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CHAPTER SERVICES ADDRESS
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August
2008 |
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| Newsletter
Sponsor  Click the ad for more information |
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By:
Leanne Batchelder, CIASTD 2008 President Right Now vs. Tomorrow: the Juggling Act Your board met in July for a mid-year retreat. We talked about what we had accomplished so far this year and what we’d like to do the remainder of the year. Andrea Moore, your President-Elect, surveyed the board prior to the retreat to ask us to think beyond this year and visualize the chapter in five years. I was pleased to see so many common visions, mostly around providing members with “new and varied” program options, networking connections, and website tools. We realized that every time the board comes together to brainstorm and strategize, the positive energy and creative ideas practically “burst at the seams”! This is wonderful, but our challenge is actually implementing those ideas! We are constantly juggling the tactical, day-to-day responsibilities with the need for strategic planning. When push comes to shove, the day-to-day responsibilities “win” our time and attention. I’m sure many of you can relate to this challenge within your own job, department, and organization! How do we find time for both, especially in a volunteer organization? How can we strike a balance between addressing the “right now” with the planning for “tomorrow” I’d love to hear your ideas for how you and your teams strike that balance. Here’s what we’re going to try:
At the beginning of our retreat Andrea Moore reminded us of that Albert Einstein once said the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So, we’re going to shake it up a little; try something new. Maybe we’ll get a little closer to our future visions; maybe some ideas won’t work but lead to other ideas which will. I’m just excited to see what happens next! Leanne
Batchelder, CIASTD President
We
gained
our inspiration for this
event from the book
212 degrees You
can check out this short film: http://www.simpletruths.com/movies/index.asp and
click on 212
degrees. Each registrant will also receive a copy
of the book 212 degrees by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson.
We have structured the day so that you can choose a half day or full day option. We will also be hosting a happy hour to extend discussions and support our member’s interests in networking. The morning will be focused on networking and examining the learning professional’s role in business today. The afternoon will be a showcase of 30-minute breakout sessions related to one of three tracks:
By
Lou Russell, CEO, Russell Martin & Associates We only have to look at our world marketplace
to see the flaw in this line of thinking. The richest man
in the world started
as a classic nerd. In fact, he still has some nerd tendencies,
I would guess. Bill Gates is a leader that has changed history.
I don’t know Bill Gates personally, but here’s
what I think are the Top 10 things he did to evolve from a
nerd to a successful business leader:
Bill Gates seems to know what he wants and focuses on that. His drive and ability to ‘stay the course’ are critical to his success. Nerds need to learn to focus on a vision bigger than the technology they specialize in.
I’m guessing Bill Gates would tell you he is a nerd. He knows the things that he’s good and not good at. He knows he cannot be all things to all people – it’s not scalable. Nerds need to learn about their own capacity in order to evolve into leaders.
Bill Gates has leveraged other people to fill in his own shortcomings. To be successful, he had to be clear what he wanted them to do and how. Nerds need to learn that delegation is more than telling someone else to do something.
People who work at Microsoft have been successful. One look at the number of millionaires walking the streets of Seattle shows the staff is held accountable for specific goals. Nerds need to learn how to set goals for others and create metrics to define success.
Everyone loves to make fun of Windows, but there’s no arguing that the platform has massive market share. There have been threats, and Bill and company have reacted aggressively. He is aware of risks and his mitigation plans appear to be in place before the risk occurs. Nerds need to learn how to anticipate and mitigate risk.
Just recently, Bill Gates has become more of an icon as he ventures into philanthropy, but as he grew Microsoft, it was all about the company. Nerds need to learn to leave their technically-oriented ego at the door; leadership is about others.
Early on, he saw what kind of interface would move every consumer to depend on the PC, and he jumped on it. His ability to observe the trends of the market has contributed to his success. Nerds need to learn to listen beyond the technology to the business.
Apple had the interface first, and Bill Gates ended up with the market share. He is able to focus on the forces in the market, not just his business. Nerds need to be clear that the business is their competition. Technology allows nerds to be bypassed. Nerds must add value to the business, not just deliver systems.
Everyone wants to work at Microsoft. They work hard, but it is a pretty cool place. People like to be on a winning team. Nerds need to learn to value and nurture the work environment to retain great people.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist this one. So, it is possible to grow nerds into highly successful business people. A talented, strategic business professional with good communication AND technical skills is an invaluable resource in business today. Invest in your IT people who have the potential to be the next Bill Gates.
Visit www.CIASTD.com for the entire year's calendar!
To order online, click here. You can also contact Mark Records at (317) 841-8202.
Interested
in speaking at a future CIASTD meeting?
CIASTD wants to support your growth! If you are interested in pursuing the CPLP designation and want more information, please contact Andrea Moore, VP of Workplace Learning and Certification at amoore@FlashPointHR.com.
In each issue of The Facilitator, we will list members that have joined or re-joined CIASTD since the previous issue. Since the last issue of The Facilitator, we have signed 5 new members. Lloyd Brown,
Monarch Beverage Company |
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