Education in Motion

Recently, I met with one of my classmates from Leadership Toledo in my quest to get to know each member better. Pete Lavalette is an attorney with Robson Curphey & O'Connell or RCO as they're know around here.

I had always thought that once an attorney decided to specialize in a specific area, that pretty much was the path their career would take. Maybe it is so for some. Pete shared that because of both market changes and changes in our laws, his focus is having to adjust, too.

I'm glad I have a better understanding of the challenges that attorneys may be facing. It helps me to be more empathetic and it also helps me to understand better how I can help.

Thanks, Pete, for taking the time to help educate me!

Tree Loss

Yesterday I went to a local store to buy a gift. The person I was buying it for had registered at that store, so I visited the registry online before I left the house. I knew exactly what I wanted to buy so I just jotted myself a sticky note to take with me. No need to print the whole registry, right?

WRONG.

Within a few short minutes, I was in the check-out line. The lady at the register asked if this was a registry item. I said, "Yes."

She then asked for my phone number. I mistakenly gave her my zip code -- but I got that figured out! As she was keying it in to her machine, I thought to myself, "Now I wonder how that gets me connected to the registry?" After completing that task, she turned back and said, "No registry?" Confused, I replied that yes it was a registry item as I had already told her. She said, "Well, where is your registry?"

HUH?

Seems like, I had to have the paper copy in order for her to complete the transaction so that this purchase would be noted in the ELECTRONIC registry that it had been bought.

I had to go over to the registry desk, wait my turn, and then wait some more while their S-L-O-W printer spit out the six or seven sheets of paper. Then, and only then, could the clerk complete the transaction.

The kicker at the end was the final question. She asked, "Would you like the copy of the registry?" Now, I've just bought stuff from this registry. And I can view it online. Why in the world would I need a paper copy? Multiply this transaction times all the people who file through that store and all the BabiesRUs stores nationwide.

Every day.


I'm surprised that there are even any Redwoods left.

So in thinking back, I could have taken the BIG GAMBLE. I could have NOT had the gift keyed into the registry and then taken the chance of it being duplicated by some other gift-giver. Oh horrors! And the gift would have to be returned. Just like the old days.

Okay, I'll climb down off the soapbox now before I get a nosebleed.

What gets your underwear in a knot?

Helpful Questions

I've written in the past how at our Certified Networker events we've incorporated having a question that everyone answers as part of introducing themselves. We can't take credit for this idea, as it originated from author Scott Ginsberg. In his, Power of Approachability, in Appendix A, he lists 55 questions to start a conversation. They are NOT your ordinary questions!

What we've found at our events, is that the question gives the event a jump start. People start feeling more comfortable, especially when another person's answer is similar to their own reply. They now have a CPI as Scott puts it or common point of interest. Plus, it is a heck of a lot of fun.

So the other day I was paging through a Woman's Day magazine. No, I was not in a doctor's office. I must admit that I read every issue of that magazine and have ever since I was a very young housewife. On page 7 of the November 1 issue, all the editors are listed. You know, it's the same in most periodicals. And that's the page that I usually don't spent much time on. But Women's Day has figured out that they also need to connect in different ways with the readers. They now have a question of the month that they pose to their editors. Four or five of their answers are called out on the page with a dotted line to the appropriate name. This month's question is "If you could have a super power, what would it be and why?" One answer that really caught my attention was, "The power to zap myself from point A to point B instantly. I spend way to much time on the subway!"

Will I ever meet this editor, Sarina Green? Probably not, but I feel like I already have. We have a same want in common. I also want to experience time travel.

But that's not the point I'm trying to make here. What really fascinated me, was that a huge corporation with deep pockets for advertising, knows that there is importance in relationship marketing, too. You can bet that I'm going to see if Sarina's answer is highlighted next month. Another reason for me to pick up the magazine on the way through the grocery line.

Kudos to Woman's Day.

What would your answer be to the super power question? Would it mainly benefit you or others?

Leadership Toledo, Part III

Today our group of Leadership Toledo members learned how to work together so that when we decide on a project at our next meeting, we'll have an idea of how to use our various personalities and work styles to our advantage. Ernie Lewis of E. A. Lewis Consulting led the day.

To keep the long day from becoming boring or exhausting, our day was broken up by fun things to do, too.

The best part of the day was the scavenger hunt of downtown Toledo. All six teams were sent out with a list of 13 items to find and then we were to photograph the team in front of the item. We found 11 of the 13 and also thought that our photo creativity should have given us bonus points.

For example: One hint was to find two turtles and two frogs. As you can see, Collette Cordova, John Borell, Brad Augustyniak, Dan Peffley and Lynn Eicher decided to pose as frogs. (I was behind the camera.)

Another clue was to find two dates (1875 and 1953). The clue didn't say they were on the same building, but I think Brad was the one who remembered that the Trinity Church, where Leadership Toledo is headquartered, had burnt and been rebuilt. So you can see that the group is paying homage to the church by taking a prayerful stance.


Another task was to find the "surprised George," and you can see the statue in the back of us that fronts Georgio's restaurant. And yes we were cold. Two days ago it was 90 degrees here in NW Ohio and today we were chillin'.

When we analyzed our personalities earlier in the day, our team was heavy with producer personalities. Those are the ones who like to just jump in and do something for the sake of getting something done. We failed in the toothpick and miniature marshmallow, tower building exercise because we didn't think out a plan first. But with the scavenger hunt, we either had great blind luck or as I'd like to think, our intelligence pulled us through!

When was the last time you were on a scavenger hunt and was it fun for you?

PowerPoint Pity

Here I go on PowerPoint again.

I attended a presentation recently. The lights were dimmed and the speaker began his presentation -- you guessed it with PowerPoint. This first slide had FIVE bullet points and each one had a paragraph attached to it. To give the speaker credit, he did know his material and could speak eloquently about it. But his slides really didn't always fit, and they were boring graphs and facts. Ugh!

That very same evening I was a guest of Davis College for an annual event called Dining for Success. The business fraternity organizes this event every year for the students. They get the experience of being at a mock business meal. Also, they usually have a speaker talk about manners and business etiquette at these meals. This year the speaker was my friend, Linda Fayerweather of Changing Lanes, LLC. (that's her to the left. She really didn't have her eyes closed during the whole presentation!) She makes manners fun. She also brings a piece of paper that resembles a place mat with an image of a place setting. She then uses this to teach from. She also puts a few bullet points right on this handout. Simple and effective. No PowerPoint!

Over the last week in our newspaper, there was an article about a local congressman who had agreed to speak before a junior high class. He downloaded a government produced presentation from the web via a memory stick that he then transferred to his laptop. You can imagine his horror when he flashed his first PowerPoint image up on the screen only to see if contained a picture of naked women. Seems his teenage son had been surfing the net and had used the same memory stick. Just think of how much less hot water the congressman would have been in if he had only just talked with the students instead of having the electronic crutch that so many use.

PowerPoint is an excuse that makes for weak presentations, non-focused presentations, boring presentations and sometimes as in the case of the congressman, surprising presentations.

Which side of the PP aisle do you find yourself?

V.- V.I.P.

Last night Steve and I asked his mom, Marilyn, to go out for dinner. She said that she wanted Italian. That made me remember an email I had received a couple days ago that let me know that our friends, Gus and Cheryl Nicolaidis were having a "soft" opening of their new restaurant, La Scola.

We we arrived at the parking lot, it seemed a little bare, in fact there were cars parked only at the back of the building. The front door was locked and had a handwritten sign saying, "Sorry, our grand opening was mistakenly published as tonight, but it will be Oct. 9."

Disappointment.

But my hubby is not to be stopped.

He just sauntered around to the back door and entered the kitchen. Gus was there and invited us in. There was all kinds of food, as it was supposed to be a tasting night for the staff. Cheryl was at the beautiful bar, giving a taste test to a salad.

She immediately made us feel like welcome guests, not party crashers. We took a tour of the nicely done restaurant including the walls of black and white photos of local personalities and even some nationally recognized people. (Me, "Hey, that looks like Eppie Lederer - Dear Abby - in that picture." It was.) All the photos were taken during the 40 - 50's. Marilyn was happy to see that my father-in-law is pictured twice on the wall.

But let me tell you about the food. The plates just kept arriving at the bar where we sat with Cheryl. The most delectable mozzarella I have ever eaten. The olives were a delight. I think at least six different kinds of pasta made their way to our eating board. The veggie Cacciatore was my favorite for the longest time. Then when I thought I could eat no more, the eggplant Parmesan arrived. It was not only the best I've ever had, the portion size meant that I'd have enough for three meals in the doggie bag. And we thought we were done. But a shrimp appetizer arrived. I cut off just a little piece and oh my god, now I won't be able to decide what to order the first time I visit without crashing the party.

Gus had to leave right when we arrived, but Cheryl, made us feel right at home ... just as if we were in her home. You can bet I will be back because I'll want to share this wonderful experience with others.

Thanks, Cheryl and Gus for a night to remember. And since I can't go to the VIP opening because I'll be teaching that evening, I am content with being a V-VIP - that is a very, very important person. That's one who comes in the back door!

What's your favorite restaurant story?

Business Card Etiquette

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I have a networking presentation entitled Six Steps to Purposeful Networking that I really like because I can change it to fit a specific situation even as I am speaking.

Several months ago when I arrived at a club to deliver this talk, a member of the audience walked up to me before I had even caught my breath and handled his business card to me, without asking for mine.

So that day, the part of the presentation where I talk about not shoving your own business card at people without asking for theirs first, was eliminated because I wanted to allow that eager beaver to save face. I am really conflicted about doing this, because it is an important message that many people need to hear -- especially the eager beavers of the world.

I know that I am invited to speak as the expert, but if I definitely make someone feel uncomfortable about how they acted with me, they will probably not hear much beyond that specific point of my delivery. And that is the good reaction. The less than wonderful reaction could be that they get defensive and combative for the remaining of the presentation.

Big dilemma. No answer.

Got any?