I heard today that Twitter use among teens is on the rise and has more than doubled since this time last year.  I’ve been using Twitter almost daily since 2009.  It’s not only a great place to network and socialize, it’s also a searchable tool I can use to find business solutions and contacts.  With that in mind, I searched through my archives for a post that shows how Twitter can be used to provide upward feedback in a fun way.

Are you up for the challenge?  Play along….

Tim Sackett wrote a great post over at FOT about giving Twitter-style performance review feedback in 140 characters.  I would like to see what that would look like if we were giving upward feedback to our managers in 140 characters.  Here’s what I imagine:

Type-A Personality Supervisor- Drives full speed ahead on company mission, brings some along & runs over others, precise communicator, sets challenging climate, decisive

The Nurturing Supervisor- Patiently listens to staff concerns, always has time for employees, rarely confronts issues head on, wishy-washy at times, covers for staff

So, here’s you fun challenge-  Use the comment section to write upward feedback in 140 characters or less  for a boss.

It can be for a current boss or a boss from a former job.  If you don’t want to get that specific, tell us you’re doing it for an “imaginary” boss.  It could be for the worst boss you’ve ever had, or the one who was the best person you’ve ever worked for.  OR you can go a whole different direction and give upward feedback to Santa Claus because that would be fun too.

Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

You’ve all heard the expression “take one for the team”.   I believe in that and think it’s important to be willing to stand up and do something for the benefit of your team or your employer. But, can it be taken too far?

Friday night during the Captials vs. Canadiens game, Eric Belanger, center for the Capitals lost numerous teeth when he was hit in the mouth with a stick.  A Canadiens player, Marc-Andre Bergeron, hit him during the first period of  playoff game #5.  Belanger took some time off the ice to have some emergency dental work done on the sidelines, then made it back in the game by the third period.

I don’t know if he should be applauded for putting his own pain aside in order to come back to help his team.  Or, if he is just plain stupid to risk his health like that.

What do you think? Does he have employer and team loyalty?  Is his choice something that should be applauded?  Should his employer (via the coach) have pulled him from the game once he was injured?

As most of you who read my blog know, I am the mom of twins.  They are the loves of my life.  They are now happy, healthy eight year olds.  But, we were not always this lucky.  My story is that by the time I was 25 weeks along in my pregnancy, I was measuring as big as an “average” woman at full-term with a single baby.  Hard to believe, I know.  I went into pre-term labor and didn’t even know it.  I thought I was just uncomfortable because I was already so big.

Luckily, when you’re having multiples, you have extra doctor appointments and I was actually at the hospital for an ultrasound when they told me I was 5 cm diallated.  The doctor told me it would not be easy to keep the babies inside for very long, even with heavy medication.  He told me that my time as a strong mother would be starting right then.  I was all alone at the time and I just broke down.  I have never had worse news in my life.  I thought my babies would die because when children are born at 25 weeks, the chances are not good for them.

The next 48 hours were a blur of doctors, nurses, family, and friends. I was so heavily drugged I really don’t remember much.  After two days, my doctor told me that they thought they had it under control and that I had to do my best to keep them inside, one day at a time.  They wheeled me to the NICU to see some of the babies born at 25- 26 weeks.  They were on average about a pound and a half.  Their skin was transparent and they could not breathe on their own.  They were covered in wires and tubes.  It was then that I learned that the March of Dimes provides the research that made the special beds, treatments, and medicines possible to keep these children alive.  I prayed to God to not let me have my babies too early.

The next nine weeks were a roller coaster of the the worst kind.  I stayed medicated most of the time and endured contractions every hour for the entire eight weeks.  By the time I reached 34 weeks in the pregnancy, I could no longer get out of bed on my own because I was so large and could barely walk because I had been on bed rest for so long.  I begged to go home, if only for a few days.  Since I was far enough along at that point, the doctors let me go home.  When I reached 35 weeks in the pregnancy, I knew it was time.  I headed to the hospital around noon, walked around the hospital for about an hour to start the labor back up, then walked directly to the labor and delivery floor that I lived on for so long and told the nurse, “today, I’m having BABIES!“.

Jack- 3 Days Old

Having them was the easy part.  After so many months of contractions, I deserved an easy labor.  Jack was born weighing in at 5 lbs. 4 oz.  Carleigh was born seven minutes later weighing in at 4 lbs. 4 oz.  There has never been a happier moment in my entire life, and I am certain that there will never be another that will match it.  They are my miracle babies.  They were born naturally and only needed a few weeks in the NICU so they could finish developing in their own time.

The first time I went to see them in the NICU, each baby had a stuffed animal next to them.  The little bears were lying on pillows that said “March of Dimes”.  I knew at that moment I had a mission.  To work to raise money to help other families never have to go through what I went through.  And, for families who do have babies too early, to have the research available to discover new treatments, therapies, and medications.

Carleigh- 3 Days Old (Notice how small she is compared to my hand)

Since then, I served as the Chairperson of Family Teams for the MO chapter of the March of Dimes for five years.  My family was also an Ambassador family in St. Louis in 2008.   My children, my family, and I continue to raise money to help ensure that every baby is born healthy.

So, that is my story.  I’ll be participating in the March of Dimes “St. Louis March for Babies” on April 28th.  If you’re interested in supporting my family as we walk to save babies, click here. 

I’m a voracious reader.  I go through spurts though where I don’t make time to read books.  I tell myself that I’m staying on top of things because I read articles and blog posts, but I’m still an old-fashioned girl when it comes to the feel of a good book in my hand.  I like the weight of the book.  I like the way the pages feel and the feeling of satisfaction I have as I’m drawing near the end of the story.  I get that momentary rush at the end of the book and feel that little twinge of accomplishment.

I also love that by reading,  I have my own thoughts and ideas challenged or validated.

I’m not someone who can read just one book at a time though, so I usually have several good books going at once.  Here’s what I’m reading right now and why.  I’m hoping these will help spark some new ideas here on the blog in the coming months.

The Killer Angels

The Killer Angels is a Pulitzer Prize winning Civil War novel by Michael Shaara.  It tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg from Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet’s point of view.  What I am finding most interesting is that it doesn’t attempt to be a textbook story, it takes the information from actual documents and letters written by the men who fought.

The interesting and somewhat disappointing thing to know about the book is that the author struggled for years to get it published.  He finally did but it never saw critical acclaim during his lifetime.  Even being awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1975 did not help much.  It wasn’t until after his death that interest increased after the movie ‘Gettysburg‘ was based on it,  and it ultimately was number on on the NY Times bestseller list.  I’m excited to be learning more about Gettysburg because I’ll be making a trip there in June to walk the battlefield and learn about the leadership of the men who fought there.  I’ll be sharing more about that in the next month.

The Sun Also Rises

The Sun Also Rises was a book recommended by one of my closest friends.  I know many people are forced to read this in high school literature class, but somehow, I never had the pleasure to read it.

To me, this story speaks to us as readers today.  It takes place in post- WWI Paris and Spain but it could just as easily be written about us today.  There is the examination of a generation who seem to have a lack of communication, an unnaturally strong affinity to drinking, and the sense of false friendship.  I won’t make my own assumptions just yet because I’m still working my way through it.

Written by Ernest Hemingway, it is considered one of the best novels written in the twentieth century. It proves that although technology, jobs, or family structure may change, it’s still relevant today.

Finding Keepers

I have to admit, I am really excited to read this book and the way the chapters are set up has allowed me to quickly jump to the chapters that most interest me.  The discussions on employer branding and how to truly market your brand are worth the price of the book.  I especially like the section on marketing shorthand.

I received this book as a gift from Eric Winegardner of Monster.  He and Monster were generous to give them away at HRevolution.  I’ll be interested to see how other participants react to the tools in this book.  I may not be a recruiter from a job description perspective, but this is the book that will give me some good tips and tricks to share with the hiring managers I work with every day.

Thanks Monster!

Thinking For A Change

This is a book I’ve read and re-read several times.  Anything by John Maxwell tends to be good, but this one is my favorite.  I actually bought it several years ago when I was part of a mass HR layoff at PwC.

I like that it gives you real-life examples of how to change the way you think, how to open your mind, and how to respect the ideas of others.  I also think that the way that Maxwell builds in “thinking questions” and an action plan at the end of each chapter is a great way for the reader to actually attempt to weave the suggestions into daily practice.

My favorite chapter is Discovering the Joy of Creative Thinking.  It’s a great book to help guide yourself to approaching your life and your work in a way that embraces change.

So, what are you reading lately that is influencing your thinking?  Share it in the comments.

I’m going to give you the answer first, then all the questions.

The answer is RESPECT.

And now, the questions:

• What is the key to success?
• What motivates employees to come to work and really give it their all?
• What is the one thing that managers can give that has no cost but is worth more than anything?
• What is the one thing that when missing will cause employees to leave your company?

In business, we talk endlessly about how employees can be more productive.  We envision the ways that we can develop their skills, give them challenging projects, and turn them into the superstars of the team.  What we don’t talk enough about is respect.  Respect can have varying meanings to each of us, but basically it is the act of treating someone with esteem and holding them in high regard.

Here’s the challenge

I want you to think about respect today.

And tomorrow.

And the next day.

I want you to think about the tone of voice you use with your spouse or significant other, your children, your boss, your employee, your colleagues, and people you interact with in public.  I want you to just make an effort to really go out of your way to show respect.  Listen more, be attentive, be open to hearing someone else’s ideas, and instead of assuming the worst about someone, assume the best.

That’s what I’ll be doing with my time…won’t you join me?