Just checkin in...

That last post was not actually done way back in March. I started it then but came back to finish it up in April. Right now, I'm just checking in. There is more to discuss on our last topic so I'll post something shortly. I need a few more days to think.

For future discussions, would you like to talk about anything in particular?

The "R-word"

Ok, so I was out of commission for a little while with illness and travel but I'm back now and I've been thinking. Here' goes...

When they are not talking about the presidential election, the media keep talking about the potential recession lately. That's right, I said it. I'm not sure that we really need to use that word to describe the current situation. Our economy is not really going backwards (at least not yet) but the growth has slowed. Whether you feel the US economy is in a recession or not, there has definitely been a slow-down in most industries. Most people, especially middle-income Americans, have been spending less on everything but gas. Many companies, large and small, are experiencing smaller profits or even losses and have started cutting back on spending as well.

Here's what I'd like to know: If you are cutting back personally, what are you doing without? Are you just trying to shop sales more often or have you actually eliminated some luxury items like your morning $5 coffee or that expensive digital cable with the HD, sports and movie packages? If your company or organization is cutting back, what are they doing to keep their heads above water? Do you see job cuts ccoming, fewer benefits and raises, or just a little more thriftiness to ride out this turbulence?

We'll continue this discussion shortly...

Leadership?

Today's topic is leadership. For me, the word "leadership" has been pretty pervasive in my life for the past several years. I guess it started popping up with real frequency toward the end of college and its use has just grown from there. At this point, I hear it so much that I don't even know what it means anymore.

Dictionary.com lists 4 definitions for leadership but I like number 3 best: "an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction." I especially like the mention of guidance and direction but this definition is still not good enough so I went all the way back to "lead" and found lots of short definitions. If you put several of them together, that would give you what most people probably think of today when you say "leadership."

So, from this little bit of research, I feel that a good leader...(taken from dictionary.com's entry for Lead)
-acts as a guide; shows the way
-takes the offensive
-influences others (but not overpowers)
-and some other attributes that I haven't quite figured out yet.

It has been said that some people are good at managing, some are good at leading, but rarely are they good at both. It has also been said that managing and leading are not the same thing. I am inclined to agree with both statements. The current presidential candidates have been talking about this recently saying that the country needs a manager who can also lead. Sometimes though, managers are called upon to lead even if they don't have a natural affinity to do so. What do you do if you are in that position? I would suggest some reading and some training. Whether you attend a course at UNF or through another organization, developing your leadership potential is essential to your success on a personal level and professionally as well.

I don't really consider myself a leader but I guess that's really in the work realm. I do take charge or show the way in other aspects of my life. And well, now that I actually think about it, if I'm going to use those characteristics to define a leader, then I suppose I do lead at work. I'm always glad to show someone how to do something, where to find something, offer suggestions or opinions.

What defines leadership or a good leader for you?

P.S. Don't forget to vote in my poll! :-)

So much to do, so little time

Ok, so it's Tuesday and I'm already feeling like this is one of those weeks that never ends. I'm sure you feel that way sometimes. I have plenty of things to do so that should be making the time go by faster, right? At any given time I have 2-5 classes to prepare for, and any number of other things like researching and planning new programs, and meeting with prospective instructors. Right now, I'm trying to pull together information for our PMI renewal and our initial application to HRCI, in addition to planning the budget for th 2008-2009 year.

So in order to manage all these tasks that each have a pretty high priority, I recall some tips that one of my facilitators gave me. Diane Elkins has her own training and consulting company and she's also very active in our local ASTD chapter. She really has to manage her time and priorities to create that perfect work-life balance. Diane showed me how to use a few simple project management techniques to keep everything running smoothly.

If you could use some help in this area, try Diane's Managing Multiple Priorities and Projects and Achieving Results through Effective Delegation. I still need some help with the whole delegation thing since I'm new to having any sort of assistant. I used to be the program assistant for Professional Development so it feels kinda weird to ask someone else to do something that I'm so used to doing. But some of those things are not supposed to be part of my job anymore so I have to give them away or I'll never be able to accomplish any of my management duties. I've been trying to take that class for a while so I'm really excited that I've finally managed to work out my schedule so that I will actually be able to do it this time.

Welcome!

Welcome to the first edition of the Professional Development blog from your friends at UNF Continuing Education.

I'll be your host for this adventure. Who am I? I'm Stephanie Weiss, program director for professional development and test preparation. So, I thought that I would begin with a short introduction of myself and UNFCE.

I began working in continuing adult education on the college credit side of things at a small satellite office for a private university. I left that position to teach high school for a year and then found myself returning to continuing education in 2005. UNF is a great place to work and the Division of Continuing Education is particularly cool. At UNF, continuing education refers to all the non-credit programs that are designed to offer folks seminars and courses to help them develop their professional skills, earn certifications, or prepare for a career change.

In this blog, I'll try to be as conversational as possible because I want you to feel we are having a discussion. I want it to be easy to read, interesting, and hopefully a little fun too. If you ever have any questions about any of the programs I mention, or anything else you see on our website, feel free to post a comment or contact me at stephanie.lee@unf.edu or 904-620-4200.

Check back every few days for new posts. I look forward to "talking" with you. :-)

~Stephanie