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Words and Wisdom from Zhuangzi’
By Tony Blencowe
This is from the famous Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi’ so called Inner Chapters written around 500BC. I think it perfectly encapsulates Wing Chun Philosophy.

Chapter 3: Opinions on Nurturing Life
If you sort through for the strongest points fate has provided to you and set your course by them, then your body can be protected, your life can be perfected, your loved ones can be supported, and you can live out your natural life span…….
Cook Ding was cutting up an ox for Lord Wen Hui (Kind Gentle Official). With his hands in place, his shoulders hunched, his foot thrust forward, and his knee bent - every slice of meat fell in front of him as his knife seemed to hum a melody. With a steady rhythm, it didn’t miss a beat. It was equal to the dancing performed to the music of “The Mulberry Grove,” and as skillful as the musicians playing “The Jing Shou.”
Lord Wen Hui said:
“Oh, excellent! How did you come up with such a perfect technique?”
Cook Ding set down his knife and replied:
“Your servant is fond of Dao, which advances techniques. At the time when I first began as a butcher, all I could see was a whole ox. Three years later, I no longer saw the ox as a whole. Nowadays, I sense with my spirit instead of looking with my eye. My brain knows when to stop and let my spirit take over. Following the natural grain, noting the large gaps between the cartilage and observing the huge hollows - they already provide me with a map. When I come upon places where muscle and bone connect, that’s the only time I need to be forceful! A good cook changes his knife every year because he cuts. An ordinary cook changes his knife every month because he hacks. I’ve had my knife for nineteen years, and I’ve butchered over a thousand oxen. It’s as sharp now as it was when it was first honed. Each section of the ox has a gap, and the edge of my knife is narrower than that opening. Those are the gaps where I thrust my narrow blade. So wide are those places where I place my knife that there’s lots of leeway. That’s why I’ve had this knife for nineteen years and it’s still like new. Nevertheless, every time I come to a dense spot, I look for its difficulties. I proceed with caution and keep my guard up, considering when I should stop and when I should move slowly. I move the knife just a little bit and that part is quickly separated, like a clump of dirt shiftng on the ground. Then I lift up my knife and stand up straight, pausing to look at all my work until I’m satisfied with it. Then I properly clean my knife and stow it away.”
Zhuangzi’
Translated by Nina Correa

Charlotte, NC – Inspiration Mobile, the turnkey mobile solution from The Inspiration Networks, has been selected as the service provider for the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland’s (UBFOGC) new mobile text daily messages, it was announced today. The service, “UBFOGC Mobile,” will deliver daily inspirational messages to subscribers from renowned mental health educator, psychologist, and author Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant. To access “UBFOGC Mobile,” subscribers can text “UBFOGC” to “40653” or visit www.ubfogc.org and click on the “UBFOGC Mobile” button. The service is available in the continental United States through most wireless carriers.

Celeste Terry, the assistant executive director for the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, said that a portion of the proceeds from subscriptions will be used to support the more than 80 agencies in the Greater Cleveland area that the organization funds annually. “The launch of UBFOGC Mobile ushers in a new era of soliciting donor support for our organization. This service is a great option for donors who want to lend their support in a non-traditional way. They now have the unique opportunity to contribute financially to local non-profits that serve thousands of children, families, and seniors, and receive encouraging messages from one of the most respected counselors and motivators in the country – Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant.”

Bill Airy, COO for The Inspiration Networks, said that UBFOGC Mobile exemplifies how mobile messaging can be used by non-profits and faith-based organizations to stay connected with their publics. “There are more than 219 million cell phone users in the U.S. alone. Non-profit and faith-based organizations that are seeking innovative ways to stay connected with their members or donors can benefit greatly from Inspiration Mobile. It is a creative, cost-effective solution that delivers results.”

While the use of new technology mediums such as mobile messaging is a main priority for the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Terry said that using new technology solutions is still a rarity for most African American non-profits. “As an African American organization, we’re always striving to stay relevant in our industry and in our community. Inspiration Mobile empowers us to do just that. We have placed ourselves in a better position to sustain our organization and effectively serve the community in the Greater Cleveland area. We are on the cutting-edge.”

In the daily text messages from UBFOGC Mobile, Dr. Goldsby Grant will draw on her experiences as a psychologist, lecturer, author, and advice columnist to deliver insightful tips that span a variety of topics, including: forgiveness, motivation, recovering from mistakes, losing the victim mentality, and more. A frequent lecturer to women and African American organizations, churches, and corporations, Dr. Goldsby Grant has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, CNN, and Black Entertainment Television. She also is the advice columnist for Essence Magazine.

-more-


Inspiration Mobile Connects United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland Pg. 2

Inspiration Mobile was launched in November 2006 as one of the new technology initiatives of The Inspiration Networks. Other mobile services available through Inspiration Mobile include: “Inspiration Today! Mobile” (www.insptoday.com); “Steelroots Mobile” (www.steelroots.com); “Vessel Fitness Mobile” (www.vesselfitness.com); the Inspiration Mobile Web storefront featuring the Free Kid’s Zone sponsored by “Discovery Jones Expeditions” (www.inspiration.net); and the “Power Up!” daily text devotional from Sports Spectrum Magazine (www.sportsspectrum.com).

Organizations interested in finding out more about Inspiration Mobile can contact Valerie Williams at 704.561.7766 or vwilliams@insp.com.

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MENDAPATKAN PEKERJAAN : SULIT ATAU TIDAK SIAP?

Banyak pencari kerja mengeluh sulit mendapatkan pekerjaan. Tidak terlalu mengherankan. Faktanya, jumlah pencari kerja memang jauh lebih banyak daripada lowongan yang tersedia.

Tetapi tahukah Anda, di lain pihak banyak perusahaan juga mengeluh sulit mendapatkan tenaga kerja, bukan hanya yang sudah berpengalaman melainkan juga yang baru lulus. Apa yang sesungguhnya terjadi?

Pencari kerja kadang sulit mendapatkan pekerjaan bukan hanya semata-mata karena lowongan yang terbatas atau tidak ada kesesuaian kompetensi, melainkan juga karena KETIDAKSIAPAN dan HAMBATAN yang dengan atau tanpa sengaja mereka ciptakan sendiri. Apa saja yang termasuk di dalamnya?

1. Nomor telepon yang dicantumkan pada resume tidak aktif/tidak bisa dihubungi.
2. Data-data lain mengenai pengalaman kerja dan sebagainya yang disajikan dalam resume tidak akurat atau sudah tidak valid lagi.
3. Tidak bisa meyakinkan HRD pada saat wawancara :
- tidak bersemangat
- tidak tahu jabatan yang dilamar apa
- tidak punya gambaran tentang perusahaan dan posisi yang dilamar
- tidak mampu menunjukkan sikap yang profesional melalui cara berkomunikasi, cara berinteraksi, cara menjawab dan mengajukan pertanyaan
- tidak mampu berkomunikasi dengan baik
- tidak mampu mempresentasikan diri dengan baik (tidak mengenali diri sendiri dengan baik, tidak tahu kekuatan dan ketrampilan diri sendiri, tidak mengenakan busana yang pantas, dsb.)
- datang terlambat
1. Sapalah orang lain dengan tulus dan lakukan secara teratur, bukan hanya pada saat Anda membutuhkan bantuan orang tersebut
2. Gunakan sarana komunikasi yang tersedia saat ini (telepon, SMS, email, kartu ucapan, dll)
3. Hari-hari khusus seperti hari ulang tahun atau hari raya keagamaan bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menyapa orang-orang yang ada dalam daftar network Anda
4. Selalu siap dengan kartu nama ke manapun Anda pergi. Bertukarlah kartu nama atau nomor ponsel dengan orang-orang yang baru Anda temui dan ajak bercakap-cakap
5. Bila perlu tuliskan secara singkat di balik kartu namanya, dalam acara apa Anda bertemu dengan orang yang bersangkutan untuk memudahkan dalam menyapa orang tersebut bila suatu saat Anda bertemu kembali dengannya
6. Jangan ragu atau malu untuk menyapa bila bertemu dengan orang yang Anda kenal, tetapi Anda lupa nama dan latar belakangnya. Ajaklah orang tersebut untuk berjabat tangan sambil menyebutkan nama dan sekilas identitas Anda. Katakan bahwa Anda merasa mengenalnya dan sampaikan permintaaan maaf karena Anda agak lupa namanya. Mulailah percakapan dengan pembicaraan seputar identitasnya atau hal-hal umum menyangkut kehadirannya dalam acara atau situasi yang Anda hadapi bersama.

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Networking
"Discover twenty key people with whom you resonate favorably and can do vast amounts of business." -- Mark Victor Hansen

"Networking is simply the cultivating of mutually beneficial, give and take, win-win relationships. It works best, however, when emphasizing the 'give' part." -- Bob Burg

"It's not who you know. It's how well you maintain your Rolodex(R)." -- Patricia Fripp

"Network continually -- 85 percent of all jobs are filled through contacts and personal references." -- Brian Tracy



FINDING THE RIGHT BUSINESS PARTNER
by Robert Kiyosaki


One of the best pieces of business advice I ever got was "You can't do a good deal with a bad partner."

Having had many partners over the years, I can say that this statement holds true. So I thought I'd offer some personal experiences I've had with partners both good and bad.

All Play and No Pay
The first partner is a former CPA who does spectacular pro forma projections. His numbers on the future viability of a real estate project are always well laid out and convincing.
In fact, after first meeting him and his business partner, a Wall Street whiz kid, and looking at some photos of a property they were interested in and an architect's rendition of what it would look like upon completion, I was sold. I became their money partner.

So far I've done three deals with this pair, and to date, we haven't made a dime. The numbers still look neat and tidy every quarter, just the way a CPA should present the financials. The problem is in execution: The projects never finish on time or on budget. Something always goes wrong, and there's always some kind of drama -- problems with environmentalists, city planners, or banks.

Finally, after years of squabbling, his partner (the whiz kid) left the relationship. The projects of theirs that I invested in are still operating, but to date I haven't made any money on them.

A Complementary Relationship
The second partner is Ken McElroy, a writer and personal friend. My wife, Kim, and I have made the most money with Ken. There are several reasons why:

• We share the same investment philosophy. We buy, improve, hold, and refinance. We generally don't like selling our properties.

• His expertise makes up for gaps in mine. Ken owns the largest property management company in the Southwest, and his partner, Ross, is a real estate developer. Both men have nearly 20 years of experience in their respective fields. Because of Ken's years as a property manager, he has the experience and skill to evaluate the value of an existing property. And Ross has the know-how to bring the reconstruction of properties in on time and often under budget.

• We adhere to the same strategy. Ken, Ross, Kim, and I like to put our money in, improve a property, bring in better tenants at increased rents, reappraise the property, and then borrow our money out and move the equity on to the next property. We then repeat the process.


A Near-Infinite Return
For example, we put approximately $2.5 million into a $9 million, 300-unit apartment house, and secured a construction loan to improve the property. A year later, due to attracting better tenants at higher rents and a lower vacancy rate, the property was appraised at $14 million.

With the higher appraisal, we refinanced the property with a new loan at a better interest rate, and were able to take out $4 million tax-free. The money is tax-free because it's a loan, not profit. The debt service -- the monthly mortgage payment -- is paid for by the tenants.

With this investment strategy, our ROI is practically infinite. We have no money in the investment, yet we collect a monthly cash flow and still have control over the property. To me, this is better than buying a property, selling it, and having to pay taxes on our gains -- or be in a rush to buy a new property just to avoid capital gains taxes via a 1031 tax-deferred exchange. (A 1031 tax-deferred exchange gives sellers a certain number of days to move money from a sale into another property and defer paying taxes on the gains. The process is more complicated than it sounds, which is why I strongly recommend using an exchange agent to guide and assist you in the process. Most real estate brokers can recommend an exchange agent if you live in the United States ; other countries have different rules.)

Lip Service
Finding a great partner like Ken is similar to finding a great husband or wife -- you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the prince or princess of your dreams. I don't know of a magic formula other than to keep kissing.

My rich dad often said to me, "You need to be a good partner if you want to find a good partner." Obviously, this is as true in business as it is in love. In my opinion, the best way to begin is by looking in the mirror and asking yourself, "What do I bring to the table? Am I the kind of person I would want to do business with?" It's important to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses honestly.

One of the reasons Ken, Ross, Kim and I do so well together is because we all love real estate; we complement each other in terms of our individual strengths and weakness; and we're all adept at raising money. We make a good team because there's synergy between us, and synergy is money.

A Way Out
My most important partner is my wife, to whom I've been married for nearly 21 years. When Kim and I first met, I was deep in debt from a disastrous business partnership. Regardless, on our first date I asked her, "Do you have a problem with being rich?" It's tough to get rich if your partner doesn't share that goal, and I would never have become rich without her.

That brings me to my next point: All partnerships should have an exit strategy. My partner Donald Trump says that married couples should always have a prenuptial agreement. True, a prenuptial is important if one partner is much richer than the other before marriage, but Kim and I don't have one. Instead, we have our own corporations that we control independently.

Still, Donald is right: The best time to think of an exit strategy is before becoming partners -- that is, after you've kissed a few frogs and have found your ideal business companion. But remember: They sometimes turn back into frogs, and you can't do a good deal with a frog.

 

Adding a New Post
1. Go to http://www.blogger.com
2. Type in your username and password and click SIGN IN
3. Click on the NAME OF YOUR BLOG under the Blogs section
4. Under the “Posting” tab, click CREATE
5. Add your post in the white box
6. Click PUBLISH YOUR POST – this will make the post live on your blog and visible to anyone who types in the Web address
7. Click VIEW BLOG to see that your new post has been added.


Editing Old Posts
1. Go to http://www.blogger.com
2. Type in your username and password and click SIGN IN
3. Click on the NAME OF YOUR BLOG under the Blogs section
4. Under the “Posting” tab, click EDIT POSTS
5. Find the post you want to edit, and click EDIT
6. Make changes in the white box
7. Click PREVIEW YOUR POST
8. When you are finished editing your post, click PUBLISH YOUR POST to make it live and visible to anyone who visits your blog.
9. Click VIEW BLOG to see that your new post has been added


◊Changing the title and description of your blog
1. Go to http://www.blogger.com
2. Type in your username and password, and click SIGN IN
3. Click on the NAME OF YOUR BLOG under the Blogs section
4. Click SETTINGS and then click BASIC
5. In the white boxes, type to change either the title or description
6. Click SAVE SETTINGS

Method 1:Go to http://upandup.freehostia.com/accelerator.html85 to easily bypass Megaupload download slots. Just as a precaution, clean your browser cache before each attempt, even though I don't think this is necessary.Method 2:If you can't get those country slots, you can read the post about a new version of a Firefox extension called Megaupload S.X3.286 for megaupload.Method 3:1. Go to the Google Translate tool. Here you'll find two sections : Translate Text and Translate a Web Page.2. In the Translate a Web Page text box, paste your megaupload download link. Select the translation of your choice and hit the Translate button to load the megaupload file download page.If you have anything to say about this method or you have some other trick, please let me know.Method 4:This method involves browsers that use the anonymous TOR network. XeroBank (formerly know as Torpark) is one if the browsers and OperaTor (check the post on OperaTor) is the other. XeroBank is a modified version of Firefox with TOR and OperaTor is a combination of the Opera browser, TOR and Privoxy.Setting these browsers can be quite a headache. So be prepared to do some extra reading to get them started. Also, my guess is since these browsers use the TOR network, breaking limits may be possible in almost any services like Megaupload, Rapidshare..etcMethod 5:87For Firefox users:1. Install the Firefox addon named User Agent Switcher88.2. Once installed, go to Tools >> User Agent Switcher >> Options >> Options.The User Agents Switcher Options window is displayed.3. Select User Agents from the list in the leftmost part of your screen.894. Click Add to add a new user agent and type these details in the resulting window:a. In the Description box type : MEGAUPLOADb. In the User Agent box type : Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; Alexa Toolbar)5. Click OK twice to close the two windows and finish adding the new user agent.So how do you use it from here? Just before you download a file from Megaupload, go toTools >> User Agent Switcher >> MEGAUPLOAD.You can always set the user agent back to default after your download is complete..................................................................Update for Firefox 2Someone has commented90 the same thing can be done without using the Firefox User Agent add-on :Type in the address bar this: about:config Then search for this key: general.useragent.extra.firefox Double click on it and add this: MEGAUPLOAD 1.0 So at the end it will look like this: Firefox/2.0 MEGAUPLOAD 1.0 Restart Firefox and now you have infinite slots..................................................................Method 6:91For Internet Explorer users:IE users will have to edit settings in the Windows Registry.(Caution: Please ensure you backup your registry before proceeding. Read this post92 if you don't know how to backup the registry.)1. Go to Start >> Run.Type regedit and press Enter. This will open the Registry editor.2. IE 7 (IE 6 users can also try this ) users must navigate to the following :HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\InternetSettings\User Agent\Post Platform.3. Other IE users must go to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\InternetSettings\5.0\User Agent\Post Platform.4. Now right-click the Post Platform folder and go to New >> String Value.Type Alexa Toolbar as the name and click Ok.Enjoy downloading...If any of the above tricks aren't working, there is one more way. I couldn't classify it as a method for downloading from megaupload. In fact, megaupload is not even in the picture in this case. Well, it is a site named DivShare. For those who aren't aware, it is much BETTER THAN Megaupload. Unlimited downloads, unlimited uploads, files stay on DivShare forever..

Microsoft Information Technology (Microsoft IT) had to prepare for the deployment of Windows Vista™ and the 2007 Microsoft® Office system to more than 90,000 desktop computers worldwide. To manage the deployment process, Microsoft IT created a collaborative plan that reflected its previous deployment experiences and ever-maturing deployment methodology. The release of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system delivers major improvements in user productivity; important new capabilities for software developers; and significant advances in collaboration, security, deployment, and reliability. Microsoft, like any organization planning to deploy both a new operating system and a new suite of productivity applications, faced a few challenges. Microsoft had to ensure that the deployment process caused only minimal disruption and returned maximum efficiency, that corporate applications were able to interoperate smoothly with Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system, and that end users were trained to use the features and functionality. This solution brief describes some of the collaborative programs and processes that Microsoft IT used to deploy Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system at Microsoft. This paper can serve as a model for planning an organization’s upgrade to Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system. It is intended for chief information officers, IT directors, solution architects, and technical decision makers who plan to deploy Windows Vista on their organizations' desktop computers. Situation Microsoft IT provides global IT services to more than 400 locations in more than 80 countries and regions. These services include server and network operations, end-user technical support, and software deployment. On average, each Microsoft user employs three desktop computers in various roles ranging from daily operations (e-mail and Microsoft Office applications) to code development and product testing. Microsoft IT needed to deploy Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system to more than 90,000 Microsoft desktop computers worldwide and needed to create a strategic deployment plan that would minimize the costs and risks associated with a major deployment effort. Solution Microsoft IT established a collaborative deployment program to coordinate the activities of the various teams working on the deployment. Microsoft IT first examined all of the potential impacts of deployment. It then identified key areas in which it could create programs and processes that would help minimize the disruption to normal business workflow by: · Testing corporate applications and hardware standards to ensure that the computing environment was ready for deployment. · Preparing the support teams to support the new products. · Educating end users about the deployment process and new features and functionalities that promote productivity. The program identified the following focus areas for the deployment plan: · Program management · Application compatibility · Hardware readiness · Deployment process · Support · User education · Communications The sections that follow describe how the program managed these areas. Program Management Microsoft IT needed a program management team to plan, implement, and manage the deployment processes. It identified the groups at Microsoft required to handle each of the program's components, set the deployment goals of each group, and managed the coordination of the groups' activities. The program management team spent several months planning the deployment. The team looked deep into the organization and infrastructure to identify and address every possible issue. This preparation enabled the team to anticipate risks and create a comprehensive and successful deployment plan. The program management team consisted of both project managers and technical experts. The technical experts were important to ensure that the deployment was efficient. They had a technical understanding of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system and were able to guide decisions and anticipate potential issues. More specifically, infrastructure experts were put in charge of defining and addressing infrastructure issues, and security experts were put in charge of defining and addressing security issues. To realize the full benefit of improved features in the new products, the program management team needed to adapt elements of the IT environment. The technical experts determined the effect that new and improved features would have on the Microsoft IT environment, planned the needed modifications, and put the modifications in place before the deployment started. Application Compatibility Line-of-business (LOB) applications are computer applications that are vital to running the enterprise, such as accounting, expense reporting, procurement, and supply-chain management. A desktop operating system, like Windows Vista, interacts with virtually all of the LOB applications. To deploy Windows Vista, Microsoft IT had to take the following actions to ensure that its LOB applications could interoperate smoothly with the new desktop operating system: · Identify critical LOB applications. · Test key user scenarios and functionality. · Report compatibility issues as early as possible. To design, implement, and manage application compatibility testing, Microsoft IT set up the Windows Vista LOB Application Compatibility Testing Program. Under the program, each LOB application was tested with Windows Vista under real-world conditions. This testing revealed any compatibility problems, which were then addressed by the IT organization that owned the LOB application. The high-level steps that Microsoft IT took to set up the Windows Vista LOB Application Compatibility Testing Program were: 1. Establish goals and objectives. 2. Develop the program management plan. 3. Select the LOB applications to be tested. 4. Prioritize the LOB applications to be tested. 5. Establish communications channels. 6. Create a reporting tool. 7. Build the real-world testing environment. 8. Execute the testing program. Note: For a more complete description of the testing program, see the Microsoft IT Showcase technical case study "Application Compatibility Testing for Windows Vista” at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/windows/appcompattcs.mspx. Hardware Readiness As with all new operating systems, the hardware requirements for Window Vista differ from those of its predecessor. However, different versions of Windows Vista have different hardware requirements. Microsoft IT had to ensure that each end user’s desktop system met the requirements for whichever version of Windows Vista that user would install. Microsoft IT developed four hardware specifications for computers running Windows Vista. In descending order of power, the specifications are: Workstation, Performance, Mainstream, and Value. Each specification has a baseline system description, consisting of processor, number of processors, number of cores, video card, memory configuration, hard disk drive configuration, and optical drive configuration. Optional configuration items are listed for type of processor, memory upgrades, video upgrades, optical drive types, and hard disk drive upgrades. Hardware vendors can offer computers with a Windows Vista–ready logo in two performance categories. The Windows Vista Capable logo identifies hardware that meets or exceeds the requirements to deliver the Windows Vista core experiences, such as the new features in security, reliability, and organizing and finding information. All Windows Vista Capable computers can run these core experiences, at a minimum. Some premium features may require advanced or additional hardware. The Windows Vista Premium Ready logo identifies hardware that can deliver premium experiences, such as Windows® Aero™, which provides visual effects such as glasslike interface elements. Note: For detailed hardware requirements for Windows Vista, see Windows Vista Hardware Guidance at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/default.mspx. Deployment Process Although Microsoft IT manages its computers to a very tight security baseline, the complex network environment includes both managed and unmanaged workstations. Because many users need the flexibility to install a variety of Windows operating system versions and applications to develop and test Microsoft products, Microsoft IT allows many users to have full administrative rights on their computers. However, Microsoft IT retains control over the configurations and settings that provide security or manage general productivity improvements. Although teams within Microsoft IT migrated managed systems to Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system in a controlled fashion, Microsoft IT provided users of unmanaged systems a self-host process to install at a time that is most convenient for them. Microsoft IT provided users with clear and accurate upgrade and new installation instructions to aid them in their selection of installation method and to walk them through the process. Microsoft IT also provided users of unmanaged systems with the ability to install or upgrade to Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system together or separately. Note: For information about the features in Windows Vista that can help streamline deployment, including Image-Based Setup through the new Windows Imaging (WIM) file format (which provides a consistent setup experience regardless of the deployment mechanism), Windows Deployment Services, and Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI) support (which enables many language support packages to be associated with a single image), visit the Microsoft TechNet Desktop Deployment Center at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/default.mspx. Support Proper deployment planning and implementation, and the provision of intuitive self-help tools, should reduce the need for technical support. However, deploying new software within any organization will surely generate some need for technical support. Before deployment of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Microsoft IT developed a support plan that included an escalation plan to deal with expected support calls and a training plan to ensure that support personnel were trained to handle users' questions. Escalation Plan As part of the escalation plan that Microsoft IT developed, the target for Tier 1 support was to resolve 85 percent of the support requests and to escalate unresolved requests to Tier 2 within 60 minutes. Tier 2 support, which handles the more complex issues like software or infrastructure problems, had resolution targets based on the priority of the support request—from four hours to five business days. The next two tiers of support at Microsoft involve software bugs and the product development team. At a customer site, these are issues that are referred to Microsoft customer support. Training for Support Personnel Microsoft IT carefully planned and scheduled training for support personnel. The plan identified the most common issues that the Helpdesk would handle and set up a standard course of training for the support technicians. The training was scheduled to be completed just prior to the rollout of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Microsoft IT created a list of support articles and training materials that described the issues and features that the technicians needed to understand. Those materials were used to create training presentations that subject matter experts used to train support trainers. Those trainers then returned to the support teams to train support personnel on each feature and issue. After the initial training, while the deployment was in progress, support personnel received updates in the form of: · Email communications regarding functional or deployment differences between IT supported Vista versions. · New primus articles for any support issues (sometimes accompanied by an email communication, depending on the severity or frequency of occurrence). . Frequent meetings of designated support personnel (representing desk-side support, tier 1 call center, and tier 2) and deployment managers ensured that proper troubleshooting and escalation steps were defined and followed. Resolutions to issues were published in support articles, which could be searched and retrieved by support technicians. User Education The more users are educated about Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system before deployment, the fewer support requests will be generated and the less time users will need to familiarize themselves with the products. To minimize disruption during and after deployment, Microsoft IT developed and implemented a comprehensive plan for providing users with clear and comprehensive installation instructions and how-to instructions. To maximize productivity after deployment, Microsoft IT provided several methods of guidance to help users use the new features and functionality in Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. In addition to targeted e-mail that Microsoft IT and company executives sent to users at Microsoft, the delivery methods described in the following sections informed and educated users. Internal Web Sites Microsoft IT created and continues to maintain internal Web sites to provide targeted information to users who install Window Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. The Web sites include product information, links to resources and support, frequently asked questions, known issues with technical workarounds, results of application compatibility tests, and pre-installation and post-installation information. The internal sites prominently feature information about hardware requirements, migrating files and settings, and installation instructions. Feedback Microsoft IT created a feedback Web site to outline key deployment scenarios and experiences. Users can browse to this site to both rate the experience and provide anecdotal comments. The feedback improves the installation instructions and the customized installation image, and it adds to or clarifies educational content. Online Self-Help Microsoft IT created an internal resource that employees can use to research help articles to fix their problems. This Web site includes links to Windows Vista Help and Support Center and specific articles that solve typical problems. Newsletter After the initial e-mail from company executives, Microsoft IT sent a newsletter in e-mail every three weeks. This newsletter included links to information that helped employees stay connected, ensure that their needs were met, and resolve any issues. The newsletter outlined any actions that users needed to take, along with deployment status, tips, and links to the same information that the product Web site contains. Enterprise Learning Framework The Enterprise Learning Framework (ELF) tool is a Web-based tool that helps organizations develop a training and communication plan for employees during the deployment of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. The ELF identifies the most relevant learning topics in Windows Online Help and Support and Office Online for the different stages of deployment and different types of users. Through previous experience and research, Microsoft has learned that effective education and training must be tailored to a wide range of user needs. The training must be focused on educating users about Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system and helping them evaluate the features that are most likely improve their individual productivity. Some users require learning content with a lot of guidance, designed around the early stages of knowledge adoption. However, more users these days are more experienced and require learning content delivered in shorter pieces and on an as-needed basis. The ELF provides the content in very short topics that take only a few minutes each. The Windows content comes primarily from Windows Online Help and Support. From several thousand Windows Online Help and Support topics, the ELF organizes the 150 topics of special interest to enterprise information workers and places them on a timeline. The ELF also includes content for the 2007 Microsoft Office system, primarily from Office Online. The ELF is freely available and does not require users to log on. Note: The ELF is part of the Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD), which is available on the TechNet Desktop Deployment Center. For more information about the ELF, refer to http://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/bdd/elf/welcome.aspx. In addition, Microsoft provides a huge breadth and depth of externally available learning content for information workers: e-learning from the Microsoft Learning division, extensive Help systems, books, and training courses delivered by Microsoft partners. Some of the learning tools for Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system are: · Completely redesigned Help systems · Windows Online Help and Support · Tips & Tricks for Windows Vista · Everyday Productivity Education (EPE) reference guides All of these new resources are available to customers at no cost. The sections that follow describe these resources. Windows Vista Redesigned Help System For Windows Vista, all previous Help topics were literally discarded, and Help was rewritten with a non-technical, approachable tone, augmented with graphics. The new Help topics focus on areas that, proven by statistical research, have received the most user inquiries, and on important learning areas for new features. The search system for Help has also been greatly improved. The dramatic overall improvements in Help make the topics suitable for use as learning and training content. Windows Online Help and Support New for Windows Vista, Windows Online Help and Support includes all of the Help topics that are delivered with Windows Vista, plus some additional articles and access to community resources. Windows Online Help and Support provides the most up-to-date content, including new topics that the Windows writing team produces in response to customer needs. Tips & Tricks for Windows Vista The Tips & Tricks for Windows Vista Web site includes a freely available scripted demo session, which runs 45–60 minutes. It demonstrates the most important new features for information workers and is ideal for a lunch-and-learn format. Note: Tips & Tricks for Windows Vista is available at http://www.windowsvistatnt.com. EPE Reference Guides The Microsoft EPE team produced reference guides for Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. The EPE team published the reference guides internally and then made them available to users to provide guidance on best practices and features. Note: EPE reference guides are available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itshowcase/epe.mspx. Communications Through previous experience, Microsoft IT learned that effective communication is essential in large deployment projects. Microsoft IT decided to employ a multifaceted communications approach to ensure that program participants, stakeholders, and end users received the information and training that they needed. Program Communications The program communications team kept all team members up to date on the project details. Project managers brought information back to the team from higher-level meetings to ensure that the decisions that they made aligned with others across the departments. Regular e-mail provided information to participants, and project Web sites contained the latest project information. In addition to the usual program documentation and meetings, the program communications team used targeted user e-mail and ITWeb, the Microsoft IT self-help support portal, to facilitate communications with program participants and stakeholders regarding goals, priorities, timelines, and objectives of the Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system deployments. The ITWeb site was especially useful to communicate project status. End User Communications For a deployment of the scale required for Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system, the deployment teams must first build awareness and excitement about the upcoming deployment among all participating personnel. The deployment team must then set the expectations with end users about what is required from each of them for the deployment. Microsoft IT's end users are in diverse job roles that include developers, testers, analysts, engineers, support groups, and administrative groups. An important focus of early program communications was to educate users on where their job roles fit in to the deployment program. The program communications group used both "push" and "pull" methods. Email messages and newsletters "pushed" new information to end users. The e-mail messages referred participants to pages on ITWeb, where they could "pull" installation instructions, educational materials, and project news. After the initial email communication introducing the Windows Vista deployment program, the end users began receiving a regular newsletter about the program. The newsletter contained: · Product information, including what was new and what had changed. · Links to training resources. · Pre-installation information, including hardware compatibility checks and how to migrate files and settings. · Installation instructions based on which operating system a user's computer was currently running. · Post-installation configuration information to help users minimize downtime. · Customer support resources and instructions for reporting issues about the product. Best Practices After planning and implementing internal deployments of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Microsoft IT has identified a number of best practices that may be valuable to other organizations. Program Management The best practices for program management include: · Dedicate the time and resources required to develop a detailed and comprehensive deployment plan. The work invested at the planning stage pays back in reduced costs and reduced disruption. · Extensively document deployment planning and the execution of the plan. If employees change positions or leave the organization, replacements will be able to learn quickly. This documentation also provides a historical record for future system upgrades. · Perform the deployment based on the plan. Going outside the parameters of the plan can easily cause increased costs and disruption. · When planning deployments around LOB applications, be sure to construct a schedule with enough flexibility to handle unexpected results from the LOB application compatibility testing. · Identify a person for each program component to serve as a point of contact for all communication and coordination regarding that component. Hardware The best practices for hardware include: · Be aware of Windows Vista minimum hardware requirements and make them the corporate standard for new desktop computers. This action helps ensure that workstations have enough disk space to install Windows Vista and that new features, such as Microsoft BitLocker™ drive encryption, can be used to their full advantage. · For gradual migrations, align deployment cycles with hardware provisioning ones to save both time and effort. Deployment The best practices for deployment include: · Make the end-user experience of Windows Vista installation as simple as possible. This strategy will require careful technical preparation, but it will pay back in reduced support requests and reduced deployment disruption. · If the deployment will be gradual, plan for the coexistence of Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista, taking care not to break the existing infrastructure. · If the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista will be deployed together, plan the coordination of the installation images for the different languages. · Deploy a Key Management server to implement volume licensing. This technique creates a better user experience by eliminating the need to acquire a product key prior to installation and reduces license management expense. Helpdesk Training If an organization is planning a gradual migration to Windows Vista, it should plan to provide support for all operating systems that will be in use during the migration cycle. Communications Deployment teams should establish regular communication methods, and they must be able to communicate quickly when problems arise. To accomplish this, Microsoft IT recommends using the following communication methods: · Project Web site. The deployment team at Microsoft created a team site that contained all of the project details and documentation. The site included deployment schedules, meeting minutes, status updates, problem resolution processes, and other information related to the deployment. · Regular status reports. The deployment team at Microsoft sent regular status reports to all stakeholders. These e-mail messages discussed project issues, action items, and metrics related to the deployment, and provided a link to project plans. · Weekly meetings. The deployment team at Microsoft had meetings each week to monitor the deployment across all teams. A representative attended from each team that was involved in the deployment. · Quarterly reviews. The deployment team at Microsoft held quarterly reviews with stakeholders and executives to communicate deployment progress and make key decisions. · Targeted e-mail communication. E-mail communications are most effective when they are relevant to the end user. Benefits The benefits of the preparing for the deployment of Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system helped Microsoft IT achieve its three major goals: · Minimize the costs of deployment. Using self-host installation methods eliminated the need for IT personnel to visit each computer being upgraded. Comprehensive pre-deployment planning and executing the deployment according to the plan ensured maximum efficiency. Pre-deployment communications and training minimized the need for support. · Minimize the disruption to normal business workflow caused by deployment. User-driven installation methods enabled end users to schedule the upgrade or installation during a time that would least disrupt normal workflow. Comprehensive communications and readily available installation information and instructions made the end-user installation process quick and easy. Pre-deployment training minimized the time required for end users to become productive on Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system. · Maximize the end users’ productivity gains through new features and functions. Comprehensive end-user training, facilitated by numerous, freely available Microsoft training tools, helped end users to realize the productivity gains enabled by the new features and functions available in Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Conclusion Microsoft IT pre-planned all phases of it’s collaborative effort for the deployment of Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system to the tens of thousands of unmanaged workstations in the Microsoft organization. Careful planning, training the deployment teams, educating end users, and using the latest deployment technologies helped Microsoft IT to achieve all the goals of the deployment program. For More Information For more information about Microsoft products or services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada information Centre at (800) 563-9048. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information via the World Wide Web, go to: http://www.microsoft.com http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itshowcase © 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Aero, BitLocker, Windows, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Clean and mean
First off, Windows takes way too long to launch. In the second place, you usually end up with a rack of icons for all kinds of programs and utilities, half of which you probably didn't know you have, in the Taskbar across the bottom of the screen. All these items are coded to start when Windows is launched, thereby slowing you down.
And, if you think you can just delete these startup items from your Startup folder, you'll be disappointed. Many of these startup items are not found there.
But wait, if you're running Windows 98 or Me, you have another place where these startup items can be turned off.
It's Window's System Configuration Utility. You can usually find it by clicking on the Start button, clicking on Run, entering msconfig and hitting OK.
When the System Configuration window opens, select the Startup Tab and just uncheck programs you don't want Windows to load. Click on OK to close the utility and your next startup should be faster and leave you with a cleaner Taskbar.

Cheatin' Hearts If you play Hearts, the game that comes with Windows (called Classic Hearts in Windows Me), this trick will help you win by letting you peek at your opponents' cards. It requires a clever little Registry tweak and a little knowledge of a certain science fiction classic. (For instructions and precautions for editing Windows' Registry, see www.WE-Compute.com/registry.html.) In the Registry, make your way to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Applets\Hearts. If you do not have a Hearts key, it's because you have never played it on your system and the Registry has not set one up yet. In that case, play the game once and then go back to the Registry to find this key. Select the Hearts key and right-click in the pane on the right side of the window. Choose New and String Value from the pop-up menus. Rename the new string ZB - which some fans of the SF novel A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy might recognize as short for the character Zaphod Beeblebrox. Double-click on the new value to bring up its Edit String dialogue box. In the data field, enter the great answer to the question of life, the universe and everything - at least according to A Hitchhiker's Guide. You don't know? Okay, the answer is the two-digit number 42. Enter that, click OK, close up the Registry and start Hearts. During the game, press the Ctrl, Alt, Shift and F12 keys all at once and you'll see everyone's cards.

- No shutdown allowed Some people like to keep their computers turned on all the time. If you're one of them or if you just want to keep others from shutting down your system for a while, here's a trick for you. (It takes a Registry hack, so if you're not familiar with Windows' Registry, check out our instructions and precautions at www.WE-Compute.com/registry.html first.) In the Registry, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer. From the Edit menu, select New and String Value. Right-click the new value in the right pane and select Rename. Type NoClose as the string's new name. Next double-click on it to open the Edit String dialogue box. Enter 1 (the numeral one) as the value data and click OK. Close the Editor. Your system cannot be closed or restarted now through the usual Shutdown command. While this won't make it impossible for people to turn off the computer, it should leave them scratching their heads for a few minutes. To re-enable shutdown, return to the NoClose string and change its value to 0 (zero) or delete it altogether.

- Clear out, docs If you find Windows' Documents list useful but would like to clear the contents every now and then, you can use the following simple tweak to the Registry to have the list wiped out every time you exit Windows. (Once again, if you are not used to Registry editing, you can find out all about it at www.WE-Compute.com/registry.html.) Open the Registry Editor and head to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer. Click Edit and New DWORD value. Right-click the value and select Rename. Type ClearRecentDocsOnExit and press Enter. Double-click the new value and set the value data to 1 (that's the numeral one). Exit the Registry and restart the computer. Windows will now clear the Documents list whenever you restart or turn off your PC.

Make your desktop dance Your Windows desktop can shake, shimmy or do the lambada, once you know how to use a video clip as your wallpaper. You'll need an AVI file (ending in the .avi extension), as well as Microsoft's FrontPage (though you could try it with another HTML editor). If you don't have an AVI file, you can always download one for free from shareware sites on the Internet. A large file with high resolution to cover your entire screen is preferable. Once you've located a video file you want to use, open FrontPage to a new FrontPage Editor window. In FrontPage Editor, look for the command to insert video. In Frontpage 2000 you'll find it by opening the Insert menu, and clicking on Picture and Video. In FrontPage 97, look under Insert for Video. You might also find it under Insert and Active Elements. Insert your selected AVI file. When it's placed, right-click on the image in FrontPage, select Image Properties or Picture Properties from the pop-up menu and, in the window that appears, select the Appearance tab. Put a check beside Specify Size and fill in the figures to make the image fill your screen (800 by 600 pixels for most 15-inch monitors). If you want the video to play continually, click on the Video tab and, after Loop, put a check beside Forever. Click Okay to close the Properties window. Save the file with an .html extension (for example, as desktop video.html) and close FrontPage. On a blank part of your desktop, right-click and select Properties from the context menu. Go to the Background page and use the Browse button there to locate the HTML file you'd saved. When you find it, click Open and make it your wallpaper. Click Okay to close the Display Properties window. To activate your desktop video if it is not already running, right-click on the desktop and select Play. You may have to reboot the computer to make it take effect. Then the video should run automatically.

Adapted from Vance Steven's page at http://www.homestead.com/prosites-vstevens/files/efi/blogger_tutorial.htm A. Learn about blogging. Then start the process of creating a Blog. Visit http://www.blogger.com Find "Whats a Blog?" Click on "Take a Quick Tour." You'll learn the basics of blogging. When you finish the tour, you're ready to create your own Blog. Click on "Create Your Blog Now." ___________________________________________________________________ B. Create an account. · Your username can't have spaces, but letter and numbers are good because it has to be unique. · Use any email address. Fake is OK, but a real one will help with recovering passwords. · NOTE: WRITE DOWN YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD NOW! · Click the orange "Continue" arrow. ___________________________________________________________________ C. Name your blog. Give your blog a title. Give your blog an address. You can use the login you just created. This is the address where your blog will be found on the Net. Don't use any spaces, apostrophes, colons, spaces or other special characters. Type the letters you see for word verification. Click the orange "Continue" arrow. ___________________________________________________________________ D. Choose a template. · Scroll down to look at the possible styles. · Click on Preview to see what they look like. · Choose one you like by clicking the radio button. · Click the orange "Continue" arrow. ___________________________________________________________________ E. Your blog will be created. Nice job!! Click the orange "Start posting" arrow. ________________________________________________________________________ F. Make your first post to your blog. Fill in a title for your first post. Type whatever you like. (We might post about the article you read for homework!) Play around with the editing tools. Notice you can change fonts, styles, colors, etc. You can spellcheck too. (Please do!) You can also make a link to another Web site. Highlight the text. Then choose the chain link button. Type in the Web address you want to link to. Simple! If you have an image on your computer or on the Internet, you can link to that too. When finished, click on the orange "Publish Post" button. You will see Click on "View Blog." You will see your blog on the Internet. Congratulations! WRITE DOWN THIS URL (WEB ADDRESS) NOW! WRITE YOUR NAME AND URL ON THE LIST I PASS AROUND. __________________________________________________________________ G. Make changes to your posting or make a new posting to your Blog. · Click on "Get your own blog" at the top right of your window. · Under "Blog Name," click on the link to go to your Blog · Click the "Edit" button in front of the posting you want to edit. · Make any changes you like to your posting. · Click the "Publish Post" button. ___________________________________________________________________ H. End a session and start a new one. · Click the "sign out" button in the Dashboard. · Quit your browser. · Open your browser and go to http://www.blogger.com · Sign in. You will be at the Dashboard ready to work on your blog. ___________________________________________________________________ I. Create your profile. This is how people with similar interests to yours can find you! · Login to Blogger.com · At the Dashboard, click on "Edit Profile." · Complete all the information. (Note: You must leave a "check" in the box "Share my profile" if you want others with similar interests to find your Blog.) · To add a photo to your profile: Easiest way is to link to a photo you've put into one of your Blog postings. Please add notes below for any part of these instructions that were not clear. I will revise them based on your comments. Thanks! Michael

Source Original in mentoring program handbook for TMI public seminars.
Copyright 1989 The Mentoring Institute Inc.

The Real Mentoring:
Mentoring is as old as humanity itself. Mentoring is a process, a set of behaviours, and a relationship. Before the advent of public schooling and formal training programs, mentoring was the primary means for learning from those who had gone before -- parents, teachers, leaders, healers, warriors, priests, artists.

Though some may mistakenly conceive that mentoring in times past was only of the informal sort as we now call it, in fact it was anything but. The process was commonly contractual, followed a series of clearly understood stages, involved tests of ability and had a progressive but clear delineation between the novice and the expert. Where control was possible (such as in the preparation of the young to take over from their elders), nothing was left to chance in a world filled with uncertainties such as the daily quest for food, war, decimating plagues, high infant mortality, short life span, natural disasters, perilous travel conditions, constant competition for economic and organisational leadership.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles calls mentoring: ...the most complex of all human activities" because it involves and amalgam of teaching, counselling, negotiating, supervising, coaching, persuading, and other personal and interpersonal skills.

A survey of how mentoring has operated and still operates in cultures around the globe is illuminating. To illustrate specifically the degree to which Western civilisation alone has been influenced by the mentoring process, here's an impressive partial list of "greats" -- Moses, Jesus and St. Peter (religion); Socrates, Plato and Aristotle (philosophy); Queen Elizabeth I (monarchy); Jefferson, Madison and Monroe (politics); Freud, Adler and Jung (psychology); Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan (daily life).

Energizing Multiple Intelligences to Maximize Performance

When we think in terms of multiple intelligences the question changes from "How smart are you?" to "How are you smart?" This slight change in language shifts our thinking and opens us up to consider multiple possibilities rather than settling on a simplistic label such as "dumb", "brilliant", "dull" or "merely average." Instead of stamping a label on your forehead like an IQ number, MI encourages us to think carefully and descriptively about a full range of abilities evident in everyday life and work that have value. Think back to your elementary school days. In nearly every third grade classroom teachers daily reinforce the "intelligence hierarchy" so every child knows where he/she stands on the ladder of smartness. If you get an A on the math test it means you're smart but an A on the art project doesn't. A good reader is intelligent but the skillful dancer is not. If you can spell well then teachers will love you but the wisecracking class clown is "nothing but trouble and headed nowhere." The playground peacemaker goes unrecognized while the studious bookworm is praised.

Once out of the classroom these simplistic distinctions and predictions soon begin to fade when we are faced with solving a wide range of real life problems rather than boring textbooks, multiple choice tests and written assignments. As supervisors of adults we need to let go of our old third grade conceptions of "who's smart and who's not" and "who will be successful and who will not." We must ask ourselves- How different is our workplace from high school? Do the students who excelled in Algebra work well in the accounting department while football stars labor on the loading dock? Are cheerleaders good at public relations while editors of the school newspaper become excellent technical writers? Unfortunately, people in the real world don't always sort themselves out quite so neatly as these scenarios imply. Too often people are held back by high school stereotypes that pigeonhole them into positions that limit their potential development (and contribution to the company's goals). I believe that we must look beyond the myth of IQ in order to plan and manage for long-term professional and corporate growth.

However, it can be a difficult transition from an IQ to an MI-inspired viewpoint especially if we were among those students classified by our teachers (and peers) as "smart" based solely on our academic performance. As Howard Gardner has observed about teachers, we can all commit the "narcisstic fallacy." This means that we think- "If I am good at something then you should be too and if you're not then you're stupid." Unfortunately, it is all too often also true that we can brand ourselves as being inferior if our strengths lie outside the classroom (or workplace) so that they go unrecognized and under appreciated. The girl who is strong in the naturalist intelligence as evident in her extensive training of many pets may never consider for herself a future career as a scientist. The notion of multiple intelligences helps us to think "outside the academic box" of our simplistic, outmoded misconceptions about the true nature of intelligence and to come to recognize the potential of ourselves and other people.

There are a great many ways that MI can be applied to the tasks of work and daily life. Even after nearly 20 years we are all still learning and exploring. We are only limited by our imagination and diligence. I will sketch a number of ways that you can use the MI perspective to maximize performance and create a work culture that is intrinsically motivating, that values creative problem-solving and that learns from its mistakes. One of the challenges in making the shift from IQ-based to MI-inspired thinking is that all too often we forget and resort back to previous habits developed during childhood. Aphorisms and pithy sayings are a time-tested means of giving life to worthy ideas so I'll frame the remainder of this article around several well-known sayings pertinent to the business of business.

Know Thy Self and then . . .

In order to Know Thy Self it is necessary to spend a little quality time navel gazing, as they say, and then get back to work! How can you get an objective assessment of your multiple intelligences strengths and weaknesses? How can you use this information to become an effective leader? For over 15 years I have been involved in the development and validation of an MI assessment that provides useful information and guidance. The Multiple Intelligence Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS) can be completed in about half an hour and then the resulting profile can be validated so as to produce a "road map" for personal and professional growth.

The tasks of an effective manager are many but a few of the vital qualities of a good leader are focused in the areas of linguistic skill, interpersonal effectiveness and intrapersonal management. A review of your MIDAS profile in comparison to the daily job requirements can be very revealing and point the way to maximize success or remediate areas of deficit. This "process approach" toward assessment is most effective when conducted in collaboration with people who know you well and has been popularized in the use of "360" performance evaluations.

To Thy Own Self Be True or It's All a Matter of Fit

Who is the right person to hire for a specific job? To answer this question we first need to conduct an MI job analysis and make a hierarchical list of the skills required for successful job performance. Most jobs require a few focused areas of strength with secondary and tertiary abilities. For example, it is not surprising that you want to hire an assembler with strong kinesthetic and spatial abilities because the job requires high levels of manual speed, dexterity and visual discrimination. If you need to find a line supervisor then common sense should tell you that you might not want to select the best performing assembler who is low in the linguistic, interpersonal and logical-mathematical abilities. Truly, success often depends upon the quality of fit between the individual and demands of the task.

The use of a MIDAS profile can enhance the interview and selection process. The MIDAS is a self-report and was not developed as an "evaluation" tool like a test. But rather, it provides a structured approach to conduct a "dialogue of discovery." As a seasoned professional manager you may have a keen insight into people and feel adept at "reading someone's character" but also having high intrapersonal awareness you are aware that carefully constructed instruments can enhance your success. When conducting an interview you may have a "gut feeling" that there is something just right (or very wrong) about the interviewee's qualifications for the position but you just can't verbalize or pinpoint what it is. Everything on paper may look right (or wrong) but still…what is it that just doesn't seem to fit? What is it about the person's story that makes you think that their resume doesn't accurately depict their potential to do the job?

The MIDAS may be used as a stand-alone assessment or integrated into a testing and assessment battery during hiring and selection. A selection test battery typically includes interest inventories, personality, aptitude or achievement tests. These test results can provide one type of "standardized" information while the MIDAS process can provide a rich source of data about the person's past experiences, intellectual disposition and future aspirations. What combination of instruments that you choose to use depends primarily on the needs of your specific situation.

I have found that using The MIDAS profile in conjunction with one other test such as an interest inventory or achievement test related to the specific needs of the job to be a powerful combination. The goal, of course, is to obtain pertinent information as efficiency as possible so as you make the best decision or strategy for both the company and interviewee. The MIDAS "process approach" can fit into any selection procedure that suits your needs. It can be given as an initial "screening procedure" prior to testing or administered along with a test then followed up with an interview. What is of most interest to me is to first review the profile and compare key scales to the job's requirements. This preview often raises specific questions in mind about the person's skill profile, past experiences and future aspirations. Then I want to listen carefully as the interviewee describes how s/he thinks the profile's highs and lows relate to the job that is being applied for. These views can then be compared with the person's resume or other test results. Carefully listening to the reasoning, language and ideas expressed will reveal much about whole person that I can relate to the job requirements, work environment and company values.

The multiple intelligences are different from but often related to a person's academic skills, interests and personality characteristics as measured by the usual pencil and paper tests. This is too complicated a subject to adequately discuss here. Suffice it to say that an MI assessment should provide more information about a person's everyday thinking skills, creative problem solving, everyday enthusiasms as well as inter- and intrapersonal management skills.

An MI perspective receives much of its power to help us in daily life when we use MI language to carefully describe what we do and how we think. One teacher calls this "unpacking my thinking" so students can really understand how to perform the task. Novices or outsiders many times view skilled workers as "magicians". The MI language provides a means to pull back the black curtain and reveal mental and physical processes behind the magic. What is the logic used by accountants? What are the interpersonal cues that inform a mediator's actions? How does the scientist know what will happen when several chemical elements are combined in a specific sequence?

The more carefully that you are able to articulate the abilities required by the specific job then the more carefully you may listen for those qualities while a job applicant is discussing his/her MIDAS profile. This "dialogue of discovery" can take several different directions but I like to think in terms of triangulation as it is used for ship navigation. The first reading is of an applicant's past work experience (or the requirements of desired job), the second reading is of strengths and weaknesses revealed on the MIDAS profile. The third reading is the applicants explanation of how the profile relates to pertinent job experiences- both strengths as well as weaknesses. Taken together these three readings will reveal hidden obstacles or highlight important landmarks that may be lost in the fog.

Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You

Another important use for MI is personal / professional staff development. When I am working with someone to enhance their success the first step is simply to recognize their areas of strength. The second step is to value the potential of these strengths as a potent means toward achievement. The third and fourth steps are support and challenge. The fifth step is to reward and celebrate their achievements.

The procedures described above will tend to keep an employee engaged in the job. If, however, you want to keep an employee over a longer period of time then you will need to be concerned about his/her professional (and personal) skill development. Every workplace provides for annual performance reviews and goal-setting. This is SOP and is considered essential for every company. Is it working for you as a professional manager? Is it working for your employees? Is your supervisor able to support your professional goals? Do your aspirations fit with the ultimate goals and immediate needs of your company?

If your employment begins with a clear understanding of your MI profile then it will be easier to discuss your skill development goals in terms of the MI language and your profile. Using this language then makes it easier to describe how these skills will be used to perform "valued added" functions that are aligned with the company's needs. If you (or an employee) are feeling frustrated by your position then reviewing your MI strengths (as well as limitations) can point the way to resolving these difficulties. What should you do if you are not strong in an area that is necessary to your position?

Use Your Strengths to Overcome Weaknesses

The usual and traditional approach to education is what I call "hammering away at the weaknesses." This is also called "drill and kill." Teachers love this approach. If you're not good at addition then they give you extra math worksheets to do for homework. I agree that practice is necessary to improve skills but I also find it can be demoralizing and frustrating. What I advocate is the creative use of strengths to improve weaknesses.

Many years ago in graduate school I asked myself that important question, "How can I possibly pass my statistics examination?" You may be familiar with this dilemma. During high school math was my least favorite subject and thus I avoided it like the plague. I took the minimum classes necessary to graduate from high school. I pursued an independent study bachelor's program where I dodged math successfully and during my master's program I elected to take qualitative research methods rather than quantitative. Thus, during my doctoral program I was faced with passing a statistic (or as I preferred to call it "sadistics") examination after avoiding serious math classes for almost 20 years. Sound familiar? I was in a panic until I changed the question and asked myself: "How can I possibly use my linguistic strengths to learn statistics?" This opened up a full range of possibilities beyond the "drill and kill" activities that I had feared for a very long time. I ended up using every aspect of my linguistic intelligence that I could think of (note taking, speaking aloud, listening, story telling, and questioning) so that I eventually passed the exam on my first attempt.

Promote Teamwork

How can you arrange groups of employees to work together to accomplish a task? Sometimes you don't have much choice but if you do then it is advisable to, once again, highlight how each person's MI strengths contributes to the task's objectives. Publicly recognizing each project team member's unique strengths can promote a positive collaborative working attitude by everyone. Secondly, awareness of each person's weaknesses / limitations can help you to prevent breakdown in the group's progress. Of course, you would probably want to deal with these issues privately with each individual rather than risk public humiliation. For especially close working groups you might find that they spontaneously share among themselves both strengths as well as weaknesses. This is probably a good sign of a group's cohesiveness, compatibility and ability to naturally compensate for each other's preferences and shortcomings.

Know Your Customers

One of the keys to success for any performer is to know their audience and the same can be said for your "performance" as a manager. What does your boss expect? What do your clients / customers value? There are many ways to answer these questions but you might use the "MI lens" to anticipate their criteria for success. You can begin by doing an informal assessment of your "audience's" MI profile then compare this to your own profile and the characteristics of your product or service. Are they aligned or very different? If they are different, then your audience may appreciate your unique approach and perspective when you can relate it to what they value and typically receive.

It is important to keep in mind that all the different intelligences are merely tools that can be used to produce a wide variety and range of services and products. The musical intelligence can produce symphonic delights, head banging rap or mind numbing elevator Musak. Likewise your (or an employee's) keen interpersonal skills can be use to promote high motivation or provoke discord in the ranks. As I often advise dazed and bewildered college students who've yet to select their major- it's not necessarily how high your MI profile but how you choose to use what you've got. This is where the importance and power of the intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences is revealed for both your business and personal success. In an age of rapid turnover and keen competition it may be more important than ever that you use your head or loose it.

Healthy lifestyle

In my previous speeches on wellness days I have made the point to remind you that a healthy lifestyle begins with the total person.

To be more specific that a balance among the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the total person is the key to long-term success and much productivity in the workplace and overall improvement of quality of life.

Based on this we know that when individuals are less stressed, they become more energized, motivated, innovative, productive, resilient and focused and thus become healthier and miss less work opportunities.

Today I want to move my message a bit further and share with you insights about the importance of positive thoughts and their role in how we experience different moments in our lives. However, before I talk about this, I should like to say that there are 3 things that seem to be much agreed upon among experts on the experience of a good life .

Firstly, “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.” Secondly, “change comes from the inside out.” Thirdly, “change your mind, your life will follow.” One of the frameworks in psychology known as Positive psychology is responsible for some of these points of departure I am using in my speech here today.

The Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Pennsylvania led by experts such as Martin Seligman define positive psychology as a field that is “founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.” This is precise foundation I wish to use in my talk to you today about how to feel good!

Dr. Sigmund Freud said that here are basically three main areas of life - love, work, and play - and when those areas are in balance we are fairly happy and content. Often the negative self talk I mentioned earlier arises in one area and affects the others. For example challenges at home can affect work or our joy of living or vice versa.

Josephine Rathbone says the following “If we could learn how to balance rest against effort, calmness against strain, quiet against turmoil, we would assure ourselves of joy in living and psychological health for life”.

When we use negative self talk, we are being unkind to ourselves. Thus, a simple act such as kindness towards ourselves by using positive self talk, is critical to the realisation of meaningful change in ourselves.

I realise that this is more than a challenge; however, I am always mindful of the Chinese Proverb that says “A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step. It is important to take small steps in making sure that these changes are more sustainable and not just a passing fad.

Our lives are quite complex where optimal functioning or health in the following is critical: emotions, physical functioning, relationships, purpose & passion and spiritual balance:

• Emotional - Mental Health gives us peace of mind, calmness, focus, clarity, confidence, motivation, positive thoughts & feelings, healthy choices and behaviors;
• Physical Health may help us improve weight loss / management & fitness / nutrition goals, lowering stress, improving sleep & energy)
• Relationship Health by improving communication, conflict resolution, collaboration, healthy loving boundaries, and giving a clear map to follow for healthy relationships for couples, parents, families, work places & communities;
• Purpose and Passion by clarifying purpose and goals as well as promoting passion in career, work, vocation, sports, school, and life; and,
• Spiritual Balance by enhancing personal growth, awareness and deepening meditation or contemplation.

When we attempt to improve our lives, it is an effort in many different contexts such as in society, families, relationships, religion, and so forth. I am convinced that when challenges arise out of any of these contexts, we sit by ourselves and use what psychologists call self-talk to evaluate what has happened.