Collaboration Boosts Learning

Posted on by Seniye Groff

In this month’s issue of “Talent Management” an article about collaboration struck a chord.  Although there will always be a need for formal learning, given how fast-paced and ever-changing the world is, collaborative learning is gaining increasing popularity.  Employees are able to leverage each other when sharing much-needed knowledge.    The article states that three building blocks are needed to have “an effective collaborative learning environment:  people, processes and tools.”

People must have a way to share knowledge, as well as, create new knowledge and solutions.  Given that people, not a specified process, drives collaboration,  it is important to consider how to structure your collaborative environment.  “Collaborative learning technologies don’t have to be complicated.  They can be content management systems, social networks, instant messaging or cloud computing technology that is easily accessible to everyone.”

“Six traps that destroy collaboration:

  1. Lack of compromise
  2. Rigid organizational structures
  3. Convoluted communication lines
  4. Office setup
  5. Negativity
  6. Ownership and control issues.”

Measuring collaboration:

  1. “Quality
  2. Learning effectiveness
  3. Job impact
  4. Business results
  5. Return on investment.

Check out the entire article for full explanations.  Add a comment if have seen any of the above ideas in action!

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A Catalyst for Change

Posted on by Seniye Groff

“This book has two particular uses. The first is to address specific topics or concerns, and the second is to assist in the development of broad-based efforts to create exceptional organizations.”

William F. Brandt, Jr. proposes a new paradigm for organizations in his recent book “Compass”. This paradigm includes organizations that are viable, sustainable and valued. Brandt’s goals for the reader are to expand horizons of what is possible, increase the likelihood of creating organizations they desire, reduce time to accomplish the task and reduce cost and consequences of missteps. The book begins with the foundations of key elements of exceptional organizations. I loved how the book began with a case study so that the reader has a frame of reference for the remaining lessons and essays in the book. The essays are followed by reflection questions and related chapter information. Most essays are only a few pages long and lend themselves to be used as tools if a leader wants to share the material with their teams. This is a comprehensive book with a companion website loaded with PowerPoint slides for each lesson and lesson materials so that the various topics can be disseminated to an audience. This book is a viable tool for any leader, either new or tenured. It is loaded with ideas, concepts, tools and valuable information and would be a catalyst for organizational change and improvement.

Hillsboro Hops

Posted on by Seniye Groff

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Last night baseball returned to Portland (or Hillsboro to be exact)!  We took the girls to the inaugural opening game and the evening was magical.  Magical because besides all the energy and excitement in the air, the night was beautiful and we even saw a double rainbow.  In true baseball fashion, the music was loud and there were fun events and prize giveaways between each inning.  Carli even ran across the field with a bunch of other kids as they chased the Hops mascot.

The Hillsboro Hops are the single A team for Arizona.  I prefer the true athlete that is still excited about the game, rather than just the paycheck so single A players are fine for me.  We only stayed through the fourth inning but got home at 10 p.m. (three hours past Pearl’s bedtime).  Even though the hour was late, the kids did not seem to mind; a good time was had by all!  Check them out if you can!

All the Light There Was

Posted on by Seniye Groff

“All the Light There Was” by Nancy Kricorian takes on a common topic: Nazi occupation of Paris but with a unique twist: the Armenian immigrant experience. In this novel, the reader meets Maral Pegorian, an innocent 14 year-old girl in 1940’s Paris. Maral lives in a cramped apartment with her family. Many Armenians and Jews live just like her in her Paris neighborhood. She soon loses school friends and neighbors as the Jews are rounded up. Those that are left in the neighborhood are fearful and hungry but not too scared to fight back in their own little ways-hiding a Jewish child, spreading pamphlets and showing up for rallies. Maral experiences death first-hand, as well as, her first love. When the boy she loves, Zaven, is imprisoned with his brother, Maral is distraught as the families grieve. When WWII is over, those that have survived have their own losses to deal with as they try to resume “normal” life.

Kricorian’s tale is based on history and gives the reader a glimpse of the Armenian experience in 1940’s Paris. As you read this descriptive tale, your stomach will ache with hunger and you will be convinced that Maral’s nightmares are you own. I could not put this book down. Once I started reading; the story was immersive like quick sand!

“The Woman Upstairs”

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Claire Messud’s “The Woman Upstairs” introduces the reader to Nora Eldridge.  Nora narrates the story and portrays herself as an angry and disappointed almost-forty-something.  She dreamed of being a successful artist and instead finds herself as a never-married, third grade teacher with little excitement in her life.  She then gains a new student in her classroom, Reza Shadid and his parents Skandar and Sirena.  Nora almost instantly sees Reza as her son and his parents as her family/potential lovers.  She believes she is in love with each of them and becomes hungry for what they have:  Reza, a beautiful boy, Sirena, an Italian artist and Skandar, a Harvard academic.  Nora’s false reality causes her to distance herself from her friends and sick father.  She becomes ferocious with a lust for life.  She rediscovers the artist within her.  Unfortunately, her dream reality is shattered when the ultimate betrayal happens.

Messud’s book is hypnotic.  She writes with emotion and a storyline full of metaphors.  I could feel the passion and anger of Messud’s characters.  Messud’s skillful writing, coupled with a compelling story that hinted of disaster at the end, kept this me reading late into the night.   I tried reading Messud’s “The Emperor’s Children” a few years ago and could not get through it but I am motivated to give it another shot, since I loved this recent book so much.

 

Who Says It’s a Man’s World

Posted on by Seniye Groff

With a byline of “The Girls’ Guide to Corporate Domination” how could you not be interested in “Who Says it’s a Man’s World”? Emily Bennington has written an intriguing book full of advice, tools and action-oriented mantras for women trying to find their place in the workplace. The book is divided into six sections: self-awareness, social skills, personal effectiveness, team development, leadership and toolbox. Each section begins with a core principle, bulleted-list of what you will learn and a quotation of, “What your coworkers are thinking”. Bennington contends that if the reader selects three goals from each of the five sections to create an action plan and complete the goals in 60 days they will be a rock star and be promotable. She offers a career plan template on her website to complete this task.

Bennington writes with a snappy and humorous style, which engaged me right from the beginning of the book. She uses tons of real-life examples and quotes from executive career women. I love all the tools sprinkled throughout the book and the action plan items are realistic and achievable. Read this book several times, take time to create the suggested action plan and then take action. This book is the tool you have been waiting for to set your career on the right path!

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tarts

Posted on by Seniye Groff

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I like to make new recipes and am always on the hunt for good vegetarian recipes, given that I am a vegetarian for 18 years.  The rest of my family is not vegetarian but they are pretty willing to try my new creations.

I saw this recipe in Rachel Ray’s monthly magazine.  It has a few steps so be prepared.  Make the crust and cook it in advance.  Then saute the mushrooms and leeks (separately).  Cool the crust and make the egg, cheese, milk mixture.  Assemble and cook!  This was delicious!  Give it a whirl.

 

Pizza Night

Posted on by Seniye Groff

The other night we had friends over after work.  I decided pizza would be easiest on me and satisfying for everyone-adults and kids.  I typically make my own dough, but I was short on time so I decided to try Grand Central Bakery’s pizza dough out of their freezer.  It turned out to be light and airy and I would definitely use it again.  And as an added bonus, if you have their cookbook, the recipe is included!

I made two veggies, one pepperoni and sausage and one pepperoni and pineapple.  An added bonus was that it was so nice, we got to eat outside!

 

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Taking a Break From the Workplace

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Lately I have been coaching several stay-at-home moms that are considering going back to the workplace now that their kids are older. It is a big decision and lifestyle change. Although, the decision can be daunting, I believe that there are several employ-able skills that happen when you stay-at-home.  But re-entering the workplace takes some active participation, on your part, and even some soul-searching.

First of all, consider your goals. Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish by going back to work?” It is money? skills? purpose? being a part of a team? Whatever your answer is, understand what is driving the call to action.

Next, consider what type of role you want. Do you want to return to your previous career or try something different? Know that if you are re-entering your previous career, things have changed.  You need to find out what has changed.  Keep in mind that trying something completely different is not impossible, but certainly a more difficult road to take.

It might be a little to late for this bit of advice, but do not let your network dry up while you are on the mommy-track.  Keep in touch with your business contacts.

Most schools are begging for volunteers, so it is likely that you have done lots of volunteering.  Write out how that volunteer work tied to business results.  Take on some leadership volunteer roles, work on a team, raise funds etc.  Ensure there are transferable skills from all your hard-earned volunteer hours!

Keep up your resume.  I worked with someone recently that had not updated their resume in 10 years!  Yikes!  By keeping it current, you are always ready for a potential gig and by having to update your resume consistently, you are reminded of all those business-related skills you are using.  And when you are updating your resume, think about accomplishments, quantifiable numbers and successes.

Keep up your LinkedIn profile.  What?  You don’t have one?  Yikes!  Get to work on it immediately. Linked In is a very important recruiting tool.

Related to LinkedIn, you need to keep up with technology.  What are the productivity tools being used in the workplace?  You need to know, and further more, you need to know how to use them.

Hopefully you have been doing this all along, but make sure you are subscribed to (and reading) industry magazines.  Again, you need to have current information on the hot topics in your industry (or the one you aspire to make a leap to).  On that note, read at least one business book a year.  Again, you need to speak the current business lingo and know the hot topics in today’s competitive market.

Working with temp agencies are a great way to make a foray into the working world while you are trying to figure out your next step.  Make some calls and schedule some informational meetings so that you can learn what types of jobs and skills are in demand.

Hopefully,  I have given you plenty of ideas to get you started.  Feel free to contact me if you want to hire me for some one-on-one coaching.