Reading & Reviews

Me Before You

Posted on by Seniye Groff

“Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes is a book you will think about even when you are not reading it. The story is so tantalizing and provocative, you will be immersed in Louisa and Will from the very start. Will is a thirty-something thrill-seeker who is handsome, rich and powerful. A freak accident leaves him a quadriplegic. Louisa, a twenty-seven year old, loses her job at the Buttered Bun and is not quite sure what to do next. Louisa gets hired by Will’s mother to be Will’s caretaker. Will is bossy, moody and, at times, down right unfriendly. Louisa likes to stay in her safe cocoon and has no intention of venturing out of her safety zone.

As Louisa and Will get to know each other, they begin to challenge each other’s beliefs. Will wonders if life is worth living, given his current physical state. Louisa wonders why she is not more brave and willing to try new things. “Is ambition a bad thing?”, Will asks Louisa. In turn, Louisa asks Will, “Since life can change so quickly, why not embrace your new normal?”

This is a novel that will suck you in from the first page. It challenges you to question your assumptions and decisions. If life changed so drastically and so suddenly, what would you do?

The Unfaithful Queen

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Carolly Erickson creatively tells the tale of how treacherous is to be a wife of Henry VIII’s 1500’s England. In “The Unfaithful Queen”, Catherine is a young girl living in her grandmother’s house. Her mother is dead and her father is a destitute Howard with only his name to show for his lineage—no wealth or lands. Catherine is wooed by several men but when the king sees her he is reminded of his great love, Jocasta and immediately befriends the young maiden. Catherine is integrated into the royal household and Henry VIII leaves his fourth wife to marry Catherine. Henry VIII is old, smelly and sick and Catherine continues to see her true love, Tom Culpeper. The royal court is littered with deceit, rivalry and struggle for power and Catherine is too young and naïve to realize the court is not loyal to her. Of course, a wife or lover to the king is only valued if she can produce a son, an heir to the throne. Catherine is unable to produce the heir which leads to disastrous results. “The Unfaithful Queen” reads as if Catherine is telling you a personal story. Erickson writes vividly and realistically and I was pulled in from page one. The reader will definitely get a sense of what the royal court might have been like under Henry VIII’s rein.

Engage Passive Learners

Posted on by Seniye Groff

According to the January 2013 issue of “Chief Learning Officer” 60% of people are passive learners. I find this so interesting because when I design classes or content, I always focus on “active learning”. I want my learners to engage with the content, to actually have to use the new knowledge to change behavior. Randy Emelo suggests, “learning professionals need to construct learning environments, events and programs that encourage active participation and speak to employees in ways that trigger an innate need and desire to learn.

Sounds easy but it is actually pretty difficult. Think about all the “training” you have attended that is essentially information sharing. You are not asked to construct “new” knowledge or use the new skills and behaviors in thought-provoking, meaningful ways. Certainly social media has aided in engagement and collaboration, but more often than not, there are many that are “lurkers” staying in the background rather than getting involved in the conversation. But tap into someone’s passions or allow them to be an “expert” and motivation can increase. I think Trip Advisor does this really well. I was reminded of this during my recent trip to Palm Springs. When we wanted suggestions for things to do or places to eat, I would search Trip Advisor’s reviews. I was then compelled to “give back” by writing reviews after I visited places. And then Trip Advisor acknowledged my contributions by giving me a “contributor” badge and when another reader finds my review helpful, I get an email telling me someone thought my review was helpful. Genius!

The article suggests some ideas to foster active learning:
1. “Set up learning environments and systems that are personally motivating.
2. Look for systems that have push and pull.
3. Reward and recognize people for building the organization’s learning culture.”

Check out the complete article: http://read.clomedia.com/publication/?i=138586&p=32

Social Media as Change Catalyst

Posted on by Seniye Groff

In the December 2012 issue of Talent Management magazine, there was a great article titled, “Social Media as Change Catalyst”.   Its premise is that organizational change can be enhanced by using social media tools.  What is interesting is that in a current project I am working on, I suggested this very thing, but received a lukewarm response.  Why not allow the super users the opportunity to post tips, tricks and key information to begin the conversation about these software enhancements?  Users can post questions, concerns and even their own tips to help everyone learn the new system and processes and quickly and efficiently as possible.

Choo, et al, suggest that social media can enhance change initiatives by:

  • “Sharing experiences across a knowledge network
  • Building a collaborative culture
  •  Creating targeted and timely learning
  • Improving employee engagement.”

It is no secret that employees are faced with a tremendous amount of change in their daily organizational life…new policies, software enhancements, job reductions and management changes all play a significant role in the amount of change and information an employee must take in.  Change is the “new normal” and with that comes creating a shared vision, gaining buy-in and learning the new product or process.  So it makes sense that connecting employees to be able to share experiences and learning will benefit everyone.  Furthermore, it will be easier for management to gauge how the change is being accepted and implemented in the employees’ daily lives.  Even more importantly, are the pitfalls or mishaps that need to be addressed immediately in order to continue to ensure the change takes hold.  Social media tools allow for “real-time exchange of ideas”.

The article suggests that management play a role in the dialogue, too.  Not only should management be active participants, they should be available to dispel incorrect information during the online exchange of ideas and experiences.  Management can also keep the messages focused.  It is no secret that learning needs to be more focused, targeted and learner-driven.  Social media allows those three things to happen by allowing employees to teach and/or get the specific information they are looking for quickly and easily.  Ultimately, social media tools help information to “flow in multiple directions” which alleviates the common issue of little or poor communication during a change initiative.

Read the full article.

 

 

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I read this book upon the urging of my daughter’s fifth grade teacher.  Even though this book is considered a “middle reader”, it really held my interest.  The book centers around the notion of possibility.  Calpurnia forms a relationship with her distant grandfather, who lives with them on their Texas pecan farm.  The year is 1899 and there are certain expectations for a girl at this time in history.  Cal’s grandfather sees himself as a naturalist and introduces Cal to his love of science and observation.  Cal is quickly drawn into her grandfather’s world, but her mother keeps trying to pull her back into the world of “training to be a good wife” by learning how to cook, play the piano and sew.  Cal has other ideas for her future but is uncertain how she will break with her parent’s expectations.  This is a Newberry Honor Book and definitely worth reading.

Blog Inc.

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I am reading the book “Blog Inc.” by Joy Deangdeelert Cho.  This is an awesome resource for the world of blogging.  Cho offers all sorts of wisdom about building a blog centered around your passion and creating community at the same time.  She begins with the basics, moves on to finding your voice and choosing a platform.  She talks about etiquette, making your blog a businees and even how to get published.  She also covers making money from a blog, but repeatedly states that making money from your blog should not be your priority.  Blogging for profit will be transparent; a blog focused on money rather than a passion will turn off readers.  I love how her book includes interviews with other bloggers because you get to read about many different perspectives.  Every blogger showcased reveals how blogging changed their lives.  

So if you don’t have a blog, yet, pick up this book and get inspired…and get blogging!

Powerful Phrases for Effective Customer Service

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Powerful Phrases for Effective Customer Service  should be required reading for anyone working in a customer service role.  Renee Evenson has worked in the customer service management for over 30 years and this book is a compilation of all that knowledge and experience.  Evenson contends that action coupled with the right words will result in successful customer interactions.  Part one of the book covers the various phrases that demonstrate courtesy, rapport, empathy and a host of additional phrases.  The second section of the chapter examines actions that reinforce those phrases.  Part two includes over 30 different scripts for every possible customer interaction-either positive or negative.  Evenson reports each customer scenario with great detail including the customer situation, some identifying behaviors of the customer, a “Do This!” story, a “Why this works” and finally tips on applying the suggested approach.  Evenson also covers 20 different situations when the customer service person commits a gaffe with the customer such as when the customer rep says something tactless.  Evenson’s final chapter encompasses phrases for social media interactions.

Evenson has written an invaluable tool and resource for the customer service provider.  This is a book that you will refer to repeatedly.  Evenson suggests appropriate, effective behaviors that will improve any customer service interaction.  The social media chapter is not as robust as the other content in this book, which is the one improvement I would suggest.  Otherwise, this book is one you will want to keep handy when customer interactions run afoul or you just want to review how you handled a situation.

Beautiful Ruins

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Jess Walter’s “Beautiful Ruins”  will pull you right in.  The year is 1962 and Cleopatra is being filmed in Rome with Liz Taylor, Richard Burton and supporting actress, Dee Moray.  Richard has a wandering eye and gets involved with Dee.  The producer, Michael Deane, is quick to rid the set of Dee by sending her several hours away to an almost- deserted, fishing town in Cinque Terre.  Pasquale, the innkeeper of Hotel Adequate View, readily accepts the young starlet into his hotel.  Pasquale is a twenty-year old man who just moved home to take care of his mother after his father’s death.  Pasquale instantly falls in love with Dee.  The actress is taken away almost as quickly as she showed up and Pasquale and Dee wonder if the entire time was a figment of their imagination.

The story introduces you to a cast of characters all with their own stories and challenges.  The book’s chapters go from 1962 to present day and Walter’s is adept at making this work in this book.  If you have ever struggled with doing what you want versus what is right, this book will pose some interesting perspectives for you.  You will be entertained by 1960’s and present day Hollywood, small village life in Italy and characters that grapple with secrets, desires and ambitions.  This is a must read!

The New College Reality

Posted on by Seniye Groff

A co-worker loaned me her book, “The New College Reality” by Bonnie Kerrigan Snyder.  Although I have seven years before my older daughter goes to college, the book looked intriguing.  There has been lots of press in the media lately about the true value and benefit of a college education.  I do believe in college.  I think the college experience is valuable for any young adult since they will be faced with lots of “grown up” situations such as learning to live on a budget, managing their time and being strategic about what classes to take.  I worked all through undergrad and managed to finish school without any debt. If you have watched the nightly news, you will see many stories of students saddled with thousands of dollars of debt, with no meaningful job in sight to pay that debt down.

So, yes, I have seven years until the college drama happens, but according to Snyder, this is the best time to start thinking about college and how you will pay for it.  Snyder offers many intriguing ideas and examples.  This really is a great book to help you distinguish the dream of college versus the reality–especially if you need to figure out how to pay for it.  She starts off with ways to minimize your time in college by taking AP courses, CLEP credits and dual enrollment options.  These three things can reduce your time in college which obviously reduces your tuition bill.

The second insightful thing the book focuses on is to think about the career first, college second.  She gives the example of how kids visit the career center right before they are about to graduate (me included).  But, instead, the career center should be your first stop when visiting a college campus  or when your college life begins.  In other words, know where you want to end up and plan accordingly.  Kids need job skills that are in demand…save the art class for an extracurricular activity.

The third idea that I gravitated towards was how financial aid works.  Wow, what an eye-opener!  Parents that are thrifty and conscious of saving and spending really get dinged with the way the financial aid process works–especially if you are middle class.  Snyder suggests some proactive, legal measures to look better on paper.  Having a college degree is no longer enough and thinking you can wait until the last-minute to figure out financial aid is going to leave you with our pants down and a very disappointed child, too.  Buy this book!  I read it in two hours!

Who’s Leading Innovation

Posted on by Seniye Groff

The October issue of “Chief Learning Officer” contained an interesting article on the elusive skill of driving innovation.  The authors cite a DDI/Luma Institute survey and found data that leaders are challenged to:

  • “Inspire curiosity
  • Challenge current perspectives
  • Create freedom
  • Drive discipline.”

What is interesting is that everyone wants the next “great” idea but so often our corporate environments are all about cutting costs, doing it faster and avoiding risks at all costs.  And heaven-forbid that we are blamed for a bad idea and lose our jobs!  Yet, what really differentiates us in the world marketplace, I think, is that we are a country that values creativity and risk and the next great idea.  So leaders’ biggest challenge is to create a safe, yet innovative, environment where employees feel empowered to take risks and suggest the next outlandish “thing.”

Read the full article here.