"Instant Meeting" Idea

We spend far too many hours in meetings. And we love consensus. But sometimes the discussion goes on far longer than it needs to. I love this idea from Education World:

Consensus is a format that requires getting everyone on board with the agreement. It doesn't mean that everyone in the group loves the idea; it only means that everyone agrees to live with the decision and help implement it.... "Levels of consensus" is an approach that provides a quick way to check consensus.


State the question to be decided and review the levels of consensus (above). Then ask all group members to hold up fingers indicating where they are on the consensus scale.

• 1 finger -- "I can say an unqualified yes to the decision. I am satisfied that the decision is an expression of the wisdom of the group."
• 2 fingers -- "I find the decision perfectly acceptable."
• 3 fingers -- "I can live with the decision even though I'm not especially enthusiastic about it."
• 4 fingers -- "I do not fully agree with the decision and need to register my view about why. However, I will not block the decision because I trust the wisdom of the group."
• 5 fingers -- "I do not agree with the decision and feel the need to stand in the way of this decision being accepted."
• 6 fingers -- "I feel that we have no clear sense of unity in the group. We need to do more work before consensus can be reached."

If a quick scan of the room shows all ones and twos, the group can see that consensus has been reached. If there are several people indicating threes and fours -- or if there is even one five or six -- invite those with threes, fours, and fives to talk about why they chose that number.

Improving on "Self-Negotiation" in 2007

Food for thought as we enter a new year...



EuropeanPWN - Do women negotiate differently from men?

Am I getting enough ?

How many women feel comfortable asking that question ? Help is on the way. The change in question illustrates the change in focus from whether women and men negotiate differently to how women can improve their position and start thinking strategically. Negotiating for what you want, raising your goals and expectations and creating opportunity do not mean you have to stop being a « Nice Girl » ! However, the time has come to move on from thinking that hard work alone will get you rewards . It is time to devote some energy to creating value for yourself. As a result of all the research there are many books on the subject of women and negotiation on the market now with training and coaching sessions to suit all tastes. In the words of Deborah Kolb, Professor of Management and Gender in Organizations at MIT and author of the « Shadow Negotiation » and « Everyday Negotiation », it is time to claim your ‘place at the table’.

Learn How a Great Presenter Refines Substance, Structure, and Style

If you make presentations to sell, whether it's an idea, a product, your agency's mission, or a new program's value to the community, you'll find this a helpful overview for your prep work.

Many consider Ray Butkus one of the best marketing presenters around. I found it worth saving in my resource file. Maybe you will, too.

Developing and Delivering High-impact Sales Presentations
By Ray Butkus

In the sales arena, success depends upon the superior presentation of the facts. In a highly competitive market with an abundance of choice, winning isn’t simply about building the better mousetrap but about how well the marketplace understands and remembers the distinctiveness of your mousetrap versus all others....

Denny Hatch's Business Common Sense

OSHA Ergonomic Solutions: Computer Workstations eTool - Index for Computer Workstations

OSHA Ergonomic Solutions: Computer Workstations eTool - Index for Computer Workstations

When you spend as much time as I do sitting in front of a computer screen writing and researching, comfort is critical. There's nothing worse than neck pain when a deadline hovers.

This OSHA site provides some interesting information on equipment, position, and environment. It's prompted me to move my monitor -- closer and lower. I'll let you know whether I find it an improvement.

Thanks, OSHA.

Gen X & Gen Y Profiles

Whether or not you're interested in marketing, you may find this article profiling Gen X [27-39]and Gen Y [14-26] folks intriquing. Jane Buckingham, author of "The Modern Girl's Guide to Life," and a Gen Xer, paints an interesting picture.

Of their noted slacker image, Buckingham explained that Gen Xers "went through their midlife crises 25 years too early."

Now that they are emerging from those midlife crises, they are remarkably susceptible to marketing that "helps them figure out what is happiness..."

Take a look at the article. Does this fit your experience with Gen X & Y?

Take a Breather

I finished the last grant in the current queue - finally no deadline hanging over my head. I love the work, but the pressure of drop-dead deadlines takes a toll when you roll from one to the next. It's nice to take a breather.

And, my in-box brought great news. The NY Center received the award for the YABC and Learning-to-Work Center for Staten Island. It's a joint project with the Department of Education. They worked hard on the proposal (and I wrote the application) -- it's a contract worth $1.8M, so they're very pleased.

This break gave me a day to work on my own site. Finally. Take a look.

WordToys - making life easier

About a month ago I installed WordToys.

If you're like me, your life is entwined with WORD. It's as essential as a pen and pad. But sometimes very frustrating.

WordToys offers a raft of enhancements --some I've been dreaming about (makes a copy to another disk at the same time it saves to file), but some I never even imagined. Like, saving all my open documents to one work space and reopening them all exactly as they were.

If you want an easier life, try it out. I'm still discovering the benefits.

DMNews.com | News | Article

DMNews.com | News | Article

So age doesn't matter. Time does. And Americans work more - and have less free time - than folks in every country but South Korea.

This marketing analysis from Visa USA offers an interesting perspective on what's important to their market.

Image Change

I promised myself I'd do something on my own website this weekend - enough of this under construction. Make something happen. It's far easier to work on someone else's material than my own. Ditto for marketing.

Well, let me know what you think. It feels a bit calmer.

The Skinny on Wood Stoves

No progress on my own web site, but I've been writing the copy for several others. Take a look at one. Here's Glenn's site on wood stoves- www.the-skinny-on-wood-stoves.com

He's building an informational site about wood stoves. We've been doing a lot of research on them for our own use but found the information was scattered hither and yon. They say find a vacuum and fill it - so we did.

Made my day, my week...it's great

Hi,

Here’s something that might help you as much as it helps me.

Google Desktop Search – HOOORAAAY!   I downloaded this free tool on Saturday and am thrilled with the amount of time and frustration it’s saved me.  Key a word or two and within seconds Google Desktop retrieves every file containing those words from email, chat, visited websites, and hard drive – all those Word documents and PDFs.

I work hard at staying organized, but I inevitably find I’ve forgotten that I filed something under some cute name I was sure I’d remember. And now I haven’t a clue. The search feature in Windows is truly a waste.  But now – relief.

To reach the page where you can read about it and download the tool, go here: http://desktop.google.com/    Downloading is quick and painless.  It sure made my day.  In fact, it’s made my week. -- Ruth

 

 

Crucial Conversations

This week, I picked up a book called Crucial Conversations – Tools for talking when stakes are high – authors: Patterson, Grenny, McMillan. & Switzler. It speaks directly to how we (and organizations) can make it safe to have, and be honest in, crucial conversations.

The book provides a framework and, best of all, specific tools. Their website, www.crucialconversations.com , has discussion guides, role playing scripts, audio tapes...a plethora of resources. It’s all very well done, and it's based on many years of research and workshops teaching the tools.

I'm personally and professionally excited about the potential impact of this book for my life. What could be better than improving the quality of our dialogue -- especially when the topic is one that gets the adrenalin flowing, the blood boiling, and the blood pressure escalating!