Documentation Made Easy: The Journal

The subject for this article was shaped by two totally independent conversations, both held within one week. I had the pleasure of conducting a full-day workshop with a group of east Tennessee administrators. One of the principals had heard me present before. She is extremely technology savvy, and the group as a whole was knowledgeable about technology and hungry for more. A few minutes before I began, she asked me, “Will you be talking about the journal you use for documentation?”

Later in the same week, I was visiting a friend who is principal at a school which is on the cutting edge of technology in many ways. During the day, the topic of conversation turned to “the journal.” How interesting these two conversations with digital people turned to this paper-based topic!

As digital as I am, my journal has been a trusted friend for many years. It is nothing more than a book of blank lined paper with all of its contents arranged chronologically. When I sit down for a one-on-one conference, that book opens. It goes with me to every meeting and is open on my desk ready to accept notes from every phone call. Moreover, it is one journal. Not one for meetings, another for one-on-one discussions, another to serve as a phone log, etc. One journal holds everything. Therein lies the beauty and simplicity of it all.

Each day begins where the previous one left off. At the end of the day, I make decisions on what I need to do about those notes and put the results of those decisions on my to-do list. I also think about when I may want to see those notes again. When all of the pages are full, the journal goes on the shelf and a new one takes its place. In one of the conversations mentioned, a principal told of an issue involving dismissing a teacher in the middle of the previous school year. Every administrator knows that documentation, and lots of it, is necessary to make a termination stick. The principal explained how documentation of the teacher’s performance had been included in the journal. Before dismissing the teacher, an attorney was consulted to determine if the documentation was sufficient.

The attorney’s response came in two parts. First, he said, the amount and detail of the documentation was sufficient. Equally important was there was documentation related to so many different things. It was obvious this was not a plot to single out one person, but rather a comprehensive system of documentation that captures the good, the bad, the routine, and the out-of-the-ordinary, all in one place.

Those who have attended workshops with me hear of the day during my principalship the Department of Human Resources showed up at my door to tell me that a complaint had been filed against one of my teachers. As the case worker talked, I opened my journal to notes taken months earlier which showed clearly the teacher had done nothing wrong. Before leaving my office, that complaint was dropped, all because of the documentation I had taken during a routine meeting, notes I thought I would never need again.

 We never know when a situation that seems unimportant may later become crucial. We need a system that allows us to trap notes on the fly, needs next to no maintenance, and allows us to get back to our notes on demand. My journal has made the job of documentation easy…easy enough I will actually do it.

First Impressions of Windows 8

I recently purchased a new laptop computer, and it is running Windows 8. After hearing much complaining around Cyberspace about the absence of the "Start "menu, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to get up to speed on the new operating system.

For all practical purposes, Microsoft has taken the Start menu and the Launcher and merged them into a Start Screen. For those unfamiliar with Windows 8, give it a try the next time you are in any store which  has display models. Yes, the screen look different. But, if the press the Windows key, you suddenly see a desktop that look exactly like what you have always seen.

Here is short video (around 3 minutes) which gives a good overview of Windows 8:




For those who have worked with Windows 8 for a while, what are your thoughts on Windows 8 versus Windows 7?

Red Skelton and the Pledge of Allegiance

In school all across America, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is part of the daily routine. In this video, Red Skelton recalls a teacher who took this recitation a step further, and explains the words contained in the pledge.

As we celebrate Flag Day, this is the perfect time to revisit the meaning behind the words we say.

Checklists: A Final Example

The last three posts have examined the value of checklists. In this final post on the subject, we will take one more goal from beginning to end.

Putting quality teachers in every classroom is at the top of every principal's priority list. Most teaching vacancies occur during the summer, but they could occur at any time. Filling that position entails a process which includes quite a few steps. The process will differ somewhat from district to district. For me, hiring and inducting a new teacher encompassed the following steps:

1. Talk to superintendent regarding resignation and filling position
2. Position posted
3. Screen applicants
4. Check to be sure applicants meet certification and "Highly Qualified Teacher" requirements
5. Set up interviews
6. Contact references
7. Submit recommendation
8. Board approval
9. Notify successful candidate
10. Notify non-successful candidates
11. Add to birthday list
12. Assign copier code
13. Assign alarm code
14. Assign voice mail
15. Establish e-mail account
16. Add to e-mail group
17. Label mailbox
18. Add to the school administrative software
19. Add to School Renewal committee
20. Assign mentor
21. Put "Acceptable Use Policy" in box
22. Start a personnel file

With this method, I can track many goals at the same time. Nothing slips through the cracks, because everything is in writing and dated so that it appears at the right time. Every one of those steps was required in order to hire and induct a teacher. When a position became available, my first step was to go to the Notes section of Outlook and drag to the Task button the Note entitled, "xx Position has been filled and new hire inducted." In that Note were all of the steps listed above.

If I was using Evernote I would highlight the text of the appropriate note and paste it into the note section of a new task in my digital to-do list. 

To start things off, I would amend the subject line to tell me which position is being filled. The line may then read something like "1st Grade Position has been filled and new hire inducted." Next would be to cut the first task, "Talk to superintendent regarding resignation and filling position," and paste it in the subject line just before the "xx." Then, I ask myself when I want to see that task again and assign a start/due date.

From now until that new teacher is hired and inducted, I am working through the 22 steps. At all times, I know exactly what comes next. It's pasted just to the left of the "xx." I also know what comes after that. It's listed in the note section of the Task.

With this method, I can track many goals at the same time. Nothing slips through the cracks, because everything is in writing and dated so that it appears at the right time.

Checklists: Walking Through The Process

In the last post, I talked about the checklists which I have maintained in the Notes section of Outlook, and now do so in a notebook called "Checklists" in Evernote. In this post, I will show how I work through these checklists using as an example one titled "xx Grading Period has been concluded." It's one I used as a principal and is one that would be applicable to any school.

During the summers, the ending dates for each grading period were established. When each grading period ended, I wanted to be presented with a list of tasks which needed to be done without my having to think about them. Armed with the ending dates of each grading period, here is the procedure:

1. Open Outlook and click the "Notes" button.If using Evernote, click on the "Checklist" notebook.
2. Locate the checklist which says, "xx Grading Period has been concluded."
3. Click on the checklist and drag the mouse to the Task button of Outlook.
4. When I let off the mouse, a new Task has been created. The subject of the task is automatically completed--It is the same as the title of the Note. All of the information in the Note is duplicated in the body of the Task.
5. If I am using Evernote, highlight the text of the checklist. Copy and paste it in to the note section of a new Toodledo task.
6. Assign a start/due date to the task coinciding with the final day of the first grading period.
7. Save and close the task.
8. Repeat the process for each grading period, dragging the checklist to the Task button (or copying for Evernote), assigning a start/due date, and saving/closing the task.

When the final day of the first grading period arrives, I see a task which reads, "xx Grading Period has been concluded." The note section of that task contains the following items:

1. Allow grade posting
2. Remind teachers to post grades
3. Run check to see who has not posted grades
4. Run "Missing Grade" report
5. Run Accelerated Reader Marking Period Report
6. Disallow grade posting
7. Run "Reconcile Grades"
8. Run report cards
9. Run Honor Roll
10. Put Honor Roll ribbons in boxes
11. Send Honor Roll list to newspaper
12. Run grade distribution
13. Run failure list

With my system, the "xx" at the first of the line indicates that I need to define the next step toward the accomplishment of my goal. Those steps are listed in the note section. I look at the first step, "Allow grade posting." In the student administrative software, I turn on "grade posting," which will allow teachers to electronically report their grades to the office.

...whoever is handling the procedure needs to be able to handle the details with as little time and effort as possible. Having a checklist like this is the way to do it. I look at the next step, the one which involves reminding teachers to post grades. I immediately open a new e-mail message and quickly send information to teachers that they can post their grades.

The next step says, "Run check to see who has not posted grades." I cannot perform that step right now. I will have to wait until teachers have been given a reasonable amount of time to post their grades. I can go no further with this goal right now and must stop. What I do is cut the step which says, "Run check to see who has not posted grades" and paste it in the subject line just before the "xx" sign. Now the task reads as follows:

Run check to see who has not posted grades xx Grading Period has been concluded

I ask myself, "When do I want to see this task again?" and assign a start/due date in Outlook. Now this task and this goal are out of sight and out of mind. They will magically reappear on the date I had prescribed.

When the deadline arrives for teachers to post grades, I can resume working on this goal. I know exactly where I left off. The next step is in the subject line of the task just before the "xx" and the goal is to the right of the "xx" sign. In the administrative software, I run a list of teachers who have not posted grades. If one or more teachers have not posted their grades, I can go no further with this goals. I send a reminder to the teachers and reschedule the task to appear the next day.

On the other hand, if all teachers have posted grades, I can go straight to the next step, "Run 'Missing Grade' report. If there are missing grades, I can go no further and must alert the appropriate teachers of what is missing. If there are no missing grades, I can continue straight down the list and accomplish steps number 5-13 to the extent that time and my level of concentration will allow.

My feeling is that when you start to work on a goal, the best practice is to take that goal as far as possible before switching to something else. When you must leave that goal, put a bookmark in it. That bookmark consists on cutting and pasting the next step into the subject line just before the "xx" sign. The next time you want to resume working on that goal, you know exactly where to start.

I need a trigger to cause me to look at the grading period checklist back in the summer and start dragging this and other checklists to the Task button. That trigger consists of one repeating task which comes back every summer. It instructs me to look at all of the checklists, drag them to the Task button in Outlook (or copy and paste from Evernote), and start to assign start/due dates.

This checklist is one I used at the end of every grading period of every year. Some principals may choose to delegate the handling of this procedure to an assistant principal or administrative assistant. Still, whoever is handling the procedure needs to be able to handle the details with as little time and effort as possible. Having a checklist like this is the way to do it.

Does this post remind you of checklists you have? I would be interested to hear about the lists you use.

Some Checklists I Have Used

Making a coconut cake
Enrolling a student in school
Ending a grading period
Packing for an out-of-town trip

All of these activities have some commonalities:

1. They have a number of steps involved in order to be complete.
2. They will happen numerous times, so having a pre-defined list of the steps will serve as a huge time-saver.
3. They do not necessarily recur on a regular schedule (every week, every month, etc.)

In the last post you read about the importance of using checklists in the medical profession and their implications elsewhere. Today, we examine checklists in the school setting.

As an elementary school principal, at the end of every grading period, we performed the following steps in the main office:

1. Allow grade posting
2. Remind teachers to post grades
3. Run check to see who has not posted grades
4. Run "Missing Grade" report
5. Run Accelerated Reader Marking Period Report
6. Disallow grade posting
7. Reconcile grades (Utilities, Grading, Reconcile grades)
8. Run report cards
9. Run Honor Roll
10. Put Honor Roll ribbons in boxes
11. Send Honor Roll list to newspaper
12. Run grade distribution
13. Run failure list

Working through the list was a cinch. Trying to remember everything on the list would have been a nightmare and surely manifested itself in forgotten items time and time again. But where does one keep this sort of information? How does it work into the overall system? Enter the beauty of checklists.

For Outlook users, the answer is to use the Note section of Outlook. Each checklist is a separate note. For those who use Evernote, create a notebook called "Checklists" and let each of your checklists be a separate note.Here are the checklists that I have in my Outlook Notes:

xx Additional Academic Indicator of 95% has been met
xx BBSST To-Do List
xx Calendar dates have been scheduled
xx Calendar for new school year has been adopted
xx Code of Conduct has been revised
xx Computer is set up
xx Distribution lists have been updated
xx District Accreditation review has been completed and paperwork submitted
xx Evaluations have been completed
xx Grading Period has been concluded
xx Interpreter for PTO meetings and Awards Day have been secured
xx Packing List
xx Position has been filled and new hire inducted
xx Professional Development has been planned
xx Professional Development Plan has been submitted
xx Recruiting Fair has been organized
xx Renaissance Place is ready for new school year
xx SETS is ready for new school year
xx State Superintendent's Art Show has been held
xx STI is ready for new school year
xx Teacher of the Year/JSU Hall of Fame have been submitted and winners honored
xx Time Management Workshop has been planned

Look at what each one of these titles has in common:

1. Almost without exception, the title consists of a statement which is either true or false.
2. As long as the statement is false, there is more to be done.
3. When the statement is true, the goal has been achieved. In other words, we can "check it off."
4. Each statement begins with a noun.
5. Each statement is preceded by a double x (xx).
6. Each title represents a goal which will be undertaken once or more every year.
7. The exact dates involved with any one of the goals will vary from year to year.

In the next two posts, I will take two of the samples from the list and "think out loud" so that you can see how what seems to be an overwhelming list becomes a set of small, doable tasks which simply become part of my task list.

It's a Matter of Life and Death...Literally

I like simple concepts, because the simple things are usually the things which wind up working. One shining example is The Checklist Manifesto, a book written by a surgeon and aimed at saving lives. The premise of the book? Develop checklists to be used in the operating room. Why would a doctor need checklists? Haven't they been trained and know what to do? Of course they do. You and I have been trained for the jobs we do, but do we always remember every step of every routine exactly at the right time? If you are like me, the answer is a resounding "no."

In a post entitled "I Do It When I Think About It" I talked about developing a system which causes you to think about things at the right time. This book operates along the same lines. Borrowing from pre-flight checklists used by airlines, author Atul Gawande's idea was to devise simple lists to be used before the incision and during routines procedures. Instead of having everything rolling around in their heads and hoping they think about it at the right time, there is the list to use just before the incision. Would you want a system in place to be sure that nothing was being overlooked if you were on the operating table?

Set aside a little time to identify those activities in your life where a checklist would help. For a more in-depth review, you may this one or this one, both from the New York Times. You may also view an interview with the author on The Daily Show.

Personally, I did not think the concept justified the 200 page length of the book. I do think the book is significant in that it helps to hammer home the need to identify those tasks that we perform repeatedly and get them into a system.

As a principal, I used checklists to handle numerous routines. Closing out a grading period was one. Failure to run a "missing grades report" before running report cards could mean having to re-print them because a teacher had failed to post grades. Failure to e-mail our honor roll to the newspaper would mean that our students would miss out on that recognition. In fact, overlooking any one of the steps would cause a problem somewhere down the line.

I had a checklist for getting the students information system software ready for the next school year and even gave my checklist to other principals in the school system. On the first day of school, those who had followed it to the letter had no problems. Those who did not found their teachers could not take attendance because certain dates had not been entered in the office.

What are the routine projects that you have? How much time would it take to think through the steps one time and write them down? How much time would it save not having to redo work because a step had been skipped here or there? How much stress would be saved in not having to worry about whether something had been left out in the heat of battle?

Set aside a little time to identify those activities in your life where a checklist would help. The tool does not inhibit your creativity. Instead, it takes care of the mundane and allows more energy for the creative aspects of your life.

The master thinker knows that ideas are elusive and often quickly forgotten, so he traps them with notebook and pencil. He heeds the Chinese proverb: “The strongest mind is weaker than the palest ink.”
—Wilferd A. Peterson in Adventures in the Art of Living

Run for Your Life! It's a Hoax

"Want a free computer? Just forward this e-mail to 8 people." Not only did someone send me that e-mail, but it's the third time in the course of a week I had gotten the same one. Shouldn't I forward it to my entire address book just in case it's for real? Well...no. It's a hoax. Two things tell me that:

1. Common sense. (Come on. Why in the world would anybody be giving away free computers for just forwarding an e-mail?)
2. A quick little copy and paste into Google. It takes all of five seconds, and armed with this simple technique, you can figure out which e-mails are on the up-and-up and which are hoaxes.

Here is all you need to do:

1. Highlight a hunk of text from the e-mail and use the Copy command (Control-C).
2. Go to Google.
3. Click in the search line and use the paste command (Control-V).
4. Hit enter.
5. Sit back and watch the fireworks. You are going to get hits that tell you instantly whether or not you have hooked a hoax.

Aren't Hoaxes Just Simple, Harmless Fun?
If you call wasting your own work time, contributing the problem of junk e-mail in everyone's in-box, and clogging up your employer's server simple, harmless fun, I guess you have a good point.

Other hoaxes are actually more harmful. Take, for example, the Teddy Bear Hoax. It was a popular one five to ten years ago, but I would not be surprised to see it crank up again. Readers were warned about a virus and told how to search for a particular file. If the file was present, the computer was infected. The e-mail would go on to explain how to get rid of the infected file. Finally, the e-mail would ask that people forward the e-mail to everyone else.

It seemed everyone receiving the e-mail was finding that yes indeed, they did have this suspect file on their computer. Well, there was good reason everyone was finding they had that file...everyone was supposed to have that file! It was a part of Windows and served a very good function! (Now the problem was figuring out how to get the deleted file back again.)

A school system found that the Teddy Bear Hoax had been circulated widely before it came to the attention of its tech support folks. Pretty frantic notices went out for people to stop forwarding the hoax and not to delete the file described in the e-mail.

Being Part of the Solution
Whenever I get one of these suspect e-mails, the drill I follow is:

1. Under no circumstances add to the problem by forwarding the email.
2. Use the "copy-Google-paste" routine I described earlier.
3. Copy the URL of one of the sites that explains the hoax.
4. Go back to the e-mail and hit "Reply."
5. Paste the URL into the message.
6. Just above the link, I generally include the message, "Run for your life! It's a hoax!"
7. Hit "Send."

By the way, I have some shares of the Brooklyn Bridge I would be willing to sell if anyone is interested.


Did you like this post? Click one of the small social media icons below to share with others. Feel free to leave a comment below with your own thoughts.

How to Save Items to Read Later

Our mobile devices allow us to read digital material from anywhere. Often, we read something we want to review later. Perhaps we want to discuss it with someone else. Maybe we want to view some of the links in the article and don't have the time right now. Perhaps we simply want to re-read the article later. How do we handle that sort of thing in a digital world?

My digital reading material falls into four categories:

1. Articles of interest in the 100 blogs which comprise my RSS feed
2. Links to articles in Twitter messages
3. Documents I have downloaded
4. Websites I am reading and wish to re-visit

Articles in my RSS Feed
I use Feedly to gather into one place new material from the 100 blogs to which I subscribe. I can flip through articles which are of no interest. The next time I check Feedly, those articles no longer appear. I can read an article, and Feedly automatically marks it as "read." When I return to Feedly, that article no longer appears.

One situation remains. I read an article and decide I want to read it, or do something else with it, later. On each Feedly post, a small ribbon icon appears. Scrolling over that icon reveals a message, "Save for later." Clicking that ribbon turns it green and marks it as saved.

At any time, I can open Feedly and click on "Saved for Later" in the left-hand column. All of the articles I have marked are now before me. As long as the ribbon is green, the article will be available in the "Saved for Later" section. When I am done with the article, I click the green ribbon to "unsave."


Links to Articles in Twitter Messages
I find out about many good articles through links in Twitter. I usually read Twitter during spare moments. It's a great way to handle "waiting time." Clicking those links to read the articles is something that generally happens later.

When a tweet looks interesting, I click the star to "favorite" it. In Hootsuite, I have a stream labeled "Favorite Tweets." Everything I have marked on my phone while reading tweets during spare minutes shows up in this stream. When I am done with any tweet, I click the star again to "unfavorite" it.


Documents I Have Downloaded
Reading is something I like to handle in spare minutes. With printed material, I have a decorative inbox where I collect magazines and books. When I anticipate downtime on any errand, I throw some of that reading material in my briefcase.

With digital reading material, I have a folder in Dropbox called "Read." PDF or Word documents I want to review go there. I can then read then from one of my mobile devices. Periodically, I examine that folder while at my desktop computer and remove materials already read. From there, the material goes into my computer's digital filing system or is deleted.

Websites I am reading and wish to re-visit
When reading material on a website that I wish to re-read later, the trick is to get the URL for that article into my to-do list. If I am at my desktop computer, I click the Toodledo bookmarklet on my toolbar. A box opens, representing a new to-do. In the note section of that task, the article's URL will already be displayed. I set a start date and due date for when I want to see the article again. The title of the task will be something like "Read this article on (subject of article)." Clicking "Save" finishes the job.

If I am on a mobile device, touching and holding my finger on the URL gives me the option to share it and by what means. The easiest is option is to share by email. As a Toodledo user, I am assigned a special email address. Anything sent to that address goes into my Toodledo task list with start and due dates of today. When I share the link via email and must choose a recipient, the Toodledo address will be the choice. The URL will appear in the body of the email. Whatever subject line is entered will become the name of the task in Toodledo.

Plenty of special apps exist for handling the concept of saving websites for later viewing. My preferences has always been to pick a very few tools and use them extensively. So, if the task can be accomplished with tools already in my arsenal, I generally reject the additional tool or app.

I only do two things
Those who have heard me speak know that I do only two things every day: check the tickler file and work my to-do list. Everything I have to do feeds ointo one or the other. On my list, you would see a repeating task prompting me to check the saved items in Feedly. You will see a second prompting me to check my "Favorite Tweets" in Hootsuite. Both of those repeating tasks appear weekly.

A great deal of new material comes my way on a daily basis. The ability to get through it quickly, mark what needs to be revisited in depth later, and move on is a key to productivity in this information age.


Did you like this post? Click one of the small social media icons below to share with others. Feel free to leave a comment below with your own thoughts.

Advice to a Frazzled Reader

I recently received this email from a reader:

I heard you in person about 1 year ago and bought your book. I looked through it and didn't read it. I'm as unorganized as ever and now I have an old iPhone and that's not really helping either. I am teaching full time special education and taking two graduate classes.  Any ideas?

Of course, my first suggestion would be to read the book. Aside from that, what follows is my response in hopes that it would not only help that one reader, but many others who find themselves overwhelmed.

I would suggest starting by reading the chapter on handling paper. The major concept in that chapter is using tickler files to keep your desk clear of papers and have paperwork appear on the day you need to see it.

Start by clearing one drawer in your desk and putting your tickler files (and nothing else) in that drawer. Next, start going through the papers which have accumulated on your desk, on top of the filing cabinet, on tables, etc. Pick up each piece of paper and ask yourself, "What does this piece of paper mean to me? Why is it here? What needs to be done with it?"

You will find some of it going in the trash as a result. At the bottom of most peoples' piles, paper which has outlived its value can be found. Throw it away.

You will come across other papers that serve as reference material. These will include forms which need to go in student folders, correspondence from parents which you may need to keep for documentation purposes, lesson plans, etc. Take time now to file them.

You will likely come across papers that you have no idea what to do with. Ask yourself who would be able to help you understand what to do with them and when you would likely see that person. Put a sticky note on the paper with a reminder to yourself of who you were going to ask about the paper. File it in the tickler file for when you think you will see that person.

You will come across other material which you are going to need at some future time. Instead of allowing it to stay on your desk and hope you will look at it at the right time, make a decision about when you want to see the paper again. File it for the appropriate day in the tickler file.

You mentioned having an iPhone, but it's not helping. As you are finding, having a smartphone does not make you organized. It would be the same as taking someone who does not understand math and giving them a calculator.  Digital systems are good for people who have a good organizational system but need more speed and want to the portability a digital system offers.

I am attaching a paper form to give you a start. Print it, being sure to select "landscape" mode. Put it on a copier and make 30 or so copies for the next month. Date each page and put them in a folder. At the beginning of the day, list any appointments from your calendar. In the "Fab 5" section, list that 5 most important or most critical items for today. In the "Organized Task List" section, list the other things you want to do today in the order you want to do them. Things you want to do during your planning time should be listed together. Things you want to accomplish after school should be listed together.

Keep that one sheet of paper with you throughout the day. On the right-hand side is a place for you to jot down whatever comes up. When you talk with a parent on the phone, take notes in that space. When you meet with a parent or attend a faculty meeting, take notes there. If you fill up that section, continue on the back of the page.

When the day comes to an end, read the notes you have written. Decide what you need to actually do about any of them. Write the results of those decision on your to-list for the next day, some day later in the week, a day next week, etc. If there are items you had on your list for today that you did not do, re-write them for tomorrow or another day.

At the top of the page is a place for you to answer the question, "How did you make today count?" That question forces you to think about whether or not your time was spent accomplishing something of worth. File the completed page in the the same folder where you have the blank pages for future days. You will now have notes from all of your parent contacts, faculty meeting notes, etc.in one place. You will have your to-do list for future days waiting for you.

Ironically, the time to move to a digital system and keep your to-do list and calendar on your iPhone will be when your paper system is working really well. Again, it's like the math and calculator example. Once a person learns the concepts and can do math without a calculator, that's when he or she needs to start using a calculator. It adds speed and efficiency. When your paper system is working well, you can move the same concepts to a digital system on your computer and sync it with your iPhone. So, for now, give the paper planner page a try.

Let me know it works for you.

Frank Buck

Did you like this post? Click one of the small social media icons below to share with others. Feel free to leave a comment below with your own thoughts.

The Words of President Reagan...On This Memorial Day

This short video reminds us, through the words of President Ronald Reagan, of the sacrifices made by those who have defended our country.




Did you like this post? Click one of the small social media icons below to share with others. Feel free to leave a comment below with your own thoughts.

Confidence

Sometimes you just have to believe in your ability when nobody else does.


This video is of Paul Potts. His performance of "Nessun Dorma" stunned the judges of "Britain's Got Talent" and brought the crowd to its feet. While I had seen this video before, it doesn't hurt to bring back reminders that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, and that the old saying about not being able to judge a book its cover is alive and well.

It's "Why" Not "What"

In this Ted Talk, Simon Sinek argues, "People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it."


See if you agree with his argument. I found the talk to be inspiring

How to Keep Others Informed About Your Calendar

Throughout the workday, adding appointments to your calendar is part of the every-day drill. But who else needs to know when you add an appointment? I am not talking about who has access to your calendar and could reference it when needed. I am talking about who needs to be alerted that right now, you have just added something to your calendar.

For many, nobody else needs to know. For others, however, a secretary or business partner needs to know this information. For still others, a spouse needs to know. In addition, there may be some appointments where this other person needs to be alerted and others where he or she does not. How do you handle this notification?

In you use Google Calendar, look at the "Add guests" feature. When you create a new calendar entry, enter the email address of the person who needs to know about it and click "Add."

Adding guests in Google Calendar

If you are using Outlook 2007, while creating your new event, click on "Invite Attendees." Also look for the "Invite Attendees" option on any other version of Outlook.

Enter the email address (or addresses) for each person who needs to be alerted about your new calendar entry.

Notifying others with Outlook

This one, easy, technique keeps notification of that other person from becoming a second step that you have to remember to do later. Who do you need to keep abreast of new events on your calendar? Would this technique do the trick for you?