Thursday, February 24, 2011
Twitter anyone?
About 10 days ago I decided to go from theory to practice with Twitter. Like Facebook, I decided I couldn't really understand this phenomenon withouth experiencing it myself. I've learned a ton already and see that I have a ton more to learn. Come play with me on Twitter and find out what RT means, what's a hashtag, who's following who and why. I'm @donnarwalker. See if you can find and follow me. See if you can find ALD's accounts to see what we're doing in this social network world.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Good Tech Website
For my Competitive Intelligence class at DU, I had to keep up with trending issues pertaining to yahoo, google, twitter and msn. The best feeds that I got were always from Mashable at www.mashable.com. It's a really good website to keep up with the trends in the tech world.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Learn Together
I have found it to be of great help to talk to other co-workers about what they are learning and getting together to learn. An example of this is a couple of Koelbel staff have brought their ipads in to show some of us how they work, let us practice on them and learn how to download from the ALD website. We are able to ask questions and learn as we go. Questions come up during the training that we can all brainstorm about. Many staff, myself included, learn best by seeing and doing. We are trying to get together every couple of weeks.
Tech News
Here is a good site to keep up with whats happening in the Tech world:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/technology/
Announcing a NL Team Event Focusing on Technology Competencies
In the spirit of increasing our technology competencies across Neighborhood Libraries, we’ll be starting a new blog to talk about tech issues and trends. This will be a place to talk about what you’re learning, what you’d like to know more about, and what is frustrating or exciting you when it comes to technology, serving patron needs through technology, or trends you’re noticing. Like our other team events, participation is strictly voluntary. And like our other team events, there will be prizes! We’re calling our blog Tech Talk. Hope you like it!
Here’s what you need to know:
· Jenny P will give you access to the blog, notification of which you will get through email. Once you have access, the game is on. You will have to find your way to Tech Talk and get started on your own or with the help of a techie at your site.
· Officially starts March 1st but if you want to start earlier, that would be great too
· Post a tech learning or tip and contribute to discussions by remarking on other people’s comments as well
· Each month, Jenny P, Lori G and I will choose a NL Techie of the Month based on random criteria. We might like someone’s comments on another’s post. We might like the tech idea presented. We might like the discussion generated by a particular post. You’ll never know what makes a winner, so keep it interesting with great posts on new tech discoveries you make and commenting on the discoveries of others.
· The Techie of the Month gets more than a title! There is also a $10 Amazon.com gift card at stake as well as notice of your accomplishment on the NL staffnet page.
· Supervisors will also be participating as they have goals to reach around technology to meet too.
· Our plan is to keep this going throughout 2011. We want our excitement about technology and helping each other learn to be ongoing.
The above is from an annoucement via email from Donna
Here’s what you need to know:
· Jenny P will give you access to the blog, notification of which you will get through email. Once you have access, the game is on. You will have to find your way to Tech Talk and get started on your own or with the help of a techie at your site.
· Officially starts March 1st but if you want to start earlier, that would be great too
· Post a tech learning or tip and contribute to discussions by remarking on other people’s comments as well
· Each month, Jenny P, Lori G and I will choose a NL Techie of the Month based on random criteria. We might like someone’s comments on another’s post. We might like the tech idea presented. We might like the discussion generated by a particular post. You’ll never know what makes a winner, so keep it interesting with great posts on new tech discoveries you make and commenting on the discoveries of others.
· The Techie of the Month gets more than a title! There is also a $10 Amazon.com gift card at stake as well as notice of your accomplishment on the NL staffnet page.
· Supervisors will also be participating as they have goals to reach around technology to meet too.
· Our plan is to keep this going throughout 2011. We want our excitement about technology and helping each other learn to be ongoing.
The above is from an annoucement via email from Donna
Friday, February 12, 2010
Outstanding: 47 Ways To Make Your Organization Exceptional
By: John G. Miller
658.401 MILLER, New York : G.P. Putnams Sons, c2010.
This book is a quick, easy read. John Miller, a Colorado author, has fresh yet simple ideas on how to make an organization outstanding and on being a better employee. Essentially he has 47 ideas, which are also chapters, but only a few pages each. The author goes back to the basics even quick to point out that it’s not yet another book on leadership; it’s truly about changing the way we think and the way we do business. Below is a couple of chapter titles and summary’s that I found refreshing and inspiring.
• “See Everyone As a Customer.” The author defines a customer as “anyone who has a legitimate expectation of me.” By viewing everyone as a customer, we realize that our job is really to serve. That may be externally or internally, but the core base is to serve someone.
• “Make Meetings Meaningful.” Miller goes on to describe that often times in companies, we are in so many meetings during the day that we don’t get anything accomplished in our job. He suggests many different ways of handling meetings and here their core topics:
o Have a clear leader
o Use a list or agenda
o Keep your list or agenda small and relevant
o Focus on the right things
o Meet at the right time
o Consider your meeting space
o Invite the right people
o Prepare
o Be punctual
o Control tangents
o Stay Standing! – this was an interesting idea that talked about “no chair” meetings where they are quick, talking about critical information and solving the problems without adding extra pieces. By standing, its sets the ground for the quick meeting.
• “Do What You Promise.” Whatever you say, you do. We build teams and establish collaborations when we build trust by following through on what we said we would do.
• “Listen in All Directions.” The first part of this chapter is about how multitasking can be considered being rude to a customer or coworker. He suggested that we put distractions aside and really listen and communicate. He also went on about listening to the customer and management listening to their people which were excellently fresh. One idea was to never do a survey, unless you are ready for the feedback. Getting defensive or doing nothing with the feedback, shows your intent to not really listen.
• The last chapter, “Be Outstanding.” The author writes, “the message is this: if we want an outstanding organization, then each of us must be personally outstanding.” His message is very clear that we all have a personal accountability to action. We each represent a piece of the puzzle and if we perform outstanding, we better help our organization become that way as well.
By: John G. Miller
658.401 MILLER, New York : G.P. Putnams Sons, c2010.
This book is a quick, easy read. John Miller, a Colorado author, has fresh yet simple ideas on how to make an organization outstanding and on being a better employee. Essentially he has 47 ideas, which are also chapters, but only a few pages each. The author goes back to the basics even quick to point out that it’s not yet another book on leadership; it’s truly about changing the way we think and the way we do business. Below is a couple of chapter titles and summary’s that I found refreshing and inspiring.
• “See Everyone As a Customer.” The author defines a customer as “anyone who has a legitimate expectation of me.” By viewing everyone as a customer, we realize that our job is really to serve. That may be externally or internally, but the core base is to serve someone.
• “Make Meetings Meaningful.” Miller goes on to describe that often times in companies, we are in so many meetings during the day that we don’t get anything accomplished in our job. He suggests many different ways of handling meetings and here their core topics:
o Have a clear leader
o Use a list or agenda
o Keep your list or agenda small and relevant
o Focus on the right things
o Meet at the right time
o Consider your meeting space
o Invite the right people
o Prepare
o Be punctual
o Control tangents
o Stay Standing! – this was an interesting idea that talked about “no chair” meetings where they are quick, talking about critical information and solving the problems without adding extra pieces. By standing, its sets the ground for the quick meeting.
• “Do What You Promise.” Whatever you say, you do. We build teams and establish collaborations when we build trust by following through on what we said we would do.
• “Listen in All Directions.” The first part of this chapter is about how multitasking can be considered being rude to a customer or coworker. He suggested that we put distractions aside and really listen and communicate. He also went on about listening to the customer and management listening to their people which were excellently fresh. One idea was to never do a survey, unless you are ready for the feedback. Getting defensive or doing nothing with the feedback, shows your intent to not really listen.
• The last chapter, “Be Outstanding.” The author writes, “the message is this: if we want an outstanding organization, then each of us must be personally outstanding.” His message is very clear that we all have a personal accountability to action. We each represent a piece of the puzzle and if we perform outstanding, we better help our organization become that way as well.
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