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Welcome to Elements
This edition is all about "I" - as in "Information" ...!
Some "information news" for me lately is that I am shifting most of my communications to my blog to get information out faster and more frequently. You can find this information - and more - at my blog site below:
http://starleadershipllc.wordpress.com/
Most of the information provided in these Elements newsletters will eventually be moving to blog format, and every few months or so we will still put out an "official" Elements newsletter in this form. The blog format will just allow me to do updates more frequently, keep the length of the newsletter down, and to index the information better so people can find what they are looking for. The focus will continue to be on Leadership, Communication, Teams, Coaching, Time Management and more of those soft skill areas - that can be made measurable! The blog is organized by 11 different categories, like those mentioned above (Leadership, Career, Time Management, etc.) and is also organized by the date of the post.
I started the blog in July of 2008 and have slowly been building it up. I literally have thousands of ideas, tools, models, power point slides and more to make available there! The blog will be a combination of "classic" pieces from the past and new topics, resource materials, refinements - in short, new Information!
The leadership ABC's format will be getting more of a focus in the blog, and they have already started to grow in that informal format. The Leadership ABC's continue to represent small, defined topics of information about leadership, recognizing that each leader brings forth different techniques and qualities in different circumstances - and it can all be as easy as ABC.
You can also find me these days on Linked in, Facebook, Twitter - though I have YET to tweet and Plaxo.
Happy information - seeking and finding - to you all,
Star
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Information
Too much, too little, or just the right amount are the results that confront us when we look for information. Like Goldilocks, we want to make sure we have an amount that is "just right." Information can be used for many different things such as to:
1. Gain Knowledge
2. Spark Ideas and Creativity
3. Make Decisions
4. Resolve Problems
5. Satisfy Curiosity
6. Gain Power
Individual relationships to information are different for each individual. My son is strictly an information hoarder and lover. As a child his bedtime stories were: Guinness Book of Records, Ripley's Believe it or Not, the top 100 lists of all time, Sports Facts and Trivia, encyclopedias and dictionaries. Today he is known by those close to him to have the ability to recall some of "the most useless and odd information." Someday it may prove useful. At sixteen years of age, his main concern now is whether it will help him get girls or play sports better. He thrives and seeks out information that he finds interesting.
My own relationship with information varies depending on what I need it for. If it is to make a decision, I can be relentless about digging deep for it, and have been accused of taking too long to get too much information before making a decision. However at other times, curiosity is the only thing that drives my search for information.
One of the simplest and most powerful questions a leader or anyone can ask is, "What information do I need now, and how do I get it?"
Some areas of caution for information seekers are:
1. Garbage In/Garbage Out
A decision that has been made, or a problem solved, based on inaccurate (garbage in) information may be worthless (garbage out). Know the validity and credibility of your information source. The bottom line: A decision is only as good as the information used to make it.
2. Goldilocks & The Three Bears
Having too much information can lengthen the decision making or problem solving process, and the information can become irrelevant or redundant in the process. Not having enough information can invalidate the results. Know when enough is enough and when more is needed.
3. Advice and Information
Advice is a subjective form of information. You can find every point of view represented somewhere, no matter how contrary or controversial. Be able to distinguish between credible advice that is backed up responsibly and offered by possibly a number of other people, as opposed to one random piece of advice.
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What People Have Said about Information
Knowing where to find information and how to use it - That's the secret of success. Albert Einstein
Where is the knowledge we have lost in the information?
TS Elliot
Information is the seed of knowledge, it only grows when watered. Heinz Bergen
The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then they stop.
Mark Twain
Information is the currency of democracy.
Thomas Jefferson
Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit. William Pollard
Information is not knowledge. Albert Einstein |
Business Notes:
Star Leadership LLC's Change Management training is receiving rave reviews! Most of us have some large unknowns in our jobs, and our lives, these days. Change is inevitable; one thing I can guarantee is that change will happen. Being good at change is actually a skill that can be learned. In this 3-hour training, we will examine the different natural styles that people have towards change, take a look at changes you may be experiencing (or anticipating/dreading, or avoiding), and then learn some tools and techniques on how to better manage them. The training is interactive, current, fun and relevant to the changes in your business, or team, or life. Pricing starts at $1000 for a 3-hour Change Management training offered at your location.
Coaching is another strategy that can help with changes in your professional or personal life. To determine if coaching is right for you, and which coach might be a good match for you or your business, contact us to schedule a free consultation.
star@starleadershipllc.com
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