LOGBOOK
Deb and I spent April 1st at the Maine Association of Nonprofit's conference held at Colby College. The theme was: Whatever it Takes: Reshaping the Sector for Social Change. Was it fun? You bet! We got to interact with friends and colleagues. There was time to connect, catch up and laugh together. We got to be inspired by and reflect upon thoughts shared by provocative speaker, Dan Pallotta, presenting ideas from his new book - Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential . Additionally, we heard innovative Maine colleagues
talk about vision and risk taking. Was that fun? You bet! We left feeling our batteries were recharged on a number of levels. Thank you, MANP!
Carol & Deb
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RESUPPLY
Ten-time Grammy Award-winning artist Bobby
McFerrin is a musician with sophisticated and eclectic talents. However, his
biggest hit was this simple, catchy song he wrote in 1988, after seeing the
inspiring words of an Indian mystic. "Whenever you see a poster of Meher
Baba, it usually says 'Don't worry, be happy,' which is a pretty neat
philosophy in four words, I think."
Enjoy this music video, "Don't worry, be happy" by Bobby McFerrin. Sing along - for fun!
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy.
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy.
Don't worry, be happy now.
*Don't worry, be happy.
Don't worry, be happy.
Don't worry, be happy.
Don't worry, be happy.
Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy.
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy.
*(Look at me -- I'm happy.
Don't worry, be happy.
Here I give you my phone number.
When you worry, call me, I make you happy.
Don't worry, be happy.)
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no gal to make you smile
Don't worry, be happy.
'Cause when you worry your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
Don't worry, be happy.
*(Don't worry, don't worry, don't do it. Be happy.
Put a smile on your face. Don't bring everybody down.
Don't worry. It will soon pass, whatever it is.
Don't worry, be happy. I'm not worried, I'm happy... )
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Scouting?
For more information,
to engage in a dialogue about fun at work, and/or to schedule a free 30-minute, sample, coaching-session,
click here to email us.
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 Reading the waters
Pat Kimball writes: "As the executive director of Wellspring, Inc., a small non-profit agency, I am responsible for developing a culture where work has meaning, ethics and some joy. As with many small non -profits, I need to do this with no funds so I have to think outside the box. Our small agency decided to adopt the "Fish Philosophy" which the MMII Charthouse Learning has all rights reserved. The basis is this: "As you enter this place of work, please choose your Attitude, find ways to Play, stay focused by Being There and take some time to Make Someone's Day."In order to do this, the Executive Director has to be willing to choose the attitude that this will work, be willing to risk being seen playing at work, and schedule time to ensure you make someone's day. Here is how we do this:1. On the anniversary date of your employment, you receive a personal note from the Executive Director. The cost is a box of blank notes. You would be surprised at the positive feedback including seeing your card displayed in peoples' offices.2. Rewarding employees for a job well done. We give our managers a deck of fish cards and call each card a "fish buck" We attach a "fish buck" card to a note stating what the employee did that deserved praise. The "fish buck" can then be used at the "Fish Market." Cost is a deck of cards with fish on them.3. The "Fish Market" is located in our Human Resources Office and is a store made up of re-cycled items including gifts received that were not to a person's taste; used books donated by staff; one staff person knits items from left over yarn; and items donated from home which are no longer used. This works - at one time had over 150 books (in good condition) and within 30 days they were 80% gone. This costs nothing, but it makes people happy. Everything in the store is the same price - one fish buck. 4. We believe our clinical staff does amazing work with difficult clients. We often tease them, saying that they are superheroes, so when one of our staff passes a new level of licensure, we give them the one thing a superhero needs - A CAPE. The cape is made by an employee from recycled items and fits the personality of the person receiving the cape. We decided our finance person needed a Cape and hers is made from money fabric with fake dollar bills attached. As soon as people pass their exam, they ask, "When do I get my cape?" They then ask about their raise.5. We also keep "toys" at our desk such as: pipe cleaners, magic wands, and silly putty. We have a Wellspring Panic Button in my office that keeps repeating "stay calm". I am not sure it helps us to stay calm, but it certainly makes us stop and laugh.This programs works for us, but not all staff buy into it; some think it is silly and a waste of time. For most it simply makes their day and that is what culture change is all about. So, I encourage you to learn to play; it helps bring people together, creates a team and makes Wellspring a better place to work even on the toughest of days." |
Steering the Course
Professional development to support your leadership:
LEADERSHIP SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable are you as a leader? Are you thriving? Are competing demands pulling you in too many directions? Are you out of balance? Is your position as a leader one that keeps you isolated from peers who could offer valuable perspectives? Come to this free, 90-minute session, Wednesday, April 28th, from 3:30-5, with other leaders from the community to explore these critical issues, engage in lively dialogue, and come away with some personalized strategies for your leadership sustainability. Carol Carriuolo will facilitate this interactive session. This session is open to anyone who identifies themselves as a leader, is an executive director, a board chair, a manager, or a community leader. If there is interest, the possibility of an ongoing group will be discussed. RSVP required. Space is limited. Reply today to reserve a place. Where: Downtown Lewiston Who: any leader interested in exploring this topic ADJUST, RE-ADJUST: THE GEOGRAPHY OF BALANCE, Webinar: Have you been wondering how to create more balance in your life? If the answer is yes, join your colleagues for this 90-minute webinar designed to guide you through a process to do just that! Carol Carriuolo and Corda Kinzie will facilitate this lively and valuable session. You will leave with tools, a personal goal, and several strategies for moving toward your preferred future. April 14 (Registration Deadline: April 7, 2010) ; 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. (Join us at 3:45 if you want TA on how to use Adobe tools in the session.) Note: Instructions for logging in for the webinar will be provided in your registration confirmation. The link will take you to the host page of the Maine Support Network. Cost: FREE SHIFTING THE BALANCE. Often our professional lives require our attention to be diffused in so many directions that our personal and professional goals get put to the side. It is easy to get out of balance. We are offering facilitated groups (4-6 participants) to focus on shifting into better balance. Over the course of five two-hour sessions, participants will identify and commit to taking actions that are critically important to them, but are continuously overlooked. The first four meetings will occur every other week for two hours. The fifth and final session will be scheduled a month later for check-in, peer support, accountability, and tune-ups. Is there something that you have been wanting to move forward in your life? Are you looking to re-adjust for more balance? This group is open to anyone in any role who is interested; it will start after 4 individuals have registered. We will collaborate on setting dates that work for everyone. Fee: $250. Location: teleconference, Augusta, and Portland. Contact Carol with your interest/questions or to register. PADDLING THE RAPIDS FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THROUGHOUT MAINE. Does the possibility of being being part of a creative and resource-filled peer forum intrigue you? New groups are forming throughout the state (Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, and other areas where there is interest). Their format and design will reflect the expressed needs of the participants. Are you interested? Contact us.
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Guidebook
Work can sometimes
overwhelm us with demands, deadlines, and a slurry of important needs. Our intuition tells us that workplace
fun could boost energy, commitment, and focus. However, we often stay mired in the Puritan ethic of work
hard - reap rewards later. What if
we turned that notion on its head?
Check out these resources for some good ideas for keeping things fresh
and fun as we grapple with our big ideas and our important visions. Beware -
these books are not recommendations - just places to jump-start fun and start
pivoting you toward a more joyful workplace.
Fun is Good: How to Create
Joy and Passion in Your
Workplace and Career by Mike Veeck and Pete Williams. Make work fun and
you'll create a culture of creativity where the best people will want to work
and customers will want to spend their money. That is the Fun Is Good
philosophy in a nutshell. And in this book, the author's demonstrate how it has
worked, not only to make an evening at one of his minor league ballparks-full
of laughs, zany promotions, and free giveaways-enjoyable for everyone, but also
how it can turn any organization into a thriving one.
Fun Works:
Creating Places Where People Love to Work by Leslie Yerkes. Yerkes
offers tips, examples, and motivation to help readers, their coworkers, and
their customers unleash the power of fun in the workplace. Through real-life
case studies and interviews with dozens of leading authors and everyday people,
the author illustrates 11 principles of what she calls "The Work/Fun
Fusion".
FISH: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
by Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen, and Ken
Blanchard. Fish! aims to help
employees find their way to a fun and happy workplace. While some may find the
story line and prescriptions--such as "Choose Your Attitude,"
"Make Their Day," and "Be Present"--downright corny, others
will find a good dose of worthwhile motivational management techniques.
Have fun! |
Navigation Tool
Playfair has established annual work days of fun. April 1, 2010 was the Fourteenth Annual International Fun At Work Day! The theme was "Work like a dog!" Ever notice that a dog does not distinguish between work and play? Check out Playfair's website for ideas on how to have fun at work and create a themed day at your workplace. They are proponents of non-toxic humor at work and have created a website full of ideas - one may be just right for your workplace:
Dress the ED day
Sundae on a Friday
Need more ideas? Check out these websites
http://www.deepfun.com/
http://www.humorproject.com/
http://www.allenklein.com/research.htm
Need more evidence? Download this research on the effect of workplace laughter. This study measured the impact of a purposeful, aerobic laughter intervention on employees' sense of self-efficacy in the workplace.
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