Category: Communicating

Let’s discuss this — online

Today more and more of us discuss topics online. We’re video conferencing, contributing to discussion boards, or commenting on colleagues posts. It’s what we do.

Preparing for my classes  I came across these 15 rules for online discussions. I decided to share them here because these rules are rock solid for life on the .net.
These come to us directly from the Online Education Department at Touro College. You can access the great infographic and original posting at 15 Rules of Netiquette for Online Discussion Boards [INFOGRAPHIC]  http://blogs.onlineeducation.touro.edu/15-rules-netiquette-online-discussion-boards/.

15 Rules of Netiquette

  1. Before posting your question to a discussion board, check if anyone has asked it already and received a reply. Just as you wouldn’t repeat a topic of discussion right after it happened in real life, don’t do that in discussion boards either.
  2. Stay on topic – Don’t post irrelevant links, comments, thoughts, or pictures.
  3. Don’t type in ALL CAPS! If you do, it will look like you’re screaming.
  4. Don’t write anything that sounds angry or sarcastic, even as a joke, because without hearing your tone of voice, your peers might not realize you’re joking.
  5. Always remember to say “Please” and “Thank you” when soliciting help from your classmates.
  6. Respect the opinions of your classmates. If you feel the need to disagree, do so respectfully and acknowledge the valid points in your classmate’s argument. Acknowledge that others are entitled to have their own perspective on the issue.
  7. If you reply to a question from a classmate, make sure your answer is accurate! If you’re not 100% sure when the paper is due, DO NOT GUESS! Otherwise, you could really mess things up for your classmates and they will not appreciate it.
  8. If you ask a question and many people respond, summarize all answers and post that summary to benefit your whole class.
  9. Be brief. If you write a long dissertation in response to a simple question, it’s unlikely that anyone will spend the time to read through it all.
  10. Don’t badmouth others or call them stupid. You may disagree with their ideas, but don’t mock the person.
  11. If you refer to something your classmate said earlier in the discussion, quote just a few key lines from their post so that others wont have to go back and figure out which post you’re referring to.
  12. Before asking a question, check the class FAQs or search the internet to see if the answer is obvious or easy to find.
  13. Check the most recent comments before you reply to an older comment, since the issue might have already been resolved or opinions may have changed.
  14. Be forgiving. If your classmate makes a mistake, don’t badger him or her for it. Just let it go – it happens to the best of us.
  15. Run a spelling and grammar check before posting anything to the discussion board. It only takes a minute and can make the difference between sounding like a fool and sounding knowledgeable.

Rule of Thumb

If you wouldn’t do or say something in real life, don’t do it online either.

Chat1 Graphic from Flaticon & Freepik

Thank you again to Touro College & University System for their insight to communicating better online.

This flows with my blog about how to communicate better at https://imentor4success.com/2018/06/19/how-to-communicate-better/.

Take care and enjoy. It is fast approaching.

Jan

Be a Myth Buster

Today I post about something that fills my soul. Something that has brought me many years of happiness and togetherness. That “something” is Girl Scouts.

Like others, I received this message from Liz Workman, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland last May. I belong to Girl Scouts Alumni and Friends.

Because her message supports a quality of life I want to succeed for generations to come, I am posting here. Learn how to be a myth buster for the millions of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the globe. Be a scouting myth buster for those girls yet to be born who need a safe environment to grow and mature into strong women.

Ojo Caliente Fence
Girl Scouts reinforced my love for the outdoors while teaching me leadership skills.

Girl Scouts together; happy are we.

I plan to share more of my Girl Scout experiences here at iMentor4Successs. Today, however, I am reprinting Liz Workman’s message in its entirety. Please support girls and the Girl Scout and Girl Guide organizations in your area.

Read on to see how you can become a Girl Scout Myth Buster.

Thank you.

Jan

Now, from Liz:

May 2018

Dear Girl Scout members and friends,

Spring is early bird registration season for Girl Scouts, when we ask both new and returning girls and volunteers to sign up for another year of adventure with the best girl leadership program in the world!

We are excited to be out and about in our communities welcoming new girls who want and need all that Girl Scouts offers: fresh, relevant, and modern programming delivered in an all-girl, girl-led environment. I’m so grateful for all you do to make that possible!

As you may have heard, last fall Boy Scouts decided to allow girls to join and is now actively recruiting girls to its co-ed scouting program. Earlier this month, Boy Scouts announced that it is dropping “boy” from its name in a bid to attract more girls to its program.

There is no contest! Girl Scouts is the BEST leadership organization for girls.  As Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA states so well, “We are, and will remain, the first choice for girls and parents who want to provide their girls with opportunities to build new skills; explore STEM and the outdoors; participate in community projects; and grow into happy, successful, and civically engaged adults.”
For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has stood with girls as they lead with grit and compassion, overcome challenges, and stand up for themselves and others. We are the premier leadership organization for girls and the largest girl-serving organization in the nation because we believe in the potential of all girls to empower themselves and lift up others. Girl Scouts is unmatched in delivering proven outcomes that set girls up to close the gender gap and position our nation to compete in the global economy.
We stand firmly in our conviction that girls need girl-only opportunities designed by and for them, and I’m writing today to ask for your active support as we counter confusion and misinformation created by Boy Scouts.

Misinformation and Confusion

Boy Scouts has begun recruiting girls across the country, including right here in our council. These efforts have caused confusion among parents and schools. We are hearing things like:

  • “Are Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts the same organization?”
  • “Are all scouting programs the same?”
  • “Are Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts merging?”

More than half of non-scouting families think that the two organizations are the same, which means it will be very easy to confuse schools and families into thinking that “co-ed scouting” is the same experience for girls as Girl Scouts.
Let me set the record straight:

  • Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are – and always have been – two separate organizations.
  • Girl Scouts programs are designed with and for girls
  • Girl Scouts will not merge with Boy Scouts.

Here’s how you can help clear up the confusion and correct the misinformation

You can take action to make the case for Girl Scouts and help us amplify the over 100 years of amazing work by the Girl Scouts to build women of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.  This is what we owe our girls. Families need to have all of the facts when they decide what organization provides the best opportunities for their daughters to develop the skills, confidence and values to succeed in life.

Be prepared to be a myth buster:

We are hearing myths and stereotypes of Girls Scouts (things like Girl Scouts don’t go on adventures, which is absolutely not true!). Please take a look at the Girl Scout Myth Busters handout so you can be an advocate and educator. If you hear something that sounds off to you or hear a myth that is missing, please let us know. Send it to communications@gskh.org.

Share your love for Girl Scouts on social media:

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn so you can share and let your networks know why you’re proud to be a part of an organization that puts girls at the center.

Join us as a G.I.R.L. Champion: 

If you are a volunteer or supporter and want to share your Girl Scout stories with prospective parents, volunteers, and girls during recruitment and troop formation events, email communications@gskh.org to learn more about how to become a G.I.R.L. Champion. Help us bust myths and make sure that what is best for girls remains at the center of this conversation.

Join the just-launched Girl Scout Network on LinkedIn:

Follow this link to the Girl Scout Network and follow the network to stay on top of what’s going on in the community of Girl Scout alums.
We need your help to ensure that the community and prospective members know that only the Girl Scout program is based on decades of research and more than 100 years of experience in putting girls at the center.
Girls deserve the best possible opportunities, and Girl Scouts provides them. There is simply no substitute for Girl Scouts.
I hope you’ll take action to make the case for Girl Scouts so that families have all the facts they need to make the best choice for their daughters.
Thank you for being a part of the Girl Scout Movement –

For Girls. By Girls. All Girls!

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Liz Workman
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland

Resources

You can subscribe to the Raising Awesome Girls blog, written by the Chief Girl and Parent Expert at Girl Scouts of the USA, or explore the following resources developed by the Girl Scout Research Institute (that’s right, a research institute all about what’s best for girls!):
Photo of Land Between the Lakes path in forest
Camping, hiking and cooking on a campfire with Girl Scouts helped to prepare me for my work with the Forest Service at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Become a Myth Buster…for all our sakes. Download the myth buster sheet. Thanks.

Myth-buster Sheet at http://www.kansasgirlscouts.org/content/dam/kansasgirlscouts/documents/Girl%20Scouts%20of%20Kansas%20Heartland%20Mythbusters.pdf

Join Girl Scouts on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/girlscoutnetwork/

Raising Awesome Girls at https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls.html 

Resources you can use

These resources have taken me years to find. Check them out. There may be some link you need to move you forward.

For this blog, I wanted to share with you resources I refer to my clients. I’ve compiled these over the past decade. These resources allow me to spend less time on reinventing the wheel and more time on being creative and strategic for our clients.

Resources

A weather vane stands out against a blue sky like these resources can help you stand out in a digital world
Reverend Mary O’Malley Photo

My friend, Marya O’Malley, uses some of these resources. You can find her photos on Pexels at https://www.pexels.com/@marya-omalley-417651. The sunflower photo is also from Marya. Thank you, Marya, for sharing. You learn more about Marya on her website at  https://www.maryaomalley.com/. 

Take care and enjoy, Jan

P.S. If you have resources you use and want to share, send to us at iMentor4Success@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for the share. We will credit you if you like. Again, thanks. Jan

sunset city view from balcony using PRISMA app
A photo I took from my balcony in May 2018 using the PRISMA app and my iPhone. I use this resource all the time to create works of art from photos I have taken through the years.

Pecha-Kucha (chit-chat)

What is Pecha-Kucha?

Pecha-Kucha is a slide presentation style used throughout the world. It originally started in Japan as a way for designers to showcase their talents.

Pecha-Kucha takes you from boredom to stardom by keeping your audience entertained. You use your creative ability to tell your story in 20 slides at 20 seconds each. Using this technique, you take your audience to the questions and answers (Q&A) part of your presentation within 6-minutes and 40-seconds.

That’s a good thing.

Daniel Pink introduced me to this technique in his Wired Magazine article Pecha Kucha: Get to the PowerPoint in 20 Slides Then Sit the Hell Down.

Because I’ve witnessed too many, too long, and too boring slideshow presentations, I embrace Pecha-Kucha. I remember one presenter who had 20 minutes and brought 55 slides. He took twice as long and pushed the entire afternoon line up back by an hour. Plus when I looked around the room, I saw eyes closed and heads resting. Not cool.

Imagine conference speakers using this 6-minutes and 40-seconds presentation technique. Audiences would be alive — even at “siesta time” following lunch. Audiences expect to be entertained. Slideshows with more graphics and fewer words can do this. Plus this can add more time for you to interact with your audience. Again, increasing audience satisfaction.  That’s what every speaker wants.

My first Pecha-Kucha

Here’s mine completed in January 2012 as part of my master studies at Quinnipiac University.

You will find some terrific examples on YouTube including instructional videos.

I found this simple, straightforward style for presenting my story refreshing. If you watch my video, you will see that it follows one of my most precious principles in communicating and design — the KISS principle…

Keep it Simple Stupid.

It also follows William Zinsser’s teachings in On Writing Well. Here, Zinsser instructs us to communicate with simplicity, clarity, brevity, and humanity. You can do that with Pecha-Kucha.

Stand out from the crowd.

I encourage you to use this technique in your presentations.

To learn more, check out the organization at http://www.pechakucha.org/.

Wired Pecha Kucha: Get to the PowerPoint in 20 slides then sit the hell down by Daniel H. Pink on August 21, 2007 | Retrieved from  https://www.wired.com/2007/08/st-pechakucha/