How Do We Define Character?
Creator:
Published:02/28/2011 05:53pm
A persons character has two primary components. One side of character is integrity. Integrity is being the same in thoughts, words, and actions. Ones message and life tell the same story. Hypocrisy kills the message. Had Martin Luther King Jr. preached passivism and yet carried a gun, his message would have been muted. The reason why integrity is only half of the definition of character is because we have people like Adolph Hitler fitting the description of integrity. Hitler had tremendous consistency of character. But most of us would agree that he did not act with high morals.The second side of...
Great Leaders Take Responsibility
Published:02/28/2011 05:52pm
I have seen time and again how the committed take responsibility for their actions. In our high-litigation culture, theres always someone else to blame. It can be easy to point the finger at suppliers, underlings, partners, and managers that just cant seem to get things right. I have yet to meet this mass of completely incompetent workers, which leads me to think we might be trying to steer some of the fault away from where it belongson ourselves. Deflecting blame is no way to build trust. Not only is owning up to our actions the right thing to do, but it...
Conflict is Unavoidable
Published:02/28/2011 05:50pm
Most conflict occurs because of a lack of clarity in communication, so I feel it is important to address here. Expect conflict. Learn to deal with it. Anytime theres more than one person, youre bound to find conflict. Its only natural. We all have separate backgrounds, different tendencies, and unique perspectives. Its no surprise we disagree from time to time. I am always amazed at the splits in friendships, churches, and businesses over a little conflict. Who do you agree with 100% of the time? Nobody. I dont even agree with those I love the most, all of the time. Have...
Anonymity Dilutes Accountability
Published:02/28/2011 05:49pm
A major way to increase accountability is to reduce anonymity. There is a reason that crime is less per capita in small towns; people know each other. They know what each other is up to, and they talk. They know who is at the bar and whose car is parked outside of that persons house all night long. While gossip is certainly a negative; small town accountability can promote higher character. If people know they are being watched, they are more likely to act above reproach. This is one of the reasons people do more stupid things in Las Vegas while...
Daily Tasks
Published:02/28/2011 05:46pm
While I agree with Ben Franklins idea, If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, countless companies have wasted time and money on strategic plans that are collecting dust. People spend lots of time planning but very little time turning those plans into daily actionable tasks. Some suggest that putting your goal in the mirror so you see it every day will make it come true. I would suggest that your mission statement belongs on your mirror, and your goals and tasks associated with achieving your mission are meant for action. Daily clarity leads to accomplishing the most important things...
The Impact of Compassion
Published:02/28/2011 05:43pm
Who do you trust more, firefighters or mortgage brokers? Librarians or lawyers? Nurses or salespeople? One of the biggest reasons for trust is the perception that someone is concerned beyond themselves for the good of the whole. Firefighters and nurses care for others by nature of their jobs. But we wonder if the salesperson really has our best interest in mind. Dont worry if you are in a less trusted line of work. Resolve to be among the trusted in your field. Show that you think beyond yourself; you will be unique and successful in your industry. Do not underestimate the...
How To Deal With A Complaint: Never Say....
Published:02/28/2011 01:12pm
Never Begin The Conversation By Telling What You Can't Do. Tell What You Can DoBy Gene Griessman, Ph.D. If you begin by telling what you can't do, you will annoy customers, associates, and the people you report to.Let's say you've been asked to prepare a report. The president calls in the morning and tells you to have the report on his desk by two that afternoon. There's no way you can meet his expectation.So here are two possible responses. One, you can say: "I can have the report on your desk by two, but it won't be...
Six Sigma Applied to Healthcare
Published:02/26/2011 05:21pm
Setting the StageTexas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, recently completed a project to re-organize its health insurance validation process. Consultant Ralph Jarvis and his team used ConceptDraws brainstorming and the project management capabilities to create a new process that will be rolled out to 11 affiliated hospitals across Texas. The goal was to improve the patient experience by reducing wait times, Jarvis says. By reusing information, the hospital could ensure that its patients wouldnt have to fill out insurance forms each time they moved within and between hospitals in the consortium, Jarvis says. ConceptDraw was a...
Timeless wisdom of Temples.
Published:02/26/2011 11:10am
Timeless wisdom of Temples.My recent pilgrimage to India inspired me to share some of my rich experience of Temples in India with other like minded people. It is just not possible to write everything about my experience which had a deep and powerful effect on my psyche and self. It is hard to describe in words the alchemical nature of these images and carving on the temples walls, but I am sure these attached photos will give you a little taste of it. These temples are not the places of worship, but they certainly give you experience in your transpersonal nature,...
New book: Vaccine Epidemic becomes best seller
Published:02/25/2011 10:22am
In response to the increasing number of pro-vaccine books by authors such as Seth Mnookin, Arthur Allen and the prolific Dr. Paul Offit, whose books are being published at a furious rate and with an increasingly vitriolic tone, those of us who stand against vaccines and stand for person's right to refuse are digging in our heels and fighting back.The new book, "Vaccine Epidemic: How Corporate Greed, Biased Science, and Coercive Government Threaten Our Human Rights, Our Health, and Our Children" has just been released. It's an important book offering a range of experiences and perspective from different authors. Vaccine Epidemic...
Living With Mom, Spending Time With Dad
Published:02/24/2011 07:44pm
Divorce can be extremely traumatic to families, especially children. My childrens picture book, Living With Mom, Spending Time With Dad takes us through a myriad of emotions that two children, Stephen and Alex experience through this tumultuous period. The children, especially Alex gives an extremely candid and honest account of the day to day trauma, the hostility and at times the many poignant memories that he has.Living with Mom, Spending Time with Dad also addresses the concerns and anguish of being torn between two parents. Throughout the story there is that underlying hope that everything will turn out...
Embrace Activism Joins the Revolution
Published:02/24/2011 05:38pm
Power to the people! People have the powerthe power to be healthy. The top two preventable causes of death are smoking and obesity. By making an active decision to steer clear of tobacco in all its forms and embracing the mantra calories in calories out for weight management, the numbers of individuals developing cancers and chronic diseases would dramatically drop. With the drop in those numbers, the quality of life and productivity increases. Everyone would be for that right?In theory yes, everyone is for that. But in practice its much more difficult. There...
Seven Quality Management Tools
Published:02/24/2011 09:21am
I received an email requesting a quick review of the Seven Quality Management Tools that are available to quality personnel. Here is a quick look.1. Flowchart - Map of sequential steps and decision points in a process. A flow chart is a good tool for a team which helps the group to understand the work flow of a process.2. Check Sheet - This tool is often referred to as a "tally sheet" that gathers information on frequency / occurrences of defects or events.3. Cause and Effect Diagram - This tool is also known as the Ishakawa and Fishbone diagram. The...
CRISIS BEGINS: SPEED TO HIRE 2011 mckearney.wordpress.com
Published:02/24/2011 07:29am
Speed To Hire 2011Posted on February 24, 2011 For the past three years employers have enjoyed the option of taking their time, being very picky about things like culture fit, and the hiring process taking 3 to 4 weeks to reach the point of making an offer.Those days are officially over entirely.In the past two days I have lost three offers in a row to small startups. My clients were mid-sized employers who went through the laborious exercise of three visits for interviews, needless 10-14 day background checks, and unwise decisions to make lateral or near lateral offers.There was time for...
Employees Test Lines
Published:02/23/2011 02:01pm
What is it the employees want to know? Why do they keep wanting to know it? Like any person a group of employees want to know where their place is in the scheme of things. They wish to know the job and how what each does affects the whole. They also wish to know they are doing it correctly and that the boss is pleased. Let's face it, every day they come in and basically do the same job so they need to get cues that it still is being done well.Employees wish to know that the boss is going to...
