Majestic Trees

I was traveling along I-285N to my grandson’s basketball game, when the sign above informed me there were lane closures for the next 10 miles. I decided to detour for lane onto a familiar inner city road to get to my destination without delays. As a native Atlantan, I made several trips along this road as a child. My father would take us to visit relatives and it was also the shortcut to our weekend K-Mart shopping trip after church on Sunday. I was driving.

Maneuvering down the winding road, I observed the majestic trees that lined both sides of the two-lane street. During the sixties and seventies, most residents walked and used public transportation. I reflected on how these trees have a legacy of providing a canopy of coolness and shade. These trees protected the foot travelers loaded down with packages from the southern sun. Alternately, during the fall season the tall oaks and pines shed their leaves to provide nourishment for the soil and helped to retain the Georgia rain to sturdy the shallow roots an. This offered a much needed protection from the ensuing winter freezes so the trees would remain standing as the majestic and spout new leaves in the next spring.

I thought this Adult Learning Advocacy program is much like those majestic trees. We are here to nurture and protect. We are the tall trees. We are here when our followers need someone to listen and offer support for their learning journey. We are that mulch, the leaves that have fallen on the soil. We are here share our wisdom and teach based on what we have learned with our mentees.  We use our experiences to feed their creativity and dreams.

As you are nearing the end of the semester, If you need a sounding board for your career ideas or pondering decisions about what courses to take next semester. That is what this program is for---we are here to listen and we are here to share.

Managing Obstacles!

While on the panel at Spelman’s Geek Week, one of the students inquired on how we handled work that we did not like. I shared that in college, work and life, I learned two things. First, expect the unexpected. Some situations may not unfold as we planned. Secondly, in all the assignments that I received over the course of the twenty+ years, I always walked away with invaluable knowledge in an unfamiliar business area, technology or process. My experience is all experience provides room for growth.

This morning I read an article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, “21 Thoughts for a Rich, More Purposeful Life” that sums it up! http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/how-to/growth-strategies/2015/11/21-thoughts-for-a-richer-more-purposeful-life.html

Here is the list of 21 thoughts that I thought would be helpful to read and revisit when faced with an obstacle or situation (Midterms, holidays, etc.) that is being perceived as insurmountable.

1. The most destructive habit: Worry.
2. The greatest joy: Giving.
3. The greatest loss: Loss of self-respect.
4. The most satisfying work: Helping others.
5. The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness.
6. The most endangered species: Dedicated leaders.
7. Our greatest natural resource: Our youth.
8. The greatest “shot in the arm”: Encouragement.
9. The greatest problem to overcome: Fear.
10. The most effective sleeping pill: Peace of mind.
11. The most crippling disease: Excuses.
12. The most powerful force in life: Love.
13. The most incredible computer: The brain.
14. The worst thing to be without: Hope.
15. The deadliest weapon: The tongue.
16. The two most power-filled words: I can.
17. The greatest asset: Faith.
18. The most worthless emotion: Self-pity.
19. The most beautiful attire: A smile.
20. The most prized possession: Integrity.
21. The most contagious spirit: Enthusiasm.

 

Keep It Moving!

This past week I had meetings scheduled to obtain decisions on my manuscript at the Atlanta Writers Conference and for the business proposals submitted for the Advocacy Program. I  was pleased to obtain prompt decisions to aid me in future planning for these initiatives.

The literary agent provided invaluable feedback and direction for me to take in getting the manuscript ready to publish. Her publishing house was unable to take on my small project. After she heard my pitch, she was clear on why it was the best direction for me. I now have other sources to submit the manuscript when I am ready to move forward. I set a personal deadline for March 2016.

My business proposal did not get the approvals that were needed to move forward. I do not consider this as rejection. Why? I was able to discuss my ideas with leaders in the Adult Learning space. The opportunity to talk with them for a full hour was priceless. My passion for this program kept them listening until I completed my presentation. While the timing was not right for this fiscal period, I am optimistic about the potential for future collaborations with these leaders. In the meantime, I will continue to use my words to encourage adult learners at Georgia institutions, as opportunities to talk become available.

This past year I learned the message in my talks is needed. I have seen how I can help inspire and coach others through the challenges that I experienced as an adult student. I hear others in the business community being inspired by our Adult Learning Advocacy mission. We are making strides in bridging the educational, skills, and opportunities gap.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UneducatedConjecturing2015/

 
 

Collaboration

In September, a team of MBA students from J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University were named winners of the National Black MBA Association’s Case Competition. Their case won over entries from thirty-three other teams. One of the students attributed the team’s success to their ability to effectively 'collaborate' and continuously develop their ideas together. The results of their joint efforts were incorporated into the final presentation.

Last week, I attended an IT conference at Rock Eagle, I participated in sessions with very smart people who came to share lessons learned, best practices and innovative ideas with their peers. The conference epitomized 'collaboration'. One of my former GSU classmates is embarking on a new business venture as I am. While I was at Rock Eagle he attended another SBA event. We both returned with information that would enhance the other's business. We touch base to encourage each other, share business strategies and provide constructive feedback to help in areas that are not our strong suit. Collaboration.

We are all uniquely created and bring diverse perspectives to our work and relationships. It is a good thing. When we listen and accept the creativity and resourcefulness in others we experience the optimum in collaboration. We learn there is no competition among individuals as we each bring distinct views that are invaluable when we cooperate to undertake tasks or an objective. Our educational institutions encourage students to team together and work interdependently to obtain the best possible results. Our 21^st Century businesses require that we inspire more collaboration and sharing of innovative ideas in the workplace. We need the adult graduates to step into their careers with businesses that promote the same behaviors learned in their educational institutions. Are you a conduit for collaboration?

Next Generation of Innovators

This past week was spent preparing my manuscript for a review. After editing and printing and reading repeatedly, I finally had a version that satisfied me. My grandson was on Fall Break which provided an opportunity for him to hang out at my house.

 My grandson is a voracious reader and will often read passages from his books to me.  His love of words will sometimes amaze me. When he was in the third grade, he shared a passage about a young boy from one of his favorite authors. It read, "He had the warmth of a fire, a cold chicken leg and a dog to share it with." I was struck by the beautifully constructed sentence and was stunned that he found it so at such an early age. 

 For this reason, each morning at breakfast I shared with him a few details about my manuscript submission. I needed some help. I asked him if he would lend his masterful reading skills to vet a few pages. The chapter I gave him was about my first encounter with a Texas Instruments calculator in the early '90s. After my final edits, my grandson sat on the hammock and read the pages. He shared his impression of the story, we both found math to be a challenge. Then he inquired, "Why didn't you go to 'You Tube' to obtain instructions for the calculator." This thirteen year-old boy finds instructions for his video games, robotics, repairing his PC and you name it on this video sharing website. I smiled and reminded him that this was the period before Google, TV remote controls and the smart devices that are so prevalent today. "Oh yeah", he says. For an instant he had forgotten. He lives with the expectation that technology is as vital to his being as is water and air.

 I reflected on how much progress the world has made with technology. I was somewhat of a pioneer and collaborated with some pretty smart people on wireless innovations that we can't live without today. I was at a local community college recently and simply awed by the conversations I had with the next generation of innovators in STEM. 

IBM 300PL - 1990's PC

Daily Distractions

Taking on work, family and schooling is a major juggling act. Then you have to add in all the unexpected life events that come with keeping all of these balls in the air. For instance, your child is not feeling well and you need to get a sitter, your car breaks down, the children come home with a boatload of homework and you have an equal load to complete the next day, too. You reach in the mailbox and extract a bundle of envelopes---including past due bills. It can become overwhelming.

One morning in my second year of college, I woke up as normal and started my day. By the end of the day I was feeling a bit of rushed. I was late getting to my first class because my boss handed me a last minute assignment. I needed to complete her letter by early morning so I stayed late to ensure it was on her desk when she arrived the next day. On the way home a warning signal appeared on the dashboard of the car. “What next,” I thought?

Well, the drama continues. The next evening I started dinner and found I was missing a key ingredient, my son told me he had a Physics project due the next day and needed a large lab beaker for water. As for me, I had an exam the next evening and had planned to sequester myself to study. Then I found a past due bill lying in the mound of mail that one of the children had placed on the table. By the way, the warning signal on the dash was still there.

I grabbed my keys and my child and off we went to find lab supplies for his project. On the way back I picked up the can of tomato sauce that I needed for my dish. I helped my son get started on his project and prepared our dinner while giving him assistance with nailing wood to a large board.  Within a couple of hours we were done, had our meal together and I was able to prepare for my exam.

Before I opened the books, I looked at the bill and saw the due date was after my next pay day. As for the car, I decided that I would take it to the shop after my exams. I had handled what I could control and there was no need to ruminate about the bills and money to repair the car. My priority was to study and pass my exam. I needed my head clear to focus. I passed the exam, my son’s project impressed his instructor and I paid that bill. As for the car, it died even after I put all my money into the repair.

 By the end of that week I could have been feeling I was being pulled in every direction, instead I focused on what I could mitigate. The rest I deferred in my mind to address later.

An unexpected event is inevitable and you can allow it to disrupt your day. Distractions can convince you that the additional responsibilities for completing your schooling are just too much. Or you can decide what it is you can control and work on that.

Week after week, there were situations that could have distracted me and made me think I was not up to the challenge. I knew better. It may have seemed easier to quit--again. I didn’t! I persevered and you know the rest of my story. GSU BBCIS 1997

 

Human Individuality-- No Two of a Kind

Over the past year, I’ve read several books that emphasize how the changing workforce has impacted the American labor force.  Over the past thirty years, we have seen jobs outsourced and manufacturing facilities moved to areas outside of the US. Some in today’s labor force are finding it difficult to accept the jobs model that originated during the Industrial Age is gone—forever.

Earlier in my career I was laid off and furloughed multiple times. Finally, I realized I had to re-tool to acquire sought-after and marketable employment skills. Acquiring a technical degree provided unimaginable opportunities for me, yet I had to differentiate myself from the other graduates to gain and retain my career in the IT field.

While today's students are studying hard to complete courses and graduate, they must remember the market will require talents that are not learned in the book. To improve their competitive edge students will need to develop and sharpen their soft skills.

Written and verbal communication, interpersonal, creativity, leadership, problem solving, and motivation skills are the soft skills that you will need to build to succeed in the business world. It is well-documented that the level in which these skills are developed is indicative of your emotional intelligence.

I would advise adult learners to consider building the first three in the list --communications, interpersonal, and creativity skills. These well-honed skills can immediately differentiate you from the person in the next cubicle.

It was my nature to listen more than I spoke in group settings. But I seldom hesitated to ask questions for fear of sounding uninformed. In the classroom, this served me well. The cost of the courses alone were enough to motivate me get my money's worth out of each course. If I did not understand portions of the lecture, I spoke up and had the professor repeat or further elaborate on certain points until I was clear. Other students often nodded to convey their ‘thanks’ because they were just as lost as I was on that topic.

In the workplace, I was also very comfortable with approaching and communicating with people at all levels of the business. Similarly, I never felt pressure when it came to contributing my ideas in meetings, even as a menial clerical worker. Fortunately, these were not hurdles for me.

However, until I learned the art of making small talk and then 'The Pitch', I fact-checked my content and rehearsed every word before I cold-called department heads to communicate or make a request.

In 1996, I interned with a company to gain some experience with a large IT department. Late one evening, the manager requested the team pull together a report within a short timeframe.

We divided the tasks. For my portion, I used Excel to create spreadsheets using the V-Lookup function and pivot tables.  The team was wowed by these simple tools. I showed them how it was done. I had been considering ways to apply the lessons from my Decision Sciences course and this was the perfect opportunity to be creative and differentiate my skills.

The manager offered me a full-time position with an equitable compensation package the next week. Overtime, I developed even better techniques to provide clear and concise presentations to communicate with executive management when I needed their decisions and approvals.

If you reading this and know that you have the temperament that does not lend well to connecting with people, delivering presentations or speaking in a room filled with your peers and management, then use your class time and assignments to improve on your written and verbal communication, interpersonal and creativity skills.

Here is an assignment if this message speaks to you.

1.  Overcome your fear of judgement and be the first to ask a question in class when you don’t understand.

2.  Speak up and share your thoughts on the subject matter to the professor.

3.  Volunteer to help others if you have grasped a concept that other students are struggling to learn.

4.  Create, create, create…incorporate your innate talents and unique views, where it makes sense, into your assignments. You are one of a kind. Show off your exceptional aptitude for being creative!

5.  Attend school events and get comfortable in this setting with approaching school administrators, professors and students to learn more about them.

What this does for you is clarify that you are smarter than you believed, provides self-confirmation that you have something to contribute, affords an opportunity for you to meet like-minded people and discover there are great folks out there who see your unique abilities and they want to know you, too.

Taking these actions will build your confidence and expand your connections. These small steps can help you gain the attention of the people willing to mentor you on your new career path or assist with advancing your career.

Share with me in an e-mail how you express your individuality. What are you doing to differentiate?

 

 

 

In Honor of Grandparents

Today is Grandparent’s Day and I am honored to speak to the grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents on whose shoulders I stand. In my upcoming book, I analyze these legacy relationships and speak to the character of the relatives in which I share DNA. They are no longer with me, but the lessons I learned from them are woven into how I work, cook, read, garden, and care for myself and others.

As a second grader, I would climb the wooden stairs to the upper rooms to read the lessons book to all the grandparents in the Adult Sunday School class at my church. They were so impressed with my reading abilities and would stuff my little purse with peppermint candies as they praised me for the promising future they were certain I would have.

It was much later that I realized these men and women who were born in the 1920’s could not read and for various reasons may or may not have been able to attend school. When I re-enrolled in the university I understood I owed a debt to them and honored them by finishing my college education. Today, I continue to pay this legacy forward by mentoring and lending my time to encourage other non-traditional students to achieve their goals.

During this past Valentine’s weekend, I made a special lunch for my grandsons. While we shared the meal, I asked them to name five things they loved about school, home, parents, family and themselves. My eldest grandson is wise and very observant at twelve years of age. He immediately said he loved his soft bed and the fact that I showed up for all of his school events.

I often traveled while he was in elementary school but arranged my time to be present on the front row for his school programs and also supported the school fundraisers. I did not want to miss a minute of it. Isn’t that what we all want--to have people show up for us?

I know the fall semester is underway and those non-traditional students enrolled in some form of collegiate studies are likely to be inundated with multiple assignments due each week. The fall season is also the time for our children to be involved in cheerleading, football, band and other fall activities. For a period during my schooling, my car was inoperable and I did not have the funds to repair as I needed to cover the costs for my books. I remember taking a taxi to the high school stadium as my son was accustomed to me being there no matter what. Don’t neglect your other obligations to just focus on the one in front of you. Yes, it is a lot to juggle!

Stay centered and arrange your time so you do not miss the memories with those who share your legacy. You honor those that came before and the ones following in your footsteps by accomplishing your educational goals and keeping your family intact.

Weed Out Courses

Fall Semester 2015 is underway for most students. Whether you are just starting as a freshman or a returning adult student you will need to prepare for the "weed out" courses.

I did not know these weed out courses existed until I reenrolled in the University in the early ‘90s.  I expressed my concerns for getting a passing grade on an assignment with very a young student sitting next to me in the near empty classroom. We both had arrived early and I began to mumble out loud as I checked my paper once more prior to handing over to the Accounting professor. “What is a weed out course”, I asked. I was in my late thirties and had not been in a classroom setting since the 1980’s.

A weed-out class I soon found out is an introductory class or Level 100 course that targets students who may not be a good match for their chosen major. For example, I was a student enrolled in the School of Business. The Accounting courses were required for this major. Later, I had to meet all of the math prerequisites to qualify for the Computer Information Systems’ courses. 

I am a southern gardener and consider the weeds in my flower beds as plants in the wrong place. To think University’s everywhere associated me with that dreadful, unwanted plant life that I yank out, spray and dig up to maintain my beautiful roses really raised my ire. But then why get indignant, I thought. I quickly corrected myself sitting at that desk. I am not a weed! I intended to flourish in that collegiate garden.

Well, I struggled with a couple of those introductory classes, but I was determined to accomplish my goals. I survived those courses without dropping out or failing.

If you are bravely tackling those first-level courses to improve your skills or advance your career, let me remind you that you are not a weed--you are a flower. Stay the course and bloom! 


Photo of Amaryllis' in full bloom taken in my spring garden (2015) .

 

Two jobs, two sons and a full course load!

I enrolled in the University while already managing a family as a solo parent. To make ends meet I was already working two jobs, a 9 to 5 on weekdays and one part-time weekend gig. I worked seven days a week and taking time off was not an option for both professional and financial reasons.

My family, work and collegiate commitments carried equal weight. Recently, I plucked up Steven Covey's book from my shelf and re-read it. In his book, centering your life commitments should be our ultimate goal. My focused strategy to meet all of my obligations, to keep all the balls in the air was essential to my success.

Each quarter, I balanced my schedule around my sons' upcoming school events. The boys stepped up to share cleaning and meal preparation, but I had to make sure bills were paid on time, take care of the weekly grocery shopping and any incidentals that came up.

I also planned my course load for the year to complete pre-requisites and maximize the credits needed as a Computer Information Systems candidate. Breaks were spent putting in the quality time at home so our family life flowed as normal when I had to keep my head down to study.

Five years after I entered the university, I marched up to the podium and received my Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems (BBACIS) from the J. Mack Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Tenacious!