Category: Blog
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SlowMo
One of the first exemplary leaders (aka JB) I worked for taught me the immense value of slowness.
JB exuded an aura of stoicism, unflappability, studiousness. I now better understand WHAT he was doing, and WHY. JB understood, and was teaching me, that those of us who lead others are wise to move slowly as often as possible (true emergencies where lives are in danger being the exception).
Here are some of the instructive ways JB moved slowly:
- He was slow to “fix,” or try to solve the problems of, others.
- He was slow to start talking, preferring to question and deeply listen first.
- He was slow to accept the assertions/allegation/reports of the first (or only) “reporter.”
- He was slow to jump to conclusions and make impactful decisions without researching thoroughly and seeking insight from wise others.
- We was slow to adopt novelty in whole cloth fashion, preferring to treat “new ways of doing it” as pilot projects that could be tweaked as they were being explored and adapted.
- He was slow in physically moving about, recognizing that when the leader appears “on fire” it has a disruptive and unsettling effect on others in the organization.
Thankful to this day for both the direct and indirect guidance I received from JB. Thankful, too, that I had him to learn from early in my career/life.
I’d bet good money that JB is today one of the slowest movers in heaven.
*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.
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Amplifiers
I am a pseudo-musician. Occasionally I use an amplifier during a musical performance. While I am not classically trained, nor is my voice superbly polished, the amplifier makes me sound better than I really am.
What does that amplifier do?- It allows me to project my music without as much stress and effort.
- It pushes my music further, extending its reach.
- It brings clarity to the subtleties and nuance of my music.
- It gives my music far greater “signal” strength.
The best leaders I know play a similar role in their organizations. They are excellent amplifiers. They clean, clarify, and push the best efforts of others.*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning. -
Ready-gation
Impactful work is always complex. It’s always difficult. And it’s always too much!
When we choose to do impactful work, we absolutely must do it as a team. What happens far too often is that the leader sees where the work and workflow should be going, but some (or all) of the team does not.
Aligning the team to the work needs is a fundamental responsibility of leadership. It is essential to executing the work and achieving the aspired outcomes.
Some particularly successful leaders in this regard practice the following. They…
- Relentlessly remind the team of where we’re going and why.
- Match team members with work that aligns to their skills set.
- Establish clear and written assigned roles for the team members.
- Schedule regular and brief team-wide “check-up” meetings.
- Meet with each team member much more frequently, around the specifics and depth of their assigned role.
The best leaders I know praise and express gratitude a LOT publicly. They redirect/criticize individually and privately.I’ve worked for a few leaders like that. (A few too few.)*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning. -
Graticism
Over the years I’ve often heard leaders posit the strategy of pairing criticism (usually of employee performance) with doses of gratitude/praise. I think of it as “graticism.”
The best, and usually the smartest, team members I’ve worked with recognize this psycho-manipulation for what it is: an attempt to “soften” criticism with praise. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, as the old mantra goes.
I am neither a fan, nor practitioner.
Two considerations that spring from my hard experiences on this front:
1. Uninvited criticism is rarely, if ever, received well (I believe the research in psychology supports my position in this regard). Rather, surfacing poor performance issues through conversation and inquiry has always provided for me better results in conducting these difficult conversations. Trust is the starting point of solution crafting in this area. Making folks feel they’re being psycho-manipulated is not a very good trust building technique.
2. Saying THANKS and offering praise for good effort (and work) in stand-alone formatting is a marvelous and high yield strategy. The cost is low; the dividends are high. In fact, it’s often the antecedent to that trust building thing… (and it makes both giver and receiver feel a little better).
(And, yes, I know I’m not in the main stream of thought on this subject. I’m fine with that….)
*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.
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Collegiate Ed-Nation (CEN) to Host National Apprenticeship Week Celebration with Special Recognition by United States Department of Energy at Cisco College
Roscoe, Texas – Collegiate Edu-Nation (CEN) is excited to join industry leaders, workforce partners, local officials and more to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week at Cisco College in Abilene, Texas, on Monday, November 13th. National Apprenticeship Week, established by the U.S. Department of Labor, is a nationwide celebration that brings together employers, industry associations, labor organizations, community-based organizations, workforce partners, education providers, and government leaders to highlight the value and impact of Registered Apprenticeships.In recognition of CEN’s remarkable work in rural education and communities, Laura Jones, Workforce Management Analyst from the United States Department of Energy will visit from Washington, D.C. to attend the event at Cisco College. This visit serves as a tribute to CEN’s dedication to empowering rural areas through education and the new Post Secondary Education and Apprenticeship Project, “Edu-REACH” (Rural Education Achievement for Community Hope). The United States Department of Energy is a supporter of energy apprenticeships and work-based learning.
“We are eager to visit rural Texas and see the outstanding experiences CEN is providing for students,” said Laura Jones of US Dept. of Energy. “Rural students are traditionally an underserved population. It is great to see an organization providing opportunities for our nation’s rural students.”
The CEN Rural Hope Revitalization program recognizes the critical importance of nurturing talent within rural communities. By offering local, adult-students the opportunity to pursue degrees without the burden of relocation, Edu-REACH seeks to bridge the educational gap that many rural communities encounter. The project will bolster local economies by ensuring that students can access relevant post-secondary education and apprenticeships in their respective communities.“We are honored to receive a nod of encouragement from the U.S. Department of Energy for our continuous work in rural education,” said Kim Alexander, CEO of Collegiate Edu-Nation. “It is amazing to see the impact that rural students can have in this vast world. We are excited to provide them the resources and opportunities, including apprenticeships, they need to be successful in their studies and in their future careers.”
CEN is proud to celebrate the success of the first CEN Registered Apprentice, Joey Cook, and his ongoing studies to receive his Energy Auditor Certification. Joey began his initiative during 2022 as CEN districts’ first HVAC Apprentice working for Cary Services. As a graduate of Hamlin Collegiate High School, Joey continued his post secondary education to receive further certification. Joey will be in attendance on November 13, 2023 and join in the celebration of his accomplishments and the accomplishments of Registered Apprenticeship Programs alike.
“We are immensely proud of Joey’s accomplishments, and his success symbolizes the exceptional potential that apprenticeships hold for adult education across the State of Texas,” said Brittany Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Collegiate Edu-Nation. “National Apprenticeship Week is a time to celebrate the successes of apprentices like Joey and to reaffirm our commitment to creating opportunities that build thriving rural communities.”
Join CEN in celebrating National Apprenticeship Week in November. Any inquiries regarding the new Edu-REACH Registered Apprenticeship Program can be directed to Brittany Williams at bwilliams@edu-nation.org.
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CEN is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation based in Roscoe in West Texas that has member school districts located throughout rural Texas. CEN plans to spread strategically across every region in Texas and work with students in rural West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Collegiate Edu-Nation – edu-nation.org – is a proven strategy founded because of the belief in the potential of every single young person to achieve a life of choice and impact. The core philosophy is “All means all.” Every student in each CEN district will have the same opportunity to match top opportunities for educational attainment and community development with the students’ high aspirations.
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ListenLeverage
Attention spans seem shorter than ever. Droning on is one of the surest ways to lose our audience(s).
The best communicators I know engage some very intentional strategies when they have opportunity to speak. They leverage:
- Connections — Folks listen best when we are discussing something important to them.
- Future Focus — Speak to a better future we can craft together.
- Specificity — Ambiguity and mush are………….ambiguity and mush.
- Inquiry — Let powerful questions drive the conversations toward solutions.
- Brevity — Less is more, especially when garnering attention/interest is our goal.
- Inclusivity — WE is always a more powerful attractor than me.
When we successfully engage the thinking of others, we rattle around in their brains long after we have relinquished the microphone and the room has emptied.*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.
