"Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself."

~Jessye Norman

"Leaders take risks. That's not to say that they are reckless, because good leaders aren't. But they don't always take the safest route. Rarely can a person break ground and play it safe at the same time."

~John C. Maxwell, The Right to Lead

"The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."

Pearl S. Buck, 1892-1973, Writer

"The best way to inspire people to superior performance is to convince them by everything you do and by your everyday attitude that you are wholeheartedly supporting them."

~Harold S. Green, Even Eagles Need a Push

"There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no insurmountable barrier except our own inherent weakness of purpose."

~Elbert Hubbard 1856-1915, Writer and Publisher

"Not all dreams must be huge or designed to save the world. Your dream to spend more quality time with your family or to be paid well for doing work that you love is just as important. If your dream matters to you then it is precious and worthy of pursuit."

~Marcia Wieder, Dreams are Whispers from the Soul

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

~Hellen Keller, The Best Way Out is Always Through

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."

~Franklin Roosevelt

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

~Mahatma Gandhi

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

~Napoleon Hill

"You should always focus your best energies and abilities on starting and completing those key tasks that your unique talents and abilities enable you to do well and that make a significant contribution. You cannot do everything, but you can do those few things in which you excel, the few things that can really make a difference."

~Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog!

"Every hour of every day is an unspeakably perfect miracle."
~Walt Whitman

One thing to never say...

You can tell people they are wrong by a look or an intonation or a gesture just as eloquently as you can in words-and if you tell them they are wrong, do you make them agree with you? Never.
When you tell someone they are wrong, you have struck a direct blow to their intelligence, pride, judgement, and self-respect. That will make them want to strike back. You may hurl at them all the logic of Plato, but you will not alter their opinions, you have hurt their feelings.


Move to Action: If a person makes a statement that you think is wrong-or even know is wrong-try saying something like, "I thought otherwise, but I may be wrong. I frequently am. If I am wrong, I want to be right. Can we examine the facts?"

www.dalecarnegiesd.com

"The big rewards come to those who travel the second, undemanded mile."

Bruce Barton

"Feedback is the breakfast of champions."

~Rich Tate

"Action makes more fortune than caution."

~Luc De Clapiers

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

~Henry Ford

"Treat your friends as you do your pictures, and place them in their best light."

~Jennie Jerome Churchill

"No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated and disciplined."

~Harry E. Fosdick

"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges."
~Joseph F. Newton

"When we take control of our mental state by deliberately choosing our thoughts and attitudes, we can alter the meaning we associate to the experiences we have and results we see in our life."

~Clayton J. Moore

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

~Napoleon Hill

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."

~Conrad Hilton

"Aim for service and success will follow."

~Albert Schweitzer

"The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.

"Francois-Marie Arouet

"When you face adversity, be focused but patient, and the right answer will usually surface before you know it."

~Mac Anderson

"Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world."~Andy Andrews

"You can't fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive. However, thefirst step to loving what you do is to self analyze, to simply know what you love. We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life's greatest challenges is to match these talents with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It's not easy-and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error-but it's worth the effort."
~Linda Ellis and Mac Anderson The Dash

"Successful people make decisions quickly and change them slowly if and when at all."

Napoleon Hill, Author of Think and Grow Rich

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

~Mark Twain, Laughter is an Instant Vacation

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."

~Winston Churchill

"When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."

~Tuli Kupferburg

"It is the people who can do nothing who find nothing to do, and the secret to happiness in this world is not only to be useful, but to be forever elevating one's uses."

Sarah Orne Jewett 1849-1909, Author

"You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you've lost them forever."

Wayne Dyer, Author and Speaker

"'If you live the Golden Rule everything else in life will usually work itself out, but if you don't, your life probably will be very unhappy and without meaning.'"

~Mac Anderson The Power of Attitude

How to Analyze and Solve Worry Problems

Get all the facts! Half the worry in the world is caused by people trying to make decisions before they have sufficient knowledge on which to base the decision. Once you have all the facts, the problem usually works itself out.

Keep yor emotions out of your decision. Secure the facts in a clear, impartial manner. That is not an easy task when we are worried about something. When we are worried, our emotions are riding high, we only want the facts that will justify what we already think. Analyze and interpret the facts in an impartial way. Consider both sides of the case.

Move to Action: Don't agonize over a problem. Do not lose any sleep over worry. Simply ask yourself, "What am I worrying about?" then ask, "What can I do about it?"

"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life."

Mary Kay Ash 1918-2001, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

"Worry a little bit every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything."

Mary Hemingway 1908-1986, Author and Journalist

"Team values build a sense of unity and establish a bond among team members that can't be broken even in the most difficult times. Accountability, integrity, respect and commitment are notable values shared by every person on the Blue Angels team. These traits provide a foundation for the most important value of all-TRUST."

~Scott Beare and Michael McMillan, The Power of Teamwork

"Courage is not limited to the battlefield. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like enduring pain when the room is empty or standing alone when you're misunderstood."

~Charles Swindoll

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

~Melody Beattie, May You Be Blessed

"We determine whether something will be a blessing or a curse by the way we choose to see it."

~Kate Nowak

"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement - success will follow."

Helen Hayes 1900-1993, Award Winning Actress

"Work is not always required of a man. There is such a thing as a sacred idleness. The cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected." Take some time today to experience "sacred idleness".

~George MacDonald, The Nature of Success

"Even though we often forget, we acknowledge it: making a difference is more important than making a dollar. Sure, a dollar puts food on the table and a roof over our head and four shiny wheels in the garage, but we know in our gut that more money won't matter as much in the end. What will matter are the people whose lives we touched along the way."

~Todd Duncan, Simple Truths of Selling

"Fact: Every week, the average person receives: 682 e-mails, 12 text messages, 10.8 pieces of junk mail, 1.5 personal letters. Feeling appreciated is one of the strongest human desires. A handwritten note costs less than a dollar to write and mail, and the relational value is priceless."

~Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

"Refuse to let your present results influence your thinking. Keep reminding yourself that you have a power within you that is superior to any condition or circumstance you may encounter enroute to your goal."

Bob Proctor

"The price that must be paid for mastery is discipline. No one achieves lasting success without it. So from the moment you awake each day, devote yourself to the perfection of whatever you pursue. Do this and you will achieve self-mastery. Achieve self-mastery and you will have the makings of a great leader... Discipline is all about cultivating powerful habits that become part of your lifestyle."

~Robin Crow, Rock Solid Leadership

Front page of The Daily Plainsman.

Photos and Facebook

You can find photos of Session 1 @:

http://www.sdfureal.shutterfly.com/

OR

our REAL group on facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=469424&id=1594009576&op=1&view=all&subj=175455326619&aid=-1#/group.php?gid=175455326619

DiSC

I assume that many of you have been more conscious and aware of your personality traits and interactions with others after completion of the DiSC. Please share with us any experiences you have had in the past two days regarding your habits, interactions with others, and/or understanding of others or yourself.

Point of View

Remember that other people may be totally wrong. But they don't think so. Don't condemn them. Any fool can do that. Say to yourself, "how would I feel, how would I react, if I were in that person's shoes?" Only wise, tolerant, exceptional people can do that.
Seeing things from the other person's point of view will make that person want to cooperate with you. Anybody can give orders. Instead, handle the situation with consideration to the other point of view. The result will allow the other person to save face and there will no resentment or sullenness from the other party. Success in dealing with other people starts with a sympathetic grasp of the other person's point of view.

Move to Action: Tomorrow, before asking anyone to put out a fire, buy your product, or contribute to your favorite charity, close your eyes and try to think the whole thing through from the other person's point of view. Ask yourself, "Why would he or she want to do it?" This may take more time, but you will avoid friction and making enemies, and you will get better results.

www.dalecarnagiesd.com

Welcome Class II

REAL Class II officially starts today! Welcome to what I hope you will find as a wonderful leadership opportunity!

"Regret for time wasted can become a power for good in the time that remains, if we will only stop the waste and the idle, useless regretting."

Arthur Brisbane 1864-1936, Journalist and Editor

"Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile."

~Gary Ryan Blair

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC - 43 BC, Politician, Orator and Philosopher

"Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do."

Napoleon Hill 1883-1970, Author of Think and Grow Rich

"You have undoubtedly heard the phrase, 'Plan your work and work your plan.' Planning is as important as purpose because it gets you where you're going... faster. To do twice as much in half the time, you can't approach your goals haphazardly. A well-thought plan will keep you clearly on track towards your goal; and the methods of planning are as varied as our personalities. So, what is your method of planning?"

~Amy Jones,
author Twice As Much in Half the Time

"Marty's greatest lesson was not what he told me but what he constantly showed me. In one or two minutes of time we had the opportunity to define ourselves as human beings. There isn't much room for error. Two minutes is what Marty spent with most customers. If you think about it, two minutes is about the average amount of time we spend with most people in our lives. In a precious few moments, what we say and what we do can be lasting."

~VJ Smith, author
The Richest Man in Town

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind... let it be something good."

~Mac Anderson, author Finding Joy

"Opening your heart is the only way to capture the real brilliance of leadership. Trust and respect serve as the constant unconscious heartbeats of the authentic leader. Without these qualities, real leadership can never exist."

~Tom Mathews, authorAim for the Heart

ANYWAY

On the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta was found the following inscription:

ANYWAY

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
LOVE THEM ANYWAY.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfishness.
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
If you are successful you will win false friends and true enemies.
SUCCEED ANYWAY.
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.
What yo spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
BUILD ANYWAY.
People really need help but may attck you if you help them.
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU'VE GOT ANYWAY.

Taken from Lauching a Leadership Revolution: Mastering the Five Levels of Influence by Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward.

Yankton Press & Dakotan Community Local Officials Excited For New Technology Venture

Scott is a REAL Alumni.

Yankton Press & Dakotan Community Local Officials Excited For New Technology Venture

Shared via AddThis

Be a Good Listener

It is not enough to remain silent during conversations-we should also ask questions.
Many people fail to make a favorable impression because they do not listen attentively. They have been so concerned with what they are going to say next that they do not keep their ears open. To be interesting, be interested.


Move to Action
Ask questions that coworkers will enjoy answering, and when they answer, listen to what they are saying.

www.dalecarnagiesd.com

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to obtain uncommon results."

~Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein, authors

"Most of the limitations you think you have are the ones you have decided on. They are often entirely self-imposed. You might think, 'I can't do this, I can't do that, I would never do that, my parents could never do that, I never played baseball, I never climbed a mountain, I never, never, never'... It's the old broken record in your head. Throw out that negative thinking right now! Learn to play a positive message in your head because it's all about attitude."

David Patchell-Evans

"I am your constant companion. I am your greatest asset or heaviest burden. I will push you up to success or down to disappointment. I am at your command. Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me. For I can do them quickly, correctly, and profitably. I am easily managed; just be firm with me. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures... Who am I? I am a habit."

~Robin Crow

Six Rules for Successful Leadership from Jack Welch

1. Control your destiny, or someone else will.

2. Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.

3. Be candid with everyone.

4. Don't manage, lead.

5. Change before you have to.

6. If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.

Control your destiny, or someone else will.


http://www.1000advices.com/guru/leadership_4e_6rules_welch.html

Take a vacation and Laugh!

http://www.thelaughtermovie.com/miami/

It's a short 3 minute clip...relax and enjoy!

Leaders

"Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile."
~Vince Lombardi

Farmers Union Day at the State Fair

I invite you to attend Farmers Union Day at the SD State Fair. Here is a schedule of events:

10:00am— ‘Insuring A Brighter Tomorrow’
Scholarship Ceremony

10:30am—Dakota Rural Pride Awards

11:00am—South Dakota Ag Forum
Wind Energy Expert Panel

12:00pm—Farmers Share Lunch (cost $1)

2:15pm—Computer & Xbox 360 Winners
Announced (Tent Near Freedom Stage)

Hope to see you there!!!

Smile

Some of us are smile challenged. It's amazing the difference a smile can make-particularly in situations where we are challenged.

Your smile is a messenger of your good will. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl, or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Especially when that person is under pressure from their bosses, their customers, or their families, a smile can help them realize that all is not hopeless-that there is joy in the world.

Move to Action
All this week, try to smile at someone once every hour. Notice any changes?

Attitude

from www.aarondavisspeaks.com

That’s the thing about life; you never know what the future holds but you must refuse to live in fear of something bad happening. My brother would often say “It’s gonna be a good day”; I couldn’t agree more. Your daily attitude is a key factor in how you respond to the storms of life.

A positive attitude is nothing more than processing the things in your life with a positive mindset. This does NOT mean that you will “always” have a great attitude because that IS impossible. It was impossible for me to have a great attitude after finding out about something bad. But the way that I “choose” to process it has made all the difference in the world.

Maybe you’re facing one of the following issues:
• Lost job causing financial stress
• Strained relationship with your spouse, son or daughter
• Frustrated with your current place in life

None of us can control what happens “to” us; but we all can control how we “respond” and the attitude we use to process it all. Yes, storms are a sure part of life but don’t forget my friends that eventually the sun will shine again!

Organization...

19. Bedroom
It only takes a minute to make your bed right after you get up in the morning and will make the whole room look more organized instantly. Only keep the book you're reading right now on your nightstand. Store all others in a bookcase or storage bin. And form the habit of throwing clothes in the hamper immediately and your bedroom will be a place of rest not chaos.

20. Closet
Ladies - we only wear 20% of what's in our closet. That means that 80% is just sitting there. If you want to truly organize your closet get in a very ruthless frame of mind and take EVERYTHING out of the closet. Try everything on and only put back what fits and you like. If it doesn't fit give it away or put in a bin but DO NOT put back in your closet.

21. Closet
Organize your closet by articles of clothing. All pants together, skirts together, blouses together. Then color code within each group hanging light to dark. You can then see at a glance how many black pants you have and know that no matter how good the sale is on black pants- you don't need anymore.

www.elizabethhagen.com

Dakota Fest - Mitchell, SD

I will be at Dakota Fest Aug. 18-20. Come say hello!

Person Centered Comments & Criticism

There are several ways to deal with an issue in the home or workplace. You can talk about the issue, or you can shift the conversation to the personal characteristics, motives, expertise, and conduct of the other person. When you make comments about a person's conduct, expertise, etc. (usually negative) you shift the situation to an attack/defend one, even if that isn't what you intended to do.

Most person centred comments contain the word "YOU" as the subject, or prominent in the comment. Examples:

"You aren't listening" (one of the best ways to get someone to really not listen)

"You don't know what you are talking about"

"Who are you to tell me"

"Can't you just be quiet for a minute?" Note that this isn't really a question but a tricky way of asking someone to shut up)

"Have you even read the report?" (another you statement dressed up in a question)


All of these are examples of person centred comments and criticism. Regardless of your intent, or even if you try to soften the blow by saying something like "Please don't take this personally but... the outcome is going to be a heated discussion with a whole lot of energy wasted. You may not intend to create a conflict but the use of person-centred comments is almost guaranteed to start arguments.

The way you communicate is the primary determinant of whether the person you are interacting with will listen and think about what you say, be indifferent to it, OR, fight like heck against it. We've made a list of the most common, and detrimental ways of communicating that usually completely block the communication process.

Needless to say, if you want to reduce arguments, and have your position heard and considered, whether at home or at work, these approaches should be avoided.

Take the Risk!

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

Author unknown.
www.bobproctor.com

Arouse in the other person an eager want

Giving someone the desire to do something that will benefit both of you. This implies you must know what they want.

Every act you have ever performed from the day you were born was performed because you wanted something. If salespeople can show us how their services will help solve our problems, they won't need to sell us. We will buy because the service is something we want.

Move to Action
Gain enthusiastic cooperation, and win people to your way of thinking by finding out first what they want, find a solution that will benefit both of you.

www.dalecarnagiesd.com

Architects of Change

This is an amazing video/song that was shown at the Midwest Rural Assembly.

http://midwestruralassembly.ning.com/video/architects-of-change-mw-rural
Enjoy!

Organization...

16. Messages
Does your family answer the phone and you never get the messages? Would you like a central place for the family to leave messages to each other? Create a Family Message Center. Purchase a white board and attach it to your kitchen cupboard or wall and make sure it is right by the hone. Get in the habit of checking it first thing when you come in and last thing before you leave home.

17. Kitchen
When you organize your kitchen and start putting items back in the cupboards - think A, B, C. A's are items you use daily and should be put lower in the cupboards and closer toward you. B's are items you use weekly and can be put a little further up and farther back in the cabinets. C's are items used monthly or seasonally. They can be put WAY up high or not even stored in your kitchen.

18. Meals
Prepare a whole week's worth of food on Saturdays. Then, you'll just have to heat up your pre-made meals during the week. This is a great idea if you want a healthy meal, but get home too late from work to cook. If you're really ambitious - cook enough for a month! Don't forget to use your crock pot, also, to make an easy meal.

www.elizabethhagen.com

Mastermind Group

I am considering starting a mastermind group in the Huron/Mitchell area. Are you interested? Here are a few links regarding this experience. Please email me @ jkonechne@sdfu.org if you are interested in participating in this experience!

http://www.passionforbusiness.com/articles/mastermind-group.htm

http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/mastermind_group_personal_growth

Midwest Rural Assembly

I am currently the second and final day of the Midwest Rural Assembly. What an experience! There are attendees from 13 states and Canada! Check out their blog @ http://midwestruralassembly.ning.com/. I am blogging about my experiences for them.

I have made some great contacts, and have used my elevator speech multiple times! Thanks to REAL, I am not afraid to introduce myself and talk about my passions regarding rural America.

My question to you: How do you define "rural America"?

Things we have to learn every year...

YOU CAN PICK CAPTAINS BUT YOU CANNOT PICK LEADERS (THE FOXHOLE TEST)

When we think our team is ready each year, we have our players take the foxhole test. They draw a circle to represent their foxhole. They write their name at the front of the foxhole. They draw a line at their rear, their left, and their right. On each of those lines they write the names of teammates they would want in their foxhole if they were fighting a life and death battle.
The position to their rear is worth three points and is awarded to their most trusted, courageous, and tough teammate. The position to their left is worth two points and is awarded to the second most trusted, etc. teammate, and the position to their right is awarded to the third teammate they would pick and is given a value of one point. This test cuts through all the friendships, cliques, and is the truest measure of what players really think of their teammates.
It might be a good idea for each coach on the staff to do this with his/her coaching staff, administrators, teach associates, and of course your team. There of many people who would love to have around on the golf course or in a duck blind but deep down you know that defeat is assured if they are in your foxhole.



taken from http://www.coachmeyer.com/

Midwest Rural Assembly

Monday & Tuesday I will be blogging about my experiences at the Midwest Rural Assembly in Sioux Falls. Speakers include Dallas Tonsanger, Elsie Meeks, and Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin.

Follow our experiences @ http://www.midwestruralassembly.ning.com!

Thank you Class I

Organization...

13. Mail
Since 1/3 of the mail we get is junk open your mail over the trash or recycle bin. Don't keep what you don't need. Opent he bills and throw out the inserts. Enter dates into your calendar right away. Make the habit each day of throwing the newspaper in the recycle bin before bringing in the new paper.

14. Magazines
Use the rip-and-read technique when looking at magazines. The first time through rip out articles that are of interest and staple. Put in your To Read Folder in your Command Center and the next time you're traveling or going to the doctor's office take your To Read folder with you. Throw away when you're done or pass on to someone else.

15. Magazines
Designate a basket for the magazines that come into your home. Have the rule that when the basket is full no new magazines are added unless some in the basket are given away or discarded. If you don't have time to read the magazines that come each month cancel your subscriptions. You will survive!

www.elizabethhagen.com

Give Honest, Sincere Appreciation

Do we usually appreciate the people in our life as much as we should? The key thought here is to be honest and sincere.

One of the most neglected virtues of our daily existence is appreciation. The next time you enjoy a steak at a restaurant, send word to the chef that it was excellently prepared or when a tired salesperson shows you unusual courtesy, mention it. If a coworker succeeds in a big project, give recognition. People will cherish those words over a lifetime-long after you have forgotten them.

Move Into Action
Practice complimenting coworkers, family, or friends on daily projects done well.

www.dalecarnagiesd.com

Organization...

10. Errands
Keep a small spiral notebook near you at all times. Any time you think of something you need to get or do when you're out write it in the notebook. When you have time to run errands look over everything in the notebook and plan your trip accordingly. It's fun and just plain feels good to cross off items as you accomplish them.

11. Paper
When was the last time you saw your kitchen counter? Chances are it's covered in paper and maybe your kitchen table too. Since today'smail is tomorrow's pile always start going through and handling today's mail first. Read the article on Elizabeth's website about setting up a Command Center to take care of all the mail and daily paper.

12. Paper
Use the 4 D's of Paper Management - Do it if it takes 2 minutes or less, Delegate It if it can be done by someone else, Delay It by pupping it in the Command Center or filing it if there's no action with it, or the best D - Dump It if the paper has no value. It's amazing how little paper we really need to keep!

www.elizabethhagen.com

Organization (cont.)

7. Toss
Use these suggestions to decide to keep or toss:
*Have I used it in the past year?
*Is it serving a specific purpose?
*Do I still like it?
*Is there a legal reason for keeping it?
*Do I have a place to store it where I will find it again?
And the most important one: If I would get ride of it and need it again someday what is the worst thing that would happen to me?

8. Planning for the week
Get in the habit of having a set time each week to look over the week's activities and plan yourmenus. Sit down with a grocery list/menu planner which you can get for free on Elizabeth's website under free offer (www.elizabethhagen.com). As you fill in the menu for the week check and see if you have the ingredients in your kitchen. When you know what's for supper in the morning the whole day goes better!

9. Calendar
Do you frequently miss appointments and due dates? Perhaps you are using mroe than one calendar. When you have more than one you cannot depend on any of teh calendars so you probably stop using the calendar all together. use one calendar and one calendar only. Start the discipline of as soon as you see an item that needs to be in the calendar - write it down.

www.elizabethhagen.com

More ways to simplify your life - Elizabeth Hagen

4. Planning
It's impossible to think we have time to do all that we think we have time to do. This is where prioritization is a key. Write downa ll you think you need to do and then prioritize by A, B, C. A's are things you MUST do. B's are things that you should do, and C's are things that are nice to do. Then, never do a B or C unless the A's are done.

5. Goals
The fastest way to make changes in your life is to set goals. If you don't set goals how will you know where you're going? Se goals using the START method - make them specific, timely, have action steps, be realistic, and be true for you. Write them down in the positive as if they've already happened and look at them 3 times every day.

6. Saying No
Learn to say no. You will achieve nothing if you try to do everything. Be daring and say no to all those things that you really don't want to do. Saying no to the good things leaves room in your life for the GREAT things. If you have trouble saying no - simply answer with this - I have a conflict. That's all you need to say.
www.elizabethhagen.com

It's all about TEAM

THINKING AS A TEAM, BECOMING A TEAM, AND ALWAYS REMAINING A TEAM IS THE SINGLE BEST THING THAT YOU CAN TEACH YOUR PLAYERS FOR THE PRESENT TIME AND FOR THEIR LIFE AFTER THEY LEAVE THE PROGRAM.

When you play a game, travel on the road games, register for classes waiting in long lines, eat in a restaurant, befriend or ignore a young child after a game, respect or taunt an opponent, deal with winning and losing, you are making a statement about what the core values are in your program. Coaches, players, and teams are teaching lessons in every encounter along life's way.
We hope it can be said of our program that EVEN WHEN THEY LOSE THEY WIN.
The way you accept the hand life has dealt you vividly tells everyone else what your true character is. The great boxer Sugar Ray Robinson said, "You can tell the most about a man when he is getting whipped". That is oh so true in a basketball game and life. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE A CHAMPION. As a coach, you are responsible for the actions of your players and team. You are not a coach if you look the other way and ignore bad behavior. It must be dealt with or you are harming your players for a lifetime. Philippians 2:1-8 gives a description of what a team attitude should be like for coaches and players.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

Tips to Remember Names

One of the ways that we show people how to remember names and get people to strengthen their memory is by getting participants to "stick" the name into their long-term memory using LMER glue. This acronym gives us a simple four-step process.Look and Listen--Look at the person. Get a strong mental image of the person. What characteristics make the person unique? Is the person large, small, tall, thin, lots of hair, no hair? Listen clearly to the name. Ask the person to repeat his/her name if you do not hear the name clearly.Mind Picture--Associate the person's name with a picture that is easy to recall. The full name should create ONE picture. The person whose name you have made a picture of should be in the picture. Difficult names may need to be broken down into syllables to create memorable pictures. Example: Staneart (Stan-irt)-Picture me STANding up to my waist in dIRT.Exaggerate--The more exaggerated and colorful the picture, the easier it will be to remember. Make the picture larger than life. Make it funny. Add a little danger.Repeat--Repeat the name silently to yourself a few times. Try to use the name in conversation. Introducing the person to others can be an easy way to repeat the name without drawing attention.



taken from http://www.leadersinstitute.com/

Ways to Simplify Your Life - Elizabeth Hagen

1. Clutter

Chaos is contagious. The solution is to have a place for everything and form the habit of putting things where they belong. This means going through and getting rid of what you don't need. Know that this process does not take 5 minutes - it may take a lot of time and work but the benefits are huge and the end result is peace of mind.

2. Clutter

In the words of Henry David Thoreau - "Simplify, simplify, simplify." The less you have the harder it is to generate clutter. When you are shopping get realy picky. Only bring items into your home that you know to be useful, think to be beautiful, or love. When you stick to this guideline yourhome will be a place of rest and peace.

3. Clutter
Overwhelmed by the clutter? Just pick one area to start with. If it's your to-do list, prioritize the items. If it's your office, start with the papers on top of the desk, then the drawers, and then the file cabinet. If it's your kitchen just start with one drawer. Set a timer for 10 minutes and take ACTION.

Don't Criticize, Condemn or Complain

This is the only principle that is stated in the negative. Many of us have to stop doing this before we can begin using the other principles.

Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him/her strive to justify themselves. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person's precious pride, hurts his/her sense of importance, and arouses resentment.

Move to Action

Choose one day in the upcoming week to consciously avoid giving criticism, condemning and most difficult, complaining.

Taken from www.dalecarnagiesd.com

Living Life With A Balance

By Dorothy Rieke

The following create balance:

* Keep in mind your values when setting goals or dreams for the future.

* Work toward your aims and purposes savoring each step forward.

* Consistently keep in mind what you want to do with your life.

* Don't be afraid to accept new challenges adn new paths.

* Regard failures as sources of learning. Adpot a positive attitude as you learn from your mistakes.

* Accept assistance and support from others; in turn help them.

* Retain your ideals. This brings self-respect and self-esteem.

Adding balance to your life changes perspective and attitudes if it is practiced in every phase of your life. It upgrades relations in work places and with family and friends. Balance makes living your life more meaningful and more productive. Balance is a valued commodity not to be ignored.

Attitude

ATTITUDE AND EFFORT

The only limitation placed on our abilities is our inability to easily recognize our unlimited nature. It takes EFFORT to become aware of our staggering and limitless abilities. It takes EFFORT to become enthusiastic over a cause, or an occupation. It takes EFFORT to continue when our results-as well as our friends-tell us to give up trying. It takes EFFORT to feel right about everything that happens-the joy as well as the sorrows of life. And it also takes EFFORT to learn to love ourselves above all others, especially when we are so consciously aware of our failures, doubts and tragedies. It does not, however, take EFFORT to fail. It requires little else than a slowly deteriorating ATTITUDE about our present, our future, and about ourselves. It is ironic that one of the few things in this life over which we have total control is our own ATTITUDES, and yet most of us live our entire life behaving as though we had no control whatsoever. By our ATTITUDE, we decide to read, or not to read. By our ATTITUDE, we decide to try or give up. By our ATTITUDE, we blame ourselves for our failure, or we foolishly blame others. Our ATTITUDE determines whether we love or hate, tell the truth or lie, act or procrastinate, advance or recede, and by our own ATTITUDE we and we alone actually decide whether to succeed or fail.

At this very moment in time, as you read these words, your ATTITUDE has determined what you are. Your enthusiasms, intensity, faith in yourself, patience with yourself and others, and childish excitement about your boundless future is a result of that single word-ATTITUDE. In the seasons of life, ATTITUDE is everything! Jim Rohn



http://www.coachmeyer.com/

Power of Persistence

"The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard and give up at the first signs of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on despite all opposition until they attain their goal. Weak desires produce weak results."Napoleon Hill Author: Think and Grow Rich

At some time or another, all of us will have our resolve tested to keep going or quit. The moment of reckoning comes when your persistence and commitment to the cause are met with equal or even greater opposition.

Persistence means to go stubbornly on or resolutely, in spite of difficulties.

Almost without exception, most high achievements are the result of persistence. If showing up and waiting for success is all it took, we would all be experiencing the sweet taste of victory. We know that’s not true.

The biographies of great individuals show a common theme: how those individuals overcame adversity to realize victory and success. Think about some outstanding stories and the men and women who lived them. Now remove the hardships from their stories. How do you feel about those individuals now? Not as impressed or perhaps not even interested?

As a society, the stronger the adversity a person has seen, the higher our acknowledgment and respect for that individual. We say Wow and get encouraged, motivated, and inspired by his or her tale of persistence.

It seems there is some correlation between the level of persistence, the price paid, and the achievement. For example, Nelson Mandela spent decades in a South African prison but kept his dream of freedom alive. Walt Disney went bankrupt more than once. The best-selling Chicken Soup books were thought to be a losing idea; they were rejected by publishers more than 26 times!

So where is your persistence being tested?

I grew up on a dairy farm and later operated my own herd. In this type of operation, persistence is commonplace. During a record-cold February morning, I arrived in the barn at my usual 5:30 am to find everything frozen solid. Until pipes were thawed, no milking could be done. If you know a bit about dairy cattle, milking twice a day is not an option; it’s a necessity. I did not have time to wait till evening or the next day or until things thawed. The situation had to be dealt with then and now. I had no hot water to thaw out the pipes. None of the vehicles would start, either.

What to do?

I walked to the neighbors’ farm and carried two five-gallon buckets of hot water the few hundred yards back home. Several trips, complete exhaustion, and two hours later?success. Now I could start my three hours of morning chores. It was never a question of if, only when.

Life is constantly presenting us with obstacles and challenges to test whether we are serious about our legitimate goals, desires, dreams, or objectives. Ask anyone who has realized a significant level of success in any field and you will almost always hear a story of persistence in spite of circumstances.

For those in sales, research bears this out. On average it takes 4 to 7 contacts to make a sale. Quit after three visits and you miss over 80% of the opportunities. That’s why 20% of sales representatives earn 80% of the revenue—they are the ones willing to make calls 4, 5, 6 and 7.

This applies to everything in our life: health, relationships, investments, business ventures, and so on.

We are all familiar with the quote: "Quitters never win and winners never quit." The question is . . . where do you feel you lie on the persistence continuum? Not-at-all persistent? Fully and 100% persistent?

Apply your answer to all areas of you life. The energy you need to be persistent can come from the strategies listed in the Action Steps that follow but, in essence, your level of persistence will be equal to or less than your level of desire to achieve your objective. If you have little desire to be successful and you are not successful?whatever you define as success?why be surprised?

Think about new-born children and their learning-to-walk stage. After the first few falls, do we say, "It looks like this walking thing is not working so maybe you should crawl for the rest of your life." We would never accept that attitude from children, but every day we accept it from ourselves or others. Failure such as falling down while learning to walk is part of the human condition, but we have the power to decide whether we stay down or get back up and try again.

Persistence is a choice. At every given moment, we can either give in to the challenges or figure out a way to overcome them.

I encourage each of you to embrace the quality and character of persistence and help others do the same.

Building Persistence Action Steps

1. Determine your level of persistence on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being 100% persistent) in the following areas of your life.

a. Health and Wellness

b. Investments and Wealth Management

c. Job/Career Achievement

d. Realizing Fulfilled Relationships

e. Business Opportunities

f. Other

2. Based on your responses to question 1, what level of persistence do you have in each area of your life? What in your makeup and background has caused you to respond at those levels? Are you happy with your responses?

3. Persistence is fueled by being on purpose and having a burning desire to accomplish something. Is this true for each primary area of your life? If not, why not?

4. To be persistent, focus most on the outcome or final objective. This will encourage you to move forward and not be deterred by the current circumstances.

5. Seek encouragement—in person, on the phone, or from a book or tape—from others who have demonstrated the character of persistence.

6. Seek the additional knowledge required to realize your goals or objectives.

7. Understand that being foolish and ignorant in the quest of a goal is different than being persistent.

8. To build up your persistence habit, start with the minor and move to the major.

9. Avoid shortcuts, ignore negative people, and do not fear criticism.

10. When you fail—and you will, regroup, revisit, and revise your approach. Never, never quit when you are on purpose.

11. In the end you are responsible for your choices. After all, you will have to live with them for the rest of your life.

taken from http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/the-power-of-persistence-doing-whatever-it-takes-824632.html

Change

PLAYERS AND COACHES, EVERYONE IN YOUR PROGRAM MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE WHEN IT IS FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT AND THE BETTERMENT OF THE TEAM.

This is the thing that always concerns us in our recruiting of players. We are not for every player. The solid programs will have attrition because there is a standard, a level of excellence, a desire for learning and improvement on and off the court that is demanding and is therefore character building in nature rather than a look the other way. That is probably why we have not have many transfers in our program from four year schools or junior colleges in our 30 years of head coaching. The few that we have had were outstanding kids and developed into great team players. As a coach you are constantly studying to find a new and better way to teach the game and YOU USUALLY FIND THAT THE OLD SCHOOL WAYS ARE STILL THE BEST.
The TEST OF TIME is the master teacher and is a cruel but the fairest of all teachers. You will never have a team if the the best athlete on your team is not someone willing to be molded and taught to play the game and conduct themself in the proper manner. If your leader is of suspect character, the fabric of your team will be torn apart when the first negative winds attack from outside the program. If your best athlete is a great leader, no amount of negativity will rip the team apart.



taken from http://www.coachmeyer.com/

Tough Enough?

YOUR TEAM IS NEVER AS TOUGH AS THEY CAN BE AND YOU CAN NEVER ASSUME
THEY ARE TOUGH ENOUGH

When looking in the dictionary you see descriptions for toughness such as: hard to break but not necessarily hard to bend, difficult to get the better of, apt to be aggressive, able to resist, etc.


When we think of toughness we immediately think of mental toughness and then physical toughness. LET ME SAY AT THE OUTSET THAT A TEAM WILL NEVER BE TOUGH WHEN THEY ARE COACHED BY A STAFF OF COACHES WHO ARE NOT. The hardest thing we have to do each day as coaches is saddle up and face the day with the attitude we want our players and team to adopt. WE CANNOT SELL THEM SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT OWN. My most difficult task as coach is to be tougher on myself and more demanding than
I was the day before. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOUR PROGRAM IS WINNING GAMES. For every 100 who can handle failure, there is but one who can handle success. Winning can weaken the resolve of those who worship winning and do not plan, practice, play and coach to a higher standard. THE BEHAVIOR OF YOUR PLAYERS IN THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF FATIGUE, BAD CALLS, TURNOVERS, MISSED SHOTS, BEING OPEN AND NOT GETTING THE BALL, HARRASSMENT FROM THE OPPOSING FANS, TRASH TALK FROM OPPONENTS, AND THEIR AND THEIR TEAMMATES FAILURES AND SUCCESSES will tell you all you need to know about how well you are teaching the life long lessons of toughness.



Taken from http://www.coachmeyer.com/

10 Important Questions

I found these 10 Important Questions on www.coachmeyer.com, NSU basketball coach Don Meyer's website. In my perspective, they not only relate to basketball, but any profession and/or leadership opportunity you wish to pursue!

10 Important Questions For Coaches

1. Why do you want to coach? Explain the driving force for wanting to be in the coaching profession.

2. Are you willing to dedicate yourself 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if necessary for your players and fellow coaches?

3. Is your family willing and able to bear the sacrifices?

4. Are you willing to lead by example in everything that you do? This will require you to live your life in a “fishbowl” with your professional and personal life always open to view.

5. Do you have the personal courage to live by your core values and make tough decisions regardless of the consequences?

6. Are you passionate about teaching and dedicated to helping others improve their lives?

7. Do you possess the knowledge, energy, and tenacity to lead your program to excellence?

8. Are you willing to take full responsibility for everything that happens, or doesn’t happen, in your program?

9. Do you understand that loyalty is a two-way street?

10. Are you entering the profession fully understanding the risks in coaching and knowing that you may be relieved of your job at any time?

-Taken from Coaching Team Basketball by Tom Crean and Ralph Pim

Can Leadership Training Make Great Leaders?

Dominic Donaldson

We've all heard the old adage 'leaders are born not made', and looking at some examples of great leaders it is understandable why that train of thought is one that is still prevalent today, but how true is it? How many of the qualities that are displayed by great leaders from history are inherent and how many of them are learned through experience and leadership training?

If you examine the lives of the great leaders from history the one thing that links them all and is a key indicator to why they all were such a success is hard work. With this in mind then it could be argued that leaders aren't in fact born but they are made. Through serious hard work and understanding of whatever field they may be in they have achieved great thing. Whether this leadership training was done in a classroom or in the school of life it is clear that without it certain people in history would not have gone on to be great leaders.

Today in the world of business people are waking up to the fact that the 'leaders are born not made' way of looking at the world and the people in it is something of a myth. Yes, there will always be the ones that have what could be termed the ' factor', something that makes them stand out from the crowd but even those people, on closer inspection, have not just appeared from nowhere, they will have gone through a learning process of some description.

So today we have a greater understanding of what constitutes a great leader and how people we give this title to have achieved their goals. With this knowledge then we can study what qualities are needed to become a great leader and turn the results into something that can be studied or taught. In this respect leaders can be made. This type of leadership training acknowledges that even people who do not or have never considered themselves to be leaders can, through a change in behavior, acquire skills that enable them to go on to be leaders with some degree of success or even greatness. After all, even the greatest names from history had to learn from the people who went before them.

Presidential leadership - The American president John F Kennedy displayed all the characteristics that make up a great leader. It could be said that much of it seemed effortless, which was part of his charm, but he was a well educated person, spending some time at the London School of Economics, and also underwent a different type of leadership training during his military service in World War II. It was during this time that he would have had to learn to work in a team and hone his decision making skills, two traits that he would later become famous for.

In the face of adversity - Edmund Shakleton is regarded by many as the first classic example of great leadership. His is a strange story in that he failed in his original aim to cross the Antarctic but out of that failure he displayed great character and leadership skills to bring his entire crew home alive, something that still amazes people today.

Shakleton's leadership training was all done during his time in the Navy, but many of the things he did to bring his team home were completely new and displayed a way of thinking that would later become textbook training in schools and colleges across the world and be applied to fields ranging from the military to the world of business.

Both Kennedy and Shakleton displayed vision, passion and character, perhaps three characteristics that many people regard as things you either have or don't have. What leadership training helps to develop is a type of behavior that brings these things out in people and builds on them. This understanding of behavior can help people acquire leadership skills who may not have had them before.

taken from http://leadership.bestmanagementarticles.com

Teambuilding lessons we can learn from geese - author unknown

Fact #1 – As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if one bird flew alone.

Lesson Learned – People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the strength of one another.

Fact #2 – Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

Lesson Learned – If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are ahead of where we want to go and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.

Fact #3 – When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

Lesson Learned – It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership.

Fact #4 – The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson Learned – We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, and not something else.

Fact #5 – When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again, or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or they catch up with their flock.

Lesson Learned – If we have as much sense as geese do, we too, will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Taken from http://www.teambuildinginc.com/

Practical Hints on Work/Life Balance

1) The bottom line is that if you truly want to reach your highest potential as a leader, it is imperative that you continue an almost child-like zest for learning throughout your career. AND THIS MEANS MAKING TIME FOR YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (LIFE BALANCE: A Lifetime Journey, Not a Brief Trip, Oct. 2005)

2) Leadership in the family involves the exercise of some balance so that the needs of all members can be met as well and as creatively as possible at all times (Leadership in the Family, Dec. 2005)

3) How we spend our time and prioritize our life says a lot about how successful we will be personally and professionally. There are many things that compete for our time: finances, future plans, family, fun, friends, present goals, pressing projects and pushy people. There is a saying that if you don\'t control your time someone else will. (Living Life in a Time Starved World, March 2005).

4) “Instead of struggling to find our next meal, we are struggling to get our busy families together long enough to eat a meal. It is not the sparse simplicity of too little but the crowded complexity of too much that plagues our lives. And the answers lie not in the balance of our abilities, but in our ability to balance. Balance, like most other truly worthwhile things, is something we never fully perfect or completely attain. Rather it is something we can always be obtaining. The tightrope walker is never balanced in the sense of being still or stationary—he is always balancing, and gradually becoming better and more comfortable in his balance.” (Simplify and Bring Harmony to Everyday Life, April, 2004.

Taken from http://www.leadershipdevelopment.com/html/magazine2.php?page_id=5&sub_id=119

Congrats Class I

Back Row: Tom Laprath, Joel Keierleber, Amy Moe, Brad Reis, Brad Schroeder, Luanne Thompson, Jolene Konechne, Grant Konechne, Scott Sandal

Front Row: Linda Svec, Darah Darrington, Jodi Bush, Jennifer Starks, Wanda Jundt, Angela Tarasoff

Not Pictured: Keith Halvorson, Jannine Pahl

New Pictures

Check out Sturgis pictures on:

www.sdfureal.shutterfly.com

Eight Steps to Better Decision Making

By: Robert E. Cannon Posted: Feb 2nd, 2007

"Half of all decisions fail." These are the findings from twenty years of studying decision-making at Ohio State. After writing "Taking Aim for Better Decision-Making," I decided to build a list of things that anyone could use to improve their performance.

1. When faced with a decision, think about your desired outcome rather than facing the decision as a problem to be solved. Problems are negative almost by definition and negative thoughts invoke the constricting "fight or flight" response in us rather than helping us to relax and be inspired and creative. Good decisions need a creative thought process.

2. Don't think you are Superman or Wonderwoman. Enlisting the aid of others has been proven to improve decision-making. First, multiple voices means more options to choose from. Second, involving others in the process facilitates parallel processing versus sequential processing by the lone decider. Multiple inputs also reduce potential unintended consequences. I am not suggesting that you delegate the decision, rather get as much help in the process as possible. The decision is still yours.

3. Consider the Golden Rule. Over the last few years, ethics has become a hot topic in our society. There are all kinds of initiatives being undertaken in our schools to address this issue, but I am convinced that the easiest and quickest solution is to teach decision makers to, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

4. Sleep on it. There are few times in life when instant decisions are required. Most decisions can be considered before any action is taken. There are some who will take this as my approval to put off the decision indefinately which is not what I recommend. Rather, I would encourage you to sleep on a decision before taking any action. This allows your subconcious a chance to participate in the process and possibly provide you with new insights.

5. Always state your decision in a positive frame. Since we have been trained to approach decisions as problems to be solved, it is not surprising that our decision is to not have the problem. I think there are two things at play here. First, we get what we focus on. Second our mind doesn't recognize the word "not." As an example, an organization I know had a check list of reasons for why an order was delivered late. This only exacerbated the problem until they changed their focus to measuring and rewarding when orders were on time or ahead of schedule.

6. Trust your gut. This is a tough one for some of us fact based people to accept, but the truth is that when your gut tells you something is wrong you need to pay attention. At the very least, think about the words of Henry Ford when he said, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." Something in you doesn't believe you can make this decision work.

7. Tell me why. Traditional decision-making focuses on how to make decisions and it results in only a fifty percent success rate. I am convinced that you will make better decisions if you focus on why you are making a particular decision. There is research that suggests you will have better results if you can elaborate your decision-making process for each decision.

8. Begin Now. Aristotle said, "Well begun is half done." Begin the implementation of your decision immediately with the one small thing you can do right now to move you toward the desired outcome.

Graduation

We just completed our final session for class one! It was a bittersweet ending, but alumni gatherings will be held!! Class II starts in October, so sign up now! Check out our website, www.sdfu.org Rural Development page for more information and an application.

Goals & Roles

Have you had an opportunity to implement any topics from session 3?
How are you coming on achieving your goal(s)?
Any interested parties for Class II?

Please share your thoughts!

New Pictures

Good Afternoon!

I am working on getting the pictures from Aberdeen posted.

www.sdfureal.shutterfly.com

Graduate Credit

Just a reminder that if you are taking this class for graduate credit, I need two one-page reflections: one from session one and one from session two. They must be on how the new knowledge was incorporated into your community.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me! Thanks, and good luck!

I'm looking for ideas for Friday night in Aberdeen, April 17th.

Pizza & Bowling? Speaker and supper?

I'm open to any and all ideas!!! Thanks :-)

Goals

In preparation for our next meeting, I would like everyone to post at least one short-term goal that they would like to achieve within the next month.

Life

by Amy Moe

This isn't really an answer to this comment, but another question for everyone. Yesterday a family member told me that I tend to bring all the city council stuff home with me. As in, I don't separate work life and home life. This statement came to me after a full day of dealing with yet another water main break, issues with a city employee, and being late for my job. After reflection on that statement, it is probably accurate. But, how can I NOT take it home with me, when literally every single morning (at least this week anyway), I am getting calls from citizens or other board members about issues, training 2 new employees..ect, ect. I guess I am looking for any words of wisdom or helpful suggestions on how to be a leader in your community AND have a life.

Pictures

You may view all of the pictures from November and January at:

www.sdfureal.shutterfly.com

Enjoy!

Conflict & Personalities

Thanks for a great week!

I found an interesting blurp on the internet about understanding and using personality styles during conflicts. The following exerpt is from http://www.leadershipconsulting.com/dont-eliminate-conflict-in-business-manage-it.htm:

"Developing the capability to understand and respond to differing personality styles is very important but easily mangled. Many executives have participated in personality typing trainings such as the DISC or Myers Briggs (MBTI). Those tools are helpful mostly because they highlight the fact that people are different and you need to adjust your communication and management styles to accommodate those differences if you want to effectively influence them. However, there is a very real danger in using those systems. People, unfortunately, frequently end up pigeon holing each other into categories, e.g., He’s a “red” and therefore he will ALWAYS think and act like _____." Once you’ve pigeon holed someone, you limit them.

As a psychologist, I’ve been working with people for over 30 years and I am constantly surprised as to how hard it really is to understand others and how frequently I’m pleasantly surprised. I’ve been most successful at working with others when I’ve followed Mark Twain’s aphorism, “The smartest man I’ve ever known is my tailor. He measures me anew each time he meets me.”

Do your best to really get to know whom you work with and manage so that you can understand their unique talents, needs and desires and then look for ways to align those three ingredients with yours and those of the organization. If you can understand the other person’s agenda, you’ll be better able to find a way to navigate the inevitable conflicts that arise by finding mutually beneficial and acceptable solutions."

How can you use this information to help you relate with those different personality styles that you encounter daily?