I love the entertainment business as much as the next person; it’s provided my livelihood for more than a few years. But this season, Sara McLachlan offers a different perspective. Consider: $5,000 could cover the cost of hair and make-up for one day on set in LA , or, pay for one year’s schooling for 145 girls in Afghanistan. Sarah McLachlan does the math and encourages you to join her. Food for thought….  http://www.worldonfire.ca/

The attached link will take you to more information:

http://www.chadd.net/template.cfm?affid=10G&p=events

Where: Del E. Webb Center for Health Education, Providence Little Company of Mary Hospital, 4101 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA (MAP LINK)
When: December 1, 2009, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Links/Resources for Self-Assessments:

Jung Typology Test

Learning Styles

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Test

Emotional Intelligence (PDF)

Workplace Accommodations:
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

Reacting to the Newt Gingrich recently posted article in BusinessWeek (November 10, 2008) entitled “Let’s Scrap Adolescence and Grow Up”, I was surprised to read of Gingrich’s desire to “declare the end of adolescence”. Apparently, he believes that the high rates of illegal drug use and sexual activities of adolescents and teens warrants an end to the “social experiment” labeled adolescence.  He believes that children should assume the roles and responsibilities of adults in order to provide an enormous benefit to society.

He provides examples of Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Boone, John Quincy Adams, and “the list goes on and on”. Bordering on the edge of child exploitation in an unimaginable way, Gingrich claims that “adolescence was invented in the 19^th century to enable middle-class families to keep their children out of sweatshops.” However, Mr. Gingrich, there are few, if any, remnants of the cultural and societal ways that existed 100-200 years ago that might apply in our society of today.  Hunt for dinner today? Not necessary to have a gun for that purpose – or for any other purpose that I can muster. Gather up the farm animals, cultivate the gardens, and harvest the crops for the winter months…..hmmmm…..haven’t seen much need for this around where I live lately. But then maybe Los Angeles isn’t like the rest of the country. Walk 5 miles to school each way, every day….now perhaps that might teach an adolescent responsibility and “serious work”.

It is hard to imagine that the American family and the adolescent of today would benefit from shifting life’s responsibilities of a 30-year old to that of a 13-year old. Consider this: instead of our current 6.5% national unemployment rate, why not double that with all the young teens unable to find responsible and fulfilling work as well? Might as well join their parents in those unemployment lines, make it a family activity. But heck, at least that would keep those teens from indulging in drugs or sex while standing in those lines.

After many years as a conservative Congressional political leader, Gingrich now spends his time as a political analyst and consultant who now writes works related to government and other subjects, such as historical fiction.  Wait…did I just read and say “historical fiction”?

Perhaps BusinessWeek, normally a highly reputable business journal, was looking for some opinionated fodder to rile up the readership. Haven’t had much else getting us all excited lately except a few minor problems including the current devastated economy, plunging housing markets, rising unemployment rates, bankrupt American automotive manufacturers, endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, changing climate, and the list goes on. But, then again, perhaps this list of growing U.S. concerns would be minimized if we had more responsible 13, 14 or 15 year-olds trying to solve them instead of Washington bureaucrats.

Karl Fisch created this “Did You Know” video (also known as “Shift Happens”) in 2007, and it has reached millions of viewers. This video is sure to shift your mindset and understanding of the world at large. After viewing, stop and think about how this will impact business overall, schools, jobs, and the U.S. economy. A great blog for you to also subscribe to is go to his Fischbowl.

Recently, in the morning I participated in my internship at a local community college for an Introduction to Business course, and in the evening, as a guest lecturer, I presented to a class of students enrolled in a top Southern California University’s masters-level elective course on the topic of independent consulting. The environments for both learning institutions based in Los Angeles couldn’t have been more extreme: the morning’s setting has been hard hit by California budget initiatives, and the evening’s classroom was similar to that of a 5-star hotel’s conference center.

The differences between student, classroom, environment, funding, and vision were rather startling. With a long-term goal to teach after completion of the doctorate, I couldn’t help but think: where would I rather teach? I often thought it would be to an MBA class to enlighten them and help soften the management practices that are notoriously quantitative, fact-based, and bottom-line oriented. I had imagined the classroom full of eager, motivated and ambitious individuals, grasping at my every word. (We’ll omit here the over-inflated ego that so many years ago thought that was what teaching was all about!)

Then, to my surprise, I see in this community college arena, an environment of significant need, perhaps even without the realization of the players who are performing there every day. I am beginning to get a glimpse of how unprepared students, many of whom are products of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), are to enter the business world in a meaningful way. I begin to wonder about such things as, how can we make sure these students stay engaged in probably one of the only educational systems they will have available to them? Who will care for them enough to ensure they receive an excellent junior college education? How will they be exposed to some of the best minds in their field of studies? Who will help to create the internal fire within themselves to become life-long learners, rapidly moving into four-year schools and beyond?

Most of us are aware of the many levels in which our brains function over our lifetimes. At a certain place in time, we begin to step back—perhaps to reinvent our own relevancy—and strip aside the lesser important issues such as, how much money will I make? Which has more prestige? Which is less “messy”? Which will be more fun? A new question begins to emerge, and that question is, what decision for me serves the greater good?

I am not in a position yet to answer this question, yet I believe it is particularly relevant with any major decision we might make for ourselves and with our loved ones. It applies to our timely and critical decision of presidential candidates; it applies to the economic decisions that we make in this downturn environment; it can be applied almost universally to decisions that matter and are life-altering.

I’ll keep you posted with my greater good decision as time goes on.

A few years ago, I was lamenting to another professional about something completely out of my control, making excuses, expressing my dissatisfaction, and generally looking for a little understanding or agreement. To my amazement, she turned to me and said, “Get over it.” I think I took a few steps backward, raised my eyebrows, and said, “Wow; okay.”

For at least a week, I thought about her “Get over it” response, and wondered if I might ever possibly have the courage to say that to anyone else. The funny thing is, it worked! The more I thought about the conversation and what I was expecting to hear from her, the more surprised I was to realize how impactful three little words can be to stop the negative spinning and move me forward. And move me forward, it did.

So although it is unimaginable that I could ever say this to another, I can now say it to myself, and stop the spinning, worrying, and negative thoughts about possible election results. I cannot change the outcome; I cannot influence others; but I can decide to not let it get the better of me.

“Barb, get over it.”

This post isn’t about marketing…it is about surrounding yourself with people whom you can trust and people who are willing to push you a bit out of your comfort zone. How many of us have the opportunity to work with others on a professional (or even personal) level that genuinely care if we are successful? This isn’t about relationship building, although this usually occurs as a side benefit, but it’s about putting yourself out there for others to dissect, analyze, critique, or celebrate.

Sometimes painful, sometimes revealing and even surprising, this is about our ability to learn when we find others’ comments personally meaningful. A comment made to me recently from one of my marketing roundtable colleagues fostered a radical shift in the way I see myself, forcing me into a learning experience of how others view see me as a management consultant. These experiences can alter or deeply move us to places we would not have gone to on our own.

On the topic of transformative learning, scholar John M. Dirkx, of Michigan State University, (2006) writes, “We are left with the feeling that life will not be as it was before, that this experience has created a sense that we cannot go back to the way we were before the experience.” We may find this form of a learning experience as transformational; could we not all benefit from being both the recipient as well as the donor with a small Board of Advisors?

• The Art of Possibility, by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander (2000).

Rule Number 6:

“Don’t take yourself so [darn] seriously.” If you can pull this off successfully, this may cause you to make a minor—or a major—transformation. In other words, lighten up, as the Zanders so eloquently tell us.

The Zanders remind us, “When one person peels away layers of opinion, entitlement, pride, and inflated self-description, others instantly feel the connection. As one person has the grace to practice the secret of Rule Number 6, others often follow.” (p. 89).

And so, one might ask, what are the other rules? Quite simply, “There aren’t any.”

So whether you’re the consultant, the client, the academic, or the student, and you feel yourself getting quite worked up over an issue, problem, or wrongdoing, remember to practice Rule Number 6, and you will literally feel the stress melting away. Promise.