Priority Learning Articles

Letting Go

lorraine@prioritylearningresearch.com (Lorraine Twombly) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:45:41 EST

Years ago when my son was in high school I learned how smart a trait it is to simply let go of things that are out of my control. You may wonder what I mean by that so I'll tell you a quick story about how that worked out.

My son needed a good school, a different school, to attend because his grammar school experiences were not helping him to be the person he could be. He had more than a few challenges in a "one-size fits all" public-school system. So we looked around at a school that was a better fit for his learning style during his high-school years. Our son, after participating in a summer program, decided to do the four years of high school at the Hyde School in Bath, Maine. The school represents more than just curriculum and getting students into good colleges. They actually insist that their students learn how to behave, confront their issues, to be honest even if it hurts, and to live by a certain value set (integrity, leadership, community service, just to name a few).

Well, this school was right up our alley because their value sets and our value sets were right in line and fit where we thought our son would thrive. Even our young teen-aged son thought he finally found a place where he can be himself and learn and grow into a smart and emotionally intelligent young man.

Today, after having graduated from college two years ago, he is thriving as a young man - not because he's so successful already, but because he has learned mostly to let go of things he cannot control, which was a big learning event not only for him, but for me as well.

Jungle Rules: Resilience and Reflective Time Shifting!

ralph@prioritylearningresearch.com (Ralph Twombly) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:34:34 EST

In my article in December we were examining how people fit in or didn't fit in with their respective organizations. As I was writing the article, it had occurred to me (again) that just because someone doesn't fit or doesn't choose to fit doesn't mean that they don't have value or are less personally important in the long run of work and life interests.

Jungle Rules - The story goes like this. There was a young water buffalo who was thirsty and he journeys to the watering hole for a drink. For the first time he notices his reflection in the water. He thinks, "What a handsome dude" and feels just a bit self-satisfied. As he continues to drink he notices something else. The other animals drinking look very different from his reflection. In fact, he discovers that the other animals at the watering hole look very much like the ones he witnessed chasing, catching and eating the ones that look just like him. The other guys have stripes and long teeth and seem to be licking their lips as they stare at him. For the first time he starts to realize that he is different and by no means the dominant animal at the watering hole. Instinctively and wisely he thinks to himself, "Choices need to be made right now."

Risk Taking and Leadership

craig@prioritylearningresearch.com (Craig Twombly) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:28:11 EST

Risks are an inherent part of everyday life, some risks are big and some are small. When you get into a vehicle and drive to work, you are taking a risk. Although it does not seem that risky as I write this, it is. After driving for years, it has become second nature just as brushing your teeth or tying your shoes. This is not to say I am over confident in my driving. Yet, because it is done every day, it has become part of the routine you forget the sheer gravity of driving. Last year during a snow storm, I found myself far from home and needing to get home. During the slow ride trip home I really had time to think about the fact that this is dangerous and the risks versus reward is huge. In this day of texting and using our cell phones while driving, the risk is even more than we think. We have laws in place to protect people and rules of the road to keep everyone safe. We can be involved in an automobile accident where the car is ruined or we're injured and so on. And the point is that risks are everywhere in life and unavoidable.

Risk as defined by Merriam-Webster's dictionary is a: possibility of loss or injury, b: someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard. Risks happen all around us, not only in our personal life but our professional life as well. It is easy to compartmentalize risks as the example above. Yes there is real danger in driving and we see on the news almost daily the outcome of these risks. As leaders of a team or staff it is important to know that there is risk taking involved. I recently sat down and had lunch with a man who is a local business owner. I asked him why after so many years he was successful and still loved it so much. I was not all that surprised at his response, "I may not be successful at something I try today, but you better look out I will be back tomorrow." As a business owner he thrives in the challenge of trying to succeed every day. He makes decisions and reviews the outcomes. This sometimes is taking on a whole new product line or carrying a new vendor that no one has heard of. Either way he is taking business risks. One of the personality traits I admire the most is the fact that he will take risks and loves every minute of it, and yes he has failed more than once with some of those chances.

Why SOPA & PIPA Could Change The Internet As We Know It

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:22:56 EST

If you happened to be browsing the web on January 28th you may have noticed that some popular websites like Wikipedia and Reddit were missing in action, protesting two bills currently in the United States House and Senate. The bills are SOPA "Stop Online Piracy Act" and PIPA "Protect IP Act."

At first glance these bills seem like they would be positive for the Internet, certainly most people would agree that piracy is wrong. The devil is in the details of how this bill would be enforced. They wouldn't just step up the penalty for online piracy, they would actually shut down any website suspected of linking to any other website that contains pirated materials or content that is in violation of a copyright infringement. It would be up to website owners and developers to constantly monitor the links and user generated content on the site, which would be very costly from a time and monetary standpoint. If accused of being in violation, small businesses and individuals would likely be unable to defend themselves. It would just cost too much. This would yet again play into the hands of large corporations with unlimited resources.

New Poll Question for January 2012 - What's Your Resolution?

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 12:56:34 EST

Most of us make new resolutions at the start of the new year. Leaders have an important role and we'd like you to choose which of the following has the greatest resonance to you:

Reflections of 2011: Internal Locus of Control

craig@prioritylearningresearch.com (Craig Twombly) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:20:22 EST

As the year comes to an end, it often leaves many people looking back at the last year in reflection. Many people will use the opportunity to look at the success they had during the year. It also leaves people looking at what they had not done but wished they had. As a business consultant my goal is to help maximize the potential of the employee and the leadership base. This past year has brought many successes and struggles on a professional and personal level for me. As last year came to an end I wrote about the value to setting attainable goals for the New Year. We all live in a very fast-paced professional and personal life. As the economy sputtered and struggled to move forward many people have found themselves scratching their heads as they tried to make it all come together. As I reflect back to 2011 it got me thinking about last year's goals that I had set. One of the goals I had put in place was to grow the business and bring in clients that we had not yet had the privilege of working with. So as I reflect at my goals I look at what I did and did not accomplish.

Creating A Google+ Business Page

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:05:22 EST

Just when you thought you had a handle on promoting your business with social media, Google throws a wrench in your marketing plans by creating its own social media platform - Google+. Read about why your business should have a Google+ page, how to get started and some tips to promote it.

Creating a Professional Image

lorraine@prioritylearningresearch.com (Lorraine Twombly) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 08:31:45 EST

Last month I wrote about the many ways leaders behave that turn people off from following them or believing in them. Listed in last month's article were the behavior segments, along with examples of what doesn't work and what does. As I pondered on a topic to write about this month, a recent conversation came to me that I had with a good friend and colleague. We were talking about changing one's image after making serious mistakes in approaches and behaviors with employees. I thought to myself at the time that I've heard about this too many times in my career and, most of the time, the folks who have made behavioral mistakes do not get out alive from that situation and most have been forced out or fired, which is an easy way (and many times wasteful) to get rid of the "bad" apple, so to speak. Lots of organizations do not want to spend the time on people to get them on the right track and the results can be devastating to them because, at that time, these leaders were not given the tools to work with. Just think of the lost time and money it takes to bring another leader on line and if the models don't change, there is a good chance for repeated patterns of failure. I'm not trying to make excuses for managers or leaders. In my experience, I have found that most of these leaders or managers had to figure things out as they went (lack of good preparation and training), followed and admired certain models of leadership behaviors, and did not have good resources or tools to work with. A good feedback tool to start the process is the best way for folks to know about how others think and feel about them as leaders or managers. Mentoring programs work for leaders as do outside resource coaches, however, most organizations have only a bi-annual or an annual process for feedback, such as performance reviews, goal-setting sessions, etc. Many times when we get a leader to coach they have already been the victim of bad habits and behaviors we have to correct much of which could have been avoided by good systematic coaching in the beginning and/or a solid mentor program.

Wrapping Up 2011 From all of us at Priority Learning!

ralph@prioritylearningresearch.com (Ralph Twombly) — Mon, 5 Dec 2011 11:14:55 EST

Wow, what happened to 2011? It is December and it seems like only yesterday I was trying to figuring out where I stored my summer clothes. The year has been a very good one for us with continued and ongoing work with old friends, new clients/friends, and lots of new programs. We have met people finding new homes in the area, working in new businesses and we've heard from several people who got promoted. So I thought to wrap up 2011 it might be good to hit on some (not all) of the learning points. Because an organization isn't a good fit for someone doesn't mean that person doesn't fit - 2011 in my mind may be the year of people finding the right employer. It seemed that more and more people found their way home this year. People are deciding that to work in a place simply because they are good at the work or because they need the money is not good enough in many cases. At Priority Learning we are fond of saying; people want appreciation and a voice (participation) in their work and, if not provided, eventually people who need that voice or praise will move on to someplace (sometimes for less money but not usually) that provides a better fit. When the economy is bad, fear is up and people have a tendency to hold onto jobs they might not normally hold on to. With the new economy in mind, I expect that the trend will continue into 2012 because, as the market expends and jobs open up, folks who have been feeling like they are not a good fit currently may see things that are more appealing. Fear will be lower and we all know what a motivator fear is.

Priority Learning Video Series

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:16:08 EST

Here at Priority Learning, we spend a lot of time updating and adding to our website. We do this for a few reasons. The most obvious is to promote our business, but this isn't the only reason. In addition to marketing ourselves, our goal is to create a comprehensive resource for people and organizations looking to achieve positive growth through leadership and organizational development. In a step to take this even further, we have started developing a series of videos outlining core business management and leadership concepts in under 3 minutes. Our first video talks about the 10/80/10 rule. Check back as we will add more videos in the coming weeks!

Groupthink

ralph@prioritylearningresearch.com (Ralph Twombly) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:16:58 EST

Last month I promised to return to changing workplace environments along with what really motivates people. Over the next few months, I plan to write about things I have heard from all of you and want to invite you to send along your ideas. As always, we will do our homework and give you our very best thoughts.

Crazy things are happening out there in the world of business. I witnessed a discussion recently about the use of text messaging in the workplace. One person was concerned that their subordinates were texting and weren't getting their work done. They weren't really sure but it felt like "keeping up" with friends was more important than the task at hand. Next came a suggestion from the most vocal person in the room that personal phones should be banned and then something curious happened. One by one each person began to agree. When asked if the texting was important to the work they did, all agreed that it was not. At this point, the manager in the room called a break. At the break the manager confided in me that he felt uncomfortable with the direction they were taking but didn't want to squash the participative process.

This phenomenon is called "Groupthink." There is an abundance of Groupthink information on-line. Here is how it is defined at http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm.

What is Groupthink?

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of "mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment". Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups. A group is especially vulnerable to groupthink when its members are similar in background, when the group is insulated from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making.

Emotional Transformations

lorraine@prioritylearningresearch.com (Lorraine Twombly) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:22:34 EST

Since coming home from Florida the latter part of September, I've had some adjustments to make. Even though I couldn't wait to come home and get back to my normal life as it was, there's been some differences in my emotions that I never experienced before. For the first time in my life, I've been losing focus on what I thought should be my focus. What I mean by that is not caring as much if my workspace and other spaces are neat and the sense of pride that went with it. I've also lost some of the excitement I used to experience when going to the movies, and even reading a great book is not as good as it's been and reading was (and still is to a certain extent) a great passion of mine. At first it bothered me and I kept asking myself, "What is wrong with me? Why can't I get back into my old groove?"

After feeling this way for a few weeks, I decided to look at this in a positive way and asked myself, "What's right about this?" It's like my brain is telling me that there are other things to be aware of and it's okay to change your emotions and feelings about things, as long as you can follow your intuition and share with loved ones who can lend some perspective and who are open to this type of discussion. Once I figured this out, it became easier for me to analyze the changes and how they affected me.

Okay, so I'm not as organized as I was, I can make the decision to keep my phone at home if Ralph and I are going out, and I've been giving myself enough time to slowly get to my destination so I can enjoy the beauty of Maine in the fall. My emotions have slowed down and I think it has a lot to do with the last year of being a caregiver for my dad before he passed. The experiences gained during this precious time were priceless and I understand what folks were talking about when they said, "You will always remember this experience and will be very glad that you did it and it will change you for life!" That statement is very true! These experiences included getting closer to family members, making new friends, getting to see old friends often, and meeting the most wonderful people on the face of the earth - the caregivers (or angels as I call them) of the sick and dying. It wasn't just the people, however. It was also the learning and growing and executing of the many things that had to be done. During this time, I understood the meaning of the phrase, "Don't sweat the small stuff!"

A 'Series' of Things Here at Priority Learning

ralph@prioritylearningresearch.com (Ralph Twombly) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:25:21 EST

Normally, I reserve this space in the newsletter to pass along another piece of information, experience or a pearl of useful wisdom. This time I really want to share something we think will revolutionize Priority Learning and we feel may change how you think about your own development and the development of your people.

As I write this in the fall of 2011, we at Priority Learning are beginning a new chapter in our business adventure. I called it an adventure, because since we started the business in 1995, it has transformed several times (as it should if you are paying attention to your clients) and, as we try to keep up with all the current projects and coaching, we are excited to begin this new chapter. Let me tell you why.

A little history for all you folks who ask us routinely about the business. When we began in 1995, it looked like a "training business" to me and we began with half-day workshops dedicated to things like team leadership and management skills. Somewhere in the next few years this idea of training began to grow into full-day workshops and eventually into two-day workshops. As this "training" regimen grew we began to realize that clients had different kinds of needs and were asking for things like inside specialty development programs for their employees and managers. We also discovered through these inside development programs that clients were becoming very interested in OD (that's consultant speak for Organizational Development). By the time that the recession of 2008 arrived, we were involved in two-day training workshops, OD work like cultural initiatives, inside development programs for a variety of groups in each organization, in addition to our individual coaching work and just a ton of special request work like Myers-Briggs, personal organization, service training and more.

The Art of Being A World Class Business (Part 2)

craig@prioritylearningresearch.com (Craig Twombly) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:43:11 EST

Last month we started discussing the Art of Being World Class. Every organization strives to be the best at what they do. Whether it is serving food or selling furniture, each organization strives to do their best. Although leaders are constantly striving for world class, sometimes we miss the mark and question why. The Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines World Class as, "Being of the highest caliber in the world." So, how do you get employees to perform within their discipline or jab at such a high standard? When I was a young manager, I often looked to define world class as high performance of an employee based solely on the tangible items within their job. A world class line cook should at least have great ticket times and low food cost numbers. Although this is an important attribute to being a world class in the restaurant business, it's not the only thing. After further review, the same line cook might have great tangible financial numbers, but the food servers could not work with him. He was often viewed as difficult to deal with. I would have servers give me examples of the line cook not preparing the food correctly or not willing to fix mistakes that were made by the server. In the end he could run food costs and execute ticket times, but the guest was not receiving a world class Standard. In the midst of the line cook executing what he felt was important, we actually missed the mark.

Knowledge Versus Good Behavior

lorraine@prioritylearningresearch.com (Lorraine Twombly) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:38:22 EST

During the last six months, particularly, I’ve noticed that there are lots of people who are very knowledgeable, educated, and have life-long experiences to "bank on." Some people's knowledge banks are filled with good intentions and ideas, and have skills to bring them forward in their business world with ease and with the support of others willing and able. Most people choose models who share the same ideas and resonate with their value sets or principals. These people have great EI or emotional intelligence. However, not to knock traditional leadership styles, such as autocratic or directive, those styles are needed in certain environments, like the military or paramilitary organizations. I'm talking about organizations whose leadership favors power as their culture. If you want a quick review of culture, click on this link about, Organizational Culture and it will provide some background from a previous article. Some people find out later in life that, because they backed the more traditional model, they've been vulnerable to a lack of trust from their employees and talked about in a negative way throughout the organization. When this happens, almost certainly people will somehow, someway and when the time is right, sabotage that leader's potential.

Leading By Example: (Part 3) Work Ethic

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:48:34 EST

This is the third article in a three part series on the ways in which we are all leaders, even if the work we do doesn't entail directly managing others. In this final installment, we will look at how the behaviors we show on the job and our work ethic can make an impact in the organization. In my working career, I've had many different types of jobs. I've worked for the MEA, a pottery studio, a pizza parlor, and several restaurants. Today I own my own business as a web developer. All these jobs differ greatly but I've noticed that no matter what type of job you’re currently employed at, having a positive attitude and great work ethic can make all the difference, not just for your own position in the company but for the entire organization.

The Art of Being A World Class Business

Craig@prioritylearningresearch.com (Craig Twombly) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:46:19 EST

Every organization strives to be world class at what they do. With the saturation of like businesses in many markets, the difference between success and failure is often the pursuit of being world class at what they do. Organizations spend a significant amount of time and money focusing on initiatives to be the best in their respective markets. Sometimes the effort is met with success and sometimes it is met with a struggle and failure. A financial organization might bring in a customer service/sales consultant to train the staff on sales techniques and implementation of service standards. While I was in school I worked at a restaurant and attended a customer service standards class for the restaurant. The concepts were interesting and motivating, but I remember walking away thinking I can't control what people do or say. For improvement toward world class to happen, the employees involved in the change need to understand why it is needed and why they also have some ownership in the intiative. There is a large push in business to standardize employee customer service. The goal is to eliminate that variable, the responses of employees. In a recent workshop a group had a long conversation about the challenges to get their staff on the same page and to follow the world-class approach. The group entertained the different techniques of moving from good to great. After much debate, the consensus was to not produce customer service scripts when dealing with the customers.

The Measure of a Leader

Ralph@prioritylearningresearch.com (Ralph Twombly) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:22:11 EST

We just lost a truly unique and special man and like all really special people he will leave a very big hole in our lives. If the measure of a man is the people who love and respected him, then Bob Parenteau broke the scale. He left this life in the same fashion he first entered my life back in the 80s, telling corny jokes to his daughters while never revealing the obvious pain he was in. He held on to his life until he had a chance to say goodbye and tell all of those people he touched that he loved them. He lived a life of integrity and grit, he took chances, he loved a lot and got his money's worth from every moment. So, understandably we are all feeling lose that he will no longer be there to show kindness to the least able in our society, patience with our complex society, complete dedication to his country and enormous love for his family and all of the rest of us fortunate enough to be touched by him.

Book Review: The Thank You Economy

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:33:23 EST

As a web developer, I get a lot of questions about social media, particularly on whether social media is worth investing the time in. Most people want solid proof that social media has a return on investment before jumping in, but I've found that definitive evidence is hard to come by. Also once a business decides to do social media, they often don't know when to begin. To further the confusion, an explosion of social media companies have emerged that offer to take over this seemingly daunting task, for a costly monthly fee. Is it worth it? Can social media be effective with your unique business? These are all good questions and to help answer them I've been looking for a resource that can clarify the real benefits of social media and explains how to do it and do it right. The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk Is the resource I have been looking for!

Leading By Example: (Part 2) Family Values

milly@prioritylearningresearch.com (Milly Welsh) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:45:07 EST

This is the second article in a three part series exploring the ways we are all leaders, even if our work responsibilities don't include directly managing others. This month we will look at one of the more obvious ways we end up leading by example through the values and behaviors we show to other members of our family. Whether you are a parent, an adult helping to care for your elderly parents or just a member of a family, you are actively playing a leadership role.

As a mother of two young girls, I am becoming very aware of the influence I have on them. Especially since my oldest daughter, who is 3 1/2 has gotten in the habit of pretending to be "Mom." You just can't know how silly you sound until you hear a 3 year old regurgitate your words to their younger sibling. Although it doesn't always seem so, kids do pay close attention to their parent’s behavior, and they use what they learn to determine how to act themselves.

Collaboration is the KEY

lorraine@prioritylearningresearch.com (Lorraine Twombly) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:57:18 EST

Just finished reading a scientific magazine that captured my interest in my recent airport travels. There were lots of great articles about our brain and belief systems, the global warming concerns, and the physics of our brain's intelligence. Each article had one theme in solving some of the challenges and that theme was collaboration of open-minded minds. We need each other so we can listen to and be encouraged to think of new or other ways to solve problems (that two minds are much better than one and so on). The same can be said to solve our global warming problems and such - there are many wonderful minds out there that can help us all. Our minds can only do so much due to the fact that our brains are only so big apparently and we need each other to make bigger and better decisions and positive changes. (If you are interested in the magazine I read, please let me know and I'll send it to you.)

I started to think about how collaboration strengthened our family unit (for those who do not know from previous articles, my father is getting at-home hospice care and I've been in Florida helping my mother provide the basic care and to keep him as comfortable as possible to the end). We are receiving all kinds of help from the care givers and they are all about collaboration. They have a team leader, a nurse, and three or four certified assistants, who ask questions, notice family dynamics, bring up the difficult topics, take the time to explain and insist everyone gets involved as much as possible. They have collaboration figured out!

Collaboration of thoughts and ideas has kept us going as a species and in this time of extremism, lack of tolerance, and apathy, there is no better time to practice this wonderful skill or trait. I constantly have to remind myself that I am not alone and there are people out there to help me. I should have realized this as I work with a great team and we collaborate all the time. Family dynamics are a bit different and more difficult, I feel, because there's almost always baggage from years gone by or misunderstandings in most families that I know of anyway. I'm always hearing things like, "My family is so dysfunctional!" It's my belief that a lack of collaboration in the family unit may be one of the problems.