Time for Diversity Workshops again!!!

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I am pretty much fed up with people who believe confessing to cheating, slandering and otherwise admitting they have done some evil thing makes it ok. I have heard local politicians minimize their foul play and scandalizing as no worse than an jaywalking ticket. Are we to just roll over and accept this behavior as being a fault which is now forgiven? Are we to give a blank sheet of full pardon? Are we to allow them, whoever they are, to blame the economy or their parents or someone or something else for their problems? I don't think so. I think its about time for people to be held accountable for their actions. I think its time to put dialogue and workshops in place to help everyone understand they are responsible for actions they take and for their own behavior. I think adults need to be adults and act like parents instead for their children's friend. Your prodigy needs guidance and you need to be a role model. That's right, like it or not, a role model. Your children are looking up to you for direction, for values, for responsibility, for safety, for security and adults need to deliver. Sensitivity to these issues and being held accountable are things we all need to be aware of. Hurting other people is not acceptable. Being a stalker, a cheater, a bigot, a bully, and you know the rest of the list...is not acceptable. If you are in today's workforce and have not had any type of Diversity Workshops and I mean real workshops, its time to get into those sessions. If your company doesn't offer it, contact your Human Resources department and demand everyone receives it. Diversity, acceptance, sensitivity and all forms of tolerance needs to be understood. You may discover a bias or a fault you have which you didn't even know about. Its important and it needs to be part of YOUR education. In fact, you may want to connect with the Global Coaching and Consulting Group who do a quite capable and inspirational job of delivering this type of training ( http://www.globalcoachingandconsulting.com ).

Its time to TAKE THE LEAD!!!

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Over the past few weeks we have seen the tide and power of leadership shift back and forth from the leaders to the followers. I think we all were a bit amazed to see the controversy erupt in some of the Health Reform town meetings. Well, maybe some of us were not so surprised. Prostesting from senior citizens!!! How uncivilized and rude. But wait...isn't this the anniversary of the worlds largest gathering of a peaceful people called Woodstock. Isn't this the time of long ago when the New York State Thruway was closed because of the thousands of people that gathered at Yasgur's farm for three days of peace and music. http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/reinventing/articles/woodstock__40_years.html?CMP=KNC-360I-YAHOO-BULL&HBX_OU=51&HBX_PK=woodstock

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40 years ago a huge gathering of humanity created an historic event in a certain place and time which will forever be etched into history, and for some, mark a turning point in there own personal, private and public lives. The whole world shuttered as this gathering grew to emmense proportions and became the largest free music event with peace and love that ever existed or ever will exist. The fact of the matter is the world changed after this event. Stars became political leaders. Some by default. Some not wanting this awesome responsiblity. No concert after this on this scale in this type of location would ever happen again. No one was capable of leading that type of event again. Leading...interesting term. Woodstock led an army of hippies, dippies, weathermen, socialites, free lovers, peaceniks, warmongers and young adults into the future with, surprisingly, a new recipe for growth, prosperity, "can do" attitude and a bonus recipe for great brownies. So, what does this have to do with the new culture of the new world, new mellinium and this new era of protests by seniors. PLENTY!!! They are the woodstock era people and they have come to lead us again through their protests and leadership style which is not afraid to be candid, if not more honest in their opinions. And get this...Senator Specter has the nerve to say that this is not the voice of the people of America. I think its time for this Senator to practice his leadership skills and do come active listening because he will become a follower and follow all the other deposed politicians right out the back door. The tide has shifted and the rip currents can be treacherous. As Lee Iacocca said, "Its time to lead, follow, or get out of the way." Or even better, as Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM stated, "If you're in charge, take charge." Woodstock, who would ever have thought the impact it was going to have today.

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Diversity of Thought

With all the turmoil in today's job market, and unmarket, organizations are pressed to increase or even maintain moral so they remain productive and remain a viable entity. Its increasingly difficult to complete that task through the creation of an organizational environment that allows you to reach your goals. Lets face it, employees are constantly looking over their shoulders to see who is watching them and more often than not, over their shoulder to see who is going to replace them. It reminds me of the days I worked in the steel mill and watched the "old timers" stop working when a young apprentice would stop to watch what they were doing. I often admired welders who could weld so precisely it looked like the weld was painted on. It was a true art. I finally asked my father why they stopped when I watched. He said it was because they felt that if I learned their trade and skill I would eventually "steal" their job and replace them. I thought, if we worked together we could do it better, faster and increase our productivity. So what is the point? The point is, we need to know how people think. What do think about their jobs and the messages they receive from their leaders. The strategy, what about the strategy...do they get it. And why do they work well with some, and not with others. Fundamentally it seems like this would be, at best, a very difficult thing to do. If you are a leader in your organization, you must be constantly thinking, "How do I get my employees to work better together. Why do some get along, while others do not?" Ok, the point of this is to ensure you that I could help you find the answer and the real revelation is your employees discover for themselves what the obstacles are between them. I can do this through the use of a highly effective instrument that has the largest validated database as proof. And the really exciting thing is....its fun. When you go through this 4 hour session of self discovery you walk away with a realization that you have discovered many things about your self, your work place, your peers, and surprisingly...your spouse. So, don't hide the welds, share your skills and grow your team. Need proof? Ok, I'll end with a question to prove what I have you think about and discover... Have you ever taken a trip or vacation with someone who MUST have an agenda for every day? A schedule of events, meals and meeting places? Does it drive you crazy...it is calming for them. I know why.