Bait, Tackle, Ice, Advice & Beer Blog

Add Some Citrus Fish to Your Home

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

March is National Crafting Month!

Therefore, I will be sharing some fishy crafts that I've found that are both easy and fun.

To start it all off, we'll be making this adorable Lemon and Lime Fish!

These are the supplies you will need:

2 lemons
1 lime
2 allspice berries
a red radish
toothpicks
a sharp paring knife

Once you have all of your supplies ready, it's really quite easy to make these fish:

1. On your work surface, position the lemon on it's side to form the fish body. If it rolls,
trim away a small slice to create a flat bottom.

2. Cut a round slice from the second lemon. Towards the back of your fish's body, cut a small slit; insert the round slice to form it's fin.

3. Also from the second lemon, cut a small quarter-moon shaped slice of rind. Make a small incision in the top of your fish; insert the rind to form it's head.

4. From the lime rind, cut two same-size rounds; attach to the front with toothpicks to form fins.

5. Also from the lime rind, cut two small circles; attach with toothpicks to form the eyes. In the centers, attach allspice berries (pupils).

6. Cut a small slice of radish; attach with a toothpick to form it's mouth.

And voila! Hope you have fun making this cute little fish!

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

(Idea and instructions found on About.com)

Validation ... Oh How Sweet (& Inspiring) It Is

melissa@catchyourlimit.com (Melissa Laughon) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:50:00 +0000

If you're reading this, you probably already know that Catch Your Limit is a hodgepodge of people and ideas, a hybrid of business models, an almagamation of talents.

Our entire brand is built on working hard and playing hard with the ultimate goal of helping you to "catch your limit" (in other words ... realize your full potential, aspire to be great, dream the impossible dream) . We deliver guidance to leaders, we have processes and systems to help us better understand your needs and develop solutions, we work as a team with our clients all while striving to be fun, inspirational, strategic and so energetic that you absolutely take notice when you're in the company of any ><(("> team member - whether it be Tom (our founder) or Erin (our resident part time college student that fancies standing on her head).

So, today when Tom sent everyone at Catch Your Limit the article - 9 Traits of a Great Small Business, the message of the article was incredibly sweet validation for who we are and what matters to us and the clients we serve. I encourage you to read the article for yourself, but I'll share with you what crossed my mind as I was reading it:

9 Traits of a Great Small Business

1. They are about more than the money (yes, there is an undercurrent of altruism in what we do)

2. They are fun (yes, I laugh at work every day)

3. They are creative (yes, we have so many ideas we don't know how to fit them all in!)

4. They are led by a charismatic (we prefer driven) leader (we'll follow him anywhere but not without asking a million questions as to where we're going and why)

5. They have a great team (hallelujah)

6. They experiment and innovate (we are different today than we were yesterday)

7. They risk failure (we always say - do something even if its wrong)

8. They work hard and play hard (we need to play more than ever because we're working harder than ever)

9. They strive to be the best (what else is there?)

Ok - there you have it - 9 out of 9. And, as an owner, I'll be the first to say that I'm not giving myself a perfect score - the recognition goes to our entire team. They make it fun for me. They make us better. They create and innovate and fail and learn and grow and share. They remind me to take a break and be silly sometimes. They make Catch Your Limit GREEEEAAATT!

So, today was a good day for a lot of reasons. This article couldn't have come into my world at a better time ... I needed the inspiration.

Thanks to the entire ><(("> team (Tom, Emma, Scott, Gayle, Becca, Michela, Erin, Elizabeth) and thanks to the great clients we have the privilege to work with each and every day.

><(("> Melissa Laughon

Melissa is a ><(("> Team Member at Catch Your Limit, a management consulting firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. She is a keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and contributing author for international, national and regional publications. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

Know When to Hold ‘Em; Know When to Fold ‘Em

jasilbar@gmail.com (Julie S) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:52:00 +0000

I wish I would have written this, but I must give credit to our VP of HR. It is spot on. Enjoy.

Know When to Hold ‘Em; Know When to Fold ‘Em
As a leader, if you find yourself complaining about your associates, you should consider whether you are doing something wrong — or not doing something right. You might not have figured out how to find or keep good people, or you may have kept the wrong people, or you may have unrealistic expectations. I have made every mistake.
I believe that if you want to run a great operation, you should be happy with 100 percent of your people. It is better for your customers, it is better for your associates and it is better for you. There are many good, honest, hard-working people out there who are looking for jobs. If you keep someone who isn’t good, honest and hard-working, it’s not just your problem, it’s your fault. You’ve probably heard the old cliché, “you are only as strong as your weakest link.” It’s not just a cliché – it’s true. Take a good hard look at your staff. Do you have weak links? Why? Why aren’t you doing anything about it?
Being nice to everyone does not make you a good boss. It could, in fact, make you a bad boss. The purpose of business is to get the job done for the customer, to provide a respectful work environment, and to make a profit. [We are calling 2010] “the year of accountability.” It is the only way we will be able to achieve what we have set out to achieve for the year – having the right people, in the right places, doing the right things. Accountability often means making tough decisions to insure you have the best possible associates on your team.
If you want to run a great operation, you have to know when to quit, or in this case when to fire. Is it fun to fire? No. Does it make your life easier and provide a better product or service to your customers? Yes. Does it make for a better environment for your other associates? Yes. Does it make you a better boss, if you define better as being effective? Yes.

- Julie Silbar
><(("> Guest Blogger

Why Today's Leaders Need to Be Kayaks vs. Locomotives

melissa@catchyourlimit.com (Melissa Laughon) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:44:00 +0000

Note: To those James River readers, please excuse me for a moment while I set this up for those readers that don't have the "best urban whitewater" running through their city.
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required. Rafters and kayakers love the thrill of conquering these river rapids and for some, the higher level the better – the more exhilarating.

Well, what if we approached the challenges we face daily with that same attitude? That’s the basis of an article I read recently by Martha Beck. Rather than keep chugging along like a locomotive (the way we've been taught) - "I think I can ... I think I can ...", we should adopt a kayak mindset.

Exerpt: Each day, ask those two river-runner's questions about every request or assignment you encounter. Do the things that are absolutely necessary or make you happy. Let everything else drift away. If you overlook something important, you can always paddle over to it later, or snag something similar floating by. That's one of the joys of the crazy, fluid world we've created.

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Life-Coach-Martha-Becks-Tips-for-Managing-Your-Tech-Life

And, although I didn't discover a lot of "new" in the article, it was a great reminder. After reading it, I have asked myself - am I being a locomotive or a kayak? It's been helpful to get through the day and not feel as though I'm just merely chug-chug-chugging along.

So, go ahead - let your inner river rat guide the way!

><(("> Melissa Laughon

Melissa is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. She is a keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and contributing author for international, national and regional publications. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/ .

A Thief on the Loose!

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0000

During yesterday's cold, dreary afternoon something absolutely terrible happened. Check the headlines! A catastrophe has occurred in the Catch Your Limit office!

Have I got your attention?

Let me start with some background information. Scott, our tech mastermind, makes incredible food, period. If he sets his mind to cooking something, he doesn't settle for okay or even good. He shoots for exquisite. I have not eaten something he's made and not enjoyed it thoroughly

...especially his banana bread.

Scott decided it was time for another batch of his delicious banana bread, and brought some in for the office to share yesterday. Unfortunately, I was not in the office all day.

Now, this is not the catastrophe. You would think a whole loaf of banana bread could survive one day to be waiting for me when I walked in this morning.

But this is where the music goes dark and sinister, maybe throw in some dun dun dunnnns.

When I came in, I was not welcomed by ooey gooey goodness. No, there wasn't even a crumb-topped plate left as evidence. Where did the banana bread go?!

Scott sadly gave me the news. It seems a banana bread thief snuck its way into the office, unseen and unheard. It then gobbled down all that was left of the banana bread, finishing the last delicious morsel just as Scott entered the room. And with an evil little giggle, the thief made its speedy getaway, leaving me empty handed and belly rumbling.

"What does this awful creature look like?!" you may ask.

Scott's reply, "it had a strangely close resemblence to Erin".

Oh, the horror.

Here's an artist's rendition of what this greusome monster may look like:

Be on the lookout, or your banana bread could be next!

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

Write it down & Make it happen!

noreply@blogger.com (Michela Fleury) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:19:00 +0000

Bonjour!

At the beginning of the year, all of us at Catch Your Limit sat down and created some personal action plans. Mine was two-fold.

This summer Erin & I are going to be going to Europe for a month of traveling, exploring, and eating a LOT of amazing cuisine. One of the components of my action plan was to really prepare myself for traveling by learning some of the languages. That week I was so inspired and excited about it, I went to Barnes & Noble and found the most amazing thing! It's a cd set that sings to you and talks through skits that help you learn different languages and for $6 per set, I HAD TO have them! I bought one for French and one for Italian. I decided to start with French and in just a few short weeks I have learned how to greet someone, how to say where I am from, colors, how to tell time, some weather, how to order, ask for a table, and some food. It's amazing how much you can learn while enjoying some cheesy (but extremely witty and entertaining) songs. But what feels even better, is knowing that I am taking the steps to accomplishing a goal that many would think is pretty hard to reach.

The second part of my personal action plan was to learn how to read music. I'm currently taking guitar lessons and am singing in a choir which is definitely helping the process. This part of my plan is not being accomplished as quickly as my other goal, but steps are definitely being taken and results are definitely becoming apparent. When I play the guitar, I feel like a kid again. I grew up around constant music entertainment. My dad is a guitarist but I never picked it up for some reason (even though now I wish I would've). Now, I am counting down the days till I can go back home with my guitar and play his favorite Beatles songs with him. What is so great about learning an instrument is that when you can finally play through a song, it is so rewarding. It's instant gratification for all the work you've put in prior to that moment. For me, the greatest feeling is going to be able to play with my dad- someone who I've always looked up to musically. Anyways- the reading of music part of my plan is a little behind, but on the flip side, I am learning how to play chords and bar chords and my musical knowledge is expanding so all is not lost!

The point of this post is to show you all that sometimes putting things down on paper is enough motivation and inspiration to really set the ball in motion. You know...that ball. The one thats been sitting in the corner of the room that you constantly look at but never seem to have the time to play with. Well I encourage all of you to take five minutes out of your busy day and write down a personal action plan for yourself and be sure to share it with someone you trust. That way, you will be more likely to take the next steps in case that person asks you about it in the future!

And I wish you all the best in all of your future endeavors!

><(("> Michela

Michela is a ><((">Team Member at Cacth Your Limit Consulting a management firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/

Happy Hour Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Albano) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:45:00 +0000

Thank goodness for great team members and planning! This past week Catch Your Limit celebrated February Happy Hour event with a lovely Wine Tasting and "hopeful" cheese fondue. Michela and I had thought of the idea mid January to throw a wine tasting for February, to mix it up a bit and draw in the crowd. We were both so excited for this delicious festivity and made sure we found a date that worked with everyone's schedule in the office. Perfect the 19th! Everyone will be there. I made up the plan with ideas/strategies, deadlines for invites, when and what supplies to grab, making sure everything was mapped out so my first official HH would run smoothly...Well everything was set until Wednesday evening when I began feeling a bit ill. I'm rarely sick so I didn't think anything of it and just got to bed early that night. Little did I know I wouldn't be getting out of bed the next day and a half. First thing I thought of was Happy Hour, what do I do? I have been in charge of this all month and the moment it arrives, I can't pull through? This is just perfect timing! Luckily, my pre-written lists and plan were available to the team on my computer, who then were able to go out and pick everything up and SAVE HAPPY HOUR!! Everyone said it went over really well and they had a great time. I am very appreciative for the teamwork here. It just shows that when there is a plan and things are easily mapped out and everyone is willing to work together you can successfully accomplish your goals even when life tosses you a curve ball!

><(("> Erin

Erin is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/

A Post-Modern Workplace

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:49:00 +0000

I participated in a retreat for my church's Vestry this past weekend. Our new Rector referred to our congregation as Post Modern. Being the good Catch Your Limit Guide that I am; I asked what Post-Modern meant in the context of a church congregation?

He responded, we are extremely autonomous - unlikely to subvert our individual thinking to the orthodoxy of the church. He went on to say leading our parish was like herding cats. At which point he was quick to say, "But that's OK, because I'm just a big cat, myself."

This got me to thinking about the Post-Modern workplace.

In today's highly competitive economy, we need everyone of our colleagues to be thinking. Thinking how they can make a contribution to our corporate success. Fortunately, for the US, we are a nation of "cats". The challenge for our leaders is finding a way to encourage the folks they are charged with leading to unite and align themselves along the lines of shared values and to pursue common goals.

Recognizing that our contemporary American culture is one that encourages individuals to think for themselves; it is foolish to believe our co-workers will just shut up and do what they are told. Particularly, if they do not understand the reasoning behind the directives or if they do not agree with the reasoning.

This takes us to Lencioni's 5 Dysfuntions of a Team. Without open and constructive exploration of alternatives, people are unlikely to comply with, much less embrace mandates from on high.

That is unless you make a sound like a can opener. That brings my cat running every time.

><(("> Gayle Turner

Gayle is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. He is a keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and contributing author for international, national and regional publications. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/ .

What keeps you up at night?

emma@catchyourlimit.com (Emma) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:33:00 +0000

What kept me up last night was thinking about how to engage my current employee's. We have asked alot of our employees this past year, and maybe as a leader our efforts had to be focused elsewhere but now the question is what do they need from me and how do I keep them engaged?

One factor of success that everyone agrees with is having the right people in the right seats, as Jim Collins refer es to it. Now is the time more then ever to ensure that effort and focus is spent developing our key talent in an organization, identifying our future leaders, engaging employees in their positions and holding onto them.

As we start to see movement within the economy, our employees have also been patiently waiting to see what could be next for them. Now is the time to develop your talented individuals to ultimately sustain your team and create a competitive advantage. But how do you know your key talent is really on board? The following questions, findings from a Watson Wyatt Worldwide study, are a good place to start:

Would employees recommend your organization to others?
Are they satisfied with advancement opportunities?
Do you employees believe management has the ability to grow the business?

Now is the time and responsibility as a leader to refocus our efforts from just 'staying the course' to keeping talented people and ensuring that when new opportunities arise, employees want to keep their seat on your bus.

The reality for most of us is that the employees have developed strength and resilience they did not have before and before you waste valuable time and costs on the recruitment process after they leave, why not renew, motivate and engage your current talented employees.

Your goal as a leader is to ensure employees continue to be passionate about their work, value their contribution, create growth opportunities and share your vision with meaning, purpose and honesty.

What will not keep me up tonight is knowing if my employees are engaged because today I take the challenge and make the choice to lead my team by asking questions, actively listening to the answers, strengthening commitment, renewing pride in performance and recognizing the incredible talent I know I have around me.

><(("> Emma Good

Emma is a ><((">Team Member at Cacth Your Limit Consulting a management firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/

Marketing, Innovation & Creativity

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:54:00 +0000

When all things are done and said, businesses only do two things. They market and they innovate. Or put another way, they sell things and create new things to sell. All other activities are in support of these core functions.

These core functions however are in conflict with one another. It's human nature to seek stability. Once we find a market and something to sell it, we want operations to move smoothly. We want everything to operate like a well engineered machine.

Innovation on the other hand is a creative activity. It's messy; a lot like a garden. And while patterns are discernable in nature, those cycles do not operate according to rigid timetables. Some years we have bumper crops other years crops die on the vine due to too little or too much water or sun or in some cases freak snow storms.

None the less as much as we would like to create on demand; the best we can do is create environments where creativity has a chance to blossom. Then handling those new ideas as gently as all new life deserves our job becomes finding ways to apply them.

Because until it's applied, it's just an idea.

BTW, I found the image above at the Toshiba Laptops site. I like the organic imagery.

><(("> Gayle Turner

London Bridge is Falling Down

noreply@blogger.com (Lynnette) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:22:00 +0000

I just returned from London and it seems like when I travel or do something that gets me out of my normal routine I get inspired. And, we all need a little inspiration. London is inspiring to me on a grand scale. In my mind it is most like an older wiser more polite version of New York. It’s not like “Jack the Ripper” is still running through the streets but it seems like there is history around every corner…or at least a pub.

It is striking that you can be very anonymous in both New York and London. Big cities are that way. The difference is in culture….eventually some out-spoken New Yorkers will yell at you or talk to you for no reason. In London that has not happened – at least not yet. One time I fell in the middle of the street in London. Not one of my prouder moments. It was a few years ago and it was combination of very high heels, a cell phone, pouring rain, and a less than visible pothole. I truly expected someone to immediately come to my aid and at least help me get up and collect my belongings. That did not happen. As a matter of fact, my perceived polite Londoners started honking and yelling for me to get out of the road. It was alarming.

My point is that it is better to dismiss your preconceptions because you don’t often really know the outcome. Ya, maybe in New York there would have been a better chance of someone offering aid...maybe not. Is that good enough for you? I get asked a lot of questions about research and my blog goal this year is to focus more on that core competency. And, today’s blog is about research (really!) and how leaving your ideas, preconceived notions, and social bias at the door will serve you well. Start with a blank page and let your customers fill in the blanks. Sure it is OK to have a hypothesis but it better not get in the way of finding the truth.

Research quite simply is finding information that you need to know, that you don’t have yet. And, why add your two cents – it doesn’t matter and it may cloud your vision and cause you to make a critical mistake.

Getting back to the story, fortunately, once the initial shock that Londoners were actually yelling at me wore off, I was able to get up and yell “alright already” at the honking taxis “as if” Miss Montana was a native New Yorker.

People’s reactions, even your own reactions to various situations, questions, and events can surprise us all. Cheers~

The author of the Mindless Babble Blog is the President of Mindspot Research and Business Solutions. www.mindspotinc.com.

"Trust is earned, not given"

noreply@blogger.com (Michela Fleury) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:39:00 +0000

Trust & Loyalty, Loyalty & Trust.

Where are these two things today?

When the economy got bad and layoffs started becoming more and more frequent, people began trusting their bosses about as much as they would trust being locked in a room with a sleeping bear, about to wake up and pounce without much notice. It's understandable that when companies start doing bad, the effects are felt everywhere from the top of the employment chain all the way to the bottom. With these cuts, layoffs because a fear looming over employees heads. The people who held jobs would be thankful to have survived the day as they left their office for the night.

Maybe I'm being a little over dramatic, but the point is that a lot of people were terrified. The people that they have come to known as respectable bosses were suddenly becoming the enemy. They lost faith in their superiors. The morale of almost every industry drastically decreased. When you lose that faith and trust in your employer, your loyalty to them also goes out the window.

Now, businesses must take on the responsibility of earning back that trust. There was a time when people loved going to work, they felt secure there. They felt that if they worked hard and completed the tasks at hand, that they would be allowed to keep their jobs. We need to get back to that.

I read an article by a man named Roger Hall called "Bring Trust and Loyalty Back to the Workplace" and he made some very good suggestions that I would like to share with all of you:

1. Schedule 'face time' with every employee

2. Choose appropriate communication channels

3. Over acknowledge and praise often

4. Be honest

5. Walk the Talk

I can't help but be reminded of when I was younger and I would disappoint my mom somehow, and she would say "you have to earn my trust back." That's exactly what employers have to do now. Yes, it may take time and effort on their part but the benefits of having happy employers who value, trust and are loyal to their bosses will have much more of a payout than what needs to be invested upfront.

Michela ><((">

Michela is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a managment and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com .

Speechless

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:18:00 +0000

I heard the following in a recent conversation with a marketing exec. I would have laughed had the potential consequences not meant that people will probably lose their jobs. I'm going to be a little vague on the details because I don't want to risk the exec's job anymore than it's already at risk.

Here's the story.

A new Chairman had decided he thought the current advertising was old fashioned. He proposed a contest where people would be offered a chance to win thousands of dollars if they visited the website.

Traffic went from 5,000 hits a month to 50,000 hits per month.

Sales however are dropping.

When the exec explained that the traffic was (1) due to the chance at the money, not interest in their product and (2) the contest did not communicate with the brand's target market the Chair's response was some of those 50,000 have to be interested.

This kind of ignorance is so absurd that if you saw it on an episode of The Office you'd think, they went too far.

I am truly at a loss for words.

><(("> Gayle Turner

Gayle is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. He is a keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and contributing author for international, national and regional publications. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/ .

Who's Up Next

noreply@blogger.com (Becca) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Employers saw a lot of differences and challenges when hiring the most recent workforce group, the gen y-ers.

But they haven't seen anything, yet.

Next up is generation z. You might not have heard of them yet, as they were only born as early as 1995, but they'll be entering the workforce very soon. And like every other generation, they have their pros and cons. It's finding a way to work with those pros and cons that will help make this generation a huge success in your business.

Let's look at the cons, then pros of their different attributes:

In a blog written by Penelope Trunk, a writer on managing careers, she states that "generation z will not be team players". Instead, they'll prefer to get things done themselves. This can prove to be difficult to work with, but at the same time they don't need loads of direction. Their parents, as a result of their overkill parents, are less likely to tell them exactly what to do, where to do it, and when. Therefore, they learn to know what they want, and how to push themselves to get it (a skill I'm sadly lacking).

Because they're so used to fast-paced games, computers, and school work, they will expect this same high speed in their jobs. If you think gen y gets bored too easily, then watch out. But on the upside, you can utilize this speed tremendously in your business. They will sift through information at speeds we could only dream of. They will also multitask as if by second nature, in the end boosting their productivity.

But with these skills, comes a little attitude. In an article published by HRGuru, they warn companies that this generation places "even less priority on their career in search of more flexibility and balance between work, family and personal time". They also have a mistrust of larger corporations after watching their parents get laid off, even if they had worked there for many years. This means you have to give them more incentives to choose your business.

Eventually gen z will disperse into the workforce with as much ease as any other new generation. After the bumps and grinds, businesses will see their true potential, and make positive changes to accommodate and utilize their unique skills.

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

Collaborate and Learn

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Albano) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:47:00 +0000

In sort of a sequel to Michela's last blog, I was thinking about the generation discussion and I believe that having multiple generations in the workplace is very beneficial. It also can be catastrophic if everyone is too stubborn in their own ways but that comes with anything you do. When you have a variety of generations and experience in the workplace you can accomplish so much more. Gen-Y's are obviously considered more "techy" but can sometimes lack in the knowledge of traditional methods that are still being implemented in the company today. Sometimes old fashion methods just work better for certain people/companies, so Gen-Ys should keep that in mind and think of it as a learning experience instead of a waste of time. It works both ways though. The Baby Boomers or Gen-X running the company obviously know whats working but a lot of the times a Gen-Y may notice a way to be more productive and save time, energy, &/or resources. I believe you can never learn too much, even if you consider it useless, outdated, or maybe too advanced, there was or will be a time and place when that information was or will be valuable. Just knowing a little more then, say, a competitor, may give you that edge up you need. And that last point I find extremely important when several Gens are collaborating, the fact that everyone is learning how to communicate. There will never be a time when only ONE generation exists (at least lets hope not). Through out life we are constantly thrown in situations when we have an encounter with with a different generation than ourselves. (clients, shopping, waiters, hotel managers, etc) Already having the experience of working with other generations, knowing their likes, dislikes, interests will benefit you in the long run. So before you pop up your blinders on what the "crazy ipod kids" or "the outdated folks" have to say, try and keep an open mind, you never know what you may pick up.

><(("> Erin Albano

Erin is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com .

Expectations v. Reality : Which Side are You On

noreply@blogger.com (Michela Fleury) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:35:00 +0000

It is no surprise that the way an office is run is changing due to the increasing presence of us "Gen Y"-ers. We've been labeled everything from the 'MyPods' to 'the Baby Boomlets' to 'the Boomerang Generation" (and that's just to name a few). We've had negative connotations associated with us, such as lazy, greedy, self-centered and unrealistic. We've been ridiculed for our outlook on life, but what if the perceptions on both sides of the matter are just so completely polar from one another that we are struggling to find middle ground?

I was reading an article on eweek.com called "Generation Y for Dummies" , in which they listed some of the main differences between these 'millennials' and senior management in companies.

One of the differences they mentioned was as follows:

"Generation Y workers have a reputation for experiencing boredom and frustration with slow-paced environments, traditional hierarchies and even slightly outdated technologies- that is, almost everything common in most workplaces."

So now my question is, whats wrong with that?

In this day and age, we are having to work longer hours. It's no longer a traditional 9-5 work day. It's a stay late, be twice as productive(if not even more), do the job of what traditionally would have been 3 or 4 different positions, work environment. We need that fast pace.

The boredom and frustration comes in when we feel our time is being wasted, precious time that could be spent with our loved ones for example.

I personally have no problem working long hours, staying late, working weekends, whatever it is that needs to be done to get the job done -and well- but I have worked with people on projects who are strong believers in 'face time' (aka being there even if you aren't doing anything/contributing) and that is extremely frustrating.

Generation Y-ers value their time. We believe that there needs to be a balance in personal and work life as opposed to our parents who would have sacrificed anything for work. Again, this is often viewed as laziness or selfishness but I suggest for people to stand back and look at it again with a new angle. In my lifetime, I have already witnessed multliple natural disasters that have stripped people's loved ones right out of their lives in a matter of seconds. It's just like that saying "live like your dying", you've got to appreciate every moment in your life and not just worry about working yourself to death. Not to become a complete downer, but most people when they become terminally ill or who are just older in age, will say if they could've changed one thing about their life, it would've been to spend more time with those close to them.

When it comes to our work environment, we like it to be open and yes- we like to be equipped with all the latest technology. Our knowledge of these tools could be utilized to our maximum potential and benefit the company greatly. They could increase productivity and again, save us even an hour or two, if not more, of that precious time. It is also this knowledge that sometimes causes conflicts with those senior managers who are too routine, and stuck in their ways to accept the new and boot out the old. We are not afraid of CEOs and senior management, we see our ideas as valuable and worth sharing with all members of the company. What's wrong with that? Shouldn't a work environment encourage this open sourcing of information and sharing? Isn't that how good ideas develop into great ideas? As workers, if we are terrified of management what kind of work do you think would be produced?

I know that this street runs both ways, and there are certain aspects of our generation that are lacking but instead of debating who's expectations are realistic and who's right or wrong about these things, we should instead aim our efforts into finding that ying-yang balance and making the most out of the experiences and knowledge of all the generations involved.

><(("> Michela Fleury

Michela is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a managment and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com .

Don't Tread on My Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Lou Stark) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:54:00 +0000

As a child, when adults would be talking about business, I misheard a well-known quote. I thought people were saying, "It is a doggy-dog world." I would envision all kinds of nice business people walking down Wall Street, tipping their hats and saying hello. They would be holding their cute canines on a leash that were wagging their tails, bouncing around, being happy and ever so doggy. Boy, when I grew up, I just knew me and some lucky puppy would be moving to New York City.

Later in life, I found out that people were really saying, "It is a dog-eat-dog world." What?! That is disgusting and just so horrible. Why would dogs want to eat each other and who would want to be in that world? No! No! No! It had to be a lie.

Finding out the brutal truth and experiencing disappointments is something that just keeps happening as we transition through life. We learn Santa isn't real. We catch our parents putting money under our pillows in exchange for our teeth. We have to tie our own shoes. We have to do homework. Our play time gets shorter and shorter. Next thing we know, we're in high school, preparing for college which prepares us to actually have to work and then pay for our own stuff? That is so not exciting or very much fun. I'd rather just play on the playground and have summer vacation. Forever.

Luckily, most of us are born with coping skills that allow us to accept small tragedies that are included in the growing up process and move on. That doesn't mean our lives can't be amazing! If only we could keep that innocent idea that anything is possible, while keeping it real.

Why can't we?

There's a little thing I like to call energy. It is in our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our souls. We have it around us too. And we put it out there into a little thing called the universe and we project it onto other people.

There is negative energy and there is positive energy. We can't fake it people! The universe knows all. And so do people. Has anybody ever walked up to you and their energy was so hideous that you took a step back? Then there are others who practically have light surrounding them and you're drawn to them like a magnet?

It is a pretty simple theory. What we put out is what we get back - kind of like a boomerang. If we put out there that we'll never succeed and that our life sucks, that's pretty much a given. Everything catches up to us one way or another.

If we put out there that we are people who want love, fun, happiness and an awesome life, it will happen. Ever have just a really, really, really awful day and dwelled on all the bad things happening? Did your day get worse and worse? Guess what? You attracted it by thinking all kinds of bad thoughts. Don't be mad at the universe, it just thought that you wanted more sucky things to happen to you.

Don't get me wrong - really awful things happen. Our car stalls in the middle of rush-hour traffic. Relationships end and our hearts break. We get our butts chewed out by our boss. People die who weren't supposed to leave us. Those are just other things we have to face no matter how much we don't want to.

Bad things happen, but bad thoughts hurt our mind and body. Luckily, everything can be turned around. The more positive thoughts we have, the more good things come to us. And our hearts feel better. And our minds feel better. And our bodies feel better. And we attract great things, and that opens up a path to find what we’re really looking for.

Not everything is going to be delivered to us immediately or even exactly how we want, but if we truly have these dreams and we can see them in our mind, why would we not think they could happen?

BEWARE! There are people out there who don't want to see anybody be happy. There are joy stealers, dream crushers and hope haters. They cut us off as we’re sharing exciting news. They believe that everything is impossible. They have no faith in those tiny miracles that sometimes really do happen.

People are so reckless with each other's dreams. They've lost their faith and they forgot what it was like to be a kindergartener when we all were certain that we'd become astronauts, ballerinas or billionaires.

But we dreamers are guilty too. It is so easy to let somebody take things away from us. I've watched my big ideas die in a meeting room. I've been too scared to share something monumental for fear of it being rejected. I've run away from great things because I didn't believe in myself. I've listened to negative people and let them talk me out of things I thought I believed in. Maybe I've even done the same thing to another person.

Let's make a pact to be kinder to each other's dreams. Would you really want to tell a kindergartener that he or she couldn't be great when they grew up? That they weren't the most amazing little person ever? That they couldn't go to the Moon if they really, really believed hard enough? That the world is full of dogs that eat each other?

Think of other people's thoughts, words, actions and hopes to be as pure as a five year old's. Put both of your dreams in the palm of your hand, handle with care, believe in them, send them off into the universe and watch them take flight.

Next thing you know, you’re strolling down the street with a new attitude and the life you always hoped for, tipping your hat as you pass people by, feeling absolutely doggy.

Guest blogger: Mandy Stark, misslou20@aol.com

Mandy Stark is a graduate of Florida A&M University's School of Journalism and Graphic Design, is an Advertising and Publications Specialist for the Florida League of Cities and is a freelance writer.

Seeing Differently

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:43:00 +0000

I love the Think Different Apple ads. Particularly the uproar the grammar geeks sent up when they misunderstood the headline and thought it should have been Think Differently.

One of my gifts is breaking challenges into component parts and rearranging/reassembling those parts to achieve a goal. I think both different and differently. I'd like to do both better. In thinking about this goal I've decided that seeing differently might help be think better.

So, I gave myself a Christmas present: art classes. From 10:00 AM to 12:30 everyday this week I'm going to take a Drawing Fundamentals Intensive at the Visual Arts Center.

What little I know about how artists draw is that they see the underlying architecture of their subjects as well as the relationship of components to one another.

I have no idea whether or not I'll be able to draw any better by the end of the week, but I do hope to gain some insight into what artists look for when they take pencil in hand and begin to sketch. My expectation is I'll raise my consciousness of things I may have been previously unaware.

What have you got planned to help you get a new perspective on your world?

><(("> Gayle Turner

New Year Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Michela Fleury) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:00:00 +0000

With every new year, comes new promises to ourselves: lose weight, spend more time with our families, quit smoking, etc. etc. etc. However, according to an article by Keith Hartung, only "52% of all of the participants in a resolution study believed they would accomplish their goals, and only 12% actually achieved them." I'm not really surprised by this and I'm sure many of you wont be either.

One thing I did find interesting this year was that when I asked people about their new years resolutions, many people said "this year... I'm not making any." When I asked why, they simply responded "because I'd rather just try to better myself all the time than set a shallow goal that will probably get pushed aside by the end of January."

It got me thinking, why do we make new years resolutions? Shouldn't we be doing just that... improving upon ourselves always. It's like comparing a sprint race to a cross country race. We should be focused on the big picture, using our endurance to continuously better ourselves over time rather than just for a fleeting moment.

So this year, I encourage you all to throw out the vague, over ambitious resolutions and get focused on the bigger picture.

Happy 2010 all! :)

><(("> Michela Fleury

Michela is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/ .

Transformation Inevitable

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I think people would like to think of themselves as static. Static in the sense that they "are". They are this or they are that. It's confusing to be neither, nor. When you're neither this nor that it's difficult to have an identity. This need for certainty makes it very uncomfortable when you come to a stage where you recognize that what you have thought you were no longer fits who you now feel you are.

I ask people what it feels like when they know they're in a state of transformation and everyone I've asked has expressed some degree of fear. That was how I've felt. I think the fear is related to an impending sense of loss. The loss of what was and the anxiety that what they're getting (the new) may not be as good or valuable as what they're giving up (the old).

I've metaphorphed several times in my life; occassionally, by choice. None the less the first time was scary. Each time since has been a little less scary. I haven't experienced an absence of fear, but it hasn't lasted as long and having survived previous transformations I have faith I'll come out the other end this time as well.

Circling back to my premise that transformation is about giving up to get. Experiencing fear about the unknown is normal. Staying in a situation that you know no longer fits because of the uncertainty about what the future may hold is unhealthy.

Speaking for myself, I feel most comforable once I've made decisions. The same thing holds true when I procrastinate. I always feel better once I start to do whatever I'm supposed to do.

To wrap this little metaphysical ramble, businesspeople would like to be one thing or another. However, periodically what they have been no longer suits the market. This disconnect frequently manifests itself in declining sales. When that occurs everybody feels the pain. The "secret" is to pay attention for when the discomfort first starts making itself felt. Because no business people who are making money want to change what's working; most business people will ignore the early warning signals. It's just human nature. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

So listen up folks. Listen for early warning signals. Ignore them at your own risk.

><(("> Gayle Turner

Welcome Back, Let's Make This a Happy New Year

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:32:00 +0000

I've had a miserable holiday season. I woke up on the 24th with "cold" symptoms and have spent the last 10 days feeling awful. I stayed in bed on Christmas, missed every party and went to bed last night still feeling like death warmed over. Miracle of miracles, I woke up feeling well this morning.
So, once I finish writing this, I'm going to jump in the shower, grab a bite to eat and get back to work.

Catch Your Limit began with the new millennium and we've just celebrated by having the best year in our ten year history. The nation as a whole has not been as fortunate. This last decade has brought terror to our shores, while employment has moved off-shore for millions of people. Healthcare has become an onerous expense and many people are having to choose between visiting a doctor and eating. To top it all off our young men and women are in harm's way around the globe. Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

I don't mean to make light of our hardships, but to display that "spunky" attitude for which we Americans are known. In other words, "and your point is?"

My point is - let's get back to work. The circumstances are what they are. Let's focus on what we can accomplish. There are a lot of things beyond my control. I had intended to play catch up over the holidays. Well, I was sick. I can't do anything about that, so get on with it. I had a screw-up with COBRA and find myself post-cancer entering 2010 without health insurance. I can spend time wringing my hands or I can gather information, assess my options and make a choice from those options.

Admiral Stockdake said he survived his time as a POW in Vietnam by facing the brutal truth and then dealing with it. Americans are famous for our Can Do attitude.

So, as we move into the teens of this new century, take some time today to assess your current situation, assess what you know, identify what information you need, gather it, analyze it with your team, build your plan for the next 90 days and then let's knuckle down and execute.

I've been through downturns before. Staying focused on hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly goals pays off. When I've lost sight of my goals, performance has always suffered, good times or bad. It's a discipline. If you fly off course, re-orient and move back toward your goals.

I am happy to be going back to work today. I am looking forward to identifying my goals for Q1 and working on those things within my control.

As for the rest, I'm sure y'all will handle those.

(Damn, I just sneezed)

><(("> Gayle Turner

Gayle is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. He is a keynote speaker, facilitator, blogger and contributing author for international, national and regional publications. To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com/ .

First Blog - Short Song

tom@catchyourlimit.com (Tom Laughon) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:22:00 +0000

Wow!

Here I am on our blog site thinking I would see a plethora of blogs from our super crack blog team, the first day of 2010. Yet, surprisingly, it's come up empty.

So ... this is an opportunity for me to write a song just for you and be the first BTIA&B blogger of the year!

Version #1 lyrics to any tune/beat your heart desires:

This is the shortest song
It won't take long

If you're short on time, here's an even shorter Version #2:

Short song
Not long

That's it for now. Happy New Year! Happy singing!

Happy Day

gayle@catchyourlimit.com (Gayle Turner) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:05:00 +0000

My daughter, Jennifer, was born 26 years ago today.

I had lunch with her today and I marvel at how she has grown into such a gracious lady. Fair of face and limb with strong convictions. She's quiet and yet she radiates a calm confiedence.

I admire her generosity of spirit and the care and compassion she brings to the animals and children under her care.

She's bright and witty and I am proud to be her dad.

If I do nothing else in my life; I will have left the world a better place simply by playing a role in her being here.

So, celebrate with me the joy she brings into my life.

Gayle Turner ><((">

Blogger: Missing in Action

tom@catchyourlimit.com (Tom Laughon) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:38:00 +0000

MIA. That's me!

I am the blogger who loves to blog, helped create the BTIA&B Blog and has been a steady blogger ... up until ... well ... recently.

Don't get me wrong, I am doing things ... lots of things ... too many things.

Planes love me. Clients are multiplying like crazy and their challenges and opportunities continue to grow like kudzu (that's southern for exponentially).

Our staff is also growing and we are celebrating our best year ever!

Did I mention the recession?

Calm is not a part of "all of the above".

About the time I think everything is calm, I forget to buy groceries for dinner, gas for truck, or flowers for my sweetheart, again (and again).

I'm running here while being there, I'm running everywhere ... I'm running.

Something had to give and when I look back and count the blank spaces in our blog with my name on them, I know that what gave was me blogging.

MIA. That's me.

So ... in order to find me, I have to slow down, take three deep breaths and find, no make that make time to retreat before the charge and get a grip. Then and only then will my blogs reappear. Then and only then will I find myself!

Why do I need put myself in Stop Action mode? Because:

I am letting myself and others down (not just on blogging, either)
I want my team (and me) to be able to trust that I will deliver as promised
I committed to the rest of my team that I would blog consistently if they would and they are keeping their part of the bargain
I don't like to be missing in action
I love to blog

Whenever you find yourself MIA, don't overwhelm yourself more by thinking you have to make up for lost time. Just start where you are now and move on.

Find a secret place. It needs to be a place away from the maddening crowd. Make it a calm place. It should be a place where you can think and not be interrupted by anyone or anything.Loosen up a little and then focus. Reassess your calendar and your priorities and make sure you don't have so much on your plate and that you are setting yourself up for failure by setting unreasonable expectations.

Get a plan and get it in writing. What should stay on it? What should be removed? What should you tweak, adjust or hand off.Break everything down into little action steps and conquer them one at a time.Find a buddy who will act as your champion, conscience and friend to celebrate your achievements, remind you of your commitments and cajole you when you don't deliver as promised.

And, lastly, don't be too hard on yourself. Fail Fast Forward! Learn and move on!

So here I am! I'm no longer MIA!

With my plan in hand, I'm ready to rock & roll. You can take me off the back of your milk carton.

And look what else I found. A subject for my first blog while being BIA (Back In Action).

See you next week!

Wave Hello to GOOGLE WAVE

noreply@blogger.com (Erin Albano) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Google Wave: Love it or Hate it?

This week I have had the opportunity (along with Scott and Michela) to play around with Google Wave, Google's new real time communication system. It's self-described as a "personal communication and collaboration tool". I have personally heard a lot of buzz surrounding it but hadn't gotten the all inclusive invite to try it out, so when Michela threw one in my direction I was really excited to see what all the hype &/or criticism was about. It was a little overwhelming at first, as anything is for the first time, but there are videos embedded in your first "welcome wave" that can help get you started. When you create a wave with someone, it allows you to see exactly what they are typing as they type it, which I though was pretty cool and would be a great tool to utilize in group projects or meetings. I have had a lot of fun with the Sudoku extension which allows you to compete with other Wavers and rack up points. (Though some just like playing by themselves and getting 400 pts and think they are really cool for it-Scott!) There are a few drawbacks, everyone not having access to it isn't as fun but with more and more joining each day I think there is a lot of potential for it to be a great communication tool. There are a lot of negative opinions too, saying it's a fad (like they said about Twitter-which is still going strong by the way) or its the same as Google Talk, etc...I disagree and think that in time, once we all figure out all the ins and outs of "waving" or "blips" the world will be a better place-ok maybe not but we will have a really cool new feature to communicate with others on!

HAPPY WAVING!
><(("> Erin

Erin is a ><((“> Team Member at Catch Your Limit Consulting, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, Florida and Richmond, Virginia.
To learn more, visit http://www.catchyourlimit.com.