"Blocked" Call....An Unexpected Turn of Events

The call came up as "Blocked" on caller I.D.

"It's going to be a solicitor" I thought to myself as I begrudgingly answered "Good morning, this is Nora, how can I help?"

It wasn't a solicitor.

It was, in fact, the complete OPPOSITE of a solicitor.

The caller explained he was aware I was offering classes that had been pre-approved by HRCI credit......and that I was giving away a free seat to someone who is currently unemployed for every 5 registrants.

"Yes", I confirmed, "that is correct"

I was unsure where he going to lead the conversation ---- request to be entered into the drawing for the guest pass? Register himself? Something else?

"I'm not available for the sesssion April 29th", he stated.

Hmmm...I wondered....why is he calling about it then?

"I'd like to help out"

In an unexected turn.... he stated he wanted to purchase two seats for the April 29th session. He is purchasing them not for himself but for two to-be-determined SPHRs.....possibly for you.

My caller (who wishes to remain anonymous) is purchasing two seats for the April 29th session "Building a Leadership Development Program From the Inside Out" being held in Denver. (The session has been pre-approved by HRCI for 5.75 Strategic Credits.)

The seats will be given away Monday to two Human Resource/Training/Organizational Development Professionals.

To be entered to win one of these two seats...

Send an email with your contact information no later than noon on Monday.

I'm very excited and will now answer "Blocked" calls with much more enthusiasm!!!

Looking forward to hearing from you and working with you next week!

May all your Endeavors be Insightful and all your "BLOCKED" calls Positive,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

www.insightfulendeavors.com

www.twitter.com/noraburns

www.twitter.com/phrsphr

Nora A Burns, SPHR is founder of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc a Denver, CO based firm specializing in team and leadership development. She is an member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). When she's not traveling to assist clients in building innovative teams to drive bottom-line results she resides in Denver, CO with Bella, the insanely cute labradoodle and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

FISH!® Principles in Everyday Life!

Imagine you are sitting on a plane..... you have the aisle seat and the person sitting in the window seat has taken his place. The plane is filling with travelers ..... the flight attendant’s voice fills the aircraft announcing the flight will be full. As passengers load you continue to check for eye contact with those approaching your aisle........which one will request to get past you to that middle seat...... The flow of passengers is slowing...... The attendant is looking down the jet-bridge.......

The man sitting in the window seat looks over.....having read your mind he knows you’re hoping for the extra space afforded travelers with an empty seat next to them.....he says “won’t happen.....I am the unluckiest guy on the planet”. You pause....then reply “well, I lead a particularly charmed life so I’d say together we’re still luckier than not....there is hope!”

He is not to be convinced.

Then, that fabulous sound........you hear the door latch. YES! You smile. He shrugs and comments that he’ll need to buy a lotto ticket when we land.

Fast forward fifteen minutes. We’re still on the tarmac.....the pilot’s voice fills the aircraft announcing we are in line for de-icing and it will be another five to ten minutes.

“See?!?” says the man by the window ..... “Told you I’m unlucky.”

“How so?”

The man looks dumbfounded “We’re just sitting here!”

“But we’re lucky they are de-icing the plane”

He looks more dumfounded than before.

“Well, if the crew skipped de-icing just to get out on time we’d likely crash.....we’re lucky to have a trained crew who puts out safety first!”

He smiles ....... he laughs.....and he has an “ah-ha” moment. Life truly IS what we make it. “I’ve never thought of it that way before --- I’m going to start putting things into that perspective”. Another smile. And in the moment he was Choosing His Attitude....one of the key principles of FISH!

What attitude have YOU chosen today?



May all your Endeavors be Insightful,

Nora A Burns, SPHR


Nora A Burns, SPHR is Founder and Head Marlin of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. She is a road-warrior, working with companies and associations across the globe to build sustainable, innovative teams that drive bottom-line results. When not traveling to work with clients on building sustainable, innovative teams, Nora lives in Denver, CO.

My Name Is Nora.....and I'm a Twitter Addict

It's official.  While I am late on the scene, having joined the Twitter craze less than 48 hours ago, I am already hooked.  

No, I'm not addicted to knowing who is going to the grocery store, the coffee shop and the bathroom (Seriously people --- note item #4 below).  I'm addicted to the knowledge sharing.  

A curious person by nature, I'm finding Twitter to be the equivalent of a 7-shot espresso.  This morning, compliments of Twitter-ers (ites, ies?), I learned:

• Emotional Intelligence DOES affect SAT scores!
  
• You can find the blogs of many big companies all in one place.
  
• Blogging moms rule the world (simply search Mom and Motrin to see what I mean!)
  
• Obama will likely have to give up his Blackberry when he takes office! (I can't even fathom doing this)
  

....and so much more. 

People have information -- and they want to share it.  Twitter provides another opportunity for us to do just that --- in REAL TIME. 

Quick tips from one Twitter Rookie to another:

1. Content vs Fluff Solution : It's all about who you choose to follow.  Find interesting people and follow them -- and look at who THEY are following since interesting people tent to follow interesting people. 
2. If you use Mac....set up TwitterDeck to organize your twittering. 
3. iPhone users visit the App Store and find "Twitterrific".
4. Assume your boss, clients, professors, friends, family, etc will find you on Twitter.
   

Follow me on Twitter.......I promise not to tell you when I am on my way to the bathroom...well, except maybe on April Fools Day. 

Wishing you the best in all your endeavors, 

Nora A Burns, SPHR

www.insightfulendeavors.com

Nora A Burns, SPHR is founder of Insightful Endeavors International (IEI), Inc.  A native of Wisconsin with 20 years experiences in Learning & Organizational Development, Nora currently resides in Denver, CO with her insanely cute Labradoodle Bella and Bella's sidekick Baxter.  

IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results.  We pride ourselves on being a top-tier resource for leadership development, team development and assisting organizations in finding innovative solutions.  

Henry the Eighth --- English Monarch or hit by Herman's Hermits?

Henry the Eighth --- English Monarch or 1965 muscial hit by Herman's Hermits?

Our generational ‘culture’ influences our interpretation of words, phrases, etc.

Each generation has been shaped by the events which occurred during their lives….particularly those which occurred during formative years….

Do you remember…..

• When construction began on the Berlin Wall in 1961?
• Sitting by the radio listening to news of John F Kennedy's assassination?
• Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster in 1986?
• The dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
• Your parents being laid-off from jobs they had expected to retire from?
• Watching television coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995?

Experiencing events like these shape how we look at the world. Imagine witnessing these events at the age of 10 vs the age of 30 and the impact that experience would have on you as a result.

Last fall I was in Beijing with a friend (who has a different generational reference than I). As we walked through Tiananmen Square I was thinking to myself “this is where it happened 18 years ago...this is where ‘The Unknown Rebel’ had stood up to the tanks”….... I looked over at my friend and realized she had a very different perspective of this place.

This did not represent a massacre site to her --- she had not heard news coverage and seen photographs of the events of June, 1989 flash across the television screen.

We were looking at the same thing at the same time and having completely different experiences. Neither “right” nor “wrong”….just different.

Sometimes when I say “tomato” and you say “tomahto” we are, indeed, referencing different things.

An understanding and appreciation of our differences.....developing the ability to communicate effectively to benefit from these different perspectives is key to developing innovative and sustainable working relationships......which leads to enhanced bottom line results.

All my best,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. A native of Wisconsin with 20 years experience in Learning & Organizational Development, Nora currently resides in Denver, CO with her insanely cute Labradoodle Bella and Bella's sidekick Baxter.

IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States.

Registration for Nora’s upcoming workshop “V+BB+X+Y=??? : Managing Multiple Generations” is available here.

Hello, Hola, Dobar den, Ciao, Guten Tag!

For as many differences as there are across cultures and geographic locations, there are some things I have found to be consistent. In each city and town I meet mothers and fathers who love their children and want to provide a better life for them.....regardless of the language or dialect, there is always a word or series of words to say hello, please, thank you, you're welcome and it is nice to meet you.

Consistently, within any population there are those willing to reach out and help a complete stranger --- including those who do not look like, sound like or act anything like they do.

On my most recent international journey (which started in Denver and went through Canada, Germany, Hungary and Serbia to Macedonia), I met people who were willing to reach out their hand to help a stranger. Lifting a suitcase into the overhead bin, offering translation assistance in shops and kiosks, demonstrating how the beds of a sleeper car fold down, sharing their meal, providing directions...the list goes on and on.

For two weeks during this adventure I have had the distinct pleasure of working side-by-side with members of the Habitat Global Village Team (13 from across North America) as we partnered with volunteers from Macedonia to work on a home for a family in Veles, Macedonia. For the most part, the team members were strangers to one another having been introduced a few days or a few minutes before starting to work together.

Together this team dug trenches, cleared brush, loaded/unloaded lumber, cut re bar wire, etc. What a wonderful experience to be able to part of this incredible team and witness their interaction firsthand!

The team represented quite a mix.....

• 22 to 76 years of age
• Men & Women
  
• First international trip to third passport in past fifteen years
  
• MBAs and lawyers to high school graduates
• Canadian, Mexican, American, Macedonian
• No less than 5 distinct religions represented
• Analytical, Social/Relational, Structural and Conceptual thinkers
  

.....and together we laughed, joked and worked in the heat of the Macedonian sun. All for the good of a family we met only a few days ago. And yet more than the family is benefiting --- we have all learned from one another ---- through our differences we built a stronger, more functional and innovative team!

It's amazing how much was accomplished by ~22 strangers working together.

Are the differences on your team drawing you together or forcing you apart?

Learn how to connect with those who have difference approaches to life in my engaging, energetic and insightful workshop "Meetings of the Minds : High Impact Communication Through Emergenetics" --- you'll be glad you did!

For a preview of Emergenetics and my facilitation style click here (or search YouTube for "Insightful Endeavors".

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com




Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States.

Registration for Nora’s upcoming workshops available here.

Finding the Silver Lining....the story of Joan & the woman who gave her the news.....

Early in my career (okay, okay, in the 1980s) I was brought into a Wisconsin-based Insurance Company to assist with a major corporate down/right sizing effort (19% of their workforce). An opportunity to put my text-book knowledge to work - an opportunity not to be passed up.

As a rookie I made a rookie mistake on this consulting gig -- I ate lunch in the company cafeteria. (No, the mistake wasn’t eating the food served in the cafeteria!) By eating in the cafeteria I got to know many of the employees personally--- I met husbands and wives who worked together, saw photos of employee’s children, learned about the child with Down syndrome, etc.

After a few weeks on the job I received the initial list of employees whose jobs would be eliminated. There I saw the names of the couples --- both jobs would be lost in one fell swoop. I saw the name of the delightful woman from accounting who was raising her grandchildren, and then there was the name of the mom of the five year old with Down syndrome. The names of the people on the list had personalities and I was now on an emotional roller-coaster ride as the realization set in that I would be delivering the news to these people that they no longer had jobs.

Intellectually I knew the jobs needed to be eliminated. I had seen the company’s financials and understood if the organization did not make significant cuts all jobs would ultimately be lost.

It was time to come up with a plan --- to find the silver lining.

My boss was gracious enough to hear my pitch ----- and to enthusiastically embrace it. We set aside a room by the “Personnel” area (I did say this was in the 1980’s correct?) for employees to work on their resumes and receive coaching on interviewing. A job fair was arranged and local employers, staffing agencies and government agencies were invited in to assist those who were losing their jobs. Within two months of lay-offs being announced over 80% of impacted employees had job offers from other firms. The silver lining was solidified. It may have been a rookie mistake to eat in the company cafeteria....AND it is what ignited an outsourcing program.

Several months later I was at a local grocery store when I heard my name being called (the really good thing about a name like Nora...when someone yells it in the mall or at a store there is a REALLY good chance they are talking to me).......I turn and see a woman behind the bakery counter frantically motioning for me to join her. “Nora!” she exclaimed “Hi!!!” “it’s me....Joan!”. Ah, I remember Joan -- she had been with the insurance company for over ten years and was working as an underwriter when her job was eliminated. My heart fell --- what was she doing here?

She went on to tell me, very excitedly, that getting laid off was the absolute best thing that had ever happened to her. When she went to work at the insurance company it had not been her intention to stay there more than a year or two....but with each passing year new and different financial obligations kept her at the job. She was content, liked the people she worked with and thought highly of the company as a whole. But her passion --- what she DREAMED of doing since she had been a little girl --- was to be a pastry chef!

She confessed that she would not have left the company on her own --- she was too comfortable and too logical. What was an emotional roller coaster at the time was the best thing that could have happened to her. She was now on her way to achieving her childhood dream and was happier than she could ever remember being as an adult.

If Joan can go from content underwriter to enthusiastic bakery apprentice YOU too can find the silver lining in any challenges life may throw your way! What are YOU passionate about --- and what can you do today to make your dreams come true?

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A. Burns, SPHR



Nora is founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, Inc. She works with corporations, associations and teams across the globe to understand how our differences (cultural, generational, personality, etc) are the keys to fabulous, innovative teams vs being barriers as we often make them out to be. To register for one of her public workshops click here!