Author Archives: Inspiring Innovations, Inc.
TRIPLE III TIME: “Evaluation Learning 101”
This week I have been involved in a special evaluation project with a long-time partner organization. As you can guess evaluation has not been my career-long area of interest. Mostly I love being on the front-creative end of any project… instead of researching and measuring how it went. However, this time the evaluation event caused me to look back to my farm roots to better realize missed Evaluation Learning 101 opportunities with my Dad
Dad was always a cautious risk-taker. Whether the challenge was crops, livestock, or farm machinery…he was always ready to try something different. I remember tractors. John Deere, Massey Ferguson, International, and even a David Brown. As a young man, it was fun to work with them, test them and see what was special about each. But interestingly, I never knew what Dad thought…nor did he ever ask me? This absence of Evaluation Learning 101 conversation is the point of this week’s TRIPLE III TIME message.
There is a tremendous amount of Evaluation Learning 101 that never occurs due to a lack of communication. Think about it. Do you have regular communication about unique sales techniques you used that worked great? If you helped a person with a ton of challenges get a start-up job through special coaching time…do all of your co-workers know? Or if you partnered with a new group to have greater access to all kind of cool resources… did you share your strategy?
I wish Dad had shared his Evaluation Learning 101 process for measuring options and opportunities. YOUR Evaluation Learning 101 experiences have lifetime value. So share your Evaluation Learning 101 occurrences every time you can. Waiting for a better time to share may never come.
TRIPLE III TIME: The Innovation Drain
One of the greatest challenges of being an INNOVATIONIST is trying to maintain a steady supply chain of productivity experience. OK…what the heck did I just say? Well, what I mean is that as you work with people or groups and steadily expend your innovation and creativity energy and ideas…you also need to maintain some form of new, unique, non-traditional input dreamer activity to balance the output action.
This balance is an almost necessity in both your personal and professional worlds. Typically, if you have developed a reputation for being the “IDEAS” person (i.e. Innovationist), friends, family, co-workers, students, and business partners all tend to seek your advice on something. The Innovation Drain that results tends to make you wonder: “Am I losing my edge?” … “Are my Innovationist days numbered?” … or “Can I really help whoever find the creative solutions they need?”
My TRIPLE III TIME response/advice is to make sure you better balance your innovative inputs and outputs. First, make sure you take time to connect with “your own kind” (i.e. fellow Innovationists) to gain regular dreamer inputs. Second, seek out books, articles and other written pieces on new approaches to old problems and absorb the concepts discussed. Third, remember that innovative ideas do NOT have to be big and/or save-the-world impacting. Rather, just inspiring individuals to openly share THEIR IDEAS about continuous improvement…is innovation at it’s best!
Finally, don’t allow The Innovation Drain to continue for a long period of time. Quality, confidence, uniqueness and inspirational spontaneity can all disappear.
Let me know your thoughts.
TRIPLE III TIME: The Value of Example Setting
As I have worked with leaders from the private and public sectors, most recently I have tried to emphasize The Value of Example Setting in all that they do. Close your eyes and think about how you would grade yourself and those in leadership positions that you know…with regard to the professional examples that they set.
Seriously, would you give them (or yourself because YOU are a leader too!) an A – B – C – D – E or F with regard to Example Setting in the areas of:
- Visioning
- Prioritizing
- Communication
- Fairness
- Time Management
- Consistency
- Use of Dollars
- Partnership Building
- Appreciation
- Inclusion
These are the TOP 10 Example Setting areas that I believe are “on display” in both your personal and professional life everyday…EVERYDAY! Therefore, remember The Value of Example Setting is PRICELESS…so never waste the opportunity.
TRIPLE III TIME: Helping Career Runaways
The process for identifying a career area to pursue has followed a similar pattern for a number of years. Research, observation, career consulting and networking have all been contributors to career development. Additionally, with the new era opportunities offered via online access the availability of job information has widened to a level never dreamed of! However, I believe the challenge of deciding what career track to follow has actually become more difficult. The information overload, the speed of job creation, job changes and yes even job eliminations have enabled some who have tremendous world-of-work potential…to become Career Runaways.
Career Runaways are those who often enter a workplace due to convenience or fiscal necessity. And even though you might think I’m talking about todays young adults, let me assure you that Career Runaways are found at every age level. No don’t misunderstand my position! Many Career Runaways are very successful in the jobs or work areas that they are involved in. They have a great work ethic and an excellent company/organization supporting mindset. But are they able to make the professional development impacts that they might with just a little more education, training, opportunity exposures and/or just plain encouragement?
Today more than ever before…I feel that FULL (i.e. FULL TIME + CAPACITY) employment is in some way everyone’s job. Whether it is job coaching a young person, encouraging a friend to just take one class, admitting to co-worker’s failure moments that helped you try harder and/or not being afraid to build a network of colleagues that have professional expectations of your true potential.
Bottomline: Help who and whenever you can. Consider it an opportunity of a lifetime…because you may never know the extended good that you may do.
Learning Moments Podcast: ADULT Job Shadowing
Today jobs are so different. When you see a job title…you get a basic idea of the job and what is involved with the position. But reality lets you know very quickly that there is always much more behind every job title.
So, for this month’s LEARNING MOMENTS podcast, I would like you to think about the enormous value of ADULT Job Shadowing! I will try to explain why job shadowing isn’t just for young people anymore and how it can help meet the “behind the job title” challenges!
I hope you enjoy the discussion.
TRIPLE III TIME: Regional Economic Innovation
Many years ago, I was fortunate to partner with Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Economic Innovation (MSU-REI). Not only did we have a couple of cool, unique community development projects…but we also “shared the stage” from time to time to present on the importance of supporting Community/Business/Education/Entrepreneurship economic innovation initiatives!
Well linked to this message is a special video that the MSU-REI produced to allow “Innovationists” from all over Michigan to share a few thoughts and ideas on why promoting ENTREPRENEURSHIP is critical everyday…EVERYDAY!
I hope you enjoy it and take the time to visit the MSU-REI website to read about the wide variety of innovative projects that they have sponsored over the years.
Risk Takers: Improving Communities through Economic Development
TRIPLE III TIME: “INSPIRATION…Where?”
People on different occasions have asked me where I draw the INSPIRATION to draft weekly III blog messages and/or the monthly LEARNING MOMENTS podcasts. And I have to admit that although it seems real basic…I really do find ideas on the spur of the moment…in any location…and at any time. But as I considered the question a little deeper…I thought it might be helpful to find a better answer for: “INSPIRATION…Where?”
First, how about writing down the greatest INSPIRATION sources you can quickly identify:
- Family
- Historical Moments
- Great Leaders
- Movies
- Songs
- Recognition Actions
- Heros
- Successful People
Everyone’s list can and should be different but truly there is no wrong answer in your list.
Second, ask yourself the question: How often do I “consider” one or more of these INSPIRATION sources when I am challenged in my life or work areas. Do I take the time to ask, “What would he or she do?” or “Is the return on investment great enough to take a chance based on past positive impactful moments/actions?”
I believe that taking the time to allow INSPIRATION to play a vital role in making quality decisions is absolutely correct. Also, when confused, lost, or unsure on an issue, it is more than OK to look back and draw confidence from your sources of INSPIRATION. Similar to other influences like our parents, religion and where you call home, INSPIRATION sources helped build who you are!
“INSPIRATION…Where?” …don’t forget to look behind, in front and all around you.
TRIPLE III TIME – Entrepreneurship: Patience & Immediate Gratification
This week I am happy to report that I experienced lessons in having patience but also receiving immediate gratification regarding one of my favorite career topics/passions: Public Sector Entrepreneurship! Building public sector entrepreneurship in all fields of public service is not only professionally valuable…but necessary as government and politics evolve. Whenever I receive a message from those who strongly or quietly share my passion…it is always a great experience. So for this week, I thought it would be insightful to share my recent Entrepreneurship: Patience & Immediate Gratification moments!
First I received a message from a MBA student, (1) from another country, (2) who is an entrepreneur and (3) had just read my ASPA article: “Is Public Sector Entrepreneurship the Way to the Future?” …from over four (4) years ago! His message was one of excitement, support and “fascination” concerning my thoughts and promotion of Public Sector Entrepreneurship. Well as you can guess my reaction was one of appreciation for the recognition…but even more a reminder that patience is a very necessary professional requirement when promoting entrepreneurial advancement.
Then almost at the same time, I began to receive emails from a group of public service professionals I have been working with over the last few months. I challenged them to produce “Just 1 Thing” that would improve their world-of-work and their IDEAS were/are great. They all contain a high element of Public Sector Entrepreneurship and independent thought on how to raise their service “bar”. These responses were an excellent form of Immediate Gratification and return-on-investment for the time I spent preaching continuous improvement.
Bottomline: You will never know the value of encouraging Public Sector (or Private Sector) Entrepreneurship. Patience and Immediate Gratification are both impactors for those who chase the innovation and creativity of entrepreneurship everyday…EVERYDAY! But regardless of when you receive positive feedback…Don’t take it for granted…: Don’t waste it…Learn from it…and Be sure to smile inside and outside knowing you made a difference.
TRIPLE III TIME: 21st Century “EVAL-CULATIONS”
One of my regular targets for “change-action” is applying imagination to the traditional standards of measuring success and considering a Return-On-Investment. It is always easier to take out the OLD performance standards and/or fiscal “cost-per” measurements and declare a program, service or product a success or failure. But what about measuring a continuous improvement action/training? Is it a standard business procedure to re-gather affected staff to determine the minimum or maximum effectiveness of a continuous improvement initiative? Or is just offering the initiative and having everyone attend the measure of success?
Well because change, innovation and dollars all deserve “equal time” as progress and quality factors, consider these TOP 10 “What Aren’t We Seeing?” EVAL-CULATIONS! (Yes it’s a new word!) as you consider the value of your continuous improvement efforts:
- Did organizational leadership revisit the trainees and ask them “What’s the 1 THING you learned?”
- How many other colleagues did you share your positive learning experience with?
- Did the organization’s action/training prompt you to meet one-on-one with co-workers to consider a more progressive change?
- How many attendees expressed a “Something To Look Forward To!” attitude following the continuous improvement action/training?
- Was it possible to calculate the number of “spin-off” ideas that resulted?
- In follow-up discussions…did attendees appear to improve their ability to prioritize?
- Did the organization’s action/training generate increased/quality internal/external communication?
- How many attendees “stepped-up” to be more involved in future actions?
- Is it possible to witness personnel re-looking at past evaluation approaches and considering new, innovation-based designs?
- If our goal is to be better and special…as organizations, businesses, and workers…shouldn’t we try to use unique 21st Century EVAL-CULATIONS as new criteria?
Don’t ever be afraid of or limit the way you look at the value of initiatives. Better and Special deserve an always changing, always innovative measuring stick…plus it often causes FUN to be infused into your daily work.
TRIPLE III TIME: “Listen or Read Twice…Then Speak/Email/Text ONCE!”
My Grandpa Nick was an excellent carpenter. It was always a fun and learning moment to be “assigned” to help him build or repair some wooden project. And just like so many great woodworkers…one of the regular sayings/words of advice were: “Measure Twice…Then Cut Once.” This meant that before you cut a valuable piece of lumber, it was more than appropriate to take extra time and measure at least a couple of times before you grabbed the saw and cut. Why? Accuracy, no waste, efficient use of time and quality were all of the points that answer the WHY question.
Well, I think this approach to quality is an excellent way to ensure your COMMUNICATION practices are the very best they could be. Think about it. If you make it a professional habit to: “Listen or Read Twice…Then Speak/Email/Text ONCE!”, how clear, accurate, efficient and effective your messaging would be. I do not believe it would take a great deal of more time and effort. Instead by practicing to: “Listen or Read Twice…Then Speak/Email/Text ONCE!” you may find that you have avoided confusion, controversy and having to put together a ton of “re-do” messages to fix a poor piece of communication.
The “Listen or Read Twice…Then Speak/Email/Text ONCE!” strategy seems like an easy habit to employ. But can we really do it?
Inspiring Innovations, Inc. 