March 2009 Newsletter

The Sling-Shot Effect

Every day we watch the evening news and somehow it surpasses the gloom and depression of the day before. The discussions we have with clients seem always to be on how bad the economy is and what will happen if the stimulus package does not work or Congress does not "get it together" to save our drooping economic environment. Wow, I do not know about you, but I am completely exhausted. Thinking we could all use a break, I decided to write about something that might not make you want to break immediately from what you are doing and jump off the proverbial bridge. We will survive this current state of affairs and, in fact, we will dust ourselves off and likely be stronger and better because of it. Why? Here are my thoughts on this subject.

Since 1900, we in the US have lived through 10 recessions lasting an average of 2.4 years. That means that 24 out of the last 100 years we were approximately where we are now. Some folks may argue that this is a much more severe recession and clearly I cannot argue with that. May I remind us all that the average time between recessions is 9.7 years. I am not absolutely sure I got the math perfect, but I hope you get my point. We have some opportunities ahead, all of us do. And in typical American fashion we will step up to the plate again. This leads me to a new question, why do we always prepare for the next recession and never seem to prepare for the next 9.7 years of prosperity? Wishing I had more answers I can only assume that somewhere in here the answer is that we respond more to what frightens us than to what excites us. Well hold on because, if the math works, we are over half-way through this one and, if half of the initiatives used to try to fix our financial problems work, we are going to get a heck of a sling-shot effect.

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Upcoming Pilot Alert!!!

A pilot is a one-day event here at Priority Learning to introduce and test an upcoming program or process. Previously we have conducted pilots for all of our public workshops and even offered pilots for some of our consulting services such as Cultural Development and Strategic Planning. The outcome for us here is always a better program and we are told by those who have attended that it was a powerful experience and opportunity.

This pilot is call SDM (Success in Development for Managers) which is a 6-part process to prepare leaders to take on the challenges of this diverse economy and maximize their processes and people with more confidence in a fast-changing environment. We are inviting decision makers of retail management to come to Priority Learning (our treat) to sample the SDM program and provide ideas and feedback while meeting colleagues and sampling a unique learning environment.

The host and facilitator for the day will be Craig Twombly. We think that this is truly on of those programs that should not be missed if you have people in the retail sector to develop. Click here. to read more. contact Craig at craig@prioritylearningresearch.com

We Have Updated Our Website!

As you may have already noticed our website has changed. We have a brand new look and brand new features to help you get the most out of your learning with us! You can now access up--to-date workbooks, worksheets and all other related materials to the workshops you have taken on-line free of charge. All you need is a Priority Learning On-line profile.

Some of you who already have profiles may not have a password or you may have forgotten your username or password. Not to worry - just follow this link to update your account.

Once you log-in or register the workshops you have taken should appear on the right hand side of your screen. If for some reason your workshops do not appear or some are missing, simply contact us and we will fix the issue as soon as we can.

Click here to enter our homepage where you can register or log-in

The Art and Science of 360 Degree Feedback

This book affirms the necessity of having a 360 Feedback Assessment for leaders of all levels in an organization. What better way can you think of to get honest and constructive feedback from your boss, peers, and staff/direct reports? No, it is not an easy thing to ask others for feedback, nor is it something we rush out to do for fear of what others will think of us. To be a good leader is to let go of the embarrassment of whatever may come out of a 360 Assessment and start the process of developing into an excellent leader. This book is a from-soup-to-nuts version of why, what, and how a 360 Assessment can only take you to the next level.