Category Archives: Self-Help

October 17th is Global Ethics Day with Anagrams…

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This following is a Blog written by me yesterday at LinkedIn Pulse:  https://t.co/BydZhCrpyl

 

The ethics of wizards are very much like the ethics of people in our real-life world of work.  There is a spectrum of admirable, acceptable and unconscionable conduct to be seen.  TOM MORRIS*

Last week I attended a Conference sponsored by Convercent. It was called CONVERGE 2018 – Ethics in Action. The primary attendees were Ethics Officers in a multitude of industries, who enjoy life just as we do. No matter what profession you have, continuing to learn and being agile are necessary requirements for positions people hold today. Since October 17th is Global Ethics Day, I would like to share a few anagrams with you as follows:

E.arnestly listening, it became clear

T.hat the speaker told the truth.

H.e said what for many of us was not in our future.

I.t was necessary to pivot in order to

C.hange our path.  Be guided by integrity and who you are

S.o the judgments of others won’t keep you from your Purpose. ©Jo Ann M.         Radja

 

E.arly is better than later, he was

T.old.  Reading the proposal, questions

H.ad entered his mind.  An

I.nvestigation was necessary to

C.arefully uncover what the truth was.

S.o grateful for the advice to read the proposal early. ©Jo Ann M. Radja

 

E.arly Friday evening she heard,

T.hat’s her – and she was called a b___h.

H.e continued in bad form a few minutes later.

I.t’s always surprising how often you need to

C.ontrol your reaction.

S.o the situation is diffused and not reactive.  ©Jo Ann M. Radja

Ethics to YOU Too!™  as you enjoy this Wednesday at your chosen profession.

Here in Chicago, it is Ideas Week. During a presentation yesterday, at 600 South Michigan Avenue, the Leo Burnett Company sponsored an Event entitled, “Creativity: What Comes After the Spark.”   An artist from The Ink Factory created the following Poster© I hope you will enjoy it’s content:

Life is Good  – “Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive Coach

 

  •  Morris, Tom. If HARRY POTTER Ran GENERAL ELECTRIC. Page 106.  A Currency Book Published by Doubleday (2006), 252 pages.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa    This is a paid-for Business Account, hosted by WordPress.  It is for informational purposes only and NO cookies of a viewer’s personal data are kept by the owner of the account.

A Common Place Term: Bystander

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diffusion-responsibility-bystander-effect-illustration-crowd-witness-act-crime-doing-nothing-47422863It’s in the news recently, the term Bystander Effect or Bystander Action.  It’s the principle – when in a group of people, personal responsibility to assist/help someone is mostly not recognized.  Last week on March 30th,  the following post was published on Linkedin.com/Pulse on this subject:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/its-catching-now-understanding-jo-ann-m-radja

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The issues of Bystander Actions are present in our society at all levels.  Vice President Joe Biden has been involved in a Bystander action prevention program to discourage violence on college campuses and is planning to visit Pittsburg, PA today: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2016/04/05/Vice-President-Joe-Biden-in-Pittsburgh-today-for-It-s-On-Us-campaign/stories/201604050156  and the photo, to the left, is from the website:  www.lookfordiagnosis.com/mesh_info.php?term=Bystander+Effect&lang=1

Since WordPress.com represents the spirit of collegiality, I would like to share with you my September, 2015 presentation notes on Bystander Actors in the workplace.  It was prepared for a specific industry and is easily updated to fit any industry.  Included within the presentation are insights of Professor Mary Rowe from MIT, Senior Advisor – Compliance Strategist and Attorney, Joe Murphy, and Margaret Heffernan, Author of: Why We Ignore the Obvious to Our Peril, Willful Blindness.

As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As, have a great work week!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

Notes: Understanding Bystander Actions by Jo Ann M. Radja with Insights from Dr. Mary Rowe Ph.D September, 2015

Scenarios attachment   and  Bibliography and Resources

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Culture Diversity Awareness Perspective

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Be forceful with yourself, learn to integrate the negative, harnessing its force to cross the boundaries that would confine you.  John O’Donohue

Earlier today I published the following post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/weekend-cultural-perspective-jo-ann-m-radja for your weekend reading. . . thPZBEH363 Easter Tree Egg BING 032416

“Most of us read daily – reports, emails, online newspapers, LinkedIn posts, etc. A Spring surprise occurs when you click on a post and a brief read becomes memorable because it provides a new perspective.  The document I read is a brief read and is a take-away from a Nonviolent Leadership for Social Justice Retreat, written by Shameless Heart Coach, Marina Smerling.

Very simply, we are reminded to look into ourselves first.  Pay attention to what emotions are bubbling up in you when a trigger of words are spoken.  You begin the conversation because you know yourself very well.  And yet, an unconscious bias is trying to take hold in you while you want to control your reaction to the trigger of words.  A practice of not helping someone who didn’t ask for help may be the key to handle a trigger of words.  The issue is not the trigger itself, it is how are you handling yourself in the situation.  What are YOU paying attention to within yourself.

A perspective of how to handle yourself is to reach out as an ally.  As an ally you take away the “rank and privilege” connotation.  “I am your ally” is welcoming and creates a space that answers the question, “Why are your here?”

The photo above depicts a cultural practice of an Easter Tree.  What? you might say. Why would someone want to do that?  Perhaps it is another opportunity to understand the diversity in our community that believes the Easter Eggs represent new beginnings.  New beginnings is a universal concept that each of the member Coaches of the LinkedIn Group: Coaches for Equality and Diversity (CED) represent to foster understanding of these issues and its dynamics to the world at large.

 So what new beginnings during this Spring Season are you contemplating, as you Choose Who You Want to be Known As?   Whatever holiday you practice during the 2016 Spring Season, have a Happy Holiday!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja

Martha Lasley, Co-Founder of Leadership That Works, posted in the CED Group Marina Smerling’s document; written permission to share it with you was  given by Coach Smerling via Coach Lasley: http://www.leadershipthatworks.com/documentFiles/665.pdf

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December Musings for YOU…

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Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays.  The above photo was shot last evening of the Prudential Building, here in Chicago, across from Millenium  Park.

This is the search result for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “So This is Christmas…”

John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Vfp48laS8

Artists: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Plastic Ono Band

Featured artist: The Harlem Community Choir

Album: Some Time in New York City

Released: 1972

Lyrics: So this is Christmas, and what have you done / Another year over, a new one just begun / And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun / The near and the dear ones, the old and the young… Full lyrics on Google Play
 ————–

Last week I published a Post on LinkedIn Pulse and Twitter.  Here is the link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/jingle-all-way-jo-ann-m-radja

However you celebrate the December holidays, please Choose Who You Want to be Known As during the festivities.

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“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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Pepper Spice, Nuts, Fruit and other Bounty

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PinterestonBING112315a8c92ffe625b77a88ca1d83ef3f344d2Our workplace demonstrates how diversity enhances our well-being. We like to hear: “We’re glad you’re here.” “Thanks for bringing up that point, it adds to our conversation.” “I didn’t know that’s what it means in your culture.”

Our commonality looks for the difference we bring to the Table. It enables us to understand another viewpoint and how the viewpoint impacts the discussion.

With pride, we may bring to the Thanksgiving Table, pepper spice, nuts, fruit and our local Bounty – just a few of the diversity items we add to the mix of celebrating Thanksgiving. Because it is a centuries old tradition of giving thanks for a good harvest, our ancestors taught us to recognize how adversity shows us to step back and give thanks for what we did right during the year – whether during our career or personally.

New beginnings definitely took place during our career this year and we survived events we never contemplated. As You Choose Who You Want to be Known As this Thanksgiving, have a safe and enjoyable Holiday!

Shown below are a few websites that may bring a smile of knowing new facts about Thanksgiving —

8 Terrific Turkey Facts: http://www.livescience.com/17057-turkey-facts-thanksgiving.html

11 Surprising Thanksgiving Facts: http://www.livescience.com/41506-surprising-thanksgiving-facts.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=most-popular

Historical Facts about Thanksgiving you may not have known: http://www.plimoth.org/learn/multimedia-reference-library/read-articles-and-writings/thanksgiving-history

Enjoy! “Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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Monday Musing – 16 days into November 2015

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no_barriersBINGsearchforcontinuityimaes111615 Continuity in everything is unpleasant.  Cold is agreeable, that we may get warm.  Pascal

 

New words that describe continuity, words we might want to use and one word with 12 meanings are the subject matters of the following three recently posted articles on different aspects of continuity in today’s workplace.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/15/business/ibms-design-centered-strategy-to-set-free-the-squares.html?_r=1

 

http://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/38-convincing-words-and-phrases-to-adopt-immediately-.html

 

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/12-reasons-to-hire-employees-who-make-mistakes.html

Have a great week in your careers!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive & Career Management Coach

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When is Right, right?

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It usually comes down to what may be expedient, most likely to occur or even, “What’s in it for me?”  I found the above Dilbert cartoon, shared from tumblr, as an example of how we may inadvertently show ourselves as not demonstrating integrity, as in, “When is Right, right?”

Described as the most active public Philosopher in America, Tom Morris, explains that,

“The distinction between what is right and what is easy is one of the most important contrasts that can guide us in our lives and in our careers.”

If we are uncomfortable, uneasy or afraid to take the right step, we place roadblocks to do what is right in our actions at work.   We may even “self-sabotage” ourselves in our careers because we do not trust in our abilities.     Even though the cartoon character, shown above, was labeled as a work avoider and gave an “only if than” response, he quickly recognized it was wrong, then ran to make it right.

However, you Choose Who You Want to be Known As, be true to yourself in your decisions.  Have a great Day!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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Notes:  Morris, Tom. If Harry Potter Ran General Electric, Leadership Wisdom from the World of Wizards.  Currency Doubleday Publisher (2006), page 159.

Notes:  tumblr_mi8h0xtKme1rliu6yo1_500PromotefirstonbasisofIntegritythenmotivationalthenjobs

 

 

2nd Day of July 2015

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Today’s Musings on the 2nd Day of July, 2015:  We continue our preparations for celebrating the 4th of July.  Taking a moment to learn about what is also occurring on this day, A federal website shares information on the history and why so many Americans are excited to celebrate the 4th of July at http://usafederalholidays.com/independance-day/

The publication, “Medical Daily” printed a number of quotations on the 4th of July Celebration, which were posted by Anthony Rivas last year on the 3rd of July, as follows:

Freedom lies in being bold.  Robert Frost

The real American Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people, a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations.  This radical change of the people was the real American Revolution.  John Adams

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.    William Faulkner

Scientists also share the happy news that during this month of July, there are two full moons and accordingly, the second full moon is called a Blue Moon – http://www.earthsky.org/tonight.

Enjoy your Day!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

Note:  http://www.medicaldaily.com/20-july-4th-quotes-renew-your-patriotism-and-remind-you-why-we-celebrate-our-independence-291258

LABEL, LABELED, LABELING

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It’s interesting how people want others to know who they are. We like to be known either by our strengths, by our family position or by what we do for a living. Yet, there are times when a situation arises where we may say,   “Please don’t label me as . . . . .”  We express those words because we want to choose how we are evaluated, and perhaps because the label we heard “rubbed us the wrong way.”

Our salary depends on our performance for a position that we chose to accept. So, our employer does label us for the position we hold and we agreed to that label.  Under what circumstances does labelling come into play in our careers?    While researching a few blog ideas, I came across a fresh presentation of how people can be defined in their roles at the office.   It is called Dr. Edward de Bono’s “SIX THINKING HATS” [registered mark].  The California State University at Los Angeles prepared a brief slide share presentation explaining each “Thinking Hat” …

http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jpark/Six%20thinking%20hats.ppt

Should you be a Red Hat and strive to become a Green Hat, how would you obtain the educational training to do so?  Online and brick and mortar classes are available as well as many Human Resource Departments.  Business and Civic organizations also offer programs for self-development.  As you Choose Who You Want to be Known As let your Label shine though as you manage your career.  Enjoy your day!

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Executive and Career Management Coach

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Notes: http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/6hats.htm

 

 

We Celebrate President Lincoln’s Date of Birth

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We celebrate and remember February 12th as the birth of President Lincoln here in Illinois.  Earlier today I published a blog on this subject, via LinkedIn.com Pulse, https://t.co/0Mu2ZA6TFw.  I hope you enjoy these quotations from President Abraham Lincoln.

“Illinois Celebrates President Abraham Lincoln

“No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.”

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important that any one thing.”

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice that thorn bushes have roses.”

“I can make more generals, but horses cost money.” And lastly, “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.”

Enjoy your career day.

“Jo Ann” M. Radja, Career Management Coach & Change Agent

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