 8 year old children Kindle Fires for Christmas.

The advent of MOOCs, the Western Governors competency model, social media, always-on pervasive knowledge available on any subject, usually including how-to videos, and the flattening of our world with the accessibility of mobile technology points to a “there” for higher education which, although nebulous at this point, is becoming visible. This was made even more clear in the presentation by Robbie Meltoisoniazid mobile technology and her 70,000 mobile applications.  Echoing her words  all I can say is "Oh my gosh what is coming in our future?"

So, what will we need to take us “there?”   I am a big fan of scotomas. You know what a scotoma is don't you?  A scotoma is a way of looking at things that overlooks, ignores, or is ignorant of, the possibility that there are other ways to see the same thing with a completely different effect.  The only way to overcome a scotoma is with assistance. That is what ACCESS and other engagements in the collective dialogue provide for us: the opportunity to see the future as we challenge each other and the scatoma that we have known up to now as "higher education."  We have to stay engaged in the conversation and not fall prey to isolationist, or worse, elitist, thinking.    We can get "there" if we go there  together. I am convinced that the "there" of the future will require an unprecedented level of collaboration amongst our institutions, and I am convinced that ACCESS and other conferences  and organizations like it, are part of our solution to get us "there."

It has been my pleasure to work with some amazing people on the ACCESS Executive Committee such as Mary Lowe, Kevin Mahaffy, Michael Wilder, Jason Baker, Michael Freeman, Mindi Thompson, and Chris VanBuskirk.  I am confident in their leadership in the coming years to help us find ways to see this new scotoma that will become higher education, because what has gotten us here will definitely not get us "there."

QBQ Book Study - Chapters 24 -31

Continuing the study of QBQ by John Miller, looking at chapters 24-31.

I did attend the discussion for this section.  The facilitator did a great job in summarizing the material and there was good interaction from the participants.  As I may have mentioned earlier, these sessions are being held "virtually" using web and phone conferencing with as many as 50-60 people in attendance at each session.  So far everyone I've spoken with has found the discussions helpful and this particular book a benefit to their lives.

This section starts with a couple of chapters on integrity (I'm going back to chapter 23 as well).  In keeping with the focus of the book the IQ (incorrect question) we too often ask is: "When will others walk their talk?"  and the QBQ would be:  "Am I walking my talk?"    Miller defines integrity as: "Being what I say I am by acting in accordance with my words."  This is a powerful concept and he follows this up in the next chapter with an in-your-face concept of "Believe or Leave."   By this he is pushing us to place our personal integrity at the top of our lives in practice as well as in theory.   It is a fact that whenever we live in conflict with our values we suffer in our own personal sense of self-worth, not to mention our productivity and dysfunctional relationships.

In chapter 26 he gives a twist to the serenity prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know  . . its me!"  I like this and he clearly states we can't really change others so our only hope of finding peace and purpose comes when we stop trying to change those around us and focus on our own issues.  I know this to be true personally and have been working on this process for a number of years.  I'm also aware of the trap of postponing working on ME until things get better ( or I have more money, or more time, or better health, or move to a new location, or ......) because if I do postpone, I will always find an excuse not to start.

This is reinforced in what Miller says is the third guideline: "All QBQs focus on action."  We ask better questions and then we take action.

He finishes this section by talking about leadership.  I know many people who would say they are not leaders and sometimes when this subject is raised they completely check-out of the conversation.  But I think if we've learned anything from QBQ it is that we are at least the leader of OURSELVES.  Being a leader of ME means that I get to choose to ask Better Questions and take Action, regardless of what the rest of the world does.  This is empowering stuff!!