Technology

Just wondering...why do I feel like I absolutely have to answer my cell phone, no matter what I'm doing, no matter where I am? It's controlling me. It's disruptive and it affects my concentration. I am putting myself back into the drivers seat. If I am on another phone, doing something else, trying to get a project done - leave me a message, that will work just fine!

Attitude

The Joy is in the Journey...

Paperless world?

In this paper-less world (ha-ha) - It caught up with me this morning. The mounds of it; in my briefcase, on my desk at home, on my desk at the office, on the chair, on the small table in the corner, in the workroom, yes -on the floor. I had to regroup. I practiced what we all know. I sorted. I filed. I tossed. I combined my many lists. And now I can get to work. Taking just a short amount of time to do this allows me to get at the tasks at hand and once more have control of it all - instead of the other way around. I can prioritize. I can focus. I can stop searching for that lost piece of information. It's a good thing.

Over the River

Over the river and across the bridge (35W)...I made the journey today for the first time. Quite amazing that this architectural and engineering feat could be completed in such a short time. Shows what can be accomplished when people/agencies/government work together on a common issue.

Planning

Arrived home last night to a flooded basement, falling ceiling, gushing water pipe. Definitely not in my plans. As I was rushing to turn off the water supply many thoughts were bombarding me. I was glad I knew where to go to get to the main water supply. (Being prepared). I was relieved that this did not happen while I was out of town for a week. (Looking on the bright side.) I had the number for a professional plumber. (Planning). I realized that no matter how much you plan, how much you prepare, there are unexpected events that happen that can't be anticipated. You have to be prepared to deal with it. Have an emergency fund, (surplus) adequate insurance coverage (risk management). Adapt. Change your plans to buy that new TV - and get the damage repaired instead. Same rules apply at an association. Have the plan. Be prepared. Get insurance. Have a surplus. Be flexible. And of course, don't worry, be happy.

Ethics

I know I said I was going to focus on the positive - BUT - who are these people running our largest corporations? Has greed and corruption simply become a way of life in corporate America? I just hope that we, the general public, and the association community look at this corruption, (AIG, Lehman Bros.) this greed, this unethical behavior and strengthen our own efforts to run organizations that are transparent, socially responsible, fiscally responsible, and true to our missions. At that same time let's demand that all leaders begin to show some of this same restraint.

The good and the bad

My tendency is to think about and dwell on those horrible drivers, those people who don’t show up for a committee meeting, the customer service people who don’t have a clue, the software program that just quits, the smart comment from someone in a group, the person who said no. It’s easy to do. The negative aspects are just plain so easy to identify and to blame.

Today, I made an agreement with myself to try and change this bad habit. Instead of the bad I am going to try hard – to focus on the good. The good…there is just so much. Just looking around me I see, a great work environment, fabulous co-workers, excellent computers and systems, the time to write and experiment with this blog, and always, always, something different to stretch my mind and capture my interest. Let’s see how long I can capture the good and ignore the bad. Maybe it will become a good habit?

Balance

Friday. It's a wrap. (The week that is.) Actually, Friday might be the end of the official work week, but it is certainly not the end of the week. I find I work just as hard over the weekend. It's that constant struggle to find balance between work and home. I do however make it a point to use some time to do nothing. Nothing is a good thing. I find it nourishes my body, mind and soul. Here's to a weekend of nothing!

Teamwork

Attended MSAE's Breakfast with the Experts this morning. Speaker Allen Holt talked about what it takes to build a championship team. Many excellent ideas, however the sports analogy about setting goals hit a chord with me. Sometimes, we just forget about how important it is to know where we are going, and what we are striving to achieve. We need to have and keep the goal in mind. Think about it - A basketball player steals the ball, dribbles down to the other end of the court, turns, gets ready to shoot, aims - but there is no hoop/no basket/no goal/ no reason to shoot. Why extend all that effort? Use that same analogy and relate it to your work. Are your goals stated, communicated, understood and important to all of the team players? If not, it might be a good time to re-group and take this first step towards building your championship team!

Blogging

Is this a good thing? Or is it a huge time waster? What do you think?

Blogging

Starting a blog:
First figure out why.
Go to blogger.com or blogspot.com (or others).
Select a name.
Customize the colors and look.
Review the possible settings.
Post a test.
Add links.
Familiarize yourself with all of the administrative functions.
Publish.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
Do monitor what others are saying.
Don't lie.
Publicize.

Associations Live

We will start with the ABCs of blogging, and the beginning of this new endeavor for MSAE.
Why blog? Here's our reasons:
Another way to interact with members.
Create an on-line community.
Share our learning experiences.
Solicit new ideas.
Showcase the how to do it.
Give a new perspective.
So now what? That's what we are about to find out. Join us.