Here are three very touching photos honored this year.
First Place :
First Place
Todd Heisler, The Rocky Mountain News
When 2nd Lt. James Cathey’s body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine’s casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as so powerful: ‘See the people in the windows? They sat right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what’s going through their minds, knowing that they’re on the plane that brought him home,’ he said. ‘They will remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They’re going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should.’
Second Place:
Second Place
Todd Heisler, The Rocky Mountain News
The night before the burial of her husband’s body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of ‘Cat,’ and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. ‘I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it,’ she said. ‘I think that’s what he would have wanted’.
And the one that really tightens MY throat:
3rd Place –
“Son, on behalf of a grateful Nation,
I present to you the flag
of the United States of America,
symbolizing your father’s service….”
PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING! They protect our freedom.
Gone but Never forgotten:
Subject:Memorial Day
On April 9, we visited the American Cemetery in Margraten, the Netherlands, the only American War Cemetery in the Netherlands. In this cemetery are 8,301 American soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms of others during World War 2. Today on NPR we listened to a young lady, a citizen of Margraten, who was at the cemetery with her toddler decorating the grave of the American serviceman her family has chosen to adopt. The adopt- a-grave program was set up in 1945 allowing citizens to adopt the grave of one or more American soldiers. On this Memorial Day, the Dutch and citizens from surrounding countries came to decorate graves with flowers and flags to express their gratitude for these men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Today all 8,301 graves have been adopted, Americans gave their lives to defeat the Nazis. The Dutch honor American’s graves in display of gratitude.
God bless these citizens for their devotion to our fallen men and women.
Building Reputational Capital in the Collaboration Economy:
In the growing “collaboration economy” (think Air BnB) trust and one’s reputation is critical. An addition to the idea of social capital is “reputational capital” where your ability to be highly trusted and deliver in a social context is of high value.
“We are Oceanside, being from here is a gift that is often overlooked or tainted with a bad reputation. I call this city my home. I’ve seen the roses that grow from the cracks in our concrete, they stand the strongest. It’s time for us to show off our roses. It’s time for us to show the world that Oceanside’s future is filled with compassion and love. Please watch and share this video on as many social media outlets that you have available so these students can go viral. Let us put Oceanside, CA on the map!”
Think Positive
June 2 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day: Wear Orange
Southwest Airlines Delivering a Memorable Experience
Fasten your seat belts, this isn’t your grandfather’s pre-flight check in… Pre-Flight Announcement
If you are Local
The Greatest Local Story Ever Told! National Philanthropy Day Nominations
AFP San Diego Announces
NPD Nominations Now Open
Do you know of a story that needs to be told?
We want to include the good work being done in your community!
Submitting a nomination for National Philanthropy Day San Diego
is a great way to show your appreciation.
And the nominations are EASY!
The AFP San Diego Chapter annually recognizes individuals and organizations whose philanthropic achievements have made an impact in the San Diego region, Imperial County and Tijuana. While we are looking forward to building on the success of our predecessors, we are expanding our vision of inclusion and celebrating and honoring the rich diversity of our region.
Let’s honor those who embrace philanthropy on November 9, 2015, at the
San Diego Hilton Bayfront Hotel.
Nominate someone that you feel deserves to be acknowledged for their efforts.
Nomination Categories:
Outstanding Philanthropist
Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer
Outstanding Organization Volunteer
Outstanding Philanthropic Organization
Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation
Outstanding Development Professional
Outstanding Youth/Student Volunteer Nominations will close on June 5, 2015.
Please help AFP San Diego honor one of its own and nominate someone today.
For more information, including the categories and criteria,click here.
NPD 2015 Presenting Sponsor
Thanks this week to Steadman G, Starla L, Luisa C, Rob M, and Anurag T & Investors of Time, Treasure & Talent EVERYWHERE!
Create Memorable Experiences and You Are Paying It Forward!
Love,
Neville
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life.
I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that
what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.”
— Joseph Campbell
You will love this if you haven’t seen it before. A Kansas farmer giving away his daughter.
If you are Local:
Momsanity:
Mother’s Day Fancy Dress Swim 2015
Location: Oceanside, USA
Date: 10 May 2015
Seventh Annual Mother’s Day Fancy Dress Swim! Come join the Momsanity! Hitting the surf in our Mother’s Day finest to prevent fellow moms the agony of losing their babies to Malaria. Truthfully more of a dip than a swim….each four dollars raised purchases a long lasting insecticide treated bed net and protects children around the world from bites by malaria infected mosquitos while they sleep – just four dollars saves lives!!! Donate in honor of your mom this Mother’s Day and you will receive a receipt to include with flowers and gifts.
I just got a whole lot smarter by understanding more about what makes me dumb. I just got back from a three-hour workshop presented by Mahzarin Banaji, who is an award-winning Harvard professor specializing in how our brain biases secretly control our thinking. Her book is called Blind Spot, Hidden Biases of Good People.
She makes the case that the smartest thing each one of us can do is face the fact that we are all irrationally biased. We all have opinions that are not based on facts or direct experience but rather on thinking shortcuts. You see thinking takes a lot of energy and discipline but our brains are built for efficiency so it is always designing shortcuts. The name of these mental-shortcuts is stereotypes.
When we hold tight to stereotypes they become prejudices. Once we have a prejudice we’re constantly selecting evidence to support our prejudice so we don’t have to go to the effort of opening our minds to new data or considering that in this specific case, what is usually true is not true.
These thinking shortcuts of stereotyping and prejudice are difficult to tame. We have spent thousands of years finding security believing that our tribe offers protection from other tribes who want to kill us and take our stuff. So when we see people that are a lot like us we tend to trust them. When we worry about people who do not seem to be a lot alike us as to how they look, what they like to eat, how they like to live, or appear to have different standards and values, we seek to protect ourselves. This is the natural state of human emotions…and it is increasingly dysfunctional.
Never before in history have human beings been exposed to so many other human beings who are not like us.
I grew up on a ranch near a small-town populated by Leave it to Beaver families.
Yet, today my grandchildren attend schools with multi-ethnic students, some who have come from parts of the world that I have had no desire to visit.
I did not know that homosexuality existed in human beings until I was 16. I did not have any gay friends until I was in my 50s.
I did not have a serious understanding of non-Christian religious beliefs until I was in my 40s.
I think my mind has been more challenged in the last 15 years of my life than in the previous 50.
And that is simply awesome because it forces me to literally… stop and think.
Professor Banaji points out that we live in an age where political correctness has made explicit forms of bias relatively rare. We don’t openly talk about feelings of racism, or why we have a hard time believing that women would be successful CEOs or Presidents. But her research conclusively points out that our implicit biases and prejudices are pervasive. We simply have automatic preferences toward people who look like us, act like us, and seem to believe what we believe.
As many of you know I constantly deal with unconscious bias as I help women advance in leadership. Most men have a strong belief that typical male behaviors of assertiveness and taking control is ideal leadership behavior because that’s what they are biased to believe from working in business structures that favor those behaviors. So they tend to give women who act in these “male” ways more leadership opportunities.
The problem is our research (Apple to Zappos) clearly indicates that in today’s radically competitive business environment, old-school, stereotypical male leadership is more likely to fail than succeed. And yet when women who use male leadership strategies fail, the secret opinion of many males is that the core cause of failure is that women are not
“strong enough” to be effective…as if the male style of hard power causes effectiveness.
What is true is that hard power style seems to create efficiency and quash innovation. The new book, Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader is about the transformation of Steve Jobs and shows that his later success was not driven by his previous hard power craziness, but rather his evolution to an empowering collaborator…which are more typically female traits.
What impacted Jobs to overcome his previous blind spot is the humility that comes from failure and the SMART Power modeling of Pixar CEO Ed Catmull.
Our own growth comes from opening our minds to new possibilities. Economists have discovered that opportunity is usually a function of seeing what was previously unseen but is right in front of us. Our unconscious bias is psychological blindness. We literally don’t see opportunity when we are either judgmental or fearful.
The only solution to overcoming biases is to become more aware of what they are. When you feel yourself making snap judgments ask yourself… “What if the opposite could also be true?”
The question I came away with from Dr. Banaji session is “What am I blind to?”
“May Day May Day” comes from M’aidez (or Help Me) thanks to Marconi (inventor of long distance radio transmission) who was Italian or he would have known the proper French for help me is Aidez-moi, but as the International Radio Telegraph Convention was in Washington, let’s just chalk it up to universal miscommunication, and dance around the Maypole 🙂
Free Tickets for Teacher Appreciation Days at the San Diego County Fair!
Mission Fed is offering teachers and other school district employees in San Diego County two free tickets to Teacher Appreciation Days at the San Diego County Fair! Visit any of our 27 Mission Fed Branches starting May 1 with your school or district ID card and receive two free tickets to the fair for Friday, June 19 or Friday, June 26, while supplies last. https://www.sdfair.com/index.php?fuseaction=tickets.deals Then ask our branch representatives about our Teacher Appreciation Bonus offer of $75 for new members who open a Mission Fed Checking Account. Thank you for all you do for our students and community!
Thrive Thursday
On Thursday, May 7th, 2015 Global Presence Ambassadors are hosting Leadership Forums all around the globe to brainstorm means for transforming Life Skills Education.
Life Skills, as defined by The Global Presence, are mandatory skills every human being learns in some measure to thrive and commune optimally with others. They include but are not limited to safety, fitness, finance interpersonal communications and a whole lot more…
The Global Presence Leadership Forums are part of Parenting 2.0’s P20 Talks 2015 regional advocacy and Thrive Thursday celebrations.
Ideas generated from these gatherings will be shared worldwide post forum with all participants.
If you are interested and available, we will meet in the Boardroom of Mission Federal Corporate Office, 5785 Oberlin Drive from 6-8pm.
There is no cost to attend, and parking is both ample and free. However, space will be limited so please RSVP at your earliest possible convenience by contacting our co-chair: Starla Lewis at 1.619.388.2753 to reserve your spot.
AMA Cause Conference Next Week!
2015 SAN DIEGO AMA CAUSE CONFERENCE
Reception: May 7, 2015, 6:00 – 8:00 PM | Hilton Torrey Pines, 10950 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037 Conference: May 8, 2015, 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM | National University Headquarters, 11255 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037 Price: $149 Member / $159 Non-Profit / $179 Corporate | Reception and conference meals included
Do you want to get more people talking about your CAUSE? Of course you do! Just as long as it’s good and not the bad or ugly. Do you know how to get people talking?
Come learn how to generate buzz for your CAUSE at this year’s San Diego AMA Cause Conference! Spend a day listening to the brightest people who get people talking AND engaged. At the end of this inspiring day, you’ll have a toolbox of strategies, new connections and ideas to use immediately to get people positively talking about your cause!
Get ready for some exciting sessions that will help you get your CAUSE heard
Here’s a sample of the 30 speakers that will be sharing their secrets to success:
The Art of the Pitch by Deirdre Maloney, President at Momentum, LLC
Connecting with the Millennials with an amazing speaker panel
Fundraising in a Mobile World by Matt Hayes, COO at Mogiv, Inc
Viral Empowerment Strategies by Lisa Wanzenried, VP Marketing at Grand Pacific Resorts
Finding and Creating Brand Champions by Karen Hunte, Executive Director at The Taproot Foundation
We all know the big and famous wonders of the world: The pyramids, the great wall of china etc. but the world has many other wonders to share with us, some as big as a lake, and some as small as a room – but all wondrous! See these fascinating little wonders of the world you may have never heard about!
10 Principles from the Wisdom of Bob: (Like his name this magic works both ways…)
Focus on the (Whoa) Man in the Mirror–
You can fool everyone else and “put on a good face” but you can’t fool him/her
Begin with the end in mind.
How do I want to live the next 35 years?
What is on that bucket list from the point of view of KISS principle and having it “handy” on 5 fingers namely; spiritual life, family life (marriage and kids), hobbies, physical wellness and career that will be positivelyorgasmic?
People spend the first part of their lives trading away their health for wealth, only to realize in the second part of their lives they can’t trade back wealth for health!
Get Clear on YOUR definition of Success.
Bob’s definition is “Doing what you want, not doing what you are forced to do”.
Self-determination bolstered with healthy doses of humility -where you get to maximally exploit your gifts and you give yourself every chance to be successful, is all you can do
Be the CEO of your own life!
Given the opportunities we have been blessed with, it is important not to squander our gifts while valuing ourselves and the work in the bargain
If it is to be. It is up to me.
Breaks only come your way when you make them.
Create your own luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
Don’t sell yourself short or wuss out.
When you think you have it tough, think of Viktor Frankl and what adversity he faced and the inner climate he maintained in spite of harsh outside conditions
Timing is Everything
so pay attention to good timing.
There is a season for everything.
While even a stopped clock is right twice a day, don’t wait for the hands of time, use your own…
Pray like everything depends on God while working like everything depends on YOU.
Muscle up for some self-discovery and introspection
What is holding you back?
How are you getting in your own way?
What do you need to do to get unstuck or unleashed?
Take counsel from people you trust, whose experience and insights you value and who genuinely care enough to call you on your BS, or help you dig deep into these existential questions.
If you are in an energy/work-constrained environment where you are a utility with restricted career mobility, step out and be so good they can’t ignore you doing what you love and where people love what you do to generate real value
Learn from those who had the courage to go out and do something exciting and meaningful with their lives rather than acquiesce to safe harbor. There is no safe harbor or guarantee so make healthy risk-taking your friend.
Use scenarios like “My job just ended today” (with our without severance) and see what this thought experiment will lead you to do to take action now in terms of the quality of your work life and career.
Keep the Faith and Keep At It
The world needs the gifts we all bring to it. We are the world and the world is us…
Added Bonus: As you benefit, pay it forward and help others in the same way
On Thursday, May 7th, 2015 Global Presence Ambassadors are hosting Leadership Forums around the globe to brainstorm means for transforming Life Skills Education.
Care to join us at this gathering in San Diego?
On Thursday, May 7th, 2015 Global Presence Ambassadors are hosting Leadership Forums around the globe to brainstorm means for transforming Life Skills Education. I am honored to host the San Diego Forum and cordially invite your participation.
Life Skills, as defined by The Global Presence, are mandatory skills every human being learns in some measure to thrive and commune optimally with others. They include but are not limited to safety, fitness, finance and interpersonal communication.
The Global Presence Leadership Forums are part of Parenting 2.0’s P20 Talks 2015 regional advocacy and Thrive Thursday celebrations. Ideas generated will be shared worldwide post forum with all participants. Location is the Boardroom of Mission Federal Corporate Office, 5785 Oberlin Drive. Time is 6-8pm.
Space is limited so please confirm your availability at your earliest possible convenience. Thank you for giving this invitation your heartfelt consideration. CONTACT: Starla Lewis 1.619.388.2753
When it comes to the U.S., ranked 16th, the country under performs in areas of health and wellness, access to basic knowledge, and access to information and communications and the average human lives in Cuba…
Paving the Road for the Future with Self Esteem and Self Efficacy
Changing Lives in a Minute or Less
April 7th was proclaimed Difference Makers Day by the San Diego Council changing the course of history for education in America, negative politics & so much more!
Congrats Sparky!!
Learn more about Sparky and her amazing work at:
WHO YOU ARE MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Helice “Sparky” Bridges
Founder and Chief Visionary Officer
Difference Makers International
Changing Lives in a Minute or Less with the Power of Acknowledgment
The Road Less Traveled:
#259 – Avoid One of Life’s Major Regrets
WHAT IF….not traveling enough is one of life’s biggest regrets?
RESEARCH SAYS: Karl Phillemer, Ph.D. gerontologist at Cornell University, interviewed over 1,000 elders and learned that not traveling enough was a major life regret. He summarizes his research, “Travel is so rewarding that it should take precedence over other things younger people spend their money on.”
TRY THIS: Start planning a trip to somewhere you’ve never been with a loved one.
The Road to 270 Miles An Hour!
At 1244 hp it is more powerful than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Here’s A Fun Couple of Minutes for You.
Fasten your seat belt !!! When you drive a Chevrolet Corvette powered Hennessey Venom GT you don’t shift into fourth gear until 160 MPH !!! The top speed is simply incredible !!!
If you are local…
Mission Federal Credit Union ArtWalk this weekend!
The Antithesis of Arrogant Leadership: Leading with Love, Energy, Audacity & Proof
If you have read the Radical Leap, this is cool, and if you haven’t, you should…
A special video message for you–but ONLY if you’ve read The Radical Leap.
(If you haven’t, you can pop over to Amazon to get the new, 10th Anniversary Edition, read it, and then watch the video 🙂
The Power of Play: The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Life What is your Power Up to be SUPERBETTER in the game of life?
Beauty Makes Everything Better
If you are local:
The SD Global Presence Leadership Forum: Thrive Thursday May 7
Panoramic Photo Awards to “Round Out” you Mo’ Betta Experience:
A Soul Filled Story…
“Good morning” said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on the ground.
The man slowly looked up.
This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new.. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.
His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.. “Leave me alone,” he growled….
To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president. Now go away.”
The woman’s smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.
“What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.
Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked.
“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”
The officer scratched his head. “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”
“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for a while.”
“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. “Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything.”
“This is a good deal for you, Jack” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it..”
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.
The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. “What’s going on here, officer?” he asked. “What is all this, is this man in trouble?”
“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.
“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”
The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled……. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”
“Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”
“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”
“What business is that of yours?”
I sir, am Penelope Eddy, President and CEO of the company.”
“Oh.”
The woman smiled again. “I thought that might make a difference.” She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to join us in a
cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”
“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”
“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”
“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”
The officer watched him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place,” he said.
“That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.. “Jack, do you remember me?”
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. “I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”
“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”
“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
“I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”
Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said.. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to
eat. I said that it was against company policy.”
“I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to
go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble… Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.”
“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said.
“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered.” She opened her
purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons…He’s the personnel director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office.” She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet… If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you.”
There were tears in the old man’s eyes. “How can I ever thank you?” he said.
“Don’t thank me,” the woman answered. “To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus…… He led me to you.”
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways…. “Thank you for all your help, officer,” she said.
“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And.. And thank you for the coffee.”
Can you open your door and your heart to someone today?
The Power of Play: The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Life through Game-Full Psychology
From the TED Radio Hour with Jane McGonigal
I was privileged to hear Jane speak a couple of years ago at the Atlantic meets the Pacific Conference and her novel approach allows us to unleash design thinking and game theory to create a better world for ourselves and others…
The SD Global Presence Leadership Forum: Thrive Thursday May 7
A Whole Person Education is About More Than Just Academics…
The San Diego Global Presence Leadership Forum provides front line professionals an opportunity to discuss creative options for elevating community appreciation for Life Skills and the benefits of all persons embracing proactive education.
Life Skills, as defined by Parenting 2.0, are “Mandatory skills every human being learns in some measureto thrive and commune with others.” They include but are not limited to interpersonal communication skills, conflict resolution skills, safety awareness & training and financial education.
Currently, parents are presumed to be the primary educators of these critical skills. Unfortunately, the majority of parents have never formally learned these themselves so low competencies are passed from generation to generation.
Today’s increasingly complex and demanding world -including dual parent full-time employment, single parent households and deep geographic separations from extended family members – has placed unprecedented stress on an already impoverished Life Skills educational process.
Media headlines – bullying, divorce, wars, skyrocketing rates in diabetes Type 2, bankruptcy etc. – provide painfully real report cards daily for humanity’s adherence to an antiquated paradigm for human development in the twenty-first century.
To effect a substantive paradigm shift, Ambassadors for Parenting 2.0’s community service arm, The Global Presence, are hosting Leadership Forums in cities around teh globe on Thursday May 7th, 2015. The Global Presence Leadership Forums are part of Parenting 2.0’s P20 Talks 2015 regional gatherings and annual Thrive Thursday celebrations.
At this time, we are both spreading the word to like-spirited people, as well as seeking support with the use of a venue that could serve as the convening hub for our May 7th evening gathering which would model our local communities commitment to and support for this important initiative of Life Skills.
Can you direct us to the best person to contact in your organization in this regard?
While watching the Oscars I noticed that almost every award winner said they couldn’t have done it without their team, family, and the support of others. The fact is no one achieves success alone. We all need a great team to accomplish great things. We are at our best when we are surrounded by those who want the best for us and when we are bringing out the best in others. In this spirit I want to share 9 ways to be a great team member.
1. Set the Example – Instead of worrying about the lack of performance, productivity and commitment of others you simply decide to set the example and show your team members what hard work, passion and commitment looks like. Focus on being your best every day. When you do this you’ll raise the standards and performance of everyone around you.
2. Use Your Strengths to Help the Team – The most powerful way you can contribute to your team is to use your gifts and talents to contribute to the team’s vision and goals. Without your effort, focus, talent and growth the team won’t accomplish its mission. This means you have an obligation to improve so you can improve your team. You are meant to develop your strengths to make a stronger team. Be selfish by developing you and unselfish by making sure your strengths serve the team.
3. Share Positive Contagious Energy – Research shows emotions are contagious and each day you are infecting your team with either positive energy or negative energy. You can be a germ or a big dose a Vitamin C. When you share positive energy you infectiously enhance the mood, morale and performance of your team. Remember, negativity is toxic. Energy Vampires sabotage teams and complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.
4. Know and Live the Magic Ratio – High performing teams have more positive interactions than negative interactions. 3:1 is the ratio to remember. Teams that experience interactions at a ratio equal or greater than 3:1 are more productive and higher performing than those with a ratio of less than 3:1. Teams that have a ratio of 2:1, 1:1 or more negative interactions than positive interactions become stagnant and unproductive. This means you can be a great team member by being a 3 to 1’er. Create more positive interactions. Praise more. Encourage more. Appreciate more. Smile more. High-five more. Recognize more. Energize more. Read more about this at www.FeedthePositiveDog.com
5. Put the Team First – Great team players always put the team first. They work hard for the team. They develop themselves for the team. They serve the team. Their motto is whatever it takes to make the team better. They don’t take credit. They give credit to the team. To be a great team member your ego must be subservient to the mission and purpose of the team. It’s a challenge to keep our ego in check. It’s something most of us struggle with because we have our own goals and desires. But if we monitor our ego and put the team first we’ll make the team better and our servant approach will make us better.
6. Build Relationships – Relationships are the foundation upon which winning teams are built and great team members take the time to connect, communicate and care to build strong bonds and relationships with all their team members. You can be the smartest person in the room but if you don’t connect with others you will fail as a team member. (Tweet This) It’s important to take the time to get to know your team members. Listen to them. Eat with them. Learn about them. Know what inspires them and show them you care about them.
7. Trust and Be Trusted – You can’t have a strong team without strong relationships. And you can’t have strong relationships without trust. Great team members trust their teammates and most of all their team members trust them. Trust is earned through integrity, consistency, honesty, transparency, vulnerability and dependability. If you can’t be trusted you can’t be a great team member. Trust is everything.
8. Hold Them Accountable – Sometimes our team members fall short of the team’s expectations. Sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes they need a little tough love. Great team members hold each other accountable. They push, challenge and stretch each other to be their best. Don’t be afraid to hold your team members accountable. But remember to be effective you must built trust and a relationship with your team members. If they know you care about them, they will allow you to challenge them and hold them accountable. Tough love works when love comes first. Love tough.
9. Be Humble – Great team members are humble. They are willing to learn, improve and get better. They are open to their team member’s feedback and suggestions and don’t let their ego get in the way of their growth or the team’s growth. I learned the power of being humble in my marriage. My wife had some criticism for me one day and instead of being defensive and prideful, I simply said, “Make me better. I’m open. Tell me how I can improve.” Saying this diffused the tension and the conversation was a game changer. If we’re not humble we won’t allow ourselves to be held accountable. We won’t grow. We won’t build strong relationships and we won’t put the team first. There’s tremendous power in humility that makes us and our team better.
Happy Soul Food Friday! 