Growth through challenges

One of the most enjoyable activities for me whether it is with my colleagues at Innovations or on the soccer field with my son's team is growth through challenges.   One of the most satisfying experiences whether it is for me personally, or watching someone else, is to achieve something that I did not believe possible a week earlier, a month earlier or a year earlier.

With soccer, it always because you make something more difficult--you were able to keep the ball in the air 4 times...how about 5, or 6....or with your left foot, etc.  In business, it seems that competition and technology are what changes the conditions for us all of the time--you deliver your content in one day, but I want it in 4 hours instead.  Or in the form of a webinar....or in an on demand web based program.  With of course the same results.

Speaking for myself, most of the time I enjoy the process...it is the challenge that keeps me excited.  Every now and then I certainly wish I could take a bit of a break...but the pace of change does not allow us that luxury.  That is why it is so important to also surround yourself with people who embrace change, so that they will push you when you have those moments where you may desire a mental break.   And those people can be inside your business, or outside.

Teamwork--the benefits you don't usually consider

We all know of the accurate, yet well trodden benefits of teamwork--greater creativity, wider variety of perspectives, greater number of skills sets brought to a problem, etc.  These are obviously all very important, as well as quantifiable and measurable.   I thought I might take a moment to add a few from personal experience that are just as important, but not as commonly discussed:

1)   It is more fun--I know this is not true for everyone...I have very close friends who would be very happy if they could work in a cave with wifi, leaving for the occasional workout and a ray or two of sun.   But working with people is energizing for me....the process of building upon each other's work, giving and getting feedback, and coming out with something that I know is ultimately better is satisfying.

2)  You are not alone--being faced with a large challenge always seems much more daunting to me alone than when I am working with others who are equally committed.   Succeeding on my  own is great, but there is something much more satisfying for me about sharing that success with others, knowing that we truly all contributed.

3)  Getting to know each other in different ways--Each project brings a new set of challenges, and as I work with people over a period of time I start to see sides of them (and they of me) of which I was not aware.  They often have skills and experiences that weren't listed in their resume before they joined the organization, but that are often very valuable.

I have some other thoughts on teamwork that I will share in my next post.

Danny

Break Your Patterned Thoughts and Open up to Creativity

I read an article recently this week about bilingual people, and how on average Alzheimer's impacts them 4-5 years later than people who are monolingual .  The researchers in the article discussed the fact that a greater amount of their brain is being used on a regular basis than than that of monolingual people.   It also made me wonder about whether or not creativity and using multiple parts of the brain might have the same impact--whether or not that is true, increased creativity is something that we could all benefit from, so here are a few tips for breaking patterned ways of thinking:

How To Break Patterned Ways of Thinking — and Open Your Creativity

1. Do things with your left hand if you are naturally right-handed (and vice versa); brushing your teeth, combing your hair, shaving, showering, bathing, etc.
2. Drive to work by an alternative route.
3. Eat only when your body tells you it is hungry. Forget about the three meals a day at prescribed times. Learn to know the difference between “patterned behavior” and “body talk.”
4. Pretend you are a tourist in your own city and visit all the sites you would recommend to visitors.
5. Experiment eating foods you think you don’t like, but have never tried—therefore, there is no proof of an adverse reaction. You might extend this to anything you think you don’t like that does
not injure the well-being of yourself and others.
6. Ask your kid(s) (or young relatives) what they would like to do for a Saturday or Sunday outing. You may be surprised. Just Do It!
7. Drive under the speed limit for one week. If you exceed the speed limit (“even by accident”), pay your kid(s) or a friend $10 for each infraction.
8. Create one day each week that is unplanned and unscheduled— then “create” that day “moment-by-moment” as it evolves.
9. Compose a piece of music; write a poem; paint a picture; create a story—you never know what you are capable of until you try.
10. Sleep on the opposite side of the bed.
These are steps for breaking patterned ways of thinking.  I will have some tips to in my next post once you have taken these first steps!

Danny

Small Acts of Inclusion Challenge

Take the Small Acts of Inclusion Challenge - Celebrate with us!

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation dedicated the second week of February as the week to celebrate charity and inclusion. On their website they offer tips and stories that show how a little kindness goes a long way. We invite you to utilize their challenge this week and then we offer one of our own.

Innovations would like to propose a similar challenge to you. This will demonstrate how our Small Acts of Inclusion program utilizes a breakthrough method for achieving inclusion. The Small Acts of Inclusion program encompasses the true meaning behind Diversity and Inclusion and is driven by the charity and understanding that this program promotes.
The Small Acts of Inclusion Challenge:
·        Monday - Write a Thank You card to someone who has helped you in the past
·        Tuesday  - Have lunch with someone new
·        Wednesday  - Offer 15 minutes of help to someone in need
·        Thursday - Take treats to a department different than your own
·        Friday - Compliment someone on a job well done
·        Saturday - Ask someone to teach you the basics of a skill they do well or teach someone the basics of a useful skill you know well
·        Sunday - Spend 10 minutes just listening to someone without the need for reciprocation
The Small Acts of Inclusion Reward: At the end of the week you will have a few great stories to share. The greatest reward is the difference the challenge makes! However, to thank you for your participation Innovations will send you one free e-book of your choice

To receive your free e-book simply share your story through one of the following:
1.       Reply to this email or send a message to moreinfo@innovint.com
2.       Tweet your story on our twitter page at http://www.twitter.com/innovint or http://www.twitter.com/DiversityTweets
3.       Comment on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/innovint or add us as a friend and change your status to your story
4.       Comment on our blog at http://www.innovint.com/blog

Our staff will then contact you to inquire which book you'd like a free copy of.

Take Our Small Acts Course Online - The Virtual Learning Experience
Dr. Guillory has created an online version of this program which can be tailored to an organization's needs. Below you'll find links to our two Small Acts Virtual Learning Experiences. These are brief examples of what this program offers.
http://www.innovint.com/services/small-acts-of-inclusion.php

Good luck with the challenge, and please share with us all your results!
Danny

Key indicators for the state of your life–A Personal Dashboard

Recently I began to wonder what a dashboard for my life might look like, and what the key indicators would be. For me, the key categories that I came up with were work-life integration, professional development, personal growth, physical health and financial security. I imagined taking a snapshot of my life and seeing where I am on these categories at any given point. In addition, these categories could serve as a set of questions I would ask myself before any major (or for that matter minor decision) in my life. For example, how would a new project impact my life in these five areas? I am content with the projected consequences and outcomes? Also, do I have a long term goal for myself in these five areas, and can I actually begin to design my life in a way that makes it likely I would achieve them?

My plan is to evaluate myself in these areas once each month, and also in the process set some objectives for what I would like to achieve. If any of you already do something like this, or want to try this dashboard out for a few weeks, please share what you do and the results you have had. I would look forward to hearing about it.

Danny

Manifesto for African Americans

We value ourselves as fully worthy, complete, and whole, by virtue of simply being human.
We require no confirmation or proof, through accomplishments, of this fundamental given.
We accept this given about ourselves and live consistent with it.
We view ourselves, both individually and collectively, as bearing the major responsibility for changing our
condition.
We recognize and acknowledge that empowerment, individually and as a people, is earned only through
expanded personal and group responsibility and accountability for our success, and full participation in the
global society.
We live true to our ability to realize our potential as a people and our acknowledged contribution to America's success and the success of the planet.
We view our ethnic cultural diversity as an example to the world of how the rich integration of cultural
heritages has evolved into a beautiful, proud, and spiritual mosaic.
We value and embrace the diversity of colors, physical differences, modes of expression, points of view, and personal choices of all those who choose to be classified as African Americans.
We recognize and realize our natural potential for contribution to the evolution of global diversity and
human equality across the planet.
We value the opportunity for full participation in the totality of American society and acknowledge the fact that opportunities presently exist which are unprecedented in American history.
We further acknowledge that these opportunities will require diligence, persistence, and commitment that will test us in ways which are presently not required for other Americans.
We individually and collectively must transform our focus from what has not been available, as a reason for limited participation and dedication, into a focus with intensity upon that which we choose to achieve—here and now.
We recognize that a major step in our full realization of the “American Dream,” is our mutual support for each other, economically, politically, educationally, emotionally, and spiritually. We must recapture, as a people, our fundamental African-based values as a source of self-love and self-respect.
We must form networks for mutual economic and political support in order to achieve success, so that we might more effectively contribute to American and global harmony.
We acknowledge that the concern for ourselves, as African Americans, is an intermediate step en route to the ultimate achievement of global cultural integration.
We view cultural integration as a context where all people of the planet are valued, accepted, as humanly equal, and involved in mutually supportive activities.
We are ultimately committed to the creation of a global mosaic that is founded upon a set of human values which transcend our individual or group differences.

William A. Guillory, Ph.D.

Ten Tips to becoming more personally empowered

With the release of our free online empowerment program only a couple weeks away, I thought I would provide some tips on becoming more personally empowered.

1. Assess your present level of personal empowerment. Honestly evaluate your present level of personal and professional mastery of your job by soliciting input from a broad spectrum of sources.
2. Assess the quality of your performance. Determine whether your performance falls below, meets, or exceeds expectations.
3. Assess your level of commitment. If your performance is below expectations and you are sufficiently skilled for your present job, seriously reexamine if you are committed to meeting the expectations of
your present job. If not, make plans for doing something else.
4. Determine the new skills you require. If you feel you are committed to meeting the expectations of your present job, write, in detail, the new personal and/or professional skills you require, based upon expanded
responsibility and accountability.
5. Acquire a mentor/coach to hold you accountable. Acquire a mentor or a coach to assist you and hold you accountable to your commitment, based upon the consistent results you produce.
6. Overcome your self-limitations. When you encounter a barrier, have your mentor facilitate you in overcoming it. Remember, it is ultimately your responsibility to take charge of overcoming your selflimiting
belief(s) by designing and performing challenging assignments.
7. Define a new challenging area of activity. If you meet or exceed your present job expectations, describe a project or an area of activity that you would enjoy which involves significantly expanded responsibility
in terms of the acquisition of new personal and/or professional skills.
8. Expect new learning opportunities to occur. Begin the project, utilizing and/or learning proven professional methods and knowledge. If difficulties or problems occur, apply steps 5) and 6) above.

I'll have more on Empowerment in the coming days.

Danny