1000 Cranes Blog

Who is Keeping You Accountable?

When you run your own business, you need to keep yourself motivated and energized.  In my case, I am lucky as I have several people who help me to keep accountable.  These are:

1) My direct customers.  I always want to make sure that I'm meeting my customers' needs.  1000 Cranes takes pride in providing high quality services that are adapted specifically to the customer.   I spend time following up with customer to make sure that we are on track.  They also keep me accountable to make sure I deliver the services that were promised or under contract.

2) My partners.  I work with several partners who rely on me for certain portions of a project.  Right now, I'm working with Walker and Associates in Pasadena, California.  Considering the distance between us, it's vital that we always know we're on the same page and that we come through with our commitments.  We are using a website called "BaseCamp HQ" in order to keep communication flowing and keep to our milestones. 

3) My Mastermind Group.  I have a group of four friends who meets once a month where we talk about our various challenges both professionally and personally.  Every month we meet to make sure we're on track with our responsibilities by committing to action items. 

4) My Project Mentors.  I have two sets of mentors who help me with my Toastmasters projects  My mentors have been helping me with a High Performance Video Project with an administrative group ensuring that I keep on track, and a project group that helps me with the technical and marketing implementation.  When I have a deliverable due to these set of mentors, it helps to keep me accountable to make sure I get the project done.

5) My Family Members and Friends.  My parents, boyfriend, brother and dear friends have always been good about checking up on me to make sure that I am doing well and that I'm achieving the most in life.  I don't really "report" to them, but having this support group has always been important to me to know that I can rely on them when things don't always go so smoothly. 

What people in your life are keeping you accountable? 

What can you do to recruit people to help you keep to your goals and dreams? 

Where do you need to start?

Careful Travel Tips

After hearing of the terror attacks in Mumbai, it reminds me of several occasions where questionable activities occured, and I needed to look after my safety.  I often travel alone to events, and over the years I've come to build some safety measures while traveling.

1) Very staff who come to your door.  Whenever someone comes to your door and you did not request a service, call the lobby operator and ask who they sent.  One time I left my key in the door, and one of the staff was just letting me know.  But I didn't open the door until it was confirmed.  Fortunately, we all laughed that off, and went on our way.

2) Always be aware of your surroundings.  One time, I was walking down the hallway to my room and noticed a strange man following me.  Instead of going to my room, I headed back to the elevator as if I had forgotten something.  I noticed this person did not enter a room in the hallway and kept on walking.  I inquired at the front desk with a description, and they did not have a person matching that description working at the hotel.  I asked one of the personnel to escort me to my room to make sure he wasn't hovering in the hallway...you can't be too careful! 

3) Travel with your dog, if possible!  Just recently, when I went to Charlotte, I happened to have my dog with me in my room at a pet friendly hotel.  Someone knocked on the door at about 11:00pm, and thankfully, my dog, Logan, barked to notify the stranger that he knows someone's there.  The stranger asked if I had asked for a crib for my room, and I said absolutely not.  I told him to look for another room.  I hadn't notified the hotel of this incident since from the look of the stranger, it was clear he was staying away from me for fear of my dog!   My dog is a very friendly dog, but if I was in danger, I have no doubt that my dog would come to my aid! 

Of course, some of these practices will not always work in some situations.  In the case of the Mumbai attacks, I would tell the attackers I was Canadian, not American.  Fortunately, I have an office in Toronto, so I will definitely plan to bring my Canadian business cards with me in addition to my American ones.  Even though I don't have a Canadian passport, I think a business card, my banking cards and some other Canadian things would help.  I found that when I had registered for an International conference using my Canadian address, the people in Europe were much friendlier to me and open.  I think, in general, the US image is tainted around the world, and although I am proud to be an American, in a crisis situation, I might use my Canadian links to help me survive. You can call me the hoser that's a poser.  I can literally live with that! 

What other travel tips do you practice?

How would you behave if you were in a foreign country under siege at a hotel? 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday.  Despite the hassle of travel to far away places, when people congregate and have a chance to share a hearty meal together, it is the ultimate sign of fellowship, friendship, respect and love. 

Thanksgiving is also a great time to reflect upon the year's accomplishments...to show gratitude for all the blessings that have come to your life.  Even in times of hardship, there is always a silver lining somewhere.

I recently read an article about Maya Angelou in the America Way magazine on one of my recent trips.   I remember clearly how she states that whenever she's feeling down about what be happening her life, she takes the time to write down a gratitude list.   When she does this, she realizes that things aren't as bad as they may appear at first glance.   Just writing five things you are grateful about can really turn around your day. 

As such, here is my gratitude list this Thanksgiving Day. 
1) I am grateful for a safe home that I can call my refuge at the end of the day.  I know when I come home, I am surrounded by love and comfort. 
2) I am grateful for the friends and family I have in my life.  As the saying goes, "Man (or woman) cannot live alone."  I know that my dear friends and family are precious, and I am blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.
3) I am grateful to have good health.  I walk everyday with my dog in the morning and sometimes in the evening.  Today, I walked him three times!  I know that every day is a gift.  From the time I rise to the time I return to bed for the night.  I am fortunate that I am healthy and strong.
4) I am grateful for the wonderful customers and students I have met over the years with 1000 Cranes.  I know that each and every one of them have touched me in some way.  Their influence has shaped me, and I am honored that I have been a part of the work that they do to improve the community.
5) I am grateful that we live in a democratic society with a set of freedoms and rights.  Albeit we all don't live in perfect countries, but compared to those that don't respect human rights and live under the weight of an oppressive society, we are very fortunate to have a life where we can focus on developing ourselves to our full potential. 

What are your blessings?

When you are depressed or angry, do you take the time to write your blessings no matter what day of the year it is? 

In Preparation for the Day of Overindulgence

After returning from Atlanta in early October where I went to my favorite restaurant, R. Thomas Deluxe Grill, I picked up a book of recipes that is part of the Body Ecology Diet that they practice.  I'm happy to report that after cutting out wheat, sugars and most dairy, I've lost nearly 10 pounds in six weeks and feel great! 

Needless to say, I couldn't have started the diet at a worse time.  With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I've been scouring for ideas on how to make gluten-free, sugar-free goodies in preparation for the big day. 

Considering traditionally, Thanksgiving has been a day of overindulgence for most Americans, one good thing about the diet is that my body has adjusted over the last six weeks in eating much smaller portions.  I'm amazed at how much food I have left over from what I had been accustomed to eating. 

So for Turkey Day, I'm preparing the following:

1) Turkey (of course!), but in this case, just wings and legs.  With four people, a full bird is just too much! 
2) Cornbread stuffing without the sugar.  I scoured several Internet sites and found a Southern Cornbread Stuffing recipe that recommends you make the cornbread without sugar since this is a savory dish.  I picked up some gluten free cornbread mix from Whole Foods, and even without the sugar, it tastes great! Tomorrow, I'll add the sauteed veggies and seasonings and bake it as a casserole since there is no bird to stuff! 
3) Veggies - no green bean casserole in a cream of mushroom sauce, but something light, either raw veggies with hummus or sauteed veggies in coconut oil.   Broccoli, red bell peppers, carrots and sliced zuccinis make a nice crudite platter. 
4) Green Salad - a staple of the diet is lots of veggies.  I have a salad everyday in some form or fashion. 
5) Kefir Pumpkin Pie - I found a natural sugar substitute called "Organic Zero" that I'm using instead of sugar, and instead of canned evaporated milk, I'm using plain kefir.  Pour the pumpkin pie mix into a gluten free pie shell (also care of Whole Foods), bake and viola...the dessert is complete.  The pie looks great...will need to keep you posted tomorrow on the taste! 

This is plenty for me to eat this holiday.  Of course, I'll need to watch as the others will also be having Cranberry Sauce, Lasagna and Tiramisu as well, but when you're on a diet, making adjustments is necessary to keep fit!

What strategies are you doing to maintain any dietary constraints you may have? 

Why do you think Americans have taken the holiday which was a way to celebrate having plenty of food to overindulging? 

What do you think would be a good way to be thankful without overeating or having the meal as the centerpiece? 

Airbag vests protect from falls

As we look at our aging society around the world, it came as no surprise when I found the following Reuters videoclip of airbags designed to protect people from falls:

The company showcased this as an industry show for the elderly, but it can also be used for people who may suffer from epilepsy, vertigo, fainting spells or other illnesses that may cause one to lose balance quickly.  Although it doesn't prevent against forward falls, it is a good alternative to protect people from serious bone fractures.  

The device is held in a simple vest that can easily be worn by the customer and doesn't look too obvious that it's a medical aid. 

Have you seen potential applications of technology for one industry (automotive in this example) that could apply to another (medical industry) as in this case?   

Would you consider this for yourself or a loved one if you think you were at risk for falls? 

Focus Group Opportunities

I taught my Strategic Planning Tools class at Duke today, and it never ceases to amaze me what great ideas come out of sessions. 

We had a animated discussion about the Duke instructors, and the students had asked, "Why can't we have an ongoing conversation with instructors?" or "Is there a way we can keep communicating with instructors after we've completed our certificate program?"  Of course, I couldn't speak for the other instructors in the program, but I did mention to the students that I always have an open door policy that students are always welcome to follow-up with me regarding any of the material that we've covered. 

Several of my clients have come from former students, and in fact, one of the key projects I'm working on now with the Robey Theatre Company is because of a partnership with a former student, Rodney Walker, who I met when he attended the Intensive program. 

When an opportunity like this comes up, it's always good to take advantage of this kind of feedback and market research.  Focus groups opportunities happen like this all the time, it's just a matter of recognizing these and using the time and feedback wisely.

From our conversations, I came away with some key confirmations and actions:

1) Continue providing high quality teaching materials.  The binder of materials that students take away from class is not only a reminder of the activities that took place, it will stay on their shelf and also remind them of how to contact me if they should need my help in the future.  I think of it as a marketing piece so don't mind spending the money to make it a polished product. 
2) Keep sending reminder messages prior to the class.  The Duke program doesn't have an automated system of notifying students when they are registered for classes.  Since I have access to the system to get the list of students attending my courses with their email addresses, I always send out a welcome message the day before a class to let them know I am expecting to see them and to provide them any special logistics.  All of my students said they appreciated that as none of the other instructors do that.  
3) Reconsider some of the tools that I use in the presentation.  One particular tool that I've presented is the "Importance versus Performance" matrix.  Unfortunately, it's a bit of a confusing model because the graph starts on the Y-axis instead of the X-axis AND when discussing pricing, pricing has an inverse relationship to how it's charted.  As such, I spend quite a bit of time explaining the model, and several students come away a bit confused.   I may need to drop the model and look for another tool in its place. 
4) Develop a way to keep in touch with my students.  During my lunch conversation, I had asked students more about what they imagined would be a good way to have ongoing contact with the instructors.  How would they feel about a regular teleconference or meeting that I could host at my office?  Would they be willing to attend these on a regular basis and what kind of outcome would they expect? 

New information can always be used in innovative ways.  From this feedback, I am looking at potentially rolling out some new programs for next year.  You never know where you're going to find you next great idea.  Look for the opportunities to know when a focus group is taking place right before your eyes!  

How can you identify when a focus group is taking place?

What kinds of questions do you need to know from your customers?

Why should you include customer feedback in your strategic planning processes? 

Is it possible to avoid a layoff?

I came across an iReport webpage called "Make yourself layoff proof" where they posed the question to readers about what steps they would take to avoid or prevent a layoff. 

That being said, when you go to the site, you see many real stories from people who are mostly fearful or cynical about the job market.  The whole idea of working for a company for 15-30 years is a thing of the past for most.  And in some cases, working for one company for that long may actually detract from your resume as an employee may look for adaptability.

It's a new world today, and diversifying your income stream is the only way to get through this tumultuous time.  Whether that means you have a second job, a passive income stream from investments, a business model with multiple clients, the one stop shop for employment will no longer be a staple for employees. 

In fact, I can think of only one industry where the demand keeps rising, and the qualified candidates are still in demand AND it can't be outsourced.  It's nursing. If you want a secure job, it seems that nursing is one of the few jobs that remains stable.  With the aging population and the shortage of local nurses, we can't keep up with the demand.  When my father was in the Duke University hospital for a week after surgery for an Abdominal Aortic Anuerysm (AAA), most of his nurses were from other countries because there weren't enough local ones.  One of the nurses was a "temp" or "traveling" nurse that is assigned to a variety of hospitals as needed.  She primarily is assigned when nurses take vacations and they need someone to fill the gap on a temporary basis.  

Nursing is also a difficult job as it requires 12 hour shifts.  After the shift, some of these nurses had one hour or more commutes on top of that.  It's a commitment and a skill that not everyone possesses and good nurses are always in demand.   If you think you may be interested in a layoff proof career, it may be just around the corner at your local hospital. 

Do you think the 15-30 year job still exists and if so, in what field?

Why do you think we are facing this crisis now rather than 4-5 years ago? 

What plans do you have to keep your job intact or update your skills? 

Nebraska Safe Haven Law Changes to Cover Only Infants

A controversial law was passed in Nebraska in July that allowed parents to abandon their kids at a local hospital without fear of prosecution.  The law was originally passed in order to protect infants from harm, but has had unexpected results as the age limit is 17 years or younger.   One Nebraska parent dropped off nine siblings ages 1 to 17 and just washed their hands of the brood created.  

According to the CNN article, "Safe Haven Child Dropped Off Before Change," a California woman drove to Nebraska specifically to abandon her 14 year-old son just hours before the law changed to only include infants 30 days or younger. 

According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, since the law went into effect July 18, it has been used by US Citizens to drop off 31 children.

There have been five 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, six 15-year-olds, two 14-year-olds, three 13-year-olds, three 12-year-olds, five 11-year-olds, one 9-year-old, one 8-year-old, one 7-year-old, one 6-year-old and one 1-year-old. Five were from out of state.

Here's a breakdown from the Nebraska Health and Human Services division:

• Sept. 13: Two boys, 11 and 15

• Sept. 20: 13-year-old girl.

• Sept. 24: Two 15- and 11-year-old boys, and nine siblings, ages 1 to 17.

• Oct. 5: Two 12-year-old boys

• Oct. 7: 14-year-old girl from Iowa

• Oct. 13: 13-year-old boy from the Detroit, Mich., area

• Oct. 22: 17-year-old boy

• Oct. 25: 12-year-old boy from Smyrna, Ga.

• Oct. 27: 15-year-old girl

• Oct. 28: 15-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy

• Oct. 29: 17-year-old boy

• Nov. 2: A boy and a girl, both 16

• Nov. 3: 15-year-old girl

• Nov. 6: 8-year-old boy from Indiana

• Nov. 7: 11-year-old girl

• Nov. 10: 17-year-old boy

• Nov. 11: 11-year-old boy from Florida

No doubt raising children is hard work.  My brother has four kids, and it's an enormous responsibility.  It's a shame that these kids have been left behind by one or both parents.  Perhaps this is also a sign of the tough economic times we are facing.  After blogging yesterday about the abandoned pets, my heart goes out to these children who will now be shuttled around in the foster care system until they are adults. 

This is also a case where politicians really need to think through the consequences of the laws they pass.  Clearly, this one has consequences that affect Nebraska's community and the children involved. 

Do you think parents are using this as a last resort or have they decided to shirk their responsibilities? 

What options should be made available to parents who have troubled children? 

More Signs of Troubling Times...Furry Friends Need Homes, Too

As the economy faces its worst climate since the age of the Depression, in addition to the problems we see of people losing jobs, losing their homes to foreclosure, people shopping at thrift stores and getting groceries from the food banks, the furry friends, their pets, are also facing similar problems.

For pets, who have no voice, who have no vote and to some of their owners, have no value, their lives can become bleak when their owners face financial crisis.   According to a recent CNN article, shelters have seen a marked increase in pets who have been turned in by their owners.  In some cases, owners have completely abandoned their pets, leaving meager rations behind.  Neighbors and social workers come to the rescue when they discover an abandoned pet in a yard or inside an abandoned house.  

Finding forever homes for their furry friends are also becoming harder as fewer families are adopting pets during this difficult economic time.  As such, unless the pet has been released to a rescue organization or refuge, their is a high likelihood that the pet will be euthanized in order to make room for others waiting to be housed.  For those without a voice in the process, it can be a luck of the draw depending on the circumstances of the pet. 

Our adopted Pembroke Welsh Corgi could have faced a similar fate, but fortunately, the previous owners had given him to Corgis and Critters, a no-kill rescue, breed-specific organization.  We're grateful to have him, and give him a nice life.  I hope that by posting this message that if you are considering adopting a pet, you consider going to a rescue organization or your local shelter.  Many good pets are in need of homes. 

If you are facing a difficult situation and have a pet, first consider giving the pet to a breed rescue group or a no-kill shelter.  Otherwise, bringing your pet to the local animal shelter is the next best bet.  Lastly, please do not leave your pets alone with only a little bit of food.  Pets thrive on interaction, and being left alone in a house or yard without human interaction will be more devastating to them.  They deserve at a minimum a thoughtful goodbye for the love they have given you over the years.  Give them that respect they deserve.

Car Lovin' Gadget to Get Your Message Across

I came across an article in Reuters that pointed me to an organization called Perpetual Kid which sells a programmable Flash Frame for your license plate of your car.   The License Plate Flash Frame allows you to program up to five messages of up to 120 characters.   So you can have some cheery ones such as "Have a Nice Day, and Stay Off my Tail" or others such as "If you can read this you are too close." 

In a sense it's a new kind of blogging, but on the road.  Just as twitter messages limit you to 140 characters, you can now "tweet" on the road through your license plate frame.  Since you have five messages, why not put a special message, one for each day of the work week, while you're driving. 

This leads me to the whole idea of social networking, blogging and tweeting...though I love the technology, it does seem a bit strange that it's a method of encouraging people to stalk you.  In Twitter, you become a follower or have followers who track your messages.  

If you start using a device like this, are you encouraging people to follow your car to see your message? 

Are we starting to take this a little too far?