The 2010 scorecard - how did I measure up?

To be perfectly frank - 2010 was a fantastic year workwise.  I originally set out with three work goals that were focussed on both my individual performance as well as lifting the overall performance of my team.

Thise goals were -

• Compliance. 
• Excellence.
• Teamwork.

Here are the big wins -

• Pay rise.  (Always nice to get)
• Travel - domestic and international.
• Additional team member.
• Confidence and growth.

What didn't go so well?

• Allowing others to take responsibilities that fall under me.
• Inability to deal with poor perfornance.
• Lack of forwardness.

Overall 2010 was a completely stand out year.  My key goals were not only met but exceeded.  I am really looking forward to 2011 and seeing what possibilities and opportunities lay ahead.

ATEM NZ Conference Day 2 - recap

So day one of the conference (Thursday July 8th was great).  So how did the second day stack up?

Session one was by given by Peter Mellow, AUT.  Peter is a legend when it comes to creating content and lessons for students using every known technology there is known to man.  Peter talked about using creative education spaces and how we can alter learning spaces to encourage students learning development.  There were heaps of live examples and photos and ideas from how educators in the US are doing things different now.

Session two was from the Learning State ladies.  Basically an education provider/ITO that is setup to deliver training to public service employees. 

Session three was delivered by Yvonne O'Brien.  Yvonne has a long history of working in the education sector through University's, Polytechs and now Te Wananga O Aotearoa.  Yvonne talked us through the dramatic and ongoing changes that occur at "the Wa".  The turn around story of the Wananga is quite surprising

A very interesting story that illustrates the need and demand of lower income people to have access to education.  I'm not sure we've heard the last of this story yet. What goes up usually comes down again.

Session four that I attended was entitled "Coach to Grow".  This session was presented by Toni Snelgrove and Therese Ovrevik Walkinshaw.  With Toni what you see is what you get.  She is very, very smart and knows how to cut to the heart of the matter.  Therese is also very smart and applies her skills in the University sector.  Therese is very warm and pleasant to speak to yet she is very sharp also and has the ability to quickly size up a situation and deal with the possibilities and problems with little fuss.

This was a great session that was unfortunately timed in the same period as another session that was looking at silo's and how to overcome them.  It would be great to have a session like this again next year but have it better attended.

This was followed by a keynote session from Rob Matthews, MBE.  Rob is a blind runner who has an incredible story and is hugely inspirational.  I was fortunate enough to spend some time lunching with Rob and he is very warm, genuine and an all round good guy.  Rob told us about his story and the hurdles he has had to overcome in life.  Rob was joined during his presentation by his wife, Sarah.  Nice.

After that I was physically stuffed so called it a day and missed the final session.  So in brief - Friday was another great day that seemed to have more flow and was more relaxed than the Thursday.

Have a great Easter!

Have a great break - catch you again Tuesday 6th April.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kitsa_sakurako/448622707/)

Goals, Dreams and Getting There

Lets face facts - life can get us down at times.  And when we feel like we are in a rut and can;t out of it - what do we do?  What should we do?  Seek.  Seek out help. 

Self help books are okay but the best method for moving forward or getting out of a rut is to talk to others.

I like the fact that Waikato University are taking the initiative and are willing to help people get their lives on track.  For a very small investment of $65 people can write themselves a new mission statement, figure out some goals and plan on how they will get to where they want to be.

That's a very handy investment if it means people can feel better about themselves and their lives.

I highly recommend attending this course or finding on like it closer to where you physically are.

For some further thoughts you can also check out Seth Godin's post on self-help here.

Quaterly Performance Review

The first three months of 2010 have passed already. So now is a good time time to go back and review the goals and objectives that I set for for the year and assess - where am I up to in my progress?

My original resolutions and focus areas can be summarised as follows -

1. Compliance.
2. Excellence.
3. Teamwork.

So how do I rate my progression so far this year?

Compliance -A; Excellence - B+; Teamwork - B+.

(Note - I usually rate myself a bit harder than I should so I am happy with the results to date.)

• Compliance is the single biggest area that needed working on. And I feel that I am succeeding in that. Compliance is defined as - following instructions, adhering to regulations and making sure others are aware and also comply with the guidelines set out for the organisation.
• Excellence is coming along nicely and it's always easier to a task properly or the best of our ability when it is something we care about and get some fulfillment out of.
• Teamwork is going well. This year has been odd because the 'team' I manage has changed. I now have seperate two areas to focus on. In order to look after both I have had to let go of who I thought was most important (staff) for others who are just as important but take up far more of my time (students).

As far as my personal goals go - I am well on my way to getting to where I want to be. By July I will have completed half my goals for the year which will line me up nicely for finishing the year that I thought I would at the beginning of the year.

"We have no control of the locations of our dreams, we do however control the steps and paths we take on our way to get there." (Me).

How are your goals going so far this year? Are you achieving? What area's do you think you need to spend a bit more time on before you make your next appraisal?

Life Lessons - To Do List

The choice is yours.

"How we spend our days is of course - how we spend our lives" Annie Dillard.

(Thanks to Daphnee Maree for posting the graphic.)

Breakthrough in 2010

Here are four keys to breakthrough that Zig Ziglar has posted on his weekly newsletter -

Insight #1: Integrity makes your mission possible.

Insight #2: Wisdom chooses the right doors at the right time and helps you come up with the right plan.

Insight #3: Strength and discipline give you the fuel to reach your goal.

Insight #4: Hope keeps your boat afloat.

Lets add some application to those keys. Here are my thoughts -

1. Integrity. Choosing to do what is right even when it seems certain doing what isn't right would be so much easier. Trust is everything.

2. Wisdom. Listen to the small voice that speaks to you in your mind. It is called your conscience and it is valuable. Ignore it at your own risk.

3.Discipline. You need to set a goal, focus on it, remind yourself what it is and then work out the small steps you need to take to fulfill it. Then ACT!

4. Hope. Don't let setbacks or disappointments keep you from being happy or acheiving your goals, Rather use setbacks, criticism and negative feedback as markers and signs of areas in your life that still require work.

Make 2010 work for you!

The Victim

Does your job happen to you?

If you're a willing cog in the vast machinery of work, it's entirely possible that the things that occur all day feel like they're being done to you.

The alternative is to create a job where you create forward motion, where you do things to the job, not the other way round.

Take a look at the language you use to describe what happened at work yesterday, that's your first clue. If you're not the one creating the change, perhaps it's time to start.

(Words of wisdom from Seth Godin).

Giving

One of the best ways to lift your attitude and working style is to start thinking about others. Not just others in the office but others internationally.

One way you can do this is through investing into a micro-bank style system. One that use is called Kiva.

Kiva works by loaning funds to persons on predominantly third world countries funds to either start or grow their business. Then as that person does well they are required to repay the funds which you receive back (usually $ for $).

By doing this it enables you to become focused on someone else's business venture and makes you reconsider what you are doing and why.

Another great thing about Kiva is you generally are called on to loan $25 US at a time. So this method of giving will not hurt your bank balance too badly.

Philanthropy is a fantastic way of being able to keep life in perspective.

Think Yourself Happy

What you think and what you think about yourself are the two most vital keys in determining your success.

My 2010 resolution moves along the lines of positivity and the building of self confidence.

How am I doing it?

1. Daily affirmations. One I am using at the moment is the affirmation card from Zig Ziglar.


2. Reading positive books.


3. Listening to positive and confidence building podcasts. Check out the "My Thought Coach" podcast on iTunes. It has some fantastic thoughts lessons for everyone to learn.


4. Not being so sensitive to the words of others. I am working through learning how to figure out which criticism's are valid, which aren't and then dealing with them correctly.


5. Self reflection. Not so much a diary but rather a critical reflection tool for reviewing events throughout the day - those that went well against those that didn't. Then creating a plan for moving forward the next day or finding a way to strengthen any areas that need it.


6. Talking positively. Being careful about what I say and trying to avoid words or statements that are negative, slanderous or just a waste of time saying.

It is going to be a good year - this year!

2010 - Whats Going To Happen?

Hi, I rust you had an excellent Christmas and New Years.

Now we ask the question what will happen over the course of 2010?

Nobody can honestly answer that question. There is no way of really knowing what will happen or when. There are no factors that allow us to really control the events of tomorrow.

However what we can do is manage our responses to those events and our methods of working through them.

Now is the time to start thinking and strategising about what you will do with the rest of the year. Making a New Years resolution is a good idea but now we need to start following through on those decisions.

Start planning now.

2010 Management Goals

Here are the top three resolutions I have for 2010 as far as my management goes -

1. Compliance: (a) the act or process of complying to a desire, demand, proposal, or regimen to coercion, (b) conformity in fulfilling official requirements.


2. Excellence: (a) the quality of being excellent, (b) an excellent or valuable quality.


3. Teamwork: cooperative work done by a team (especially when it is effective).

These are the three key section headings for 2010. My aim now is to break down these headings into specific sections and goals that are SMART.

• Specific;
• Manageable;
• Ambitious;
• Realistic;
• Time measurable.

Watch this space for ongoing updates!