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SMALL—FAST—and WRITTEN WHEN THE MOOD STRIKES.

"What consultant worth her salt would be without a newsletter? It's a dandy little sheet, written when the mood strikes (which is at least quarterly). I protect your private information and will never, sell, rent or otherwise abuse what you have entrusted to me. And, of course, you can unsubscribe at any time! Unsubscribe instructions are at the bottom of the e-mail you received pointing you to this page."

So here’s the deal: I offer work-life balance programs. In fact—2008 kicks off with my programs being presented for a major hotel chain, a bio-pharm company, and a national association’s annual conference.

Spring 2008 Newsletter (Newsletter Archives)    

She’s a leap-year baby. Depending upon how you figure, she’s either 92 or 23. After her long marriage ended in divorce, Mom created a comfortable, active and independent life for the next 35 years, living alone in a duplex in South Florida. Fiercely independent, driving a car, going to church, and absolutely adamant that she’d never come to stay with us. We succumbed to her wishes. Until—

For the past two years, we’ve taken turns flying 3000 miles on red eyes to spend a few days and take stock of the situation. In the meantime, I investigated what resources were in my backyard. Of all the assisted living centers I visited, Aegis Living of Laguna Niguel rose to the top. Small, intimate, cheerful, and run with a spirit of grace and compassion for keeping the dignity of every resident. But small meant a waiting list. And then there was Mom’s anger and frustration to deal with.

I needed help! Now, dear readers, what are the odds that Bill and I go on our trek to the Himalayas only to discover that THREE of our fellow trekkers are with Aegis Living? (Miracles!) For two weeks, I benefited from the insights of a geriatric nurse, a marketing manager, and a vice president. Their advice- “regardless of where you place your Mom—“Do it—SOON.” By November Mom was living with me while we waited on the Aegis list—a miracle!

Miracles: In December, a resident moved from assisted living to Memory Care. That resident was cared for by two of our friends from Laguna! It’s a miracle! These wonderful caretakers gifted us with furniture they couldn’t use. How miraculous because there was little worth bringing from Florida.

And the best miracle—Mom is absolutely, blissfully happy. “These folks are so wonderful to me. I just love it here. This is better than where I came from.”

She’s right. I’ve never seen her so happy. Maybe memory loss is a good thing. You can only live in the moment. And her moments, with these wonderful people at Aegis Living, are nothing short of miraculous.

It’s like she has a new life! Here’s to Spring!

Warmly,

Check this out

The Gregory Mantell show!

Check me out on YOU TUBE! The Work for a Living interview is now up ---- I am not the first one being interviewed, my segment starts at 10:45min. in to the show. You can drag the bar across the screen on You Tube to start it where you want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTIQDL6BAQ0

Something to Think About

"I am." is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language.

Could it be that "I Do." is the longest sentence?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

How much deeper would oceans be if sponges didn't live there?

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?

Brain Quiz:

Q. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?

Answer: All invented by women.

Q. What trivial fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most ironic?

Answer: He was allergic to carrots.

Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?

Answer. Obsession.

How can it be EASTER already?

Talk about busy! The American Nursery and Landscape Association folks told me they had just put away the Christmas pots when- Zap!-- it’s time for the lilies and hydrangeas of Easter. And they didn’t make it up.

We’re not in a time warp. This is the earliest Easter since 1913. Here’s why: Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. The equinox is March 20th and the first full moon after that is March 21st, which is a Friday. Easter falls on Sunday, March 23rd.

Now you, too, can amaze your family and friends with this bit of trivia.

Trends to Watch Out For

“The glut of information no longer adds to our quality of life, but instead begins to cultivate stress, confusion, and even ignorance.” David Shenk

Shenk should know. He’s is an award-winning, national-bestselling author of five books, and a contributor to National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, Gourmet, Harper's, The American Scholar, NPR and PBS.

I write this out of concern. My concern is that as a society, we seem to have lost our ability to think deeply and read widely. So much is thrust at us that we gravitate to quick and often erroneous assumptions. A picture of Obama wearing the tribal garb at his father’s village becomes the instant assumption: “He’s a Muslim terrorist.” John McCain has conversations with an attractive lobbyist and the instant assumption “He’s playing around.”

Dangerous, dangerous assumptions. Now more than ever, we need to read widely, question assumptions, look for more than one right answer and come from viewing points instead of view points.

Social Network for Doctors is One Route for Work/Life Balance

A conspiracy of silence often shrouds busy professionals. No one wants to admit that burnout is rampant. Dr. Myo Thant, a respected oncologist with 26 years in practice, just broke through by starting RelaxDoc, a member-only web site for doctors to help each other find better work/life balance.

At www.RelaxDoc.com, doctors find a forum for candid discussions about the ups and downs of their practice. By offering a safe space for talking about everything from personal interests, treatment strategies, and work, Dr. Thant hopes to begin reversing recent trends in physician retention.

Having authored the book Talk Ain’t Cheap: It’s Priceless, I am struck by the fact that doctors can’t find face-to-face communications and candid conversations within the hospital and medical practice walls. What would it take for physicians within a local community to create gatherings designed to support each other. Are egos an issue? Is the anonymity essential? (Note: To enter RelaxDoc.com physicians must provide basic information to confirm their status in order to gain access and no drug reps or vendors are permitted in.)

Dr.Thant deserves praise for taking the first step. Perhaps we need RelaxLawyer.com, RelaxMom.com, or RelaxCEO.com as a way of easing the tensions of this demanding world. Then maybe we could pave the way for face-to-face interaction. What a novel approach. Maybe we’re beginning to see that talk is not cheap—it’s priceless.

Must Read Books

Of Speakers, Guitars and Geysers

A 25 year-old Toastmasters world champion, a litigator who is a former drug-addicted alcoholic prostitute, Steve Spangler a science teacher who sends geysers of Diet Coke spewing skyward on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and a famous comedian walk into a bar at the San Francisco Airport Marriott.
Welcome to my world- the National Speakers Association Winter Workshop.

My colleague, Molly Cox found just perfect words to describe this collection of extroverts, introverts under recovery, and just plain amazing people. She called it “the circus–the only place we feel normal.”

You have to understand. We’re not strange. We’re just wired differently. After all, we’re the folks who CHOOSE to do what is the number one fear in the world: speaking in public. (OK–so dying is #3. Actually, what we all fear is dying on the platform. )

But seriously, gang. You’d love my buddies. There are folks like Tim Richardson, a hard-wired guy who exercises EVERY day for kicks, homeschools his five kids, and is committed to having us focus on the real meaning of being RICH. And then, there’s Robert Fripp, a gentle soul ranked in the top 50 guitarists in the world (according to Rolling Stone Magazine). Robert taught us how to integrate the world of a musician with the world of a speaker.

Here’s a guy who “appears” to be a rocker and is, instead, a profoundly spiritual soul who utters such gems of wisdom that I cry with their profound impact:

“Musicians don’t play music. The music plays the musician.”
“Silence is a bridge between worlds.”
“The foundation of learning is play.”

OK–there you have it. I played last weekend in the circus of the National Speakers Association. And in that play, I learned. Call me and I’ll tell you the lessons

NOTE: If you liked what you just read-

If you’re looking for fast thoughts on life, leadership and change-

If you have days you just want a 30 second break from what you are doing-

You’ll want to sign-up for my blog feed: Plain Talk—straight-up insights on work and life leadership.

Towers Perrin Study Debunks Workforce Myths, but...

Towers Perrin’s recently released 2007 Global Workforce Study shows fascinating shifts in commonly-held beliefs as well as a note of caution that comes from yours truly~

(1) Towers Perrin stated that a “stressed out” workforce appears to be over-stated. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of those surveyed report reported being neutral to energized by on-the-job stress.

My caution: Neutral is not a positive word in my book. What percentage is “neutral”? A car does not move forward in neutral. It only stays put or rolls back. Same thing is true of people.

(2) Technology is not the enemy. The vast majority (86%) felt it actually helped them achieve some level of balance between their personal and professional lives and that it signaled an awareness that the world operates on a 24/7 basis.

My caution: It comes from the word “some”. Technology is a great tool as long as we control it rather than the other way around. It also requires that management is very clear about what really matters so that “connected time” is not wasted time. If everything is important, nothing is important.

(3) Work is not the center of our lives. More than half of the respondents (59%) reported that they work to support their lives and family needs versus 18% who agreed that work was the most important aspect of their lives. Among U.S. respondents, 72% agreed that they essentially work to live.

My caution: If one only works to live, a company better pay close attention to programs and training that help workers balance personal and life responsibilities. If not, a worker is off to the next organization that enables work/life flexibility.

(4) Senior leadership actions have greater influence than first-line managers on engagement and retention. Although a good relationship with direct reports is critical, senior leaders are scrutinized carefully for their decisions and visibility, along with learning and opportunities for advancement.

My caution: I am concerned that senior leaders will not heed this very important finding. An Opinion Research (Feb 2007) study corroborates that the top workplace frustration is poor communication by senior management about the business. So on both counts, senior leaders best heed the cry of the workplace. The workers seek ethical decisions, transparency, clarity and visibility.

Overview and Contact Information

Is life leading you instead of you leading a life?
Is work working you instead of you doing the work?

You’re not alone! It’s the challenge of our times.

From business leaders to rank-and-file workers, the competitive 24/7 world of heart-stopping change has left many feeling in need of new tools to answer these questions:

- How do I engage more of my talent and that of the folks around me in meaningful work?

- Why is it that resiliency is a word I think of only with rubber bands?

- Why does it seem that we compete more with each other than the competition?

It’s tough when the rate and pace of work leaves you feeling disconnected, unheard, and certainly not aligned to produce results that matter in the long run.

Then there’s the issue of joy. Flat out joy. You don’t want “work” to become exclusive of play. Leave your spirit and heart at the door, and it’s hard to be creative and productive. You want to be connected with people who respect you and visa versa. You want to do good work— no, make that GREAT work-- in the bargain. You want to spend your time in a place that lets your spirit soar and your talent shine.

If you want results that go well beyond the bottom line—contact us. Since 1980, we’ve been engaging the human spirits of individuals and organizations. Now—it’s your turn.

Call 949-496-8640 or send email eileen@eileenmcdargh.com