THE LEARNING FLASH
Ping Me, Project Armageddon, George Carlin and the Butterfly Effect

Labor Day has come and gone, the kids are all back in school, the Indiana fall is baking and dusty, and some of the leaves have started to change. Change is big this fall - the economy, the political instability, the new president-to-be. It does seem like our backpacks are getting heavier and heavier - more people are PINGING us (love this new jargon). In this issue you'll find many ways to lighten your load. Like the last few months, this newsletter is broken into the following segments of brief articles:

• Project Management Magic - Practical PM tools, techniques and information
• Leadership In the Middle - Thoughts and ideas from the trenches
• Improving Higher Education - Grow student success in higher ed
• Training Truths - Fun, effective ways to facilitate learning
• Technology - The latest news in Information Technology
• Web Wonders - Always amazing what's on the web - just for fun
• The Contest - Find out who won last month, play this month, win fabulous prizes!
• Come See Us - Visit our webinars, blogs, public workshops, booths and speeches

Prayer for Children Taken from a poem by Ina J. Hughs
William Morrow & Co., NY c. 1995

We pray for children
who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories,
who can never find their shoes.

And we pray for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.

We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.
for those we smother...and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

This Month's Schedule

10 Steps to Successful Project Management
The Marott, Indianapolis, IN- September 18th
Register at cicpmi.org

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul Speech
The Mansion at Oak Hill, Carmel, IN- September 18th
Register at cicpmi.org

Leading Unruly Project Teams Speech
Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Park, MN - September 25th
Register at Minnesota PMI

Accelerated Learning: The Sequel (FREE!)
September 16 - 2-3 PM EST
Register at Elluminate

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Project Management Magic

Project Sponsor Kit

A few months ago, some of you volunteered to help us refine a kit that project managers can give to project sponsors and stakeholders to manage their expectations upfront regarding what THEY can do to drive project success. Thanks to our learning facilitator Janice Daly and our summer intern (and my kid) Kelly Martin, the PM Sponsor KIT is ready to roll, just in time for your last minute, end of budget fall projects. Check out our web site or email us for more info.

Project Armageddon: Sponsor Turnover

"Of all the items that can go wrong on a project, the one the project manager has least control over is the sponsorship," says Gopal Kapur, PM guru and President of the Center for Project Management. Here are some things you can do to keep the project on track:

1. Plan ahead. Make sure your project has widespread support in the company.
2. Prepare to escalate. Talk with your sponsor early about the procedure you'll follow if you're not getting the support you need from him or her.
3. Use it. When a sponsor under performs, don't back down. Put the plan in action.
4. Consider euthanasia. When the sponsor leaves, assess the political situation. The project may have been the sponsor's pet rather than a true business priority. You're better off killing it than letting it drag you down.
5. Use your resources. Make it clear, Kapur says, that without a sponsor, the project will have to be suspended or canceled within a few weeks.
6. Require a "single throat." Don't allow a steering committee to be the sponsor.
7. Re-form, re-storm. No matter who takes over as sponsor, kick off the project again.
8. Go for it. The loss of a sponsor gives the seasoned project manager a chance to stretch.

Read the full article

Dumb Things Project Managers Should Never Say

1. No worries. October 1st is totally do-able. We'll just figure out the scope as we go.
2. I haven't heard any feedback, so everyone must be fine with the project plan.
3. I've used PM software to ensure that every detail is in the 50 page plan.
4. No, you're wrong. That was not in the scope.
5. I'm not really sure who the Project Sponsor is but the scope is very clear.
6. Yes, we're a little behind but we'll catch up during testing.
7. Just because this part of the project ran over, doesn't mean our project plan is wrong.
8. Don't let anyone know that we've hit this blip. Let's keep it to ourselves.
9. We really need more people. With only two weeks to go, we need more help.
10. [The Gerry Weinberg classic] We got the contract! I'll go find out what they want and you start CODING!!!

If you can’t figure out why any of these statements is fatally wrong, consider bringing us in to hold a half day session on Project Management for Stakeholders and Sponsors.  Or enroll in the 10 Steps to Successful Project Management public workshop in November in Indianapolis.

Contact Margie Brown for more information and availability.

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Leadership In the Middle

The Pinging Staple

In Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi says, "If 80 percent of success is, as Woody Allen once said, just showing up, then 80 percent of building and maintaining relationships is just staying in touch. I call it 'pinging.' It's a quick, casual greeting, and it can be done in any number of creative ways. … my personal favorite pinging occasion remains birthdays, the neglected stepchild of life's celebrated moments. … It is your day, and it has been since you were a kid. And even when you’re seventy years old, deep down inside, despite all your protestations, a little recognition of that seventy-year-old-life feels good even if you don't get a big red wagon anymore. Don't kid yourself — EVERYONE CARES ABOUT HIS OR HER BIRTHDAY."

The Leadership Academy: Need Customized Leadership Training at Standard Pricing?

Here are a few of the ways we have customized our leadership content to our customers’ needs:

• A three day, off site retreat including guest executive speakers, role plays, assessments, 1-on-1 coaching and a practicum.
• A 10 week, ½ day program to supplement existing corporate leadership training with specific tips for an organization within.
• A ½ day challenge to become more resilient

Contact Margie Brown for more information

Choose Your Leadership Values

The following are examples of values. You might use these as the starting point for discussing values within your organization:

ambition, competency, individuality, equality, integrity, service, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, diversity, improvement, enjoyment/fun, loyalty, credibility, honesty, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration, stewardship, empathy, accomplishment, courage, wisdom, independence, security, challenge, influence, learning, compassion, friendliness, discipline/order, generosity, persistency, optimism, dependability, flexibility

As a leader, choose the values and the ethics that are most important to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day at work. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence others. Don't waste your best opportunity. If you'd like, pick your Top 3, send them to Lou Russell and let's see what the consensus is for next month's newsletter!

Characteristics of a Successful Leadership Style

Which of these characteristics do you think are critical to being a great leader? Send your thoughts to Lou Russell.

• Choose to lead
• Be the person others choose to follow.
• Provide vision for the future.
• Provide inspiration.
• Make other people feel important and appreciated.
• Live your values. Behave ethically.
• Set the pace through your expectations and example.
• Establish an environment of continuous improvement.
• Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and professionally.
• Care and act with compassion.

Leading Requires Resiliency

One of our readers (who would like to remain anonymous) submitted this request from a potential employee. If you'd like to learn to be more resilient, or you have staff that could benefit from a more flexible outlook, contact Margie Brown to talk to her about our Resiliency workshops.

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Improving Higher Education

Welcome to new customers Lincoln Tech and Westwood Colleges.

It Has To Be Boring: Three Choices

Suppose that you have to teach the difference between a noun, verb, adjective and adverb. Here are three ways to teach the material. Which way would you want to LEARN the material? Which way would your students retain the material and enjoy school?

1. Read the definitions to the students. Ask them to recite the definitions. Give them a worksheet to match the definitions to the words.
2. Give each student four red cards (nouns), four blue cards (verbs), four brown cards (adjectives) and four yellow cards (adverbs). Ask each student to build a sentence with one of each color. Ex: Silly kids love green candy.
3. Write a Mad Lib worksheet with blank spaces for nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Give examples of each type of word with the definition by writing them on the board. Ex: Noun - person, place or thing; “Cat" Pair up students to play Mad Libs and read the stories back to the whole class. Ask students to listen for words that don't fit. Every time they find one, they win a piece of candy.

Using Howard Gardners’ Multiple Intelligence, # 3 honors all seven of the styles adults process new information with, making learning and school easier and more successful If you'd like to learn more about this and other simple techniques, or you'd like help snazzing up your classes, contact Margie Brown. Want to transform Subject Matter Experts into Faculty quickly Attend our 1 day workshop Transforming Subject Matter Experts Into Powerful Faculty on October 9 and leave with the process and training materials you need to improve your faculty immediately.

Learn More AND Register

Basic Math: How Old Are You?

A tribute to George Carlin: His Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?"  "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" And then the greatest day of your life…you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony…YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!! Thanks, Cathy!

The Butterfly Effect: How Much Do We Really Know?

As Margaret Wheatley fans recall, does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? MIT meteorologist Edward Lorenz reported that tiny atmospheric events can have large, unpredictable effects. He noted that the "innumerable" interconnections of nature mean a butterfly's flap could cause a tornado--or, for all we know, prevent one. But according to science writer Peter Dizikes, the oversimplification of this concept has lead to an unreasonable expectation that the world should be more comprehensible than it is. "The larger meaning of the butterfly effect is not that we can readily track such connections, but that we can't." In fact, in developing his theory, Lorenz uncovered evidence that nature's fundamental randomness is at odds with the Newtonian idea of a wholly predictable universe. A willingness to accept inherent limitations in our capacity to analyze and predict the workings of the world--and stay open to diverse possibilities--may be the most valuable lesson we take from Lorenz.

Read the essay in the Boston Globe...

Dealing With Diversity and Admissions

In 2050 the nation's workforce will be older and more racially and ethnically diverse according to the most recent projections released by the U.S. Census Bureau. By mid-century the picture of the population will differ significantly with minorities becoming the majority, and nearly one in five U.S. residents falling in the age 65 and older group. Along with these changing demographics, employers will face a shrinking labor pool, with the working population ages 18 to 64 decreasing from 63 percent in 2008 to 57 percent in 2050. How is this going to impact your admissions staff?

Because of the broad definition of diversity which includes gender, race, ethnicity, age or sexual orientation, and other factors such as religion, political ideology, and social and economic status, motivational programs will need to be different for everyone. Combining the legal issues inherent in admissions with the growing diversity requires that great directors of admissions learn more about employees, and ask what motivates them and what ways they want to be recognized. In addition, colleges are going to be at war for the best talent, and in order to attract diverse populations they have to position themselves to hire and recruit these employees.

Dr. Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, recommends avoiding a one size fits all approach when dealing with different audiences. He shares this process:

1. Get clear on what behavior, core values and performance you most want from employees.
2. Create a motivation baseline as to those things your range of employees most value using an organizational survey, focus group discussions, individual meetings - or some combination.
3. Assess what you are doing and create a short list of priorities for moving the right direction to close the major gaps.

For more techniques to maximize starts, send your reps to Grow Starts: Jumpstart Admissions Success a four part webinar series beginning November 14.

Learn More AND Register

High School Presentation

Did you know we have a new High School Recruitment Presentation packaged for your high school reps to teach potential students project management. It's not too late to get their attention for a summer or fall start. For a free 30-day trial, contact Lou Russell.

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Training Truths

Last chances to attend one of our 2008 ASTD Project Management for Trainers Certificate 2-day workshops:

• September 8-9th, Alexandria, VA
• October 23-24th, Atlanta, GA
• New December Offering: 4-5, New York City taught by author Lou Russell.

How to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

1. Sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars.
2. Page yourself over the intercom.   Don't disguise your voice!
3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
4. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over his or her caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
5. Skip down the hall rather than walk and see how many looks you get.
6. Order diet water whenever you go out to eat ~ with a serious face.
7. Specify that your drive-through order is “to go”.
8. When the money comes out the ATM, scream “I won! I won!”

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Technology

iTunes U now home to K-12 educational curricula

Thanks to a new educational initiative, teachers and parents can now access a wealth of K-12 educational curricula on iTunes U. Delivered by state and district agencies in Arizona, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah, the free content provides global access to educational content, curricula, learning materials, news, best practices, and other resources. Read more…

Join Me! The 10th Annual Customer Service and Support Professionals Conference

When: September 29 - October 1, 2008.
Where: Loews Coronado Bay Resort San Diego, CA.

You don't want to miss this event! You can register at http://www.hthts.com/hdp.htm or by calling 425-398-9292. Join me at my presentation titled More for Less: Minimal Project Management for Maximum Results at this legendary conference on Customer Service.

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Web Wonders

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act: Needs Your Help!

I think you will take the 30 seconds to vote on this issue and send it on to others you know who will do the same. There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through'

Mastectomy where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached. Lifetime Television has put this bill on their Web page with a petition drive to show support. Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name, state, and zip code.

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

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The Contest

Our kids are preparing for standardized testing, so let's step in their shoes for a bit. Decode this puzzle by figuring out the letter substitution to make this a real quote from a smart guy. Solve this CRYPTOQUOTE, send us your answer and as always you'll win FABULOUS MERCHANDISE. Send your answers to info@russellmartin.com.

Mit pqrm ctfgmubgs miuez ht ofe tldtjuteot ur mit pnrmtjuqgr. Um ur mit

rqgjot qb fss mjgt fjm fek routeot. - Fsctjm Tuermtue

August CONTEST Winners

Michael Hans - St Jude's, Meredith Glennon - Rockland Trust, Kathy Franklin - National Life, Dan Brandon - American General Financial Services, Karen Wester- State Farm, Sharon Fouke - Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Jean Jelacic - Madison Media, Susan Jack - MetLife.

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Come See Us

Recent Articles by Lou Russell

Check out all my articles on Inside Indiana Business.

Free Webinars:

Previously recorded sessions by Lou Russell:

• Growing Resiliency recorded 06-18-08
• Accelerated Learning For Both The Online And Classroom Faculty recorded 05-06-08
• Faculty And Staff: Can't Live With 'em, Can't Work Without 'em recorded 04-16-08
• Make More Money: 10 Steps For Successful College Management recorded 03-04-08
• Teach less To Learn More recorded 04-16-07
• Leadership Alchemy recorded 03-12-07
• Retention Is Reasonable recorded 02-05-07
• The Unexpected Project Manager recorded 01-22-07

Upcoming sessions:

• Accelerated Learning - The Sequel - Lou Russell - September 16th, 2-3 PM
• Is Your School's It Infrastructure Making The Grade? - Lou Russell - October 7th, 2-3 PM

Lou's Blogs

• It's the People
• IT Leadership Alchemy
• LplusEarn
• Superb Leaders
• 10 Steps to Successful Project Management

Where the RMA Staff Will Be in August:

Lou Russell:

• Growing Resiliency (Indianapolis, IN) - September 10th
• 10 Steps Workshop (Indianapolis, IN) - September 18th
• Robbing Peter to Pay Paul (Indianapolis, IN) - September 18th
• Leading Unruly Project Teams (Minneapolis, MN) - September 25th

Nadine Martin:

• Project Management for Trainers (Alexandria, VA) - September 8-9th

Janice Daly:

• Project Management (Indianapolis, IN) - September 26th

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