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 Diamonds to You  
       Helping you get the best out of yourself and others.                    

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Vol 10, Issue #4, April. 2015
Publisher - Author
CSIT Advisory Committee
ProMatch Workshops
University Courses Taught
Books Published
Shameless Self-Promotion
Education Developed Creatively
Board Training Survery
So, How can I help you?
Publisher, Editor, Author-
 ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D.
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ArLyne Diamond

 

 

 


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 HI:


 

April Showers Bring May Flowers - but, here in California it forgot to rain.  Instead of flowers we are browning our lawns and importing cactus.  Although other parts of the country are being deluged with rain and floods - we are in a drought.  Wouldn't it be lovely if we could somehow balance it out? 


No political cracks please!


 

P. S.  I'm blogging again - so check it out:  ArLyne's Diamonds.


 

CSIT Advisory Committee

 

 

As a member of this advisory committee, I participated in an interesting discussion last Saturday at our annual meeting..  

 

We, representing industry were all recommending soft skill courses and higher order education.  Some of the faculty members were still determined to stick to the basics, which some members of industry said was no longer needed.  It was a lively discussion.

 

It became clear to me that one of the huge problems facing the college was the time it took to get a new course approved.  By the time they went through the academic and then the state approval processes a year or more could pass.  This meant the school was not competitive with organizations that could move without all this red tape.  Sometimes even, by the time they received approval to role out a technical course the material was stale.

 

Over and over again, the need for soft skills - communication, presentation, interpersonal relationships, team activity and management skills - was emphasized by the industry experts - and even some of the academics.  Of course I was one of those speaking out in favor of the need for these subjects.

 

So, why when everyone both in academia and in industry know how important soft-skill training is, do they resist offering it to their STEM personnel?

 


 

ProMatch Workshops I've Offered.

 

  • Every Tuesday morning, from 10 - noon,  I am leading a drop-in for anyone interested in refining their job search skills.  We talk about your next goals, transitions, fears, resume writing, interviewing,"psrs", negotiating and keeping yourself and your family up during down times.  Any Promatcher is welcome to come and join this drop-in.

    I just completed offering another Branding (Marketing Yourself) workshop and on June 2nd I will be offering "Negotiation Strategies for Women."
     
  • Jump Start Your Job Search:       
  • Marketing (Branding) Yourself:   
  • Strategies and Tactics for your Job Hunt
  • Self-Assessment Seminar 
  • Who are You?  Part I & Part II  
  • Negotiation Skills for Women:     
  • Getting Your Mojo Back 
  • Enhancing Your Professional Image:  Your Unique Brand
  • Enhancing Your Professional Image:  Your Unique Brand - again
  • Business Planning Seminar
  • Negotiation Strategies and Tactics

 

University Courses Taught


DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management
 
Career DecisionsConsumer Behavior

Leadership & Organizational Behavior

Quality and Performance Excellence  

International Business

Business Planning (Capstone MBA class) 

Psychology 110

Employment Law  (Compliance Issues )

The Legal, Political and Ethical Dimensions of Business

Change Management

Human Resource Planning (Capstone MBA class)

Negotiation Skills

 

Lincoln Law School:  The Psychology of Practicing Law
  

Stanford University, Continuing Education: Conflict in the Workplace

 Books - Published  

Leading and Managing in a Global Economy -                   Super Star Press 

Conflict in the Workplace:  Causes and Cures                  Robertson Publishing Co.

 

The following books can be ordered directly: www.ProductivePublications.com  


Training Your Board of Directors:  A Manual for the CEOs, Board Members, Administrators and Executives of Corporations, Associations, Non-Profit and Religious Organizations.  

 

The "Please" and "Thank You" of  Fundraising for Non-Profits:  Fifteen Essential Ingredients for Success.

 

Shameless Self-Promotion:

 

My videographer and friend Carlos Cruz has started a series of programs he is calling Titanslaws.  He interviewed me as part of his series - and this is the link.

http://titanslaws.com/webcast/episode-1-Interpersonal-Relationships-in-a-Global-Environment.php   We are also creating a series of audio books - the first of which is my fund-raising book.


 

I am also just completing the first of a series of on-line courses for Proformative. This one is called:  Change - The People Side - and is geared for their CFO and other finance, HR and operations executives.

   

Education Developed Creatively

 

On the other hand, I was excited and delighted to attend an event last Saturday put on by an organization called Pratham.  My friend and client AGK invited me to join him and his wife Shanti (both CEOs of their own companies) to attend this event.  They are charter members.

 

The program was called: MediaX - Last Mile Solutions in Education
and was held at Cordura Hall on Stanford's campus.  It was about developing education in India and elsewhere that focused on teaching people how to learn, how to problem-solve, and how to make decisions. One of the speakers, Dr. Paul Kim at Stanford presented what he calls: 21st Century Value-Centered Education Ecosystem and I was so excited about his ideas that I could hardly sit still.Dr. Kim starts his teaching process by having the students develop questions about the material they have read or heard.  Then they share the questions with each other so that not only do they have to understand the material, they have to be able to create reasonable right and wrong questions and be able to explain why they are correct or incorrect.  Imagine how this stimulates actual thinking.  In addition, they work together, from early childhood, in cooperative and engaged teams - teaching and learning from each other.

WOW!  This is so much better than the rote memorization and regurgitation so many students are forced to endure.

 

Of course this method is so in line with what I advocate and the way I teach and even the way I create essay test questions.  I want people to think for themselves and to be able to offer explanations for the conclusions they reach.  Involving students in the process of learning is far more effective than a lengthy stand-up lecture.

 

Yet, in the audience Saturday were those who feared the new method as something other than actually teaching reading, writing and arithmetic.

 

Performance Appraisals

 

I was shocked to read an article in the Wall St. Journal the other day entitled: "The Trouble with Grading Employees."  Apparently companies are still insisting on the once a year appraisal process.  

 

Years ago I wrote how useless and sometimes harmful this process is to those being evaluated and how hated it is for those being forced to do the evaluation.  (Copies of this article are available if you request one.) 

 

The once a year performance appraisal is worthless!  People need to have immediate feedback and constructive criticism, coaching and training (re-training) as required.  The relationship between staff and supervision/management should be cooperative, collegial, and sometimes even confrontational - as needed.  Together they need to establish stretch goals and if necessary corrective action in a timely manner. 

 

I recall being told what happened to him by a man who accepted a job in marketing at one of our big semi-conductor companies, Having come from the New York Advertising world he wasn't sure what he should be doing in marketing.  He repeatedly asked for guidance, was patted on the back and given no guidance, but told he was great - until his first quarterly review when he was fired.

 

The Theme of this Newsletter

 

OK - it seems that there is a theme in these articles - and in my mood for the day.  I can tell you what I think I am feeling, thinking, and stating - but would love your opinions.  Please e-mail me ([email protected]) and let me know what you think I am suggesting.

 

So, How Can I help you?

 Testimonial

 

A compass in the storm for facilitators and trainers.

 

I attended one of Dr. Diamond's workshops and had to go out and get the book. (Training Your Board of Directors)  Of course, the information was clear and concise.  Highly recommended for facilitators and trainers.  I make presentations to boards for major projects and I've found this practical advice to be very relevant.  Its principal value, of course, likes int he great insights condensed into a quick and easy read.  Christopher Edington.
 


 

  Let me be your Aufin-your advisor to Kings. 

ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D  [email protected]   

Diamond Associates     3567 Benton St., #315, Santa Clara, CA 95051    

408-554-0110