Mnemonic games |
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Staying in the Game - By Nan S. RussellThe message came from Human Resources. There`s nothing to worry about with the newly announced organizational changes and pending merger, it reassured. The changes will be good for the company and good for the people who work here it coached.I`ve seen a couple dozen messages like this during my career. In fact, I`ve even crafted a few. I`ve been through mergers, acquisitions, downsizings, organizational changes, personal career set-backs and a myriad of new corporate initiatives. And the best lesson I learned from all of them? Stay a player. Granted my tactics for what that meant varied with the situation. Sometimes the safest play was to keep my head down and do my work exceedingly well until I understood the new landscape. Sometimes I rolled with the punches long enough to realize what was happening might be great for the company, but not a great long term choice for me, so I moved on. Sometimes I helped others acclimate to the new direction or culture and found new opportunities emerging along the way. Sometimes the toll was personal, like when a promotion I`d worked my entire career to reach was given to an outsider. Still, I stayed in the game. I`m not saying I didn`t yell and complain to friends or go into a woe-is-me victim mode licking my wounds for a time; or require space to sort out the divergent directional messages appearing to me like a corporate minefield. I`m not wired to change with the immediacy of a remote control. But I am wired to change. I know taking myself out of the game, retiring on the job, or sitting it out on the sidelines is not a viable option if I want to be winning at working. As Charles Darwin reminds, "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." But there`s more to winning at working than survival. To grow and thrive in the corporate world you must find your resilient center and evolve. That may mean learning new skills, aligning with a new boss or company, changing direction, letting go of the way things used to be done, compromising approaches or moving on. Only fifteen percent of S& P 500 companies listed at the end of the 1950`s are still in existence fifty years later. In a Fast Company (Nov04) interview with Jim Collins, author of the best selling book, "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies," he advises companies to, "Preserve the core! And! Stimulate progress!" He claims, "To be built to last, you have to be built for change!" His advice is as true for successful companies as it is for successful people. You need to preserve your core and stimulate your progress. If you do, you`ll stay a player and deal with the changes coming your way. Sure, change can be painful and difficult and uncomfortable, but if you`re open to what it brings, it may surprise you. It did me. My best lifetime career opportunity came after I was denied the promotion I coveted. It never would have happened if I hadn`t stayed in the game. (c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved. Sign up to receive Nan`s free biweekly eColumn at www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Visit www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com. PLAYING TETRIS WITH TIME MANAGEMENT - By Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSWThere I was, running around trying to juggle umpteen itemsand doing only a fair job of it at best. There was my therapy business, and I have been putting big pieces into place to add coaching to my business along with having to prepare a presentation for an annual convention. Then there`s family, kids` needs, marital needs You know what I mean. Suddenly I thought about my wife. I began to notice how smoothly she manages tasks in her life. It would have been really easy to miss because she really does make it look effortless, but when you add up the sheer number of things she does WHOA! Absolutely amazing! So, about two weeks ago I asked her if she would teach me how she juggles so much so well. She asked for a few days to think about it. She said, "Honestly, I just do it, so I`ll have to think more about how it is that I do all I do. " Here is what she came up with. Her first comments came a few hours later. She said, "Do you remember my favorite game, Tetris? Well, I work with time like I play the game Tetris." Pieces are always falling, it never stops. Sometimes you get an indication of what`s coming, because at the right of the screen there`s a picture of the next falling piece, but when the pieces pick up speed you often have no time even to look over to see what`s coming. You simply have to fit them all into place as they are falling at a frenzied pace. "This," she said, "is how I manage time." What a great analogy and then she added these jewels to round it out for me. I`m passing them along to you. They`ve already made a difference in how I deal with time management. I know they will for you too. GUIDING "TETRIS" TIME MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES 1. Expect interruptions! 2. Tolerate interruptions! 3. THINK SMALL! Fit small activities into small bits of time * Make that quick phone call * Start a load of laundry * Sort through the mail * Unload the dishwasher * Answer a quick email * Mow part of the yard * . . . the list is endless 4. Remember that few things these days have a true deadline -mostly, they are things we just want to do or accomplish 5. Do not start big or long projects unless time is blocked off 6. Guard your time & learn how to say "NO" when big or long projects near a deadline * Make a "crunch time" list * Say, "I`m sorry I can`t do that, I promised myself I`d get this done" * Enlist the help of friends/spouse to guard your time * Prep your children in advance * Close a door, and display a "Do not disturb" sign * Plan breaks & connect with the family - knowing that you will spend time with them in 2 or 4 hours, they won`t feel neglected and won`t interrupt as much 7. Mentally adopt the belief that there will always be things to do and get done - the tasks will never be gone! * If you die today, someone else will do what is necessary! * If you die today, some stuff won`t get done because it wasn`t important to anyone but you! Best wishes towards your wise use of time! Publishing Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the resource box is included with a live link to my site. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. *********************************************************** Title: PLAYING TETRIS WITH TIME MANAGEMENT Author: Dave & Christine Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW Email: mailto:editor@overcoming-depression.com copyright: by Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW Web Address: http://www.Overcoming-Depression.com Word Count: 549 Category: Success \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW is an author, university faculty member, success coach and veteran psychotherapist whose passion is guiding others to their own success in life. For weekly doses of the webs HOTTEST success tips, sign up for Dave?s powerful ?Feeling Great!? ezine at http://www.Overcoming-Depression.com \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Project index
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