Mel Brooks, Ben Stein, Andragogy, and Principles of Facilitative Teaching

Connecting Followership and Transformational Leadership

Creating Engagement - Lessons from The Trust Edge, by David Horsager

I recently started The Trust Edge, by David Horsager and have found the book to be a good read with a lot of useful information.

Here are four things I’ve learned/been reminded of in the first third of this book along with an application for the classroom – either the physical classroom or online:

1. “You are trusted to the degree that people believe in your ability, your consistency, your integrity, and your commitment to deliver.” (p.9)  As you read through this list it is obvious that these things don’t happen immediately.  They are developed over time and in relationship.  Teaching application: Your relationship with your students and their perception of “your ability, your consistency, your integrity, and your commitment to deliver” will build trust or erode it.  Building trust will result in greater student engagement as they discover you are worth trusting.
2. “People do small, even menial tasks differently when they catch a great vision.  If you are a leader in your organization, share your vision consistently.  If you are not sharing your vision at least every thirty days, your team doesn’t know it. A clear vision inspires, unifies and gives powerful focus.” (p. 50)  While this is written toward an organization I can see clear application for the adult classroom.  Teaching application: A major point of adult learning theory has to do with sharing the relevancy of the subject with the students; not just why it is important, but what the cost could be in NOT knowing the information.  So, for the classroom, sharing vision should equate to making sure there is a clear connection of relevancy every week.  When you do this engagement increases.
3. “Expect and even appreciate conflict.  The old notion rings true: if we are all exactly the same, we are not all needed. Conflict can be a source of growth, creativity, and, in the end, greater unity.” (p.64)  I know many Instructors will go to almost any lengths to avoid even the hint of conflict in the classroom.  This might seem desirable, and certainly is easier, but avoiding conflict doesn’t foster learning and engagement at the higher levels.  Teaching application: Engaged adult learners will challenge the Instructor from time to time.  This is because what you are teaching seems to run crosswise to their experience.  If you squash this freedom to raise these challenges, you will effectively reduce or eliminate engagement.  If, on the other hand, you encourage students to respond, use the challenges to gather information, attempt to understand where the challenge is coming from, and respond with empathy, engagement will blossom.
4. “No matter what your profession is, challenge yourself to start thinking like the customer, patient, client, congregation member, or student.  Think of these people’s needs and challenges.  Care aboutthem. Give them a great experience.  Make them feel valued.” (p.74) Teaching application:  Adults respond better and are more engaged when they feel respected and valued.  The role of the Instructor in creating this kind of environment cannot be overstated.  In fact, the best Instructors will go beyond this to taking personal responsibility for doing everything they can to “give them a great experience.”

I’m definitely enjoying the book and will share some more thoughts as I get deeper into it.  May God richly bless and guide your day!

The Creator

A recent scholarly article included that word, "Creator."  You would have thought the world was coming to the end in academic circles by the outcry.  The article was immediately retracted and excuses were offered up inferring poor translation and an imperfect review process.  The whole story was carried in the Chronicle of Higher Education with many weighing in on the inappropriate use of any term which would suggest the existence of a creator, intelligent design, or heaven forbid, God.

Such is the state of affairs in America.

But, that is all the reason for each one to intentionally stand up to be counted; to be light in the darkness.  The naysayers ( in popular parlance "haters") may bash a belief in God and ridicule those who hold such faith.  However, those who live by that very faith know a different truth.  Not only the reality of God, but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who purchased our salvation and the daily presence of the Holy Spirit.  We can bring light to our circle of influence by simply showing love to those around us.  As in Elijah's day, there are far more people of faith in our world than we know or are being told.  Hold fast, hold up the Light, trust the Creator.

You Get to Choose.

I just read a great post about the way our brains are structured to lock in on the negative.   You can read the article: How to Remove Negativity From Your Life for Good.  

The information really struck home with me, particularly the TED talk video linked inside the article.  I can see how this has affected me and the conversations I've been a part of.  Typically I'm all about letting a person vent, thinking it is cathartic.   A lot of time I have joined in with my own negative comments.

 However, after reading the article and watching the video I think I need to become more focused on speaking forth a positive message and reminding people of the good that is already part of their lives. Not surprising, this is a biblical principle.  Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

It is easy to slip into a gloom and doom mentality.  It is easy to see every small problem as a mountain of personal offence.  Blessed is the individual who will choose to see the good already present and be a light of hope for others.

What Kind of Leader Are You

What type of leader are you?  There is a general awareness of leadership styles, but much less awareness that there are types of leaders.  Although I sensed the difference it was not until I read Bob Whitesel's book on Preparing for Change Reaction, that what I had been sensing gelled into an awareness that has been tremendously helpful in evaluating my own strengths as a leader, as well as guiding my interactions with other leaders.  Here are the Leadership types as defined by Whitesel, with some modifications and comments from my own experience.

• Strategic Leaders are those who “see the big picture and envision outcomes. . . .  They intuitively know what the results should be, even though they are not experts in getting there. ” (Whitesel, p. 32)  I would call these visionaryleaders. These leaders are usually the first to know when change is needed.  Dr. John Conley, former President of Circleville Bible College and a mentor of mine and definitely a Strategic leader, repeatedly told me that leaders see steps 1 and 5 but usually don’t have the ability to see steps two three and four.  He was referring to this type of leader.  In other words, Strategic leaders know how to rally support and resources, how to cast the vision and steer the ship, but don’t really know how to set the sails or provision the ship.  The strategic leader knows that change is inevitable and seeks to guide the process in an optimum direction.  
•  Tactical Leaders are those who “can organize, plan, budget, recruit volunteers, and evaluate progress of change.” They can take the strategic vision and pull together the pieces to make it happen. (Whitesel, p. 20)  “Tactical leaders know how to bring the long term projects down into easy, doable steps." (Whitesel, p. 36).  They are not primarily those who do the task, focusing more on delegation, but they can do if necessary.  The tactical leader is the 2, 3 and 4 leader who, upon receipt of a vision, immediately begins thinking about how to make it happen; they can't help it, it is just they way their mind works.  This leader just needs the target and can figure out just what is needed to make it happen.  The tactical leader is comfortable with change and may even crave it.
•  Process Leaders are those who have the ability to refine the processes of an organization, making them more effective. Their gift is to see the connections between what needs to be done and how it can be done better.  “Better” is their mantra.  Process leaders are most often effective maintenance leaders.  They may understand the necessity of change but prefer small incremental changes if there has to be change at all.  Process leaders work easily within the boundaries of the status quo and can be resistant to a vision which requires significant change.  I've added this type to Whitesel's original list.  I discovered that this type of leader is fairly common in my experience of leading and working with leaders across 40 years.  While there are similarities to the Tactical leader, there is enough difference that I believe it warrants a separate listing.

Usually an organization will have either a Tactical leader or a Process leader but rarely do they have both.

•  Operational Leaders are highly relational. “They foster teamwork, interdependence, improvisation, creativity, and unity toward a goal.” (Whitesel, p. 38) They work best with the precise planning provided by the Tactical or Process leader.  “If the Operational Leader does not have the go-between of a tactical leader…the strategic leader’s vision may be too imprecise to motivate the operational leader.” (Whitesel, p. 39).  If an operational leader doesn’t have a plan pretty clearly laid out, they will either stumble forward with limited effectiveness or, more likely, come to a halt.  Without a tactical leader they can become frustrated with the strategic leader and vis-a-versa.   This is an important point and many times the source of organizational failure: When the Strategic leader attempts to function as the Tactical/Process leader there is a breakdown in communication which creates confusion and ineffective implementation.

 It is important to keep in mind that while it is possible to change your leadership style, most people are unable to modify their leadership type for an extended length of time. 

The key point here is to be aware of who you are and to draw around you the other leadership types so that you can accomplish your goals.  Each type of leader must show up for the best result.  Each type of leader needs the others to be complete.

I'd really appreciate your comments about your perceptions of this delineation and whether or not you find it helpful or accurate.

I Was Too Busy to Get it Done.

If have missed a deadline or failed to meet expectations using the phrase "I was too busy to get it done," then you AREN'T leadership material.  Here's some reasons why:

1.  If you are too busy, whose fault is it?  That's right it is YOURS.  You can choose to say no and you can choose to set your priorities.  If you have too much on your plate, then make some hard choices and scrape some things off.  One thing for sure, leaders do what they say they will do . . . and if you aren't doing that then guess what?  You aren't leading.

2.  You are a selfish, narcissistic, egotist whose only thoughts are for themselves.  Hopefully you are redeemable and can come back from the edge.  Leaders who use this excuse seem to believe that their life and their agenda is far more important than everyone else.  They don't respect others and demonstrate that by their failure to take the feelings and goals of others into consideration.  This is not leading, it might be what a dictator does,

3.  You are simply too disorganized to meet your responsibilities.  Leaders who haven't grasped the basics of self-organization need to go back to basic training.  This is a leadership 101 topic which should have been mastered early on.  If you have gotten into leadership and you can't organize yourself to get your responsibilities accomplished then you might be a living example of the Peter Principle.  Click the link to learn more.

4.  You are basically lazy and simply don't care.  God help you . . . and those you lead, not to mention your organization, which is headed for disaster.

Everyone has the same number of hours in their day.  Everyone has pressures on their life, be they personal, social, or professional.  Sometimes those pressures can be intense, throwing life out of balance.
The problem isn't being BUSY - everybody is BUSY.  The problem isn't even being TOO BUSY, which happens more often than we like.  The problem comes when your being BUSY becomes and excuse for not accomplishing what you have promised.

When you say your are just too busy, you are elevating yourself and discounting everyone else.  This is not the behavior of a Christian nor a leader.

Leaders who are able to get results have learned to manage their lives and their time effectively.  One of the best tools for this, especially for new leaders can be found in Stephen Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.  This is a must read for that chapter alone, not to mention the value of the other six habits.  Add that to your reading list for 2016, you won't regret it.

Morality and the Current Age.

Morality is a funny thing.  By the dictionary it is defined as conduct in accordance with standards of right or wrong.  For instance, if I act in accordance with the standards of right, I am a moral person.  If not, then I'm immoral.  The setting of those standards is where things get a bit fuzzy.

Let me explain.  I live in Jackson, Mississippi.  According to the law, one should not enter an intersection while driving when the traffic light turns yellow, however, if you are already in the intersection you should continue so as to clear the intersection.  In Jackson, the practice is to enter the intersection until the light actually turns red.  So, for those who live in Jackson, the standard (the law) and the accepted practice are at odds . . . so, which is the moral action?  Let me give you another example.  At one time not too long ago it was considered immoral for a man and woman to live together outside the bonds of marriage.  That standard of morality was established by the Bible and accepted by most.  Now, it is considered normal practice to live together before marriage, or even in place of marriage.  This is even common among those who call themselves Christian.  So, does the morality of the Bible become secondary to normal practice?  Which is the moral action?

And these are only two examples of a confusion of moral standards which is affecting all of us.  In fact, it is so bad that in most cases Christianity, and those who claim to be Christian, behave as if the Bible is secondary to the popular and accepted morality.

This is not new.  Paul confronted the same confusion in morality in the New Testament when the accepted morality even included prostitution as an act of worship (a step in our future??).  Christians have always been confronted with the dual standards of God's Word and what is the accepted practice.  We are challenged to be lights in the darkness, i.e. examples of righteousness amidst moral decay.  To do that we have to quit excusing our behavior as something that "everyone else is doing."  Instead we need to open our eyes to where we have slipped or are slipping and come back to the solid ground of God's Word.  The future of our country and the world depends on us finding the firm foundation of God's truth and living in it.

An Organized Appproach

My wife and I have recently started attending a new church.  This church, like many others, has an introductory series of "starting points" for new attenders to find out more about the church and plug in to fellowship and service.  These starting points are arranged in four consecutive 40 minute sessions, one per week, which repeat each month.  At this church they hold these sessions after a lunch provided by the church each Sunday, following the morning worship service.  New attenders are can start in any week as they are not dependent on each other.  Not only are new attenders encouraged to stay and each lunch but others from the church's leadership also stay so they can build relationships.  When speaking with the Pastor he has shared that since they have started this process the church has shown steady growth.  Of course the growth could be related to other factors but I think the thing that is relevant is the purposeful opportunity provided for inclusion.

One of the big fears in visiting a church is the possibility of being ignored, or even rejected.  This organized approach to inclusion goes far beyond the casual handshake during a greeting time and allows individuals to connect with real people and build relationships.  It also has the benefit of letting people know what the church is about, and how they can plug-in for greater involvement, fellowship and service opportunities.  No wonder the church is growing.

This organized approach shouldn't be limited to just the church.  At work, employees are often hired with little purposeful connection with the vision of the institution or given avenues for building relationships crucial for engagement and longevity.  Customers are also given short-shift, although I see an uptick of attempts to build relationships through social media from some vendors.

Look at the desired end result and then work backwards to formulate a purposeful series of steps to reach that goal.  This is strategic thinking which leads to a PLAN.  Everybody loves it when a plan comes together.  If you think you will get different/better results without changing, anything you are planning for disappointment.

I Need Managers

Everything rises and falls on Leadership.  This is true for organizations, institutions, governments, families and individuals.  Leadership is the ability to take responsibility for the current NOW and chart a path to a different future.  As such leadership embraces change, for there is no other way to get to that different future without changing the current NOW.  The only difference between a government, a corporation, an institution, or an individual is scale, which involves complexity.  Everyone has the ability to step up as a leader for their personal life, although it seems that not all do.  Relatively few will find themselves in the role of Leader within their company or at the governmental level.

What is really needed more often than not, however, is someone who can follow the charted path into the different future.  What is needed are Managers.

Leaders without Managers often wind up as unemployed dreamers whereas competent Managers are always in demand.  Even in your personal life there is often the need to bring in a manager who can assist you in moving to the new future you have envisioned.  This might be a personal trainer, a college program, a nutritionist, a spiritual mentor, etc.

In fact, from my experience the lack of leadership in our country often boils down to the leader's inability to bring along side him/herself competent managers. It is the Manager who make sure the work goes smoothly.  It is the Manager who troubleshoots the processes and implements improvements.  It is the Manager who focuses the team on the problem at hand.

Everyone wants to be the Leader, but beyond leading themselves, few will actually do so.  That's OK because for every Leader, multiple-managers are needed.  What is needed are Managers who will embrace the significance of their role.  Individuals who will rise above the disputes about leaders vs managers and simply roll up their sleeves and step into the gap, these are what we really need.

Also see my earlier post on this subject.

The Halo Effect

We are the sum of our experiences, choices, education, genetics, and circumstances.  Possibly you think you should be gauged by your potential, by the things you know you could accomplish if you only had access to the right people, money, resources.  Dream on.

Actually you are gauged by your past accomplishments, they are the halo which surrounds you and which is perceived by others.  Not only that but it is your most recent accomplishments which shine the brightest in this halo.

There are some important implications from this:

• Regardless of what you might be capable of, you will find yourself defined by what you are doing or have done.  Branching out into new areas or being given the opportunity to do so decreases as the brightness of your halo grows.  
• On the positive side, the halo can shine so bright that some of the mistakes you have made might be overlooked, especially if you have been effective in achieving successful outcomes which benefit the company our your employer.  This is the normal path to promotion.
• On the negative side, the halo can take on a tint of failure if poor choices accumulate to the point that the company is negatively affected, particularly if those poor choices are repeated.  Sadly, your halo defining you remains but now proclaims you are incompetent.  This is the path to obscurity or unemployment.

The moral of this story:  Stop periodically and evaluate what your halo is saying about you and if you don't like where you are headed create an escape strategy to move to a different future.  

• Apply for a completely different type of job, 
• go back and get a different degree, 
• figure out why you are making poor choices and get some help in making better ones, 
• etc.

You don't have to accept your current halo, but don't be naive and assume there isn't one there and that others can see it. 

Step by Step

I reviewed the material from Strengths Finder 2.0 last night with a class in Chattanooga, TN.  Specifically we looked at the results of the profile from the web evaluation tool that goes along with it and some action plans which those present might use to capitalize on their strength areas.  In a conversation I had this morning with a colleague I was reminded of how much of what we call success really boils down to specific individuals who have done just that: capitalized on their strengths to achieve remarkable results.

It is truly amazing to think about any human accomplishment throughout history without also recognizing the individual's personality, drive, and ability which led to that achievement.  Yes, there is almost always a team which made it possible to achieve the final result, but equally so there is that one individual who was able to draw the team together in such a way that something was accomplished which others did not, could not, nor possibly even imagine.

Individual strengths multiply talent to great effect.  There is no doubt that talent contributes to the potential of success, however, when talent is combined with an awareness of personal strengths and both applied to the task, that is where the magic begins.

There is also something quite fulfilling to realize that as adults we have developed strengths, even if we are not always aware of what those might be. That's where the Strengths Finder 2.0 evaluation tool comes in helps uncover the top 5 strengths, and even lists ways to take that strength to a new level.

Those who will get the most out of this will be the ones who take the information and really begin to focus on using those strengths to combine with talent, in areas about which they are passionate.  Passion is the fire which melds strength and talent into achievement.

I hope this has made you think about your own life and what amazing thing God has prepared for you if you were only willing to reach out to grasp it.

Public Speaking 101

You've been asked to make a presentation before a group.  If this is you first time, or if you haven't made many presentations you automatically feel the grip of fear that almost everyone feels.  Depending on the subject, or the audience, you may have that same grip, regardless of your experience.

Fear of public speaking is one of the most universal fears that we have.  There are a few things you can do to make your presentation a success, regardless of your experience.

1.  Almost everyone feels nervous just before starting - this is normal, you won't die and the nervous feeling usually fades within 60 seconds of starting.  Don't let the butterflies get the better of you.

2.  Take some deep breaths just before starting your presentation, this oxygenates your blood and helps your brain, which hopefully will help you get focused and get through those first 60 seconds.

3.  Know your material.  This can't be emphasized enough.  Winging it will almost always allow for distractions and usually it is obvious to your audience that you aren't prepared.  You can only blow smoke for so long before it becomes apparent that you don't know what you are talking about.  Know your material THOROUGHLY.  Go over it repeatedly until you can deliver the information from a knowledge base, then if you get distracted it will be easier to get back on track.

4.  Rotate your eye contact every 2-7 seconds and look people directly in the eyes.  You will find this is a powerful method to build audience engagement.  It also lowers your own anxiety as you will be directing your comments at one person instead of thinking about the larger audience.  Pay special attention to your supervisor if there is one present.  Don't forget the back of the room or the wings.

5.  If you are using technology have a plan B in mind if it were to fail.  I have seen this happen all too often and when it does it often throws the speaker completely off track.  Think about it ahead of time and be able to move forward in spite of these difficulties.  This builds your credibility and enhances your image in the eyes of your supervisors, which is a nice benefit of something that could be a disaster.

6.  "Leave them longing rather than loathing."  This was often quoted to me by a former parishioner and she was right.  Keep track of your time and make sure you stay within the allotted time frame for your presentation.  Going over your time is one of the most frustrating things you can do both for audiences and event organizers.  You may feel like your content is worth it, but likely there are many others who won't agree.  Leave them longing rather than loathing.

7.  Be organized.  Make sure your material is presented in a sequence which is easy for an audience to grasp.  This is why so many people use points, e.g. point 1, point 2, etc.  People like to see patterns and understand sequence at an emotional level.  Your organization can contribute to their understanding your material or being so confused that they go away empty.

8.  If you are presenting a lot of material, especially to a large group, consider using a teleprompter application for your tablet (e.g. PrompSmart for iPad).  I've done this and find it can be extremely useful, especially if it has voice recognition and moves the text forward as you speak.

9.  Jokes are good, especially at the start, to ease everyone into the presentation.  However, if the joke is off color or offensive in any way it will overshadow anything else you say and damage your credibility.  Make sure you look at the joke from the receiving end and consider whether it could be offensive.  Better no joke than an offensive joke, this goes double for off-color jokes.

10.  Examples and illustrations spread through out the presentation help communicate with the audience and lets them identify with you or the material.  It helps make sense of large amounts of data.  You can overdo this, refer to point 6 above.

Three Main Ingredients for Success - Re-Post

This article by Karl McDonnell, chief officer at Strayer, reinforces the Principles of Life which I have shared in previous posts.  Well written and succinct, I think you will enjoy his take on the Three Main Ingredients for Success.

Some think success is all down to luck. The truth is, the three key indicators of success are far more attainable but just as rare: grit, focus, and a healthy self image.   To read the full article click here.

Public speaking, a tip

I had the opportunity to speak at a graduation ceremony for Belhaven University in Houston Texas last night. As I prepared for the presentation I put together my thoughts in a wordprocessing document. I tweaked it and refined my presentation, adding thoughts and inserting facts and stories until I felt it was truly going to be a message that would communicate to the graduating seniors. (Yes I know that no one remembers these speeches but still felt a responsibility to do my best.)

I have presented in many venues in the past, having been a pastor, so speaking in front of an audience was not going to be the major concern, but I did want to be able to use a manuscript and still have a degree of freedom in communicating with the audience. In the past, when I've worked from a manuscript, I have sounded a little wooden; I wanted to avoid that if at all possible. As I woke up one morning I had a serendipitous thought: what about using a Teleprompter app on my iPad to solve the stiffness in presenting from a manuscript?  I quickly researched what was available on the iTunes store and found several possible apps that would work. I read the reviews and settled on PromptSmart. It was a paid app but it allowed me to import my document from a variety of sources and the ability to edit the document within the Teleprompter app itself.  It even had a voice recognition option.

The app installed easily and uploading my manuscript was smooth.  Initially, because I was a little paranoid, I sat the app for the scrolling mode based on how fast a person generally speaks. I tested that several times, tweaking the text and then adjusting the timing to fit my particular style of presentation. Editing the text was easy, as was adjusting the font and font size.  The auto scrolling worked well but I was still concerned because if I didn't pause it when/if I deviated from the manuscript, as I often do, it would continue to scroll no matter what. Then I had a thought,why not try the option within the app that allowed it to recognize my voice and advance the text based off of voice recognition? So I tried it. It worked great!! I tested it several times to make sure everything would go smoothly, making more adjustments to the text as I went over the material, again very easily done.

Now it was time to make the graduation speech to those gathered for the graduation.  I have to say I was a little nervous about relying on this technology, but PromptSmart performed well above my expectations.  Because it was recognizing my speech I was able to deviate from the script and it just waited patiently for me to get back to where I was in the prepared manuscript.  I could pause as long as I wanted to, I could add phrases or thoughts without any problem, and then come right back into the manuscript right where I left off without any problems.

This really is a great tool for anyone who does public speaking; this would work for pastors who preach from manuscripts, this would work for anyone giving a speech in the classroom or anyone who is giving a prepared speech in any arena.  I know there are other app options available, both in iTunes and on Google Play.  I strongly recommend that you consider downloading and giving a teleprompter app a try. I think you'll be impressed. I know I was.

Scotoma Anyone?

Although the actual definition of scotoma has to do with a partial alteration in a field of vision, it can also be used metaphorically, "The common theme of all the figurative senses is of a gap not in visual function but in the mind's perception, cognition, or world view." (Wikipedia)   I first became aware of scotomas through reading Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  (A book, by the way, that I consider a MUST read for anyone interested in personal improvement and professional competency.)  In Covey's book, there is a picture that may be perceived by some as a fashionable young lady, or the face of an old crone.


Since then I've run across the concept in various places and have referenced it in many presentations and sermons.  It is all about perspective.  The most interesting thing about this concept is how difficult it is to realize when you are locked into one way of perceiving a situation.  Take the picture above for instance.  When you first saw the picture you immediately perceived either the young stylish woman or the old crone.  There would have been no thought in your mind that the other possibility even existed.

If find myself pondering this from time to time when faced with challenges at work or in life in general.  I'm especially more likely to ponder whether there is another way of looking at a situation if it has to come to a moment of crisis or a blockage to success.  In those times I try to allow my mind to open to new possibilities, remembering my Mom's old adage "there's more than one way to skin a cat."  Usually with a little effort I can find a new path, often one better than the original, through the challenge.

Harder is when there is no crisis or blockage, for at those times it never even occurs to me to think about other options.  I often wonder how many missed opportunities have come my way simply because I had tunnel vision, or more likely, overconfidence, in how to proceed in a situation.  The lesson for me, and one that I seem especially slow to learn, is to not move too quickly and to consider other perspectives.  A good way to do this is to get other opinions.  I have to confess when I was younger I often avoided getting other opinions because I: a) already knew it all, b) didn't want to listen to anyone else, or c) was afraid that someone would discover a flaw in my plan.  As I grown older and somewhat wiser I've learned to not feel as threatened by other's ideas.  Taking the time to garner this kind of input is also a weakness for me . . . I typically want to move NOW.  But, the benefit is that in getting the input the decision is usually better.

Harder still is when I feel under attack.  In these situations I don't even want to consider that there might be a different perspective.  I want to assert my righteous indignation; to feel the victim of the nefarious doings of obviously ignorant, or even wicked people.  I've been reading through Proverbs lately with my wife and I have a found a couple of verses which cause me to think that even in these cases there might be a scotoma at work.

• "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke" Prov. 3:11
• "Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you." Prov. 9:8

Obviously the one being rebuked is NOT particularly thrilled at the time of the rebuke!  

Perhaps even in the times when I am dealing with the greatest sense of attack there is another way to perceive the situation.  This was certainly true for me over a year ago when I experienced being "downsized" for the first time in my life.  At the time it felt like betrayal and an accusation of poor performance.  But through that experience God helped me to see a new future with a new hope, one that included leaving the old position with positive relationships.  

Keep you eyes open, there is always a different perspective on any situation.

What is the "Cloud" and How It Can Make Your Life Easier

When I first started using personal computers 64 MB was considered a HUGE hard drive.  My how things have changed!  The evolution of computers has seen drastic increases in speed, screen resolution, file sizes, sophistication of programs, and, of course the internet.  With the internet has come something called "cloud" computing.  See the video below for a quick  (1:26 minute) definition of the "cloud."




What this means in practical terms is the ability of storing information,securely, in a way that it is available literally anywhere there is an internet connection.  there was a time about five years ago when I would carry around with me everywhere a flashdrive  with all my important files.  This made me feel secure . . . until I lost the drive and began to worry who found it and what they might be doing with my files.  Now I store everything in the Cloud, although, being paranoid, I periodically back even that up to a hard drive.  

I currently use several different cloud storage services.

Dropbox is my "go to" Cloud service because it is completely transparent.  Once I install the application on my computer it creates a folder in My Documents labeled "Dropbox."  I simply store my files, any files, of any type, in that folder and like magic, it becomes available to me anywhere, on any device.  I can access all my files on my ipad, or my Android phone or another computer, as long as each device has internet access.  What is more, changes made from any device automatically update to the Cloud and are synced to all devices. This was a major problem with the flashdrive which had to be manually synchronized with my computer version and keeping track of versions became complicated.  Check out this short video for more on Dropbox.

Google Drive is my preferred source for files I want to work on collaboratively with others from work or with family in distant places.  It allows me real-time updates to files while others are also making updates and changes.  It is easy to share documents/spreadsheets/presentations with individuals or groups and is a powerful work area.  GoogleDrive can also store other files like pictures, etc.   Here is a video about Google Drive.

Evernote is the place I use more like a portfolio than a storage place.  Although I can store files there I find this is the perfect place for building a repository of documents, almost like a scrapbook, or scrapbooks that are easy to sort through, tag, and share. Evernote is used my an amazing number of people from all walks of life.  I've mentioned in a previous post that I use Evernote through a plug-in on my browser to capture articles from the web, but that is really only the tip of the iceberg of what this program is capable of doing.

While I do use others (check this article out for a list of the Top 10 Best Cloud Storage Providers), and there are many, the point is that the use of these programs makes my life easier.  When I go in to teach a class I have all my files waiting for me on any computer with internet access.  If I stand up to preach, even if I only have my phone, I still have with me dozens of my old sermons with full outlines because of the application which connects my phone to the Cloud.  Want to see a picture, I have hundreds of picture available from the Cloud to my phone, ipad, computer, without tying up any storage on the mobile devices.  Same thing with music.  PowerPoints?  Spreadsheets? Documents?
.PDFs?  I have entire classroom teaching notes for a dozen different classes for the entire term with me at a moment's notice, including handouts.

Don't discount the importance of the sharing aspect of the Cloud.  I can share files or folders with anyone at the click of a mouse.  I can give them edit rights, or simply view rights.

I want to encourage you to check out the article mentioned above and give one of these services a try. If you have a comment about your use of Cloud services, please share it.

Now You've Found the Information, Here's How To Keep It.

I wrote in my last post about the benefit of using an RSS Feed Reader to pull together articles from a variety of sources.  Now that you have set that up, you may have already found some articles that were not only informative but you definitely want to keep.

Of course, you can cut and past the information, most of the time, into a wordprocessor and save it, however, there is an easier way:  Evernote.

Evernote is a free (although there are paid versions I have never hit the limits of what the free version can provide) program which exists in the cloud and crosses multiple platforms.  What that means is that information saved on my computer is available on my phone, my tablet, my home computer, basically anywhere I have internet access.

The great thing about Evernote is that the people there really understand how to maximize the cloud and have created web clippers for all the major web browsers.  Simply search for "Evernote Web Clipper" and you can find the version which works best with your browser.  Once installed it places the head of an elephant in your browser (see picture to the left - this is using Chrome web browser).  When you click that it will open a dialogue box like that to the right.  From there you can tell it to copy the article, the page, a screenshot and allows you determine where to save it inside of Evernote.  I have set up a folder labeled "web articles" to receive these articles and can choose to read them at the time or wait until later.  I can easily share them with others,   And, the great thing is, they are there until you remove them, whether that is next week, or next year, or next decade.

Using Evernote web clipper and your RSS Feed Reader is a winning combination.  It works in the background, takes very little effort, and makes my information readily available when I want it.

Are You Using an RSS Feed Reader? Why Not???

RSS stands for Rich Site Summary, but is also known as Really Simple Syndication.  You don't really need to know that.  What you do need to know is that an RSS Feed Reader can make you better informed and help keep you current in select areas of your choice, with very little effort from you.

The basic way the RSS Feed Reader works is to aggregate, or pull together, into one site, often with a short digest or introduction various new postings to the blogs you have subscribed to.  It then sends the list to your email daily.

For instance I have subscribed, Adult Studies Faculty, Educational Technology and Mobile Learning,  Leadership Intelligence, Tools to Lead, Educause/Learning Analytics, Presentation Zen, Tablet Pedagogy, and others.  Each day I receive an email with the title and an introductory sentence from any new posts to these blogs.  It is rare that there are more than four titles listed.  Here is the key: I don't have to go find them, I don't have to even read them if they don't interest me.  the ones that do interest me, I click on and go right to the post.

There are a LOT of RSS Feed Readers and you can research them on your own.  I use Bloglovin' (www.bloglovin.com) because it is easy to use and isn't too complicated.  This is an area where I don't need complicated, just something reliable and easy to use.

The process works like this:  once you have signed up for your RSS Feed Reader, you can explore the list of Blogs from their long list and add any you like to your subscription list.  If you run across a Blog not listed (such as this one) simply go back to your RSS Feed Reader and add it.  In Bloglovin' I click on the heart at the top of the page, select Edit the Blogs You Follow, click on Add Blog and paste the web address into the dialogue box which pops up.  Bloglovin' does the rest and I start getting updates.  No other maintenance or attention is required.

Give it a try.  Find a few Blogs which appeal to your interest and see if you don't learn something new.

I posted this same information on the Adult Studies Faculty blog.

Using IFTTT to Become More Productive

I met with several professionals last week and during the conversation mentioned IFTTT.  I was shocked to discover that none of those present were aware of it, nor the amazing power it allows.  I've always been on the lookout for shortcuts and ways to automate functions that have to be repeated, e.g. macros in Excel.  IFTTT is the ultimate automation tool, and its FREE.

You can access IFTTT through the internet on your computer (IFTTT.com) or through an application on your smart phone.  Once you have an account set up the fun begins.  IFTTT uses "recipies" to describe its automation based on "If this (the trigger) then that (the target)."

There are an amazing number of recipies already built, such as:

• If I post to twitter with the hashtag #fb, then post that tweet to facebook," or with the hashtag #in to Linkedin.
• If I miss a phone call from a specific number, then send myself an email (or email the person whose phone call was missed).
• If I update my contacts, then make a copy of the contact to a spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
• If I receive an email with an attachment, then save the attachment to dropbox.

It works with a variety of third party programs such as flckr, instagram, facebook, twitter, dropbox, googledocs, and many more.

I would go on but there are literally hundreds of recipies already built and it is easy to create your own for your own specific needs.  I've included a video from youtube below which describes how to use this with your smart phone.  IFTTT also works with some smart home products.

If you are not using this, then you are making more work for yourself than you need to, or missing a wonderful opportunity to be more effective, at the very least.

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.