DHS releases the National Protection Framework

The National Protection Framework describes what the whole community should do to safeguard against acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and other threats or hazards. It describes the core capabilities; roles and responsibilities; and coordinating structures that facilitate the protection of individuals, communities, and the Nation. This Framework is focused on actions to protect against the greatest risks in a manner that allows American interests, aspirations, and way of life to thrive.

Scheduling Tools

I know you've been there. You need to schedule a meeting with a number of stakeholders. You send out an email with proposed dates and times. You find out that not everyone can make the proposed times. You send out a new email with new proposed time and dates...Sound familiar?

How about this one? You need to schedule a series of appointments with individuals. You send out emails with proposed times and dates. Everyone wants to sign up for the same time slot. Someone won't be able to make any of them. You send more emails or begin making phone calls. You spend more time setting up the meetings than you do at the meetings.

As a consultant, I face these problems on a regular basis. My life improved significantly when I added two tools to my bag of tricks. The first is a program called Doodle that allows me to schedule meetings with multiple attendees. I enter available times and dates then send a link to my attendees. The link takes the attendee to a webpage where they can select the times and dates that work for them. Since they can also see other attendees availability, they can adjust their schedule to accommodate the group. There's a free version that works for most meetings or you can get an inexpensive paid version.

Doodle has recently added a feature called Meet Me that allows appointment scheduling but I haven't tried it yet. Instead I use a program called Acuity Scheduling. I set up my appointment times and send a link to the people with whom I want to meet. They can then select from any open time slot. Once they select a time, the slot is closed. There's a free version which will allow you to do basic scheduling but I use a paid version that automatically adds the meeting to my calendar and sends reminders to the participants.

There are certainly other options out there. These just happen to be the ones I stumbled on and use in my practice. The point is, make use of technology to free yourself from the hassles of meeting planning. Many of these programs have free versions or trial periods, so check them out and gain more free time.

"Ordinary" people can turn out to be "extraordinary"

My daughter recently shared a story with me. It seems a lady had just lost a beloved pet who had brought much love into her life. She knew that a new pet would do the same, so as a way of "paying it forward" she went to an animal shelter and asked for the pet that no one else wanted, the one that just couldn't get adopted and was closest to being euthanized.

She expected, as would you or I, that the pet she received would have a physical defect or suffer from a personality disorder. She was prepared for this and promised herself that she would accept whatever burden her new pet turned out to be. To her surprise, she was presented with a sweet little kitten with whom she instantly bonded. The reason no one wanted the kitten? It was too "ordinary".

In much the same way, we frequently make snap judgements about people because they don't match what we expect to see. They're shy or they don't fit the norm. Yet these same people may turn out to be just what you need. In her book, Icebound, about her battle with breast cancer in the Antarctic, Dr. Jerri Nielsen talks about how the shyest member of the team taught the others how to survive in close quarters.

Maybe it's time to cut "ordinary" people a little slack and give them a chance to be part of the team. They might surprise you.